Fujifilm X100V Digital Camera - Silver

I started taking pictures about 15 years ago on a point and shoot and since then I have owned more than thirty cameras in my search for the perfect one. In the last year I realized that the perfect camera doesn't, and probably never will, exist. Like almost everything in life, camera design is all about compromise. This was a very important discovery because it made me focus on the things that were most important in a camera, which turned out to be image quality, portability, and speed.IMAGE QUALITYPrior to this camera I have owned multiple Canon, Nikon, and Sony, APS-C cameras, and also rented a full-frame Nikon. I could go on for a while about what I think about each brand's stengths and weaknesses when it comes to IQ, but suffice it to say that I think they are all good in some ways and not good in others. This is my first Fuji and simply put, I am more happy with the results, more of the time, than I have ever been with any other camera. Image Quality, to me, really boils down to realistic reproduction, and I think Fuji nails it. So often before, when I looked at a photo I took, it was just a little off to me and didn't really "catch" whatever it was that I was taking a picture of. Of course, a lot of that must have been user error, but with this camera, when I look at the pictures, I think "yes, that is what I was taking a picture of!"PORTABILITYI dabble in all kinds of photography, but the majority of the time I'm taking pictures, it's when I'm out and about or on a hike so this camera would seem like a natural choice. However, I most enjoy shooting at high-normal, and telephoto, focal lengths - I rarely shoot below 45mm equivalent - so I thought it would be out of the question. But I was lucky to stumble onto two pieces of information about this camera that made all the difference. The first is that this camera has a smart-teleconverter function, which zooms in to 50mm and 70mm equivalents. Of course, the results aren't quite as good as using an actual 50 or 70mm lens, but with 26 megapixels, they're plenty good for me. The only negative I will say here is that while using the 70mm function, the image is a little blurry in the EVF so it is harder to be certain of focus, but it's not too bad. The other thing I learned about this camera which made me pull the trigger is that Fuji sells an actual converter to 50mm for $350! With zero reduction in image quality or f-stop. It obviously makes it a bit bulkier, but it is still plenty portable for me. All of that is to say, that even for someone like me who usually carried a telephoto zoom, normal zoom, and a 50mm prime, this camera covers enough of the range to be happy with. And the trade-off in weight and space saved makes up for the small sacrifice made on the focal length side, many times over. Just after buying this camera I took a three-nighter to Bryce Canyon and I absolutely fell in love. I can't describe how giddy I was hopping around the trails with this camera securely slung cross-body. I passed so many people with huge cameras hanging around their necks, either banging into them with every step or they had to hold them the entire time. I used to be one of those people and the difference is massive. Of course, the best part was when I looked at my pictures each night on my laptop and realized the pictures were coming out, for the first time in my life, as good as I had hoped them to be! If I had been using a Sony or Nikon full-frame, I would have gotten a little more dynamic range out of the shots (and don't get me wrong I would have liked that) but having to carry all that extra weight and gear would not have been worth it.SPEEDI think the thing that has always attracted me most to Fuji is the dedicated dials and now that I have had them, I don't think I can go back. For some people, these dials might actually slow them down, because the front and rear dials that most cameras have, are usually dedicated to changing SS and aperture, and that is actually faster than the dials on Fuji cameras. But for me, against all logic, Fuji's implementation is just more intuitive, and therefore, faster. It also helps me because I know what the camera is set at, without having to look through the viewfinder or the screen. That way, I can separate composing my shot and exposing my shot which I find more effective, and also more satisfying.MISC- The best reviews I have seen for Fuji in general are by Phil Porto on YouTube. He doesn't get wrapped up in the nitty-gritty, technical details, but talks more about how it feels to use Fuji.- I wish the "Q" menu was customizable- I wish it had one or two more customizable buttons- the OVF / EVF is so awesome! I love the feeling of getting my exposure set and then only using the OVF for composition. It just feels more connected to me than using a screen.

First off, I bought this camera in May 2020 as an experiment. I could see the world was moving away from the DSLR (I had a Canon 6D -- great camera) and wanted to see what the fuss was about. The X100V is a great camera that includes everything you need to explore photography in one easy-to-carry-around package: Camera, flash, Neutral Density filter (this is a straight darkening filter to get things under control in very bright sun), all with manual controls which you can use as much or as little as you desire. Great package for those who want something more than their smartphone camera but don't want to carry around a lot of gear.Now, one of the key problems people seem to have with this camera (and other Fuji cameras) is the use of the Fuji "Cam Remote" app which you need on your phone to transfer pictures to your phone wirelessly. I had some frustrations too, but it turns out the key problem is that the manual doesn't explain things very well, and the menus on the camera are confusing too. Here's what has worked for me and is very reliable (take note, this info is for the X100V; I have no other Fuji cameras and have not tested it on any others):1) Turn on "Wireless Communication". This item is in the "Shooting Menu" (the one with the little camera icon) on page 3/3 of that menu. This seems to be the key point of confusion. Fuji should really put this item in the "Connection Settings" menu (which is under the "tool" icon) to be logically consistent. Anyway, turning this on (by simply clicking on it in the menus) causes the camera to create its own wi-fi network, called "Fuji... something or other".2) Now, go into the settings on your iPhone or iPad (once again, I am in the Apple world; I do not know for sure if this works the same way under Android, but I assume so) and connect your iDevice to the new Fuji wi-fi network. Note: once you do this successfully, you are connected to the camera and NOT to the internet since the camera, of course, does not have an internet connection (unlike your phone, which probably does have such a connection).3) Go back to the Fuji Cam Remote app and NOW open it up. You should now be able to click (in the app) on "Import images selected on app". That part of the app should now open up and show you thumbnails of the images on your phone. You can select images and move them to your phone. Once you reconect to your original wi-fi (with an internet connection; you can, of course, use your phone's cell internet connection, like 5G, if you have that) you can then upload images to Instagram or whatever else you want to do.I'm putting this in the simplest way possible here in the hope that is most helpful. There are some minor complications you might run into; for instance, if I switch between my iPhone and my iPad then after step 2 I have to click the "ok" button on the camera to allow the phone, or iPad, to connect to the camera. This is explained pretty clearly on the screen of the phone during this process. Also, although the manual, and the menus, talk about "pairing" a device to the camera before doing all of this, I find that with my camera and phone I don't have to go through the pairing. What matters is turning on the Fuji wifi, connecting the iDevice to it, THEN opening the app.I hope this helps. It seems a shame that so many reviews knock the camera because they are having this trouble with the app. I found this information in a Fuji users discussion board and for me, it makes the app totally reliable and usable. That's another lesson here: this is a popular camera and if you have questions or problems, it's very likely they have come up and been discussed in one of the internet chat groups devoted to Fuji stuff. So, start your Google and find your answers. ;-). Good luck with this great camera, everyone.Nov. 2022 -- Cannot believe what the world has been through since I bought this camera 2.5 years ago! Just want to add, as of updating to iOS 16 in October 2022, getting the Fuji iPhone/iPad app to connect to my camera has gotten a little tricky. Presumably in updates over the next month or two (to iOS and/or to Fuji firmware) this will get sorted out. Also just a general point: I still think this is a great camera, but it does seem to me that the larger sensor size of a "full-frame" camera, like my old Canon 6D, does make a difference. My impression is that the 6D was better in very low light, and generally produced more amazing shots just by being a full-frame camera. But there's still a lot to love about this beautiful one-camera solution model, with flash, ND filter, lens, as I mentioned before...

I had the great fortune to have a friend take me out shooting one afternoon with my newly-purchased Fuji X100V at none other than California's beautiful Joshua Tree National Park. This camera was my constant companion on a tour of national parks throughout the American Southwest and Pacific Northwest. I was on the road for over a month and had this camera with me. It's perfect for the kind of nature and landscape photography I was doing and once I had learned the basics other pieces fell into place. When I returned home I spent a while learning its versatility indoor as well. I wanted a camera that did the basics perfectly with no "frills" to distract me like a zoom lens.Once I became proficient with this camera I can honestly say - if you're like me and just want something to learn on, and that will be useful in a huge variety of situations, this is good for you. If I ever have the time or money for something with interchangeable lenses I'll revisit that preference. But I don't feel I'm really giving much up to a camera that could zoom or was a bit wider in angle. This is a Goldilocks camera. Just right in every way.