The Fujifilm X100VI is the most preordered camera in history by far. There were more orders placed prior to the release date than there were X100V’s produced in its entire four-year run. Completely unprecedented! I quickly made my order within minutes after it was announced, and I still had to wait over a month for it to arrive. There are people who placed their preorders on day-one who are still waiting, and some have been told that it might be closer to Christmas before it can be delivered. Even though Fujifilm is right now manufacturing the X100VI at somewhere around four-times the rate that they did the X100V, they still haven’t cleared out the preorder list, let alone begin to tackle the backorders placed after the release. It’s nuts! If you’ve been patiently waiting for yours, I hope that it arrives soon. If you haven’t already ordered yours, the wait could be quite significant.
Quite obviously before Fujifilm even thinks about offering alternative versions of the X100VI, they need to catch up on all the orders already placed. I have no idea how long that might take, but I highly doubt it will be anytime in 2024, and maybe not in 2025, either. However, once they’ve managed to get this situation under control—perhaps in the spring of 2026—I would encourage Fujifilm to consider producing variations of the X100VI. While this is something I’ve suggested for awhile (first with the X100F, actually), this is the first time that I’ve dedicated an entire article to the topic.
Leica just announced a 43mm f/2 version of the Q3, called Leica Q3 43. For those who don’t know, the Q3 has a 28mm f/1.7 lens, which is equivalent to 18.6mm on Fujifilm, the same focal-length as the X70. The new 43mm version has more of a standard field-of-view, and is equivalent on Fujifilm to 28.6mm (Fujifilm doesn’t offer that exact focal-length, but it is pretty close to both 27mm and 30mm, which Fujifilm does make).
Offering multiple focal-length versions of a fixed-lens camera is nothing new. For the Ricoh GR III, which has a 18.3mm (27.5mm full-frame-equivalent) lens, there’s a 26mm (39mm equivalent) variation called GR IIIx. Sigma had up to four versions of the DP cameras: 14mm (21mm equivalent), 19mm (28.5mm equivalent), 30mm (45mm equivalent), and 50mm (75mm equivalent). Fujifilm has never taken this approach, but I think they should.
Left: Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Kodak Portra 800 v3 / Right: Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Kodak Portra 400 v2
What Fujifilm does offer are conversion lenses, which screw onto the end of the camera’s fixed lens. There’s a wide-angle (WCL-X100 II) and telephoto (TCL-X100 II) option. The wide conversion lens has a 0.8x magnification, which means that the 23mm (34.5mm equivalent) lens on the X100VI becomes 18.4mm (27.6mm equivalent). The telephoto conversion lens has a 1.4x magnification, which means that the 23mm lens on the X100VI becomes 32.2mm (48.3mm equivalent). Essentially, it’s like having three versions of the camera: 18mm, 23mm, and 32mm. The downside to the conversion lenses is that they add a fairly significant amount of size and weight (especially the telephoto) to the camera, which, to an extent, defeats the purpose of it. While the teleconverters do indeed add quite a bit of versatility, I would like to see one or two alternative focal-length versions in the future, where the dimensions and weight of the camera are about the same, just with different fields-of-view.
My top two recommendations would be a 16mm (24mm equivalent) f/2.8 version, and a 35mm (52.5mm equivalent) f/2 version. Obviously 18mm f/2 would be a popular choice, so I’m sure that would be high on their list of potential focal-lengths. Fujifilm has a pancake 27mm f/2.8, and modifying those optics for use with an X100 series camera could be intriguing. Fujifilm could offer just one variation (like Leica did with the Q3, and Ricoh did with the GR III), or they could offer multiple options (like Sigma did with the DP series). Personally, I’d like both a more wide-angle and a more telephoto version.
This should not be a priority for Fujifilm whatsoever, but something to consider for down the road. Maybe it could be announced in the fall of 2025 in time for the Christmas shopping season, or in spring of 2026, or sometime later. Or maybe they don’t see any reason to offer it at all, because perhaps they don’t believe it will gain any net camera sales, only take away X100VI sales. Personally, I would likely buy whatever alternative focal-length version(s) that they do release, if they ever do, to be an addition to my X100VI. I don’t know how many other people would do the same, but it might be worthwhile for them to consider.
I don’t see Fujifilm going down this path in the near future. They may have no interest in doing it ever. But I like the idea, personally, and would encourage them to at least consider the possibility. Not everyone appreciates the 23mm (34.5mm equivalent) focal-length of the X100-series cameras, and even if they do, they may want a little variety sometimes. While I believe that it would do quite well for Fujifilm, obviously it is something that they themselves must believe in order for it to ever happen. I hope that someday it does.
I don’t have the patience for this kind of thing in waiting for an item and the Fujifilm alternatives already exist in my view. The X-E4 doesn’t quite make the grade on being a true alternative, but it can present somewhat of a bandaid considering its size and advantages of lens choices. I have found that the XT-5 is small enough to place it as a contender alternative. Coupled with the XF23mm 1.4 LM WR, not a small lens but the image quality is stunning! Ergonomics on the XT-5 have an entirely useful layout and its space available just makes it for large hand individuals. So being busy making pictures without the X100V hasn’t ruined my outlook on photography. The XT-5 is most sensible.
Yeah, the X-T5 and even the X-T50 offer a lot of the same specs. Use the Fujinon 23mm f/2 and you will get a somewhat similar experience, probably close enough for most people. That definitely is a solid option for those not wanting to wait months and months. Thank you for the input!
I’ve been a Fujifilm shooter since I bought the X-E2 in late 2013. I loved that camera, and the kaizen philosophy that delivered so many welcome updates. I’d purchased an X100S immediately prior to the X-E2, but missed the ability to swap lenses, so I returned it. A couple of years later, when I was shooting professionally, I added the X-T2 to my arsenal.
When I was considering the X100V I also had my eye on the Ricoh GR IIIx for one simple reason: the 40mm equivalent lens. I consider 40mm to be the perfect “walking around” focal length. On the film side of things, Konica’s Hexanon 40mm f/1.8 is my favorite all-purpose lens. 40mm is just a little wider than a standard nifty-fifty lens, yet suitable for everything including portraits.
In the end, the remaining features of the X100V won me over. I still find the 35mm equivalent just a tad wide for people shots; head and shoulder portraits have a subtle distortion about them that elongates the person. For everything else, the X100V is excellent. And of course it has that fantastic build quality and the beautiful film simulations. I was without an ILC body for a couple of years due to limited income while in school, but now that I have an X-T5 I’m covered for everything the X100V doesn’t do as well. For casual outings, I still grab the X100V as my first choice.
It “only” took a few months for my X100V to arrive back in 2022. I don’t feel any sense of urgency to upgrade, and I’ll probably skip an iteration or 3 before I consider buying a successor. The additional megapixels and OIS are nice, but not sufficiently compelling.
The X100V is such a great camera. Unless you just have to have IBIS and the new film sims, there is no need to “upgrade” anytime soon. Keep enjoying the X100V for a long time to come.
Variants:
Monochrome version: better as an X-Pro4 variant. X100 users want film Sims.
Alternative focal lengths: maybe an 18mm, otherwise 23mm covers it all (with crop modes) for this form factor camera.
– It’s already in it’s sweet spot and Fujifilm know that.
I’ve been asking for a Monochrome version of an X100 for a few years now. More likely it would be an X-Pro if they ever make one. I very much appreciate your input!
My #1 would be a 16mm lens, but also an extra-wide OVF/EVF, actual width, not just angle of view. Why extra-wide? To optimize for panoramic aspect ratios. A 16mm lens would be the closest to 45mm on the TX-1/XPan when cropping a 40mp XTrans5 sensor down to 65:24. I’ve gone on repeatedly about how physically altering a sensor doesn’t make sense for XPan style shooting (cropping is just better, since you get a lot more pixels in non-65:24 aspect ratios), but something like the viewfinders could be optimized for panoramic use. Maybe not full XPan ratio, but a 2:1 viewfinder would be a lot nicer for composition across different aspect ratios.
Part of what would be really nice about a 24mm-equivalent is that, while you can optimize it for XPan usage, it isn’t solely an XPan camera. A lot of folks like a wide angle, and while 28mm is a popular focal length, it isn’t quite far enough from a 35mm. Plus 24-to-28 crop mode still has 29mp image.
If integrating a 16mm lens into the body, building it right up to the sensor, maybe they could push the f/number a bit compared to the X-Mount 16/2.8. Maybe an f/2.4 is possible while remaining small.
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My #2 would be a longer focal length, but I’d probably try to push it a bit more than 35mm. I’d maybe go for an APS-C 40mm, maybe try to get down to f/1.7. There’s a lot of classic 58mm film lenses (Zeiss/Helios, Nikon, Minolta had lovely 58s), and targeting a look like that might make sense. If Fuji could do a 40/1.7, that’d be a portrait beast of a compact, between the leaf shutter, built-in flash, and ND. Granted, my dream would be a FF 45 or 50mm f/1.7 with flash and ND, but for APS-C, again, I think I’d rather push in slightly. I think if making a tighter x100, I think you’d probably be targeting portraiture, so going a bit longer and faster in the lens makes sense to me. Not that the 35/2 is a bad lens, but a little extra length can make a noticeable difference in subject separation.
Plus, with a 40mm lens, if cropping down to an 85mm equivalent, you’ll keep a lot more of the sensor area than with a 35mm lens. That 14% difference in focal length can add up. You’d be looking at 20mp vs 15mp when going to 85mm on a 40mp sensor.
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Overall, I guess my core thought is that 35mm is such a versatile focal length that, if Fuji were to do alternative focal lengths, I’d take it a step further. 28mm or 50mm don’t seem far enough away from it. Going for 24mm or 58mm makes more sense to me.
I’m really surprised that the X-Pan ratio isn’t already available in the 40mp X-series. It wouldn’t be hard to implement, I wouldn’t think. If they ever made a 16mp X100 variant, it would have to have It, in my opinion.
I appreciate your thoughtful feedback! 😀
My daughter loves the 35mm full-frame focal length for travel and telling “town stories” but she also enjoys macro and portrait.
A camera with a fixed lens of around 40 or 50mm full-frame focal length that would be capable of close-ups and nice bokeh portraits would be a winner for her as she cannot carry with her the required additions of a camera with adapters.
For me, that would be Fujifilm X100V with telephoto adapter, permanently mounted, to protect the sensor from dust particles. F2 aperture is ok but is the minimum I can accept – no F2.8 for me which I consider it to be a serious downgrade.
I appreciate your input! A 50mm with decent close-focus capability would be intriguing.
I too am pretty ticked with Fuji. I had one on order since day one. I discovered they are not even at the half way point of fulfilling pre-orders. I cancelled my Oder. Doing business like this crap.
I’m sorry that your order was canceled. The X100VI’s demand is unprecedented. No camera company has ever been faced with this issue. Not Canon. Not Sony. Not Nikon. None. I think in one sense it’s a good problem to have—by a long shot, they made the most viral camera ever (capturing lightning in a jar, so to speak)—and obviously a bad problem, since customers are upset because the line to get one is historically long. I just don’t know what more they could or should be doing.
Let’s wait to see what the x-e5 would offer. It could very well serve as the best alternative option to the x100vi.
I do believe the X-E series, especially when paired with a pancake like the 27mm f/2.8, is a decent (and the most obvious) alternative to the X100 cameras. It’s not 1:1. The X-E5 is not likely to have a hybrid EVF/OVF finder or built-in ND filter. It definitely will not a leaf shutter. It probably won’t be weather-sealed and it might not have a built-in fill-flash. IBIS could go either way. All of that said, it will likely be “close enough” for a lot of people, and will be seen as basically an interchangeable-lens X100VI, I think.
Maybe a x100R ?. Gfx sensor and 28mm lens f1.7. take the fight to the q3 at an affordable price point… I’d be interested
Yeah, I would love to see GFX X100-like camera. Rumors are that such a camera may be in the works, but I have no idea any of the details about it. I hope it happens.
I’ve got an X100Vi arriving this week. I’ve got other cameras, I don’t need an additional camera, but the X100Vi is a package that I cannot replicate with anything else. I’m going in some trips and need a camera that will enable me to travel light, is weather sealed, doesn’t pose the risk of attracting unwanted levels of risk in dodgy areas, but which still delivers top end images and top end experience. I don’t see anything else that does all of that the way the X100Vi does. So I ordered one. It’s arriving this week. It will be worth the wait.
Definitely worth the wait. You will love it—congratulations! 😀