Fujifilm x100v Review

The Fujifilm x100v is the latest offering from Fujifilm in the popular x100 series of cameras. I spend 4 days in San Antonio to test the new camera out. Here is the official review.

Buy the Silver x100v on Amazon - https://amzn.to/39QUjxd

Buy the Black x100v on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2TQKl9x

Buy the x100f on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2QdMBFw

Example Photos taken with the Fuji x100V. All photos were shot in JPG using the Classic Negative film simulation.

Below are links to Find the Fuji x100V for the lowest prices

Buy the Silver x100v on Amazon - https://amzn.to/39QUjxd

Buy the Black x100v on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2TQKl9x

Buy the x100f on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2QdMBFw

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Disclaimer: The transcript was transcribed electronically by Temi.com and may contain errors that do not reflect accurately what the speaker said. Because of this, please do not quote this automated transcript.

Raymond (00:00): The X 100 V looks pretty close to perfect on paper, but in practice does it live up to the hype? I just spent four days in Texas shooting with the brand new Fuji X100V and in this video I'm going to show you what I loved and what I did not. So let's get into it. First off, I'm going to let you know that I think that the Fuji X100V is, it's just an absolutely amazing camera, but it's not for everybody. Now, I've always been the kind of person to carry a camera with me wherever I go. Now, up until now, that camera for me has always been the Fuji X70 I think that it is honestly the perfect blend of portability and image quality, but for my use of using it to take photos of the kids, it's aging. Autofocus is really starting to show its age and as a professional wedding photographer, I can tell you without a doubt that this just doesn't cut it at a wedding.

Raymond (00:56): So when the X100V was announced, I thought to myself finally, here is a camera that I can use for my personal photography when photographing my kids, but also a camera that can be used professionally because you know the IQ is similar, if not equal to that of what is found in the X T three and on top of that, I shoot 90% of my weddings on the 23 mm lens. So it seems perfect. So I got the X100V I bought it a plane and then spent four days shooting with it in San Antonio. So let's talk auto focus. That's something that is always important when talking about a new camera. The expert too with the 23 1.4 Is no slouch, but the X100V I mean just blows it away. The real surprise for me was when shooting the X100V in low to next to no light conditions.

Raymond (01:49): It seemed to find the whatever I was trying to focus on, no matter, no matter how little light there was, which was fantastic. And not only that, but it did it ultra fast. I'm pretty confident to say that I think that the Fuji X10 V is going to do just fine at a wedding reception. Another thing that I know people are really excited about is the brand new classic negative film simulation and let me tell you it is, it's a lot of fun. The greens when shooting classic negative really make an image feel like film, but here's the thing, I'm not sure. The classic negative as is as well rounded as classic Chrome classic Chrome just seems to work in a whole lot more situations than classic negative does. Classic negative really works great. I mean beautifully in a situation where you're photographing very few colors where whatever your main subject is is either red, green or blue.

Raymond (02:45): When it's one of the primary colors, it can just really make whatever that subject is truly stand out, but when you're shooting something where there isn't a predominant subject and whatever that predominant subject is, isn't red, green or blue? An image can be very busy with the amount of additional colors that can be added into a scene. And for that reason, I think that's why classic Chrome to me seems more versatile and I'm probably gonna continue to keep shooting most of my images on that. So that brings us to the tilty screen before I think the the Nikon D seven 50 came out, I always kind of brushed off as kind of a extra, you don't need that to take a good photo. And even though I thought that I would never use the flip screen, it wasn't until I had it that I realized it allowed me to shoot in an entirely different way because now suddenly I could just simply hold the camera down and get a lower perspective and still have an interest in composition without having to physically have to lay on the ground.

Raymond (03:45): But when it came to the X100V when I shoot a wedding, I love my XPro2 because I love the optical view finder. So with the X100 series cameras, I knew that I already loved the the range finder and the optical view finder here, but when I photograph the kids, I really love the tilt the screen of the X70 here as this allows me to hold the camera down on the kids level. I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally give the X 100 series cameras another chance to see if that it could fit within my world of wanting a camera for both personal and professional use. Now this may be a little bit nitpicky, but when coming from the X70 or the XT3, the tilt screen right here, you can pull it up from the bottom. You can pull it up from the side, you could pull down on it from the top because the screen protrudes just a little bit and this makes it great to be able to just turn on the camera and then with my other finger down at the bottom, just flip up the screen and start shooting.

Raymond (04:56): No, I assumed that it was going to be exactly the same for the X 100 V here, but if you notice the screen is flush with the rest of the body except for this little area right here, not being able to pull up the screen from the bottom, but having to come here from the side just feels like there's a little bit too much torque on the edge of this screen. Then I would like, and now honestly I've only had the camera for well now like five or six days, so this may just take some getting used to, I don't know, just something to be aware of. Next bit. I really thought that I was going to miss the D pad on the X100V when shooting weddings with the Xpro 2 here I customize my D pad for white balance auto focus settings, film simulation, face detection, but to be honest, I really don't miss the deep hat as much as I thought that I would, and even on the XPro2 and even on the X 70 here, there's a Q for quick menu, but now that the D pad has gone on the X100V it forced me to go into the menu and kind of set it up the way that I would a D pad.

Raymond (06:03): And to be honest, I like it, but I'm not exactly sure why. Fuji decided to put the Q button where it is on the X100V for all compared to the rest of the buttons. It's very small and it doesn't stick out. It doesn't protrude like the rest of the buttons, so you can't find it as quickly without looking. I feel like the point of the quick menu is so that you can get to a setting that you need very quickly, almost intuitively. So the last thing that you want to do is have to hunt for where that button is. So that's a minor gripe number two. Oh, also going through the quick menu button. I don't know if this is going to be updated in firmware soon, but I really wish with all the previous X100 cameras, there was a a view mode option right here next to the viewfinder so that if you were shooting, if you wanted to just use the optical viewfinder, that was an option for you.

Raymond (06:51): If you just wanted to use the rear LCD, that was an option for you. If you wanted to use the eye sensor to determine whether or not you were looking through the viewfinder or looking at the LCD, that's an option for you. But they food, you removed that button, meaning to be able to get to that setting, you have to go into the menus and I believe that that's three or four clicks away. So that would make sense to work within the Q menu where you could just turn on the camera, press the cue button, make your adjustment to whatever view mode it is that you wanted and then be able to move on. But as far as I can tell that's not an option. And the other thing is neither is quick record for video on the X 70 here, this button, it comes as quick record.

Raymond (07:34): I did the exact same thing with max pro too so that when I'm at weddings, if I'm taking photos I can just take a quick few seconds of video to be able to just deliver something more to my clients. The last X 100 series camera that I had was the X100T and that was an option to be able to customize this front button right here to be quick record. And that's something that I really wish I had access to. So I'm not sure why it has to have its own dedicated movie shooting mode, unlike the X pro 2. Hopefully that gets addressed in a firmware update in the future, but for now if that's something that's really important to you, just be aware of it. So it may sound like I am kind of nitpicking on this camera. I'm not trying to, it's still really feels almost like an extension of of your photographic mind's eye. Raymond (08:16): When you see a photo, when you see a scene, you can see what that photo is. And with the X 100 series cameras, it's just been the best tool for me being able to adjust all my settings before I even turn on the camera so that when I turn it on I snap and then I'm done. I think that it really sits within a really strange price point area because on one hand, as a professional photographer, it's not necessarily an inexpensive camera and the camera does check a lot of the boxes that I want. So while the image quality is fantastic and I personally find it just a delight to use, I think that it would be hard for a hobbyist to justify the price of the camera or, or at least justify purchasing it new. Think about the options between the X100F and the X100V and you're okay with not having a tilt the screen, I would say save the, you know, $800 and get yourself an X100F now the camera's not gonna make you a better photographer.

Raymond (09:14): It's really interesting because I've been preaching this for a long time. I've seen this firsthand in my own work. I went from a cannon XT to a 40D to a 5D Mark 2 then the three before downgrading from full frame to a Fuji XT1. And once I did, I realized that this really didn't change my work at all. It changes how I go about my work, but it doesn't actually change the photos themselves. So when I'm pre-ordered the X100V I was just imagining all the photos that I would be able to take. And then once I got it, I realized I'm still the exact same photographer as I've always been. But what's changed is the tool. So for me the X100V is the right tool, but for hobbyist, somebody who maybe isn't making their living off of photography, again, it really might be hard to justify the price.

Raymond (10:03): But if you really want, I mean just the absolute best camera that you can buy that you can take with you just about everywhere that you go, that just feels fun to shoot with. I don't think that there's a better camera than the X 100 V is the Fuji X100V the right choice for you. Leave a comment below. Tell me what it is that gets you really excited about this camera. Tell me what you think that Fuji did. Right. So overall the Fujifilm X100V it is just so much fun to hold in your hands and see what comes out of it and really get something out of the camera that you can be happy with that you're in control of rather than just getting a blank slate and then trying to create something within lightroom. And I think that the Fuji X100V is finally ready for both personal photography as well as professional photography.

Raymond (10:56): So I put a link in the description below for you to pick up the X100V on Amazon. If this video helped you decide whether or not the X100V is right for you. I really hope that you enjoyed this review. Let me know what you think about the camera. Just give me your thoughts. I mean this is really, photography is, it's, it's, it's very much a community, you know, and being able to talk about these things. It isn't always just about specifications. Sometimes it's about what camera's right for you. There's a tool for personal and professional use. I really think that the X100V has has finally has finally reached that point. So again, let me know what it is that you think in the comments. And that's it. Guys, I will talk to you next time.