Fujifilm GFX100 II Autofocus Tests, GF55mmF1.7 and GF Tilt Shift Reviews – The Latest and Greatest GFX Roundup

This is a roundup about the latest and greatest Fujifilm GFX gear.

GFX100 II Blog Posts

  • zhuanlan (Chinese) – GFX100II test. Shows person running towards camera and they got “at least” 80% hit rate
  • benosaradzic – Fujifilm GFX100II, the best medium format camera just got better
  • peterziegler – Sabawald with GFX50R
  • blog.kasson – GFX100 II pixel shift
  • alikgriffin – Kipon Baveyes Contax 645-GFX AF 0.8X Adapter Review (used on GFX100 II)

GF Lenses Blog Posts

Videos (GFX100 II + latest GF Lenses)

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Fujifilm X Summit February 20 :: Fujifilm GFX25 Rumors :: Fujifilm X-T6 Talks :: My Biggest Fujifilm 2023 Disappointment and More – Top 10 December Articles

Here are the most read articles for December.

  1. What to Expect from Fujifilm in 2024 (and What Probably Not)
  2. Fujifilm 2024: A Look Ahead Between Rumors and Speculations (X-Pro4, X100R, X-E5, X-T40, New XF Lenses, GFX Future)
  3. Fujifilm GFX25: High-Speed 25.44MP, 12fps, Oversampled DCI 4K/60p (no Crop) and the Return of a Wrong Rumor
  4. Fujifilm X-T6 in 2024? Let’s Talk about it!
  5. I was WRONG about Fujifilm X100V Successor – RUMOR CORRECTION
  6. These are the 17 New Autofocus Lenses we Got for Fujifilm X in 2023
  7. Capture One offers FREE Fujifilm RAW Converter for Fujifilm Users
  8. LEAKED: This is the Date of the Next Fujifilm X Summit
  9. My Biggest Fujifilm Disappointment of 2023
  10. Best Selling (Fujifilm related) Gear 2023

Runner Up

Honorable Mentions

100% Rumors Only at our YouTube Channel

Top 3 Cameras Fujifilm Should Make for Instant Success (X and GFX)

We recently told you that Fujifilm is preparing a huge start in 2024:

Now, of course most of the talk and speculations in our previous articles was gravitating around successors to existing camera lines.

And it makes a whole of sense to focus on refreshes of current cameras, nothing prohibits us to dream big and think and completely different cameras.

So what I will do is to share three cameras that I think would turn out to be an instant and massive success for Fujifilm.

And I am not talking of weird and risky concepts. I am talking of cameras that would sell very well for sure in my opinion.

So, let’s go through them and let me think what you think about.

Also, feel free to drop your own ideas in the comments.

Top 3 Cameras Fujifilm Hasn’t Made Yet

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Fujifilm GFX100 II X Lab Development Story

Fujifilm has shared their Fujifilm GFX100 II centric X Lab episodes.

All Japanese. Google struggles to translate. It’s a pain…

A pain you don’t have to go through. It’s enough if I went through it and summed it up for you.

X Lab Episode 40

  • after using the GFX100S (small and lightweight compared to the original GFX100), the developers knew they wanted also the new flagship GFX100II to be smaller and lighter
  • usually flagship cameras have an integrated battery grip. Fujifilm wanted to make sure that it does not “lose its dignity” as flagship camera even if it has no integrated battery grip
  • the original GFX100 being bigger also gave more design freedom
  • Fujfiilm designed the optional grip in a way that, when attached, it sticks very rigidly to the body (it has a little hook on the border of the grip that snaps into the camera body for solid integration)
  • main target are professionals
  • when designing, 3 Fujifilm designer held a design competition to develop and 3D print several concepts
  • they also interviewed photographers to ask about the various concepts
  • 11 degree tilted top plate
  • Bishamon-Tex texture with tradition Japanese pattern inspired by Bishamon tortoise shell
  • people in the factory initially had problems to apply the new Bishamon texture to the camera
  • coating that does not scratch
  • larger top screen that displays differently if you are in video or stills. Especially the video display has been significantly revised

X Lab Episode 41

  • 9.44mDot and 1.0x magnification EVF
  • designed in a way that even if you move the eye away from viewfinder, the image will not get distorted. That’s not mentioned in the specs, but is something engineers have put lots of effort into creating
  • if for users the EVF is too big, you can make the EVF image smaller in the settings. Might be useful for example for people who wear glasses
  • initially they designed the GFX100II with fixed EVF to keep it more compact, but they listened to people and realized it was quite loved by photographers to have the tilt EVF option
  • full size HDMI and Ethernet port
  • Ethernet port has quite an impact on the internal design of the GFX100II. It would be complicated to implement it on the X-H cameras.
  • The IBIS Unit had to be redesigned in order to fit in the Ethernet port
  • they struggled until the end to decide where to put the headphone jack, at the end due to space constraints they decided to put it on the grip side
  • grip is designed slightly more inwards towards the top
  • they needed to redesign the tilt mechanism of the screen to make it compatible with the cooling fan
  • created as a piece of equipment to be used by professionals
  • refinements on the buttons, the mode dial etc.
  • better placement of the MCS focus switch (easier to reach and operate with thumb and also with gloves)

X Lab Episode 42

  • First Fujifilm GFX50S was a mid-range machine and it took long to arrive to that shape (admin note: remember the protruding back)
  • they decided for medium format sensor (admin note: the true story on how they decided to go medium format instead of full frame can be read here)
  • medium format cameras up until then were very expensive and for business use
  • Fujifilm wanted to create a camera that can be used also by the general public
  • biggest factor was size and weight of GFX50S
  • Fujifilm wanted to make it as small as a full frame DSLR
  • the most important thing about designing the GFX50S was how to make it easy to hold in the hands, so they spent a lot of time talking about the grip
  • they argued also on how wide it should be to assure enough space between grip and a large lens, so that you can still handle it nicely without a large lens getting in the ways of your fingers
  • so they cut the side of the GFX50S and inserted several thin plates to make it larger and saw how much wider it had to be (see image here)
  • GFX100 there were a lot of challenges to overcome
  • First GFX with IBIS (and X-H1 was first X series with IBIS)
  • integrated battery grip allowed to put batteries on the bottom
  • once the GFX100 was done, Fujifilm thought they needed a way to make it smaller, and to make the shutter mechanism smaller (admin note: that takes a lot of space in the camera)
  • they created the GFX100S
  • smaller motors (see GFX100S shutter vs GFX50R shutter in this image)
  • smaller shutter allowed it to keep IBIS, a smaller IBIS unit
  • they also used a smaller and yet powerful battery, the NP-W235
  • smaller shutter, smaller IBIS and smaller battery made the GFX100S possible
  • GFX100II is undoubtedly a flagship model
  • optional battery grip allows for 3 batteries total
  • Fujifilm wanted to offer a great photographic experience
  • 3 function buttons placed conveniently behind the shutter release button
  • top LCD has evolved to match the needs of photographers: larger, more pixels, changed shape to match the UI and just overall improved ease of use

X Lab Episode 43

  • they talk about the design of the grip again across various GFX models
  • they talk about the amazing resolution starting from the original GFX50S
  • initially models didn’t like it, because too much resolution, but then Fujifilm added the Skin Smooth Effect

Get Yours

Original Videos

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Fujifilm Manager: The End of Entry Level (X-E line?), X100V Successor, APS-C and GFX Full Frame Alternative, Market Share and More

image courtesy: Phototrend
image courtesy: Phototrend

The French website Phototrend had the opportunity to interview Franck Bernard, Director of the imaging division at Fujifilm France. You can read the full interview here and the summary below.

  • Fujifilm GFX100II and the new GF lenses were well received
  • Fujifilm’s strategy is to grip full frame between their APS-C and Medium Format bodies
  • When asked if X-H2S is popular among sports photographers, the manager said that the road is long. It’s not only a question of having the best product, but also of having the entire ecosystem
  • Overall market share in France? As far as hybrid cameras goes (full frame excluded), Fujifilm is market leader with 26% over the last 12 months
  • X-T5 is the best seller followed by X-T30II and X-S20/X-S10
  • the photo market is sustainable and will always remain so
  • smartphones accelerate the demand for cameras because at some point people will want to use a real camera for better quality
  • it’s too early to talk about an X100V successor
  • It has now been 3 years since the X100V was released and Fujifilm does not have a fixed renewal cycle forcing them to change bodies every three years
  • the demand for X100V is still high
  • “If we have decided to stop entry-level products such as X-T200 or X-E4, it is because it is not promising as a market“
  • but Fujifilm wants to keep more affordable models in the lineup (see X-T30)
  • third party lenses can have negative effect on Fujinon lens sales, but Fujifilm thinks they have the quality to compete with Sigma, Tamron and Co
  • Fujifilm is neutral in regards to third party lenses. They don’t oppose nor push them and they respect them

I’d like to make some considerations.

Fujifilm X-E Line

The French manager hinted that they dropped the X-E line, but that pretty much does not fit with the hints recently a Japanese Fujifilm manager gave us here. And also Fuji Guy Billy mentioned here the X-E line as a line that would continue (unlike X-T***, X-A* lines, which btw were just Fujifilm branded Xacti cameras since a long time anyway, as we reported here).

Fujifilm X100V successor

No, it’s not too early to talk about it.

Third party Lenses

The French Fujifilm manager said they are neutral towards third party lenses. Although I remember Fujifilm managers inviting Sigma managers and talking about Sigma lenses for example here. So this gives me the impression Fujifilm is quite positive overall towards third party lenses.

The French manager said they think they have the quality to compete with third party lenses. This depends. The newest third party lenses from Viltrox & Co are quite phenomenal for the price. Maybe here and there they might not match the quality of the top of the line most modern Fujinon XF lenses, but there are quality options also from third parties.

The real and most important factors, for me, to use as much as possible native Fujinon lenses are two:

  • lots of third party lenses do not have an aperture ring
  • color consistency among Fujinon glass. And since a Film Simulation are a big deal for me, I like Velvia & Co to look consistent across the various lenses I use. There are for example third party lenses, like my manual focus Samyang 12mmF2, that are very lovely, but the colors they give me are not the ones I consistently get with my Fujinon lenses.

These are for me the two main reasons why I mostly stick with Fujinon XF and GF glass, although I own third party lenses for both systems, too.

My Personal Gear

Sony World Photography Award Winner Tests Fujifilm GFX100II “I was Dubious, but GFX100II is Bridging the Autofocus Gap with Full Frame”

Josselin Cornou, member of our gigantic Fujifilm GFX group and “heavy Sony user” (as he called himself), was able to test the Fujifilm GFX100II for two weeks.

He shared his impressions in this post, where he answers also questions members have.

He was very impressed by the Fujifilm GFX100 II, so much so that he says:

I finally come to the conclusion that the GFX can fully suits my photo + video needs

The GFX100 II behaved similarly to an A7r5, offering a very similar same type of specs – and similar shutter lag.

I ended up preordering the camera. While this is still 100MP, this is the first Medium Format camera which is bridging the gap with Full Frame in terms of Autofocus and video capabilities

When asked by members about autofocus accuracy, he says in the comments:

For portrait, it’s on par with the A7r5. I am sharing a video below to show you how it focuses on the 55mm f1.7 (which is not a Linear Motor lens, so slower AF than 20-35mm lenses). I was quite impressed – and results looked on part with Sony.

This is just an excerpt. You can read his full post below and check out the full comment section in the original post here.

Josselin Cornou First Impressions

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Fujifilm GFX100 II Explained by Fujifilm Managers and Talking Firmware Updates for X/GFX – CineD Interview

CineD sat down with product planning manager Makoto Oishi-san and product planner Taiji Yoneda-san to talk about the GFX line and what makes the Fujifilm GFX100 II special.

You can and should watch the 24 minutes video above. But if you are in a hurry, I will provide also a quick summary below.

There is also a little section about firmware udpates, where Johnnie from CineD asks for one feature available on X-S20 to come via firmware update to GFX100II, and one available on GFX100II to come to X-H2, X-H2S, X-T5 and X-S20.

In short: if the request from users is strong, Fujifilm might make it happen. So guys, you know what you have to do in the comments now ;).

Summary

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The Future of GFX: Which Sensor Do You Want for GFX100 Replacement – VOTE NOW

Fujifilm GFX100 Replacement

Until now it always worked like this in the Fujifilm world: Fuji’s APS-C series cameras get the latest and greatest technology and then the same sensors and processors are used on Fuji’s GFX cameras.

With two differences, of course.

  • the GFX sensor is about 4 times larger than the APS-C sensor
  • the GFX sensor has a Bayer filter array instead of X-Trans

But other than that, the silicon wafer used to make these sensors is exactly the same.

This means that for example the 26MP BSI X-Trans IV sensor is the very same we find on the GFX100/S, just Sony cuts a 4 times larger part out of it for the GFX sensor, hence 102 MP.

That’s great for Fujifilm, as it saves them R&D if they can use the same platforms over several systems and, for example, simplify the transfer of their APS-C firmware into their GFX system by using the same processor and sensor technology.

And what this mean for the rumored Fujifilm GFX100 replacement?

Well, if Fujifilm will continue doing what they always do then I see 3 options.

And I say 3 options, because the Fujifilm X-S20 shows us that Fujifilm is still considering that 26MP BSI sensor part of their lineup and hence to be potentially used in future cameras.

The Best Sensor is…

The three most obvious options at this point are:

  • 102 MP non-stacked BSI sensor (same of X-S20)
  • 102 MP stacked BSI sensor (same of X-H2S)
  • 158 MP non-stacked BSI sensor (same of X-T5)

But of course, there are also other sensors that Sony has available. We reported here about:

  • 162 MP stacked BSI sensor (in GFX format)
  • 123 MP global shutter sensor (in GFX format)

Sure, a 162MP stacked medium format sensor would be extremely expensive. And as far as global shutter goes, it’s not usually Fujifilm who uses breakthrough technology for first. Those sensors come from Sony and my guess is that before we don’t get it on a Sony camera, we also won’t see it on a Fuji camera.

That’s why for now I will not include the latter two options in the survey. But if sources tell me crazy things are going to happen with the GFX100 replacement, then you can bet I will let you know first here on FujiRumors.

The Survey

And now to the survey… and the question could not be easier than this one: which sensor do you want on the Fujifilm GFX100 replacement?

Which sensor would you like on the Fujifilm GFX100 Replacement?

View Results

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Related Articles

Chris & Jordan: The Battle of Camera Brands – Fujifilm vs Canon, Sony, Nikon and Panasonic

Stalman+ hosted Chris and Jordan on his YouTube channel. They talk about DRP shutting down, the Sony ZV-E1 and starting from minute 38:24 they also talk about all camera brands in a section called “Battle of the Camera Brands”.

Regarding Fujifilm, this is what Chris, Jordan and Stalman+ have to say (starts 57:05):

  • they talk about the peculiar vintage look that Fujifilm cameras have that can “outlast technology”
  • love of using, holding and being seen with beautiful cameras, that’s still a factor today. Other companies under-appreciated that factor
  • Chris says that a few years ago the talk in the industry was that you have to go Full Frame or you are going to die
  • Fujifilm very bravely said “let’s stick with APS-C and let’s go one better and make some awesome medium format cameras”
  • Chris said they could make a whole podcast on how successful that whole line has been for Fujifilm
  • they delivered lots of amazing APS-C lenses
  • Chris thinks this was a smart decision, especially now that we look at the new sensors on the X-T5
  • Fujifilm is doing a great job giving people what they want and not having to go full frame to do it
  • you get a solid camera that can do many different things, that looks great and that focuses “yeah…”
  • Staleman+ says Fujifilm is the only camera that he would shoot JPEG straight of of camera or do a non-LOG profile and actually use it
  • the X-H2S is a powerhouse for video
  • Jordan agrees and says that the X-H2S image is one of his favourite out of any format of camera, even comparing it to full frame especially in terms of dynamic range it keeps up really nicely
  • they also listen to us in terms of features. They were the first to let videographers do 48th or 96th of a second shutter speed. Shutter angle and waveforms still missing. Hopefully those will come in future
  • Jordan’s biggest issue with Fuji’s recent launches is that a lot of those cameras haven’t felt completely finished (occasional crashes even with production models, punch-in focus not as sharp as it was previously)
  • Jordan wants Fujifilm to go back to where they were, as the company known for giving you initially flaky products but then they would firmware update the hell out of them
  • Fujifilm has the base hardware to make some of the best cameras out there, but Jordan just does not 100% trusts them at this point
  • Staleman+ says he did not experience such huge issues and crashes, but certainly there are some things that could be improved
  • he adds that he appreciates the operability and physicality of the cameras, the dials etc. It’s so clear what you are getting into as you start operating it and he loves that about Fujifilm
  • Chris said that he appreciates that Fujifilm launched the X-S series of cameras that actually departs from the manual controls
  • if you don’t love the manual dial control and you want an alternative, they are offering it
  • Chris prefers the X-S handling
  • Staleman+ just likes the way they are running the company and also leading the way in some ways when it comes to video, for example with Frame.io integration
  • Kudos to Fujifilm for leading from behind, so being in the position of being a smaller company that are still showing real strength and leadership

So lots of great things are said about Fujifilm, and only two significant points of criticism: improve autofocus even more and keep delivering Kaizen firmware updates.

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Fujifilm Facebook Groups

RUMOR: Fujifilm GFX100 Replacement is Next GFX Camera coming in 2023 (Trusted Source)

The Rumor

Many asked me if a new Fujifilm GFX camera would come in 2023.

Well, yes, definitely!

In fact, trusted sources (THANKS) told us that the next Fujifilm GFX camera to come will be the replacement to the Fujifilm GFX100.

So, not the replacement to GFX100S, or the GFX50R or anything else. What we will get is the successor to the Fujifilm GFX100.

That’s 100% sure and solid!

You know I’d never trick you with fake rumors to make traffic. I simply respect you guys too much to do that.

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The GFX100

The Fujifilm GFX100 was launched back in 2019 and it was definitely revolutionary for its time, with a backside illuminated 102 megapixel sensor and IBIS, giving medium format speed and flexibility unseen until then in the digital medium format world.

I did go hands on with the Fujifilm GFX100, but these are the three main reasons I did not buy it:

  1. too expensive
  2. too big
  3. I didn’t find it intuitive to use. I much prefer Fujifilm cameras with dedicated dials or at least dedicated PSAM dial.

Fujifilm fixed all these three issues two years later with the Fujifilm GFX100S, a camera that I now own and enjoy using especially for landscape photography but also to document family life.

Personally I’d have looked more forward to a Fujifilm GFX100S with 5th generation goodness or a GFX100R. But I know also the Fujifilm GFX100 has its loyal fellowship and I am working on all the details.

So definitely stay tuned on FujiRumors if you want to know more about it.

Fujifilm GFX Gear