p.9 #3X100VI first impressions + running commentary
AZ Photo wrote:
Face/eye detection is best with wide tracking and AF-C - its also the best way of getting the face you want when there is more than one.
Yes, but it's still terrible on the VI compared to other "modern" AF algorithms and seems to miss critical focus too much to feel comfortable using it.
Doesn't help that I have one of the best AFing cameras available right now to compare it against to...but that's not the ideal way to shoot the VI regardless.
p.9 #4X100VI first impressions + running commentary
RoamingScott wrote: AZ Photo wroteFace/eye detection is best with wide tracking and AF-C - its also the best way of getting the face you want when there is more than one.Yes, but it's still terrible on the VI compared to other "modern" AF algorithms and seems to miss critical focus too much to feel comfortable using it.
Doesn't help that I have one of the best AFing cameras available right now to compare it against to...but that's not the ideal way to shoot the VI regardless.
I'm hoping for single-point AF-C performance comparable to the Z6II that I used to have... but honestly speaking, that's a preference and not a need. I'll have other (larger) options available for critical AF performance.
p.9 #5X100VI first impressions + running commentary
Hopefully a firmware update will fix this soon. Being one who has had many camera brands over the years Fujifilm is one of the best at updating and even adding new features via firmware updates.
p.9 #6X100VI first impressions + running commentary
treacle wrote:
Hopefully a firmware update will fix this soon. Being one who has had many camera brands over the years Fujifilm is one of the best at updating and even adding new features via firmware updates.
Maybe there's a limit to how much Fuji can optimize the autofocus algorithms because the lens (motor) is often the bottleneck. Faster lenses tend to be larger, which goes against the ethos of this series.
p.9 #7X100VI first impressions + running commentary
It's a lovely little camera for sure. A dream come true BUT
There is one thing that freaks me out and I can't understand why they keep making it to work that way:
Why the hell they don't allow you to switch from ISO C to A with the command wheel?
You can do it with Sony cams: You turn the wheel and it goes from ISO100 to AUTO.
It's not that difficult Fuji.C'mon
Oh and its menu system is just awkward and obsolete.
But the rest for me is just great. Lovely colors and endless customization.
p.9 #8X100VI first impressions + running commentary
I've had a rental for a day so far, to decide whether or not to join the pre-order queue. Not so much for myself but for older family members who would like something simple/reminiscent of the film era compacts they are familiar with, for the same things they used to use a 35mm/50mm compact back in the day.
Unfortunately as far as I can see, although the VI is surprisingly competent for landscapes, for family/grandchildren use it is a dead loss. Subject acquisition, tracking, and Eye AF are all even worse than the GFX 100s which is not exactly a superstar in the autofocus stakes. There is just no way I could inflict this level of performance on the oldies. I think it is even inferior to the Leica Q2 with its most recent eye AF firmware.
So while the camera would actually suit me perfectly well as a super-light everyday unit, especially for business travel where I wouldn't bring larger gear, it's looking like the rental fees are money well spent for me to avoid this one for the wider family. Might have to re-look into the Sony 6700 or Nikon Zfc for them.
Fred Miranda wrote: treacle wroteHopefully a firmware update will fix this soon. Being one who has had many camera brands over the years Fujifilm is one of the best at updating and even adding new features via firmware updates.Maybe there's a limit to how much Fuji can optimize the autofocus algorithms because the lens (motor) is often the bottleneck. Faster lenses tend to be larger, which goes against the ethos of this series.
Based on my ownership of the 100 II, even where the lens motor is not the bottleneck (the linear motor lenses are quite quick) the Fuji eye AF algorithms simply aren't up to the Canon/Sony level (I have no recent Nikon experience but hear it's similar). I rate the 100 II eye AF as just tolerable for my usage, but for me it's worth the hassle for the image quality benefits of the GFX system. It is nowhere near the performance of Canon RF where for the most part I only need to think about composition and exposure, and rely on the camera and lenses to nail the eyeball/face/head as needed.
I actually thought that coming after the 100 II and supposedly using the same generation of internal processing, the X100VI AF performance would be better than the 100 II since the DOF requirements are much less demanding and there's a lot less glass to shift around the lens. Looks like I was wrong there.
p.9 #9X100VI first impressions + running commentary
highdesertmesa wrote: TENOG wrotehighdesertmesa wroteTENOG wrotejohnld wroteIt's curious that many purchase it for the 40mp resolution, but then add film presets that make it look like a 6mp photo with a preset.The same with adding mist filters. I understand that they have some artistic value but if you're going to use them you don't need a 40 MP sensor.Quite the opposite. A higher resolution camera retains more detail with a diffusion filter compared to using the same diffusion filter on a lower resolution camera. It was the same back in the film days – a diffusion filter that obscured too much detail on 35mm film (to the point of being tacky) would look more sophisticated on 6x7 medium format.
I recommend buying a few diffusion filters in varying strengths and see what conclusions you make based on experience.I agree with you. However, my point is that any lens with a diffusion filter retains less detail than one without a filter. If you're going to use a filter do you really need to upgrade from a V to a VI with its higher resolution? I'm guessing that you will say yes, for the reasons you have stated.
Second, if you use them, what brands and strengths do you recommend? I'd like to give one a try. Maybe I'll find the effect so desirable that I will overlook the diminution of resolution. After all, some of the best photographs ever made were with lenses that had low resolution. Bresson immediately comes to mind. Thanks.The most popular diffusion filters are Tiffen's Black ProMist, Tiffen's Glimmerglass, and Moment's Cinebloom Diffusion. They all render in slightly different ways and are all available in varying strengths.
p.9 #10X100VI first impressions + running commentary
_Refraction wrote:
I've had a rental for a day so far, to decide whether or not to join the pre-order queue. Not so much for myself but for older family members who would like something simple/reminiscent of the film era compacts they are familiar with, for the same things they used to use a 35mm/50mm compact back in the day.
Unfortunately as far as I can see, although the VI is surprisingly competent for landscapes, for family/grandchildren use it is a dead loss. Subject acquisition, tracking, and Eye AF are all even worse than the GFX 100s which is not exactly a superstar in the autofocus stakes. There is just no way I could inflict this level of performance on the oldies. I think it is even inferior to the Leica Q2 with its most recent eye AF firmware.
So while the camera would actually suit me perfectly well as a super-light everyday unit, especially for business travel where I wouldn't bring larger gear, it's looking like the rental fees are money well spent for me to avoid this one for the wider family. Might have to re-look into the Sony 6700 or Nikon Zfc for them.
Based on my ownership of the 100 II, even where the lens motor is not the bottleneck (the linear motor lenses are quite quick) the Fuji eye AF algorithms simply aren't up to the Canon/Sony level (I have no recent Nikon experience but hear it's similar). I rate the 100 II eye AF as just tolerable for my usage, but for me it's worth the hassle for the image quality benefits of the GFX system. It is nowhere near the performance of Canon RF where for the most part I only need to think about composition and exposure, and rely on the camera and lenses to nail the eyeball/face/head as needed.
I actually thought that coming after the 100 II and supposedly using the same generation of internal processing, the X100VI AF performance would be better than the 100 II since the DOF requirements are much less demanding and there's a lot less glass to shift around the lens. Looks like I was wrong there. ...Show more →Fred Miranda wrotetreacle wroteHopefully a firmware update will fix this soon. Being one who has had many camera brands over the years Fujifilm is one of the best at updating and even adding new features via firmware updates.Maybe there's a limit to how much Fuji can optimize the autofocus algorithms because the lens (motor) is often the bottleneck. Faster lenses tend to be larger, which goes against the ethos of this series.
Is it really worse than the GFX 100 II for children/family/people subject acquisition? I have the GFX 100 II and if you are right that would certainly limit it for street shooting, which is one of the things that people think of it for. What settings were you using?
p.9 #11X100VI first impressions + running commentary
chiron wrote:
Is it really worse than the GFX 100 II for children/family/people subject acquisition? I have the GFX 100 II and if you are right that would certainly limit it for street shooting, which is one of the things that people think of it for. What settings were you using?
I've tried the following:
- zone to bias the eye/face acquisition to a particular region (this is how I use my 100 II)
- wide tracking
- all (which I haven't had much luck with on the 100 II but thought was worth a go once I realised that the AF system wasn't behaving like the 100 II)
This was in continuous AF and mostly in bright indirect sunlight like under shadecloth - ISO 125, 1/250-1/500s shutter speed, mostly between f/2.8-f/4.
Very open to suggestions but I couldn't think of anything else on the fly.
p.9 #12X100VI first impressions + running commentary
chiron wrote:
Is it really worse than the GFX 100 II for children/family/people subject acquisition? I have the GFX 100 II and if you are right that would certainly limit it for street shooting, which is one of the things that people think of it for. What settings were you using?
Its really not that bad - point the camera at someone and half press the shutter - it recognizes body, head, face and eye
p.9 #13X100VI first impressions + running commentary
TENOG wrote: highdesertmesa wroteTENOG wrotehighdesertmesa wroteTENOG wrotejohnld wroteIt's curious that many purchase it for the 40mp resolution, but then add film presets that make it look like a 6mp photo with a preset.The same with adding mist filters. I understand that they have some artistic value but if you're going to use them you don't need a 40 MP sensor.Quite the opposite. A higher resolution camera retains more detail with a diffusion filter compared to using the same diffusion filter on a lower resolution camera. It was the same back in the film days – a diffusion filter that obscured too much detail on 35mm film (to the point of being tacky) would look more sophisticated on 6x7 medium format.
I recommend buying a few diffusion filters in varying strengths and see what conclusions you make based on experience.I agree with you. However, my point is that any lens with a diffusion filter retains less detail than one without a filter. If you're going to use a filter do you really need to upgrade from a V to a VI with its higher resolution? I'm guessing that you will say yes, for the reasons you have stated.
Second, if you use them, what brands and strengths do you recommend? I'd like to give one a try. Maybe I'll find the effect so desirable that I will overlook the diminution of resolution. After all, some of the best photographs ever made were with lenses that had low resolution. Bresson immediately comes to mind. Thanks.The most popular diffusion filters are Tiffen's Black ProMist, Tiffen's Glimmerglass, and Moment's Cinebloom Diffusion. They all render in slightly different ways and are all available in varying strengths.
The 1/4 strength they used for the Glimmerglass was far too weak to be equivalent to the others. But it was a good comparison of the BPM to the Cinebloom. For me, the BPM gives the most filmic results, and I see that in the samples they did.
p.9 #14X100VI first impressions + running commentary
Watching this thread even more intensely now that I've ruled out another camera. My lady has an X100S, which is so ancient it feels like a poor reference point for how I'd enjoy a VI.
p.9 #15X100VI first impressions + running commentary
The shooting experience is so similar between the V and VI that I’d lean V if you don’t have a lead on sourcing a VI at this point.
RomanMF wrote:
Watching this thread even more intensely now that I've ruled out another camera. My lady has an X100S, which is so ancient it feels like a poor reference point for how I'd enjoy a VI.
p.9 #16X100VI first impressions + running commentary
RoamingScott wrote:
The shooting experience is so similar between the V and VI that I’d lean V if you don’t have a lead on sourcing a VI at this point.
RomanMF wroteWatching this thread even more intensely now that I've ruled out another camera. My lady has an X100S, which is so ancient it feels like a poor reference point for how I'd enjoy a VI.
Not in a rush, so I can play the waiting game. I definitely want the extra megapixels. Haven't had a sub 40MP camera in nearly a decade.
p.9 #17X100VI first impressions + running commentary
I re-read my OP now that it's mostly fleshed out with my first week impressions.
It occurs to me that many, if not most, perhaps, would read it and find my overall sentiment on the negative or regretful side, so this post is mostly to address that...I tried to take an extremely non-biased and rational approach to the VI as an upgrade, especially as an upgrade to the V. In that regard, I find it largely lacking in the bigger 2024 camera market, as many other new cameras run laps around the VI in a number of ways. I would even go so far as to say that if not for film sims, I wouldn't ever consider or shoot the X100 series.
Despite that, it remains faithful to the X100 shooting experience, which is one that slows me down, makes me intentional about getting exposure right in camera vs in post, and one that makes me see color in a different way outside of photography. The VI does all of this just as well as the V and does it better in some regards as well, so in that light, it's a worthy upgrade.
It's a complicated camera that is most assuredly not for everyone, and even not for many. If you can come to grips about how it demands to be shot...and now that methodology is partly due to the aging lens AF motors, sadly...then the camera will serve you well for those uses. The output I'm getting is some of my favorite yet from any camera, even if the camera it's coming from is a somewhat cludgy mash of old and new that doesn't quite hit the mark for the year it was born into.
It's a camera I will curse at from time to time when comparing it to my Big 3 stacked sensor flagship...and it's also a camera I will remember fondly decades from now as a companion that saw the road and life with me and helped me capture it well.
p.9 #18X100VI first impressions + running commentary
RoamingScott wrote:
I re-read my OP now that it's mostly fleshed out with my first week impressions.
It occurs to me that many, if not most, perhaps, would read it and find my overall sentiment on the negative or regretful side, so this post is mostly to address that...I tried to take an extremely non-biased and rational approach to the VI as an upgrade, especially as an upgrade to the V. In that regard, I find it largely lacking in the bigger 2024 camera market, as many other new cameras run laps around the VI in a number of ways. I would even go so far as to say that if not for film sims, I wouldn't ever consider or shoot the X100 series.
Despite that, it remains faithful to the X100 shooting experience, which is one that slows me down, makes me intentional about getting exposure right in camera vs in post, and one that makes me see color in a different way outside of photography. The VI does all of this just as well as the V and does it better in some regards as well, so in that light, it's a worthy upgrade.
It's a complicated camera that is most assuredly not for everyone, and even not for many. If you can come to grips about how it demands to be shot...and now that methodology is partly due to the aging lens AF motors, sadly...then the camera will serve you well for those uses. The output I'm getting is some of my favorite yet from any camera, even if the camera it's coming from is a somewhat cludgy mash of old and new that doesn't quite hit the mark for the year it was born into.
It's a camera I will curse at from time to time when comparing it to my Big 3 stacked sensor flagship...and it's also a camera I will remember fondly decades from now as a companion that saw the road and life with me and helped me capture it well....Show more →
It appears that the primary complaint is about the slow/sluggish AF. How does the autofocus of this camera compare to other Fujifilm models, such as the X-Pro3, X-T5, and X-E4, when using a lens with a faster 'linear' motor?
p.9 #19X100VI first impressions + running commentary
RoamingScott wrote:
I re-read my OP now that it's mostly fleshed out with my first week impressions.
It occurs to me that many, if not most, perhaps, would read it and find my overall sentiment on the negative or regretful side, so this post is mostly to address that...I tried to take an extremely non-biased and rational approach to the VI as an upgrade, especially as an upgrade to the V. In that regard, I find it largely lacking in the bigger 2024 camera market, as many other new cameras run laps around the VI in a number of ways. I would even go so far as to say that if not for film sims, I wouldn't ever consider or shoot the X100 series.
Despite that, it remains faithful to the X100 shooting experience, which is one that slows me down, makes me intentional about getting exposure right in camera vs in post, and one that makes me see color in a different way outside of photography. The VI does all of this just as well as the V and does it better in some regards as well, so in that light, it's a worthy upgrade.
It's a complicated camera that is most assuredly not for everyone, and even not for many. If you can come to grips about how it demands to be shot...and now that methodology is partly due to the aging lens AF motors, sadly...then the camera will serve you well for those uses. The output I'm getting is some of my favorite yet from any camera, even if the camera it's coming from is a somewhat cludgy mash of old and new that doesn't quite hit the mark for the year it was born into.
It's a camera I will curse at from time to time when comparing it to my Big 3 stacked sensor flagship...and it's also a camera I will remember fondly decades from now as a companion that saw the road and life with me and helped me capture it well....Show more →
So it's only been a couple days I have been using mine. As mentioned this is my first Fuji camera. I'm on the fence right now. Things I like and things I don't like and don't really understand are even an issue in 2024. My question is all i ever hear from Fuji users is how they get updates and Sony is not as good at that. Sadly I see why now and I'm not sure that is something to brag about. Meaning to me Sony flushes out more of the bugs before releasing and seems more polished over all. I'm wondering if I am patient will Fuji produce updates to fix some of the clunkiness and AF. The AF motor concerns me alittle from a durability stand point. The way it pulses and sounds just does not instill confidence over the long haul. I don't know. Really torn because right now Sony doesn't off a smaller option that doesn't have a flip screen and that is a real deal killer for me personally. With demand still high I guess I'll give it more time. Heck I have not even received all my accessories yet.
p.9 #20X100VI first impressions + running commentary
nhsonyshooter wrote: RoamingScott wroteI re-read my OP now that it's mostly fleshed out with my first week impressions.
It occurs to me that many, if not most, perhaps, would read it and find my overall sentiment on the negative or regretful side, so this post is mostly to address that...I tried to take an extremely non-biased and rational approach to the VI as an upgrade, especially as an upgrade to the V. In that regard, I find it largely lacking in the bigger 2024 camera market, as many other new cameras run laps around the VI in a number of ways. I would even go so far as to say that if not for film sims, I wouldn't ever consider or shoot the X100 series.
Despite that, it remains faithful to the X100 shooting experience, which is one that slows me down, makes me intentional about getting exposure right in camera vs in post, and one that makes me see color in a different way outside of photography. The VI does all of this just as well as the V and does it better in some regards as well, so in that light, it's a worthy upgrade.
It's a complicated camera that is most assuredly not for everyone, and even not for many. If you can come to grips about how it demands to be shot...and now that methodology is partly due to the aging lens AF motors, sadly...then the camera will serve you well for those uses. The output I'm getting is some of my favorite yet from any camera, even if the camera it's coming from is a somewhat cludgy mash of old and new that doesn't quite hit the mark for the year it was born into.
It's a camera I will curse at from time to time when comparing it to my Big 3 stacked sensor flagship...and it's also a camera I will remember fondly decades from now as a companion that saw the road and life with me and helped me capture it well.So it's only been a couple days I have been using mine. As mentioned this is my first Fuji camera. I'm on the fence right now. Things I like and things I don't like and don't really understand are even an issue in 2024. My question is all i ever hear from Fuji users is how they get updates and Sony is not as good at that. Sadly I see why now and I'm not sure that is something to brag about. Meaning to me Sony flushes out more of the bugs before releasing and seems more polished over all. I'm wondering if I am patient will Fuji produce updates to fix some of the clunkiness and AF. The AF motor concerns me alittle from a durability stand point. The way it pulses and sounds just does not instill confidence over the long haul. I don't know. Really torn because right now Sony doesn't off a smaller option that doesn't have a flip screen and that is a real deal killer for me personally. With demand still high I guess I'll give it more time. Heck I have not even received all my accessories yet. ...Show more →
1) Fuji no longer updates with the same rigor and zeal they once did. Most updates are small bug fixes, not big feature updates.
2) The AF you're experiencing, both in performance and physical sound/grinding is just how that lens works. There will not be an AF update to improve this. After shooting my V for a year and a half, I have no concerns about long term build quality or reliability of the lens...it's just how it is.
I'm not gonna tell you how to shoot your X100, but if you use AF-S, you'll have a much better time. If you need a full time AF-C, eye-detecting camera, you should move on.