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Fujifilms X100 V became a surprising viral hit thanks to influencers who loved not only its performance but also its retro-chic cool factor. Now, the company has launched its successor, the similar-looking but more-capable X100 VI. Its only been on sale a short time, but retailers are already reporting months-long waiting lists. It features some key improvements over the previous model, including a much higher-resolution 40-megapixel sensor, in-body stabilization and better video. At the same time, it retains the looks and compact size people loved about the X100 V. I couldnt wait to get a hold of one to check out the performance for myself and see if its worth a purchase or upgrade. To test, I hopped on the Eurostar over to London with my French photographer friends to see if its worth the high price and considerable wait. Body and handling The X100 series is beloved in large part because of the vintage rangefinder camera styling, and Fujifilm didnt mess with that. In addition to the near-identical looks, the X100 VIs button and dial layout is unchanged. Fujifilm also kept the previous models 23mm f/2 lens. To accommodate the in-body stabilization, the X100 VI is slightly chunkier and weighs 18.4 ounces, about 1.4 ounces more than before. Thats not much, but every bit counts for a camera designed to be carried around all day. The control design with dedicated dials for ISO, shutter, aperture and exposure compensation is a bit old-fashioned compared to modern cameras. But it does serve a purpose, showing settings at a glance. Thats a must for shooting on the fly. The X100 VI isnt just cosplaying as a rangefinder, either. On top of the 3.69-million dot electronic viewfinder (same as the last model), it offers a rangefinder-style optical finder and a hybrid of the two with a picture-in-picture EVF. The last setting is for people who still want a digital security blanket, and it works very well. Also unchanged is the rear display, allowing basic up and down tilting for high or low angle shooting. Thats not great for selfies or vlogging, but perfect for shooting from the hip. The menu system is mostly the same, which is a good thing as its relatively easy to find key settings. To avoid diving in, though, you can use the quick menu and numerous buttons and dials for easier adjustments. Its also customizable and Id advise buyers to set it up to their preferences to avoid any shooting errors. The X100 VI has a single slot that only supports slower UHS-I cards, unfortunately, along with a USB-C port for charging and data. The MicroHDMI port also lets you use external recorders, though the tiny camera looks awkward with one attached. Finally, the battery is the same smallish one as before, unfortunately more on that in a bit. Performance Samuel Dejours for Engadget Despite the higher resolution, the X100 VI still shoots at a decent 11 fps, with buffer space for about 17 uncompressed RAW frames. JPEG bursts are a bit faster at 13 fps in electronic shutter mode and the buffer size jumps to 37 frames in that case. Unless you really need total silence, the mechanical shutter is your best bet. Its very quiet, and youll see considerable rolling shutter in electronic mode. Autofocus is much-improved compared to the V. Its more reliable for subject tracking and adds new autofocus modes for animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, airplanes and trains. Fujis eye- and subject-detection are in separate modes though, forcing you to change settings. Fujifilms AF system was already middling, lagging behind Sony and Canon. The X100 VI is even less effective than Fujifilms larger X-H2 and X-T5, due to the slowish motors on the fixed lens. That means focusing on moving subjects is a bit hit or miss. That said, burst shooting is not what this camera is for and the fact that its decent at all is a bonus. Steve Dent for Engadget In-body stabilization might be the biggest improvement to come to the X100 lineup. With six stops of shake reduction, you can get sharp photos down to about a quarter second. That lets you blur motion to make interesting, creative shots. The optical finder takes some getting used to, as its not a direct view through the lens like with DSLRs. Its off to the side of the lens, so this parallax means subjects that are close to the camera may not be framed the way you expect. Thats why the EVF insert mode is so handy as it supplies a second true view of the scene. One issue is battery life, with only 450 shots on a charge or 310 if you use the EVF. I found that one battery wasnt enough for a full days shooting, so factor extra ones into your buying decision. You may also want an external charger, as Fujifilm doesnt supply one in the box. Image quality The 40MP sensor obviously delivers a big boost in resolution over the X100 Vs 26MP. The extra pixels are also handy if you need to crop in, which is a common requirement with a fixed wide-angle lens camera. And while the lens is the same as before, its sharp enough to resolve the extra detail. If this sensor seems familiar, thats because its the same as the one on the X-T5 and X-H2, so the image quality here is similar to those. In-camera treatment of JPEG and 10-bit HEIF files is handled well, with pleasant, accurate colors and a nice balance of noise reduction and detail. You can often share photos straight out of the camera, too, something thats important to street photographers who do little to no post-processing. The 14-bit RAW photos offer plenty of room for fine-tuning, even in bright or dark areas. However, if you underexpose shots and try to boost levels, noise can get out of hand compared to a full-frame camera. Thehigher resolution doesnt hurt image quality much at higher ISOs. Noise is well controlled up to ISO 6400, and you can go up to 12800 if exposure is set correctly. I was impressed with the quality when shooting in bars and other dark environments. And of course, the X100 VI offers Fujifilms full array of film simulation modes. You can experiment with popular looks like Velvia, Eterna or Acros black and white, and still have a full-color RAW backup. As the only major camera company also selling 35mm film, Fujis simulations are the most pleasing and realistic. Video The X100 VIs excellent video specs are another bonus. It has nearly the same feature set as the X-T5, so you can shoot 6.2K at 30 fps with a 1.23x crop, or 4K at up to 60 fps with line-skipping and a 1.14x crop. The camera also offers sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p using the full sensor width, or high-quality 4K 30p with a 1.23x crop. Fujifilm also introduced 10-bit and F-Log2. Samuel Dejours for Engadget It took me a while to get used to the different modes and cropping levels. At 6.2K and 4K HQ, rolling shutter is pronounced so youll need to be aware of that. At the same time, full-sensor sub-sampled 4K is noticeably more low-res than the HQ mode. Video autofocus matches what I saw with photos, meaning it was decent but not super reliable for moving subjects. The AI-powered AF did lock onto subjects, but again, couldnt always keep up to flying birds, animals or vehicles. Handheld video is now a realistic option with in-body stabilization. It worked well as long as I didnt move around much, and offers a boost mode that smooths out jiggles further. Digital stabilization is also an option, but isnt supported with the 6K or HQ modes, and doesnt really reduce jolts for walking or fast movements. Video quality is solid for a small compact camera, offering the same accurate colors you see in JPEG photo modes. Shooting in 10-bit F-Log makes it possible to adjust footage considerably in post or get creative. You can also shoot video using the film simulation modes if you want a specific look straight out of the camera. Wrap-up Samuel Dejours for Engadget Fujifilm has made all the right moves to keep the X100 VIs popularity high by tucking a very competent street and travel camera into a beautiful retro-cute body. The extra resolution, in-body stabilization and new video features should be more than enough to tempt owners to upgrade. At $1,600, the X100 VI doesnt have a lot of competition which is odd, given its success. Leica springs to mind with the Q3, though that costs a whopping $6,000. Another option is the $1,000 Ricoh GR IIIx, which also offers in-body stabilization and an ND filter. However, resolution is lower at 24MP and it lacks the X100 VIs high-end video features. Sonys ZV-1 II is also in this compact category, but its mostly designed for video. Keep an eye on Panasonic, as it may release a new compact camera, according to recent rumors. In any case, if youre in the market for a high-end compact and can afford the X100 VI, I wouldnt hesitate theres a lot of camera inside that beautiful body.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fujifilm-x100-vi-review-a-one-of-a-kind-camera-for-street-photography-and-travel-133004951.html?src=rss
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Newsletter platform Substack is ramping up its video ambitions and trying to lure TikTok stars to its service. The company announced a new creator studio that will offer a group of creators free promotion and other services if they turn their TikTok channels into Substack shows and communities. The program is part of a larger effort by the newsletter company to expand beyond text newsletters. The timing also happens to come just weeks after a bill that could ban TikTok in the United States became law, though Substack claims its plans are unrelated to the measure. Were not introducing this fellowship because of panic over a TikTok bill or ever-changing algorithms, Substacks Austin Tedesco writes in a blog post. Instead, he says, its about finding a replacement for all ad-based platforms which he says are unreliable partners for creators. Its not clear how Substack intends to create a better home for creators, though the experience of participants in the creator studio will presumably inform its future plans. For now, the company is recruiting ten TikTok creators for the program. Those who are accepted will receive production help and PR services, as well as access to exclusive features and white glove service from Subsatcks partnerships team. The company says creators in the program can still post on TikTok, Instagram and other social channels but that Substack should be the primary home base for free and premium content. Creators will also be expected to engage with subscribers on Substack Chat. Substack has been pushing video features for awhile, but the announcement is the clearest sign yet that it wants to expand its service to creators typically found on traditional social media platforms, rather than writers who may also dabble in video. The company also likely wont be the last to try to take advantage of TikToks uncertain future in the United States. And while YouTube and Instagram may be better-positioned to scoop up TikToks talent, Substack may be able to carve out a space for creators looking to offer paywalled content.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/substack-is-trying-to-lure-tiktok-stars-to-its-platform-130052380.html?src=rss
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China is accused of hacking the payroll system for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The BBC and Sky News report that the severe data breach exposed the personal information of active military personnel and veterans. The information mainly consists of full names and bank details, but in some cases, it might also include personal addresses. Affected individuals are being notified, and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps should provide MPs with a more detailed update today. He is anticipated to outline a plan of action for protecting anyone whose data was compromised. All salaries are expected to be paid as usual this month. In a statement, China's foreign minister said the country "firmly opposes and fights all forms of cyber attacks" and "rejects the use of this issue politically to smear other countries." However, this isn't the first time the UK and China have clashed over security concerns. In March, UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden accused China of being behind an August 2021 hack of the Electoral Commission, as the BBC reported at the time. The UK also banned TikTok owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance from all government devices in March 2023, claiming protective measures.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-uks-ministry-of-defence-was-hacked-and-the-country-is-reportedly-blaming-china-121954779.html?src=rss
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