Episode 328: The Fujifilm x100v, More Than a TikTok Camera

Show Transcript

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Greetings, you’re listening to the Liam Photography Podcast, I’m your host Liam Douglas and this is Episode 328. In today’s episode I want to talk about the current craze in the world of Social Media, which is the hype around the Fujifilm x100v because of TikTokers.

Now, don’t get me wrong the Fujifilm x100v is a fantastic camera, but most of the people on TikTok using this camera have no clue what the camera can actually do. They like it because it looks “cool” and “retro” and can shoot quality video, but other than that they have no clue what the camera is actually meant for. So, in this episode, let’s go over the specs of the camera and it’s capabilities and talk about what this camera is actually made for.

The Fujifilm x100v is the 5th generation camera in the x100 line and was released in Feb of 2020 as the successor to the x100f. It has the same 26.1MP X-trans CMOS 4 sensor and 4th generation processor as the Fujifilm X-E4 or X-T4. It has a fixed 23mm F/2.0 lens as all the previous models in the line, which is the same field of view as 35mm in full frame. The V also sports a leaf shutter just like the previous models and this model has a 4 stop digital ND filter built in, which is a small bump up from the 3 stop ND in the x100f. Another item that makes the x100 line special and separate from other cameras in Fujifilm’s line up, the x100 models all also have both an Optical as well as an Electronic Viewfinder.

As far as the full specs of the 23mm lens, it is a fixed lens that has 8 elements in 6 groups as well as Aperture range of F/2 to F/16 and a focusing distance of 3.94” to infinity. This generation of this fixed 23mm lens is by far the best and most advanced out of all the lenses in the x100 line and eliminated the softness issues in the previous models. This unit also has great build quality with aluminum for the top and bottom plate and feels dense although it only weighs 478 grams with both the battery and memory card inserted. The model is also more weather resistant than the previous models with a catch, because the focus moves in and out, you will need the AR-X100 adapter ring and the PRF-49 protection filter to make it truly weather resistant.

As for battery life, the battery gives you 350 frames per charge when using the EVF in normal mode and 420 frames when using the OVF in normal mode. This model, like the others comes in both black as well as black and silver and also sports a “rangefinder” style body design. The camera also sports the physical dials on the top that are dedicate to Shutter Speed, ISO and Exposure Compensation and of course the physical shutter button. The ISO is adjusted by lifting the Shutter dial and unlike other models in the line, this one stays up until you press it back down. Of course all these physical dials make the camera seem “old school” and make it a joy to shoot with and if you are like me, they make you feel more like an integral part of the photo making process.

The x100v has great ergonomics, it has synthetic leather wrapped around the body, which makes it look and feel more like an “old school” rangefinder and it has changed, sharper corners than the previous models but it still feels good in the hands and easy to hold all day and work with. Because the camera is so compact and comfortable to hold and use it is the perfect camera to carry around all day, which is the intent as it is meant to be a constant companion camera for travel photography. If you opt for the all black model of the camera it blends in well so most people on the street won’t notice it for feel uncomfortable  having you take their picture with it. Going with the black and silver model will generally mean more people will notice it and think you are using an old film camera. Many times when out shooting with the x100v I have had people stop me because of the black and silver model and question me about whether or not I am still shooting film.

Speaking of shooting Street Photography, the 3” two way tilting touch screen makes it easy to shoot from the hip and can make your shooting more discrete. Unless I am shooting from the hip, I personally like to keep the touch screen turned off so I am not bumping it all the time and changing focus points or changing other settings. As a matter of fact, when I am out shooting I prefer to turn off many of the camera’s “extras”. I tend to go through the display options and turn off everything in the EVF except for Aperture, ISO, Shutter speed, remaining battery power, remaining frames and the focus point. When using the OVF, which is do most of the time, I turn off everything except the focus point and the frame display to make the camera feel even more like an old film camera.

Speaking of the OVF, it takes a little bit getting used to it, especially if you have been used to shooting Mirrorless for a while now. It took me a few minutes to get used to the fact that the OVF allows you to see the barrel of the lens and I can also see the brim of my Indiana Jones hat which I wear often, especially in the summer time. But because the OVF allows you to see more than the EVF, just keep in mind that the frame box shows you what is and isn’t in the actual composition so no worries there. Switching between the OVF and EVF is easy as the camera is equipped with a selector switch on the front for that as well as when you flip and hold the switch it also turns on and off the digital ND filter. Another of the items from previous models that Fujifilm fixed was the lag time in the EVF, so no more issues there to worry about.

For video, the x100v is capable of shooting 4K at 30 frames per second and up to 120 frame per second for 1080P video for slow motion. It can shoot 10 bit 4:2:2 externally via the HDMI port and of course you can use the wonderful Fujifilm Film Simulations as well, but more on that in a bit. The one thing that Fujifilm removed from this body that was on the previous models is the D-Pad and many people have complained about that as it was so handy having it for controlling functions of the camera when shooting. It does still have the tiny joystick, which is good, but the D-Pad removal was a big mistake on Fujifilm’s part.

With all the wonderful features and capabilities of the x100v, if I didn’t need interchangeable lens cameras, I could get by with just this camera and the TCL-X100 II Tele Conversion lens, which gives you 50mm full frame field of view and be totally set as far as cameras go. The only other thing I think Fujifilm should include if they ever make a 6th generation of this camera is dual card slots like the X-Pro line and X-T line both have. I understand why they didn’t include dual card slots as they wanted to keep the cost down and because it is more of a travel camera, but with all of its capabilities they could include it and I’d happily pay a bit more for that extra piece of mind.

The AutoFocus system is a wonderful hybrid system with 425 Phase Detection focus points with Contrast Detection as well. The AF system is faster and more accurate than the previous models in the x100 line, but unless you have one of the previous models with you as well, you wouldn’t know the difference. The AF system is not as fast as some of the very newest XF lenses but it performs very well and you will easily be able to get sharp, focus images without too much trouble. The Eye Detect AF works very well, so this camera is great for portraits, but keep in mind you need to be at the proper distance from your subject so the lens doesn’t warp their face and make them look wonky. How does that work? Well if you shoot portraits from 10 feet away, you can crop into a nice portrait like I did in the sample image in the show notes that I shot on the streets of Uptown Roxboro, NC recently. The AF system also works well in low light situations and according to Fujifilm it works up to -5 EV and I don’t doubt it as I have never had trouble using this camera in low light situations.

For image quality, the Fujifilm x100v not only has the same sensor and processor as other current X cameras on the market today, but it is also backside illuminated and Fujifilm also opted to remove the the optical low pass filter, which results in sharper images and better image quality overall. The sensor offers great colors and contrast with a nice Dynamic Range and with the RAW files you have so much detail to work with and will never be disappointed with the images it creates. The high ISO capabilities are comparable with other cameras on the market today. At ISO 1600 there is a small amount of noise, but nothing that cannot be cleaned up. At ISO 3200 there is a bit more noise, but the colors are still fantastic and even at ISO 6400 the images are still very usable and I’ve never had any complaints in that department.

So, this all of this, why does the title of this episode mention that it’s more than a TikTok camera? Well, one of the great features of this camera is the leaf shutter I mentioned earlier, and I doubt most TikTok videographers know what a leaf shutter is or how it benefits photography. So, what is a leaf shutter? I posted a recent Youtube video about it on my channel, but a leaf shutter is a shutter that is built into the lens instead of the body of the camera. Most cameras today, both DSLR and Mirrorless have what is called a Focal Plane shutter, which consists of horizontal blades stacked on top of each other and they move vertically up and down to make the exposure. A leaf shutter is a circular shutter inside the lens and allows for much faster shutter speeds when shooting with a Speedlites or Monolights for portraits.

I know you are probably asking, “Why would I need a faster shutter speed for portraits?” Let’s say you are shooting on location outdoors and the sun is very bright. Well the bright sunlight in the background is going to cause issues as your subject back lit will not look good at all. You can change the Aperture to bring down the harsh backlight, but then you lose the Shallow Depth of Field that is necessary for a great portrait, so what can you do? Well, if you are shooting with the x100v, you can crank the shutter speed up to say 1/2000th of a second and bring down the bright backlight and still have wonderful Depth of Field and use a fill light to make the subject’s facial features stand out more.

And as I mentioned earlier, with the improvements in this newest generation of the 23mm lens, you can shoot at F/2 all day long and your images will be super sharp with no issues at all, which is unusual with most prime lenses, although there are other exceptional prime lenses out there from other manufacturers as well. The lens is not only sharp at F/2 but has great contrast from center to the corners and gets even better when stopped down to F/5.6 so don’t worry about that either. This new generation sports two new aspherical lenses which help with the sharpness as well as killing any ghosting, or flaring.

I am not saying the lens is completely lens flare free, but with a nice hood you can cut that down considerably. I like that the barrel of the lens sports an Aperture ring with nice little thumb flanges for adjusting the Aperture, which makes changing the settings quick and easy. 

What about the digital ND filter? What possible purpose can this serve? Well it allows you to shoot wide open at F/2 even on a bright, sunny day and also can help with adding some additional contrast in your skies as well. Although the ND filter isn’t powerful enough to be able to do daytime long exposure photography it can still come in very handy when out shooting during the day.

Earlier I mentioned the Fujifilm Film Simulations, but what are they and how do they benefit your photography? Well, one of the things that Fujifilm has excelled at is digitally simulating their 35mm film stocks from the film photography days and as a matter of fact, the same man that created those color and black and white film stocks still works at the company and helped to create the Film Simulations. The x100v comes with a total of 11 film simulations, which are Standard, Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome (which is my favorite most of the time), Pro Neg Hi, Pro Neg Standard, Classic Neg, Eterna, Acros, Monochrome and Sepia.

I know with so many to choose from it can seem overwhelming, but you can play around with them all and decide which one you like most. I always had a fondness for Velvia which is their most vibrant colors, but at times it can make your reds and greens looks too vibrant and over saturated. Now, I prefer Classic Chrome because it looks like the colors of film from the 1970s and 1980s, which is back when I started shooting film so they bring back fond memories of when I was much younger. Additionally, it does not over saturate my reds or greens and just looks pleasant.

When I want to shoot black and white, I prefer to use Acros as opposed to the Monochrome film sim just because I like the contrast better in Acros. Because Fujifilm’s film simulations are so very good, you can easily shoot in JPEG all the time and get excellent images SOOC or Straight Out Of Camera, which is the way many Fujifilm shooters prefer to shoot. Shooting this way can also make your photography workflow much easier as you don’t have to spend a lot of time editing RAW files. I prefer RAW files myself, but sometime I do just shoot Fine or Super Fine JPEGS, depending on the model of Fujifilm camera I am using as not all models have Super Fine. Shooting JPEG can also save you disk space and allow you more shots per memory card as well since they take up a fraction of the space of RAW files.

Wrapping up, one of the other things that make the x100v such a wonderful camera is the lens hoods that are available for it. There are a few to choose from besides the one I mentioned earlier. The most popular one is a square one that even comes with a square lens cap, which is nice as none of the other lens hoods allow for a lens cap at all. With the way the lens itself is designed, the camera comes with a lens cap that covers the entire front end of the lens similar to a hat. The factory lens cap protects the lens well, but it is considerably more bulky than a normal center pinch lens cap, which are the ones that I prefer.

After all of this, you can see why the Fujifilm x100v is hands down one of the very best cameras on the market today and to be honest I have no idea how they can improve the model for its 6th edition if they even decide to create one. If you are a regular listener of the show, you know that Booray Perry and I talked about this back in Episode 324 of the show. What more could they do to make this camera something that someone with the x100v would be willing to upgrade to? A 40MP sensor or IBIS? Well, being the camera is meant mainly to be a travel and street photography camera, IBIS would be useless and to be honest 40MP is not necessary either as 26.1MP is more than enough to use what the camera is made for. Since it’s not meant to be a studio camera, then super high resolution is not really necessary either. I mean it might come in handy for landscapes, but again not necessary. I would say give the digital ND filter more stops of light reduction so it could be used for daytime long exposures and bring back the D-Pad and just call it the x100v MK II and call it a day.

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