Big test
FujifilmGFX 50S II
PRICE: £3499
FUJIFILM.COM/UK
The latest Fujifilm camera launch brings the joy of medium format photography within easier reach than ever, but the GFX 50S II is far more than a budget option
SPECS › Prices GFX 50S II body £3499, body with GF35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR £3899 › In the box Camera, strap, body cap, battery, mains plug, USB-C lead, cable holder › Sensor 51.4 megapixels, Bayer array, X-Processor 4 › Sensor format 43.8x32.9mm, 8256x6192 pixels (4:3), 8256x5504 (3:2), 8256x4640 (16:9), 6192x6192 (1:1), 8256x3048 (65:24), 7744x6192 (5:4), 7232x6192 (7:6) › Lens mount G Mount › ISO range Stills 100-12,800, expansion to ISO 50 and 25,600, 51,200 and 102,400. Movie 200-6400 › Shutter range Mechanical shutter 30secs to 1/4000sec, flash sync 1/125sec, bulb to 60mins. Electronic shutter 30secs to 1/16,000sec, bulb to 60mins › Drive modes 3fps continuous high › Exposure system TTL 256 zones. PASM. Multi, spot, average and centre-weighted › Exposure compensation +/-5EV in still shooting › Monitor 3.2in tilt-type touchscreen, 2.36m dots › Sub monitor 1.8in mono LCD › Viewfinder 0.5in OLED, 3.69m dots › Focusing system TTL contrast AF, face/eye detection › Focus points Single AF 13x9, 25x17. Zone AF 3x3, 5x5, 7x7. Wide/tracking AF › Image stabiliser Five-axis image sensor shift compensation, 6.5EV benefit. Digital IS and IS Mode Boost in movie mode only › Video Full HD 1920x1080 29.97p, 25p, 24p, 23.98p. 50Mbps, up to 120mins › Movie format MOV, MPEG-4 › Video compression Long GOP › Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C, HDMI Micro connector (Type D) › Other key features 19 film simulation modes, grain effect, Color Chrome, Color Chrome Blue, Smooth Skin Effect, dynamic range setting, interval timer. Pixel Shift Multi-Shot function to produce 200-megapixel files in software › Storage media Two SD UHS-II › Battery NP-W235 Li-ion,
“GIVENTHE LARGE IMAGE SENSOR HOUSED INSIDE, THE GFX 50S II IS SURPRISINGLY COMPACT”
EOS 5D Mark IV and Nikon D850. Of course, it’s a different matter when it comes to lenses, as you would expect given the larger image circle needed to cover the GF format. But the new GF35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR is compact for a medium format standard zoom. In the hands, the camera and lens combo feels solid and nicely balanced. A broad right handgrip and raised rear protrusion for the thumb mean getting a stable, secure grip is no problem at all. The on/off switch is on a collar around the shutter button that makes one-handed operation feasible. Carry the camera in the hand and, by the time you have lifted it to the eye,
no mistake, in these challenging times this is still a significant sum of money, but Fujifilm has broken a price barrier with its new camera – and in a very impressive manner. The GFX 50S II is an amalgam of existing Fujifilm cameras. Its body is the same as the £5499 GFX 100S, with the only external difference being the GFX 50S II logo on the left side, while the 51.4-megapixel sensor is from the GFX 50S/50R. Using its resources and technologies so efficiently is clearly one reason why this new camera is so keenly priced. The GFX format is 43.8x32.9mm, 1.7x larger than full-frame, so that does mean bodies and lenses are correspondingly bigger, too. Given the large image sensor housed inside, however, the GFX 50S II is surprisingly compact, and comparable in size to full-frame DSLRs like the Canon
WORDS AND IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
THE CAMERA MARKET landscape has changed significantly in recent times, as manufacturers try to outdo each other for business. Canon, Sony and Nikon now offer flagship full-frame mirrorless cameras that cost in excess of £5k. Fujifilm’s latest medium format digital camera, the GFX 50S II, is £3499 body-only. Or, with a new 35-70mm standard zoom on offer, it comes in at £3899. Make
gives 455 stills approx › Dimensions (wxhxd) 150x104.2x87.2mm › Weight 900g with battery and card › Contact fujifilm.com/uk
Photography News | Issue 94
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