Digital Teleconverter | FUJI X WEEKLY

Traveling Light with the Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II & TCL-X100 II Conversion Lenses

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

The Fujifilm X100VI—the most in-demand camera of 2024—has a fixed 23mm (35mm full-frame equivalent) f/2 lens. It’s not an interchangeable-lens camera, which limits its versatility; however, Fujifilm has provided a couple of options to increase its flexibility. First is the built-in Digital Teleconverter, which is a zoom-by-cropping. Second, Fujifilm offers two conversion lenses—a wide-angle and telephoto—that screw onto the end of the fixed-lens. We’ll talk a bit about both of these solutions in this article, but mostly we’ll focus on the two conversion lenses. Specifically, I will answer this question: is the Fujifilm X100VI combined with the WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II conversion lenses a practical small kit for travel photography?

MPB is the sponsor of this article. They loaned me a Fujinon WCL-X100 II Wide Conversion Lens and Fujinon TCL-X100 II Tele Conversion Lens to try out for a couple of weeks. For those who don’t know, MPB is an online platform where you can buy, sell, or trade used photo and video gear. “At MPB, there’s something for everyone who wants to try something new, hone their skills, or pursue their passion—and it won’t cost the earth.” If you’re in the market for used camera gear, be sure to check out their platform—you can learn more about MPB here. Thank you, MPB, for making this article possible!

One thing that I love about the Fujifilm X100VI is its compactness. The camera is small enough to fit into a large pocket, and its lightweight enough to carry around all day without being burdensome. The photographs that the X100VI produces straight-out-of-camera are incredible, and can be very film-like. I’ve said many times that this is my desert-island camera—if I could only ever have one for the rest of my life, it would be the X100VI. But, the fixed-focal-length lens is somewhat limiting, so I often suggest that it pairs well with an interchangeable-lens body. I will always bring the X100VI along with me when I travel, but I will almost always have another camera, too.

The Digital Teleconverter helps to make the X100VI more versatile. The 50mm (full-frame equivalent) Digital Teleconverter produces a very usable 20mp image, while the 70mm (full-frame equivalent) Digital Teleconverter produces a much less usable (but still usable for social media) 10mp image. I use the 50mm option somewhat regularly and don’t think twice about it, but I rarely use the 70mm Digital Teleconverter because it is more for emergency-use-only. This does add some versatility, but only a little.

By screwing one of the two conversion lenses—WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II—onto the end of the fixed-lens (where the filter adapter attaches), you essentially turn the X100VI (and the older X100 series models, too) into an interchangeable-lens camera. The WCL-X100 II has 0.8x magnification, turning the 23mm lens into 18mm (28mm full-frame equivalent). The TCL-X100 II has 1.4x magnification, turning the 23mm lens into 50mm (full-frame equivalent). Interestingly, there is actually a small focal-length difference between the TCL-X100 II and the Digital Teleconverter, despite that they are both supposedly 50mm equivalent—the TCL-X100 II is actually slightly more telephoto than using the 50mm Digital Teleconverter. I didn’t notice any reduction in image quality when using either conversion lens (amazing!); however, the distortion can do some weird things, which you are likely to only notice when photographing brick or tile walls.

Probably the largest drawback to the two conversion lenses is that they add noticeable size and weight to the camera. The WCL-X100 II is 1.5″ (long) x 2.2″ (diameter), and weighs 0.33 pounds, which isn’t terrible. The TCL-X100 II is a little larger and heavier: 1.8″ (long) x 2.8″ (diameter), and weighs 0.39 pounds. While the WCL-X100 II is a little less inconvenient to have attached, I personally liked the TCL-X100 II a little more. I feel like the conversion lenses contradict the camera’s philosophy (one-camera-one-lens; small/lightweight) to a degree, but at the same time, they do make for an extremely small and lightweight kit. I carried both conversion lenses and the X100VI in a Peak Design Sling, which was an amazingly compact kit for travel!

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II (28mm full-frame equivalent)*

*Fujifilm X100VI (35mm full-frame equivalent)*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Digital Teleconverter (40mm full-frame equivalent)*

*Fujifilm X100VI + Digital Teleconverter (50mm full-frame equivalent)*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II (50mm full-frame equivalent)*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Digital Teleconverter (70mm full-frame equivalent)*

You can combine the Digital Teleconverter with the conversion lenses to increase the versatility even further, achieving 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, and 70mm (full-frame equivalent) focal-lengths without resorting to the 10mp crop. I didn’t find the Digital Teleconverter combined with the WCL-X100 II lens particularly useful, personally; however, I did utilize the Digital Teleconverter a handful of times with the TCL-X100 II lens. I think it would be interesting if Fujifilm offered a 0.7x magnification (24mm full-frame equivalent) WCL option and a 2x magnification (70mm full-frame equivalent) TCL option in addition to the two they already have—I think this four lens (plus the 23mm fixed lens) kit would be extremely compelling for travel photography, if it were available.

I was invited to be a part of Fujifilm’s Create With Us event in Austin, Texas, last month. It was such a great time, and it was wonderful to meet many of you in-person. The only camera that I brought along with me was my Fujifilm X100VI, plus I had the WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II conversion lenses. I left the interchangeable-lens models at home. It was so nice to have a compact three lens kit—which stretched into a faux four lens kit utilizing the Digital Teleconverter—that all fit into a small sling bag. When you travel, oftentimes less is more, as space is a premium.

*Fujifilm X100VI + PRO Negative 160C Recipe*

It was good to have three lens options available: the fixed lens (23mm), WCL-X100 II (18mm), and TCL-X100 II (32mm). There were definitely times when each came in handy. While the WCL-X100 II was a little less detrimental to the X100VI experience than the TCL-X100 II, I found myself using the TCL-X100 II more. I don’t know that either of the two are essential. For the most part, one can take a couple steps backwards instead of using WCL-X100 II, and one can take a few steps forward (or utilize the Digital Teleconverter) instead of using the TCL-X100 II. Obviously that’s not always practical (or the same result), so having the conversion lenses available was appreciated.

I think the conversion lenses are an interesting concept. Having used them on this one trip, I was left both impressed and confused simultaneously. I utilized them a lot more than I think I would have if I had not been testing them out for this article. If someday I did buy them, they’d likely only get occasional use; however, for those occasions when they do come in handy, it’s great to have them available, as they’re pretty darn good. More than anything, I think if you’re a bit nervous to pack light for fear that you’ll miss out due to not having the “right” lenses available, the two conversion lenses will give you a bit more confidence. Even if they’re largely left unused in your sling, it’s probably still better than lugging around a bigger and heavier bag with a larger body and a couple lenses to go with it. In that sense, the two conversion lenses are completely worthwhile accessories to go along with your X100VI camera.

*Fujifilm X100VI + *Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone* Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + *Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone* Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + *Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone* Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Velvia Film Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + Fujicolor Blue Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Fujicolor Blue Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Digital Teleconverter + Fujicolor Blue Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Fujicolor Blue Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + 1976 Kodak Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Nostalgic Film Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Eterna Summer Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + Eterna Summer Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Nostalgic Americana Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + TCL-X100 II + Digital Teleconverter + Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + PRO Negative 160C Recipe*

*Fujifilm X100VI + WCL-X100 II + Nostalgic Americana Recipe*

The above photographs are all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X100VI, utilizing a Fujinon WCL-X100 II Wide Conversion Lens and Fujinon TCL-X100 II Tele Conversion Lens for many, while traveling to Austin, TX, last month.

Previously in this series:
Fujifilm X-Pro2 — The camera that got away (again)
Fujifilm X-T50 + Fujinon 23mm F/2 = Interchangeable-Lens Fujifilm X100VI??
Leica Q2 from the perspective of a Fujifilm photographer
Fujifilm X30 — Fujifilm’s Forgotten Retro Compact Zoom
Close Up with the Fujinon XF 30mm F/2.8 R LM WR Macro

Is the Fujifilm X100VI Digital Teleconverter any good?

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter*

Let’s talk about the X100VI Digital Teleconverter! Beginning with the X100F, Fujifilm has included a Digital Teleconverter on each of their X100-series cameras. The X100VI also has this feature, but it works just a little different. What’s divergent and how it might be useful is something I’ll discuss in this article.

The X100VI, like all the previous X100-series cameras, has a 23mm lens, which is 35mm full-frame equivalent, permanently attached to the front. While 35mm is a very useful focal-length, obviously it is also quite a constraint. You have to embrace the one-camera-one-lens philosophy; since limitations improve art, this can be greatly beneficial. Still, there are times when a little additional versatility is appreciated.

*Fujifilm X100VI — 70mm Digital Teleconverter*

To add some versatility to your X100VI, you could use the WCL and TCL conversion lenses, which can be attached to the front of the camera in order to make it more wide-angle or telephoto. This obviously makes the camera bigger and heavier, and you’ve got to carry a lens or two with you. It’s not an ideal situation, but not really any different than if you had an interchangeable-lens model with a few lenses, except probably still more compact and lightweight.

The other option is a feature built into the camera called the Digital Teleconverter. This is a digital zoom that crops the picture to either 32mm (50mm full-frame equivalent) or 46mm (70mm full-frame equivalent). I have mentioned several times that the 40mp sensor makes sense on an X100 camera because of the Digital Teleconverter; otherwise, 40mp is overkill for most photographers—only those who crop really deeply or print their pictures huge need that much resolution. For most people, 20mp is plenty enough. More resolution can cause storage issues and take longer to transfer and all sorts of other things, so sometimes less is more. Anyway, with the fixed-lens limitation, in situations where additional versatility is needed, the extra resolution can come in handy.

For the Digital Teleconverter on the X100F and X100V, Fujifilm did an upscale trick that increased the apparent resolution of the picture to 24mp or 26mp, respectively. Obviously upscaling can’t add details that weren’t there in the first place, but it appeared to do so. Basically, the camera takes the data from the surrounding pixels, and makes new “pixels” in-between from that information, than applies a little micro-sharpness to crisp it up. The reality is that there is only (for example) 6.5mp of data on the X100V using the 70mm Digital Teleconverter, but it appears that there is a lot more than that, perhaps closer to 12mp—that’s clearly not 26mp, but still significantly more apparent resolution than 6.5mp. I thought it was pretty slick, although the 70mm Digital Teleconverter is definitely pushing the boundary of what could and should be done; the 50mm Digital Teleconverter is much more practical. Yes, one can upscale using software, but I always appreciate when the camera can do something for me, so that I don’t have to sit at a computer and fiddle with software—I have better things to do with my time.

The Digital Teleconverter on the X100VI works a little differently. Gone is the upscale; it’s just a crop. The 50mm Digital Teleconverter crops the picture to 20mp, which is still plenty of resolution for most people. The 70mm Digital Teleconverter crops the picture to 10mp, which is fine for social media and web use, but is limiting for prints—12″ x 18″ is definitely the upper limit of how large you can go. I would like an option, which could be enabled or disabled, that would allow the 50mm Digital Teleconverter images to be upscaled to 40mp, and especially the 70mm Digital Teleconverter images to be upscaled to 20mp. I’d probably disable it for 50mm and enable it for 70mm. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option, but I’m sure Fujifilm could include it in a future firmware update if they wanted to, and hopefully they do (but probably won’t).

On the X100F, the Digital Teleconverter only works when the camera is set to JPEG, and you cannot use it with RAW. On the X100V and X100VI, the Digital Teleconverter will work with RAW+JPEG; you can reprocess the RAW file in-camera with or without the Digital Teleconverter crop. The RAW file is uncropped; however, the thumbnail preview of the RAW file is of the cropped JPEG.

One problem that I have with the Digital Teleconverter is that it doesn’t scale Grain size. If you have Grain size set to Small, on the 50mm Digital Teleconverter it will appear more like Medium (which, I know, doesn’t exist—but it should!), and on the 70mm Digital Teleconverter it will appear more like Large. Grain set to Large appears quite massive when using the Digital Teleconverter, especially the 70mm option; while this can be used creatively, it is otherwise not ideal, and I would avoid using Large Grain with the Digital Teleconverters. One day I hope that Fujifilm will figure out how to scale the Grain so that it appears the same size whether or not you are using this feature.

*Fujifilm X100VI — 35mm (Digital Teleconverter Off) — Weak/Large Grain*

*Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter — Weak/Large Grain*

*Fujifilm X100VI — 70mm Digital Teleconverter — Weak/Large Grain*

Invariably, someone will say, “Just carry an interchangeable-lens model.” Of course that’s great advice if 1) that camera plus its lenses can fit into a sweater pocket, 2) it has a leaf shutter and smart fill-flash with high-speed sync, 3) has a built-in ND filter, 4) is weather-sealed, 5) isn’t prone to dust on the sensor, and 6) can change focal lengths as quickly as turning a ring. There are advantages to the X100VI that no other Fujifilm camera can match; however, like every model, there are also some disadvantages. The Digital Teleconverter is a tool to minimize one of the disadvantages.

Someone will also say, “Just accept that it is a 35mm lens, and forget about 50mm and 70mm.” I think in many situations this is a good approach, but not in all. For example, the Digital Teleconverter came in quite handy at a local airshow. Also, I think that using the X100VI as a 50mm camera could be a lot of fun, and 20mp is still plenty of resolution. I believe that some people will use the 50mm Digital Teleconverter regularly just for the fun of it, and I think it illustrates that an X100 camera with a 50mm-equivalent lens would be desirable.

The answer to the question I posed in the title of this article—is the Fujifilm X100VI Digital Teleconverter any good?—is: maybe and sometimes. On the X100VI, it’s just a crop, which you could easily do yourself. The 40mp sensor has so much resolution, that cropping is no big deal. I prefer the concept of the Digital Teleconverter with upscaling found on the X100V more than the non-upscaled X100VI, personally. I had figured that the extra resolution would make it more useful, but this change made it only about equally as useful. Since you can crop yourself without any trouble, you might find that the camera doing it for you is unnecessary; however, you might appreciate seeing exactly how that crop will look. I used the Digital Teleconverter quite extensively at the airshow, but I don’t anticipate using it all of the time. I will likely activate the 50mm option occasionally, but I will likely avoid the 70mm Digital Teleconverter, and just crop myself if I need to.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100VI in black: Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X100VI in silver: Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira

The Upcoming Fujifilm X100VI Raises Questions

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm is on the cusp of announcing the X100V successor, which they’ve named X100VI. Thanks to Fujirumors, we know just a little about the camera, including that it will have the 40mp X-Trans V sensor and In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS).

The sensor isn’t surprising to me, because the extra resolution will help improve the Digital-Teleconverter, which is a nice feature to have on a fixed-focal-length camera. It will make this useful feature even more useful. My only hope is that it will scale the faux Grain, something that the X100V doesn’t do, sadly. When you combine the Grain setting with the Digital-Teleconverter, you get some massive-looking grain, which sometimes is preferable, but most often is not. Perhaps there should be a setting somewhere in the menu to enable or disable Grain scaling when using the Digital-Teleconverter. Anyway, I’m not surprised whatsoever about the sensor choice by Fujifilm. Personally, I like the 26mp X-Trans IV sensor just a bit better, mostly because 40mp is overkill and causes storage issues and is slower when transferring files and stuff like that (as Eric Kim used to say, more megapixels equals more problems), but I’d be happy either way, so no complaints from me.

*Digital-Teleconverter combined with Strong/Large Grain*

The IBIS choice is a bit more intriguing. This one surprises me. And it raises a lot of questions. Will the camera be bigger? Will it weigh more? I think it is possible for Fujifilm to squeeze IBIS into the current-sized model, but I don’t think they’ll be able to keep the weight the same. Of course, I think the new sensor and IBIS will certainly require that Fujifilm use the NP-W235 battery, because the old NP-W126 battery would drain much too quickly. The NP-W235 battery is significantly larger, so that most likely means that the camera will be larger, at least a little, to accommodate. It would be some miracle if they are able to keep the size and especially the weight the same. My guess is that the X100VI will be a hair larger than the X100V (edit/note: Fujirumors is now reporting that the camera will be “basically the same size” and only “marginally” bigger, which you might not even notice), and noticeably heavier; however, that is just speculation. Another question that this raises is regarding heat dispersion. The X100V has some heat issues with video and long exposures. I have to think that the X100VI will be just as prone to that, and probably more so. The old saying seems to apply quite well here: be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. There will be both positives and negatives to adding IBIS.

I know that some will say, “But the Ricoh GR has IBIS, and it’s so small and lightweight and not prone to those issues.” Fair enough, but it is also important to understand that the IBIS inside of the GR III is very basic and not particularly effective. Look, I shoot with a Ricoh GR III, and I have nothing against it whatsoever, but the IBIS in the GR cameras is often very overstated, and not particularly necessary. Most of the time, you could get the same exact shot without it. Someone will say, “But I handheld at 1/15 and it was sharp.” Well, I’ve handheld my X100V with a 1/9 Shutter Speed and managed a sharp picture. I’m sure it makes a small difference occasionally, but the IBIS inside the GR III isn’t anything special, so it’s not a good example for comparison. The IBIS unit in the X100VI will be significantly more robust.

*Captured with a Fujifilm X100V handheld at 1/9 Shutter Speed.*

For still photography, most of the time IBIS isn’t the difference between getting the shot or not, unless you are using long telephoto lenses, which obviously you won’t be doing on the X100VI. In very dim light situations, such as night photography, it could sometimes help you. If you are photographing waterfalls in the daylight and using the built-in ND filter to streak the water, it could mean that you won’t need a tripod (depending on how good or not you are at holding still). 99% of the time, IBIS won’t have any practical benefit to those using the X100VI for photography. Where IBIS will make an obvious difference is with videography. Those using it as a movie camera will be very happy about IBIS; however, the X100V is quite prone to overheating, so it isn’t a particularly good video tool, and the X100VI might be even more prone to it, and even less useful for video. We’ll have to wait and see. I think the inclusion of IBIS will be more of a marketing ploy (that will definitely work), but it won’t have a huge impact for most people, and some tradeoffs are inevitable for it to be included. It is nice to have sometimes, though.

The other question that the inclusion of IBIS raises is the price. Will the camera cost more? I think most certainly it will. I’m not sure how much, but the X100VI definitely will not be $1,400. My guess is $1,700 or $1,800. It could even potentially be as high as $2,000, although I think they’ll need to do more than just 40mp and IBIS to justify that much. A $300 to $400 higher price tag seems about right for the X100VI.

*Mountain Sunset Glow* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

I have no idea about other potential features. Will it have Eterna Bleach Bypass and Nostalgic Neg.? Yeah, absolutely. Will it have Reala Ace? That could go either way, but my bet is that it does (and the X-T5 and X-H2 won’t ever get it). Will it have the XPan aspect ratio? Probably not. I’m sure there will be a few surprises, but mostly the X100VI will be quite similar to the X100V. It will be an excellent camera for street and travel photography, just like the previous X100-series models have been. I’m excited for it, and if it does indeed have Reala Ace, I might just have to buy it (like I did with the X-T5, because it has Nostalgic Neg.). I don’t know if Fujifilm quite realizes the marketing impact and potential of film simulations.

The upcoming Fujifilm X100VI is definitely not a camera that I need. I’d have to give up something else in order to place the order, but it won’t be my X100V—that’s a camera I plan to keep for a very long time. Does it make any sense to have both an X100V and X100VI? Probably not. I might just have to get it anyway.

Fujifilm X100F – Digital Teleconverter + High ISO

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

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I talked about how the Digital Teleconverter on the Fujifilm X100F adds versatility, and I talked about how great the camera does at high-ISO photography, but I never talked about how these two things do together. I’ve noticed some things about using the Digital Teleconverter at high-ISOs that I’d like to discuss.

Does the Digital Teleconverter limit how high you can go on your ISO settings? The answer is simple: yes. But it’s actually a little bit more complicated than that, so let me dig a little deeper.

I’ve already discussed exactly what the Digital Teleconverter is, and I don’t want to spend much time rehashing that, but basically it’s a digital zoom (zoom-by-cropping) that receives some smart upscaling and sharpening to make the file appear to have more resolution than it actually does. It’s a software trick that allows you to print larger than you might otherwise be able to. You can do this yourself with software on your computer, or you can let the X100F do it for you (which is the Digital Teleconverter).

Kepler Cascades – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F 75mm Digital Teleconverter @ ISO 8000

I’ve also discussed that the practical high-ISO limit on the Fujifilm X100F is 12800, which is very high. Yes, some cameras with larger sensors can go a stop or so higher, but ISO 12800 is way up there, much higher than I ever imagined ISOs going even just 10 years ago.

When using the 50mm Digital Teleconverter (16 megapixel crop) setting, ISO 12800 doesn’t look all that usable. If you want soft and grainy looking black-and-white images, you can get away with ISO 12800 using Acros and the 50mm option. I’ve produced acceptable results this way. However, for the most part, ISO 6400 seems like a more practical high-ISO limit for this situation.

Putting Away The Reins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100F – 75mm Digital Teleconverter @ ISO 12800

When using the 75mm Digital Teleconverter (12 megapixel crop) setting, anything above ISO 6400 doesn’t look all that usable. ISO 6400 looks alright for soft and grainy looking black-and-white images using Acros. For the most part, ISO 3200 seems like a more practical high-ISO limit for the 75mm Digital Teleconverter.

You might have noticed a trend, and that’s a one stop loss for the 50mm option and a two stop loss for the 75mm option. It’s not that the camera is performing worse, it’s that you are looking much more closely at the exposure (because of the crop). You can more clearly see the degradation in image quality that happens at the higher ISOs. It’s kind of like pixel-peeping–you don’t notice certain things when viewing normally, but they become obvious when you zoom in.

If you use the Digital Teleconverter along with auto-ISO, pay careful attention to the ISO that the camera is selecting. You may need to set it yourself (very quickly and easily done via the knob on top of the camera). My recommendation is to go no higher than ISO 6400 with the 50mm setting and no more than ISO 3200 with the 75mm setting. You can get away with higher sometimes (especially if it’s only for web use), but for best results keep the ISO a little lower than you otherwise would.