Fujifilm will be announcing the upcoming X100V replacement in early 2024, according to Fujirumors. What will be different on the new model is unknown, but most likely it will be nearly the same, and will probably be a little more expensive. It will be interesting to see what exactly Fujifilm changes and what they keep the same. Will it have a 26 or 40 megapixel sensor? XPan aspect ratio? IBIS? NP-W235 battery? Anything is a possibility right now, but historically the X100-series doesn’t change a whole lot with each new iteration.
I hope that Fujifilm—and it would be really smart for them to do this—introduces a brand-new film simulation with this model. Yes, it will have Eterna Bleach Bypass and Nostalgic Neg., but it should have one more fresh film sim. I have no idea if that’s in the plans or not, but it should be.
Probably the least important aspect of any new camera—from a usability perspective—is the name; however, from a marketing perspective, the name is fairly important. If the camera is called something awkward or uninspiring, it might mean fewer sales, while if it is called something catchy and cool, it could increase camera sales. Fujifilm likely has a shortlist of potential names written on a board in Japan right now, and they’re trying to decide which one to pick.
Fans of Fujifilm are—just for fun—also contemplating the new name. I correctly picked the name of the X100V well before it was announced, and I’m hoping to go 2-0 with the upcoming version. It’s not important in the scheme of things, but I do enjoy guessing. Others have taken a stab at it, too. Let’s discuss some of the potential options.
My best guess is that Fujifilm will name the new model X100Z. Why Z? First, it sounds cool (think Nissan 350Z). Second, “Z” (Zeta) is the sixth letter in the Greek alphabet, and this will be the sixth iteration of the camera. Third, Fujifilm used Z in some of their film emulsion names, such as Fujicolor Pro 800Z (if they did introduce a new film simulation, it could be based on Pro 800Z and called PRO Neg. Z). It makes a lot of sense to me, and seems to check a lot of boxes that I imagine Fujifilm has for any potential name.
In the original X100 naming system, S stood for Second, T for Third, and F for Fourth. Once number five came around, the naming system no longer worked, so Fujifilm jumped to Roman Numerals for the current model. V not only means Five, but there’s also a V in the word. Some people think that Fujifilm will continue with Roman Numerals, and the next version will be X100VI. This is likely high on Fujifilm’s list of possibilities, but it just seems so Sony, and not so much Fujifilm; however, Fujifilm has been trying to be more like Sony lately, so maybe they’ll go this route. I personally would be surprised if Fujifilm uses another Roman Numeral until the tenth model, which will surely be called X100X, but I have no doubts that this option is on their list.
Another possibility—and this one seems to be the most popular among Fuji fans—is R, because that’s the sixth letter in the Japanese alphabet. The letter is pronounced Roku, which you might recognize as a well-established brand name for streaming television. If Fujifilm went this route, surely there will be plenty of jokes (for example, watch your favorite YouTuber right on your camera…). I could see Omar Gonzalez or Kai Wong having a field day with this! I would think that Fujifilm would avoid this option simply for the name association, but they could say that R stands for Rangefinder or Resolution (if they choose the 40mp sensor), but of course we’ll all know what it really means: plug the X100Roku into your TV for streaming made easy!
Some have speculated that Fujifilm will start over, going with X200 (followed by X200S, X200T, etc.). I don’t think this option makes much sense. I imagine that a full-frame X100 model would be called X200, but I don’t see Fujifilm completely renaming an established and popular line. If they were to go this route, the X200 would have to be significantly different than the X100V to justify such a dramatic name change, and I don’t see that happening.
If Fujifilm keeps everything pretty much the same and only makes minor modifications to the new model, I could see X100Vs (like the X-E2s, or if they use the stacked sensor of the X-H2s) or X100V II (like the X-T30 II) as the name. I think a lot of people will be disappointed that the new camera is pretty much the exact same thing as the (at the time of the new announcement) four-year-old X100V; however, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? So if not much changes, X100Vs and X100V II are both possibilities, but I imagine that enough will be different that Fujifilm won’t choose these options.
Another one I’ve seen floated around is X100H, where H stands for Hex, which means Six in Latin. It also means curse in English, so I’d be really surprised if Fujifilm made a bewitched model. I think this one will be avoided like the plague!
Of course, the one I’d really like to see is the X100-Acros, a monochrome-only version. I think there would be a lot of buzz surrounding that, and would be a “wow” camera. I hope that Fujifilm is at least considering such a version—I’d be first in line to buy it!
Now it’s your turn: what do you think Fujifilm will name the sixth edition of the X100-series? Let me know in the comments!
X101A
Why that?
You would be starting the alphabet over again.
So X101, then X101S, X101T, etc.? Or like X101A, X101B, X101C, etc.?
101A, B,C,…
They wouldn’t run out of names very soon, would they?! It would definitely solve that problem. 🤣
Even if they didn’t go with “101” (which kind of sounds like an introductory collage class, as in English 101, Photography 101, etc.), they could still do it with the X100. The next one could be X100A, then X100B, etc., and it wouldn’t become problematic until F, which is at least a decade away, probably nearly two. At that point who knows if they’re still even making the camera series….
I appreciate the input!
XOOOX – obviously, for more TikTok generation appeal
X100L – as we all know, most X100/Xpro owners really just wanted a Leica
X100U – U as unobtanium, you’ll never be able to buy it anyways
X1 – in Fuji, smaller numbers are better(er)
X – cause it’s epicly, uniquely, quintessentially X (I’m ashamed of myself already)
X100M – named after its mechanical rangefinder
X100
That’s it, I’m sending my resume to the marketing department!
You never know if they’re hiring! 🤣
sincerely hope there would be an upgrade version of the XT series soon…
sincerely hope there would be an upgrade version of the XT series soon…(perhaps named as xt40/50) as an XT30 user, I’ve been entertaining a hankering for NN and CN filters for long
The X-T30 II should have been offered, at least in part, as a firmware update to the X-T30. But because Fujifilm did it the way they did, the X-T40 (or X-T50, whatever they’ll call it) has been pushed off a little. Supposedly there is a camera coming this fall, and my best guess is that it is either an X-Pro4 or an X-T40. I think if it were indeed an X-Pro4, there would be rumors about that leaking, but there’s not, which leads me to think that it’s more likely an X-T40 (but it could be anything). If the X-T40 doesn’t come out this fall, it might be summer of 2024.
wow! Thx! Your reply really reassured me… BTW I honestly appreciate what you’ve done so far with fujixweekly.com; the simulations and filters that you’ve created so far have more than rekindled my love for photography and made me fall in love with my xt30 model again. Again, appreciate it!
X100W
Why W?
X100Z has a cool ring to it. How Z is presented by Fuji marketing in a potential logo would need careful consideration. Considering how the letter Z has been hijacked as a political/ propaganda tool over the last year and a half.
I guess I must be outside the loop on things, because I had zero ideas what you’re talking about. I had to Google it. I guess V and O are also being used? Anyway, I think Fujifilm will be fine using Z. Aside from that, I don’t want this to be any sort of political discussion… Fuji X Weekly is definitely not the platform for that!
x100H
Hex is Greek for six.
That makes sense, but I think Fujifilm will hesitate to use hex since it can also mean curse. I don’t know if people will buy a hexed camera…. 🤣
I think they will take Leica head on and release the X100M.
M for Monochrome.
At least I hope so.
I would LOVE for that! I hope Fujifilm does.