Fujifilm X100VI

In summary
Fujifilm’s premium APS-C compact camera introduces the same 40.2-megapixel X-Trans 5 HR sensor and processor as the X-T5 and adds built-in 5-axis stabilisation to the line-up.
The small size and light weight X100VI will be attractive to travellers and street shooters, both of whom will also appreciate its high sensor resolution and fast image processor.
The X100VI is a really nice camera to use if you enjoy dial controls. The menu system is complex – but logical and quite easy to follow.
Full review
Launched on 20 February at the Fujifilm X Summit event in Tokyo in the company’s 90th anniversary year, the new X100VI is the latest model in Fujifilm’s popular range of premium compact cameras with APS-C sized sensors, replacing the X100V, which we reviewed in May 2020. Its arrival is no surprise and it comes at a time when demand has been high for several years, since the X100V became the darling of influencers posting to social media like Instagram and TikTok. Unfortunately, production was curtailed due to a lack of parts, which made it hard to find. Already, orders for the new model appear to be setting sales records on the major online platforms.
Angled view of the new X100VI, silver version, with the optional LH-X100 lens hood in place. (Source: Fujifilm.)
As before, the new camera will be offered in the regular silver and black colours and, like the X100V, it can only qualify as being weather-sealed when the optional AR-X100 adapter ring and PRF-49 protection filter are fitted to the lens. You’ll also need to fit the AR-X100 adapter if you want to attach the optional LH-X100 lens hood.
Fujifilm Australia is pricing the X100VI at an RRP of AU$2899. The company also produced a Limited Edition of 1934 cameras, priced at AU$3499. But the ballot for cameras closed on 27 February, two days before we received the review unit.
On 28 February, Fujifilm issued a firmware update that fixed a minor bug that prevented the camera from connecting via Wi-Fi with the latest version of the Fujifilm XApp (Ver. 1.3.0). We updated the review camera’s firmware before proceeding with our tests.
Who’s it For?
Aside from TikTokers who created a viral demand for the previous model that led to it being endlessly backordered, X100-series cameras appeal to serious photographers who want a ‘take anywhere’ camera that can be slipped into a jacket pocket. The new model offers significant quality advantage over its predecessor and its APS-C sized sensor will deliver better quality than the tiny chips used in smartphones.
Since it was announced there has been high demand for the X100VI, which is to be expected since the previous model was so popular it was continuously out-of-stock – and the new model is quantifiably better. Fujifilm has already admitted that pre-release orders have ‘significantly exceeded’ expectations and are greater than the factory can produce at the current rate of 15,000 units per month (which itself is double the rate at which the X100Vwas manufactured).
Many photographers want a capable compact camera in their kit and the X100VI is arguably the highest-featured model in its size and price category. So if this camera is on your wish list you should probably place an order and be prepared to wait for the next shipment to arrive.
What’s New?
The 40.2-megapixel X-Trans 5 HR sensor and processor and X-Processor 5 aren’t exactly new, having been used in the X-T5 and X-H2. This combination makes the X100VI the first camera in the X100 Series to be capable of 6.2K/30p movie recording and its video capabilities are similar to those of the interchangeable-lens models.
The X100VI is also the first X100 model to introduce built-in stabilisation, with support for up to six stops of shake correction when the monitor is used for framing shots – but only 5.5 stops of the optical viewfinder is used. Fujifilm doesn’t reveal how the stabilisation mechanism works – whether it’s sensor-shift or lens-shift – but it should be a big improvement on the previous model for both low-light shooting and video recording.
The new camera also includes similar 4K/60p and 4:2:2 10-bit internal movie recording capabilities to the X-T5. It’s worth noting 6.2K/30p movie recording crops the frame by a factor of 1.23x, applying the equivalent of a 43mm lens framing. You can also opt for sub-sampled 4K/30p at the full sensor width or at 4K/60p with a 1.14x frame crop.
Interestingly, although the X100VI offers the same bracketing and multi-shot capabilities as the other cameras with the same sensor and processor, it doesn’t include a Pixel Shift Multi-Shot mode, despite having sensor-shift IBIS. Continuous shooting is supported at up to 20 frames/second with the electronic shutter and 1.29x crop (the same as the X-T5) but only up to 11 fps with the mechanical shutter at full frame size, whereas the X-T5 can shoot at 15 fps.
The 425-point Hybrid PDAF autofocusing system is largely unchanged from the previous model, although an updated autofocus prediction algorithm improves the ability to track moving subjects. AI-based subject detection AF can accurately detect and track animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, trains, insects and drones, the latter using the ‘Bird’ and ‘Aircraft’ detection settings, respectively, and it works for both stills and video.
Fujifilm has added HEIF compression to the regular JPEG and RAF.RAW file formats. This is to be expected since the other cameras using this sensor (the X-T5 and X-H2) both provide HEIF support. The latest algorithms make it much better at compressing higher-resolution files and support for 10-bit colour ensures a quality edge over JPEGs with similar file sizes.
Like other Fujifilm cameras, the X100VI comes with 20 built-in Film Simulation modes, a new addition being the REALA ACE mode, which was introduced with little fanfare in the GFX 100 II and combines faithful colour reproduction with a slightly ‘harder’ tonality the company claims will suit ‘all subjects and situations’. Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a new Frame.io Camera to Cloud interface plus the Fujifilm X App enable the new camera to be connected wirelessly to an active internet connection so users can automatically upload photos and videos straight after they were captured.
Unchanged Features
The X100VI is as solidly built as its predecessor and has the same body styling and controls layout as the X100V. The two-way tilting LCD monitor and 3,690,000-dot OLED ‘Advanced Hybrid Viewfinder’ are also unchanged. The body is 2.0 mm deeper and 43 grams heavier than its predecessor, probably due to the in-built stabilisation mechanism; but such a small change probably wouldn’t be obvious to users.
As before, the camera has both optical (OVF) and electronic (EVF) viewfinders and there’s the same lever on the front panel that lets you swap between the EVF and an OVF. The OVF gives you the option of loading a small electronic rangefinder (ERF) window in the corner of the frame.
The 23mm f/2.0 lens, which was redesigned for the X100V, is also unchanged. Because the physical dimensions of the lens are still the same as in previous models, the WCL-X100II wide-angle andTCL-X100 II telephoto conversion lenses remain usable with the new camera. The X100VI also retains the built-in, 4EV ND filter provided in the previous models.
We also tried out the Digital Teleconverter setting, which is also unchanged from the X100V and offers two options: 50mm and 70mm. Each crops the 7728 x 5152 pixel frame, giving you a 5472 x 3648 pixel image (20 megapixels) with the 50mm setting or a 3888 x 2592 pixel image (10 megapixels) with the70mm setting.
Performance
Our Imatest tests showed the review camera capable of higher resolution than the X-T5 camera we tested. But at least some of the advantage would have come from the lens in the X100VI, which is superior to the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS kit lens we used when testing the X-T5.
We measured the capabilities of the X100VI’s lens separately to confirm this. While there was some slight softening at the widest apertures, the highest resolution occurred at f/3.2, which is 3/2 of a stop wider than the best performance measured for the X100V we tested. At this point, centre resolution for the X100VI’s lens was roughly 25% better than average and high resolution was maintained until diffraction began to take effect at around f/6.4. Our results are shown in the graph below.
As expected, resolution was also slightly better than the X100V we tested across the camera’s ISO range, as shown in the graph below. Test shots confirmed long exposures were effectively noise-free and maintained high resolution up to ISO 1600, with little noise intruding thereafter. Shots taken at the top ISO value of 12800 remained generally usable.
Flash performance was somewhat better than the X100V’s, thanks largely to the new sensor and processor since the small built-in flash is identical in both cameras. Our test shots at a distance of approximately three metres from the subject were slightly under-exposed at ISO 125, correctly exposed at ISO 400 and relatively evenly exposed thereafter. Contrast and sharpness remained quite strong through to ISO 6400 and only began to deteriorate slightly at ISO 12800.
Long exposures at night showed the review camera to be a good performer at high ISO settings – although the top value of ISO 12800 is quite modest by modern standards. Slight softening could be found at ISO 6400, but it didn’t increase much at ISO 12800 and images taken at both settings were definitely usable.
To test the lens for rectilinear distortion and vignetting we had evaluate RAF.RAW files since JPEGs are corrected automatically in the camera. We found very slight vignetting and barely detectable distortion, both of which were effectively irrelevant to most potential users of the camera and very easy to correct.
Lateral chromatic aberration was also effectively negligible for both JPEGs (which are auto-corrected in the camera) and uncompressed RAF.RAW files. In the graph below, which shows our measurements for both file types the blue line shows the JPEG values, while the dark red line shows the values for the uncorrected raw files. The bright red line shows the border between negligible and low CA.
Thanks to the higher resolution of the X100VI’s sensor, the two Digital Tele-converter settings delivered usable images with few discernible artefacts and none of the softening we found with these settings on the X100V we reviewed. Even frames shot with the 70mm setting would be printable at A4 size, which is as large as most people require.
Both rectilinear distortion and vignetting are corrected automatically in JPEGs so we resorted to RAF.RAW files to determine their extent. Both were minor enough to be irrelevant to most potential users of the camera and very easy to correct.
White balance performance was almost identical to the results we obtained from the X-T5, which isn’t surprising since both cameras have the same sensor and processor. The main difference between them is that the X100VI has a built-in flash, while the X-T5 doesn’t.
There’s no preset for flash or LED but the flash delivered a neutral tonal rendition with all three white balance settings. With LED lighting, the tungsten preset came close to removing its warm cast although a slight warn tone remained.
The incandescent preset tended to over-correct and the three fluorescent pre-sets delivered different colour biases, none of them capable of producing a cast-free result – or even coming close to the natural balance produced by the Auto WB setting. The auto setting produced close-to-neutral colours under fluorescent and flash lighting but failed to eliminate the orange cast from incandescent illumination or warm-toned LED lighting.
The camera provides plenty of manual WB adjustments, including three Custom settings, Kelvin temperature adjustments and nine steps of manual tweaking on the magenta/green and blue/amber axes. Use of these tools delivered cast-free shots with all types of lighting.
Video quality was generally good, bordering on outstanding for the 6.5K and 4K HQ settings. The camera coped well with scenes containing a wide brightness range and was relatively easy to keep steady during hand-held shooting.
Auto exposure adjustments kept recordings even in tone, including when the subject brightness levels changed, although the expected slight lag in adjustment was sometimes evident. Autofocusing performed well, with the camera being able to switch quickly as subjects entered or left the frame, thanks to capable subject tracking with the wide field AF setting.
We left the shutter selection setting on ‘auto’ for most of our test shots and found it worked well for keeping exposure levels evenly balanced between shots, regardless of which shooting mode we used. The only time we changed was for our night shots, when we used the mechanical shutter and for the high-speed continuous shots, where the electronic shutter was required.
Autofocusing when shooting stills was quite variable. In bright conditions, the lens locked on quickly and accurately in most situations, especially when subject detection AF was used. But with low-contrast lighting it could take up to a second to find focus, which made quick ‘grab’ shots somewhat hit-and-miss. Not ideal for a camera that is used for street photography.
The stabilisation system was also a mixed bag. Fujifilm doesn’t specify what kind of system the camera uses, only claiming it offers ‘5-axis IBIS’ (which suggests sensor shift). While we found the system worked quite well when shooting video in normal daylight, for stills shots it was nowhere near as good as we’re accustomed to with our eight-year-old OM-D E-M1 MARK II camera and 12-100mm f/4 lens combo, which has delivered a high (over 80%) percentage of sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1.3 seconds.
With the X100VI, we were hard-pressed at getting 50% sharp shots with half-second exposures. Admittedly, a slightly heavier interchangeable-lens camera with a 116 mm long zoom lens is much easier to keep still than a compact rangefinder camera that is only 55 mm deep. But, going by experience, we think the claim of 6 stops of shake correction over-estimates the X100VI’s actual capabilities.
The lens was also prone to veiling flare in backlit situations. This issue would probably be addressed by fitting the LH-X100 lens hood; but since that’s an optional extra, it wasn’t supplied with the review camera. The hood, with the required adapter ring, sells for around AU$130. We think a company that’s asking $2899 for a camera should have bundled the lens hood in the package.
Our timing tests were carried out with a 32GB SDHC II U3 memory card with a speed of 300 MB/s. The review camera took just over half a second to power-up and shut down almost instantly, posting a ‘sensor cleaning’ message as it shut down.
Capture lag averaged 0.1 seconds, while shot-to-shot times averaged 0.3 seconds. JPEG files were processed in a little under one second, on average, with uncompressed RAF.RAW files averaging 1.3 seconds. RAW+JPEG pairs took an average of 1.5 seconds to process.
Using the mechanical shutter with the high-speed continuous shooting mode, the review camera recorded 75 Large/Fine JPEG images in 10.3 seconds before pausing. This works out at 7.28 frames/second. It took 13.1 seconds to process this burst.
When raw file capture was selected with the electronic shutter, the camera recorded 30 losslessly-compressed raw files in 4.1 seconds, a frame rate of 7.32 frames/second, before pausing. Processing this burst took 13.4 seconds.
With the electronic shutter selected in the high-speed continuous shooting mode, the review camera recorded 80 full-resolution JPEG images in 9.2 seconds before the first signs of hesitation. This works out at 8.7 frames/second, which is slightly below the specified 11 fps. It took 15.7 seconds to process this burst.
Shooting uncompressed RAF.RAW frames with the mechanical shutter filled the buffer at 20 frames, which were recorded in 3.3 seconds, a frame rate of roughly 7.4 fps. It took 18 seconds to process this burst. Combining compressed raw frames with high-resolution JPEGs filled the buffer at 345 frames, which were recorded in 4.7 seconds, a frame rate of just over 7.2 fps. It took 18.7 seconds to process this burst.
Conclusion
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SPECS
Image sensor: 23.5 x 15.6 mm X-Trans CMOS 5 sensor with 40.2 megapixels effective, primary colour filter
Image processor: X-Processor 5
Lens: 23mm f/2.0-f/16 integrated lens (35mm equivalent focal length in 35mm format)
Image formats: Stills: JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.32), HEIF (4:2:2 10-BIT) RAF.RAW (14-bit); Movies: HEVC/H.265 and MP4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) with Long GOP compression with Linear PCM and AAC audio
Image Sizes: Stills – L: 7728 x 5152, 7728 x 4344, 5152 x 5152; M: 5472 x 3648, 5472 x 3080, 3648 x 3648; S: 3888 x 2592, 3888 x 2184, 2592 x 2592; Panorama 9600 x 2160, 9600 x 1440, 6400 x 2160, 6400 x 1440; Movies: 6.2K (6240×3150) at 29.97p/ 25p/ 24p/ 23.98p, DCI 4K (4096×2160) and 4K (3840×2160) at 59.94p/ 50p/ 29.97p/ 25p/ 24p/ 23.98p, Full HD (2048×1080 and 1920×1080) at 59.94p/ 50p/ 29.97p/ 25p/24p/ 23.98p plus high-speed recording at 240p/200p/120p/100p
Aspect ratios: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1, 65:24. 5:4. 7:6
Digital Tele-converter: two settings with frame cropping to cover the equivalent of 50mm and 70mm focal lengths:
Image Stabilisation: Image sensor shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation, up to 6 stops of shake compensation; Digital IS and IS Mode Boost in movie mode only
Shutter / speed range: Focal plane shutter (Mechanical 30-1/4000 seconds; Electronic: 30 to 1/180,000 second); up to 15 minute exposures in S and M modes; Bulb up to 60 minutes with mechanical shutter
Exposure Compensation: +/-5EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-2EV for movies)
Exposure bracketing: 2, 3, 5, 7 or 9 frames in 1/3EV steps up to +/-3EV
Other bracketing options: Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, ISO, WB, focus, multiple exposures (max. 9 frames with additive, average, bright or dark compositing
Self-timer: Stills: 2 or 10 seconds delay; movies: 3, 5 or 10 seconds delay
Interval recording: Yes, for time-lapse
Focus system/range: 425-point Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF [-4.0EV]/ TTL phase detection AF [-7.0EV])
Focus area selection: Single point (13×9 / 25×17 frame size), Zone (3×3, 5×5, 7×7 from 117 areas), Wide/Tracking AF, Subject detection (Face/Eye/ Animal/Bird/Automobile/Motorcycle & Bike/Airplane/Train)
Focus modes: AFS (Single) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
Exposure metering/control: TTL 256-zone multi-pattern sensing system with Multi, Centre-weighted, Average and Spot metering patterns
Shooting modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Exposure
HDR modes: Auto, 200%, 400%, 800%, 800%+
Film Simulation modes: PROVIA/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, ASTIA/Soft, Classic Chrome, REALA ACE, PRO Neg.Hi, PRO Neg.Std, Classic Neg., Nostalgic Neg., ETERNA Cinema, ETERNA BLEACH BYPASS, ACROS, ACROS + Ye Filter, ACROS + R Filter, ACROS + G Filter, Black & White, Black & White + Ye Filter, Black & White + R Filter, Black & White + G Filter, Sepia
Filter modes: Toy camera, Miniature, Pop color, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus, Partial colour (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)
In-camera processing: Digital tele-converter – 1.4x and 2.0x; Pixel Shift Multi Shot; Grain Effect, Colour Chrome Effect, Colour Chrome Blue, Smooth Skin Effect
Colour space options: sRGB and Adobe RGB
ISO range: Auto ISO 125 to 12800 (1/3EV steps) plus extensions to ISO 64, ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 25600, ISO 51200
White balance: AWB, AWBc, AWBw, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set (x 4), Colour temperature setting (x 4)
Flash: Hot shoe (dedicated TTL flash compatible)
Flash modes: TTL lock, commander settings, flash function settings via external flash
Flash exposure adjustment: +/- EV in 1/3EV steps
Sequence shooting: Max. 20 frames/sec. with electronic shutter and 1.29x crop; up to 11 fps with mechanical shutter (full frame)
Buffer capacity: Max. 117 Large/Fine JPEGs, 52 compressed RAW files, 35 lossless compressed RAW, 17 uncompressed RAW
Pre-shot mode: Max. 20 frames at 20 fps with 1.29x crop during half-press, 140 frames after full-press; 13 uncropped frames at 13 fps during half-press, 70 frames after full-press
Storage Media: Single slot for SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (UHS-I / UHS-II UHS Speed Class 3 & V90 standards compatible)
Viewfinder: 0.5 inch OLED colour EVF with approx. 3.69 million dots, approx. 100% FOV coverage, 24 mm eyepoint, -5 to +3 dpt adjustment, 0.80x magnification, built-in eye sensor
LCD monitor: 3.0-inch Tilt-type (3 direction) touch screen colour LCD with 1.84 million dots, 3:2 aspect ratio
Interface terminals: USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2×1), HDMI Micro connector (Type D), 3.5mm microphone port, 2.5mm remote control connector
Wi-Fi function: Built-in Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac (standard wireless protocol); Bluetooth v4.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy)
Power supply: NP-W126S rechargeable Li-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx.360 frames/charge with EVF, 450 frames with OVF, 45-50 minutes of 6.2K video
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx.128.0 x 74.8 x 55.3 mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight: Approx. 521 grams with battery and card
Distributor: Fujifilm Australia; 1800 226 355
TESTS
Based on JPEGs recorded with the camera’s 23mm f/2.0 lens.
Based on RAF.RAW files recorded simultaneously and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at f/2.0.
Rectilinear distortion; ISO 200, 1/20 second at f/2.8.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting, keep warm.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting, keep warm.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting, keep warm.
Auto white balance with flash.
30-second exposure at ISO 125, f/3.6.
30-second exposure at ISO 400, f/6.4.
2.5-second exposure at ISO 3200, f/6.4.
3.2-second exposure at ISO 6400, f/10.
3.7-second exposure at ISO 12800, f/16.
Flash exposure at ISO 125; 1/60 second at f/2.8.
Flash exposure at ISO 400; 1/60 second at f/4.
Flash exposure at ISO 6400; 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure at ISO 12800; 1/60 second at f/11.
Slight veiling flare from backlighting; ISO 200, 1/10 second at f/5.6.
Veiling flare from backlighting; ISO 200, 1/4 second at f/5.6.
ISO 250, 1/34 second at f/2.8.
ISO 400, 1/2 second at f/11; standard PROVIA film simulation.
ISO 400, 1/2 second at f/11; REALA ACE film simulation.
Close-up at f/2.0, ISO 125, 1/75 second.
Close-up at f/2.0; ISO 124, 1/58 second.
Backlit close-up at f/2.0; ISO 250, 1/210 second.
Backlit close-up at f/5.6; ISO 250, 1/34 second.
ISO 400, 1/3 second at f/11.
ISO 250, 1/105 second at f/2.8.
ISO 250, 1/80 second at f/3.6.
ISO 200, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
ISO 250, 1/4 second at f/5.6.
ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/4.5.
ISO 6400, 1/8 second at f/6.4.
Digital zoom at 50mm setting; ISO 640, 1/30 second at f/4.
Digital zoom at 50mm setting; ISO 250, 1/125 second at f/3.2.
Digital zoom at 70mm setting; ISO 250, 1/160 second at f/3.6.
Digital zoom at 70mm setting; ISO 400, 1/80 second at f/5.
Still frame from 6.2K 16:9 (6240 x 3510 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from 4K HQ 16:9 (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from 4K 16:9 (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from C4K 17:9 (4096 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from C4K HQ 17:9 (4096 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from Full HD 17:9 (2048 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from Full HD 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Rating
RRP: AU$2899
- Build: 9.0
- Ease of use: 8.8
- Autofocusing: 8.5
- Image quality JPEG: 9.0
- Image quality RAW: 9.0
- Video quality: 9.0
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