The Fujifilm X100VI is one of the most coveted cameras of the year, but one year later, the camera still isn’t available without either overpaying or long wait lists. As a Fujifilm photographer, I get the appeal of a retro-styled camera with film simulations that is small enough to take anywhere. But as gorgeous as the X100VI is, I would buy the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR and pair it with a mirrorless camera before I caved to the X100VI trend.
The Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is arguably the closest lens in Fujifilm’s mirrorless line-up to the built-in lens on the X100VI. The compact camera has a 23mm f/2 lens built-in, so Fujifilm’s pancake lens gets in slightly closer and isn’t quite as bright. Despite that, the tiny 27mm lens only adds around .9 inches / 23mm and 3 oz / 84g to a mirrorless camera.
Paired with a camera like the X-T50, the 27mm creates a very X100VI-like set-up, and for slightly more than the X100VI’s list price but less than what scalpers are still charging for the hard-to-find camera. The X-T50 has the same 40.2MP resolution as the X100VI, and with the lens, the total kit would weigh 19 oz / 522g. That’s only a gram more than the X100VI. The depth of the X-T50 with the 27mm would come in at roughly 2.82 in / 71.8mm, which is only around half an inch or 16.5mm deeper than the X100VI.
The X-50 isn’t weather-sealed, however, so photographers looking for something that would be arguably more durable than the X100VI could compare it to the X-T5. The X-T5 with the 27mm f/2.8 would up the build quality, but also increase the size and price.
But that’s if you want a camera with the same 40.2MP resolution as the X100VI. Photographers who don’t need quite so much detail could even hack a cheaper, smaller mirrorless combo by pairing the older X-T30 II with the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR for a few hundred less than the X100VI. The X-M5 would also make an affordable and compact combo with the XF 27mm f/2.8. (Although, sadly, the X-M5 is currently out of stock at many retailers.)
My point is this: Yes, compact cameras have an incredible advantage because you can take them almost anywhere. But, a compact mirrorless kit doesn’t come with long wait times, isn’t much bigger, and allows for far greater versatility. If you grow out of that tiny pancake lens, you can add a portrait lens later on, an even wider optic for landscapes, or a telephoto zoom for wildlife.
I love Fujifilm cameras, but I would personally pick up the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR and pair it with the X-T4 already in my camera bag before I bought the X100VI. It’s far cheaper than the X100VI considering I already have a good, albeit now aging retro-styled body. But, even for those without an existing kit, pairing a pancake lens with a mirrorless camera can be a more versatile combo without a major price difference.
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