Dusting Off My Favorite Camera for 2 Weeks of Travel
If you’ve been watching me for a while, you’ll know - the Fujifilm x100v is/was my favorite camera.
It’s the camera I think really pulled me into photography.
And I have a lot of fond memories and photos bringing it around to different places.
I stopped using it because I upgraded to the VI, but I sometimes wonder if that upgrade was necessary.
I didn’t really need the 40MP, and the things I was excited about, like IBIS, didn’t fully live up to my expectations.
And if that’s the case, maybe sticking to the V or downgrading would be a good option.
So last year, in my two week trip to Cambodia, I dusted off my old favorite camera, the x100v, and took it for another ride to see how it performed.
This was my experience.
My Trip w/the V
I don’t know what I was expecting but, traveling with the x100v was a familiar experience.
Give or take a few differences that we’ll talk about later, the V isn’t that different from the VI.
And using the camera felt like returning home.
During my two weeks in Cambodia I made it a point to stick to this camera only.
Of course I brought the X-T4 and the 18-55 as a backup for days where we explored the temples, but for the most part I used the V.
My main purpose after all, was to travel light and experience the country in a candid way.
Unsurprisingly, the V was perfect for this.
Although it’s a nice camera, at a side glance it doesn’t look super impressive.
Larger DSLRs or anything with interchangeable lenses would surely take the cake.
Of course you’re still going to stand out because of your clothes and having a camera in the first place, but my dad even told me that people would rather mug me for my smartphone than this guy.
Plus, with the places we went to, something smaller and lower profile was preferred.
Photos in street markets, restaurants, and tuktuks were easy to be subtle and candid with.
For example, these photos I took of a street market in Battambang.
The pathways were tight, enclosed, and compact.
And anything other than a small camera with a slightly wider lens would’ve been hard to capture the right shots.
Local specialties, fish, produce, as well as people became the subjects for the essence I tried to capture.
Looking back on some of the images, there seems to be a lot of bloom or haze.
For example, in this photo I took of Pub Street in Siem Reap, you call tell there’s a lot of halation going on.
I’m not entirely sure if this was because of the V itself or because of the humidity of the country, because I wasn’t using a diffusion filter.
It wasn’t something I accounted for going in, but honestly not a big problem either.
Throughout the weeks I gained confidence in traveling with just one camera.
It’s often when you carry more than one body or lens you begin to worry about needing more.
Having a zoom to cover your bases, having another body for other things.
But sticking to just one camera, one lens in the V, wasn’t as restrictive as I thought it’d be.
Sure there were plenty of shots I couldn’t get because of the focal length, but it didn’t bother me so much.
Rather, there’s less to worry about, less to think about, and the focus is singular - on this specific type of photography.
Minute Differences
Although more or less similar cameras, there were are few small differences I noticed between the VI and V.
They are minute and probably irrelevant to most people, but here’s what I picked up on.
The VI in general is a nicer and smoother shooting experience.
Things like timing, start up speed, etc are all slightly faster on the VI.
And these slight improvements make for a better feel.
I should note that things like start up speed never bothered me on the V.
The V is plenty fast and quicker to turn on and snap than most cameras I’ve used.
I had simply been calibrated to the processor of the VI in my time using it and noticed the difference.
Another thing: weight.
Each time I pick up the V I’m reminded of the weight difference.
The V is a slightly lighter camera.
This is because it lacks the IBIS mechanism in the VI, which over time I’ve realized isn’t essential for my photography.
Compared to one another, the V feels like the perfect weight, not too light, and not too heavy.
It probably doesn’t matter to most people but it’s a feeling thing.
The camera feels great in my hands - easy to angle and move around.
And something just clicks for me every time I pick up the camera.
Top: V
Bottom: VI
In terms of strictly image quality, I was actually surprised.
I once mentioned how 26MP was the sweet spot, and all I really needed.
The look is nicely modern without being too clinical.
But after shooting and editing photos on the 40MP VI, I could tell the images are much cleaner.
I don’t know if that’s because of the environment, the editing program I’m using, or the cameras themselves but, they’re crisp.
I used to think this look was too digital, and I preferred the V’s images.
But over time I’ve started to appreciate the VI’s look as well.
In my opinion there’s a positive side to both, and whichever you like probably comes down to personal preference.
Top: V
Bottom: VI
In addition to this, there’s a bit more separation on images with the VI.
I don’t know if this is because of the sensor, MP, or resolution, since they shouldn’t affect depth of field in that way, but many of my images with the VI appear to have slightly more separation.
This can be a good thing, if I want more of it, but can make focus a bit trickier.
The reason why I liked shooting with the V was because I could point and shoot and still have reliable subjects in focus, even at F2.
But with the VI, missing focus can be more obvious.
Of course I could always raise my aperture, making it less of a problem, but I like F2.
Top: V
Bottom: VI
In essence, going back to the V for a couple of weeks actually surprised me.
I thought I would be reminded of all the great things about the V, realize I didn’t need the VI, and be tempted to sell it.
But spending solo time with each camera actually made me come to appreciate the VI’s upgrades and capabilities.
My Return to V Fantasy
I have a confession to make.
After upgrading to the VI, and even now, I have this small fantasy in my head of one day selling all my gear, buying a fresh x100v and going one camera, one lens, for the rest of time.
Maybe this is nostalgia speaking - I have a lot of fond memories with the camera that got me into photography.
Maybe it just sounds cool - because for all intents and purposes, it’s less practical.
It’d be much simpler, and I could spend time mastering one type of photography which could make living and taking photos seamless.
But, all things considered, it’s not quite time for that yet.
At first, the VI felt a bit overkill.
It’s an “upgrade”, and for many reasons is the better camera, but it was more than I needed.
And I’m the type of guy who likes the idea of shaving off the excess, rolling back to the essentials, cutting all the fluff.
If I don’t need it, I won’t use it, making extra things or features a waste of money.
So IBIS, heavier camera, more MP, more expensive, were all things I could live without.
And the only real things I would truly miss now are Nostalgic Negative and Reala Ace.
These film simulations have really grown on me in the past year or so, but they aren’t on the V.
But even though the VI is overkill, the upgrade was ultimately necessary.
This trip especially, reminded me of all the wear and tear I’ve put the V through.
My V is pretty beaten up - marks, scratches, sticky dials and focus rings, and crooked battery doors.
Plus, it got what might be the final nail in the coffin: the wooden bird design soft shutter release I had for years actually split in half.
So, maybe that’s a sign.
A sign to let go of the past and focus on the present.
I’ll still take this camera out here and there, obviously, but since I have the VI, I’ll enjoy using it.
And maybe one day…I’ll make the full return.
I hope you enjoyed this article, I’ll be doing a full comparison of these two cameras soon, so stay tuned for that.
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Thanks for reading, happy shooting.
