From time to time folks contact me with photography questions. If the question seems like it might be of interest others I like to answer here. Today I will respond to one of those questions.
“PJ” writes:
I mentioned that I’ve followed you on the FM site and have had a look at your website.
I know you are/were a big fan of the X-Pro2. I have one with a 35mm f1.4 which I use to toss in the backpack or take on a walk around town. For heavy lifting, I have a full set of Nikon gear.
I may have a case of GAS, as I’ve been seriously considering replacing the X-pro with a Fuji x100vi. Advantages seem to be a smaller, lighter camera, 40mp sensor, IBIS and newer technology. I guess I could get a pancake lens for the x-pro to make it smaller but I’d lose some of the advantages of the x100vi. I’m not so interested in a new camera with interchangeable lenses, which would rule out some of the other Fuji offerings.
My original message to you was to pick your brain and see what suggestions/advice you might have and if you have any opinions on the x100vi.
Look forward to hearing back from you.
I’m glad to share some thoughts on that question, PJ.
Bottom Line Up Front
The Fujifilm X100vi is a very attractive camera, as long as its pluses and minuses align with your needs and expectations — and it has technologies found in other newer Fujiflm cameras. The X-Pro2, though a few ears old, is arguably the best camera in Fujfilm’s X-Pro series and is more adaptable. There are also some other options if you want something the same size with updated features and flexibility.
A Slightly Longer Summary
As I see it, there are three options, each with its own set of pluses and minuses.
The X-Pro2 is still a good camera. While its sensor is a bit older and has less resolution, my experience tells me that it can make great 20″ x 30″ prints. It is a full-featured camera that accepts interchangeable lenses, giving more options if you want to use something other than (or in addition to) your current 35mm f/1.4 lens.
The X100vi is an appealing camera that strikes a chord with users who like the old fixed-lens, manual control aesthetic and appreciate its small size and very good image quality. It also has image stabilization, which can help when shooting with longer shutter speeds in low light. It has been updated with other newer Fujifilm features and technologies: 40MP sensor, IBIS, and other functional improvements. To get those things you sacrifice some flexibility.
Other cameras could be good compromises, too. I like the XT5 with its small size (about that of the X-Pro2), ability to use any Fujifilm lens, upgraded 40MP sensor, image stabilization, and other functional improvements. The tiny XE4 (if you can find one!) equipped with the 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens is as small and light as the X100vi, and it accommodates any Fujifilm lens.
All of these are attractive options that can make fine photographs. The trick is matching each option’s pluses and minuses to your own circumstances. (My choice was to move from the X-Pro2 to the XT5 for the higher-resolution, small size, access to more lens options and various other improvements.)
The Full Story
This will be a bit long. The question opens up related questions: is a fixed lens camera the right thing? Is an older camera still sufficient? Are there alternatives to both of those options to consider?
I’ll start with some background for readers who may not be as familiar with these cameras as PJ is.
It makes quite a difference whether this is one’s only camera or a secondary adjunct to a different primary camera system. Like me, it sounds like you use the smaller Fujifilm system as an adjunct to a full-frame system. This will likely play into your decision about the X100vi.
In the interest of full disclosure, I do not own the X100vi, though I have used one of its predecessors in the X100 series. Consequently, I’ll stick to what we know from the specifications, what I know from using a similar camera, and some common knowledge including what Fujifilm tells us about it.
The X-Pro 2 Option
You are correct that I was a big fan of the Fujifilm X-Pro2. (I wrote about all three of the X-Pro cameras here.) For readers unfamiliar with the X-Pro line, these are rangefinder-style, interchangeable lens APS-C cameras with a unique hybrid viewfinder system that lets the photographer switch between an optical viewfinder (OVF) and an electronic viewfinder (EVF).
I used the X-Pro2 for quite a while, from when it was first released until I moved to the Fujfilm XT5 more recently. I regard the X-Pro2 as the best in the X-Pro series. It had an excellent 24MP sensor, a fixed rear screen (no “flippy” screen), and a few other useful features including the ability to switch between two OVF magnifications to accommodate lenses with different focal lengths. It was a great, no-nonsense, totally functional camera.
The X-Pro1 had been the “flagship” Fujifilm camera — the most expensive, best equipped, most flexible camera in the line-up at the time. The XPro2 carried on that tradition, though while it was in production Fujifilm introduced other cameras that arguably began to supplant it as the flagship. The X-Pro3 shared the basic design, increased the sensor resolution slightly to 26MP, introduced a controversial rear “mini display,” incorporated a flip-out screen, and eliminated the switchable OVF magnification.
So, the X-Pro2 is a very solid camera, if slightly dated. Like the X100vi it uses the older, smaller batteries. Its sensor is an older 24MP model — though it can still produce fine photographs. Some other aspects of the camera are now a little bit behind — for example, the EVF has lower resolution, and things like AF can be a bit slower.
That 35mm f/1.4 lens is a gem, too. A dozen years ago that lens convinced me that the Fujifilm APS-C x-trans system was for real, and it is still an excellent lens. I use mine on the XT5 and it works well with the 40MP camera. It has the added virtue of being relatively small for a f/1.4 lens.
The X100vi Option
The Fujifilm X100vi is proving to be a very popular camera. It is perennially out of stock, and there have been waiting lists for it since it was released. Rather than being an interchangeable lens camera (ILC), the X100vi is a fixed lens camera that comes with a built-in 23mm f/2 lens. (This is the angle-of-view equivalent of a 35mm lens on full-frame.) There are adapter lenses available to convert the lens to a somewhat longer or wider angle of view, though that begins to defeat the idea of the fixed lens camera.
When I used one of the forbearers to the X100vi, several tings impressed me. It appealed nostalgically to my long background that goes all the way back to small 35mm fixed-lens film cameras. It has a bit of the “old school vibe” of those cameras – partly as a consequence of design decisions and partly because it has a full range of manual controls, but also because it retains the OVF option.
The camera also has in-body-image-stabilization (IBIS), which can be a very useful feature when shooting in low light and using longer shutter speeds. It won’t solve all blur issues (sometimes you just need a shorter exposure) but it helps a lot in many situations, and there are no serious downsides to having IBIS in a camera.
I thought that the optics of the 23mm f/2 on the earlier model were fine, and the newest model reportedly is as good or possibly a bit better. The X100vi adds the newest 40MP Fujifilm x-trans sensor. My experience with the sensor has been entirely positive — it can provide a bit more detail for large prints, and the image quality in other ways (noise, dynamic range, etc.) seems as good as or better than the earlier sensors. Do you need 40MP? It isn’t a gigantic difference in most cases, but if you make large prints there are some potential advantages. It certainly does not do any harm.
The fixed lens design has allowed Fujifilm to make the camera very small. It isn’t what most of us would regard as “pocketable,” but it will fit in very small bags, and it takes up little space in luggage for travelers. There’s something appealing about having a very small camera that produces excellent image quality — though, as always, you’ll compromise the flexibility that you get with ILC options.
I thought the X100-series camera I used was a fun camera, and it provoked a positive subjective response, so much so that I tried hard to convince myself that I really needed it! In the end, I decided to not get one — I’ll have more to say about my alternative choice in a moment.
There are a few caveats. I mentioned one above — whether or not the 40MP sensor will make a significant difference in your photography. It won’t hurt, and it might help in some cases. In addition, I was a little disappointed to see that Fujifim chose to continue using the older NP-W126 battery in the X100vi. This is a lower capacity battery than the NP-W235 used in other newer Fujifilm 40M sensor cameras. The best guess is that increasing the size of the battery bay would have necessitated some re-engineering of the camera and added a little more size and weight. My preference would have been to make that sacrifice in order to get more battery capacity using the larger battery found in other modern Fujifilm cameras.
The biggest question is whether one will be happy in the long run with the fixed lens on this camera. That question has two parts. First, will one be happy with only a single focal length? Second, if so, is 23mm the ideal focal length?
The first question seems like the most important one to resolve before getting the X100vi. In general, I would especially urge people thinking of it as their only camera to ponder deeply. It is easy to be taken by the sexy design of the X100vi and its very small size — the experience of holding and using it has that effect. But it is critical to take a step back and directly face the question: Is a single fixed focal length really going to be versatile enough for me? That could be quite limiting if this is one’s only camera, though it may be less so if this is a second camera used as an adjunct to a more flexible system.
The second question follows — if the fixed lens design is right for you, is the 23mm focal length (the angle-of-view equivalent to 35mm of full frame) the focal length you would otherwise choose. A useful mental experiment is to imagine that Fujifilm made multiple versions of the X100vi with either a 18mm, 23mm, 27mm, or 35mm fixed lens… which would you choose if you could have only one? If you are used to the greater reach of the APS-C 35mm lens or the wider coverage of the 18mm focal length, you will likely find that the X100vi’s coverage is not quite ideal for you.
To summarize, the X100vi has a lot going for it, from its subjective feel to its small size, IBIS, and 40MP sensor. But you’ll need to be sure that the fixed 23mm focal length (and f/2 aperture) will cover your needs.
Other options
Photographers looking for a small Fujifilm system that can produce excellent photograph quality have other choices, too. I’l mention two of them, though some readers might want to consider others that I will not cover here.
XT5
For photographers who like the X-Pro cameras for their small size, full manual controls, use of interchangeable lenses, and higher resolution sensor, the XT5 is worth a look.
When I finally gave up waiting for Fujiilm to come out with a newer X-Pro model, I moved to the XT5. I’m glad I did, and I have no regrets at all. It has the newest Fujifilm technologies and the full manual controls I want, plus it is about the same size as my older X-Pro2. While I was leery of electronic viewfinders back when I got the X-Pro2, virtually the entire camera industry has now moved to mirrorless EVF-only cameras — and photographers have adapted. Along the way the display technology has improved greatly, to the point where most of the old concerns are no longer relevant.
I’ve happily used mine for everything from long overseas trips on which I did a lot of travel and street photography to wildlife and landscape photography where I wanted to minimize gear size and weight.
XE4
As a slightly unexpected option, the XE4 is worth considering, too. This camera, equipped with the 27imm f/2.8 “pancake” lens (the one that usually lives on my XT5), is as small and light as the X100vi — and it accommodates any other ens in the Fujifilm line-up, too. When it comes to combining small size/weight with flexibility, it is hard to beat the XE4.
There are some caveats. On a practical note, it is really hard to find this camera right now. Fujifilm stopped making them during the supply chain crisis and has still not resumed production or announced a successor. Like the X100vi, it uses the older, lower-capacity battery. It also uses the older 26MP sensor, though that won’t be an issue for most photographers. It does not have IBIS.
Bottom line
Unfortunately, there is no simple, universal, obvious answer to the question of which one is “best.” It really is conditional, and it comes down to matching your own needs and preferences to the feature sets of these options. If you want the most current sensor in the smallest camera and are willing to be restricted to a single 23mm focal length, that’s one thing. If you want the highest potential image quality and interchangeable lenses, that will lead you in a different direction. Already have a X-Pro2 and lens? Maybe the upgrades won’t make a big enough difference to warrant the expense.
Questions? Reactions? Related ideas? Leave a comment!
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.
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