Big test Fujifilm X100VI PRICE: £1599 FUJIFILM-X.COM
Dropped into the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, will Fujifilm’s new X100VI sink or swim? Roger Payne walks the streets to find out
WORDS & IMAGES BY
ROGER PAYNE
EMOTION ISN’T TYPICALLY a subject photographers talk about when taking images. Yet emotionally driven decisions are a crucial part of the process. We’ll often create photographs to remind us how we felt when we visited a location – or take pictures of loved ones to remember a great day together. Similarly, owners of any Fujifilm X100 series model will tell you it’s not just great pictures taken from the camera they love; it’s also the way it makes them feel. Using one is as much an emotional driver as the results it produces. I experienced this first-hand while testing the X100VI – the sixth version of the camera which began the X Series dynasty in 2010. It casts a spell on you, compels you to create images and forces you to go the extra mile to get a good shot. No witchcraft or wizardry is involved, of course, but its ultimate effect on your creativity is undeniably spooky. This can be explained very simply: the X100VI represents photography in its purest form. It’s a big sensor behind a high-quality, fixed lens, wrapped in a classically styled body. It’s the perfect blend of old and new; the design reminds you of the good old days of film cameras – yet the results leave you in no doubt you’re
working with cutting-edge digital tech. It’s a combination very few manufacturers have managed to crack. The Leica Q3 comes close, but at more than three times the price. Operating in such a niche could lead to complacency. But, thankfully, that word doesn’t appear to be in the Fujifilm dictionary, so the X100VI offers significant improvements over the X100V it replaces. The most headline-grabbing of these is the boost in resolution, jumping from 26.1 megapixels on the previous model to 40.2 megapixels here. The X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor found onboard the X100VI
has already earned its stripes in the X-H2 and X-T5, remaining the highest-resolving APS-C sensor on the market. While X100VI usage should be about getting the shot right in- camera, this boost in resolution gives greater flexibility for cropping when editing. Quick grab shots from distance can still be made into prints for the wall when you have 40.2 megapixels to play with. The camera’s built-in digital teleconverter also takes on greater significance, with two options available to boost the 35mm-equivalent lens to either 50mm or 70mm.
“IT CASTS A SPELL ON YOU, COMPELS YOU TO CREATE IMAGES, FORCES YOU TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO GET A GOOD SHOT. NO WITCHCRAFT OR WIZARDRY”
MOMENTS IN MOTION Tokyo’s vibrant atmosphere comes to life with the X100VI – everyday moments are obtained with vivid clarity
38 Photography News | Issue 114
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