It’s safe to say that Fujifilm wasn't expecting the staggering demand for its new X100VI premium compact camera. And despite reports that the X100VI is being made in China rather than Japan with as many as 15,000 units per month since production started in November, it will still take further months to carry out all deliveries for X100VI pre-orders.
If you didn't get your pre-order in early or are yet to make a pre-order – we've got you covered with all the Fujifilm X100VI pre-order info – you’re unfortunately going to have a pretty long wait. Fujifilm has warned those at the back of the queue that it could take until summer for orders to be completed.
The Fujifilm X100VI was announced on February 20 and the first pre-orders are set to be delivered in late March. It follows the X100V – a 26MP fixed lens shooter which we named the overall best compact camera and it consequently became a Tiktok sensation. The X100VI is the sixth model in the X100 series and keeps the retro appearance of a classic film camera, armed with digital features, that has made the series so popular.
At Techradar, we recently spoke with Fujifilm UK General Manager, Theo Georghiades, about the overwhelming number of pre-orders. “Sales have been unprecedented, and it has been by far the most successful launch of any camera we’ve ever seen. Our task now is to try to fulfill the demand as quickly as possible!”. Fujifilm further unpacked how it plans to handle deliveries with PetaPixel, sharing what customers can expect and that it hopes to accelerate production to fulfill backorders.
The Fujifilm X100VI comes four years after the X100V hit the shelves in 2020 and in a X100VI vs X100V article we've highlighted five key improvements in the new model and one reason why you should stick to the old model. The retro appearance remains, but Fujifilm has added meaningful improvements that further increases the appeal of this niche line of cameras, including a higher resolution 40MP equipped with image stabilization, and subject detection autofocus powered by AI tech.
Its previous model made quite the impression on users last year because of its film camera appeal and became a viral hit on TikTok. The demand for the X100V was sky-high so, naturally, Fujifilm prepared itself for double that this time around - but it still didn’t suffice. We don't know for sure if Fujifilm can accelerate production rates. Regardless, a lot of hopeful X100VI will still have to wait until the summer.
Fujifilm is onto a winner with the X100 series, though the long delays in delivery might leave a bitter taste for some. The wild popularity of the latest model will be a learning curve for Fujifilm, and a valuable lesson for other camera companies.
