Is the Fujifilm X100VI a “poor man’s Leica”? This was a question recently posed on our YouTube channel, and answered in a video where Tiffany took both cameras to Paris, following in the footsteps of street photography’s greats to let these cameras do what they do best. It’s a great video. Go watch it.
All done? Good. I suspect a lot of you basically agree with Tiffany’s conclusion — that the Fujifilm X100VI is a brilliant camera to use and own (she owns one herself), but if she had the money, it’d be the Leica all the way. Fair enough. But I’m going to risk upsetting a few people and diverge a little by saying that I think, even if I had the budget to cover either, I might still stick with the Fujifilm X100VI.
Ultimately, I know the Leica is the superior image-making machine. But one’s favourite camera is a deeply subjective matter, and there are things that I just plain like better about the Fujifilm X100VI. So, with all due awareness of the risks of disagreeing with the woman who signs off my invoices, here are the four key reasons why I’m sticking with the Fujifilm X100VI over the Leica Q3 43, costs notwithstanding…
1. More physical controls
While both cameras lean into physical controls rather than relying on the touchscreen, the Fujifilm X100VI outnumbers the Leica in terms of its lovely manual dials. Not only have you got the ISO dial that works exactly like an ASA dial in an old film SLR, but there’s also exposure compensation and shutter speed, all of which can be adjusted completely manually. I love it.
2. 35mm is best
Something Tiffany talks about in the video, which I greatly empathise with, is bravery. Bravery as a photographer is in my opinion an underdiscussed quality, more important to good pictures than higher pixel-counts or faster burst speeds. On the street, the closer you can get to your subjects, the better. And the 43mm on the Leica makes that easier, but the 35mm on the Fujifilm requires you to be braver.
Sometimes, it’s good to be pushed out of your comfort zone. The 35mm on the Fujifilm lets you capture more of a scene than the Leica’s lens, but to get a main subject into a prominent enough position in the frame, it also forces you to push in closer. Ripping off this particular plaster is going to make you a braver and, therefore, better photographer. There’s a reason that the great street photographers were not known for skulking behind long telephoto lenses.
Now, granted, you might at this point mention the original Q3, which has an even wider 28mm lens. Fair point, but here’s where that dreaded subjectivity kicks in — I prefer 35mm. I just do. It’s the perfect middle ground: still a wide focal length, but allowing you to hone in on a particular subject more easily without losing that broad perspective.
The shorter lens also bestows another advantage. The Fujifilm X100VI and its slimline lens can easily slip into a jacket pocket. The Leica Q3 43, bless its heart, cannot. As Tiffany mentioned, this gives the X100VI the key advantage of being the kind of camera you can always have about your person, ready to slip out at a moment’s notice to take advantage of a picture-taking opportunity.
3. Fujifilm is still best for JPEGs
I’m now going to say something that many digital photographers might find heretical, but I must live my truth — I don’t shoot in raw very much. Barely at all. I don’t enjoy raw processing; I don’t like having tons of big unshareable files clogging up my cards and drives. I generally prefer to spend as little time in the company of Adobe as possible.
When it comes to digital photography, I love JPEGs. I love them for their convenience, and I love getting them as perfect as I can in the camera. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t some sort of ultra-pure, thou-must-get-it-right-in-camera thing. I just prefer not to spend time in front of my computer when I could be out shooting.
Fujifilm is the top dog when it comes to JPEGs. Film Simulations are so much fun, and the fact that you can program in your own recipes means your creativity is basically unlimited, and opens up opportunities for collaborating with other photographers. But even if you’ve no interest in this, Fujifilm’s own-brand Film Simulations provide you with tons of scope for play (my personal favourite is Nostalgic Neg., but honestly, there aren’t any I don’t like).
4. Video
I’m much more a photographer than a videographer, but sometimes in both my professional and personal life, the need arises to produce some good-looking video. The Fujifilm X100VI pulls ahead on this front, with a greater suite of video options and an internal stabilisation system that works better for video. The X100VI also has a built-in ND filter, which is incredibly useful for video.
So, those are my reasons. Leica may be great, but I’m sticking with Fuji. What do you think? Join the discussion on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and let us know which of these superb cameras gets a spot in your kit bag.
About the Author
Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com
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