IT ALL BEGAN WITH THE X-H2S, AND THIS IS THE CONFIRMATION THAT Fujifilm is taking filmmakers seriously ”
IN PLAIN VIEW Jim Marks (above) has got his hands on a fully rigged up GFX100 II – and loves its versatile options for filmmaking
your variable ND on the front and away you go.” Though the GF Lens format makes full use of the GFX100 II’s sensor, a series of cropped-sensor modes allow users to effortlessly dip into the wider world of cinema lenses. “You start with the full sensor, then drop down to Premista, which is a tiny bit smaller. Next one down is full-frame 35mm, then the 8K 1.2:1 crop and Super 35,” says Marks. “Beyond that, we have 4K 16:9, 4K DCI, then my favourite – which is just ridiculous – 5.8K, super-wide 2.35:1. It’s like a western; it almost makes spherical look anamorphic.” On that note: with a series of native de-squeeze options available in the GFX100 II, anamorphic compatibility is
assured. “It opens up a bigger world, anamorphic,” explains Marks. “These cinema zooms and primes – they just allow an incredible amount of flexibility.” So, does Marks think the GFX100 II will be finding its way onto more film sets in the future? “It began with the X-H2S, and this is confirmation that Fujifilm is taking filmmakers incredibly seriously. The proof is in two things, though: what the picture looks like and how easy it is to use,” Marks stipulates. “And on both of those fronts, this camera does superbly – I just love the versatility.” Furthermore, Marks notes that the manufacturer has a history of pushing out firmware updates to keep its cameras at the cutting edge long after initial release. “We all know the company
practices kaizen: constant improvement. The camera has a continually evolving suite of tools, AI modes for tracking and other processes. It’s exciting.” For Marks, a cinematographer’s ability to truly express themselves and shape a visual style is inversely related to how limited they are when selecting lenses. “As you know, we often don’t have film stock any more – we have glass. It’s kind of replaced it; the look is now dictated by that. And what this camera does – whether with anamorphic or spherical – is open up that world to the DOP, or to the content creator, so they can really choose their look. It’s a real statement of intent.”
More information: fujifilm-x.com
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