Bob Poole Puts the Fujifilm GFX100 II in the Path of Elephants — and It Delivers Cinematic Magic

While working on his latest elephant documentary, Emmy Award–winning cinematographer Bob Poole decided to bring an unexpected camera into his setup: the Fujifilm GFX100 II. Not as a main cinema camera — that role was covered by the ARRI Alexa 35 paired with the massive Fujinon Duvo HK 25–1000mm f/2.8–5 — but as a creative tool to capture something different.

The goal was simple: get unusual, ultra-high-quality shots from extremely low angles.

To make that happen, Poole and his team built an elephant-proof cage and placed the GFX100 II directly on the ground — right on paths regularly used by elephants — to capture perspectives that would be impossible with traditional cinema rigs.

Naturally, this should have been a disaster.

After all, if he had asked internet forum experts, they would have confidently explained that the GFX100 II is “not a real video camera” and that creating meaningful cinematic footage with it would be basically impossible.

Luckily, Bob Poole didn’t ask the forums.

And somehow — against all odds and comment sections — the GFX100 II ended up delivering stunning, cinematic footage that blends seamlessly with high-end cinema cameras.

Here’s what Poole had to say about working with the GFX100 II:

  • GFX100II has been instrumental in this film project, giving us angles we would have never been able to achieve with larger cameras
  • We made an Elephant proof cage and dropped the GFX100II on a path the Elephants use
  • when the Elephant pops in front of the camera, all the detail is there on that large sensor, all that information, I think it’s going to blow people away
  • the idea was always to have massive wide angle shots that show the landscape from a perspective you otherwise you would not see
  • GFX100II came into play because the wide angle stuff coming out of these lenses in this amazing camera were seamless
  • the image has the same beautiful soft rolloff of the Arri Alexa 35, shallow DOF, super sharp, beautiful bokeh
  • the image is fantastic
  • GFX100II also really valuable for timelapse, counting on that large sense to be able to oversample and then be able to work within the frame which has given our post production so much flexibility, because we can move within the frame we’ve created
  • GFX100II stills are amazing. We have got so many beautiful images

Well done, Bob — and well done Fujifilm for giving creators tools that don’t just improve image quality, but actually expand what’s creatively possible, opening new ways to work, experiment, and tell stories with more freedom and flexibility.

GFX Cameras

GF Lenses

Fujifilm X-T6, X-Pro4, X-H3, X100VII with 46 Megapixel Sensor? – Speculation Based on Fujifilm GFX180


We told you that there will be a Fujifilm GFX180. it won’t happen very  soon, but it will come at some point.

And the Fujifilm GFX180 might even tell us more about the future of the Fujifilm APS-C system and the X-Trans 6 sensor.

Why?

Well, Fujifilm usually uses the same sensor for the X system and GFX system, with the only difference that the GFX sensor is about 4 times bigger.

This means:

  • 26MP APS-C sensor (X-S20 & Co) = 102MP on GFX (GFX100S & Co)

Now, if we were to apply the same logic to the rumored Fujifilm GFX180 sensor, then we would get this

  • 180MP on GFX = about 45.8MP on APS-C

This means that I would not be surprised if the Fujifilm X-T6, but also the Fujifilm X-Pro4, the Fujifilm X-T60, the Fujifilm X-E6, Fujifilm X100VI and the Fujifilm X-H3 would come with a 46 megapixel sensor.

This means a slight increase in resolution for APS-C, which is definitely welcome.

Other questions remain open, with the main one being if it will be a DGO or DCG sensor.

Regarding the “more megapixel are bad for low light photography”, make sure this read this debunking article.

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Last Hours to Save Big on Fujifilm X and GFX Gear

The official Fujifilm X and GFX deals will end today. The only deal that will last until March 1 is the $200 rebate on X half.

Note that in terms of GFX camera deals, BHphoto offers freebies (CFexpress Card and Bag) on top of the regular deals.

Also, some of the unofficial Fujifilm deals at BHphoto have now expired. Now there are only 2 deals left.

Unofficial XF Lens Deals – unknown ending date – most expired already

Official XF Lens Deals – end today

Official X Camera Deals – end today

Official GFX Gear Deals – end today

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

Last Week of Fujifilm X and GFX Deals

The official Fujifilm X and GFX deals will end January 18. The only deal that will last until March 1 is the $200 rebate on X half.

Also, some of the unofficial Fujifilm deals at BHphoto have now expired (no more rebate on the XF90/2), but others are still running.

It is also unclear for how long Adorama will offer a free Fujifilm X half with X-T5 kit purchase.

Unofficial XF Lens Deals – unknown ending date – some expired already

Official XF Lens Deals – end January 18

Official X Camera Deals – end January 18

Official GFX Gear Deals – end January 18

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

Fujifilm X/GFX Deals – Final Days for X half Rebate and Unofficial X Deals Still Running

Updated Fujifilm X / GFX Deals

Full list of Fujifilm Camera, Lens and Instax deals.

Unofficial XF Lens Deals – unknown ending date

Official XF Lens Deals – end January 18

Official X Camera Deals – end January 18

Official GFX Gear Deals – end January 18

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

10% Discount on Viltrox WCL/TCL-X100VI Ending and Full Updated List of Fujifilm X/GFX Deals

Viltrox Deals Ends

The 10% launch discount on the brand new Viltrox WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI conversion lenses for X100 cameras is ending in a few hours – 5% launch discount + 5% discount with coupon code FUJIRUMORS.

Starting next week you you will only get 5% discount with out coupon code FUJIRUMORS.

Updated Fujifilm X / GFX Deals

Fujifilm has added one lens to the GFX deals and there are unofficial XF lens deals at BHphoto.

Unofficial XF Lens Deals – unknown ending date

Official XF Lens Deals – end January 18

Official X Camera Deals – end January 18

Official GFX Gear Deals – end January 18

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

Sony Tricked You: The Sony A7V Does Not Match the Fujifilm GFX100II in Dynamic Range – UPDATED

The Sony Trick

UPDATES: Bill Claff made an error an apologised. Here are the true results and findings

Original Article:

Photons to Photos has published their dynamic range measurements for the Sony A7V.

As soon as the chart dropped, several Fujifilm GFX shooters in our group started wondering: is it time to ditch the GFX100 series and move to Sony?

Why the sudden doubt?

Because at low ISO values, the Sony A7V appears to match the Fujifilm GFX100II in dynamic range — at least according to the Photons to Photos graph here.

But there’s a trick. 😉

As Bill Claff (the mind behind Photons to Photos) explained over on DPReview here:

Note the triangles point down which indicated Noise Reduction (NR) baked into the raw files.

Also note, no Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) was detected.

Noise Reduction (NR) makes comparisons less reliable. Unfortunately it’s hard to gauge how much of an impact NR has on the results. Note there’s even stronger NR at the very high ISO settings.

That’s why the GFX100II shows simple dots, while the Sony A7V shows downward arrows: those arrows are a warning that NR is being applied to Sony’s RAW data — meaning the “true,” NR-free performance would be worse.

The real question now becomes: how strong is Sony’s NR, and how would the A7V fare against a GFX100II if both had the same amount of noise reduction?

Also a pity there is no dual gain conversion on the Sony A7V, because that helps to improve ISO performance at higher ISO. All modern (and even older) Fujifilm cameras have dual gain. This explains why the GFX100II jumps ahead to the Sony A7V at some point – even if the Sony is agressive with noise reduction – because dual gain kicks in on the GFX100II.

UPDATE: Bill Claff says “There will be ES results shortly at PhotonsToPhotos.net. And it does look like there’s High Conversion Gain (HCG) at ISO 1000 that is obscured by the NR with Mechanical shutter.”

The Fuji Trick

And because here on FujiRumors we take pride in being 100% honest and bias-free, let’s remember something before anyone starts yelling “SONY IS CHEATING!”

Fujifilm has played its own tricks, too.

With the Fujifilm X-Pro3, Fujifilm used a different method to make the camera appear to have better dynamic range than it actually did. And yes — we called it out immediately when the results came out.

So… hopefully this little reminder will help prevent the incoming sh*tstorm from Sony fanboys in the comments. 😉

The Best Deal on the Best Dynamic Range

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The GFX Shockwave: How Fujifilm Is Breaking the Full-Frame Narrative

GFX Rise

As we have seen, the GFX system is steadily growing. So I guess it’s time to dedicate it an image roundup.

But before we share the images (scroll to the bottom to enjoy them), I have a few thoughts to share.

A Peaceful Post

And look, guys. It’s holiday time, Christmas is near and the last thing I want is that we jump on each other and fight in the comments about little things.

That’s why I don’t want to publish anything controversial that could trigger hate in our hearts, divergent opinions in the comments and a good dose of sh*tstorm towards my humble person.

So I thought: what could a super-peaceful topic be? One we all agree upon?

And well, I found it after once again I read a comment that pops up regularly in the comments and on forums: Fujifilm’s marketing is contradicting, as they initially said sensor size does not matter, but then released the GFX.

Now that should be a non-controversial and peace-triggering discussion, right?

So let me share my point of view, which of course is not an opinion, but an irrefutable truth nobody shall dare to question!*
*I am kidding, guys

Full Frame’s Contradiction?

Fujifilm always said it: sensor size is not everything.

In fact, smaller sensors have a series of advantages, from speed, size, price and more, which we have listed here. And also in terms of computational photography the smaller the sensor, the easier you can make its magic work. So a smaller sensor might be even more future proof from this point of view.

But that’s just BS according to Sony, Canon and Nikon, who neglect their APS-C lineup and delivered the opposite message: a bigger sensor is always better.

And look, this narrative was fine…

… until the Fujifilm GFX came along.

Suddenly there was a camera on the market, with a sensor 70% bigger… of fuller… than full frame and in some cases even smaller bodies than some full frame cameras.

At this point the full frame mantra “a bigger sensor is always better” was no longer a proper marketing or forum phrase, as this would implicitly mean that full frame shooters could level up their game and get 70% better “Image quality” (whatever that means) by using the Fujifilm GFX system.

So the new full frame narrative became: sensor size is not everything. Smaller sensors have advantages in terms of speed, size, price and more.

That’s correct, but does it sound familiar?

You got it, that’s exactly what Fujifilm said right from the beginning: sensor size is not everything. Finally also the Full Frame world got this message.

Look, everything is a compromise, a balance, a matter of choices and priorities. And there is no “best” system. Sensor size is just one of the many aspects to take into account when choosing your system.

Fujifilm’s Contradiction?

So we established it by now: many Full Frame supporters contradicted themselves by first saying that a bigger sensor size is always better and then adopting Fujifilm’s point of view that a bigger sensor is actually not always better.

But did Fujifilm contradict itself too?

Because if sensor size is not everything, why even bother launching the GFX system?

Well, I see no contradiction, and here is why.

First off: when launching a second system, Fujifilm did not look at the market as a whole, but at their own offering. And from their point of view, precisely because sensor size is not everything, the difference between APS-C and Full Frame was not enough to justify an additional FF system.

Add to that the plethora of advantages that X-Trans offers (less color noise, less moire, more pleasing film-like grain and more), and going Full Frame made even less sense.

And yes, some trashtalked X-Trans for having some flaws, but we debunked those a long time ago with hardcore facts.

So, for Fujifilm, the combination APS-C and X-Trans was the way to go.

But Fujifilm also realized one thing: there are photographers out there, who can make compromises on many things, but not on image quality – and here is where the Fujifilm GFX system comes in.

If you are anyway willing to compromise on image quality for other benefits (smaller size, more affordable, faster sensor readout, etc), then APS-C is probably the sweetspot (as DPReview, Petapixel and other claimed here).

But if you are not willing to sacrifice on image quality (without breaking your bank account) then Fujifilm GFX is the way to go: it will give you the best image quality possible at a reasonable price.

Yes, you are going to spend more money, you will have bigger lenses, the sensor readout will be slower and what not. But if you can accept those compromises, you’ll be rewarded with the best image quality you can find on the market in a still portable (I talk out of experience) and fairly priced package.

So, there is no contradiction: for Fujifilm it just made sense to offer APS-C for those, who want a balanced system and GFX for those who can’t compromise in image quality. It’s consistent and logical.

I am not here saying this was the right choice. Only time will tell. But it’s a choice I understand from Fujifilm’s point of view.

Enough Talk

And now to the true point of this article: the images!

I went through the work shared at our Fujifilm GFX group and selected some images.

This is just a little taste of what the GFX system can do for you ;).

Esteban Gil – shared here
GFX100 You shouldn’t use non native lenses on the GFX.
My cheap laowa 17mm: Hold my beer
Magbox+AD300

_ _ _

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Fujifilm Camera Ownership Ranking: GFX Increases and the Real Ranking of Sony, Canon, and Nikon among FR-readers

The Ranking Results

The Top Deal – save $1,000 + Free CFexpress Type B card and Camera Bag

4.5 years ago I launched a survey on FujiRumors here, asking which camera system you own.

And since that was such a long time ago, I decided to launch a new survey again recently.

So what has changed in these 5 years?

Let’s check it the survey results first:

2021: I own Fujifilm X APS-C system only (58%)
2025: I own Fujifilm X APS-C system only (52%)

2021: I own Fujfilm X APS-C system + other systems (Sony, Canon etc.) (25%)
2025: I own Fujfilm X APS-C system + other systems (Sony, Canon etc.) (25%)

2021: I own both, the Fujifilm X and the GFX system (6%)
2025: I own both, the Fujifilm X and the GFX system (8%)

2021: I don’t own any Fujifilm Camera (4%)
2025: I don’t own any Fujifilm Camera (4%)

2021: I own Fujifilm GFX MF system + other systems (Sony, Canon etc.) (3%)
2025: I own Fujifilm GFX MF system + other systems (Sony, Canon etc.) (3%)

2021: I own Fujifilm X, Fujifilm GFX + other systems (Sony, Canon, etc) (2%)
2025: I own Fujifilm X, Fujifilm GFX + other systems (Sony, Canon, etc) (5%)

2021: I own Fujifilm GFX MF system only (2%)
2025: I own Fujifilm GFX MF system only (3%)

Ups and Downs

(-) The number of Fujifilm APS-C only shooters only has decreased by 6%.

(+) We see a 2% increase in GFX + Fujifilm X shooters (now 8%).

(+) There is a 3% increase in GFX + Fujifilm X + other brands shooters (now 5%).

(+) And finally a 1% increase in Fujifilm GFX only shooters (now 3%)

Same Same

(=) 25% still own Fujifilm APS-C + other systems

(=) 4% of people reading this blog do not own any Fujifilm camera yet

(=) 3% of people shoot Fujifilm GFX + other systems

Summary:

In 2021, 91% of readers owned a Fujifilm X series camera
In 2025, 90% of readers own a Fujifilm X series camera (-1%)

In 2021, 13% of readers owned a Fujifilm GFX camera
In 2025, 19% of readers own a Fujifilm GFX camera (+6%)

In 2021, 30% of Fujifilm X/GFX shooters also owned another system
In 2025, 33% of Fujifilm X/GFX shooters also own another system (+3%)

The number of people not owning a Fujifilm camera is stable at 4%.

Conclusions:

The Fujifilm X system remains the dominant choice among FujiRumors readers, with APS-C ownership barely shifting over the past 4.5 years (from 91% to 90%). What has changed is how people build their kits around it. Fewer photographers are sticking exclusively to APS-C, while more are expanding into GFX or mixing Fujifilm with other brands.

GFX shows the strongest momentum: its ownership has grown from 13% to 19%, driven both by X shooters adding medium format to their setup and by a small rise in GFX-only users. Multi-system ownership is also up, with 33% of Fujifilm shooters now pairing their Fuji gear with other brands.

Despite these shifts, the share of readers who don’t own any Fujifilm camera at all remains unchanged at 4%.

In short: the X system is still the backbone of the community, but GFX and multi-system hybrid setups are steadily on the rise, with GFX experiencing the biggest rise.

What This Means:

A 1% drop in Fujifilm APS-C ownership is negligible. Especially considering that if rumor sites covering other brands would launch the same survey, they’d probably see a sensible increase in Fujifilm owners (for example, Canon, Sony and Nikon shooters adding a Fujifilm X100VI to their camera gear setup).

But when it comes to FujiRumors readers, there are 6% less people shooting only with APS-C (from 58% to 52%), with most adding the GFX to their personal linuep.

And yet, despite more photographers expanding their kits with other systems, the majority remain loyal to their Fujiflim APS-C cameras with only a -1% drop. That probably indicates that no matter if they buy an additional Full Frame or Medium Format system, they still value the advantages of owning a Fujifilm APS-C system.

At the same time the rise of Fujifilm GFX is slow but steady. And quite frankly, the GFX system would explode and reach immense numbers overnight, if only Fujifilm would make this GFX camera, which Fujifilm has already shown us in its mock-up version. But we got the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 instead… oh well…

Last but not least, only an additional 3% of FR-readers are “flirting” with other systems and have added a non-Fujifilm system to their lineup (30% in 2021 and now 33%).

🇺🇸 Fujiflm USA Deals – Save Up to $1,000 on GFX and X Gear 🇺🇸

Note: similar deals are currently running in Europe.

The Top Deal – save $1,000 + Free CFexpress Type B card and Camera Bag

X Cameras

X Lenses

GFX Gear

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

Instax Gear

Fujifilm GFX100 II in CLOSEOUT at Adorama and Massive $1,000+ GFX100II Bundle Price Drop at BHphoto – UPDATED

UPDATE: Adorama briefly marked the Fujifilm GFX100 II as a “closeout” product (see screenshot above), which prompted speculation about an upcoming replacement. We reported on it earlier today, noting how odd it seemed. Adorama has now corrected what was apparently an error, and the GFX100 II is no longer listed as closeout. The original article has been removed.

NOTE: the massive $1,000 rebate on the GFX100II bundle (+ freebies at BHphoto) is not a sell-out to make place in the warehouse for a replacement. The Fujifilm GFX100II is in full production and we know knothing about a replacement coming in the next few months.

There are great deals also Fujifilm X APS-C gear.

The Top Deal – save $1,000 + Free CFexpress Type B card and Camera Bag

X Cameras

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