Fujifilm X100VI review: everyday delight

Fujifilm X100VI: two-minute review

The Fujfilm X100V currently ranks as our best premium compact camera, but that model has just been well and truly superseded by its successor, the Fujifilm X100VI. The sixth-gen model has better features, and offers better performance and image quality, while retaining all that we love about the X100 series: classic styling, old-school exposure dials, a super-sharp fixed 23mm f/2 lens, and that lovely hybrid viewfinder. 

You could look at the X100VI as a Fujifilm X-T5 in a X100-series body. That means a higher-resolution than ever 40MP sensor, 6.2K video, and, for the first time in the series, in-body image stabilization. We also get Fujifilm's best-ever autofocus, with tracking and subject detection that includes humans, animals, birds and vehicles. 

So we effectively have two fantastic cameras combined into one, and the result is the best entry in this fixed-lens compact series yet. I love it, and in many ways it's a more compelling Leica Q3 alternative.

There's also that's plenty familiar here. The retro design has changed, but only a little; this is a slightly heavier camera because it accommodates in-body image stabilization, and if you ask me the extra 10% weight is totally worth it for the additional versatility the IBIS brings. This is still very much a compact camera.

A few features carried over from the X100V now feel like quirks: a single UHS-I SD card slot limits the video and burst-shooting capability, weather-sealing is still only achieved with a lens adaptor attached, and perhaps even the lens focal length (a full-frame equivalent 35mm) is limiting for those that like to shoot wider, especially given that we could easily crop to 35mm thanks to the extra pixels. But the Fujifilm X100VI is a superb compact camera that's unlike any other.

It's so capable in fact that it's hard to see where Fujifilm can go next, besides trying something altogether new, like a new lens with a different focal length, or even creating a similar camera in its GFX series of medium-format cameras.

The pricier Leica Q3 feels more luxurious, and boasts a 60MP full-frame sensor, while the cheaper Ricoh GR III series are simpler and smaller. But right now the Fujifilm X100VI feels like the best premium compact for most people.

Fujifilm X100VI: release date and price

• $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899
• 20% pricier than X100V at launch
• Special edition available for $1,934 / £1,934 / AU$3,499

The Fujifilm X100VI will be available to buy from February 28, with a list price of $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899. To mark 90 years of Fujifilm there's a special-edition model of the X100VI that's limited to 1,934 units – 1934 being the year Fujifilm was founded – with each model having its unique number etched onto its top plate. This special edition comes with a strap and different etchings, but is functionally identical to the standard X100VI and costs $1,934 / £1,934 / AU$3,499. Sales of this camera begin on March 28, while in the UK sales are exclusively in-person at the London House of Photography from April 6 – expect queues.  

• Price score 4/5

Fujifilm X100VI: design and handling

• Retains the same style, lens and superb hybrid viewfinder
• First X100-series camera with in-body image stabilization
• Tilt-touchscreen flush in the body when stowed
• Slightly improved battery life

If you love the X100V, you'll appreciate the Fujifilm X100VI even more. And if you've never shot with an X100-series camera the X100VI embodies everything that has defined and popularized the Fujifilm brand.

Retro styling abounds, in the brushed aluminum top and bottom plates, the old-school exposure control dials (the dual-purpose shutter speed / ISO dial is stunning), the faux-leather body, and a hybrid viewfinder that gives you both an optical and electronic display, which you can switch between with the push of a button – the X100VI successfully straddles the analog era and the 21st century camera experience.

We also get a tilt-touchscreen that sits flush in the body when folded away, although you can't flip it around and out of sight altogether like you can a vari-angle screen, which I'd prefer, or indeed the unique X-Pro 3 screen. Still, this is a camera that suits low-level shooting – which I did a lot of to capture reflections in a wet Chinatown in London, and in Tokyo during the Fujifilm X-Summit – and even more so for those who prefer a viewfinder. Prefer optical? You've got it. Want to make sure your exposure settings are okay? You simply have to briefly activate the 3.69m-dot electronic display.

Asking fellow camera reviewers, it appears that most stick to the EVF, but I think they're missing out. Personally, I love the optical display, especially for daylight street photography, because you can see outside the image area (marked in the display with a digital overlay), and therefore be prepared for when the action enters the frame. And for waist-level shooting, the tilt screen works a treat, although it's limited to a horizontal tilt.  

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The controls are all logically placed and within easy reach, and once you've taken the time to dig through the menus and set up the camera how you wish you can keep the viewfinder up to your eye and make adjustments without having to look for the required button or dial. 

The lens is the same fixed 23mm f/2 lens (35mm full-frame equivalent) as on the Fujifilm X100V, with an aperture control dial and a control ring that allows you to adjust your choice of any one of several settings, including the digital teleconverter with 50mm and 70mm lens-effect settings. This is a proper street photography camera. However, now that we've got more pixels to play with, I would prefer a wider lens, approximately 18mm (as on the Ricoh GR III and Leica Q3  – a 28mm full-frame equivalent). That would give the wider field of view, similar to that of a smartphone, that you often need, especially for street photography. Assuming an X100-series camera had a 28mm lens and 40MP sensor, a digital teleconverter setting of 35mm would still produce a 20-25MP image with plenty of detail, not too far off the full 26MP sensor of the X100V.

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Battery life has been improved from the X100V despite the new camera using the same battery – camera brands are finding ways to conserve power more effectively. That said, in-body image stabilization is power hungry, and the use of it mostly negates the battery life improvement  – you get around 450 shots from a full charge.

The new sensor-based image stabilization has been custom designed for the X100VI, and this was probably number one on my upgrade wish list for an X100V successor. These are cameras that are designed to be used handheld, and in-body stabilization allows you to get sharper shots at slower shutter speeds.

Fujifilm says image stabilization is effective up to six stops, but in my tests I found the IBIS 100% effective up to around 3EV only. That means I was able to get sharp pictures using a shutter speed of 1/4 sec every time, while I saw a big drop in my hit ratio using a shutter speed of 1/2 sec or slower. That said, the slowest shutter speed you can use for consistently sharp shots with the Ricoh GR IIIx is 1/6 sec and with the Leica Q3 it's 1/15 sec, so the X100VI wins here.

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You can make use of the new in-body stabilization and the existing built-in 4-stop ND filter for creative slow shutter speed effects that weren't possible before, while a built-in ND is also useful for video work. You can shoot using the X100VI's f/2 aperture in reasonably bright light with the kind of shutter speeds needed for video, around 1/60 sec.

The new image stabilization feature necessitates a slight increase in size and weight, and while the size difference is negligible, the X100VI is around 10% heavier than the X100V at 521g (incl battery and card). I still class it as a compact camera though, and the extra weight is hardly noticeable and completely worth it in return for the practical gain.

Given that the lens is exactly the same one as on previous models, the same lens accessories will work with the X100VI, including the lens hood and the wide and tele conversion lenses. It also means that the lens isn't weather-sealed, and you'll need a lens filter (not included) to fully seal the camera. 

• Design and handling score 5/5

Fujifilm X100VI: features and performance

• Same X-Processor 5 engine and autofocus system as the X-T5
• Up to 11fps continuous burst shooting in full quality
• Only accepts a single UHS-I SD card
• Direct Frame.io cloud uploads

The Fujifilm X100VI utilizes the same X-Processor 5 engine as the X-T5, making this the most powerful X100-series camera to date. That means continuous burst shooting up to 11fps in full quality. However, unlike the X-T5, the X100VI only supports a single UHS-I SD memory card, and that limits the potential for the kind of high-speed performance you could get if it supported the faster UHS-II memory card type, as the X-T5 does. 

Naturally I was keen to push the X100VI to the limit to see what kind of high-speed performance was possible at 11fps. In JPEG-only mode I could shoot up to 48 pictures before the camera slowed up, and it took around 10 seconds for the buffer to clear for full performance once more. When shooting raw + JPEG at 11fps, the number of frames dropped to 18, and the buffer took longer to clear at around 30 seconds. There's actually no marked improvement over the X100V here, and the X100VI is held back by its older card type.

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Where there is a notable improvement is autofocus performance. The X100VI packs Fujifilm’s most effective autofocus system yet, with tracking autofocus for both photo and video recording, as well as subject-detection autofocus with options for birds, animals, vehicles and planes.

You'll need to play around a little with the autofocus settings to gain the most effective performance for the scene in front of you. Face- and eye-detection AF work very well for portraiture, and do a reasonable job in crowded street scenes. And they even work well in low light – I had plenty of opportunities to test them during a week in Tokyo, when I was going out most nights to take street photos. Compared to my own Ricoh GR IIIx, the X100VI's autofocus performance is miles ahead, and Fujifilm has made a lot of progress in this area since the X100V came to market in 2020. 

Those who prefer to take control of focus can switch to manual using the switch on the left-hand side of the body, and set up the camera with a generous selection of manual focus aids that include magnification, peaking (setting red to the highlight edges works well), and even a split image or ‘digital microprism’ that works very much like the old rangefinder focusing system – you align the two image within your display to achieve sharp focus.

Other modern conveniences include comprehensive wireless connectivity for image capture and uploads, and also includes direct Frame.io upload to cloud for photos and videos, although you'll need a separate subscription for that service. As far as I know, Fujifilm is the only camera brand to offer direct Frame.io uploads, although how useful it is for photos remain to be seen – most people who use Frame.io do so for shared video projects where contributors can leave direct feedback onto the project timeline. 

• Features and performance score: 4.5/5

Fujifilm X100VI: image and video quality

• 40MP APS-C sensor with usable crop modes
• 6.2K video
• 20 film simulations including the latest Reala Ace

We already know a lot about the image quality of the Fujifilm X100VI, because it uses the same 40MP APS-C sensor as the one in the X-T5, while the lens is the same second-generation version as the one introduced in the X100V, which I'm assured is sharp enough to compliment the higher-resolution sensor. 

In short, images are bigger than those from the X100V, and detail is super sharp across the entire image area. It's all very impressive from such a compact-size lens. There's also a digital teleconverter that replicates a 50mm lens (a 'medium' image size of 20MP) and a 70mm lens (a 'small' image size of 10MP). With the increased 40MP full size image, those two digital crops are entirely usable (see below).

I've said it before, but with those extra pixels I really do think a wider lens makes more sense, especially for street photography. I actually prefer the 35mm focal length as it's more versatile overall, but if street photography is your thing you'll probably prefer the wider 28mm lens of the Ricoh GR III or Leica Q3; however, if environmental portraiture floats your boat, then the X100VI is spot on.

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I took a series of identical photos (see below) going through the X100VI's native ISO range, which is ISO 125 to ISO12,800 (but can be expanded to cover ISO 64 to ISO 51,200). A general rule of thumb with mirrorless and compact cameras is to avoid the top native ISO setting and extended high settings in order to avoid noise and ensure sharp detail and decent dynamic range,. That leaves you with ISO 6400 as the highest ISO setting you can comfortably use when shooting JPEG; the noise reduction applied in JPEG processing renders pretty clean images up to ISO 6400, though for the cleanest possible detail and maximum dynamic range you'll want to shoot at ISO 1600 or lower. 

Unprocessed raw files with all noise reduction turned off look clean at the base ISO 125 setting, and while noise becomes more apparent as you go up the ISO settings, it’s only noticeable if you’re pixel-peeping with images zoom to 100%; if you view the large 40MP files at full-size on a monitor without zooming in, detail looks clean up to ISO 3200.

Design-wise this is very much a stills photographer's camera, but in terms of image quality the X100VI is a decent video camera too, thanks to 6.2K resolution up to 10-bit and 200Mbps bit rate, in-body image stabilization with additional digital stabilization, and Fujifilm's capable autofocus with active subject tracking. In short, the X100VI is significantly more capable than the X100V for filmmaking, though video image stabilization isn't a patch on that in cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II or Sony ZV-E1 – you can't walk around shooting handheld video with the X100VI and expect smooth shake-free clips (see above). 

You also get Fujifilm log color profiles for video to maximize the sensor's dynamic range, plus the full suite of Fujifilm film simulation modes, which now number 20, six of which are black-and-white looks with different lens-filter effects to accentuate particular tones – red and orange make for punchy skies, while green brings out skin detail in portraits.

I liked to shoot using film simulation bracketing mode to get three looks at the same time, with some of my favorites including Provia (standard color), Reala Ace and Acros black and white. If you shoot in raw you can choose another film simulation afterwards using the in-camera raw conversion editor.

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If like me you like to shoot in aperture priority and maintain some control of shutter speed suitable for the scene, you can define the minimum shutter speed in the auto ISO menu – that's another custom setting I create before shooting.

Let's not forget the impact in-body image stablization and better subject detection autofocus has on image quality too – countering motion blur at slower shutter speeds and reliably acquiring sharp focus.

• Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

Fujifilm X100VI: Test scorecard

Should I buy the Fujifilm X100VI?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm X100VI: Also consider

If our Fujifilm X100VI review has inspired you to think about other options, here are two more cameras to consider…

How I tested the Fujifilm X100VI

• Two weeks of in-depth testing
• Street photography

I first used the Fujifilm X100VI for an afternoon in London, prior to spending two weeks with it at and around the Fujifilm X-Summit in Tokyo, during which time it was by my side continuously, with plenty of opportunities to test its everyday camera and street photography credentials. 

I’ve taken sample photos in raw and JPEG, used the various film simulations, and made in-camera raw conversions, and I've also shot video using the 6.2K and 4K modes. Naturally I’ve pushed the new features to their limits, shooting 40MP stills in single-shot and 11fps continuous burst mode, and I've employed the in-body image stabilization and tried out the updated autofocus system. 

With extra pixels to play with, I also used the digital teleconverter to see how the camera handles shooting at 50mm and 70mm equivalent focal lengths.

First reviewed February 2024