The X100VI is Wrong… For Me

If you are looking for compact but capable cameras, there is one that is mentioned more than any other camera. The Fujifilm X100 series, with the X100VI as the latest incarnation. So, I bought one. Especially for instances, where bringing the "big" camera with multiple lenses would be a bit of overkill. And who can blame me? It's a hipster's dream come true. Retro dials, film simulations, EVF and OVF, a flip-up screen, and 40 megapixels. All of that in a package, that at least fits into the pockets of a jacket. And admittedly also into the back pockets of most of my jeans.

Turns out this camera annoys me tremendously. And the single biggest reason for that is the AF. Or a combination of the lens' focusing speed and the AF. C-AF on that camera is schizophrenic. It's hunting back and forth constantly. You can see your subject in focus, out of focus, in focus, out of focus, aso. Most people suggest using the S-AF for photography instead. But this doesn't really solve the problem. Yes, the hunting goes away, but now you've got a problem with moving subjects. It's particularly bad if they are moving towards you. And the AF constantly prefers subjects in the background with face detect AF instead of the person right in front of you. This is driving me nuts. And no setting is changing that.
Also, let's talk about the OVF. The OVF is outstanding. More cameras should have an OVF with overlays, just like the X100VI does. But there is no face detection with the OVF. Why? This made it useless in most of my use cases.
Now, the lens. I'm torn here. Because it is a compact f/2 lens. That means making sacrifices. But the focus motor isn't fast. And that's a bad combination with the AF problems. I've seen lenses this size from Olympus/OM SYSTEM with a fast motor. That's why I'm not sure, if compactness can even be an excuse here.

The thing that bothers me most is the fact that this could have been the perfect travel and family camera. But the AF problem bothers me so much, that I stopped using it.