It is true, that much of the focus of late has been on the new mirrorless offerings from Nikon, and the potential new announcements coming from Canon and Panasonic. But none of these cameras are in the hands of the public just yet, one recently released mirrorless camera that is available to the public right now is Fujifilm’s latest budget offering, the X-T100.
It may not be as flashy as a brand new full-frame mirrorless system, but it is much more affordable and offers entry into the well-loved Fujifilm X-Series for a bargain basement price (Just $599 for the body only!). Some of the key questions I had about this camera heading into this review was regarding its build quality, its bayer sensor (a departure from their usual X-Trans technology), and it’s overall handling. Fujifilm has traditionally struggled to gain any traction with their ultra budget options and they hope to change that with this release.
Initial Thoughts on the Fujifilm X-T100
First of all, let’s talk about the build quality of this little guy… and when I say little, I mean tiny. The build quality is not as good as that of my X-Pro2, and that is to be expected. However, the X-T100 feels surprisingly sturdy in my hands given its small size and plasticky feel. It is hard to explain, but you can tell that the materials used in this body are not as nice as that of the X-Pro2, or even the mid-tier Fujifilm bodies like the X-T20 or X-E3, however (maybe given its compactness) the weight is deceiving, and it still feels pretty good in my hand.
Overall, on the build quality front, the camera could be better, but for the price and the market placement for this unit, I feel that the build quality is sufficient for the type of photographer that this camera is targeted towards.; and speaking of that, let’s talk for a minute about who exactly this camera is targeted towards.
The Fujifilm X-T100 is not meant to be for professionals or even advanced hobbyists; those photographers should look into the mid-range and high-end Fujifilm bodies. The X-T100 is meant for the consumer, the person who wants a better camera than their phone can provide but who don’t have the budget or knowledge required for a more advanced camera like the X-T20 or X-T2. However, Fujifilm has done well here to blend the look and feel of their popular X-Series cameras with the functionality of the budget entry-level offering that should be an enticing option for people looking for a compact travel or family camera.
The interesting thing here is the use of the bayer sensor, rather than the X-Trans sensor that is in the rest of the X-T line of cameras. That is one thing I will be interested in testing out the most over the course of this review… what does a photographer lose from the Fujifilm experience, if anything, in buying this bayer sensor based camera over the just slightly more expensive mid-range X-Trans based models? I can’t say just yet, but I will share some conclusions on that point in the upcoming full review.
So now let’s talk about the handling. In my limited time with the camera so far it has been easy to use. The only hold up for me being the lack of an AF joystick for moving the focus points, which I have become accustomed to on my X-Pro2. That said, for someone not used to having a joystick, as the target market for this camera would not be, the process of changing the AF points is simple enough.
The touchscreen works like other Fujifilm touch screens do, and I am happy to see that the functionality of that feature has been improved since it’s first iterations on the X-E3 and X-T20. That said, for me personally, I just don’t find it useful enough in a regular photography setting where my eye is up to the EVF. If I am shooting using the rear LCD, then the touch functionality and being able to tap to move my AF point works well enough on stationary subjects. It is also useful in video mode if you are recording a blog style video and need to make sure that the focus is on your face.
Anyway, these are just some initial impressions on the Fujifilm X-T100 as I have begun my review of the camera. Stay tuned for the full review here in a few weeks. But in the meantime, if you have any questions about the X-T100 or specific things you would like me to take a look at or address in the final review, feel free to drop a comment below!
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