First look 15
Photography News | Issue 67 | photographynews.co.uk
Highlights
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102-megapixel resolution 43.8x32.9mm BSI sensor, 11,648x4304 pixels In-body image stabilisation (IBIS) with up to 5.5EV benefit X-Processor 4 engine Hybrid contrast/phase detect AF Face and eye detect AF
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AF down to -2EV 2 x SD card slots
100-12,800 native ISO range 5fps continuous shooting
4K/30p video
Dust- and weather- resistant build Two LCD sub monitors 5.76 million dot EVF
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Left A contrasty urban scene was handled by the GFX100 fitted with the 100-200mm f/5.6 zoom with multi-segment metering and aperture-priority delivering a spot on exposure. Exposure was 1/220sec at f/10, ISO 200 Below A handheld low-light exposure shot with the 45mm f/2.8 lens. Exposure settings were 1/160sec at f/7.1, ISO 3200
I have used the other GFXmodels quite a bit and it’s interesting that the three models have different design philosophies and handling characteristics while retaining a strong family resemblance and great usability. The GFX 50S has a deeper body and an optional slide-on waist- level viewfinder; the GFX 50R is reminiscent of film rangefinder cameras, with portability a major selling point. And now the GFX100, which has design and handling akin to a deep-bodied, full-frame DSLR that can take two batteries. During the day I took 511 images and a fewminutes of 4Kvideo. By the day’s end, I had just about flattened two batteries. Fujifilm claims 800 shots with two batteries, but it is true that I spent a while exploring menus and reviewing shots and I’m certain the batteries were not fully
charged when I received the camera in the first place, so I have no reason to dispute the capacity figure. The GFX has a USB-C port and you can use this to charge the batteries with a 30 watt power bank. I am used to electronic viewfinders and I certainly enjoyed those of the Nikon Z 7 and Panasonic S1R cameras, where actually, after a while you do not even notice that they are not optical. The GFX100 can be added to the list. With its 5.76 million dot resolution, the rendering of finely detailed scenes is remarkably impressive. That said, I did find on my sample that the camera did take a beat to adjust when panning from dark to very bright scenes, and vice versa. The high-resolution EVF does give the option to magnify into the image by 24x during focus check.
If there is one negative with the EVF, it is the finder itself, which protrudes far back enough so it just physically gets in the way and obscures the image if you’reusing the monitor for the low angle or waist- level shooting. I did a fewstreet shots in Tokyo with the GFX100 at waist level and the EVF did get in the way. It is true, however, that I could have slipped the finder off, but in the heat of the moment that didn’t cross my mind. User error! Autofocusing with the hybrid contrast/phase detect was good. Fujifilm claims a 200% faster autofocus speed with the GFX100 with the 45mm f/2.8 and 63mm f/2.8 lens, and 150% faster with telephotos, including the 110mm f/2.8 and 120mm f/4. Doing side-by-side tests with the GFX 50R and the lenses I had,
I saw a significant benefit in the GFX100’s system in terms of speed, sensitivity and sure-footedness. The phase detect system–which features 3.76million dots embedded across the image sensor – seemed to get the focus in just about the right place, then there was a little twitch as the
contrast detect kicked in to confirm focus. AF was smooth, too, and certainly quick when going from a near to a far subject and vice versa. During my time shooting stills with the GFX100, I used mostly either single zone or zone AF and went wide zone and touchscreen
LCD submonitor
Images The GFX100 has a large LCD sub monitor. Here you can have it as a general camera information readout display, showing virtual ISO and shutter speed dials or a large histogram. In general read-out mode, there is plenty of chance to customise what information you want showing. With the virtual ISO/shutter dials, adjusting settings is done by the front and rear input dials
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