Fujifilm’s new 102-megapixel camera is the size of a classic DSLR

Due to its size and weight, you wouldn’t guess there was a medium format sensor inside. (Fujifilm /)

In 2019, Fujifilm released its first entry into the 100-megapixel medium-format camera space. The GFX 100 was a beastly $ 10,000 body with a built-in grip style body similar to a professional DSLR like the Canon 1D X Mark III or the Nikon D6. This week, however, the company made great strides in making medium-high-resolution format more accessible with the GFX 100S. It has a 44 x 33mm sensor (which is larger than the full frame) with 102 megapixel resolution, but the cost has dropped to $ 6,000, and the camera is actually smaller than some models without it. mirror. Full frame that exist.

The form factor is similar to the GFX 50S, which does not have an integrated handle. This reduces the weight of the GFX 100S to just under two pounds, about a third of a pound more than Canon’s R5 mirrorless camera. From a volume perspective, the GFX 100S

it’s slightly smaller than Panasonic’s S1R, despite Fujifilm’s larger sensor.

Technical specifications

The 102-megapixel sensor inside the GFX 100S is the same as that of the older, larger GFX 100. It uses the Fujifilm G format, which is larger than the full frame format, which is not as large as the medium format. sensors found in other high-end equipment made by companies like Phase One.

This sensor is now in an image stabilization system that promises up to 6 stops of vibration reduction. Combined with a body that’s much lighter than its thicker big brother, this should make it easier to get crisp images when shooting with a tripod. Since stabilization moves the sensor around the body, it also enables a high-resolution shooting mode that combines multiple shots with the sensor at different positions to create a 400-megapixel image with absurd levels of resolution.

In normal shooting modes, the GFX 100S can capture up to 5 frames per second, recording to a pair of UHS-II SD card slots. It uses the same battery as the X-T4 mirrorless camera, and Fujifilm claims you’ll get an impressive 460 shots on a single charge, but this will obviously vary depending on screen usage and shooting modes. view you choose.

Visor

The original GFX system, which debuted in 2016, had a modular viewfinder that could be opened depending on how you preferred to hold the camera. In an effort to make the new body smaller, the 3.69 million dot OLED viewfinder is fixed in place. Shooters can choose to optimize the viewfinder for detail by maximizing resolution or increasing the refresh rate for smoother movement when composing shots. The 3.2-inch touchscreen on the back has two tilt axes and a resolution of 2.36 million dots, which is nothing out of the ordinary.

Video mode

It is unlikely that many people will buy this camera primarily for video recording, but Fujifilm has made some improvements to its motion recording capabilities. You can extract 4K images at 30 fps and send raw images up to 12 bit to an external recorder via built-in HDMI. That might sound pretty insignificant compared to the 8K ambitions of cameras like the Sony Alpha 1 and Canon R5, but they’re very different cameras. If you want to shoot a lot of videos, don’t buy a 100-megapixel medium-format camera.

How does it compare to your competition?

Thanks to timing and price, the GFX 100S has already made some initial comparisons to the Sony Alpha 1, but they’re two very different cameras. Sony records a substantial amount of 50 megapixels, but its biggest emphasis is on speed – it can shoot 30 full resolution frames per second for about 150 frames in total, making it capable in fast-paced action situations like sport events. With its 5 fps frame rate and massive file sizes, the GFX 100S is best suited for portrait and commercial photographers.

However, this larger sensor and higher resolution are useful in creating a specific look. The GFX 100S will have more pronounced depth of field effects and the super high resolution allows shooters to use the center of the frame and crop later, taking advantage of the sharper area of ​​the lens.

Compared to the older GFX 100, the 100S seems much more viable for weddings and other types of portrait photography, which require holding a camera for long periods of time. The 100S is over a pound lighter than the 3-pound GFX 100, which is a huge difference when trying not to destroy your wrists and forearms.

Slow GF80mm f / 1.7

In addition to its new body, Fujifilm also announced a new short portrait lens to go with it. The GF80mm f / 1.7 has the same field of view as a 63mm lens on a full frame camera. This quick aperture combined with a 9-blade aperture should create extremely smooth blur effects in out of focus areas. It consists of 12 elements divided into nine groups and weighs approximately 1.7 pounds.

It is not cheap; You can expect to shell out $ 2,229 when it hits the market, but that’s the world of high-end lenses. It’s the same price as Canon’s 50mm f / 1.2 full-frame RF lens, which doesn’t have to cover such a large sensor.

Look for the GF80mm f1.7 and GFX 100S to start shipping in the coming months.