Fuji lm X100V field test
There are some cameras you need in your life and the Fuji lm X100V is one of them, as Michael Topham explains having purchased his own
The best camera is the one you have with you is a cliché we’ve all heard before. As much as it states the obvious, it does have relevance in today’s society where there can be big rewards for being the rst person to record a crisis, extraordinary event or unexpected moment. Most of the time these situations to which I refer are recorded on smartphones, which can be pulled from pockets to snap stills or snippets of video in seconds. I have nothing against people using phones to document world events and daily life, but there’s part of me that feels like I’m not taking photography seriously when I do it. Smartphones will, in my opinion, always lack the same creative and inspiring feeling you get when you lift a view nder to your eye and operate a camera with tactile controls at your ngertips.
Ever since reviewing the Fuji lm X100V last year I’ve had an itch I’ve needed to scratch. A practical pocket compact seemed like it could be the perfect answer to get away from using my smartphone when I don’t have my DSLR, or small mirrorless camera to hand. If I needed another reason, my increased interest in cycling since lockdown regularly presents opportunities to get some great shots at rst light and I often pass subjects and other points of interest that justify a brief stop for a quick shot. Neither my DSLR nor mirrorless camera really cut it for this purpose unless I carry a backpack, which I’m not fond of on long rides or when heading out for a brisk walk. But something had to give if I was serious about the idea of owning an X100V as I only had £500 to spend, not a penny more. After deciding to part with my Fuji lm X-T10 and XF 23mm F1.4 R (for which MPB.com offered me £520), I had a shortfall of £780
to make up. Browsing Fuji lm’s online shop opened my eyes to the idea of buying a refurbished model, which at £999 brought it within budget. Minutes later I decided to bite the bullet. One decision remained. Should I buy in black or silver?
Discreetness
I was shocked by the interest photographers expressed in the X100V when I had been reviewing it. On one day alone three people approached me to inquire about it. At rst I thought it was because I had one of the rst production samples in the country hanging off my shoulder but soon realised people were attracted to its retro design and wanted a closer look. Members of the public who were less savvy would pass and say ‘that’s a lovely-looking camera’ or ask if it took lm. As much as I adore the appearance of the X100V in black and silver, the classic guise drew more attention than I’d expected. It was this experience that led me to my decision to buy my X100V in black in the hope people wouldn’t notice it. On the off-chance they did, I wanted it to look unassuming to the average Joe. Was this the right decision? Well, in the past six months not one person has approached me or mentioned the camera. I feel my decision was de nitely the right one for someone who likes to go about their photography quietly and unobtrusively.
A lot has been written about the X100V so rather than cover each and every feature, I want to offer an account of how I’ve found it, what makes it special and the areas where there’s still room for improvement. The rst thing to say about the X100V, like most of Fuji lm’s cameras for that matter, is that you immediately sense it has been designed by photographers for photographers. I’ve been fortunate to meet the designer of Fuji lm’s X100-series,
Mr Masazumi Imai, several times and his enduring passion for wanting to create a truly special bond between photographer and camera has always resonated with me.
The special feel
The X100V spreads its buttons and dials intuitively across the body and its aluminium top and bottom plates, which have a lovely crisp edge, give it a precision-engineered look and
nish. It has an immensely satisfying feel, though I wouldn’t class it as a camera that offers a high level of grip. Within days of receiving my X100V
I started researching thumb grip options to enhance the purchase in my right hand. In the end I chose Squarehood’s offering that’s purposely designed to t the X100V. It doesn’t obstruct access to the top-plate dials like some cheaper alternatives and by combining it with a mini soft shutter button, it has turned the X100V into a camera that’s as satisfying to hold as it is to look at.
I was skeptical at rst of how the absence of four-way buttons at the rear might affect operation. Coming from other X100 models you’re immediately aware of how you rely on using the joystick a lot more. The touch functions that let you swipe a nger across the screen to perform a pre-assigned function work well enough, but they encourage you to operate them with your left hand as it’s a bit of a stretch with your right. If you like to shoot single-handed like I do, it feels a little odd not having function buttons below your thumb. This persuaded me to edit the quick menu and take full advantage of all 16 slots to ensure I have the settings I most regularly use a button press away. I’m a fan of the change Fuji lm has made to the Q Menu button. Like the joystick, it’s a tad small and could bene t from a wider surface area, but by positioning it that bit closer to the side of the body you never nd yourself pressing it with your thumb by accident – something that really infuriated me at times in the past when I’ve been using the X100F.
Shooting from the hip
One of the reasons Fuji lm chose to revise the layout of buttons at the rear was due to a new tilting screen taking up more real estate and what a transformation this has had. The xed screens on older X100-series models have always put me off and though the X100V’s screen can’t be tilted to assist with low- or high-angle shooting in the portrait format, it does let you glance down and shoot inconspicuously from the hip without anyone noticing what you’re up to. This is a huge bene t and I’ve seen thousands of images taken by other photographers on Instagram who’ve also started to reap the reward of being able to frame up and shoot this way without drawing attention to oneself. It’s the thinnest screen Fuji lm has ever made and though some would have preferred the fabulous three-way tilt design from the X-T3, this is likely to have increased body size or stood proud at the rear rather than sit perfectly ush. Based on how well received the tilt screen has been received on the X100V, it’ll be interesting to see how Fuji lm looks to develop it on the next iteration. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I hope Fuji lm doesn’t introduce a vari-angle touchscreen like on the X-T4. I much prefer the idea of a slim three-way tilt screen that tilts discreetly behind the camera than off to the side.
I’m not one for being too enthusiastic when it comes to touchscreen operation and like to use physical controls to adjust settings and operate the camera. If truth be told I’ve found the X100V’s touchscreen a distraction and with limited value (it can’t be used to navigate the main menu and it fails to let you scroll between images quickly in
playback) so I’ve opted to switch it off at the cost of losing the aforementioned touch functions. Thankfully not all is lost as there are six other controls that can be customised. Everyone has their own way of setting up their camera, but for me the small Fn1 function button on the top plate is used to access metering mode, while the often-forgottenabout selector function that operates on a long hold of the toggle switch at the front of the body, is set to employ the built-in 4-stop ND lter without affecting the switching between electronic and optical view nders. As for the Fn2 button within the toggle switch, I’ve kept this set to the control ring setting. Being able to quickly cycle through the lm simulations using the control ring to see the effect they have on the image live is fabulous, I just wish Fuji lm offered a way to turn off the pesky descriptions in the centre of the preview image.
Stellar optics
When I reviewed the camera twelve months ago I was taken aback by just how far the optical performance of the new lens has come from the previous version without any change to its physical size. The improvement in sharpness at minimum focus distance didn’t bother me too much as I rarely shoot close-ups, however what did interest me was the way the lens controlled
are and how it performed wide-open in general use. I’ve been aware of the complaints X100-series users have made about the issue of are in the past. As I’m someone who loves to shoot during golden hour and towards the light, this has possibly been the biggest factor that’s put me off buying an X100 sooner. Over the past six months I’ve shot hundreds, if not thousands, of shots towards the light and am pleased to say the way the X100V’s new lens controls are is vastly improved over its predecessors, even without a supplementary hood. Don’t get me wrong, veiling are is still evident when it’s directed straight at the sun, but I don’t
nd it ugly or off-putting and I admire the sun stars it creates when it’s stopped
down to f/16. And what about the sharpness wide-open? Countless shots taken at f/2 show it produces tremendous levels of sharpness, with a delightful depth to portraits and other subjects worthy of isolation. Fuji lm has worked wonders on the lens and the fact it’s no larger means it accepts all existing conversion lenses and accessories. Having tried a friend’s wide conversion lens (WCL-X100) with great success, I’m eyeing up a used example – which, at £144 in good condition, seems a bit of a bargain for times when I’d like a focal length equivalent to 28mm to squeeze a bit more in the frame.
My lasting impression of the X100V’s autofocus is that it’s extremely accurate. I’d be lying if I said it has found focus every time in low-light situations or when I’ve been shooting towards the light, but generally speaking it can be relied on to acquire focus where it’s needed when it’s needed with extensive coverage to the edges of the frame. Acquisition speed isn’t as rapid
‘When I’m not under pressure to capture a shot in the moment I o en find myself flicking the camera into manual focus’
as some DSLR or mirrorless users may be used to, but it’s still pretty hasty for a lens that shifts in and out during focusing. This is the only weak point in the entire construction, as it requires the use of an adapter ring and lter to make it 100% weather-sealed. Those who want to make their X100V weather-sealed for less than the cost of Fuji lm’s weather-resistant kit (£99) should check out NiSi’s UHD UV lter (£32), which still lets you use the original lens cap. The y-by-wire focus ring lacks the beautiful tactile feel of one that’s mechanically coupled, but by using the rear command dial and the joystick together to magnify and inspect focus, I’ve found my hit rate of sharp manually focused shots to be extremely high. When I’m not under pressure to capture a shot in the moment I often nd myself
icking the camera into manual focus for the reason it seems to slow me down to think about the photograph I’m taking in a more deliberate and considered way. And that’s the beauty of the
X100V in a nutshell. It has everything you want, placed where you want it to take precise manual control when there’s no rush, but with the option to set all the dials to their ‘A’ setting when there’s no time for re nement and you just need to capture the special moment that’s in front of you with no faff.
Delightful images
Another reason for wanting to shoot more with camera and less with a smartphone was the attraction of improved image quality from an APS-C size sensor. The quality of the X100V’s images are exquisite for a camera that comfortably ts in my jacket pocket, or my mediumsize saddlebag when I’m out riding my bike. I’ve been so impressed by the detail and colour straight out of the X100V I rarely nd myself editing images, which has encouraged me to be more thoughtful about getting the shot right in camera at the point of capture. To accentuate warmth, contrast and vibrancy in my shots I’ve started experimenting by using different lm simulation modes and white balance settings. Who knew that the Fluorescent light white balance mode with a warm white balance shift, combined with the Velvia
lm simulation mode, creates gorgeous tones that are well suited to sunsets and autumnal scenes? I’ve also found the Acros mode with a hint of warming monochromatic colour and gentle lift to the tone curve works particularly well with vintage subjects to create a real sense of nostalgia. Most impressive of all from an image quality perspective has to be the quality of its JPEGs. Unlike some cameras that lay their automated processing down thick, the X100V doesn’t. I haven’t hesitated to print and
publish from the camera’s JPEGs (most of the images that support this review are JPEGs), however I always make a point of shooting in JPEG+Raw, with the raw acting like my negative if it’s needed. Indeed, I’ve been so impressed by the quality of its output I’m planning to push it into service as my second camera for a few different projects and weddings later this year.
A masterstroke
If you haven’t worked out by now, I’m smitten with my X100V. It has taken up residency on my sideboard right next to my front door and I take it everywhere I go to capture whatever I might happen to stumble upon. There aren’t many days that pass when I don’t use it – something I put down to its practical size, but also the sheer enjoyment I get from using it to document daily life. There’s more to it than this though. Since owning the X100V it has had a huge impact for re-gaining my interest in photography. It has an uncanny way of making me more aware of what’s around me and lls me with energy to get out there and want to take photographs.
To be honest I never thought I’d fall for a compact with a xed lens in the way I have with the X100V. I like the way it encourages me to move my feet and think carefully about composition, plus it improves in the areas that put me off buying one before. Fuji lm is one of the best companies when it comes to listening to the feedback from its users and the outcome is cameras like the X100V, which not only look the part, but are a delight to use.
Anyone mulling over whether to buy the X100V or not should take up the option to try it for free for 48 hours (www.fuji lm-loan.com). As good as this incentive is, just don’t say I didn’t warn you that it’ll only make you want to buy one even more. In summary, I’ve used few compact cameras that bestow the same charm and character as the Fuji lm X100V. It’s a camera worth every penny in my book and has become a
rm favourite that I can’t imagine being without.