In this article, we will compare the grain structure of the Fujifilm X100VI to that of the Fujifilm X100V. In my previous article, where we looked at a comparison of detail, I concluded that the detail increase from the 40MP sensor, although better, wasn’t a game changer for casual photography.
This made me wonder if the 40MP new X100VI is really worth it. Should I cancel my Fujifilm X100VI pre-order? I almost did, but then I got to comparing the grain. Even though we didn’t see a meaningful increase in resolution in casual photography (for how I use this type of camera anyway), the fidelity of the overall image when factoring in grain is noticeably better.
So, when the slight resolution increase is combined with the overall nicer fidelity of the image because of the nicer grain structure from the new sensor, this upgrade and quality increase together is worth it because even when missing focus or shooting from the hip with motion blur in the mix, the quality of the grain will still matter.
This is an improvement not only to the X100VI but also to all their cameras that use that 40MP sensor.
Grain Quality Comparison Fujifilm X100VI vs X100V
Samples at 100% Crop With The X100V Scaled To Match. Samples are shot at f4, 1/125 at ISO 6400 on a tripod. All settings in-camera zeroes out.
This test yields a few interesting results. For one, the grain looks a lot nicer, even in areas that are not in focus. It allows the skin to look cleaner and less waxy, and overall, the colors and tones are a bit clearer.
You can see in this next sample, partly from the new sensor and partly from the new processor, that the shadow detail holds up a lot nicer when transitioning into the shadows and it generally doesn’t seem to smear the colors as much with the new X100VI compared to the older camera. Everything is just better. This is not just at ISO 6400 but at lower ISO as well from other tests I ran.
Samples at 200% Crop With The X100V Scaled To Match.
The X100V grain will look a little softer here because the scaling effect is a little more exaggerated.
You can see in this next sample how the grain is smeary, blotchy, and wormy.
Look here when we transition into the shadows. The Fujifilm X100V also doesn’t hold onto those tones, and you overall have a better shape with the X100VI grain, which will be easier to clean up with noise reduction tools.
Conclusions
One of the biggest problems historically, or at least one of the biggest complaints I’ve always seen online about these X-Trans sensors, was the smeary grain and waxy skin tones. It looks like this latest 40MP sensor clears up all of these problems.
Not only are we getting slightly more detail, but the overall fidelity, due to the improvements in the grain from the tighter pixel pitch in the new sensor, will yield a noticeably superior image.
Unfortunately, the X100VI is still using that NP-W126 battery and you notice the additional drain that the new sensor and IBIS system put on the system. But I think most people can live with this, and you can always find great third-party batteries in my X100VI accessories guide.
