Across the East Coast with the Fuji X100VI

It’s my last night in a hotel before the final six‑hour drive home, and I’ve been thinking about the Fuji X100VI — and the role it played on this trip. Over nine days, I covered seven states: Ithaca, NY; Salem, MA; Cutler, ME for puffins (the main reason I came north); plus Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. It was a whirlwind of landscapes, wildlife, fog, and coastlines, not all of it good — and the X100VI came along for every bit of it.

I picked mine up from Ace Photo in Ashburn before the trip — they had them in stock, and I couldn’t resist. I usually buy my gear there because I know and trust the folks. But here’s the thing: I almost never shoot 35mm. My comfort zones are 14–30mm for landscapes, 135mm for portraits, and 600–840mm (and up) for wildlife. Yet this little fixed‑lens Fuji surprised me. Carrying a small, capable camera that could go everywhere made me shoot things I normally wouldn’t. It pushed me to focus on composition in the moment rather than planning days or hours ahead.

A Lighthouse and the First Lesson

The first shot in this set came on the way back from the puffin trip (these are not in chronological order). I only had my big telephotos and the Fuji, but as the boat cruised past this lighthouse, the soft skies and drifting fog begged for a frame. Classic Chrome was perfect here — it captured the atmosphere without over‑romanticizing it.

Fog, the Built‑In ND, and Why This Camera is Clever

These next two shots show exactly why the X100VI has a place in my bag. We were wandering the coast in Acadia in thick fog — not ideal for big sweeping landscapes. But the Fuji’s built‑in 4‑stop ND filter came to the rescue.

I cranked the aperture to f/16, dropped the shutter to half a second, flipped on the ND, and handheld the shot. No tripod, no external filters, just technique and a camera that comes prepared. I do wish the ND went past four stops, but for most situations, it’s enough to give motion to water or clouds without overcomplicating the setup.

Both shots use Fuji’s Acros black‑and‑white simulation, which has become my favorite monochrome mode ever. There’s a certain richness and depth to it that makes fog feel like part of the scene rather than just a visual obstacle.

When the Tripod Came Out

Only one shot from the trip (with the Fuji) required a tripod — a one‑second exposure of the rocky Maine coastline shrouded in mist. Even here, the X100VI kept things simple. I would’ve loved more ND strength to push the shutter to three seconds or so, but the Fuji delivered a clean, balanced image without fuss and heres me again with Acros, can you tell I love it!

Images I Never Would Have Taken Without It

The Fuji also gave me the freedom to take purely whimsical shots. When we landed on the lighthouse island — a consolation prize for not being allowed on Puffin Island — I wandered into a fog‑wrapped scene and just shot for me.

It really was just a series of fun, unexpected captures: a quirky weather vane, a colorful lobster boat, I even took some shots of fun drinks or thinks my kid made of clay at a restaurant (not posted). None of these are things I’d pack a 7‑pound lens for, but with the Fuji slung over my shoulder, they became part of my visual diary.

Even Street Stuff

I’m not a street photographer — I respect the genre, but I’m not comfortable shooting strangers. That said, I found myself trying. The X100VI’s small size, leaf shutter, and silent operation make it less intrusive than any interchangeable‑lens body I own. Even if my street shots won’t win awards, I was comfortable enough to try — and that’s saying something. Here though I'm only sharing the goofy architecture stuff, dragons mounted to a building wall, and bursts of street art etc.

So, Is It Serious or Just Fun?

Here’s the thing: the Fuji X100VI can be both. It has the quality to shoot serious work — sharp lens, great color science, hybrid OVF/EVF (which I loved way more than I thought I would) , and useful tools like the ND filter — but it also encourages playful, unplanned shooting. It’s the kind of camera you carry even when you’re “off‑duty” as a photographer.

The film simulations are top‑notch, the handling is intuitive, and I found myself preferring the optical finder with overlays like a level — it made me feel more present in the scene. And while I’ll still reach for my big gear for specialized work, this trip cemented the X100VI as my go‑anywhere creative spark.

Some last thoughts: Fuji X100VI vs Leica Q3 — The Honest Take

Comparing cameras is hard, but before the Fuji I owned a Leica Q3. It’s a stunning camera — beautifully built, razor‑sharp lens, and gorgeous straight‑out‑of‑camera JPEGs. For concerts and controlled environments, it was magic. But there was a catch that ultimately made me let it go: Lightroom doesn’t support Leica’s proprietary color profiles for RAW files. That meant the images I saw on the Q3’s rear screen — rich, vibrant, full of life — turned flat the moment I imported them. I could spend time pulling them back with old custom M‑series profiles, but it always felt like chasing a ghost of what I’d already seen.

The Fuji X100VI doesn’t give me that headache. Its film simulations — especially Acros and Classic Chrome — are baked into my workflow, and the RAW files hold their magic in post. It’s also a third of the price, physically smaller, lighter, and comes with features the Q3 can’t match: a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, a built‑in ND filter I’ve already used constantly, and a form factor that disappears into everyday carry.

The Leica is undeniably more luxurious — it feels like a precision instrument — but the Fuji makes me want to take it everywhere. And on a trip like this one, that’s what mattered most.

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