A Quick Note (Update) On The Fujifilm X100VI

This is what my Fujifilm X100VI kit had become––bloated and less pleasurable to use.
(click to enlarge)

In the past, I've expressed my thoughts about the X100VI, how I use it, my different and more casual attitude when using it and how pleased I have been to own and use this camera.  You can read about that here, here and here.

One of the main reasons I really enjoy the X100VI (as well as the little Ricoh GRIIIx) is that it has a fixed lens and therefore much of the the decision paralysis of having to decide which lenses to take when going out to photograph as well as changing lenses, disappears.  This makes photography for me simpler and with fewer points of friction.

That said, I think I had spoiled my own experience.  I lost the 'spirit' of the camera.  At some point last year, I bought the two Fujifilm screw-on conversion lenses for this camera with the idea of increasing the camera’s abilities to capture more.  The wide-angle conversion lens turns the camera's 35mm (full frame field of view) lens into a 28mm lens.  The telephoto conversion lens turns the 35mm lens into an equivalent of a 50mm field of view lens.  They are both very well made and sharp.  Also, adding them to the front of the camera's lens doesn't seem to affect focus speed or accuracy.  All was good.

I most likely would have purchased the Viltrox models (which have slightly different focal lengths) instead as they are less expensive and I have seen glowing reviews of them.  But my purchase was before Viltrox introduced them.  However, I was able to purchase mine on Amazon.com U.S. but from Amazon in Japan.  I saved about 30% in doing so but delivery time was a bit longer.

The reason I say my experience using the camera had been degraded is now, with the two additional lenses, I found myself frequently attaching one or the other (mostly the wide-angle one) to the camera when I saw something that didn't fit nicely into the 35mm field of view.  The irony is that one of the main attractions of the camera–one lens, one focal length, one point of view–was now defeated.  Easy and satisfying had become less so.

Adding and removing one of the conversion lenses is more cumbersome than just changing lenses on a typical interchangeable lens camera.  First, I have to use a bigger bag than when carrying just the camera which results in more weight and more bulk.  Another defeat for going small, lightweight and less bulky.

Second, to attach one of the conversion lenses, it is not merely pushing a release button, turning a bayonet mount, grabbing another lens and quickly clicking into its locked position on the camera.  Because the lens on this camera requires a 'ring' (and filter) to provide some weather resistance, attach filters or hoods, one has to unscrew the lens hood (no bayonet mount) making sure the ring doesn't come off with it, dig into my sling bag, find the lens I want, then screw it on to the front of the fixed lens.  Reverse this to remove it and then reattach the screw-on lens hood.  Carefully screwing things off and on is what takes a lot more time as you certainly don't want to rush and cross-thread the lens or filter ring  

It gets worse.  After buying the conversion lenses I added a 49mm polarizing filter to the kit.  The native Fujifilm lens and the 28mm conversion lenses both have a 49mm filter thread.  Did I leave it at that?  No.  I then added a 67mm polarizing filter as that is what fits the 50mm conversion lens.  Don't forget to add the filter cases.  More choices, more weight, more bulk, more 'things' with which to deal.

This is now what I carry.  much less friction and more pleasure.
(click to enlarge)

The culmination of all this happened over this past weekend.  Saturday morning I had driven to a city about 50 miles from my home with the idea of of doing a photo walk in city's historic district.  As I walked around, I found myself screwing, unscrewing, screwing again, then again, unscrewing the conversion lenses to photograph a variety of subjects.  On and off, on and off.  All morning.  That was it.  I had had enough.  I made the decision right then and there to return to my root philosophy for using this camera.  No more carrying all the extras.  I had truly become my own worst enemy in this matter.  As of that moment I decided I would no longer carry the two extra lenses, filters and accessories and get back to basics--one camera, one lens, one focal length.  Simple, easy, more pleasure, less friction.

I think what I did and how my adding more and more to what was originally a very small, simple kit is not uncommon.  I think we tend to want to increase the versatility of our gear so we see accessories that we think will make the gear more effective and allow us to expand our creativity.  And, it can.  In this case, it was the opposite.  Carrying the two extra lenses, filters and other 'stuff' reduced my photographic pleasure in a large way.  I wasn’t more creative, I was more aggravated.

Now, I'm back to the smaller bag and no extra lenses.  Just the camera with a wrist strap, a spare battery, lens cloth, spare memory card and the little USB charging cable for emergencies.  And yes, back to a smaller, lighter bag as well.  😊

Oh!  If you have been wondering if I fell into the same trap with the GRIIIx as I had with this camera, no I did not.  It just slips into my pocket and is ready when I want to make a photo.

Lesson learned:  Keep things simple and use gear in the manner in which it is intended.  Don't make things unnecessarily complicated.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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