The hidden advantages that no one mentions – A comparison between Fujifilm’s 26-megapixel and 40-megapixel sensors. As everyone knows, I am a loyal fan of the Fujifilm 40-megapixel sensor. In fact, in my previous wishlist for the Fujifilm X-E5, I mentioned that I would be very willing to pay a higher price if it were equipped with a 40-megapixel sensor instead of a 26-megapixel one. But to be fair, the 26-megapixel sensor paired with the X Processor 5 – such as the combination used in the Fujifilm X-S20 – is also an excellent combination with its obvious advantages. Advantages of the 26-megapixel sensor:
- Faster sensor readout speed → and all the benefits that come with it, such as reduced jelly effect
- Lower battery consumption
- More affordable price
The immense potential of the X Processor 5 combined with the non-stacked 26-megapixel sensor. However, today I want to focus on an interesting point mentioned by Alik Griffin in two of his articles, where he compares the files from his Fujifilm X100V (26-megapixel) and X100VI (40-megapixel). At first glance, you might think that the main reason for choosing the X100VI is the higher resolution. But Alik points out a completely different advantage that makes the 40-megapixel sensor shine. This is an aspect that is rarely mentioned. Resolution: When using a tripod, even at smaller apertures, the X100VI shows a significant detail improvement compared to the X100V – this is enough to justify the upgrade for tripod-required work. Noise characteristics (and their surprisingly important significance): What truly impressed Alik was not just the resolution, but the characteristics of the noise. Here are some of his observations:
- The finer and tighter noise of the X100VI is far more pleasing in post-processing than the noise of the older model.
- A slight resolution increase, combined with finer noise and better overall fidelity, makes this upgrade worthwhile.
- More beautiful noise, with cleaner skin tones and clearer colors.
- The X100VI retains shadow details better and avoids color smearing.
- All images look better – not just at ISO 6400, but even at lower ISOs.
- The noise pattern of the X100VI is better, making it easier to clean up with noise reduction features.
- In addition to the increased detail, the tighter pixel spacing and improved noise lead to significantly better image fidelity.
One more thing… There is a common belief that more pixels perform worse in low light. However, top industry experts and professionals disagree with this statement: Fujifilm’s 40-megapixel sensor? No need to worry about low-light performance, as more pixels actually benefit it (but not for…).
