Camera
Has the X100VI taken a little too much from Fujifilm’s other cameras?
| The author looking pensive, perhaps pondering whether he’s condemned to over-think every aspect of cameras. |
It’s unusual for us to publish both a review and then follow up with an opinion piece. So why am I doing it here? Our reviews do their best to act as a guide for the ‘typical’ user of a product, and to provide enough information for you to make your own mind up.
But we all have different needs and expectations, myself included. I don’t believe my own personal perspective represents the ‘typical’ user, so didn’t want to weight the review too heavily towards it. Instead this is just my opinion, based on my experiences with the X100VI and how it worked for me.
So don’t you like the camera?
I really like the Fujifilm X100VI. It’s the best version yet of the kind of camera that we always hoped someone would make. Photographers who looked back longingly at the likes of the Contax T series or Olympus RC rangefinders were overjoyed when the X100 was launched, and the cameras have just got better. Hence the Gold award.
I understand that there are people who’d like a camera that’s smaller, or one with a lens that’s wider, or who don’t see the appeal when interchangable lens cameras exist. But, just as with the Ricoh GR cameras: the X100 is what it is and it isn’t (and isn’t supposed to be) anything that it isn’t.
And armed with this perspective, I don’t feel there’s any contradiction between giving the X100VI a positive review for what it is, and then saying what I wish were different about it. Because I’m not asking for it to be something it’s not, but instead that I wish it were even more what it’s trying to be.
In short, I feel that the X100 borrowing so much from Fujifilm’s other models risks detracting from its X100-ness.
Loss of focus
As the X100 series has continued, it’s gained the dual clickable dials from the other cameras in Fujifilm’s range, along with a using the focus ring as a control ring. This means there are more possible ways of controlling it but risks it taking longer for you to settle on your preferred way of doing so.
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| Noticeably, when you first switch the camera on, there are three settings assigned to the front dial, none of which actually does anything unless you hand-off control from the dedicated dial for each of those settings. |
Given the number of direct controls on the camera, it seems odd to have four exposure parameters also assigned to the front and rear dials. And while I appreciate being able to use a press of the rear dial to punch in on the camera’s live view, I feel that one or both dials being non-clickable dials would still allow for most people’s preferred way of controlling exposure while also giving a higher-quality feel and less chance of accidentally pressing a dial and changing the function.
A control point that does do something out-of-the-box is the manual focus ring when you’re not in MF mode. It’s a free-rotating ring, ill-suited to the stepped variables that can be assigned to it, and it’s all too easy to knock and only later wonder why you’ve spent the last two hours shooting in an unexpected Film Simulation mode or Small image size.
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| The X100’s manual focus ring now acts as a far-too-easy to nudge control ring. I’m not sure who thought it would be a good idea to make it so easy to accidentally change film simulation or switch to Small image size, but I doubt we’d get along. |
Of course, it’s quite possible that this only stands out to me because, as a camera reviewer a) it’s my job to explore the ways in which the camera could be used, rather than just picking one and getting on with it and b) because I’ve used all the other cameras its UI resembles, such that I recognize that the X100VI feels like the do-everything X-T5 but can’t do as much. Upon tapping the front dial, I found myself having to think about how to configure and use the camera before I could start to fall in love with it.
Inappropriate features
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| The hybrid X-H2 models, which are designed to cover a wider range of photo and video pursuits than the X100VI, have fewer dedicated dials, yet don’t have clickable command dials. So why does the X100VI need them? |
From a development (and cost) perspective, it makes sense for Fujifilm to offer as much commonality across its cameras as possible. And there’s no-doubt some added concern about appearing to be withholding features if you omit something that the hardware is capable of offering. But does the X100VI need all the X-T5’s features?
The X100VI has the same machine-learning-trained subject recognition system as the X-H2S and X-T5, but its much slower-moving lens means it can’t focus on moving subjects with anything like the hit rate they offer. Likewise, do enough people capture pictures of birds with a 35mm equivalent lens to make the presence of bird detection AF worthwhile? Maybe other people are better at quietly approaching birds without disturbing them, but even with a 40MP sensor, I think I’d need to crop extensively to get anything useful.
And, even as someone who’s written about why virtually all cameras include video, I’m not sure the X100VI would be any worse for not being able to capture cropped, rather rolling-shutter prone 6K video. Though I accept it may be more expensive, if it meant establishing parallel development streams for its firmware.
Overlooked quirks
Finally, I worry that carrying over so much code from other models means that the unique properties of Fujifilm’s rangefinder-style cameras aren’t as fully developed as they could be.
Take, for example, the behavior of the pop-up tab in the optical viewfinder, onto which an electronic preview can be projected. This retracts every time you nudge the AF joystick, then pops back up when you try to focus. But it only does this with the joystick’s default behavior. If you set the joystick to simply position the AF point, rather than moving and letting you change its size, then the pop-up tab remains engaged.
This is a little odd, but becomes even stranger when you remember that it’s not actually possible to change the AF point size when you’re looking through the OVF. So why doesn’t the joystick simply switch to position-only mode, when your eye is up to the finder?
Similarly, the pop-up tab can show a magnified version of the chosen AF point, for confirming critical focus position and accuracy. But only in AF-S mode. If you set the camera to AF-C (though why would you?), the tab shows a tiny version of the entire scene: the thing you’re already seeing through the viewfinder itself. Both of these are really, really minor oddities, but could they have been better if Fujifilm had time to focus solely on what the X100 can do, rather than sharing firmware more widely?
And yet?
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| For all of my nit-picking about the X100VI, I think it’s a superb photographic tool. |
To be clear, none of this stops the X100VI being an excellent camera. But part of me misses the simplicity and, perhaps, inflexibility of the early models. If you’ve decided to straightjacket yourself with a slow-to-focus camera with a fixed focal length, would it be so terrible to have to adapt to the way it’s designed to be used, rather than even having to think about how to configure it and deal with its foibles? And would a few fewer features in any way diminish the appeal?
Perhaps Leica, whose SL cameras are full of functions but whose niche manual-focus rangefinders have had their video capabilities excised, is onto something.
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Canon’s LI5070SA sensor delivers 4K at up to 60p with no rolling shutter, with Canon suggesting ‘Cinema’ as one of its potential applications.
Image: Canon |
Canon has made a 4K/60-capable Super35 (∼APS-C) video sensor with global shutter available to third-party buyers.
The 10.3MP sensor added to the product page of its industrial equipment and semiconductor business unit is 27.4 x 15.3mm, making it a 1.34x crop, relative to a full-frame stills camera, but in a roughly 16:9 aspect ratio.
Its 4288 x 2398 pixel count is clearly designed for delivering 4K footage. We’d usually expect Canon to have already offered it in a camera, if it planned to, before offering it to external users.
Canon sold a 4K/60 Super35 ‘GS’ global shutter version of its EOS C700 camera, back in 2017, though available specs suggest its sensor was slightly smaller, so presumably wasn’t the same as the one now being offered to external companies. Notably, Canon claimed its dynamic range was one stop lower than the progressive scan Super35 chip in the regular C700 model. There’s still a chance this new chip will underpin a successor to the C700 GS.
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An image of Canon semiconductor’s LI7080SA sensor: a progressive scan Super35 sensor that closely resembles its global shutter cousin.
Image: Canon |
At present, we’re not aware of any other consumer camera maker using Canon sensors. Specialist industrial / security camera makers such as Illunis have used its sensors to make high-speed and high-resolution cameras for applications such as aerial photography and machine vision applications, but we’ve not seen its 120MP or 250MP APS-H chips in consumer cameras, including those from Canon itself.
Canon said it was developing a DSLR based on its 120MP sensor, back in 2015. Prototypes based on EOS 5DS bodies appeared at trade shows, but no final product ever emerged.
Canon’s semiconductor business also offers a “full-frame” global shutter sensor. Again this has a roughly 16:9 aspect ratio and proposed uses include microscopy, factory automation and traffic surveillance. This sensor has been available since early 2023.
| The Retrospective 30 V2 is a big ‘ol bag. |
The ThinkTank Retrospective 30 V2 is not a new product by any means, but it’s new to me. Earlier this year, I went looking for a camera bag to replace the one I had since high school and landed on the Retrospective 30; the largest option in ThinkTank’s well-known lineup of canvas shoulder camera bags.
While anyone can make a messenger bag with a few dividers and call it a day, it feels like this bag was really designed and refined by and for photographers. All its velcro flaps can be covered or tucked away to silence them if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself while shooting on the street or at an event like a wedding. The top can be zippered closed for maximum protection or left open to let you quickly access gear, and it has what I think is just the right ratio of open space to built-in organization.
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Some of the velcro patches have covers to keep you from ruining a quiet moment by ripping them open.
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
There are also subtle touches that I’ve found really useful: one of the front pockets has a bright red fabric loop that I clip my keys to so I always know where they are, the water bottle pocket can be cinched tight when you’re not using it and there are plenty of places to hook carabiners onto if I need to hang additional gear on the outside of the bag.
I also just like how it looks. The olive green fabric matches the antique-looking metal hardware well.
My favorite thing about this bag, though, is that it’s monstrous. It’s the station wagon – nay, Honda Odyssey – of messenger-style camera bags. I’ve used it to carry two camera bodies, a few lenses, a 14-inch MacBook Pro, an iPad, and a bunch of other bits and bobs like a notebook, an army of SD cards, a Clif bar or two, power adapters and rain jacket. Is that a sign of overpacking? Perhaps, but it’s part of the job; I’m frequently testing out one camera for a review and using another to shoot a sample gallery of some variety.
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It may look like there are three lensed cameras in here – a Nikon Z8, Canon EOS R7 and Panasonic S9 – but there are actually four; a Fujifilm X-M5 is hiding out in a compartment under the Z8’s grip.
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
Even when my camera load isn’t as heavy, I’ve found the Retrospective 30 useful as a commuter. I live in Spokane, Washington, but travel to DPReview’s offices in Seattle relatively frequently. Because I keep my entire photographic life in it – my SD cards, various cables, white balance cards and rolling shutter tester – I can just pick it up and go without having to run around making sure everything I’ll need for the next week is packed.
I took a bit of a chance buying this bag: DPReview was sending me to Japan as a freelancer to cover what ended up being the Panasonic S9 announcement, and I knew the Lowepro bag I’d gotten with my first camera in high school was on its very last legs. I hoped to turn reviewing cameras into my full-time job, but I wasn’t 100% sure I was cut out for it.
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Me, very tired, returning home from Japan.
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
If it turned out I wasn’t, the 30 would be way larger than I’d ever need; my personal camera consists of a Fujifilm X-T3 and two lenses, which would get absolutely swallowed by this bag. But if I did end up at DPReview, I worried that a smaller bag might not be able to carry all the gear I assumed I’d be carting around.
I was also concerned about the price at the time: at $240, it’s far from the spendiest bag out there, but I still didn’t feel great telling my wife that I wanted to spend that much on anything when I’d been largely unemployed for the last year – I’d quit my job as a news writer at The Verge in April 2023 to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I spent some time working at a ski shop after I got back and did various odd jobs, but it’d been a long time since I’d meaningfully contributed to our household’s budget.
But I went for it anyway; the prospect of going on a press trip and juggling cameras in a backpack that’s not at all designed for them seemed like a nightmare. And obviously, it worked out: I’m working at DPReview now, and am reminded pretty much every day that it was a good idea to get something with this much capacity.
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Despite its carrying capacity, the Retrospective 30 is a reasonable size to carry around on a photo walk.
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
Of course, I have a few nitpicks. No bag is perfect, which is why the market for them is nearly infinite. I haven’t figured out a graceful way to attach a tripod to it, even one as small as the Peak Design Travel model, the main zipper can be a bit hard to start closing if it’s all the way open, and I needed a tutorial video to figure out how to use the included rain cover. I’d rather the bag’s top flap was made out of waterproof material, though the canvas alone has been enough to protect my gear through short walks in light rain – phew!
The bag can also rub a bit uncomfortably on my hip when it’s fully loaded, but I suspect that’s more of a limitation with the messenger bag form factor as a whole. Realistically, if you’re carrying over 7kg (15+lbs) of gear, you should be doing it on your back, not slung over one shoulder.
Despite my complaints, I still love this bag, and I suspect I’ll continue using it for years to come. The same’s true for the job, by the way – and if I’m lucky enough for that to happen, I’ll have the Retrospective 30 as a reminder of where it all began.
Northern Lights Photographer of the Year winners
Capture the Atlas has announced the winners of its 2024 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year awards in the seventh edition of its annual photo contest.
This year was an exciting year for aurora photography – both the aurora borealis and the aurora australis – as we close in on the solar maximum of the current solar cycle. Throughout 2024, increased solar activity has resulted in aurora being visible further away from the poles than in recent years, which can be seen among the winners.
This year, the competition awarded 25 photos from photographers representing 15 nationalities. We’ve picked our ten favorite images from the set to share here.
Want to be ready to photograph the aurora if it suddenly becomes visible in your area? Read our article on how to photograph the northern lights to learn how.
Carpe Diem: Adrian Cormier
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Photographer: Adrian Cormier
Location: Crater Lake National Park, USA
Caption: May 10, 2024, began like any other new moon cycle for me. I was shooting at one of my favorite spots along the Sonoma coastline. Around 2:30 a.m., I was surprised to feel my phone buzz with a notification, as my location had sporadic cell coverage. The alert was one I never expected—and will never forget! A fellow Sony Alpha photographer, who was in Nepal at the time, messaged me: “Get as far north as you can by sunset, it’s going down tonight!” A historic geomagnetic storm, possibly peaking at G5, was predicted.
I immediately drove home to grab my Atlas pack full of cold weather gear. My gut told me to head to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Shortly into the drive, I learned the CLNP Rim Road was completely closed due to 7 feet of recent snowfall. Fortunately, I was prepared for deep snow conditions and pressed on.
Confident and armed with snowshoes, I settled on a spot along the South Rim, east of the Crater Lake Lodge, which was closed due to the extreme snow levels. My image, “Carpe Diem,” reflects the magnificent display of geomagnetic energy that weekend, set against the iconic and unforgettable alpine landscape.
Copyright Adrian Cormier
Looking North: Lynsey Schroeder
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Photographer: Lynsey Schroeder
Location: Arizona, USA
Caption: It’s not every day that the Northern Lights make it as far south as Southern Arizona! I’ve been captivated by the aurora ever since I first saw it in Iceland in 2018, so when I heard there was a chance to witness it here, I didn’t hesitate to grab my gear and head into the desert with a couple of friends.
My expectations were low, but the show completely exceeded them! As soon as we stepped out of the car, we could clearly see a pink glow on the horizon, occasionally pulsing with shimmering pillars as the night went on. I achieved a photography goal I never imagined I’d accomplish: capturing the aurora shining over the beautiful saguaros of the Sonoran Desert.
Copyright Lynsey Schroeder
In the Rays of the Solar Wind: Sergey Korolev
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Photographer: Sergey Korolev
Location: Rybachy Peninsula, Russia
Caption: After a melt, we had a flash freeze with extremely cold temperatures and a clear blue sky. I was driving by a ditch on the side of a road that had been filled with water and had to stop and look (as we photographers do, can’t pass a ditch without investigating). This is what I found. Great textures and patterns, tones and flow, with lovely graphic lines creating a dynamic, abstract designs. I love this type of work – it’s so much fun, yet challenging to find just the right composition.
Copyright Sergey Korolev
Magic of the North: Josh Beames
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Photographer: Josh Beames
Location: Iceland
Caption: I’ve dreamed of capturing this shot for years, and this year, everything aligned perfectly! During my annual Iceland workshop, our group witnessed the sheer power of nature as Iceland’s most recent active volcano erupted just days before.
After spending hours shooting and soaking in the incredible scene, we started to wrap up and head back to the car. Then, to our amazement, the Northern Lights began dancing across the sky! I quickly launched the drone, sending it on a mission to capture this wild spectacle.
Navigating through the wind, heat, and low visibility surrounding the volcano, I managed to capture a vertical panorama just as the volcanic smoke and ash shifted to the side. Moments later, the dreaded battery warning sounded, and I began the tense journey back. By this point, the wind had really picked up, and I honestly thought the drone was a goner… but with only 1% battery left, it somehow limped back to safety!
Copyright Josh Beames
Devil’s Lights: Forest Barkdoll-Weil
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Photographer: Forest Barkdoll-Weil
Location: Wyoming, USA
Caption: May 10, 2024: Aurora forecasts promised an incredible display, so I drove to Devils Tower, Wyoming, to witness the event. The solar storm delivered, reaching a historic KP9, with auroras visible worldwide. As the vibrant lights danced overhead, my father was undergoing emergency surgery two thousand miles away in Maine. It was a surreal night—awed by the celestial beauty above, yet grappling with worry for my dad.
The aurora offered a strange sense of comfort amidst the turmoil, grounding me in the moment as I captured this incredible phenomenon. My father, a photographer for over 50 years and the person who introduced me to this art, thankfully survived surgery and recovered after several days in the ICU. Although he missed this display, six months later, on October 10, we shared an even stronger solar storm together as a family—a memory I’ll always treasure.
Copyright Forest Barkdoll-Weil
Coronal Mass Eruption: Matt Haynie
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Photographer: Matt Haynie
Location: California, USA
Caption: After finally capturing the elusive Northern Lights in mid-latitudes on May 10th, 2024, I was hooked. I realized there was more to predicting the aurora’s appearance than just relying on the KP forecast, so I learned how to read the charts that determine when the lights can reach mid-latitudes.
This photo is from the sixth time I’ve had the opportunity to capture them since that unforgettable night. Lassen Volcanic National Park, in Northern California, was the best option, as smoke and clouds threatened to obscure views in most nearby locations. I stayed on top of a ridge until 3 a.m., enduring frigid winds that cut through my layers, but witnessing two significant substorms made all the discomfort worthwhile.
Copyright Matt Haynie
Paddling Under the Aurora: Herry Himanshu
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Photographer: Herry Himanshu
Location: Banff National Park, Canada
Caption: I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, so I’ve seen and captured the aurora hundreds of times before, but that night in Banff National Park, Alberta, was unlike any other.
As luck would have it, I was in Banff for a wedding that weekend when massive CMEs were predicted to hit Earth directly. As soon as it got dark, the aurora came out swinging, with vivid hues of reds, pinks, and purples dancing across the sky.
I had three camera setups running timelapses in different directions, but even that wasn’t enough. One brave friend took a standup paddleboard out on the lake and modeled for us beneath the insane light show. She was the perfect complement to the aurora and the mountainous landscape.
We were all in pure disbelief at the colors and patterns unfolding above us. Those shared moments of joy are what I’ll remember forever. I stayed up all night, driving hundreds of kilometers through Banff to iconic spots, capturing some of my best photos and timelapses ever.
Copyright Herry Himanshu
Cosmic Explosion: Uroš Fink
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Photographer: Uroš Fink
Location: Istria, Croatia
Caption: On the night of the Perseid meteor shower, I was treated to a “multi-course menu” of the night sky. I captured the Milky Way arch with Orion, the Aurora (a first for me), the Zodiacal light, and the Perseid meteors. As if that wasn’t enough, the sky gifted me with one of the most stunning greenish airglows I’ve ever seen. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the close conjunction of Jupiter and Mars, right along the path of the Zodiacal light.
In the center of the panorama is the Cap Marlera lighthouse, built in 1880 at the southeastern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. The rugged coastline, at the entrance to Kvarner, attracts fish and dolphins. This area is also home to the Mediterranean bear, though I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting one.
Meteors rained down throughout the night, and I captured 75 of them using three cameras. I used the RegiStar software to seamlessly insert the meteors to the panorama in the exactly same spots as they appeared in the sky this night.
It was an extraordinary, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime event, and I’m grateful and happy to have been part of it.
Copyright Uroš Fink
Aurora Australis: Marc Adamus
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Photographer: Marc Adamus
Location: Patagonia Fjords, Chile
Caption: I’m not sure if an aurora had ever been recorded in Patagonia before, but we got incredibly lucky on the night of May 10, 2024, when a G5 storm hit. We were camped on an iceberg beach, deep in the wilderness of the Patagonia Fjords, when the incredible display unfolded.
Copyright Marc Adamus
28° Aurora: Efrén Yanes
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Photographer: Efrén Yanes
Location: Tenerife, Spain
Caption: The night of May 10th was one of the most unforgettable moments since I became a photographer. I went to Teide National Park in Tenerife with the intention of capturing a circumpolar shot with the endemic tajines in bloom. After setting up my camera and finding the perfect composition, I hit the shutter. To my surprise, the camera screen showed a strange red color on the horizon. It wasn’t light pollution, but something I had never seen before.
Suddenly, I remembered hearing about a recent large-magnitude solar storm and the possibility of Northern Lights at lower latitudes. My heart raced as I scrolled through social media and saw others sharing photos of the Aurora from the Iberian Peninsula. I realized I was witnessing this extraordinary event from the Canary Islands. It was a magical experience that happened entirely by chance, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of it.
Copyright Efrén Yanes
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