Today is my 40th birthday! I wasn’t going to say anything about it, but something happened that changed my mind. I had a different article that I had planned to publish today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
My wonderful wife, Amanda, gave me an amazing surprise. Her gift to me this morning for turning the big 4-0 was a Fujifilm X100V. I couldn’t believe it! A Fujifilm X100V! Wow! This is the camera that I wanted even before it had been announced back in early February.
The Fuji X Weekly blog began as my Fujifilm X100F journal. Almost all of the early articles are about the fourth model of the X100 camera. I happily sold that X100F, not because I didn’t like it (I loved it), but because I used the proceeds to buy my wife a Fujifilm X-T20. A couple years ago she wanted a camera for her birthday, so I sold my X100F to buy her one. I’d do it again without thinking twice about it. Now, things have come full circle, and she bought me an X100V for my birthday.
I had a battery already charged, so I was able to quickly set up the camera, but just barely. There are a number of new features that I’ll have to spend some time playing with. I like what I see so far. The X100F is a great camera; it’s clear that the X100V is even better. You can expect many articles about this camera and the new features in the coming weeks and months.
I made a handful of exposures with the X100V this afternoon, which are the pictures below. They are all camera-made JPEGs using the new Classic Negative film simulation. I’ll likely create many new recipes from Classic Negative. The little that I’ve seen from this film simulation has left me very impressed. I can tell already that it’s a great film simulation, and I look forward to seeing what I’ll do with it. I hope you’ll come along for the ride. It’ll be a fun journey, and it’s all because my wife gave me a wonderful gift for my 40th birthday. Thank you, Amanda, for such an amazing surprise!

Sunlight Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Singular Flower Blossom – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Deep Blue Sky & Blooms – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Fisher Beer – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Two Yellow Hooks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Electric Yellow – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Hanging In There – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Happy Birthday!
Can’t wait to see what awesome recipes you come up with using chrome effect and blue effect as well as classic neg
Thanks so much!
Happy birthday! And all the best! And have fun with your gift!
Warm regards from Switzerland,
Udo
Thank you!
Many happy returns! 🙂
And plenty of wonderful pictures with your new device!
Thanks!
Happy birthday Ritchie and all the best!
And lots of fun with the new baby
Cheers Nicolas
Thank you!
Happy birthday Ritchie, with all your dreams comes true, and congratulation by the new camera we will be waiting for the new stuff recipes soon
Thank you, much appreciated!
Congratulations! We seem to have the same birthday 😉 (I am only some years ahead of you)
That is a great gift, enjoy! I just hope your X-Trans II and III recipes won’t dry up 😉
Thank you! And happy (belated) birthday to you!
Lieber Ritchie, herzlichen Glückwunsch zum 40. !
Wünsche Dir alles Gute, vor allem Gesundheit und viele glückliche Momente mit Deiner neuen Kamera!
Lange habe ich schon darauf gehofft 😉 Nun werden hier viele auf neue Rezepte gespannt sein….
LG Thomas
Danke ich schätze das wirklich!
Joyeux anniversaire !
Now in order to follow you on the new Classic Negative journey, I ‘d better buy the X100V, the X-Pro 3 or the XT4…
All the best for you and your family.
Denis
(Paris, France)
Thank you! The X100V seems great thus far, but it doesn’t make the older models obsolete. I will say that Classic Negative is the Acros of color, if that makes any sense.
Happy Birthday, enjoy your new toy!
Thanks!
Happy Birthday Richie! I am having lots of fun using your Kodak Ektar 100 recipe on my X-T2 and XF35mm1.4. Look forward to your posts. BTW have you reached out to Neale and Kevin on the Fujicast?
Thank you! I’m glad that you like the Ektar recipe. I have not reached out to Neale and Kevin (yet), but perhaps I should.
Congrats on the new camera! The images look great, the X100 series is definitely a fantasatic camera. Been thinking of getting a second camera that is the X100F to complement by xt10.
Thanks! The X100F is a great camera. I enjoyed it for sure.
Happy birthday Ritchie, you are a real lucky guy, enjoy your new camera.
A strong hug from Venice, Italy.
Mirco B.
Thank you! I am lucky. I married up for sure.
What a great birthday present – this must be love… 😉
Happy birthday Ritchie – All the best!
Thank you!
Happy Birthday, Ritchie. What a nice present to get 🙂 Enjoy it thoroughly and I’m looking forward to all the lovely content you’re going to give us, maybe even an accurate Classic Negative recipe for older cameras, heh? 😉 Celebrate your day!
Thank you so much! It will be easier to replicate Classic Negative now that I can directly compare.
Happy happy birthday- what a fab present. Can’t wait to see some images soon. all the best from the sunny UK
Thank you!
Happy birthday from Rome!
Thanks!
You are a very lucky man!
Yes I am! Thanks!
The very best Birthday Wishes for you Ritchie. The love you and Amanda share shines through! Happiness is usually found in the giving of gifts, but in the case of your X100V, it’s pretty cool to receive. B-) And thanks from all of us Amanda as we’ll get to follow along as Ritchie discovers the wonders of his new camera. Enjoy!!
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
Congratulations on your birthday and your new camera. I’ve been looking at your work for the last 6 months and I really love what you are doing and the best part is that you share with all of us. You have become an inspiration. Wish you the best for you and your family!
Thank you so much! I’m glad to be an inspiration to you. It’s an honor.
Happy birthday Ritchie! Man, what an awesome gift!
Thank you!
Happy 40th Ritchie! Now go make lots of great memories with that new camera!
Thank you so much!
Happy Birthday Ritchie !! May is definitely a great month (I was born May 7 😉 ) My wife ordered a X100V for me too, but with the confinement situation in Europe, I should get it later this month or early June (ii’s in very short supply here).
I can’t wait to try your new recipes for it, especially the Classic Neg ones !
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy your new camera. New recipes are in the works already.
BTW, happy belated birthday to you!
Happy Birthday!
Be safe, you and your family! I hope to have lot of fun with you new camera, it looks very cool. I will wait for the new recipes 😉
Thank you!
Happy Birthday! And congratulations on the 100V! It looks like an amazing camera! (Have one sitting on a wish list but it isn’t something I need at the moment.) Really excited that you have access to Classic Negative and some of the other newer settings and can’t wait to see what you do with them. Hopefully they left the ability to keep separate WB’s per custom setting in the 100V’s firmware. This has been so helpful with the XPro3.
Thank you! I haven’t had time to set up the Q menu (I hope to get to that today), but I assume that ability is there.
Happy Birthday, Ritchie! 🎂
I have gear envy reading your post. I want a second X camera, one just for street photography and weekend trips. I had more justification for it last year when we were travelling to Philadelphia and doing weekend trips more often. Less so now that we can’t go anywhere.
Thank you!
I’ve had camera envy since the X-Pro3 came out. I thought I’d have to wait awhile longer, since I didn’t have any good enough justification to buy something. It’ll be awhile before a buy anything else, I can tell you that. The good news is that I won’t need to. The X100V is great, but I bet you can get an X100F, X-Pro2, an X-E3 for a good price right now, and they’re great, too. Might be easier to justify.
Hi Ritchie, I already started my search for a gently used X100F on MPB.com and KEH.com. It seems I will be buying my camera equipment the same way I buy my cars: certified pre-owned (aka. used). 🤪
That’s not a bad way to do it. It’s a great way to save money. I’ve purchased (over the years) four different used Fujifilm cameras (X-E1 twice, X100F, and X-T1) and have never had a bad experience.
Happy Birthday! i found these amazing blog from fuji rumors, since then ive been reading every blog you post!!
i have a request, since you have the fujifilm x100v , can you make a fujifilm recipe of superia xtra 400 or the fujicolor c200 using the classic negative film simulation!!! Thanks!!!!
Thanks so much! I plan to try both of those films with Classic Negative. There’s the potential for many different recipes.
Wonderful birthday present for an accomplished artist. Is always lovely to see somebody with passion as yourself. I don’t wish you a happy day because it is clearly it is a very nice and special indeed : )
Thanks so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it!
Happy birthday – from nowhere as cool as Europe (much closer to you – Denver). And congratulations on the new camera!
Yesterday I bought my first Fuji camera ever – the X100V. I’m just starting to climb the learning curve. “Where’s my PASM??” (lots of lolz here). I got the X100V after a few years of admiring the jaw-dropping images a friend has captured with his X100F. I’m energized by the challenge of learning to use the X100V and the creative possibilities of traveling light with it around town and farther afield. (And, I decided to support my local independent camera store by making this purchase at this time.) I’ve bookmarked this site. I think it’s going to be useful. Thanks!!
Thank you so much! It’s really appreciated. The Fujifilm experience is different for sure, but in the best way possible.
Happy birthday and what a most wonderful surprise present to have.
Keep up the great work
Thank you so much!