Need help deciding A7cii or Fuji x100v

[Brandon9997]

Hello guys! im looking into getting into photography, i have only ever did photography on my iphone 14PM but recently, i wanted to have take better photos. i will mainly use it for travel, street, food, lifestyle. No professional work, just doing this for hobby. So a small compact camera will be a plus for me

 

My first choice is the X100v (and possibly the rumored successor coming out this year) but due to the limited availability and inflated prices i thought why not just go for a full frame if im spending that much on a used x100v? i think i might also be limited with the fixed lens on the x100v

 

My second choice is to get the Sony a7cii due to its compact size. With this, is it worth it to go for the sony over the fuji? 

--- if im to get the Sony, i have 2 options for the lens; Sony 35mm f1.4 GM and the  Sony 40mm f/2.5 G Lens. 

--- i like the 35mm as it's a nicer lens and based on reviews it's super nice and 35mm is better for street and travel but it's bigger than the 40mm lens (a7cii and 40mm lens is more like the x100v formfactor)

 

Thanks for the responses!!

[Hakiroto]

This is a difficult one to answer as it's entirely subjective. As someone who's owned multiple Fujifilm cameras (including the X100V) and the Sony a7 IV, here are my thoughts. Don't buy the X100V now while prices are so ridiculous. If you really need something now, and want to get with Fujifilm, it is possible to get it used for pretty much retail price if you get lucky, but as you said we're pretty close to the rumoured refresh (or at least the announcement of it). The X100V is a great camera for those everyday fleeting moments. It's small, but not small enough to easily put in a pocket like many people lead you to believe. The picture quality is excellent, and I wouldn't worry about APS-C vs. full-frame. It's not fully weather-sealed unless you put a filter on the lens, so keep that in mind as that adds a little more bulk.

 

The Sony is a cool little camera, but adding the 35mm GM makes it absolutely massive in comparison (look at comparison photos here), and really not in the same league — that lens costs as much as the X100V. The 40mm 2.5 is a nice little lens, and 40mm is quite nice for street/travel, but it's still a bigger setup than the X100V, so you need to decide if it's worth it for travel, etc. It has IBIS, which the Fuji doesn't, so keep that in mind. I'd also consider the Sony 35mm 1.8 over the GM if you want to keep your setup small. It's an incredible lens, and a fraction of the price of the GM.

 

I'm happy to answer any more questions if you have them, but hopefully you can figure this out based on your personal needs. One thing I'll say is that I shot with Fujifilms for many years, and then I bought an a7 IV for some product work. While it's an incredible camera on paper, I really had absolutely no inspiration to pick it up and go shooting on the street with it. I tried to love it for that, but eventually ended up selling it and getting an X-T5. The downgrade to APS-C might not be noticeable to some, and the latest Fujifilm 40 MP sensor and processor combo is incredible. Just having that in the new X100 with no other changes would make it a worthwhile upgrade, but if they somehow managed to squeeze IBIS in as well, that'd be (for me) the perfect everyday camera. Personally, I'm waiting (hoping) for an X-Pro4 with this sensor and processor, and with a few small quality of life improvements. I really hope 2024 is the year for that.

 

Good luck with the choice!