The Fujifilm X100VI - A Brief Review

Last year, I briefly got to use the Fujifilm X100F, and that enjoyable experience made me curious about how much I’d enjoy the newest camera in the X100 series — the X100VI. In early August, I was able to get my hands on a short-term loaner through Fujifilm, but because of my schedule and the availability of the loaner, I only was able to get outside with it on 3 of the 13 days that I was home before I left on a trip. Now when it comes to testing out new gear, especially something like a camera, the more time I have, the better. So this scenario was not ideal but nonetheless, I figured I’d share some thoughts.

This isn’t an in-depth review — just some initial impressions and realizations.

Main specs

40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor
Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 (35mm full-frame equivalent)
6.0 stops of In-Body Image Stabilization
Hybrid 0.66x optical viewfinder (OVF) alongside a 3.69 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF)
2-way tilting touch screen (approx. 1.62 million dots)
Filming up to 6.2K at 30p internally, with 10-bit color in FLog-2
20 Film Simulation modes
Built-in flash + built-in ND filter
Retail price: $1,799.95 USD

A bit of context

My brief experience with this camera was pretty similar to that of the X100F in terms of enjoyment but at the same time, a lot more pleasant because of how much improved this camera is. Now I never got to use the X100V, but from what I’ve heard, that was already a significant improvement from the F and then it got even better with the 6 so it’s not necessarily all that fair to compare my experience with the VI to the F.

With that said, having the experience of using the F last year made it easy for me to just turn the camera on and basically have a decent sense of how to use it, so there wasn’t a huge learning curve there and that saved me some time, which was beneficial considering I had very limited shooting days.

On paper, this camera seems like it would be perfect for me — a compact, retro-style body with a 35mm lens (one of my favorite focal lengths), great video capabilities (very beneficial as a hybrid shooter), a built-in flash for experimentation, and a very interesting hybrid viewfinder. So what are my issues with it?

The good stuff

Spoiler alert: I really enjoyed my time using this camera. Let’s get into some of the things I liked.

The focal length

Now this isn’t exactly unique to the X100VI, but the fixed 35mm lens (which is one of my favorite focal lengths) and the compact and analog design of the body allow me to hone in on a more fast-paced and documentary style of shooting, which is exactly how I’d use any of the X100 cameras. I know a fixed prime can occasionally feel a bit limiting to some people (I love shooting between 28 and 50), but Fujifilm actually makes tele and wide converters for a 50mm and 28mm that screw onto the original lens. The Fujifilm versions cost about $400 USD which is pricey (and I believe there are third-party manufacturers as well) but they are great options if you think being limited to 35mm would be an issue for you.

However, if you do think you’d feel that way, I would recommend looking into the X-E5 instead. It’s a very similar camera to the X100VI (if not almost identical) but it allows you to change lenses. I’ve used the X-E5 and it’s a great camera, but something about the X100VI just feels a bit more right. The fixed lens is small and if I’m going to use a camera of this size, I don’t know if I’d necessarily want to be putting bigger and faster lenses on it. F/2 is suitable for 90% of things I shoot and I love the size and weight of this camera as it is. 35 is also just an everyday carry focal length, which I think that’s kind of how this camera is intended to be used.

Video quality

I need to mention this camera’s video capabilities because as someone who shoots a lot of video, it’s really nice to have a camera with strong video specs even though it would mainly serve as a still-camera for me. I shot a decent amount of clips on the VI which I didn’t do on the F because the video on that was not great, and I was pretty impressed.

I’ve edited some video from other Fuji cameras in the past and for some reason, it never really came out how I wanted to. However, I wasn’t always shooting the footage myself so I didn’t have control in regard.

On the VI, I shot in 4K HQ H.265 10bit 4:2:2 Flog2, and the clips were smooth to edit and I was able to get the grade I want (aside from a few clips occasionally). The 1250 base ISO is a bit higher than I’m used to, but that virtually doesn’t matter because the camera has an internal ND filter which is awesome and arguably one of the best features. I had the ND programmed to a custom button which made it very quick to turn on and off. At the end of the day though, this is still more of a stills-first camera over a hybrid camera to me, but having those video specs make this camera a lot more appealing, and I’d have way less fomo if this was the only camera I had with me and I wanted to film video in a pinch (cough RICOH cough).

Also, switching between photo to video isn’t necessarily too slow of a process, but I wish there was a tiny dedicated switch or dial to make it faster.

Built-in flash

I didn’t use it all that much, and I almost forgot the camera had one, but having a built-in flash is really convenient.

It's not the most powerful, but it’s there if you need it. I only took a few shots using it but the few that I took made me realize the possibilities of incorporating flash into my work so I ended up buying one to use on my Sony. It can bring a whole new element to your work and some of my friends have been using them a lot recently so it was nice to be able to play around with one for a bit in a very low-stakes manner. I used the flash a bit on the X100F and it was really helpful when I brought the camera out with me to small events and needed some extra light, so the fact that a small feature in the camera inspired me to go shoot some more, is definitely a positive.

Design

I think the overall design of the camera is probably one of the biggest reasons people love it so much, and the X100 series in general. They have an analog feel to them with the combined ISO/shutter speed dial and aperture ring on the lens that feels very satisfying to use and is able to connect you a little bit more to the shooting process. With the VI, having the tilt screen was also really helpful when shooting at chest or hip-level, especially when filming video. The screen itself isn’t the greatest when you’re out in harsh light, but I’m glad it’s there in the first place.

The not-so-good stuff

My experience using this camera was more good than it was bad, but it’s a bit closer than it might seem.

The lens

The Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens is…good. It’s definitely improved over the the lens on the F, and it is good in a majority of scenarios. However, when you’re stuck with one lens that you can’t change, the lens quality and performance automatically becomes a lot more important. To me, this lens still feels a bit soft and doesn’t have great contrast when the light is hitting the glass as certain angles, which is how I also felt about the X100F. This camera has a newer, more modern 40MP sensor, and I just feel like the lens still isn’t as good as it could be to keep up with the sensor, if that makes sense.

I didn’t have it for too long to notice, but a friend of mine (and heavy user of the VI) mentioned how the lens doesn’t handle flaring all that well and you get some artifacts sometimes. If lens quality is something you really care about, it’s something you might want to consider before buying it. Now, I feel like this is something Fujifilm could improve pretty “easily” on the next X100 if they wanted to, but honestly the lens is probably perfectly fine for most people who use it.

With that said, it can be a positive because I think it also adds to the character of the camera and the images it produces. I definitely don’t need the most clinically perfect and sharp lens for street photography, but it’s more about the contrast than the sharpness for me personally.

Autofocus

I think the AF leaves a little bit to be desired. In most scenarios it was pretty decent, but similarly to the F, this lens hunted to catch focus more than I would’ve liked it to and I got some shots that turned out blurry, and I did have some video clips that were hunting.

Now I read that AF-S performs a bit better than AF-C and I was using AF-C the entire time so take that for what you will, but yeah, that’s something that I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of, but again, not the end of the world. This would never be my commercial gig camera, or if I have like a very important shoot. This would be more of just a walk-around, everyday carry camera.

Battery life

I’m glad that the loaner came with two batteries for the camera because you might need a few if you’re shooting both photo and video for a whole day. If I was doing a lot of hybrid shooting, I’d feel comfortable with having four batteries if I was going to be out for a full 8-10 hour day. I think if you’re just doing stills, you’re probably fine just bringing two or three depending on how you shoot. The features on this camera seem a bit too power intensive for batteries that are pretty small, but most people carry around and own multiple batteries for their cameras anyways so it’s not the worst thing.

However, the price of the batteries are $95 each which is not cheap. I used to pay about $77 for Sony batteries and those were bigger and really good, so when I saw the price of the Fuji batteries, I was a bit taken back. Sony batteries got a price bump last time I checked, so I’m assuming it might’ve been the same for these Fuji batteries as well.

Overheating

This only happened to me once, but I got an overheating warning on the camera when I was shooting a water balloon fight in Central Park. I was going back and forth between photo and video and I was also shooting in continuous shutter, but honestly it wasn’t even that hot — maybe about 85 degrees. The camera definitely felt hot in my hand, so I turned it off for 10 minutes or so and it was back to normal.

I don’t see this being a problem I’d constantly run into if I had the camera, but I could see it being a problem for people who live in very hot places who are going to be pushing this camera to its limits and filming in 6k, using the flash, continuous shutter, etc. If you plan to shoot long interviews or something like that, I’d probably steer clear.

Weather sealing

If you shoot in inclement weather a lot, it’s important to note that the camera isn’t fully weather sealed. The body is sealed (no official IP rating), but the lens extends when it focuses and that’s where the issue lies. In order to fully seal the camera, you need to get an adapter ring and a protective filter to prevent water from getting into the lens. I had to take shelter indoors when it started raining one day when I was out because I wasn’t sure how the camera held up in rain, and I’m glad I didn’t take the risk.

Menu system

The menu system isn’t my favorite. One thing that kind of drives me crazy is the different font and letter spacing and it probably shouldn’t, but I can’t stand it lol. There are also some things that are named a bit differently on this camera as opposed to others — for example, photometry is the name for the different exposure metering modes. I remember trying to find that setting and I couldn’t find it for the life of me, until I realized it was called something completely different.

Build Quality

Something I’ve noticed and also heard from others is that Fujifilm’s build quality has noticeably declined over the past few years. It makes sense — companies want bigger profit margins on cameras so they use slightly cheaper materials while increasing prices. Most companies are doing it, and it sucks. The X100F did feel a bit more robust if I remember correctly, and the X100VI just felt a bit more cheap and plasticky. I don’ think this is specific to the X100VI though — I have friends who have complained about the build quality on both the X-T5 and X-E5, so it just seems like a pattern on the newer cameras.

Conclusion

I know I listed more things I didn’t like than things I did, but honestly it was really an enjoyable camera to use. The biggest thing for me is the feeling of using it because it’s a really nice design and compact in the hand (although it does feel a bit plasticky) and I actually have fun using it to take photos. I definitely wouldn’t get it if I was looking for a pure hybrid camera (go with the X-T5 or something similar instead) but if you want a compact, every-day stills camera that packs a bunch of nice features into a sleek body, I think this is a great option.

Now would I buy one myself? For today’s going price, definitely not. The popularity of this camera (along with other factors) have driven it to a price that I personally would not feel comfortable paying. It originally retailed for $1,600 in 2024 and then with tariffs and other production costs, it went up to $1,800 and now, because it’s so scarce, some of them are selling for over $2,000 on the used market. It’s not worth the price — at least for me. At $1,600 it is a bit more palatable, but still a bit more than I’d be willing to shell out.

I definitely got a few photos I liked and I’m glad I got the chance to use it — even for a brief amount of time.