Fujifilm South Africa has announced the fifth iteration of their highly portable X100 series, the X100V, updating their line of compact digital cameras to include a newly designed 23mm f/2.0 fixed lens, improvements to its Advanced Hybrid Viewfinder, and a host of other updates.
The X100V uses the same X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 combination as the X-T3. The 26.1MP sensor uses a back-illuminated design to maximise quality and dynamic range, while its unique colour filter array controls moiré and false colour without the need for an optical low pass filter. Fujifilm says that the “lens is a significant step up from the ones used in past X100 Series cameras” and that it maintains the same overall compact size and compatibility with legacy WCL/TCL conversion lens, while retaining its internal 4-Stop ND filter.
Fujifilm’s X100V offers the ability to record 4K video up to 30 frames per second or capture 120 frames per second at 1080p to create super slow-motion effects. Filmmakers needing extreme colour fidelity can record 10-bit, 4:2:2 colour externally via the HDMI port and leverage FUJIFILM’s advanced colour reproduction technology, to apply Film Simulations, like ETERNA, “monochromatic Color” and “Color Chrome Effect” to their video footage.
The X100V’s body has swapped from the magnesium alloy used in previous devices to aluminium with a satin coating. Slight enhancements have also been made to the camera’s grip, ISO dial, and lens barrel to make it more comfortable to hold and operate and for the first time, the body is weather resistant.
Other design changes include a new two-way tilting LCD touchscreen that sits at the back of the camera, adding another first for the series as it provides intuitive touch controls, allowing image-makers to see, frame, and capture images directly from the screen. Weather resistance appears for the first time in the X100 Series when the optional AR-X100 adapter ring and the PRF-49 protection filter are attached to the X100V’s new lens.
The X100V boasts an improved hybrid viewfinder which lets you choose between the 0.52x magnification optical viewfinder (OVF) or the 3.69M dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) to make their images. Offering 95% frame coverage, the OVF provides parallax-correcting frame lines to provide an uninterrupted view of the world as it is, while the camera’s EVF delivers a real-time digital representation of the image as it is being made. The Electronic Range Finder (ERF) function can also be selected to display a small EVF at the bottom right corner of the OVF, which gives image-makers another tool as they frame and make their images.
Fujifilm says that the improved battery now lasts up to approximately 350 frames per charge when using the EVF or approximately 420 frames per charge when using the OVF.
Optional accessories
By using the wide conversion lens (WCL-X100 II) or tele-conversion lens (TCL-X100 II), the X100V’s fixed 23mm focal length can be extended to a 28mm (0.8x) or 50mm (1.4x) equivalent lens on a 35mm format system.
Users can add a premium genuine-leather case (LC-X100V) to the X100V to complement its classic design while giving complete access to the camera’s battery and memory card when it is in place.
Availability
The Fujifilm X100V is expected to be available in South Africa at the start of March 2020, retailing in the region of R19 500.
