The Fujifilm X20 — Little Brother to the X100V
In 2013, Fujifilm released the FinePix X20 digital camera for $599. A decade later, a mint version of this cult-favorite still costs $400 or more. How can that be for a 12-megapixel compact from days gone by?
In my view there are two reasons. First, notice the family resemblance between the X20 and the wildly popular X100V. The X20 is definitely the little brother, for less than a third of the price. Plus, the X20 has that wonderful nostalgia that many of today’s photographers find so appealing.
Let’s step back to 2013 when popular compacts such as the Canon PowerShot G15, Sony Cyber-shot RX100, and the X20 were turning our heads. All of these devices are amazing photographic tools. By comparison, the iPhone 5, which was the hot smartphone at the time, featured an 8-megapixel sensor that was fine, but not in the same class as any of these cameras.
Of the trio, the Fujifilm X20 is my favorite. I still shoot with it today. Here’s why.
It starts with the 2/3"-type X-Trans CMOS II sensor. When I open a RAW file from the X20 in Capture One Pro, it’s beautifully toned and elegantly editable. Highlight and shadow recovery are…
