Fujifilm GFX 100
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Re: Fujifilm GFX 100Reply #3 on: June 26, 2019 at 7:27 pm
I went to the Fuji “hands on” with the GFX 100 at Camera West in Rancho Mirage, CA, on Monday afternoon. Spent a couple of hours configuring and then shooting with a pre-production (but pretty close to final) unit. One caveat – the lenses did not have the necessary firmware update that enables the PDAF. Even so the AF was pretty decent.
I know people throw about the “game-changer” word a lot these days – but I think this camera deserves the appellation. I was shooting inside the shop at 1/10th of a second, hand held, and getting RAZOR sharp images (electronic first curtain shutter). The idea of shooting “off hand” with a medium format camera indoors in low light felt almost weird. The ergonomics are better than my GFX 50s w/ grip. Camera is actually thinner (lacks the “box” that sticks out behind the 50s), albeit a tiny bit wider. So close in height as to be not worth mentioning (50s w/ grip). Vertical grip has received some questioning remarks re no “rubberized” stuff on it. I wondered myself. In reality the bottom of the body does have a large patch of rubberized material, and the “paint” of the grip is more tactile than it appears in photos. To wit: the vertical grip is fine. It’s profile “in the hand” is a little different than the horizontal grip, but muscle memory will take care of that in no time at all. In addition, Really Right Stuff has posted a YouTube video of the design of their L-plate for the GFX 100 and they are taking an approach that will actually improve the “shape” of the vertical grip. It looks pretty impressive in its own right and will have two attachment points to the camera. The first being the traditional 1/4-20 at the bottom, but they are also implementing an attachment on the “L” of the plate that will somehow attach to the camera’s strap lug! Pretty clever. And the strap lugs are the traditional eyelets – Fuji having abandoned (thank goodness) the Hassy style ones on the GFS 50s that are awful for several reasons (even though I liked that style on my old film cameras).
Shutter release is “leaf spring” type like the Fuji X-H1, but a little less “hair-trigger” – so in my opinion about perfect. Shutter is “quiet for a medium format camera.” Sub monitor LCD is very customizable and big enough to see easily even for an old dude with glasses (that would be me). The exposure comp button can be set to “switch” mode (in addition to “press and hold”) so that one can just turn it on and have the rear sub-dial (command wheel) be permanently EC control. That’s my preference since I shoot mainly aperture priority and tweak exposure w/ EC. Lots of customizable buttons. The touch LCD display can be almost limitlessly configured to work like the D-pad buttons that are missing on this camera. Touch implementation seems better than my X-H1.
Camera does have Bluetooth, which allows the Fuji remote phone app to have a “shutter release” only function (with a lock for long exposure work). Brilliant and makes your phone a truly functional remote release. Also for wired release, they put the 2.5mm jack on the right side (facing the back of the camera). “What a concept.” LOL Every other camera I’ve owned has all the ports under a hatch on the left side where it gets trapped under the L-plate and attaching a wired remote becomes a “thread the needle” through some small hole or slot and a total PITA. No more!
Fit and finish are excellent as one would expect.
I came away more impressed and excited than before. The Fuji reps there said that Fuji has “way underestimated” the initial demand for the body and that known pre-orders exceeded their expectations “by a bunch.” Said that if one isn’t near the top on someone’s pre-order list, “It might be a while until they get one.” With any luck, I may have mine tomorrow or Friday (27-28th).
And it almost goes without saying but the detail captured is stunning.
A friend of mine who was with me shot this image of a model they had at the event. While only a jpeg (he didn’t realize the camera he was using was set to jpeg only) and now a crushed down small one at that, zoom into Amanda’s left eye and check out the level of depth and detail in the fibers of her iris!
Attached photo by Stephen Batis.
That’s it…
Rand
Rand Scott Adams Rand47
Re: Fujifilm GFX 100Reply #11 on: June 26, 2019 at 8:09 pmThanks Rand, that is very encouraging, also considering the price point for those specs. Fuji lenses are also very highly reputed from my understanding – haven’t used them myself so I don’t know first-hand.
Mark,
I’m using the 23, 45, 32-64, 110, 120 & 250 on my GFX 50s. They are all absolutely outstanding and certainly some of the, if not the best lenses I’ve ever used. Fuji says they designed these lenses from the start to resolve for 100+ megapixels and I believe it. The 32-64 is the best zoom lens I’ve ever used, for certain – and the 45mm is insanely sharp corner to corner from wide open.
Rand
Nice! Thanks for the reports. Makes me begin to think. At my age and for my needs, I’ve been slimming down rather than ramping up, but as technology evolves one needs to constantly rethink and re-evaluate.
Mark,
I, as well! I had both knees replaced a few years ago and “lightened ship” afterward. I’m now 72 and last year it dawned on me that “If you’re ever going to get what you’ve truly always wanted . . . (and can ‘afford’ w/o selling organs), now’s the time!“ So I sold off most of my smaller Fuji X gear and most other photo gear I owned and went to the GFX 50s and lenses. I’ve not been sorry one bit for the extra size and weight. What comes out of the printer is glorious on a whole new level and very satisfying.
Besides, which, I think it is Edward Weston who is quoted as saying something like, there are no good photographs more than 100’ from your car. LOL
Rand
Rand Scott Adams Rand47
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