Amateur Photographer - UK (2021-03-06)

44 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

‘When I’m not under pressure to capture a

shot in the moment I o en fi nd myself

fl icking the camera into manual focus’

Testbench IN THE FIELD

down to f/16. And what

about the sharpness

wide-open? Countless shots

taken at f/2 show it produces

tremendous levels of sharpness,

with a delightful depth to portraits

and other subjects worthy of

isolation. Fuji lm has worked

wonders on the lens and the fact

it’s no larger means it accepts all

existing conversion lenses and

accessories. Having tried a

friend’s wide conversion lens

(WCL-X100) with great success,

I’m eyeing up a used example –

which, at £144 in good condition,

seems a bit of a bargain for

times when I’d like a focal length

equivalent to 28mm to squeeze a

bit more in the frame.

My lasting impression of the

X100V’s autofocus is that it’s

extremely accurate. I’d be lying if

I said it has found focus every

time in low-light situations or

when I’ve been shooting towards

the light, but generally speaking it

can be relied on to acquire focus

where it’s needed when it’s

needed with extensive coverage

to the edges of the frame.

Acquisition speed isn’t as rapid

What is refurbished?

FUJIFILM, like some other camera manufacturers, offers the option to

buy refurbished cameras at reduced price from its online shop

(https://shop.fuji lm.co.uk). But what exactly is a refurbished camera

and can you expect a good example in return? Now and then, limited

quantities of cameras are returned to manufacturers from retailers

and it’s these models that trained technicians extensively inspect and

test before they’re sold on. Refurbished products may exhibit minor

cosmetic imperfections but these in no way impair operation. There

are some great savings to be made choosing a refurbished camera

and in the case of my X100V I picked one up in as good as new

condition and saved £250 on the guide

price. Fuji lm refurbished

products come with the

same contents as a

brand new product,

including a 12-month

warranty covering any

failure that occurs due

to a manufacturing

defect, which is the

same warranty as

buying new.

as some DSLR or mirrorless

users may be used to, but it’s still

pretty hasty for a lens that shifts

in and out during focusing. This is

the only weak point in the entire

construction, as it requires the

use of an adapter ring and  lter

to make it 100% weather-sealed.

Those who want to make their

X100V weather-sealed for less

than the cost of Fuji lm’s

weather-resistant kit (£99) should

check out NiSi’s UHD UV  lter

(£32), which still lets you use the

original lens cap. The  y-by-wire

focus ring lacks the beautiful

tactile feel of one that’s

mechanically coupled, but by

using the rear command dial and

the joystick together to magnify

and inspect focus, I’ve found my

hit rate of sharp manually

focused shots to be extremely

high. When I’m not under

pressure to capture a shot in the

moment I often  nd myself

 icking the camera into manual

focus for the reason it seems to

slow me down to think about the

photograph I’m taking in a more

deliberate and considered way.

And that’s the beauty of the

X100V in a nutshell. It has

everything you want, placed

where you want it to take precise

manual control when there’s no

rush, but with the option to set all

the dials to their ‘A’ setting when

there’s no time for re nement

and you just need to capture the

special moment that’s in front of

you with no faff.

Delightful images

Another reason for wanting to

shoot more with camera and less

with a smartphone was the

attraction of improved image

quality from an APS-C size

sensor. The quality of the

X100V’s images are exquisite for

a camera that comfortably  ts in

my jacket pocket, or my medium-

size saddlebag when I’m out

riding my bike. I’ve been so

impressed by the detail and

colour straight out of the X100V

I rarely  nd myself editing images,

which has encouraged me to be

more thoughtful about getting the

shot right in camera at the point

of capture. To accentuate warmth,

contrast and vibrancy in my shots

I’ve started experimenting by

using different  lm simulation

modes and white balance

settings. Who knew that the

Fluorescent light white balance

mode with a warm white balance

shift, combined with the Velvia

 lm simulation mode, creates

gorgeous tones that are well

suited to sunsets and autumnal

scenes? I’ve also found the Acros

mode with a hint of warming

monochromatic colour and gentle

lift to the tone curve works

particularly well with vintage

subjects to create a real sense of

nostalgia. Most impressive of all

from an image quality perspective

has to be the quality of its JPEGs.

Unlike some cameras that lay

their automated processing down

thick, the X100V doesn’t. I

haven’t hesitated to print and