Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
As a photographer and filmmaker, I want to share why I've been shooting black and white on the Fuji X100VI, and why that decision has become increasingly important to me.
Almost every camera sensor has a built-in IR-cut filter. Our eyes aren't sensitive to infrared light, so cameras are generally built to block it out and represent the world the way we actually see it. My work cameras, the Sony A1 and A1 II, do this the way most cameras do, reliably, fast, exactly what I need for client work.
The X100VI is different. Fuji's built-in IR filter doesn't fully block infrared light the way other brands' do. So when I add an external R72 filter to the lens, which blocks almost all visible light, the small amount of infrared that gets through has a real path to the sensor. The exposure is quite dark, but the image that comes through is unlike anything my main setup produces, without ever having to physically modify the sensor.
For a self-employed creative, staying genuinely engaged with the craft matters as much as the work itself. This camera has become part of how I do that, whether I'm out shooting around Phuket or working on a larger project elsewhere in Thailand.
This video is about that: why I keep choosing to shoot this way, and what the constraint actually does to the work.
00:00 – Why Black & White in 2026?
00:13 – The Infrared Filter Experiment (Fuji X100VI)
01:02 – Originality & The Helsinki Bus Station Theory
02:34 – "Stay on the F***ing Bus": Finding Your Voice
02:50 – Influences: James Nachtwey & The Moral Frame
03:14 – Richard Avedon & The American West: No Context Portraits
04:18 – The "Clerks" Effect: When Monochrome was a Necessity
05:07 – Choosing Limitation: The Commitment to No Color
05:28 – My First Video: Using Black & White for Damage Control
06:07 – The Cut to Color: When the Moment Becomes Real
06:24 – Final Thoughts: When the Route Finally Splits
Slog3 LUT:
buymeacoffee.com/egillbjarki/e/91819
Optimised for Sony 10bit 422 (Sony A7SIII, A7IV, A1, FX6, FX3, ZV-E1). Any Sony camera with Slog3 Picture Profile (SL3SG3C to s709).
Instagram:
instagram.com/egill_bjarki
Portfolio:
https://egillbjarki.cargo.site
As a photographer and filmmaker, I want to share why I've been shooting black and white on the Fuji X100VI, and why that decision has become increasingly important to me.
Almost every camera sensor has a built-in IR-cut filter. Our eyes aren't sensitive to infrared light, so cameras are generally built to block it out and represent the world the way we actually see it. My work cameras, the Sony A1 and A1 II, do this the way most cameras do, reliably, fast, exactly what I need for client work.
The X100VI is different. Fuji's built-in IR filter doesn't fully block infrared light the way other brands' do. So when I add an external R72 filter to the lens, which blocks almost all visible light, the small amount of infrared that gets through has a real path to the sensor. The exposure is quite dark, but the image that comes through is unlike anything my main setup produces, without ever having to physically modify the sensor.
For a self-employed creative, staying genuinely engaged with the craft matters as much as the work itself. This camera has become part of how I do that, whether I'm out shooting around Phuket or working on a larger project elsewhere in Thailand.
This video is about that: why I keep choosing to shoot this way, and what the constraint actually does to the work.
00:00 – Why Black & White in 2026?
00:13 – The Infrared Filter Experiment (Fuji X100VI)
01:02 – Originality & The Helsinki Bus Station Theory
02:34 – "Stay on the F***ing Bus": Finding Your Voice
02:50 – Influences: James Nachtwey & The Moral Frame
03:14 – Richard Avedon & The American West: No Context Portraits
04:18 – The "Clerks" Effect: When Monochrome was a Necessity
05:07 – Choosing Limitation: The Commitment to No Color
05:28 – My First Video: Using Black & White for Damage Control
06:07 – The Cut to Color: When the Moment Becomes Real
06:24 – Final Thoughts: When the Route Finally Splits
Slog3 LUT:
buymeacoffee.com/egillbjarki/e/91819
Optimised for Sony 10bit 422 (Sony A7SIII, A7IV, A1, FX6, FX3, ZV-E1). Any Sony camera with Slog3 Picture Profile (SL3SG3C to s709).
Instagram:
instagram.com/egill_bjarki
Portfolio:
https://egillbjarki.cargo.site
