Cameras aren't usually celebrities. Most of the time, they’re just tools—slabs of plastic and magnesium that sit in a drawer until someone decides to go on vacation. But the Fujifilm X100V changed that. It didn't just sell well; it broke the internet. For the first time in a decade, people who didn't even care about photography were suddenly scouring eBay and secondary markets, willing to pay hundreds of dollars over the original $1,399 retail price just to get their hands on one.
It’s kind of a wild story.
Basically, TikTok discovered the "film look" without the actual cost of buying Kodak Portra 400. That’s where the Fujifilm X100V shines. It’s a fixed-lens digital camera that fits in a jacket pocket but produces images that look like they were pulled straight from a 1970s family photo album. It has this tactile, mechanical feel that makes you want to actually carry it. Honestly, in a world where smartphone photography feels increasingly sterile and AI-processed, the X100V offers something tactile and real.
The Hype is Real, But the Tech is Better
People talk about the aesthetics, but the Fujifilm X100V isn't just a fashion accessory. Underneath that retro rangefinder-style exterior sits a 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor. This is the same engine found in the professional-grade X-T4. It’s fast. The autofocus uses 425 phase-detection points, which means it can track a person's eye with surprising accuracy, even if they’re moving through a crowded street in Tokyo or London.
One of the biggest upgrades Fujifilm made with this specific model was the lens. Previous versions of the X100 series used a 23mm f/2 lens that was notoriously soft when shooting close-up or wide open. Fujifilm redesigned it for the V. They added two aspherical elements to the glass. Now, the images are sharp from edge to edge. You can shoot at f/2 and get a creamy, out-of-focus background without losing the fine detail in your subject's eyelashes.
But here is the thing: the lens is fixed. You can’t swap it out. You’re stuck with a 35mm equivalent field of view. To some, that sounds like a nightmare. To street photographers, it’s a superpower. It forces you to move your feet. It simplifies the process. You stop worrying about which lens to use and start worrying about the light.
Why Film Simulations Changed the Game
Most people buying the Fujifilm X100V aren't looking to spend four hours in Adobe Lightroom. They want to shoot and share. This is where "Film Simulations" come in. Fujifilm has been making actual film for nearly a century, and they’ve baked that color science into the camera's processor.
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- Classic Negative: This is the one that went viral. It mimics Superia film with high contrast and slightly greenish shadows. It makes a rainy street look like a cinematic still.
- Acros: For black and white lovers, this isn't just a gray filter. It simulates the grain structure of actual film.
- Classic Chrome: Muted colors, deep skies. It’s the "National Geographic" look.
You can actually go into the menu and tweak the "grain effect," "color chrome effect," and "white balance shift" to create what the community calls "recipes." You’re essentially building your own look. When you press the shutter, the JPEG that pops out is often better than what a pro could do with twenty minutes of editing. It saves time. It makes photography fun again.
The Hybrid Viewfinder: A Weird Piece of Magic
There is a little lever on the front of the camera. When you flick it, the viewfinder switches between an Optical Viewfinder (OVF) and an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF).
The OVF is just a piece of glass. It’s like looking through a window. There’s no lag because you’re looking at the real world. However, Fujifilm overlays digital information on top of that glass—stuff like your exposure settings and a frame line that shows you where the photo will end up. It’s a tech feat that almost no other manufacturer does besides Leica, and Leica charges $9,000 for the privilege.
Then there’s the EVF. It’s a 3.69-million-dot OLED panel. What you see is exactly what you get. If your photo is going to be too dark, the screen looks dark. It’s the "safety net" for modern photographers. Having both in one body is why the Fujifilm X100V feels like a bridge between the old world and the new.
Is It Actually Weatherproof?
Well, yes and no. This is one of those annoying "fine print" things that Fujifilm did. The body itself is weather-sealed. The dials are sealed. The buttons are sealed. But because the lens moves slightly when it focuses, the front of the lens isn't sealed.
To make the Fujifilm X100V truly weather-resistant, you have to buy the AR-X100 adapter ring and a 49mm protection filter. It’s a bit of a cash grab, honestly. But once you put those on, you can take it out in a light rain or a dusty desert without worrying about the sensor getting fried. Most pros consider this a "required" purchase.
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Dealing With the Secondary Market Madness
If you try to buy a Fujifilm X100V right now, you might get a headache. Because of the supply chain issues that hit in the early 2020s and the massive explosion in demand from social media, these cameras became harder to find than a PS5.
Even now, with the X100VI (the successor) being released, the V holds its value like a vintage Porsche. You’ll see them on marketplaces for nearly the same price they cost four years ago. Is it worth it?
If you value the 2-way tilting screen (which is thinner on the V than the newer VI) and you don't need the 40-megapixel sensor or In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), the V is still the sweet spot. The 26MP sensor is actually "cleaner" in low light in some scenarios because the pixels aren't as crowded. It’s a workhorse.
The Reality of Shooting With a Fixed Lens
Let’s be real for a second. The Fujifilm X100V is not for everyone.
If you shoot sports, you’ll hate it. The 35mm equivalent lens is too wide to catch a soccer player from the sidelines. If you shoot tiny birds in trees, you’ll hate it even more. You’ll just end up with a photo of a tree with a speck in it.
But for "life"? For dinners, for walking through a new city, for taking portraits of friends at a bar? It’s perfect. It doesn't look like a "scary" professional camera. When you point it at someone, they don't stiffen up like they’re being audited by the IRS. They smile. It looks like an old film camera. It’s disarming.
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Key Specs at a Glance
- Sensor: 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4
- Lens: 23mm f/2 II (35mm equivalent)
- Video: 4K at 30p (it’s okay, but not a "video" camera)
- Weight: About 478g with battery and card
- Battery Life: Rated for about 350-400 shots (buy a spare)
Practical Next Steps for Potential Owners
If you’re serious about picking up a Fujifilm X100V, don't just jump on the first eBay listing you see. Here is how you actually get into the ecosystem without getting burned.
First, check the shutter count. Fujifilm cameras record how many times the mechanical shutter has fired. You can find this in the setup menu. A "low" count is under 10,000. These shutters are rated for at least 100,000, so don't panic if it's at 15,000, but use it as a bargaining chip.
Second, look for the "V" specifically if you want the tilting screen that sits flush. The older models (F, T, S) don't have this, and the newer VI has a slightly thicker screen to accommodate the stabilization hardware.
Third, download the "Fuji X Weekly" app immediately. It’s the gold standard for film recipes. You can find settings that make the Fujifilm X100V look like Kodak Gold 200 or Ilford HP5 without ever touching a computer.
Lastly, grab a thumb grip. It slides into the hot shoe on top of the camera. Because the body is quite flat, it can be a bit slippery. A $20 third-party thumb grip makes the one-handed shooting experience infinitely better.
The Fujifilm X100V isn't just a trend. It’s a return to form for photography. It’s about carrying a camera because you love the way it feels, not just because you want to document a moment. If you can find one at a fair price, grab it. You probably won't lose money on it even if you decide to sell it a year later. That’s the rare beauty of this specific piece of tech.