The Fujifilm X100VI: An Unscripted Vancouver story

CamerasUnscripted

Oct 25

Today, I’ve got the Fujifilm X100VI with me—a super35, 10-bit video machine disguised as a pocket camera. It only felt right to shoot this outing the way I tend to capture my photos with this camera: unscripted, unplanned.

Close-up of the Fujifilm X100VI, highlighting the lens and metal body against a black background.

Fujifilm X100VI: What’s New?

When I reviewed the original X100V, I ended up buying one. The one spec that caught my attention on the new X100VI was 10bit 4:2:2 video recording format. For this reason, during my time with the camera, I almost exclusively shot video.

Throughout this post I’ve scattered a mix of actual photos as well as screen grabs from the Fujifilm X100VI. I’m deliberately not going to specify which is which although the aspect ratio may give it away.

Artist Yared Nuguse painting in a studio, focused on the canvas, with bright artwork in the background.

Close-up of a painter's palette covered in various colors of mixed paint, with a hand holding a brush.

Embracing the Unknown: Yared’s Studio Visit

Yared’s studio was my first stop and something he said has stuck with me. “As an artist if you know where you’re going - don’t go.” It was like a call to adventure, a reminder that we have to be willing to jump into unknown territory or start down a path where the destination is uncertain. This begs the question, why? Is it to grow as an artist? Is it to create better work? I’m not sure and the thought of calling myself an ‘artist’ is nauseating but I do know when I do take a step in the forest of the unknown, I’m always glad I did. That’s enough of a justification to keep doing it.

No Plans

My plans were limited to pairing a person and a starting location and letting everything else unfold from there.

Three individuals chatting in a coffee shop, surrounded by exposed brick and pipes, adding a raw industrial feel to the setting. — At *Revolver coffee* *with* *Chris*, *Joon* *and unfortunately I never got the name of the third guy.*

Two men sitting in a café, engaged in conversation, with a minimalist wall featuring an abstract map behind them.

Black and white candid shot of two men chatting at a café, with one of them wearing a '2050 coffee' sweater.

A close-up shot of multiple coffee carafes lined up on a countertop, bathed in warm light, with a blurred café interior in the background

A man, Take Kayo, wearing a black cap holds a Fujifilm camera up to their face, ready to take a shot. The background is a softly lit café booth — *Take, aka Big Head Taco, and I nerding out on all things X100.*

An elderly man with a flat cap is seated in a café booth, focused on reading a newspaper. The scene is in black and white, capturing a moment of quiet concentration

An older man sits near the open garage, holding a vinyl record. Behind him is a red Porsche 914, with the garage filled with a collection of vintage items — After grabbing a bite, Take and I went for a stroll near Chinatown and ran into Harvey working in his garage. To the backdrop of his Japanese jazz records playing, he told us about his recent acquisition of a red Porsche 914.

A man in a dark jacket and cap captures a photo with his camera in an urban environment. Cherry blossoms and office buildings create a contrasting backdrop. — *Yours truly, snapped by* *Joon*.

A man stands in a bookstore, flipping through a book. He's wearing a dark jacket and has a camera hanging around his neck, surrounded by shelves of colorful books. — *Market research with Joon.*

Fujifilm X100VI: Pocket-Sized Companion

I hope you had a chance to watch the video to make sense of the series of photos above.

It’s easy to lose touch with those original reasons you fell in love with photography. Days like these remind you. They strip away the deadlines and give you back the simple joy of creating and connecting. Even if, as an adult, sometimes it feels strange to ask a friend to just hang out, a “photo walk” or a new camera review gives us an excuse to be together.

So here’s to the Fujifilm X100VI, a pocket-sized companion that brings people together.