Fujicolor 100 Industrial was a color negative 35mm film sold in bulk only in Japan—it’s not the same as the Fujicolor 100 that was widely available worldwide. It has been said that Fujifilm keeps their best film stocks in Japan, and there are two Japanese-only Fujicolor 100 emulsions: one is known as Fujicolor 100 Japan, and the other is Fujicolor 100 Industrial; however, they might be the exact same film—some say they are, while others say they are not (I’m not certain which is true, but I think they might be the same). The “Industrial” part of the name does not mean that it was for photographing industrial buildings, but simply that it was intended for commercial use by corporations who go through a lot of film—Fujifilm did not desire for it to be sold individually, but some did so nonetheless. Fujicolor 100 Industrial was discontinued by Fujifilm in 2020.
This film is unusual because it was made for daylight photography, but it is actually Tungsten-balanced. Fujifilm shifted the dyes so that it looked “normal” when used in sunny conditions. I’m not sure why they did this. Was it an experiment from their lab that they thought was cool but didn’t really know how to market? Is it that Tungsten film is cheaper to produce? I have no idea why, but it does give it a slightly different look than other Fujifilm emulsions.
Ford – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – Fujicolor 100 Industrial
Back in 2019 I made a Fujicolor 100 Industrial Film Simulation Recipe for the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, which uses PRO Neg. Std as the base. Ever since I published that Recipe, it has been one of my personal favorites for my X-T30; however, I never adapted it for the newer models. The solution is simple: if you have a Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, or X100VI, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Grain size to Small, and Clarity to 0 (or -2, if you prefer). I have used that adaptation on my X100V, X-E4, and X-T5 a few times, but never made it an official Recipe.
Since the new Reala Ace film simulation is so similar to PRO Neg. Std, I decided to make a version of Fujicolor 100 Industrial using it as the base. I also used the latest JPEG options (that aren’t available on the X-T3 and X-T30) to fine-tune it just a tad more. While this new version of the Recipe isn’t identical to the old, it is still very similar. I like this new one, which uses Reala Ace, a tiny bit better than the old one, which uses PRO Neg. Std., but since they are so similar, you can go with whichever one you personally prefer.
At this time, the only X-series camera that this new Fujicolor 100 Industrial Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with is the Fujifilm X100VI; however, sometime this coming summer Fujifilm will purportedly give the new Reala Ace film simulation to the other fifth-generation models (X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20), so if you have one of those cameras, you’ll be able to use it soon enough. Also, the GFX100 II has Reala Ace, so you can use this Recipe on that camera, but it will likely render slightly differently (try it anyway).
Film Simulation: Reala Ace Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: 3100K, +8 Red & -8 Blue Highlight: +0.5 Shadow: +1.5 Color: -1 Sharpness: -1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Fujicolor 100 Industrial Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100VI:
Sunkissed Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Sunlight Pouring on the Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Easter Bunny – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Looking for Hidden Eggs – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Main Street Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Oleander Parking – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Exit 137 – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Two Men at Breakfast – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Suburban Roof – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Roofline Abstract – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Rural Backyard – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Building in Ruins – Gila Bend, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Little Yellow Flower at the Base of a Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Small Outdoor Table – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Mudflap – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Palm Shadow on Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Tower Reflection – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Coffee Cove – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Patriotic Neighborhood – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Lion Spitting Water – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Wall – Gila Bend, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Sunset out the Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Dusk Lamps – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
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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
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.
Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter
Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter
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).
Fujifilm X100VI — 70mm Digital Teleconverter
Fujifilm X100VI — 70mm Digital Teleconverter
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 — 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.
Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter
Fujifilm X100VI — 50mm Digital Teleconverter
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.
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It’s been a whirlwind ever since Fujifilm announced the X100VI, the much-anticipated successor to the much-desired-but-hard-to-find X100V. According to Fujirumors, the X100VI has had the most preorders of any other Fujifilm camera ever. According to Sonyalpharumors, the new Fujifilm camera has 50 times more preorders than the Sony A7cII and Sony A7cR combined. Amateur Photographer states that the “Fujifilm X100VI breaks all records as sales are off the charts.” There are a couple of quotes within that article that are worth sharing:
“This is the most successful launch we’ve ever had,” a Fujifilm manager in the U.K. stated. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“The response has been unprecedented,” said Wex (the largest camera chain in the U.K.). “We have seen a huge surge in initial demand and are now on course to break all records for Wex.”
I decided to do my own sleuthing. I contacted several big camera stores, as well as a couple small local stores, and asked them about X100VI preorders. One of the big stores told me that they didn’t want to talk specifics, but that demand has been extremely high; there will be a delay in fulfilling all of the preorders, but they don’t know how long that delay will be—could be weeks, could be months.
Another big store was much more open. “We’ve never seen anything like this,” they told me. “Probably 10 to 12 times the next biggest launch we’ve ever seen.” One store’s waitlist is currently a little over two-years long (yes, two years already!), but they’re hoping that Fujifilm will increase delivery of units to them, so they can cut that time down from years to months. They also told me that Fujifilm will be shipping cameras to them on a weekly basis. If you’re not in the first batch, if you’re high on the list, you might only have to wait another week or two to receive yours.
The local stores are in a similar boat. While their waitlists have far fewer people on them, they also expect to receive far fewer copies of the camera, so it could be months before they are able to fulfill the current preorders.
“We are seeing the pent up demand from the previous model transform into strong commitment from existing customers, as well as huge levels of excitement and intrigued from new,” Wex explained in the Amateur Photographer article. In that same piece, Park Cameras gave this advice: “The sooner you get your preorder in, the sooner you’ll get your camera.”
If you weren’t super quick to preorder, you’ll likely have some wait before your’s arrives, and possibly a long wait; however, in time all of the preorders will be fulfilled. You might need to be extra patient. Just know that everyone—the camera stores and Fujifilm—are working extra hard to make sure you get it as quickly as possible. If you have yet to preorder but you’d like to, the quicker that you do so the faster the camera will be in your hands; however, be prepared that you might not get it for many months.
Where should you buy yours from? Personally, I’ve purchased gear from local stores, Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Moment, and I’m sure others. Of all of those, Moment is my personal favorite. They’re a pretty cool company, and they’re fans of Fuji X Weekly.
Fuji X Weekly is intrinsically connected to the brand-new Fujifilm X100VI.
Let me explain.
This goes back about a year-and-a-half ago, when the Fujifilm X100V famously and suddenly became an instant hit, two-and-a-half years after its release. I later discovered that I played a significant role in that. You see, social media influencers on TikTok and Instagram began using the X100V, and when they shared their pictures, it caused a spike in interest in the camera, which led to an explosion in demand. As it turns out, those social media influencers were using my Film Simulation Recipes, and it was the film-like straight-out-of-camera pictures that ultimately caused the buzz.
Autumn in a Mountain Meadow – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Superia 100
Last Christmas Eve I pointed out that a number of camera stores mentioned Fuji X Weekly and my Recipes. I concluded that they were doing so because Film Simulation Recipes sell Fujifilm cameras. Many camera retailers recognize this, and so they encourage new and potential customers to check out this website.
Yesterday evening I finally had a chance to view most of the articles and videos about the upcoming Fujifilm X100VI. I caught the X Summit when it was live at 10:30 PM my time, then in the morning did a live broadcast with Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry discussing the event and the new camera. Then I had all sorts of things going on, and finally found some time in the late afternoon to write an article about the new camera. It wasn’t until later that I could finally take a look at what others were saying, particularly those who had early-access to the camera.
A lot of people are surprised that Fujifilm doesn’t send me their new models. This website is one of the most popular for Fujifilm (2.4 million visitors in 2023), and (as I already said) Film Simulation Recipes do more to sell Fujifilm cameras—directly or indirectly—than probably almost anyone. I pay for my gear myself, except for a few inexpensive third-party lenses that were sent to me free of charge. Fujifilm gifted me a coffee mug three or four years ago, which I still use occasionally. If I’m being completely honest, it is a little disheartening when I see others who seemingly do less for Fujifilm get the goodies; however, I never imagined that all of this would go anywhere near as far as it has (and it seems to be still growing!), so I’m just thankful to be on this ride, whatever it does or doesn’t have in store for me. If that means not getting early-access to the latest models like others did, that’s perfectly ok with me. It’s better to be grateful for what you do have than be envious of what you don’t.
Golden Light in Abandoned House – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Reala 100
As I was going through the content posted about the new camera, something caught my attention. In a number of videos, there were mentions of—or even a focus on—the JPEGs produced by the X100VI. They talked about film simulations, no need for editing (or maybe only lightly editing), and even film-like results. I didn’t catch any specific mentions of Fuji X Weekly or Film Simulation Recipes, but many hints towards it. But, in the articles, there were indeed some direct mentions, and even links to this website. The Verge said, “Ask any Fujifilm shooter, and they’ll tell you one of the company’s core strengths is JPEG processing: there are entire websites devoted to tweaking these film sims and getting the best possible straight-out-of-camera results.” They included a link to Fuji X Weekly. That’s huge!Moment stated, “If you’re interested in creating custom film recipes using film simulations, you can easily do so with the Fuji X Weekly App or by visiting the Fuji X Weekly website.” Jonas Rask wrote, “…the community that revolves around making your own custom looks from Film Simulations has exploded in popularity, largely due to the popularity of sites such as FujiXweekly.com.”
There’s a seemingly universal understanding that many of those who have already ordered (or who plan to order) the Fujifilm X100VI will be shooting straight-out-of-camera JPEGs with it. Film Simulation Recipes will be such a big part of the experience of the new camera. Even those who aren’t all that familiar with Recipes (yet) are well aware of film simulations and Fujifilm’s out-of-camera output. It’s this ability to get film-like results without the need to edit that is a big driver of all the preorders that apparently are greatly exceeding Fujifilm’s expectations. If you wanted to buy the X100VI, I hope that you ordered it quickly after preorders opened, otherwise you might have to wait a little while. I’m “sorry, not-sorry” for any role that I may have played in that. Joking aside, I hope you enjoy your new camera, for all of those who took the plunge. For those who didn’t, let’s not forget how awesome our cameras are.
I’m pretty sure I’m last to the party today, but in case you haven’t yet heard the news, Fujifilm announced the new X100VI, the much-anticipated successor to the much-desired-but-hard-to-find X100V. There are a lot more similarities than differences between the two models, so I’ll jump right into what has changed.
For me, the big headliner is the Reala Ace film simulation. The X100VI will be the first X-series camera to get it. Apparently, Fujifilm is planning to bring Reala Ace to the other X-Trans V models—the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20—via a Kaizen firmware update sometime in late-spring or summer (hurray, Kaizen!). If you have one of those cameras, with a little patience, you’ll get the new film sim. If you don’t have patience, try my Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe.
For others, the big headlines are probably the 40mp sensor and IBIS. I like the 40mp X-Trans V sensor, but I actually like the 26mp X-Trans IV sensor just a tad more. More resolution can be great sometimes, but for most people, 26mp is already overkill for most purposes. The Digital Teleconverter benefits the most from the megapixel bump. IBIS is cool and all, but it does add a little weight, and for the most part is not a huge benefit for still photography on a camera like the X100VI; however, for video it can make a big difference. Speaking of video, the new camera has a nice jump in specs, but it will likely have heat dispersion issues similar to the X100V, which will limit its usefulness for cinema. In my opinion, these will help sell the camera, but for practical use, they’re somewhat minor upgrades that come with tradeoffs.
I will say this: the engineers and programers who worked on the X100VI project pulled off a small miracle of sorts. The size is “essentially” the same… the lens does protrude 2mm further out than on the X100V to accommodate IBIS. The new camera weighs only 0.1 pounds more. Most incredibly, Fujifilm claims that the X100VI gets a little bit better battery life than the X100V, even though it uses the same battery. I’m not sure if they measured with IBIS on or off, but if it is indeed with it on, that’s a significant feat that’s probably not getting enough press for how impressive it is.
Fujifilm is calling the new camera “X106” (ex-one-hundred-six). I think it’s a bit strange, but perhaps rolls off the tongue a tad easier than X100VI (ex-one-hundred-vee-eye). Fujifilm didn’t call the X100S “X102”, the X100T “X103”, the X100F “X104”, or the X100V “X105”. It was ex-one-hundred-es, ex-one-hundred-tee, ex-one-hundred-ef, and ex-one-hundred-vee. So why X106? And if you’re going to say “six” shouldn’t it be ex-one-thousand-six, as in X1006? I’m just going to say vee-eye, personally, as X106 doesn’t sound right to me. I’m sure Fujifilm put a lot of thought into it, but if there’s one area that (in my opinion) they messed up (what I’m sure will be an iconic camera), it’s the name. But it is what it is, and it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
The price of the X100VI is a little higher than the X100V, but that’s to be expected with inflation and the added resolution and IBIS. All things considered, $1,600 isn’t bad, especially since the X100V has been selling second-hand for that much or more. For a little higher price tag, you could get the limited-edition 90th Anniversary model. Hopefully, with the introduction of the X100VI, the price-gouging on the older versions will subside, and some normalcy will return to the used camera market. However, I suspect that the new camera will sell out rather quickly—if it’s not already—and will also be difficult to buy for awhile. The camera will begin shipping within the next couple of weeks, possibly before the end of the month.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
I had speculated that it would be called X100Z, but I was wrong. A lot of people thought it would be X100R, but that was also incorrect. Instead, Fujifilm took the boring route, and chose X100VI as the name. How very Sony of them, right?
Will people pronounce it X100-Vee-Eye, X100-Six, X100-The-Sixth, or X100-Mark-Six? I will call the camera X100-Vee-Eye personally; however, it’s not a very exciting name. I’m sure Fujifilm had a list of potential names on a dry-erase board at their Japan office, and they looked at that short list daily for months. After much consideration and deliberation, they chose the option they felt was the safest. Playing it safe is often riskier than being bold, and the potential reward is almost always smaller. Fujifilm should have gone with a striking name, something that rolls off the tongue and stirs the imagination. Something that grabs your attention and demands that you take a closer look. X100V did that, but X100VI does not. X100Z, X100R, X100X, X100G—names like that—stand out much more than X100 VI, X100 VII, X100 VIII, X100 IX, etc.; one set it exciting and imaginative and surprising, while the other is boring and clinical and routine.
The name is probably the least important aspect of the camera; however, a boring name does not give confidence to the rest of the model. If Fujifilm is unwilling to take a small risk with the name, what else about it are they playing safe? The original X100, which launched the entire X-series (note: the X-Pro1, which came out about a year-and-a-half later, was the first X-mount and first X-Trans), was a very daring product that took the camera industry by surprise. Since the release of the X100, Fujifilm has done a lot of risk-taking, and most often it has worked out really well for them. Nowadays it seems as though Fujifilm wants to evolve to become more like the Canikony brands, which too-often values caution and complacency over bold risks.
In any event, I’m sure that the X100VI will be an excellent camera, every bit as good as the X100V, and just a bit better. What will be different about it? Nothing is known at this point. My guess is that it will have the 40mp X-Trans V sensor and processor, as well as the latest JPEG options (maybe not Reala Ace; however, don’t worry, because I have a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics it), but otherwise will be 99% the same as the X100V. That’s only speculation, and as was demonstrated at the top of this article, my guesses are not always right. Fujifilm could very well give the X100-series a pretty significant refresh with the VI iteration, but if the name is any indication, it seems like they plan to play it as safe as they can this time around.
