As a photographer using a Fujifilm mirrorless camera, there’s been more than a few times that I wish the viral X100VI compact camera was easier to get my hands on. But it’s not just the compact camera’s size that I’m jealous of – one of the features that I wish I could tuck into my mirrorless is actually the compact camera’s unusual viewfinder.
The Fujifilm X100VI uses a hybrid viewfinder design that fits both a traditional optical viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder into one. The hybrid design launched with the first X100 series camera and remains an iconic part of its retro design.
But despite Fujifilm’s hybrid viewfinder being around for more than a decade, the feature hasn’t bled into many of the company’s mirrorless cameras. The one exception is the X-Pro series. Cameras like the X-Pro3 also had a hybrid viewfinder, but the discontinued X-Pro3 is only available used.
The hybrid design mixes the best of optical viewfinders, which are pure optics, with the best of electronic viewfinders, which are screen-based viewfinders, because photographers can choose to switch between the two. (Or use the electronic rangefinder mode that puts a small EVF window inside the optical viewfinder.)
When I first transitioned from a DSLR to mirrorless, I loved the electronic viewfinder because I could see exactly what I was photographing, down to the exposure and colors.
But when I’m working with flash, I usually find myself missing the old-school optical viewfinder. When I’m exposing for the flash, the exposure preview on the EVF renders a dark image because, without the flash of light, that’s what the exposure would look like. I have to turn off the exposure preview option on the EVF in order to get around that darkened viewfinder.
That’s why I often find myself thinking about not just the X100VI’s small size, but its unusual viewfinder. The hybrid design allows photographers to choose whether they want a true optical viewfinder that shows the scene without screen lag or an electronic one that shows an accurate exposure and white balance preview.
I suspect one of the reasons that the hybrid design hasn’t become more widespread is that the optical view has a number of limitations, particularly when mixed with modern camera tech. The electronic viewfinder mode is a must for using features like eye detection and subject detection autofocus.
Still, I love the film-like controls on my Fujifilm mirrorless, and the classic optical viewfinder feels much more classic than a modern EVF. The option to choose between either type depending on what I’m shooting and the experience I’m looking for is something that I would love to have without giving up swappable lenses.
The hybrid viewfinder seems particularly notable with the rise of screen-free compact cameras, digital cameras that use traditional optical viewfinders and skip the ability to view photos.
The price of the Fujifilm X100VI has me eyeing pancake lenses as a portable alternative instead – but mirrorless alternatives like the X-E5 don’t offer the same hybrid viewfinder experience.
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