The Conservation Alliance is auctioning a Fujifilm X100VI Limited Edition as a fundraiser; bidding is open: Digital Photography Review
Alongside its February launch of the highly anticipated X100VI, Fujifilm announced a special limited edition version of the camera, with only 300 units designated for distribution in the United States. Following a head-scratching process in which Fujifilm USA sold those units on its website, only to cancel many of the orders due to suspicious activity, followed by an announcement of a different plan to sell the cameras, we finally know where at least one of the units allocated to the US market ended up.
Fujifilm donated it to The Conservation Alliance, an organization founded in 1989 by outdoor industry leaders Patagonia, The North Face, REI, and Kelty, which funds and advocates for the protection of North America’s wild places. The organization plans to auction the camera as a fundraiser, with proceeds going to support its mission, so it’s an opportunity to acquire the camera while also donating to a good cause.
Fujifilm isn’t flying solo on this project, with Peak Design and SmugMug jumping into the mix to support the effort. As a result, auction participants can bid on a package that includes the X100VI Limited Edition, a Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod, Everyday Backpack 30L, Capture Clip and Slide Lite camera strap, and 30-year memberships to both SmugMug Pro and Flickr Pro.
Before you pooh-pooh this as a way to get your hands on the Limited Edition X100VI, this could be an interesting approach to doing so, particularly if you’re a SmugMug or Flickr user or have an interest in Peak Design products. In addition to the limited edition camera, which retails for $2,000, the combined retail value of the Peak Design products is $1,035. SmugMug and Flickr don’t offer 30-year subscriptions, but if you were to prepay for 30 years of SmugMug Pro and Flickr Pro service at today’s prices, it would total $13,535.
At the time of this writing, the highest bid for the package is $3,400, which hasn’t met the auction’s reserve price, and it will undoubtedly go up before the auction ends on April 24. But if you’re a committed SmugMug Pro user with plans to use the service for years into the future, it might be an opportunity to lock in your service at a discount, depending on how high the bidding goes.
The auction’s website doesn’t mention any geographic restrictions, though if you’re outside the US, there could be the additional cost of import duties to consider.
It would be a roundabout way of acquiring an X100VI Limited Edition camera. Still, for those who really want to get their hands on one, this presents one possible option – as long as you also value the other included products and services.
