Okay just a quick note on things as a bit of a decision log. I bought a Fuji X100V.
Why did you buy an X100V?
One of the reasons: I saw this video from Henny and his love affair with the X100V. I also have the original X100 and a Sony a6400 so I sort of know the combo.
Mostly I want to take more photos of Booster the dog.
Don’t you have a Sony camera?
Yes, but it does lead to “which lens should I bring” which is just enough friction to not bring anything at all. Or to create just enough friction (“one sec just let me change lenses”) or FOMO (“oh dangit should’ve brought that other lens…”) to affect whatever experience I’m supposed to be present at.
(Yes, there’s probably going to be some cases where I bring the X100V and think “Oh I should’ve brought the whole setup…”)
Oh yah I made this short unboxing video
![](<iframe title="Fuji x100v amazon warehouse unboxing | #shorts" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Hex9W606uM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>)
It goes over some of the thinking in buying it. And I also talk about the Amazon Warehouse deal I stumbled on. (Summary: no original box, $400 off.)
Eventually I learned how to check the shot count and it had 500 shots on it. Not bad at all for a camera but not completely brand new.
I pictured someone opening it, trying to zoom with it or remove the lens or otherwise realize it’s not what they thought and then returned it.
Not the case.
What else are you comparing it to?
Okay as mentioned I have a Sony a6400 with a few different lenses (usually have the Sigma 16mm f1.4 on it) and the original Fuji X100.
I use a DJI Osmo Pocket. Or I own it and don’t use it enough is more accurate.
And an iPhone 11 Pro. And I’m in the Ken Rockwell camp of: the iPhone is very good in many situations. (Example: his X100V review section on its video opens with just use your iPhone.)
Impressions after a couple days?
- Really like the tap to focus and automatically shoot. I also learned about it only through watching a video on like “how I set up my x100v” which brings me to…
- … these video tutorials are great. The camera came with a manual that’s like 200 pages. From my first x100 I learned about a couple new buttons after months of use. I figured it’d be about the same for this one so I tried to shorten that gap with the videos.
- Loving the close focus. The original X100 had a macro mode that took a couple button presses to turn on. Then I’d need to remember to turn it off. I do end up taking a bunch of close up shots (food, desk, yes I know…) so I’m loving it already.
A note on my experience with photography
Every New Year’s Day I start with a resolution to get back into photography. It’s very much in the vein of “look at what you were interested in growing up and see if anything is worth revisiting”.
My first blog, which I do think was on WordPress 1.0 or 1.1, was a photography blog. I had the original Canon Digital Rebel and the Nikon D90, the first digital SLR with video. (Which I wish I used way more. There’s a pattern.)
So I’m convinced I’d enjoy photography again. Get excited, then stop a couple weeks in.
This is the first time it’s hit me in the middle of the year. So we’ll see if it sticks.
Basically: I spend too much time in front of a computer.
If taking photos helps get me out of the house then I’m all for it.
So that’s why I bought a Fuji X100V.