The Fujifilm x100v is my favorite camera of all time.

Many of you who’ve been with me on this journey know this.

I've taken it everywhere - from camping trips, to hangouts, to festivals, to different countries.

It's been a companion, a partner, a means to capture the moment, and a way to document my life.

So when the Fujifilm x100vi was announced, it was a must buy for me.

I preordered the camera as soon as it was released, much to the dismay of my credit card.

And for the past few weeks or so, I’ve been taking it out to stress test the camera, see how the new features work, and compare it with the V.

And I’ll have you know, I haven’t watched any reviews of this camera.

I don’t typically watch gear reviews or photography videos anymore, but I made sure to especially not click on anything VI related.

This is because the V is a special camera for me, and I wanted to give you guys my raw unfiltered actual thoughts, not repeat the things I’ve heard or seen elsewhere.

I wanted to see and experience this camera for myself.

So here are my first impressions.

What’s New

3 things to note:

this is not a tech or spec review
we won’t cover every feature, just the ones that stood out to me
we might be all over the place today

The Fujifilm x100vi is more or less an upgraded x100v.

There are a few new features but many aspects like the screen, viewfinder, and lens are pretty much the same.

Which is fine because those were already great - they didn’t need any big improvements.

We also already got a new lens with the upgrade from the F to the V, so I was not expecting any changes with that.

Some people may be disappointed with the upgrades because they weren’t “big enough”.

However, I personally think the upgrades were very worth it - I’ll tell you why.

fujifilm x100vi street photography andre pel

IBIS/LowLight

Lets start with IBIS.

One of the big upgrades in the VI is the addition of image stabilization.

For me, this is huge.

It’s one of the things I mentioned about the V in a review long ago that I felt was missing.

I thought that if the x100v had IBIS, the camera would be even more perfect.

It felt like a long shot at the time, but Fujifilm actually made it happen.

IBIS is a great addition for both photo and video.

For video, the usefulness is obvious.

The x100 series are carry around point and shoot cameras.

Meaning, they are meant to sling around your waist and shoot handheld.

Bringing a tripod along is possible but that defeats the purpose of having a low profile casual point and shoot camera.

Therefore, most of the times you’ll be shooting handheld.

And IBIS will help get you cleaner, less shaky, handheld video.

Especially since the VI is a beast video camera.

Now for photography, many of you wont need IBIS.

The V was already a fantastic low light camera.

It’s got a wide f2 aperture, usable noise even when the iso is bumped to 6400, and a great built in flash if you have no light source.

So IBIS wasn’t necessary in terms of lowlight photography, but it sure is a welcome addition.

Now, I can lower my shutter speed about 1-2 more ticks, get more light into my camera, and shoot without flash.

The built-in flash is great, but can blind people, make it obvious you’re taking pictures, and get you kicked out of events.

So I welcome IBIS for both photo and video.

I’ve still yet to test how good it actually is, but on paper, it sounds great.

The lens on the VI is fairly small and the 35eq focal length should be an easy one to stabilize.

So I don’t think there’ll be too many problems with simple handheld shots.

But again, we’ll see.

Processor

An upgrade that I think matters a ton is the processor.

It’s probably not as exciting to talk about because this an expected upgrade for a new camera.

But the reason why I think it’s important is because of how the V handled custom film simulations recipes.

When shooting with the x100v, there was a bit of a processing lag for custom recipes that had any sort of clarity bump.

For 99% of operations, the camera was quick and smooth, but clarity seemed to make the camera struggle.

So hopefully the new processor makes it faster to process not only video and the new sensor, but also clarity in custom film simulations.

Sensor

We’ve got 40 megapixels now.

I’m actually not sure whether to celebrate or not.

Because although 40mp puts us in a competitive range with all the newer generation cameras, it comes with downsides of it’s own.

In my opinion, the perfect amount of mp is 24 - which was what the V had.

It’s enough to get usable high quality images with room for flexibility in post.

It also resolves well for printing, heck even 12 mp is enough for print.

And although more megapixels seems great on the surface, it comes with one tiny problem: it takes up more space.

And if you’re anything like me, I’m always running out of storage.

I’ve got a decent archival system right now, but I’m worried about how I’m going to manage the thousands and thousands of photos I’ll be taking over the next 5 years.

And the solution isn’t to take less photos…

For indication, the raw files for the VI are about 83mb while the ones on the V are about 54mb.

It’s about a 30mb increase per photo, which doesn’t sound like much but will definitely add up in the long run.

If you shoot thousands and thousands of photos over years and years, you’re gonna run out of space.

And although space is getting cheaper as technology advances, figuring out storage, backups, and all that stuff is a headache on its own.

So, this isn’t to scare you, but more megapixels can mean more problems.

Video

A big upgrade for the VI is it’s video capabilities.

We now have the ability to shoot in 6k 10bit 4:2:2 internally.

Which is insane - it actually might be a bit overkill.

In my opinion 4k is great, but we’ve never needed anything past 1080p.

Especially if you’re just making YouTube videos like me or capturing moments with your friends and family.

What am I gonna do with that resolution, zoom in on the pores of my skin?

But I understand, the more the better, and camera companies are in a race to stay competitive.

There is a small crop when shooting in 6k but nothing too noticeable.

And when paired with IBIS, IS boost, and already good slomo capabilities, this x100vi is an even more beast of a video camera.

Many of you will use the VI mainly for photography, but having video of this level is exciting to say the least.

A few future video upgrades I would love to see would be:

a one press recording button (so I don’t have to go into the drive menu to record video and adjust my settings every time)
better built in audio

Tilting Screen

A final tiny change in the VI I want to point out is the tilting screen.

It pulls out slightly more than the screen of the V.

This makes it a tad easier to see the screen when shooting waist level, as it’s not blocked by the viewfinder.

This wasn’t a big deal, I was never bothered with this problem in the V, but it is nice that Fuji pays attention to small details like this.

First Photo Session Experiences

What I’ve been excited for the most with this camera is the updated film simulations.

And I’m not talking about “reala ace”.

I’m talking about nostalgic negative.

That is what I’ve been waiting for.

Nostalgic negative was a film simulation added a few years ago to a GFX camera and new fujifilm bodies.

And the moment I saw it, I thought “I want to try that.”

And so I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting but we never got an update for the V.

Which makes sense, they don’t typically add new film simulations to older cameras - I was just being wishful.

And I’ve tried the custom nostalgic negative recipes; they don’t hit the mark.

So ever since I got the VI, that’s all I’ve been shooting in.

Most of the photos I’ll be sharing with you guys today are SOOC JPEGs.

I’ll save the edits for the next video - Lightroom hasn’t fully updated their program to filter in nostalgic negative yet.

So I’ve been bringing the VI around with me to situations you’d expect: everyday life, street scenarios, and hangouts with friends.

And so far the shooting experience is about the same as the V.

The camera is more or less the same, after all - which is a good thing.

It works great, feels great, looks great.

And the shooting experience would be the last thing you want to change with this camera.

As for nostalgic negative, it’s a very interesting film simulation.

At a glance, it feels like a cross between classic chrome and classic negative, which are two of my favorite color simulations.

It has a flatter contrast similar to classic chrome, without the harsh highlights of classic negative, but retains a bit of an soft amber tint to the highlights.

Skin tones also seem to have an interesting look - a cooler and softer neutral brown.

So already, I like it.

Many of Fujifilm’s color simulations like provia, velvia, and astia were a bit too strong and boring for my taste.

But nostalgic negative has an interesting look without being too forceful, it’s versatile for different scenarios, and just looks nice.

Nostalgic Negative has already shoed its way into my top 3, along with classic chrome and classic negative.

Silver vs Black

As you can tell, I got the x100vi in silver.

I figured because I already have the V in black, I may as well switch it up with the VI.

And upon getting the VI, I’ve noticed the difference between the two.

The silver and black don’t just look different, they feel different.

The silver finish feels like a soft matte aluminum finish, while the black is like a glossy painted overcoat.

I think this is because the silver isn’t actually painted on, correct me if I’m wrong.

And I’m totally geeking out right now - this has nothing to do with the camera itself.

The point is, the silver is really nice.

I used to just want black because it’s stealthier, lower profile, and sleek.

But now I’m really liking the silver version.

It doesn’t catch fingerprints like the black version, feels nicer to hold, and reflects light better for pictures.

I also think the black is more likely to chip over time because it is paint - again, don’t quote me on this.

The only problem with silver is, it was tough finding a matching filter…

One Minor Problem

As much as I’d love to sit here and praise the x100 system, there was one problem I noticed in the VI.

And it’s a very minor one.

Typically I like to have my custom film simulations on a custom button.

This allows me to rotate between my film simulation recipes and also preview and see how light and color look for each day.

With the update to the VI, we still have this function, except for one change.

It doesn’t keep the nd filter toggled for the preview.

What I mean by this is that each custom setting has its own nd filter setting.

You used to be able to toggle your nd filter on and off and it would keep that exposure setting as you cycled through your film simulations.

Now, each custom setting will have your nd filter on or off depending of if you had it on or off when you last used it.

I see what they were doing here, but it’s actually quite annoying.

Let me explain.

What make the preview aspect useful is that I could cycle through my custom settings and preview how each day looked through each setting.

Then I’d pick the one I felt looked the best for the type of day and be on my way.

Now as I cycle through the settings, some will be bright and some will be dark.

Its difficult to preview my image because the nd filter affects the preview.

This is a small issue, and you can easily just select the setting and untoggle the nd filter, but I feel like it defeats the purpose of the preview function.

So hopefully, they’ll change it back in a firmware update.

Should You Upgrade?

If you are someone who already has the V and don’t care too much about the new film simulations, video features, and IBIS, you probably don’t need to upgrade.

Most of the things I know and love about the V (the tactile shooting experience, the size and profile, and the quality of images) are still here.

I will say though, the VI takes everything and levels it up.

So if you’re concerned about it being a worse experience for an already great camera, don’t be.

However, if you’re just getting into the system and are trying to pick between the VI and the V, you can’t go wrong with either one.

They’re both great cameras and the upgrades in the VI are worth it.

Now unfortunately, I’m sorry to say - but I think both are sold out. (at the time of writing)

The x100v has been sold out for a long time.

And the VI is now on backorder on websites like B&H and Adorama.

Which is crazy because hype has once again gotten the best of this camera.

So your real option is to buy resale on Ebay or something.

And as expected, markups on the VI are crazy.

But the good news is that with the release of the VI, resale for the V has gotten cheaper.

So instead of paying 2000$ you’ll be paying a bit less.

The point is, you can’t buy either camera at market price right now unless you’re lucky.

If you’re willing to wait, backorder the VI.

Otherwise, buy the V for resale - it’s still a fantastic camera.

Do I Like the VI?

Lets finish this with a little story.

Long ago when I first got the V, I was like, “Man this is the perfect camera.”

It literally has everything, except for IBIS and the ability to use ND filter for video.

Fujifilm later added a firmware update which allowed the nd filter to be used in video - which I was ecstatic about.

And now with the VI we also have image stabilization.

Plus there’s a 40mp sensor, new gen 5 processor, and 6k 10 bit 4:2:2 video.

Which you have to understand - that’s insane.

Think about all these upgrades with basically no added size to the camera - and some people are still complaining.

You see, I didn’t want them to change the V.

It’s far too common that camera companies try to add in all these new features that end up ruining what made a camera good to begin with.

It’s also a common theme that camera companies will adjust and add features that we simply don’t care about.

So I thought: “If they could just not make this camera worse, that would be amazing.”

And if I’m being greedy, add a few features that I want.

Fujifilm did just that.

Because it seems like they understand their product.

The x100 series is a camera that was made better and better over 5 generations.

Each new version added a small jump to eventually make this camera the camera it is now.

And it’s not a coincidence that many people will hold this camera and feel like it was made for them.

And Fujifilm isn’t paying me to say this - they could care less about me.

So as of right now, I’m very happy with the VI.

I don’t think it’s as groundbreaking as some people online are making it out to be (just based on the titles and thumbnails), but it’s definitely a great camera.

I’m excited to shoot more with this camera and share my thoughts with you guys in the future.

If you liked this blog, share it with a friend.

If you’re interested, order a copy of my new photography zine “The Sinking Sun.”

Have a great day, thanks for reading.