One year ago my wife, Amanda, gifted me a Fujifilm X100V for my birthday. That was literally the best birthday gift that I’ve ever received, maybe ever will receive. It’s a tough one to beat! Now it’s one year later, so I wanted to give some brief comments on why I love the X100V just as much today as the day that I first opened the box.
The Fujifilm X100V is a wonderful camera because it fits into a large pocket, or it can be worn around the neck, and it’s small and lightweight enough that it doesn’t ever get in the way. Chase Jarvis famously coined the phrase, “The best camera is the one that’s with you,” and the X100V is easy to be the camera that always have with you. While some other cameras might be just as convenient (or perhaps more so) to always have with you, the X100V has features and delivers image quality that far exceed its compact size.
What features? Well, for starters, the nearly silent mechanical shutter is perfect for inconspicuous photography. This mechanical shutter happens to be a leaf shutter, which allows you to use a flash at higher shutter speeds; combining the leaf shutter with the camera’s built-in fill-flash, which Fujifilm has programmed to expertly balance with ambient light, is a game-changer for some. There’s also a built-in Neutral Density filter, which comes in handy when photographing moving water, or when you want to do high-ISO photography in bright light (yes, this is a thing). Did a mention that the X100V has some weather sealing (just make sure you add a filter to the front)? I wouldn’t dunk it in a bucket of water, but a little rain won’t hurt it.
The X100V has the same sensor and processor as the X-Pro3 and X-T4, so there’s no question about the image quality being excellent. It’s simply great—just look at the pictures I captured with this camera! The lens is wonderful and everything you’d expect from Fujinon glass. The 23mm (35mm equivalent) focal length is very useful, particularly for street, travel, and documentary photography.
Because the lens is permanently attached to the front, the philosophy of the X100V is one camera and one lens. I learned a few years back that many of the great photographers of yore often used just one camera and one lens for many years. Nowadays we have kits with multiple bodies and a collection of lenses, but it wasn’t always that way. I believe that most of the time one camera and one lens is all that you need. It’s great to have an interchangeable-lens option to go along with the X100V, but oftentimes you don’t need it because the X100V is a great tool for the job, almost no matter the job.
I thought it would be fun to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my Fujifilm X100V by showing you one picture from each month that I’ve had the camera, 13 pictures total. These pictures are all camera-made JPEGs from my X100V using my various film simulation recipes. Obviously this isn’t a collection of my 13 best pictures, just one that I like from each month. Some months were more productive than others. Still, I feel like this is a good set that I hope you enjoy!
May 2020
June 2020
July 2020
August 2020
September 2020
October 2020
November 2020
December 2020
January 2021
February 2021
March 2021
April 2021
May 2021
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Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H
There is only one camera better than the Fujifilm X100F and that is the Fujifilm X100V Black
The X100F is still pretty darn good, but, yeah, the X100V is just a little better, and probably the only camera that’s better, lol! I prefer the silver version myself, though….
Awesome review, thanks for sharing. After years with Fuji I ordered the X100V last week … cannot wait to get this damn fucking sexy tool in my hands !!
It’s so great! You will absolutely love it!
I’ve had mine for a litter over a year. I love it! The poor man’s Leica! The only problem is deciding which of your film simulations to load into the seven available custom settings!
Not a bad problem, though, right?! I wouldn’t call it the “poor man’s Leica” but maybe the everyday man’s Leica, because Fujifilm X is for everyone, while Leica is clearly not. I appreciate the comment!
Great review and couldn’t agree more. That little camera has completely rekindled my love for photography. Been in COVID lockdown for most of the time I’ve owned it and can’t wait to take it out on the road this summer. Thanks for all you do, your film simulations have made an already fun tool even better! I love to just shoot 24 or 36 exposures with one simulation—takes this old dog back to his film days.
I love doing that, too: 12, 24 or 36 shots before changing recipes. I appreciate your kind words! Thank you!
Thanks for update and glad it still is a fun camera to use. Not to often does the ‘thrill’ remain for camera bodies when so much new stuff comes along at such a rapid rate to attract our attention, great to hear and what a great gift too.
i took screen saves of May 2020 and July 2020 pixs and had fun trying out different Nik Silver Efex recipes, the lake scene had the most varied looks and the bubbles really made the B+W version pop. take care, js
I’ve said before that camera companies are too quick to put out new models. I’m glad that Fujifilm is basically taking 2021 off (except for the X-E4 and GFX100S). I hope to be shooting the X100V many years from now, it’s such a great camera. Thanks for the input!
I have x100v since two months ago and I realy love it! It is a superb camera!. The only thing I am frustrated with is the fact that I can’t “with the flick of a button” put the flash on or off…..
I have it in the Q menu, which isn’t ideal, but not terrible. I believe one of the Fn buttons can be programmed for it, right? A dedicated switch would be nice.
For me the fun buttons didn’t succeed to put on or off the flash. And the Q menu doesn’t seem to give this possibility…Thank you for your reply
ST
I do use the Q Menu and it works (you have to customize it). My main concern is that it’s more button presses than it should be. There should be a button on the body to activate and deactivate the flash.
I love the X100V too. And I enjoy playing with the simulations you do, so many to choose from! Which are your personal favourite colour and black & white recipes? And why?
I’m glad to hear it! Tri-X 400 is my favorite B&W, it’s just great. B&W IR is good in the right conditions. For color? Kodachrome 64, Portra 400 v2, and any of the Superia recipes… Vintage Color, Vintage Vibes and Xpro 62 are great, too.
You’re right, so many to choose from!
What about the “hybrid” viewfinder? You didn’t mention it here nor in the original review…
The hybrid viewfinder is a very nice tool, but I don’t ever use it. For some it’s an important inclusion that is routinely used.
Hi,
Nice one year review !
I really like the look of your x100v in the second picture. The one where it is near the national geographic bag.
What kind of adapter / filter do you use ?
Thanks a lot
This is the adapter. It’s nothing special, but works.
https://amzn.to/3B6FqFz
I usually use one of these filters (UV the most):
https://amzn.to/3ujhb5k
https://amzn.to/3Hnl6lj
https://amzn.to/3ulyPpo