Fujifilm X-T100 Review - The company's best vlogging camera for PHP 40K!

Fujifilm has finally filled-in the gap between the PHP 35K X-A5 and the PHP 51K X-T20 with the new V-logging focused X-T100 for PHP 39,990!

Graphite silver

On paper, it has the internals of the X-A5 but with the design language of the X-T20 and X-T2, and with several notable new features like a fully articulating touch display, a view finder from X-T20 and more!

Disclaimer: This X-T100 was loaned to us by Fujifilm Philippines. It is a Pre-production model so the look, appearance and performance of the unit may vary from the retail unit.

Unboxing/Accessories

Power plug, lens cap, manual, USB Type-A to micro USB cord, camera body and kit lens

We received the unit without a box but we got the following: the camera body, the battery, the kit lens, the neck strap, the manual, the power plug and power cord.

Build Quality/Design

Solid top plate with viewfinder, switches, dials and buttons

There are three colors that you can see on our news article about the camera here. We got the graphite silver and it is inspired by the graphite version of the X-Pro 2. Sadly, the kit-lens doesn't come in the graphite color as well.

Speaker, tripod socket, battery and SD card compartment and latch

Micro USB and micro HDMI ports

2.5 mm mini microphone jack

The build quality is a step above the X-A5 in some parts of the camera and in some it retains the same quality. The X-T100 however feels more solid than the X-A5 but with little weight added to it. It is still heavier than the Canon EOS M50 (387 grams) though. The X-T100 weighs in at 399 grams.

Delete, playback buttons, diopter control, view mode button, Quick menu button, rear command dial, directional pad, display/back button

The top plate and the bottom plate feel solid along with the leather like texture makes it look more premium. The Viewfinder is in the middle of several dials and button on the top plate. Most of the top plates feel solid except for the dials. It feels okay when I used it initially but it doesn't inspire confidence.

On the top plate are four dials. The left most is the film simulation mode dial, the middle one is the mode dial, and the right most are two command dials. One large one and one smaller one. Depending on how you set it, they usually set ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

At the back are the display, directional and function buttons. On the left is the mini 2.5 mm microphone jack. On the right are the micro USB and micro HDMI ports. At the bottom are the speaker, tripod socket thread and the battery/SD card latch. 

On the front is the lens mount, LED autofocus assist lamp, autofocus mode switch and under the triangular view finder is the pop-up flash.

It comes with a screw-on hand grip to improve one-hand holding of the camera.

The included kit lens is the new XF 15 to 45 Pancake Zoom lens. The outer shell and the mount is mostly made of polycarbonate but it is protected by an internal metal cylinder that reveals itself when the lens is engaged. The glass elements upon closer inspection look clear and pristine. 

The Fujifilm X-T1's up and down direction tilt screen was upgraded with a third direction (tilt to the side) on the X-T2. Now, for the same tilt mechanism has been expounded even more with a full articulation to the side of the camera giving it a near 180-degree turn with the additional direction of the one in the X-T2. This opens up a ton of possibilities for creative angles. This effectively make this camera perfect for a one man V-log set-up!

There are noticeably more buttons on the X-T100 than the X-A5 and most of them you can customise/map your favorite functions to them. This makes the camera more viable for people who like to tweak more settings when taking the image.

Lastly, the shutter button is the classic button only without the option to screw a soft shutter release.

The layout is similar to the Fujifilm X-A3 that we reviewed but it is better because of the added function buttons and dials. Like the X-A3, we were surprised at how capable it is as a full auto, semi-auto or full manual set up.

This is because of the mappable function buttons and a lot of customization at first but when set-up can be rewarding and depending on your workflow be a lot faster even when shooting fully manual. It still isn't the best though as because of the size of the body, compromises had to be made. So it can take a while to get used to.

There is a new dial on top that is initially for switching between film simulation. You can map other controls for it. We advise mapping the either ISO, aperture or shutter speed. This along with two other command dials allows for quick access to the exposure triangle without diving into the menus.

Display Quality

The new 3-way tilt screen

There are two main displays for this camera. The large 3-way tilt 3.0-inch 1,040K-dot  and the 0.39-inch 360K-dot OLED color viewfinder with built-in eye sensor. (that is also found in the X-T20)

The display inside the viewfinder is bright with good contrast and great color reproduction. It isn't as good as the X-T2 or X-H1 but the resolution and refresh rate is enough for most people. It is a lot better than having no view finder.

The 3-way tilt screen has colors, contrast and resolution on the screen is very good. We almost never experienced visible lag with the screen nor did we experience in accurate color rendition. The viewing angles when tilted in weird angles is surprisingly good.

At the normal brightness it is bright enough to be visible in broad daylight. There are times where you may have to increase the brightness if you find it lacking.

The touch screen on here is smooth, accurate and responsive. This is one of the better touch screens on a mirrorless camera on the market now given that Fujifilm has had multiple cameras to get the software refined. It is a significant improvement from the X-A3, X-A5 and X-E3.

The taps and gestures are a lot more responsive than the X-A5 and the X-E3. Fujifilm has finally refined their touch display algorithms. You can swipe in four directions, pinch in and out to zoom with out fuss or misreads. We only had one or two instances where our gestures weren't registering and it was because our fingers were wet from the rain. This is normal for most touch displays.

Battery Life

The NP-W126S li-ion battery is rated for 430 shots for still images. For 4K video recording without face detect autofocus turned on, it is rated for 150 minutes of recording time while it is rated for 90 minutes with face detect autofocus turned on.

In our real world tests, the X-T100 was giving us 500 to 600 shots in JPEG only when we used it without video. When using the camera as both stills and video at 1080p 30fps, we were getting 400 to 450 shots. This is enough for most days where in we weren't taking pictures of everything we saw. If you plan to use this for travelling where you will be taking a picture all day, we recommend bringing a second battery or charging the camera with your power bank.

When shooting 1080p at 60fps or 4K 15P with face detect autofocus, we were getting 70 to 80 minutes of footage that is split into 15 minute clips. This is okay but if you will be using this as your dedicated Vlogging camera, we recommend bringing extra batteries.

With the OEM charger we would get from empty to full within an 90 minutes. So it doesn't take to long. What we were looking for is the USB charging capability that was present in the Fujifilm cameras. 

What is curious is that Fujifilm decided to forego the battery charging dock and decide to give a USB Type-A to microUSB to charge the battery directly in the camera. This is convenient by bringing less things with you but if there are sudden changes in voltage, this could damage your camera. We recommend charging it with a voltage regulator if you can.

Performance

The vlogging camera for you?

Like the X-A3 and X-A5, the camera is quite capable either in full auto or full manual. When used for full manual, it is recommended that you fully customize the buttons and controls to your preference for faster and more efficient controls.

There are several modes: Advanced SR AUTO, Night, Sports, Landscape, Portrait Enhancer, SP(Scene Position), Adv, and Panorama.

The Advanced SR Auto is the mode if you want to go full auto. It detects the type of scene you are shooting and it will set the settings that is best for it. It works 8 out of 10 times. It struggles with subjects that move fast or with multiple moving objects. This is where most cameras struggle so it isn't too much of a big deal. I just either go full manual or go to the mode that applies to the scene like night mode or sports mode.

I was given the chance to review the pre-production unit with the X-A5 and even though they are very similar, the pre-production X-T100 had noticeably better performance in all metrics. This includes, start-up time, button presses, touch display gestures, image capture and autofocus.

At single point and area focus modes, the X-T100 was able to continuously track my face even if I went in different directions. This includes moving to and away from the camera, with movements that meant me moving in and out of frame. EVEN IN LOW LIGHT! Now, even in low light it isn't perfect but 4 out of 5 times. It could track me within the frame and when I leave the frame and go back in, it was able to recapture me and track me. It misses sometimes but they are negligible.

This is a huge improvement from the X-A5 that was only released several months ago. Word of caution though, it still isn't as good as the Dual-Pixel of Canon, but it is near it.

It still isn't as good as the Canon's Dual-Pixel, but it is getting there!

This autofocus speed is fastest with the latest lenses from Fujifilm (like the kit lens it comes with) or with lenses with the "LM" monicker which means Linear Motor. Some older lenses may be slower because autofocus speed depends on the camera body and the lens autofocus motor types.

The built-in flash is hidden on the triangular top part of the camera where the view finder and Fujifilm branding is. It is powerful enough to light up objects up to 4 to 5 meters away at ISO 100. It has a maximum flash sync speed of 1/180th of a second which is limited for people who love using flashes.

The internal microphone is surprisingly good for what it is. The quality is good enough for rushed in the moment video footage recording. It will struggle with environments with loud noises that may overpower the subjects own voice/sound. This includes strong winds, cars and the like. We recommend an external microphone with wind shields.

It is marketed as a vlogging camera and it fulfills most of the role with several minor gripes. One of them is that because the camera is small and lightweight, compromises had to be made. Aside from ergonomics, some parts had to be smaller. It comes with a 2.5 mm microphone jack instead of the more popular 3.5 mm. This presents a problem for people who prefer or have the 3.5 mm microphones. You either need an adapter or get a new one. (Fujifilm offers a microphone with 2.5 mm)

1. It is not for SUPER FAST Actions like sporting events (Racing, Horseback riding). It will also be a hit or miss when trying to take pictures of your kids running around as at the max 6 fps. You would have to manually set the focus and predict where the subject will be going to. We HIGHLY recommend to use Sandisk Class 10 UHS-I SD Cards to avoid lock-ups and bottlenecks!

2. The lower frames per second can be overcome to a limited extent by using the flash. When you do turn on the flash, the burst shots become 1 fps as the flash needs to recharge with each shot.

3. It has limited long exposure features which limits its use for hardcore landscape photography.

The still images that X-T100 produces great images especially when paired with Fujifilm's line of lenses. We mostly used the XF 15 to 45 PZ kit lens and the XF 18 to 55 f/2.8-4 lens.

It uses a Bayer sensor array that is different from its big brother's X-Trans Sensor array but the images remain to have the vibrant color and strong contrast that Fujifilm has been known for. This is true even for the JPG files this camera produces. Fujifilm remains to be one of the best with color science.

The daylight images are stellar while the lowlight, the images are surprisingly good! 

The daylight images are stellar while the lowlight, the images are surprisingly good! Grain begins to creep in at ISO 3200 but the images remain to be usable even at the maximum native ISO of 6400. The grain patterns are pleasing and add texture to the images.

This camera proves that even if smartphones improve in lowlight, a dedicated device with a larger sensor and high quality lens/optics do make a difference.

Camera Samples

Daylight

Daylight close-up

Outdoor 1

Outdoor 2 - daylight long exposure

Black and white

Close-up

Close-up dim 1

Close-up dim 2

Close-up dim 3

Dim

Lowlight 1 at ISO 6400

Lowlight 2 

Lowlight 3

Long exposure

The X-T100 is a capable video camera especially when paired with the latest lenses with OIS from Fujifilm. The footage with the Provia/Standard film simulation is vibrant and popping colors with good contrast and decent resolution. We mostly shot with 1080p 60fps and used it in both a documentary style video camera and V-logging style and the OIS is able to smoothen out the footage well but like most cameras without IBIS or a gimbal attached, it will struggle with quick and sudden movements.

So, it is perfect for V-logging when there isn't a lot of fast movements!

So you can run and gun with this with an external microphone without problem. We highly recommend to get a gimbal as well to add that extra level of smoothness.

Video Samples

Lens recommendations: The XF 15 to 45 PZ kit lens is already very capable especially with the OIS but it is a power zoom with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 to 5.6. If you don't mind the added bulk and weight, we can recommend the XF 18-55 f/2.8-4 for its stellar image quality, OIS and wider maximum aperture of f/2.8-4 and the XF 10-24 f/4 which allows for a wider field of view and OIS. 

For light weight stills, we recommend any of the f/2.0 WR primes (23, 35 and 50) and the XF 27 f/2.8 pancake lens.

Competition: The mirrorless camera that competes with the X-T100 in terms of specifications and pricing is the Canon EOS M50 that is priced at PHP 44,998. This makes the X-T100 more affordable by around Php 5K. The advantages of the EOS M50 is that it has the Dual Pixel autofocus, 3.5 mm microphone jack and the 4K at 30fps (but without Dual-Pixel) while the X-T100 has the newly improved autofocus, longer list of lenses, USB charging and more affordable pricing.

Pros - New 3-way tilt touch screen display, Has X-T20's viewfinder, Significantly improved continuous video autofocus, X-T series design language, screw-on hand grip, more affordable than the competition, USB charging capable

Cons - 2.5 mm headphone jack isn't as popular as 3.5 mm, battery is average but should last longer for a video focused camera, software quirks like separate menu for stills ISO and movie ISO, no IBIS (though we know it would make the camera so expensive)

Verdict

The X-T100 is one of the best hybrid stills and video camera that Fujifilm has released. The pictures from the camera coupled with the long line of Fujifilm lenses produces great images with strong contrast, popping color and decent resolution.

The Autofocus has significantly improved but it is still behind Canon's Dual Pixel autofocus. For V-logging, it is good enough to follow faces and recapture after the subject leaves the frame.

In video, it can only shoot video up to 4K at 15 fps. But we recommend recording with the 1080p at 60 fps footage because it is smooth, sharp, vibrant with decent on-body audio recording. 

The new 3-way touch display allows for creative angled shots. With the new and much improved video continuous autofocus also allows for a one-man team video set-up with an external microphone and/or a gimbal.

So, if you want a capable stills and video camera and can live with shortcomings like a 2.5 mm microphone jack, average battery and some software quirks, the Fujifilm X-T100 may be the camera for you.

Build - 4

Display - 4.25

Ergonomics - 4
Audio Quality - 3.75

Image Quality - 4.25

Video Quality - 4

Average - 4/5