by Joe Duggan (TFC London)
The older I get the less I want to carry around when it comes to camera equipment. But finding the perfect travel sized camera can be tricky. I have tried it all, from Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony.
Medium format and full frame technically give you the best images, but you have to take on the extra weight and no matter how small they manage to make the camera’s in the future, the lenses will always end up being massive. There is also an extra cost factor for cameras like these. Do you really want to be carrying something so expensive when you are travelling.
The Fujifilm X100 Revolutionised Point and Shoot
In comes the Fujifilm X100 range, I first started with the original X100 over 10 years ago. At the time I was using a Canon 7D mark I and to go from that hunk of weight to this tiny point a shoot it got me out there shooting more and more.
Shot with X100V - 2012
There were massive limitations with the camera though. Tiny battery, lacklustre auto focus and a delicate feeling build. So eventually I sold it and stared using a little film point and shoot for a few years. Then of course the cost of film got higher and higher and my local lab got shut down so need to find an alternative.
Faster Focus with the X100F
When looking for alternatives, the only thing on the market that really took my eye was the X100F, it offered faster focus, better battery life and a more solid feeling camera.
Shot with X100F - 2019
There were a few times where I found the fixed lens, which is a little too wide for me, and with no option to change the lens I got a little annoyed that landscapes were looking a little too far away for me. I’m probably in the minority on that one though. There are a couple of attachments you can add to the camera, but they make the size of the camera much bigger and a little harder to handle which defeats the purpose of having it in the first place. There is an excellent digital zoom on the camera which retains a good sharpness even at the 75mm function as seen here. It lets you get that little extra push just when you need it.
I did eventually stop using the X100F for a bit and ended up selling it on as it felt like a little bit of a waste not being used to take pictures. I tend to have periods where I don’t take many pictures. Then comes along the X100V which reignited my excitement.
The X100V Reignited My Excitement for Photography
The X100V offered me a great a new lens design which resolved a few little issues,
and the addition of weather sealing kit with this camera was a huge plus for me. It made it the perfect camera for travel.
Shot with X100V using the in camera Digital Telecomverter
The camera really shines with its colour, I only bother shooting the Jpegs out of the camera and play with the shadows in Lightroom. Even with my shooting style, I set it to auto iso, auto shutter with it set not being able to drop below 1/30 of a second and I only take charge of the aperture on the lens I want to keep it as simple and effort free as possible.
Shot with X100V - 2023
What makes the camera truly special as the everyday camera is it can do a lot of different styles. Not only is it compact it produces the same quality photos as the other Fujifilm X series cameras.
The X100 can take pictures at home with family but it’s also able to take a head shot for a magazine cover. The camera is as manual as you like or as automatic as you need. Working this way always makes it really easy to stop thinking about the camera and just focus on the image.
The Fujifim X100VI Adds Just the Right Features:
Now that the new X100VI is available, I can safely say it added the final few things missing from the previous cameras. Having a higher resolution 40.2MP sensor on a camera where you can’t change the lens is highly important, and with the addition of in body stabilisation you can really maximise the sharpness from the camera. There is also a new less sensitive base ISO which will help the camera give cleaner results.
The new “REALA ACE” simulation that I love in the Fujifilm GFX 100 II will be included so I'm excited to try that out on a much more pocket friendly option.
Although it's not something I ever worried about because it's more of a point and shoot to me, having the extra processing power and AI auto focus system of the X100VI, will just make taking pictures in more challenging light much easier.
You can order a Fujifilm X100VI in Silver or Black from The Flash Centre today!
And here are a few more pictures I've taken on these cameras from the last 10 years...
