Fujifilm X100VI Silver beats Black (on FujiRumors)

Just a curiosity.

Before the announcement of the X100VI, I asked you guys which colors you prefer for the Fujifilm X100VI: black or silver!

The result was basically a head to head race between black and silver.

But what did most of you guys really go for at the end?

Well, BHphoto marks the silver Fujifilm X100VI as #1 seller and the black X100VI as Top Seller.

So I have looked up the affiliate pre-orders you guys placed at BHphoto, and, at least here on FujiRumors, so far 58% of you went for the silver X100VI and 42%for the black X100VI. (and btw… thanks to everyone who decided to support FujiRumors by using our affiliate links).

Interestingly, WexPhotoVideo in UK contacted me and told me that in terms of FR-sales, the black version prevails with 61% over the 39% for the silver version.

Both cameras and colors are wonderful, so there is definitely no right or wrong choice. I guess the choice is between a bit more vintage touch (silver) and a bit more elegance and stealth (black).

Fujifilm X100VI Manufacturing Production Started (at Least) Back in November – 60K to 90K Units Produced Before Launch?

Fujifilm X100VI Production

Fujifilm told us that they are making 15,000 Fujifilm X100VI units a month.

But given the astronomical preorders for the Fujifilm X100VI, many were wondering if that would be enough to avoid the same shipping disaster we experienced with the X100V.

And we told you in past articles that this also depends on:

  1. how many people preordered at several stores but intend to keep only the fastest-shipping X100VI order and cancel the other orders
  2. how many units Fujifilm has produced ahead of launch

We investigated the first point in a dedicated survey and so far we can see that 14% of people placed multiple orders. So once the first 2-3 batches are shipped, we can expect a sensible reduction of preorders due to the influx of cancellations.

As far as how well Fujifilm prepared for the X100VI launch, yesterday I followed the live stream of German photographer Thomas B Jones (if you are German make sure to follow his YouTube channel).

During the live stream he told us that he was testing a “final hardware production X100VI” since November 2023, and that Fujifilm is basically producing X100VI’s at full power since a couple of months already.

So at this point we can assume that Fujifilm is manufacturing 15,000 Fujifilm X100VI units per month since at least November, which would mean a total of about 60,000 units were made before the X100VI announcement in February.

However, I’d not be surprised if Fujifilm would be making those since even longer.

In fact, I was contacted by the former “head of the production engineering department” (for another company) with an extremely detailed overview on how these things work.

He told me that they generally started to produce the goods 4 – 6 months before they shipped out to the retail stores, because (for the products he made) usually 80% of the annual sales were made within the first 3 – 4 months of a new product introduction.

The email he wrote me was very detailed and insightful (thanks). If anyone wants to take a look behind the scenes and how such things are organized, I share it as PDF here (I kept the person anonymous, but if you want I can add you in the file and link to your accounts… let me know via rumor box in case).

Anyway, back to the X100VI.

Based on everything we said above, we can assume that Fujifilm has so far produced anything between 60,000 and 90,000 units.

Now that would be enough for pretty much any digital camera in the last 15 years. But we are talking Fujifilm X100VI, the most successful digital camera the photography industry has seen in decades. So this might not be sufficient to match the initial demand.

But it is a solid starting point which makes hope that at least those, who ordered in the first 1 to 3 days won’t have to wait that long to get their camera shipped.

And ignore that China numbers for the reasons we explained here.

Fujifilm is aware that the true success of the X100VI is intricately tied to the number of units dispatched. And I am sure delivering X100VI’s as quickly as possible will be their Nr.1 priority for 2024.

Fujifilm X100VI Owners Manual Available Now

The Fujifilm X100VI Owners manual is now available in html here and PDF here (full manual visible to scroll below)

Fujifilm X100VI Starts Shipping + Did You Preorder Multiple X100VI Cameras but Plan to Keep Only the Fastest-Shipped One? (POLL)

Fujifilm X100VI is Shipping

The Fujifilm X100VI has started shipping all over the world, so that right for February 28 it will be in your hands. This is reported now by many members of our vast X100 users facebook group.

And look, preorders for the X100VI are incredibly high, leading many, myself included, to doubt the prompt fulfilment of all orders.

But there is still hope :).

Among the 5 reasons I’ve listed in the article above, there is one, that I would like to investigate closer today.

I am quite sure that many placed X100VI preorders at multiple stores, intending to keep the fastest-shipped one and cancel the rest. This could lead to a notable reduction in waiting lists once the initial batch is dispatched

And to investigate this, I’m launching this survey (which is 100% anonymous, so just drop your honest answer). If you’ve preordered X100VI from multiple stores but plan to keep only the fastest-shipped one, let us know.

If indeed many placed multiple orders, don’t lose hope if stores indicate a prolonged wait for the X100VI. The waiting list could considerably shorten once the initial batches are released.

Regarding my X100VI pre-order...

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The Popularity is Insane

Despite the potential for numerous multiple orders, it remains undeniable that the Fujifilm X100VI holds the record as Fujifilm’s most successful camera in terms of preorders, surpassing all previous models by a significant margin. It likely outshines cameras from all brands over the past 15 years in the realm of preorders as well.

Now Fujifilm has it: the true mainstream camera, that will make Fujifilm popular in the entire world as the maker of excellent modern digital cameras. And I strongly believe also their interchangeable systems will profit from this immense new gained popularity. Because, as Fujifilm has openly stated on multiple occasions, the Fujifilm X100 series also serves as the gateway camera to the X system.

Anyways, I hope you are among the lucky ones who’ll get yours shipped quickly… and I wish you lots of fun with your beautiful X100VI camera!

This Guy Turned his Fujifilm X100V into a Limited Edition X100VI using Stickers

Here is a little weekend curiosity.

At the recent X Summit Fujifilm announced the limited edition Fujifilm X100VI. Fujifilm also has a dedicated page for it here.

The limited edition X100VI camera body is engraved with the corporate brand logo from Fujifilm’s founding in 1934, along with a unique serial number. And only a limited number of 1934 samples is made wordwide.

Well, now a guy over at the Chinese Weibo platform has crafted stickers to transform his X100V into a budget-friendly imitation of the limited edition X100VI.

I am not sure if he plans to sell those stickers, or if it is only for his personal use.

Regardless, I anticipate it won’t be long before a similar sticker finds its way to the market. So, if you happen to acquire a second-hand limited edition X100VI online, exercise caution to ensure it’s not a low-quality sticker imitation. Be certain to receive all the accompanying perks, including a special box containing a unique strap, soft release button, and history cards.

Speaking of buying the limited edition X100VI, as far as I know, it is still not available for sale anywhere and you’ll have to go through Fujifilm to get it. Contact your local Fujifilm support and ask them how it works in your country, because it’s likely that different countries will handle it differently.

via asobinet via Weibo

5 Signs Sparking Hope for Fujifilm X100VI Shipping Smoother than You’d Think

Italian Fujifilm distributors Foto Luce is ready to ship out X100VI
Italian Fujifilm distributors Foto Luce is ready to ship out X100VI

In the history of FujiRumors, this will probably go down as the one article that contained the most inaccurate prediction of the history of forecasting.

But with all the talk of crazy preorders for the Fujifilm X100VI, warnings of epic shipping delays, and worries that the only way to snag one in a reasonable time is to soon buy it highly overpriced on eBay from scalpers, I decided to inject a glimmer of optimism within these challenging and difficult circumstances.

And yes, I am well aware that this injection of positivity might sound more like a refusal to accept reality.

And yet, let’s hunt for a bit of hope in the unpredictable journey of X100VI deliveries.

So here are some signs that maybe it won’t be as catastrophic when it comes to X100VI shipping.

1) Where is Fuji’s apology?

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Fujifilm X100VI Cut in Half (vs X100V) and IBIS Unit Size Compared

I thought it could be a nice curiosity to share a side by side inside look at the Fujifilm X100VI vs X100V, as you can see from the image shared in this article and spotted at the Japanese website dc.watch.

It’s interesting to see how Fujifilm was able to squeeze a completely newly designed IBIS unit into the small camera body of the Fujifilm X100VI.

And now you can also see why the tripod mount had to move a little bit forwards: it had to make space for the IBIS unit.

Speaking of IBIS unit, you can she size of it compared to older IBIS unit here, which was shared as a part of the summary for the X100VI development story by the Japanese website dclife.

The X100VI Madness Continues: Half a Million Preorders Reported – in China Only! – UPDATED

I don’t know if I should call the reports coming from China “good” or “concerning”.

Because the Chinese Weibo account Camerabeta reports that pre-orders for the Fujifilm X100VI in China have exceeded 480,000 [Updated: some point out that these are entires for the X100VI lottery, but the post of Camerabeta speaks of “orders”]!

And other reports speak of 580,000 preorders in China, as reported by the Japanese website asobinet here. This aligns somewhat with the observation made by joedidder in the comments here, indicating that there are accounts of 349,000 individuals attempting to pre-order the X100V from a single website in China during its launch. UPDATED: Asobinet reports that the number are not pre orders, but they are entries into a lottery to purchase the camera with no commitment other than creating an account to join the lottery. And also joedidder corrected his report and said it was for the lottery. Camerabeta instead says 480,000 are solid pre-orders (I don’t know where he gets this number from).

We remind you that the yearly production capacity for the X100VI is of 180,000 units (15,000 per month).

This leaves me conflicted about whether to categorize this as “positive” or “concerning” news.

I mean, for Fujifilm it’s certainly a luxury problem to have. But, if reports from China are accurate, it could imply an extended wait for customers before their X100VI cameras are shipped.

And also, chances would be very high at this point to revive the same absurd situation, where the only way to get our hands on a new or used X100VI would be to highly overpay for it.

I hope Fujifilm has made tons of X100VI ahead of launch, so that they can ship out pre-orders in a reasonable time.

via Camerabeta

Fujifilm at work to match the gigantic demand for Fujifilm X100VI

CineD Fujifilm Manager Interview: Why China, X100VI Production Doubled over X100V and More

CineD interviewed Japanese Fujifilm managers. Of course they talk mainly about the Fujifilm X100VI. Here is the recap:

  • X100VI is for photo enthusiasts, for people who love film cameras, and also young people or people who love gadgets because it is a fashionable camera
  • internal ND filter can be minimized because X100VI is a fixed lens camera
  • internal ND filter is challenging for interchangeable lens cameras
  • in front of sensor there is the shutter and IBIS unit, so it is difficult to implement ND filter in terms of space and size with MILC cameras
  • supply for X100V was 7,500 units
  • X100VI has 15,000 monthly production
  • it’s made in China
  • quality of made in China or Japan is the same
  • Fujifilm has biggest capacty in China
  • lots of the components come from China or surrounding countries
  • this helps to secure production capacity
  • when Fujifilm made 7,500 X100V per month, they thought that would be enough (but wasn’t)
  • now they hope 15,000 a month will be enough to supply demand
  • no plans for a Fujifilm cinema camera
  • they can’t talk about future products, but the global shutter technology is of course interesting, especially on the cinema side
  • more products will come and next X summit will be in Sydney

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