The Fujifilm X100V: A Camera with Minimalist Design and Maximum Features

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Fujifilm X100V, which is a pre-production model with firmware that is still evolving. At first glance, it may seem like a waste of time to have such an advanced camera with only a limited set of features. However, as I delved deeper into its capabilities, I realized that this camera is truly special.

One of the standout features of the X100V is its hybrid viewfinder. This allows for both optical and electronic viewing modes, which makes it easier to switch between different shooting situations. The optical viewfinder has a 0.5x magnification with 95% frame coverage, while the electronic viewfinder features a 0.66x magnification with a 3.6 million dot point 5-inch sensor. This hybrid viewfinder is noticeably larger and more detailed than previous models of the X100 series.

Another aspect of the X100V's design that I appreciate is its minimalism. Fujifilm has taken a step back from the feature creep that often plagues modern cameras, instead opting for a streamlined interface that makes it easier to use in the moment. The camera no longer features d-pad or four small buttons under your thumb, which some might see as a drawback. However, I find this simplification to be a blessing. It allows me to focus on what's important – taking great photos – rather than getting bogged down in menus and settings.

The X100V also has a fixed lens, which is a deliberate design choice that limits the number of options for users. However, I believe this approach can actually make the camera more productive for street photographers who need to be prepared and adaptable. By having only one lens, you're forced to be more mindful of your choices and to make the most of what's in front of you.

One aspect of the X100V that did take some getting used to was its lack of a d-pad. However, I've found that this minimalism actually makes the camera easier to use. The focus ring has been moved to a more convenient location, making it easy to access and adjust settings quickly. The camera also still features custom function buttons that can be tailored to your needs, as well as touch gestures that allow you to access certain settings with ease.

In terms of its technical capabilities, the X100V is anything but underpowered. It features a 26.1-megapixel X-Trans sensor and an X-Processor for base detection autofocus, which works down to -5 stops in low light conditions. The camera also shoots full RAW images at up to 11 frames per second, making it ideal for fast-paced situations. Additionally, the X100V has all of the current film simulations, multiple exposure, and HDR functions that Fujifilm is known for.

One of the most exciting features of the X100V is its video capabilities. The camera shoots 4K video up to 30p in H.264, with no cropping. It also allows for shooting in log mode, as well as outputting four-to-zero 8-bit video to the card in the camera with a 10-minute limit. For unlimited video recording, the HDMI output can be used, which allows for two-to-10-bit video with no recording limits.

Finally, it's worth noting that the X100V is fully compatible with all of Fujifilm's accessories, including converter lenses for wide-angle and telephoto applications. This makes it a great option for photographers who already have a collection of lenses or prefer to work in a specific range.

In conclusion, the Fujifilm X100V is a camera that truly offers the best of both worlds – advanced features and minimalism. Its hybrid viewfinder, simplified design, and robust technical capabilities make it an ideal choice for street photographers and anyone looking for a compact, high-quality camera. While I only had two hours with this pre-production model, I'm excited to see how it will evolve in the future.

I'd like to thank Fujifilm for providing me with this pre-production model, which has given me a unique opportunity to experience the X100V before its official release. I'll be back with a full review when the camera is available, so stay tuned!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: entoday I am in New York City shooting with the brand-new fujifilm x100t this is the latest iteration of what Fuji film refers to as a camera for everyday moments it features a fixed 23 millimeter F 2.0 lens that personally I find absolutely ideal for street photography this gives you about a 35 millimeter full frame equivalent field of view which is perfect for documentary a variety of subjects this camera also is fairly compact which is ideal for taking it along with you just about anywhere there's some nice cosmetic changes to this camera over previous models the x100 V features a top and bottom made of solid milled aluminum it's designed with slightly cleaner edges over previous models and features a blast finish smooth surface al you might satin finish coating I'm using the chrome version but this is also available in black fujifilm also has added a tilt screen housing too it's now 1.6 2 million dot touch LCD screen this is a really welcome addition for a low or high angle shot composition and although this camera is weather sealed the lens actually is not on its own this was done actually to conserve space and keep the size down on this camera and of course if you're going to be shooting in wet weather conditions you can add an optional filter adapter and skylight filter let's save to properly seal the lens again this is a trade-off for size but I really do like that we have weather sealing at least as an option one thing that's actually really important to me is the ability to have a camera that is with you all the time that way you have it you're ready to shoot it's not cumbersome it's not big and so sometimes you have sacrifices in like for instance we just have a fixed focal length lens but honestly I love the fact that it's with me and I don't miss stuff the lens on the x100 v has been redesigned it's a really nice upgrade it still features 8 elements and 6 groups but now it has 2 aspherical elements instead of one so you're gonna get much better image quality the lens on this camera is fairly significant and it differs quite a bit from the interchangeable 23 millimeter lenses that you have on the X F cameras this 23 millimeter lens is actually designed with the body so the rear element is essentially the sensor glass cover so it's a really tight form-factor which is going to give you a compact design but it still retains a really high image quality it's a really good trade-off unlike XF cameras the X 100 V uses a leaf shutter and it also features a built-in four stop neutral density filter if you're not familiar with what a neutral density filter is it basically acts sort of like sunglasses it cuts the amount of light coming into the camera this is actually ideal for using wider apertures if you want a shallower depth of field in bright lighting and it's used pretty regularly in video it's trying to shoot some video earlier and one thing that I find really curious about the X 100 is we've now moved from a two stop to a four stop neutral density filter now I think this is an awesome addition it makes it so that you can get a nice separation depth of field when you're in bright light for instance however this seems like it would be a boon for video because if you're wanting to film with a 180 degree shutter you want to limit yourself to around 50 frames a second on your shutter speed so the problem that I'm having with this is that the ND filter does not work in video mode I'm hoping that this is just a little cork because it's a pre-production model that I've got with pre-production firmware it just seems kind of like a waste to have this on here with amazing video capabilities but not to be able to use the hybrid viewfinder is upgraded from previous models so the optical viewfinder is now a 0.5 2 magnification with 95% frame coverage when you flip the switch on the front of the camera you're going to activate the electronic viewfinder which now features a 0.66 magnification with a three point six nine million dot point five inch sensor with a 16 point eight millimeter eye points so this hybrid viewfinder is noticeably larger with better resolution than previous models of the X 100 series the other thing is they have actually taken off the d-pad or the four little buttons that go under your thumb at first I was a little skeptical of this but actually it's something that I really like because it makes it an easier camera to use you just get to what you need when you need it and again focusing in the moment and getting images I think the Fujifilm do this really well so one of my favorite things about the X 100 V is actually the lack of what it has so for instance we have a fixed lens this creates less options I'm not bringing a bag of lenses I'm not changing the lenses I'm in the moment and I'm photographing I think this is something that actually makes you more productive as a photographer particularly if you're shooting Street one thing that I find particularly interesting about Fuji film is how their design aesthetic for their cameras they approach it from the idea that they're going to offer different cameras for different uses so you see big differences between the XT 3 and the X pro 3 for instance this is actually taking a step further with the XT 100 in that we have a minimized design in other words there are less controls than we used to have for instance the d-pad is missing I actually was skeptical of this first I ended up liking it because what it does is it simplifies the camera when you have one lens you're shooting street photography you're out and about you have less options and again it's all about getting the photos in the if you want more options than a different camera probably is better but I think for my purposes here I really actually like this I thought it was gonna be a problem it's not so despite this new minimal physical layout we do still have custom function buttons that you can customize and you can also setup touch gestures to get to certain settings quickly but the x100 v is anything but underpowered we still get all of the features of the current generation of Fujifilm cameras so this includes the 26 point 1 megapixel x transfor sensor as well as the X processor for base detection autofocus works down to negative 5 evie so it does really well in low light and this camera is still pretty fast with the ability to shoot full RAW images up to 11 frames per second we have all of the current film simulations multiple exposure and HDR functions and because the firmware has become more efficient across the whole range of fuji film cameras the x100 v has a battery life rating of 420 shots now the current battery ratings are a little bit dated specially with mirrorless because when you consider the screens on all the time it's just kind of a dated method for measuring battery life but let's just say I shot all day on this camera it was on pretty much all the time and still had a little less than half battery left at the end of the day now I didn't shoot a whole lot of video as I'll be saving that for the full review but we do have considerable upgrades with video specs as well the x100 V shoots 4k video up to 30 P h.264 with no cropping you can shoot in log we have the aterna film simulation and you can shoot four to zero 8-bit video to the card in the camera with a 10-minute limit and this has to do with basically the size and heat dispersion so we do have a limit if you want unlimited video you can optionally use the HDMI output and you're actually going to get for two to 10-bit video with no recording limit it's also worth noting that just like the previous versions of the X 100 this new camera is compatible with all of the Fujifilm accessories and this includes the converter lenses for wide-angle and telephoto application so I would not call this a review since I've only had the camera for two hours this is more like a preview I will do a full review when I get a production camera that I'm able to shoot with a little bit more so drop me a comment let me know what you guys would like to see until the next video I'll catch you guys then latertoday I am in New York City shooting with the brand-new fujifilm x100t this is the latest iteration of what Fuji film refers to as a camera for everyday moments it features a fixed 23 millimeter F 2.0 lens that personally I find absolutely ideal for street photography this gives you about a 35 millimeter full frame equivalent field of view which is perfect for documentary a variety of subjects this camera also is fairly compact which is ideal for taking it along with you just about anywhere there's some nice cosmetic changes to this camera over previous models the x100 V features a top and bottom made of solid milled aluminum it's designed with slightly cleaner edges over previous models and features a blast finish smooth surface al you might satin finish coating I'm using the chrome version but this is also available in black fujifilm also has added a tilt screen housing too it's now 1.6 2 million dot touch LCD screen this is a really welcome addition for a low or high angle shot composition and although this camera is weather sealed the lens actually is not on its own this was done actually to conserve space and keep the size down on this camera and of course if you're going to be shooting in wet weather conditions you can add an optional filter adapter and skylight filter let's save to properly seal the lens again this is a trade-off for size but I really do like that we have weather sealing at least as an option one thing that's actually really important to me is the ability to have a camera that is with you all the time that way you have it you're ready to shoot it's not cumbersome it's not big and so sometimes you have sacrifices in like for instance we just have a fixed focal length lens but honestly I love the fact that it's with me and I don't miss stuff the lens on the x100 v has been redesigned it's a really nice upgrade it still features 8 elements and 6 groups but now it has 2 aspherical elements instead of one so you're gonna get much better image quality the lens on this camera is fairly significant and it differs quite a bit from the interchangeable 23 millimeter lenses that you have on the X F cameras this 23 millimeter lens is actually designed with the body so the rear element is essentially the sensor glass cover so it's a really tight form-factor which is going to give you a compact design but it still retains a really high image quality it's a really good trade-off unlike XF cameras the X 100 V uses a leaf shutter and it also features a built-in four stop neutral density filter if you're not familiar with what a neutral density filter is it basically acts sort of like sunglasses it cuts the amount of light coming into the camera this is actually ideal for using wider apertures if you want a shallower depth of field in bright lighting and it's used pretty regularly in video it's trying to shoot some video earlier and one thing that I find really curious about the X 100 is we've now moved from a two stop to a four stop neutral density filter now I think this is an awesome addition it makes it so that you can get a nice separation depth of field when you're in bright light for instance however this seems like it would be a boon for video because if you're wanting to film with a 180 degree shutter you want to limit yourself to around 50 frames a second on your shutter speed so the problem that I'm having with this is that the ND filter does not work in video mode I'm hoping that this is just a little cork because it's a pre-production model that I've got with pre-production firmware it just seems kind of like a waste to have this on here with amazing video capabilities but not to be able to use the hybrid viewfinder is upgraded from previous models so the optical viewfinder is now a 0.5 2 magnification with 95% frame coverage when you flip the switch on the front of the camera you're going to activate the electronic viewfinder which now features a 0.66 magnification with a three point six nine million dot point five inch sensor with a 16 point eight millimeter eye points so this hybrid viewfinder is noticeably larger with better resolution than previous models of the X 100 series the other thing is they have actually taken off the d-pad or the four little buttons that go under your thumb at first I was a little skeptical of this but actually it's something that I really like because it makes it an easier camera to use you just get to what you need when you need it and again focusing in the moment and getting images I think the Fujifilm do this really well so one of my favorite things about the X 100 V is actually the lack of what it has so for instance we have a fixed lens this creates less options I'm not bringing a bag of lenses I'm not changing the lenses I'm in the moment and I'm photographing I think this is something that actually makes you more productive as a photographer particularly if you're shooting Street one thing that I find particularly interesting about Fuji film is how their design aesthetic for their cameras they approach it from the idea that they're going to offer different cameras for different uses so you see big differences between the XT 3 and the X pro 3 for instance this is actually taking a step further with the XT 100 in that we have a minimized design in other words there are less controls than we used to have for instance the d-pad is missing I actually was skeptical of this first I ended up liking it because what it does is it simplifies the camera when you have one lens you're shooting street photography you're out and about you have less options and again it's all about getting the photos in the if you want more options than a different camera probably is better but I think for my purposes here I really actually like this I thought it was gonna be a problem it's not so despite this new minimal physical layout we do still have custom function buttons that you can customize and you can also setup touch gestures to get to certain settings quickly but the x100 v is anything but underpowered we still get all of the features of the current generation of Fujifilm cameras so this includes the 26 point 1 megapixel x transfor sensor as well as the X processor for base detection autofocus works down to negative 5 evie so it does really well in low light and this camera is still pretty fast with the ability to shoot full RAW images up to 11 frames per second we have all of the current film simulations multiple exposure and HDR functions and because the firmware has become more efficient across the whole range of fuji film cameras the x100 v has a battery life rating of 420 shots now the current battery ratings are a little bit dated specially with mirrorless because when you consider the screens on all the time it's just kind of a dated method for measuring battery life but let's just say I shot all day on this camera it was on pretty much all the time and still had a little less than half battery left at the end of the day now I didn't shoot a whole lot of video as I'll be saving that for the full review but we do have considerable upgrades with video specs as well the x100 V shoots 4k video up to 30 P h.264 with no cropping you can shoot in log we have the aterna film simulation and you can shoot four to zero 8-bit video to the card in the camera with a 10-minute limit and this has to do with basically the size and heat dispersion so we do have a limit if you want unlimited video you can optionally use the HDMI output and you're actually going to get for two to 10-bit video with no recording limit it's also worth noting that just like the previous versions of the X 100 this new camera is compatible with all of the Fujifilm accessories and this includes the converter lenses for wide-angle and telephoto application so I would not call this a review since I've only had the camera for two hours this is more like a preview I will do a full review when I get a production camera that I'm able to shoot with a little bit more so drop me a comment let me know what you guys would like to see until the next video I'll catch you guys then latertoday I am in New York City shooting with the brand-new fujifilm x100t this is the latest iteration of what Fuji film refers to as a camera for everyday moments it features a fixed 23 millimeter F 2.0 lens that personally I find absolutely ideal for street photography this gives you about a 35 millimeter full frame equivalent field of view which is perfect for documentary a variety of subjects this camera also is fairly compact which is ideal for taking it along with you just about anywhere there's some nice cosmetic changes to this camera over previous models the x100 V features a top and bottom made of solid milled aluminum it's designed with slightly cleaner edges over previous models and features a blast finish smooth surface al you might satin finish coating I'm using the chrome version but this is also available in black fujifilm also has added a tilt screen housing too it's now 1.6 2 million dot touch LCD screen this is a really welcome addition for a low or high angle shot composition and although this camera is weather sealed the lens actually is not on its own this was done actually to conserve space and keep the size down on this camera and of course if you're going to be shooting in wet weather conditions you can add an optional filter adapter and skylight filter let's save to properly seal the lens again this is a trade-off for size but I really do like that we have weather sealing at least as an option one thing that's actually really important to me is the ability to have a camera that is with you all the time that way you have it you're ready to shoot it's not cumbersome it's not big and so sometimes you have sacrifices in like for instance we just have a fixed focal length lens but honestly I love the fact that it's with me and I don't miss stuff the lens on the x100 v has been redesigned it's a really nice upgrade it still features 8 elements and 6 groups but now it has 2 aspherical elements instead of one so you're gonna get much better image quality the lens on this camera is fairly significant and it differs quite a bit from the interchangeable 23 millimeter lenses that you have on the X F cameras this 23 millimeter lens is actually designed with the body so the rear element is essentially the sensor glass cover so it's a really tight form-factor which is going to give you a compact design but it still retains a really high image quality it's a really good trade-off unlike XF cameras the X 100 V uses a leaf shutter and it also features a built-in four stop neutral density filter if you're not familiar with what a neutral density filter is it basically acts sort of like sunglasses it cuts the amount of light coming into the camera this is actually ideal for using wider apertures if you want a shallower depth of field in bright lighting and it's used pretty regularly in video it's trying to shoot some video earlier and one thing that I find really curious about the X 100 is we've now moved from a two stop to a four stop neutral density filter now I think this is an awesome addition it makes it so that you can get a nice separation depth of field when you're in bright light for instance however this seems like it would be a boon for video because if you're wanting to film with a 180 degree shutter you want to limit yourself to around 50 frames a second on your shutter speed so the problem that I'm having with this is that the ND filter does not work in video mode I'm hoping that this is just a little cork because it's a pre-production model that I've got with pre-production firmware it just seems kind of like a waste to have this on here with amazing video capabilities but not to be able to use the hybrid viewfinder is upgraded from previous models so the optical viewfinder is now a 0.5 2 magnification with 95% frame coverage when you flip the switch on the front of the camera you're going to activate the electronic viewfinder which now features a 0.66 magnification with a three point six nine million dot point five inch sensor with a 16 point eight millimeter eye points so this hybrid viewfinder is noticeably larger with better resolution than previous models of the X 100 series the other thing is they have actually taken off the d-pad or the four little buttons that go under your thumb at first I was a little skeptical of this but actually it's something that I really like because it makes it an easier camera to use you just get to what you need when you need it and again focusing in the moment and getting images I think the Fujifilm do this really well so one of my favorite things about the X 100 V is actually the lack of what it has so for instance we have a fixed lens this creates less options I'm not bringing a bag of lenses I'm not changing the lenses I'm in the moment and I'm photographing I think this is something that actually makes you more productive as a photographer particularly if you're shooting Street one thing that I find particularly interesting about Fuji film is how their design aesthetic for their cameras they approach it from the idea that they're going to offer different cameras for different uses so you see big differences between the XT 3 and the X pro 3 for instance this is actually taking a step further with the XT 100 in that we have a minimized design in other words there are less controls than we used to have for instance the d-pad is missing I actually was skeptical of this first I ended up liking it because what it does is it simplifies the camera when you have one lens you're shooting street photography you're out and about you have less options and again it's all about getting the photos in the if you want more options than a different camera probably is better but I think for my purposes here I really actually like this I thought it was gonna be a problem it's not so despite this new minimal physical layout we do still have custom function buttons that you can customize and you can also setup touch gestures to get to certain settings quickly but the x100 v is anything but underpowered we still get all of the features of the current generation of Fujifilm cameras so this includes the 26 point 1 megapixel x transfor sensor as well as the X processor for base detection autofocus works down to negative 5 evie so it does really well in low light and this camera is still pretty fast with the ability to shoot full RAW images up to 11 frames per second we have all of the current film simulations multiple exposure and HDR functions and because the firmware has become more efficient across the whole range of fuji film cameras the x100 v has a battery life rating of 420 shots now the current battery ratings are a little bit dated specially with mirrorless because when you consider the screens on all the time it's just kind of a dated method for measuring battery life but let's just say I shot all day on this camera it was on pretty much all the time and still had a little less than half battery left at the end of the day now I didn't shoot a whole lot of video as I'll be saving that for the full review but we do have considerable upgrades with video specs as well the x100 V shoots 4k video up to 30 P h.264 with no cropping you can shoot in log we have the aterna film simulation and you can shoot four to zero 8-bit video to the card in the camera with a 10-minute limit and this has to do with basically the size and heat dispersion so we do have a limit if you want unlimited video you can optionally use the HDMI output and you're actually going to get for two to 10-bit video with no recording limit it's also worth noting that just like the previous versions of the X 100 this new camera is compatible with all of the Fujifilm accessories and this includes the converter lenses for wide-angle and telephoto application so I would not call this a review since I've only had the camera for two hours this is more like a preview I will do a full review when I get a production camera that I'm able to shoot with a little bit more so drop me a comment let me know what you guys would like to see until the next video I'll catch you guys then later\n"