Update : because I keep seeing references from Kagi to this "review” let me expand on it just a bit.
Key take away
Overrated in my opinion. Don’t waste your money. That said, if you’re looking for something that’s as close to the X100VI as possible and actually available? The X-E5 kit is your best bet right now.
What I didn’t like
- Buttons are too small for my liking.
- Far too much menu diving to set up recipes.
- In the default settings the LCD will shut off while you’re using the film simulation dial because the proximity detector for the EVF is so close it gets triggered any time you use the dial.
- The film simulations/recipes are just highly overrated in my opinion. I was expecting a lot more based on everything I’ve read.
- The grip is too small. I now understand why companies make add-ons for this.
What I liked
- Build quality is really good. Feels super solid in the hand.
- The picture quality is excellent. It is after all a 40 megapixel sensor tied to an excellent prime lens (I bought the kit with the XF 23mm lens). And while I think the film simulations are overrated, Fujifilm’s JPEG output is excellent.
Overall
I was not going to get out of this camera anything I could get out of my iPhone with VSCO Pro, with far more hassle involved, and it was $2000. That’s a lot of money to not be 100%+ thrilled with the thing. Yes, I realize it’s a dedicated camera but the quality I was going to get out of it does not make up for the convenience of my phone which also has an excellent camera system.