The Fujifilm X100F was launched in 2017 as a killer companion for professional shooters, and the weapon of choice specifically for street photographers.
However, five years is an eternity in the arms race that is the world of mirrorless cameras. So half a decade on, is the once mighty Fujifilm X100F still a camera that's worth buying?
The answer is yes – unless you can find the Fujifilm X100V at a reasonable price. You see, the Fujifilm X100F (the F, apparently, standing for "Four", as in fourth in the line) is still one of the best Fujifilm cameras, but it was succeeded by the X100V (the V standing for "Five") in 2020.
In all regards, the X100V is a superior camera; it has a slightly sharper version of the same lens, a higher-resolution 26.1MP sensor, 4K video, a tilting touchscreen, larger viewfinder, better autofocus system, and faster 11fps burst shooting.
All of which sounds a bit bleak for the X100F, but it's really not the case. In reality, the F's 24.3MP sensor proves little different. The lack of 4K isn't a huge deal for a camera like this (and its 1080p video is still very respectable), and again the 8fps bursts are more than sufficient for what is supposed to be a snap-shooting street photography setup.
You could argue that the slightly sluggish AF system is a strike against it, but again – the kind of folks that will be looking at this camera are the kind of folks that will probably be zone focusing, more than anything. Ditto the non-tilting rear screen; the crowd that wants a fixed-lens street camera are almost certainly going to use the viewfinder – and almost certainly the optical rangefinder rather than the switchable electronic finder.
That fixed lens might be the only thing we'd really fuss about between this and its successor – the V's updated version of the 23mm f/2 glass (34.5mm in equivalent full frame terms, making it the ideal street photography focal length) is notably sharper and snappier.
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Still, the Fujifilm X100F remains sharp, snappy, svelte and stylish enough to make it worth recommending to this day – again, providing you can't find the X100V at a similar price. You get more bang for your buck elsewhere, but you won't find a classic shooting experience like this outside the X-Pro series.
Read more:
Best cameras for street photography
Fujifilm X100F review
Fujifilm X100V review
