Fujifilm X100VI and Sam Abell

Finally, the long-awaited Fujifilm announcement is here! On February 20, 2024, at the Fujifilm X Summit in Tokyo, Fujifilm revealed the latest version of their beloved & world-famous X100 camera … the X100VI. Since then, I’ve watched dozens of YouTube videos about the new X100VI. All of them discussed the technical specs of the camera, but none of them is able to show us the soul of the camera. That is until tonight … when I discovered this short documentary featuring the X100VI and Sam Abell, a photographer whose photographic wisdom of “compose and wait” I love so much.

When you have 17 minutes, I hope you’ll watch this lovely short film.

I bought my X100V back in 2020 and then shortly after I gifted it to my nephew. It’s the most beautiful camera I’ve ever seen! And it takes gorgeous photos as well. The perfect everyday camera for me. I imagine the X100VI embodies the same … a perfect everyday camera … for me.

This lovely X100V was briefly mine for a while until I gifted it to my nephew.

Palm Springs Visual Diary #2

One of the things I love most about Palm Springs is its retro-ness and the Modern Mid-Century vibes evident everywhere. Perennially nostalgic, I soaked it all up happily.

And here are a few more photos I took on the trip with my new Fuji X-E4 and 27mm lens.

The Palm Springs Babies were a bit freaky.

Gre Coffee Shop has delicious coffee and lots of terrific LPs.

Best ramen in Palm Springs! Seriously. We went there twice!

Our favorite breakfast spot … ate here almost every morning. 🙂

“The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs” … is literally the name of this little bookshop.

Love staff recommendations!

Beautiful local fauna.

We took a drive through some beautiful Modern Mid Century neighborhoods. I’m in love.

I have a special love for Mid Century Modern … perhaps the nostalgic, retro soul in me always prevails.

After watching THE FABLEMANS, it’s time for a late dinner at Sherman’s.

We got there so late … it was almost closing time.

Mushroom barley soup + pastrami sandwich.

On our last day, we took the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up the mountains.

Snow in California in December! Magical!

The blue hour. The views took my breath away. We always make so much fuss about the Golden Hour … but the Blue Hour has an ethereal beauty all on its own!

Palm Springs Visual Diary #1

I have not posted in a long while. Here are some photos from a recent trip to LV and Palm Springs. 🙂

Our drive through the Mojave Desert from Las Vegas to Palm Springs.

View from our LV room.

I didn’t know MS has restaurants? Where have I been?

As you can tell, this was around Christmas time.

“Seven Magic Mountains” … looking like bubble gum stacks. 🙂

Terrible’s is no longer in operation. I’m disappointed even though I’ve not heard of this hotel casino until that day.

The drive through the Mojave Desert was so beautiful!

This would make a lovely scene in a movie.

Arrived in Palm Springs, dinner was at Rooster and the Pig … a different kind of Vietnamese restaurant.

My friend likes the food here. I think it’s just ok, but the ambience is lovely.

Early morning in Palm Springs.

Our hotel is so retro - just like everything else in this town. I love it!

Hiking in Palm Springs where the views from every angle are so breathtaking!

I can’t remember the name of this cactus. Does anyone know?

Majestic palm trees in the canyon.

After the hike, lunch was at El Taco Asado, a Mexican restaurant where the locals go. Delicious margarita!

And last but not least, there’s also a Palm Springs vlog, filmed with my new vlog camera Fujifilm X-S10. It’s replacing my G7X Mark II camera which recently fell into the water in Maine and promptly stopped working. It was my fault totally. The G7X Mark II was my favorite vlog camera for a long time. I made so many beautiful memories with it.

My Fujifilm X100V Replacement Camera is ...

I bought my Fujifilm X100V sometime in 2020 during the pandemic. It was love at first sight for me. The X100V is one of the two most beautiful cameras I’ve ever owned (the other being the Fujifilm X-Pro3). Yes … I’m a huge Fujifilm fangirl. 🙂

About a year or so later, I gifted the X100V to my nephew. I had no clue then how much I would miss this little camera. I started looking for another X100V to purchase but the that camera has become quite elusive these past few years (due to chip shortage?) and is rarely available on the market unless at an exorbitant price (way over market).

After much research, I realized that the next best thing to an X100V would be a Fujifilm X-E4 which was also hard to come by. When I received a notification on HotStock last December that an X-E4 became available, of course I couldn’t resist. ImA birthday present from me to me was my excuse. 🙂

I still miss my X100V … but I also appreciate having the X-E4 as an EDC now. I love its minimal aesthetics, tiny size and retro look.

The beautiful X100V … briefly mine for a blink …

If you can’t have what you want … you can always have the next best thing. I made a vlog about this … of course. :)

My Camcorder Love Continues

If you follow my YouTube channel, you probably know that I’ve been in love with and coveting the Canon XA50 camcorder since 2019. Yep! Way before the pandemic made its much-unwanted entrance into our lives! Even though I love Fujifilm cameras with all my heart, I think camcorders are great for filming everyday life and documentaries.

I recently decided to try out the smaller versions of the Canon XA50 since they look and feel almost the same but have smaller price tags. Here are my thoughts on the Canon Vixia HF G70 and G50, with the G70 being the newer model of the G50.

Farewell Fujifilm X-E1

For about a year now, I’ve been on the hunt for a compact Fujifilm camera. I’ve been eyeing both the X100V (to replace the one I gifted to my nephew) and the X-E4 as my everyday & travel camera. The X100V has been hard to find online or in stores due to perhaps Japan’s chip shortage? I decided to rent the X-E4 and the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR pancake lens instead to try out. Together they somewhat resemble my X100V (which I love so much). But after playing with this combo for a few days, I realized it is not quite what I was hoping for. The reason why will surprise you!

Thank you for the lovely time we spent together, X-E1!