Introduction

Released in 2020, the Fuji X100V is one of the best digital compact cameras ever made, making it a perfect companion for the demanding photographer.

Review

Specifications

Rangefinder-style digital camera
26.1 MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS Sensor
Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens (not interchangeable)
Hybrid 0.52x OVF with 3.69m Dot OLED EVF
Mechanical Leaf Shutter 1/4000 (+ Electronic Shutter)
11 FPS (mechanical)
Built-in flash
Single SD-Card slot

Fuji X100V bottom view - tripod socket and battery/SD-card door

Imaging Performance

The 26 MP sensor delivers sound images from ISO 160 to ISO 12.800. APS-C cameras have come a long way, and this is really shows with the Fuji X100V.

Combined with the outstanding 23mm f/2 lens, the camera performs excellent in low light. The lens can be shot wide open without too much loss of sharpness, given that the subject is within reasonable distance.

Previous lenses used in Fuji’s X100 lineup suffered from a significant drop in sharpness at close ranges. The new lens design in the X100V solved this issue and given the close focusing distance of 10cm, this turns the camera into a powerful all-rounder.

User Experience

The X100 series are the only compact cameras offering a hybrid viewfinder. When in optical viewfinder mode, an overlay showing frame lines, AF-point and more is projected. This works surprisingly well and was one of the main reasons why I got the camera: I was looking for a compact camera without an electronic viewfinder. If you like EVFs, the flick of a button turns the camera into a regular mirrorless. I recommend turning on the BOOST mode to improve the overall viewfinder experience.

The control layout resembles that of a classic film camera. ISO, aperture and shutter speeds are set via classic dials. Given the excellent build quality, handling the camera is very satisfying.

With the addition of a weather sealing kit, the camera becomes resistant to bad weather and a standard 49mm filter can be mounted. I highly recommend getting this “upgrade”, as I would be concerned of dust getting inside the lens, which extends slightly when focusing.

Having only a fixed focal length but enough megapixel to crop, I would have loved the digital teleconverter to be more useful. You can set a digital crop of 50mm and 70mm, but only when shooting JPG only. This is an unnecessary limitation that does not really make sense in my view.

As the focus points can be moved around across the whole frame, the AF-joystick is a must in order to operate the X100V efficiently.

Fuji X100V - back view: AF-joystick and hybrid viewfinder

(Auto)focus

Talking about auto focus, I would rate the X100V as quite good. I never had issues with missed focus. The face detection works reliably most of the time.

Shooting Scenarios

I’ve used the X100V extensively over 1.5 years and tested it under various circumstances.

Street Photography

Thanks to its compact size, almost inaudible shutter and the articulating touchscreen, the streets are the X100V’s natural habitat.

Personal Documentary

The solid JPEG engine with Fuji’s well renowned film simulations make the Fuji X100V also great for casually documenting life. Thanks to the useful app, images can be transferred and distributed quite easily.

Professional Scenario

Although it is hard to admit, the Fuji X100V does 80% of what I need a professional camera to do. This is why I used it quite often as a backup camera. Thanks to its solid video performance, it was suitable for shooting short behind the scenes videos and b-roll.

Its leaf shutter allows flash sync across the whole shutter speed range, which makes it a quite useful studio camera as well.

Content Creation

For content creators, the Fuji X100V is kind of a mixed bag. Its imaging/video and connectivity features are powerful, but the lack of in-body stabilization as well as the lack of a fully articulating screen make it ill suited for VLOGGING. Keep in mind that you will need your smartphone or another camera like the Sony ZV-1.

The Fuji X100V is definitely a stylish camera.

Verdict

It is fair to say that the Fujifilm X100V is a very good camera. If you are looking for 35mm f/2 compact digital camera, this is the one to get.

The Leica Q(2) has a comparable user experience, but at a higher price point. It also lacks the hybrid viewfinder.

If you are looking for a minimalist experience in your photography, this might be the only camera you will ever need for the next 15 years to come.

Fujifilm X100V