Fujifilm X100V: everything we know so far

Update 30/1/20: We’ve updated this feature with what appears to be a full specs leak from Japanese camera site Nokishita, ahead of the X100V’s likely launch on 4 February. Here’s all of the latest news on the exciting street photography compact.

It’s nearly here – after a steady stream of leaks, it looks like we know pretty much everything about the Fujifilm X100V, which is rumored to be arriving on February 4.

Why is this launch a big deal? If you’re not familiar with the Fujifilm X100 series, they’re a series of stylish, premium compact cameras with large APS-C sensors and hybrid viewfinders, all of which makes them very popular with street and documentary photographers. We like the series so much we put the original model in our list of the most exciting cameras of the decade.

But now we’re three years on from the debut of the Fujifilm X100F, it’s time for a new version – and the X100V is shaping up to be a very nice upgrade indeed, with improvements across the board. Here’s everything we know about it ahead of its imminent launch event.

Fujifilm X100V: release date and price

• The Fujifilm X100V is expected to be announced on February 4
• It’s rumored to have a higher price tag than the X100F at launch

The Fujifilm X100V is expected to arrive at the Fujifilm X Summit on February 4. That event is scheduled to kick off at 3pm Eastern Time on that date, which works out as 8pm GMT or 2am on February 5 for those in Australia.

That will be three years after the Fujifilm X100F, and the longest gap between models in the series to date, if only by six months – there was a two-and-and-half-year space between the Fujifilm X100T and today’s X100F.

Along with the recent leaked images and specs, the main evidence for the X100V’s imminent release is Fujifilm’s registration of two new products with the Chinese telecoms agency, MIIT, where products that use standards like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are listed. These entries were published on January 8, and while they list the new hardware as ‘FF190004’ and ‘FF190005’ rather than X100V, we believe one of these is the new X100 family member. 

It is, without a doubt, about time we got a new model. And Fujifilm seems to have switched its naming system to classic roman numerals for this fifth generation. The previous ‘S’, ‘T’ and ‘F’ may have seemed random picks from the alphabet, but actually stood for ‘second’, ‘third’ and ‘fourth’. 

The Fujifilm X100V will cost $1,500 (which converts to about £1,150 / AU$2,170), according to the usually reliable Fuji Rumors, which would be a significant jump from the $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,900 launch price of the X100F. UK buyers are unlikely to be able to get the camera for significantly under the same dollar figure in pounds either, particularly with further weakening of the currency a possibility.

Fujifilm X100V: what sensor will it have?

• A recent leak suggests the X100V will have the same 26.1MP sensor as the X-Pro3
• It’s also expected to have the same focusing system as that camera
• Recent rumors suggest the X100V will match the X-Pro3’s ISO range too

A recent specs leak from the usually reliable Japanese site Nokishita suggests it’s very likely that the X100V will have the same 26.1MP sensor as the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and Fujifilm X-T3. This is a highly regarded APS-C size X-Trans 4 sensor. 

Fujifilm takes this generational approach to its cameras, using the same core hardware across ranges, bar the lower-cost A series. 

Although there aren’t any leaked details about autofocus, this also more or-less tells us what focusing system to expect. The 26.1MP sensor has ‘focus pixels’, an implementation of on-sensor phase detection autofocus. 

The Fujifilm X100V is likely to have 425 focus points, like the X-Pro3 and X-T3. These cover 99% of the sensor, and Fuji improved Face and Eye detection when this focus standard was introduced. 

Fujifilm won’t necessarily promise the exact same focus performance as those cameras. Certain aspects, like low-light focusing, can be tweaked with firmware, and naturally vary by maximum lens aperture, although now the company has had some experience with this hardware, performance is likely to be similar; the X-T3 can focus down to –3EV, for example, which is very solid.

It now looks like the X100V will have the same ISO range as the X-Pro3. This means a native ISO range of 160 to 12800, which can be extended to 80-51,200, which should ensure improved noise performance at higher ISOs compared to the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

Fujifilm X100V: will it have a new lens?

• Rumors suggest it will have a new version of the X100F’s 23mm lens
• But the X100V is unlikely to have an f/1.4 aperture, instead sticking to f/2 

The design of X100-series cameras has been pretty consistent since the X100 was introduced in 2011, and we don’t think that will change drastically. The clean, retro looks, convenience of the small, fixed lens, and the ability to fit the camera in a larger coat pocket are all crucial to its appeal.

A specs comparison from Fuji Rumors suggests that the X100V will have a new version of its predecessor’s 23mm f/2 lens, though. If the rumors are correct, then its lens will have two aspherical elements rather one.

The X100 series are known to be a little soft when shooting wide open at f/2, so hopefully this optical refresh will improve this.

There seems little chance of getting to the sharpness level of the brilliant Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 lens used by the interchangeable-lens X-series cameras, but a step or two closer to that kind of performance would be most welcome. 

Fujifilm X100V: viewfinder and display

• Rumors suggest the X100V will have a new two-way tilting screen
• It’s also likely to have an upgraded viewfinder with an improved resolution
• The X100V’s design probably won’t be big enough to accommodate in-body image stabilization (IBIS) or weather sealing

While Fujifilm’s cameras can be little conservative at times, often staying in the safe confines of their retro template, it appears the company has shaken things up a little for the X100V – the compact will apparently have a two-way tilting screen for the first time.

This is backed up by an apparently leaked image from Fuji Rumors (above), which shows the tilting screen as part of an otherwise relatively unchanged design. While this might upset traditionalists, the tilting screen will be a big boon for street shooting, allowing you to compose from low and high angles with ease.

This leak also confirms that the X100V won’t have the unusual ‘hidden’ rear screen introduced by the Fujifilm X-Pro3. That makes sense, as the X-Pro3 is a unique camera and its ‘hidden’ screen, which you need to flip out to see, is one of its main calling cards.

Another welcome addition would have been weather sealing, but it appears this won’t be coming to the X100V. This seems to be a matter of aesthetics and size, which is why we also won’t see the in-body image stabilization that’s likely to be coming to the Fujifilm X-T4. There simply isn’t enough room to implement it in an X100-size shell, as much as we’d love to see it added.

We will, it seems, be getting an upgraded viewfinder, though. The X100 family uses a hybrid viewfinder that merges an optical, rangefinder-style view with an EVF. This lets you see the exact captured area, and, for example, check zoomed-in portions for captured exposure and white balance while shooting. 

This style is highly unlikely to change, but the resolution appears to have done – according to the latest specs leak, the EVF is now up to the 3.69 million dots (1280 x 960 pixels) seen on the X-Pro3. In OVF mode, you’ll also now get 95% coverage, which is slightly up on the X100F.

Fujifilm X100V: video features

• The X100V’s video resolution is likely to go up from 1080p to 4K
• But its video performance is more likely to match the X-Pro3 than the X-T3

Video is one of the primary reasons why the Fujifilm X100F needs to be replaced. Its top capture resolution is 1080p, rather than 4K. 

The Fujifilm X-T3 currently offers the best video capture of the Fuji APS-C cameras, with 60fps 4K and 10-bit capture. But according to the latest leaks, the X100V seems more likely to match the Fujifilm X-Pro3, with a max 30fps at 4K resolution.

The camera will be less of an all-rounder than the X-T3, and while it will no doubt be able to produce some nice-looking footage, video is unlikely to become a major focus in the Fujifilm X100V. That said, it’ll also apparently be able to shoot Full HD at up to 120fps, making it a perfectly capable backup if you need to shoot a side of video with your stills.

Fujifilm X100V rumors: early verdict

The Fujifilm X100 series is certainly due a refresh, and it does look likely that the X100V will be on February 4. Thanks to the latest specs leak from Nokishita, we also now know nearly all of the features it’ll bring.

Given that the whole appeal of the X100 family is their size and convenience, it’s not surprising that in-body image stabilization (IBIS) won’t be arriving on the X100V. 

But there are likely to be some very welcome upgrades. The two-way tilting touchscreen, new sensor, improved viewfinder and new optics for the 35mm f/2 lens should all make it a big improvement on the X100F, and a fantastic premium compact with few rivals.

The only question mark is how much these features will add to its price tag. Recent rumors suggest it’ll be more expensive than the X100F at launch, but we’re hoping it’s not too far beyond our post-January wallets. We’ll bring you all of the official news, including this worldwide pricing, on February 4. 

• Fujifilm X-T4: everything we know so far