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Mika @[email protected] · 2026-08-15 · 05:22 UTC

I then replaced the #C425 with the cheaper #C230, a wired camera that's very similar in feature set to the #TC70 but more and better. The cam quality is a noticeable upgrade over TC70. Same PTZ. Has motion tracking too like the TC70. The local detection options are a lot more tho and similar to the C425 - Motion/Human/Pet/Vehicle detection, baby cries, dog barks, cat meows, glass breaks (tho I believe C425 does not have these sound-based ones, at least not all of them?). Honestly, all in all - perfect cam, but lacks in my plan for it to replace the C425 simply bcos it was bulky (like the TC70, since it's a PTZ cam) and the mounting options wasn't suitable for the tight space I intended for it, and it's not able to capture in colour at night, in the dark. Its FOV, like the TC70, is far from being as wide as the C425 (which was really nice) - since it's a PTZ cam that you can control and move around anyway.

Finally, the last cam I got was the #C120 and my freaking god it's a perfect replacement for my litter box cam. It's a lot smaller and can be mounted magnetically - so it gets a perfect view of the litter box. It's a wired camera so it has the full feature set (like TC70/C230, just without PTZ/Tracking). It has the full set of detection options, as the C230. Its FOV I think is not as wide as the C425 but a hugeee upgrade over TC70/C230 and absolutely perfect for my use case. It even has the binary sensor on HA for pet detection specifically, rather than just motion detection like TC70/C230 (or nothing at all for C425). Seriously, if you ever need a cat or litter box cam, rather than getting one that's specifically designed for it, hence, niche and expensive and won't have #HomeAssistant integrations/support - get the Tapo C120, it's genuinely a no-brainer. Like all Tapo cams, they're all super affordable (only the C425 was fairly expensive and not worth it unless you really need it to be battery/solar powered and don't mind only getting the full feature set on their Tapo app and not HA).

So now, my complete bedroom setup is the C120 replacing the C425/C230 as the Litter box cam, and the C230 replacing the TC70 as the PTZ cam for room-wide monitoring - but only bcos of its nicer camera quality and more featured local detection options (otherwise the TC70 itself was perfectly fine if ure on a tighter budget). Given my really great experience now with these #Tapo cams, and the HORRIBLE experience with (overpriced) #Anker's #Eufy cams, I'm genuinely tempted to yank off my Eufy cams, sell em off (if anyone even wants them), and go all-in with Tapo cameras instead. #TP-Link has always been absolutely fucking perfect for my networking gear, now I see they're pretty banging on the security #camera front too.

#tplink #c425 #c230 #tc70 #c120 #homeassistant

Mika @[email protected] · 2026-08-15 · 05:22 UTC

I then replaced the #C425 with the cheaper #C230, a wired camera that's very similar in feature set to the #TC70 but more and better. The cam quality is a noticeable upgrade over TC70. Same PTZ. Has motion tracking too like the TC70. The local detection options are a lot more tho and similar to the C425 - Motion/Human/Pet/Vehicle detection, baby cries, dog barks, cat meows, glass breaks (tho I believe C425 does not have these sound-based ones, at least not all of them?). Honestly, all in all - perfect cam, but lacks in my plan for it to replace the C425 simply bcos it was bulky (like the TC70, since it's a PTZ cam) and the mounting options wasn't suitable for the tight space I intended for it, and it's not able to capture in colour at night, in the dark. Its FOV, like the TC70, is far from being as wide as the C425 (which was really nice) - since it's a PTZ cam that you can control and move around anyway.

Finally, the last cam I got was the #C120 and my freaking god it's a perfect replacement for my litter box cam. It's a lot smaller and can be mounted magnetically - so it gets a perfect view of the litter box. It's a wired camera so it has the full feature set (like TC70/C230, just without PTZ/Tracking). It has the full set of detection options, as the C230. Its FOV I think is not as wide as the C425 but a hugeee upgrade over TC70/C230 and absolutely perfect for my use case. It even has the binary sensor on HA for pet detection specifically, rather than just motion detection like TC70/C230 (or nothing at all for C425). Seriously, if you ever need a cat or litter box cam, rather than getting one that's specifically designed for it, hence, niche and expensive and won't have #HomeAssistant integrations/support - get the Tapo C120, it's genuinely a no-brainer. Like all Tapo cams, they're all super affordable (only the C425 was fairly expensive and not worth it unless you really need it to be battery/solar powered and don't mind only getting the full feature set on their Tapo app and not HA).

So now, my complete bedroom setup is the C120 replacing the C425/C230 as the Litter box cam, and the C230 replacing the TC70 as the PTZ cam for room-wide monitoring - but only bcos of its nicer camera quality and more featured local detection options (otherwise the TC70 itself was perfectly fine if ure on a tighter budget). Given my really great experience now with these #Tapo cams, and the HORRIBLE experience with (overpriced) #Anker's #Eufy cams, I'm genuinely tempted to yank off my Eufy cams, sell em off (if anyone even wants them), and go all-in with Tapo cameras instead. #TP-Link has always been absolutely fucking perfect for my networking gear, now I see they're pretty banging on the security #camera front too.

#tplink #c425 #c230 #tc70 #c120 #homeassistant

WE AND THE COLOR @[email protected] · 2026-08-14 · 16:03 UTC

We took the Fujifilm X100VI hiking through Saxon Switzerland for three days—storms, sandstone ridges, and all. Here's what held up. https://weandthecolor.com/yes-the-fujifilm-x100vi-camera-was-worth-the-wait-and-three-days-on-the-trail-proved-it/211337

#photography #camera #fujifilm

WE AND THE COLOR @[email protected] · 2026-08-14 · 16:03 UTC

We took the Fujifilm X100VI hiking through Saxon Switzerland for three days—storms, sandstone ridges, and all. Here's what held up. https://weandthecolor.com/yes-the-fujifilm-x100vi-camera-was-worth-the-wait-and-three-days-on-the-trail-proved-it/211337

#photography #camera #fujifilm

WE AND THE COLOR @[email protected] · 2026-08-14 · 15:55 UTC

Yes, the Fujifilm X100VI Camera Was Worth the Wait, and Three Days on the Trail Proved It

My friend Jonas waited eight months for his Fujifilm X100VI to arrive. He ordered it in early 2025, and Fujifilm actually shipped it in the spring of 2026. By the time the box landed on his doorstep, he had read every spec sheet twice and was half convinced the whole camera was a myth someone invented on a forum.

Jonas shoots weddings on weekends and quiet portrait sessions during the week, and he does not buy gear because of hype. So when he finally got his hands on the Fujifilm X100VI, I asked if he wanted to put it through something rougher than a studio session. He said yes before I finished the question. We spent three days this summer hiking through Saxon Switzerland, the sandstone hill country just outside Dresden, carrying the X100VI up stone staircases and down into gorges where the light changes every ten minutes. Here is what we found out, and it is not the same story you get from a spec sheet.

Why Take a $1,600 Street Camera Into the Sandstone Mountains of Saxon Switzerland?

Fujifilm markets the X100VI as a street and travel camera, and most reviews test it exactly that way: a coffee shop here, a city block there, maybe an airport lounge. That tells you almost nothing about how the camera behaves when your hands are sweaty, your bag is heavy, and the weather turns in twenty minutes flat, which it regularly does in this part of Saxony.

My thesis going in was simple. A camera this praised for its “everyday carry” reputation should survive an actual day of physical effort, not just a stroll. So we climbed the Bastei formations at sunrise, pushed through the Schrammsteine ridge trail at midday heat, and got caught in a proper downpour near the Kirnitzschtal gorge on day two. Jonas carried the X100VI on a wrist strap the entire time, not in a padded case, because that is how he actually uses it for client work. This piece is built around what happened during those three days, not around a lab bench.

What Is the Fujifilm X100VI, Exactly?

The X100VI is the sixth generation of Fujifilm’s fixed-lens compact line, and it is the first one to include in-body image stabilization. It pairs a 40.2-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor with a fixed 23mm f/2 lens, which works out to roughly 35mm in full-frame terms. The whole thing weighs 521 grams with a battery and a card inside, so it sits somewhere between “pocketable” and “you will notice it in a jacket pocket after an hour.”

Here is the summary we kept coming back to on the trail, condensed into one table so you do not have to hunt through six browser tabs the way Jonas did before he bought his.

SpecFujifilm X100VISensor40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HRProcessorX-Processor 5LensFixed 23mm f/2 (35mm equivalent)Image Stabilization5-axis IBIS, up to 6.0 stops (EVF) or 5.5 stops (OVF)ViewfinderHybrid optical/electronic (OVF/EVF)LCD Screen3-inch, 1.62 million dots, two-way tilt up to 45 degreesContinuous Shooting11 fps mechanical, 13 fps electronicVideo6.2K/30p and 4K/60p, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal, plus 1080p at 240fpsFilm Simulations20 modes, including Reala Ace, Nostalgic Neg, and Eterna Bleach BypassBuilt-in ND Filter4-stopWeather ResistanceRequires the optional AR-X100 adapter ring plus PRF-49 filterBatteryNP-W126SWeight521g with battery and cardLaunch Price$1,599 body only, February 2024Street Price, Summer 2026Commonly $1,799 to $2,399 depending on retailer and stock

The Trail Weight Threshold: How the X100VI Actually Handles on a Hike

I want to introduce a term here, and I will say upfront that this is my own editorial shorthand, not something Fujifilm publishes. Call it the Trail Weight Threshold: the point at which a camera stops feeling like an extension of your hand and starts feeling like cargo. Most compact cameras cross that line around the ninety-minute mark of continuous carrying, in my experience testing gear for this site.

The X100VI stayed under that threshold for most of day one. At 521 grams, it is heavier than it looks in photos, but the body’s flat top plate and grippy front plate kept it comfortable on a wrist strap during steady uphill sections. By hour four on day two, climbing loose stone steps near the Schrammsteine, Jonas switched to a neck strap. Not because the camera got heavier, obviously, but because sustained scrambling changes how your hands want to be used. That is a hiking problem, not a camera problem, and it is worth saying so plainly.

The Leaf Shutter Discipline: Why a Quiet Camera Changes How You Shoot

Here is a framework I keep coming back to when I test fixed-lens cameras, and I am naming it now because I think it explains more than most spec comparisons do. Call it Leaf Shutter Discipline: the idea that a nearly silent shutter, combined with a lens you cannot swap, forces a slower and more deliberate shooting rhythm than an interchangeable-lens system does.

Jonas noticed this almost immediately. With no lens choices to second-guess and a shutter you can barely hear even at close range, he found himself walking toward a composition instead of zooming toward it. That sounds like marketing language, and I promise it is not. It is a physical constraint that changes behavior, the same way a fixed 50mm lens on a film body used to. On the Bastei bridge at sunrise, with maybe a dozen other photographers around, the quiet shutter meant Jonas could work close to strangers without anyone noticing. That is a real, testable advantage, not an abstract one.

The Hybrid Viewfinder in Changing Trail Light

The X100VI’s viewfinder switches between a true optical view and a full electronic preview, and Fujifilm calls this the hybrid finder. On paper it sounds like the best of both systems. In practice, it introduces what I am calling the OVF Instinct Gap, meaning the half-second of hesitation photographers feel when deciding which mode actually fits the current light.

Under the tree canopy near the Kirnitzschtal, where light dropped and shifted every few steps, Jonas kept the camera in EVF mode almost the entire time, because the optical finder does not show exposure changes the way the electronic one does. Up on open sandstone ridges with harsh midday sun, he switched back to the optical finder because the EVF got harder to read against bright rock. Neither mode won outright. The switching itself, quick as it is, cost him a couple of fast-moving shots of a hawk circling near the Schrammsteine, simply because he was mid-toggle when it appeared.

Does In-Body Stabilization Actually Help on Uneven Ground?

This is the X100VI’s headline upgrade over the X100V, and it is a real one. The five-axis IBIS system rates up to 6.0 stops of correction in electronic viewfinder mode, dropping slightly to 5.5 stops when you shoot through the optical finder. Fujifilm has never fully explained that gap, and neither has anyone else I have read.

On the trail, the difference showed up in handheld shots at shutter speeds we would never have trusted before, especially in the gorge sections where tripods are impractical and light is low. Jonas shot a series at 1/8 of a second, braced against a rock ledge rather than a tripod, and came away with usable frames more often than not. That is a genuine field advantage for hikers and travel photographers, not just a spec sheet number.

Film Simulations Outdoors: Reala Ace, Nostalgic Neg, and the Rest

The Fujifilm X100VI ships with 20 film simulation modes, and three of the newer ones got heavy use on this trip. Reala Ace handled the harsh midday sandstone light well, keeping skin tones from Jonas’s portrait shots of hikers along the trail looking natural rather than blown out. Nostalgic Neg added warmth to the golden-hour shots at Bastei that felt closer to scanned film than anything I have seen from an in-camera profile before.

Eterna Bleach Bypass, meant more for video color grading, turned out to be Jonas’s favorite for the stormy footage near Kirnitzschtal. It stripped saturation just enough to make gray clouds look genuinely moody instead of just underexposed. None of this required editing afterward. That is the entire pitch of the X100 line, and on this trip it held up.

The Weather Resistance Kit, Tested by an Actual Saxon Switzerland Storm

Here is something most reviews mention in passing, and I want to state clearly: the X100VI is not weather-resistant out of the box. You need the optional AR-X100 adapter ring and the PRF-49 protective filter, sold separately, to get any real sealing, and even then Fujifilm only rates the combination down to freezing temperatures with resistance to dust and moisture, not full waterproofing.

We had the kit installed before day two, which turned out to be lucky. A fast-moving storm hit us near Kirnitzschtal with almost no warning, the kind of sudden Saxon Switzerland weather change locals just call normal. Jonas kept shooting through about ten minutes of steady rain. The camera worked the entire time: no fogging in the viewfinder, no shutdown. I would not call it fully storm-proof, and neither would Fujifilm, but it survived exactly the kind of moment it is likely to face on a real hike.

Autofocus, Burst Speed, and the Shots We Missed

Fujifilm has pushed several firmware updates to the X100VI since launch, refining autofocus tracking each time, and the improvement is noticeable if you used an earlier version of the camera. Subject tracking on a moving hiker or a bird in flight is dramatically better than it was on the original X100VI firmware from February 2024.

It still is not as fast as the phase-detection systems in Fujifilm’s interchangeable-lens bodies like the X-T5. We lost a handful of frames of that circling hawk near the Schrammsteine because the autofocus hunted for a fraction of a second longer than Jonas expected. At 11 fps mechanical and 13 fps electronic, the burst speed itself is not the bottleneck. The focus lock catching up to it occasionally is.

The Battery Rationing Rule: Living With the NP-W126S for Three Days

This is my third named framework in this piece, and it is the least glamorous one. Call it the Battery Rationing Rule: on any hike longer than a half day, plan your shooting around battery life rather than assuming you can shoot freely and recharge later.

The X100VI still uses the same NP-W126S battery Fujifilm has shipped since the X-T1 in 2014, despite newer bodies like the X-T5 and X-H2 moving to a larger cell. Jonas carried two spares and used all three across three days of moderate shooting, closer to 300 to 400 frames per charge in real mixed EVF and OVF use rather than lab numbers. If you are planning a multi-day trip without easy charging access, budget for at least two extra batteries. This is the one place where the X100VI’s compact size clearly worked against it.

The Waitlist Tax: What This Camera Actually Costs in 2026

Here is my fourth and final named framework, and it might be the most useful one for anyone actually shopping for this camera. Call it the Waitlist Tax: the real cost of owning an X100VI once you add the time spent hunting for stock and the premium most buyers end up paying above the $1,599 launch price.

More than two years after release, the Fujifilm X100VI is still frequently backordered at major retailers, and third-party listings routinely run from $1,799 up to $2,399 depending on color and condition. Fujifilm has continued production the entire time, and availability has genuinely improved compared to 2024, when waitlists stretched for the better part of a year. But walking into a store and buying one at MSRP on the day you decide you want it still is not the normal experience for most buyers in 2026. Jonas’s own eight-month wait was not an outlier. Budget both money and patience.

Fujifilm X100VI vs. X-E5: Which One Should You Actually Buy?

Fujifilm’s own X-E5 has become the camera most people compare against the X100VI, mainly because it is easier to actually buy. The X-E5 uses interchangeable lenses rather than a fixed one, which trades away the X100VI’s compact, all-in-one simplicity for flexibility. If you already own X-mount glass, or you know you will want a wider or longer lens down the road, the X-E5 makes more practical sense.

If what you want is the fixed-lens discipline we talked about earlier, plus the leaf shutter, the built-in ND filter, and the hybrid viewfinder, none of which the X-E5 offers, the X100VI remains the more distinctive tool. Jonas put it well on day three, tired and sunburned near the end of the Malerweg section we hiked: he did not buy the X100VI because it was the most practical camera available. He bought it because it was the one that made him want to keep shooting.

Who Should Buy the Fujifilm X100VI, and Who Should Skip It

Buy it if you shoot street, travel, or documentary work, and you value a quiet, deliberate shooting process over maximum flexibility. Buy it if you already know a 35mm equivalent is your lens, the way a lot of working photographers eventually figure out their favorite focal length.

Skip it if you need interchangeable lenses, if you shoot fast action regularly and need best-in-class autofocus tracking, or if the current pricing and availability situation genuinely does not work for your budget. There is no shame in that math. A used X100V, the previous generation, is easier to find and noticeably cheaper, and it is still a genuinely good camera if IBIS is not a dealbreaker for you.

A Prediction: What Comes Next for the X100 Line

I will go on record with a guess, and it is only a guess. Given Fujifilm’s roughly two-year cadence for major X100 updates and the ongoing supply constraints on this generation, I do not expect a successor before late 2027 at the earliest, and production realities could easily push that further. If Fujifilm wants to fix one thing before then, my vote goes to the battery. A larger cell, even at the cost of a slightly bigger body, would solve the single biggest complaint we ran into on this trip.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Fujifilm X100VI

Is the Fujifilm X100VI still hard to find in 2026?

Yes, though less so than in 2024. Stock has improved, but the X100VI still sells out quickly at major retailers, and many listings sit above the $1,599 launch price.

Does the Fujifilm X100VI have weather sealing built in?

Not by default. You need the optional AR-X100 adapter ring and PRF-49 filter to add dust and moisture resistance, and Fujifilm rates the combination down to freezing temperatures rather than full waterproofing.

How long does the Fujifilm X100VI’s battery actually last?

In real mixed shooting with both the optical and electronic viewfinders, expect somewhere around 300 to 400 frames per charge. The camera uses the older NP-W126S battery, so carrying spares is worth it on any longer outing.

Is 40 megapixels overkill on a sensor this small?

Not really. The extra resolution gives real cropping flexibility, which matters more on a fixed 35mm equivalent lens than it would on a zoom, since cropping is your only way to get closer without moving.

What is the difference between the Fujifilm X100VI and the X-E5?

The Fujifilm X100VI has a fixed 23mm f/2 lens, a leaf shutter, a built-in ND filter, and a hybrid viewfinder. The X-E5 takes interchangeable X-mount lenses instead, trading the X100V’s compact simplicity for flexibility, and it is generally easier to find in stock.

Is the Fujifilm X100VI good for hiking and travel photography?

Based on three days of testing through Saxon Switzerland, yes, with caveats. The IBIS and weather resistance kit hold up well, but pack spare batteries and know that the fixed lens means committing to one focal length for the whole trip.

Should I wait for a successor instead of buying now?

If you want IBIS, the 40-megapixel sensor, and the newer film simulations today, waiting makes little sense given Fujifilm’s roughly two-year update cycle. A successor is unlikely before late 2027 at the earliest.

The Verdict After Three Days on the Trail

The Fujifilm X100VI is still worth the wait, and it is worth the current price for the right buyer. It is not the most practical camera you could take hiking, and it is not the most affordable one either. What it does better than almost anything else in this category is make you want to keep shooting after your legs are tired, and the light has gone flat. That is a harder thing to measure than megapixels, but after three days on sandstone trails outside Dresden, it is the thing that actually stuck with both of us.

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#camera #cameraReview #compactCamera #FujifilmX100VI #photography #travelCamera

#camera #camerareview #compactcamera #fujifilmx100vi #photography #travelcamera