GEAR REVIEWS
Cinematographers Nick Morris and Ailsa Aikoa get to grips with the hotly anticipated Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55
T he Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 features a large 43.8x32.9mm sensor with a 4:3 aspect ratio, placing it in a distinctive position between full-frame and modern 65mm systems. By sensor width, it’s approximately 23% smaller than the ALEXA 65 and around 19% larger than the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF – offering a format that sits somewhere between established categories. The 4:3 sensor makes it perfect for 2x anamorphic shooting, and we both expect to see a lot of medium format anamorphic work using this camera. In terms of recording modes, Fujifilm offers a wide selection, including 4:3 Open Gate to take advantage of the full sensor; GF DCI which gives you full width in 16:9; Premista DCI that focuses on the image circle of Fujifilm’s own Premista lens range; 35mm DCI for simple full-frame shooting; 8K Mode which prioritises the highest-resolution output while being slightly smaller than full-frame and Super 35 mode. Where the Eterna 55’s ambitions become more clearly defined is in its recording options. For many high-end workflows across commercials, features
and HETV, 12-bit recording is desirable. The Eterna 55 tops out at 10-bit ProRes 422 HQ internally, with the option for 12-bit Raw available externally. While this will be sufficient for a range of productions, the 10-bit internal ceiling may give some higher-end users pause, particularly for more-demanding grading pipelines. Given the size of its sensor, the camera comes in a surprisingly compact form factor. In the hand, it feels like something between a Sony FX6 and a Sony VENICE. Its longer, rectangular body departs from the cube-style designs common elsewhere, and features various user buttons and dials that can provide an intuitive approach to camera control. The top handle is particularly well considered and can slide along a captive rail for optimal balance, while also featuring a thumb rocker, run/stop button and rotating, multifunction dial that can be assigned to focus, zoom, iris or the stepless internal electronic ND. The Eterna 55 is clearly targeting a range of users with its G Mount base, allowing adaptation to traditional cinema lenses with G-to-PL or LPL mounts, while also supporting stills and prosumer
lenses with electronic control. Testing the camera with an LPL mount and Kipon’s LPL-Mamiya 0.7x focal reducer, we were able to see the full image circle of our medium format Mamiya primes. The G Mount has a locking flange which beds your mount of choice solidly to the camera body, so there was no play at all in our LPL set-up. The internal electronic variable ND will be a major selling point for many users, and the image remains impressively free of colour shifts across the ND range. The filter begins at two stops from clear, then adjusts smoothly up to seven stops (2.1 ND) in extremely fine 0.015 ND increments. These steps are small enough to allow exposure adjustments to be made mid- take, although a keen eye may still notice subtle stepping. The body feels robust while remaining pleasantly lightweight, and it’s clearly designed to transition between self- shooting, ENG-style set-ups, stripped- back gimbal builds and larger studio configurations. On the operator’s side of the camera, there is a second programmable, rotating multifunction dial, which feels intuitive for adjusting exposure with the ND on the fly. An excellent feature is the internal hot- swap battery located above the media slots. This battery charges automatically when external power is connected (via a V-Lock or similar), and will keep the camera alive for up to 30 minutes if the main battery is removed or fails. It not only protects the shot, but also allows battery changes without powering down. It’s a feature we’d love to see standardised across more cinema
THE ETERNA 55 OFFERS GENUINE IMAX-CERTIFIED large format credibility ”
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