DPReview Admits Flawed Fujifilm GFX100 Studio Test Shots and Says They Will Re-Shoot it

Earlier this month, we shared the news about the GFX100 studio test scene at DPReview.

While the images turned out sharper than the competition, some were hoping for an even better performance.

Well, turns out DPReview studio test shots were flawed. In fact they just said:

While we make every effort to provide the most consistent, representative performance in our studio-based testing, it is sometimes very difficult. After further analysis we’ve discovered our GFX100 shots are fractionally misfocused, an issue exacerbated by the exacting resolutions of the 100 MP system. While these images show that the GFX 100 can capture significantly more detail than its 50MP predecessors, they do not show the full extent of this difference. We are planning to re-shoot the scene as soon as a production camera arrives and would like to apologize for any misconception these images may have furthered.

I guess this happens, when you hurry too much. Take your time, DPR, we can wait a bit longer for our pixel peeping. The important is we have a fair test.

The good news: even misfocused, the GFX100 is the sharpness king :)

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via dpreview

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

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Fujifilm Manager Says Fujifilm GFX 100 Enjoys Strong Pre-Orders and Video RAW Recording May Come via Firmware Update

Indie Shooter interviewed Fujifilm manager Michael Bulbenko at CineGear 2019. Above the video and down below the main takes:

  • true 16 bit sensor
  • ISO 6400 is really really good
  • 14 stops dynamic range
  • you get 5 stops IBIS also with third party lenses
  • IBIS does not crop in the sensor
  • 4:2:2 via external monitor, but engineers have not yet decided if they are going to implement RAW or not. They are working on it and it would be simple matter of firmware udpate. It is something Fujifilm is looking into
  • PL to G mount adapter available by Alpa, Kipon and Fotodiox is working on it
  • pre-orders are piling up fast

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

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Fujifilm GFX100 Phase Detection Pixel Banding and Pixel Shift Multishot Solution

the black line in the center part has been manually added by Bill from Photons to Photos
the black line in the center part has been manually added by Bill from Photons to Photos

Fujifilm GFX100

For years, mirrorless cameras lagged behing DSLRs in terms of autofocus speed.

In order to catch up, companies started to incorporate phase detection pixels on their sensors, and modern cameras have phase detection pixels spread all over the sensors, very much to the delight of photographers, who enjoy fast autofoucs, eye autofocus all over the frame and reliable subject tracking.

But no technology is perfect, and so also phase detection has its downside.

When pushed to the extreme (meaning extreme shadow recovery for example), sensors with phase detection pixels can show some banding.

This has been documented with Nikon, Sony and so forth, and of course Fujifilm is no exception. They all use the same Sony sensor at the end of the day :).

It looks like also the Fujifilm GFX100 is (unsurprisingly) showing the same banding issue, when its RAW files are pushed to the extreme.

In fact, the Fujifilm GFX100 sensor has

  • a total of 3.78 million phase detection pixels
  • 7,776 PDAF pixels every 18 lines

The more phase detection pixels a sensor has, the more you can use phase detection also in lower light.

Bill Claff from Photons to Photos has published a Fujifilm GFX100 sensor heatmap (via dpreview), showing a short black line every 18 rows (see image above).

Should we panic?

I guess not. Or we could just throw any modern mirrorless camera into the garbage that uses phase detection pixels (unless it’s X-Trans ;) ).

It’s, as always, a tradeoff.

Do you want faster autofocus? Or do you want RAW files that even when pushed to its limits and beyond don’t show banding?

The Solution

First off: Fujifilm is fine tuning the firmware for the Fujifilm GFX100, and of course they are aware of banding. They are working to optimize sensor readout and the final firmware will show, how much banding the camera will really have.

But in any case, there is partially a solution to that, even without optimized and final firmware.

As I told you already months ago, Fujifilm is working to bring pixel shift multishot into the Fujifilm GFX100.

The original goal was to have it ready for GFX100 launch, but it needs a bit more time of development.

But pixel shift mulitshot will come, and as we have seen from other phase detection mirrorless cameras offering this feature, pixel shift reduces or even eliminates banding completely.

So, as long as you are shooting static subjects on a tripod and use pixel shift multishot, you won’t have any issues with banding.

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

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Full set of "false color" images where the colors are just used to help show structure as opposed to randomness.
Full set of “false color” images where the colors are just used to help show structure as opposed to randomness.

Fujifilm GFX 100 Pixel Shift Multishot Just a Matter of Time, says Trusted Source

Fujifilm GFX100 Pixel Shift

Back in October 2018, I told you the Fujifilm GFX100 will have pixel shift multishot. However, in March 2019 here, I got an update from a source, that pixel shift multishot won’t be ready for launch.

I have asked sources about this feature again, and they told me it is high on Fuji’s To Do list, but it will be only released once working perfectly.

I asked for a time frame, but the source could not give it to me. All it said is that it’s “just a matter of time“.

Pixel shift multishot is easier to achieve with Bayer CFA than with X-Trans CFA, which is why the Fujifilm X-H1 still does not have it, and I would not be surprised to see it coming first to the Fujifilm GFX100.

FYI: Another advantage of Bayer, is that also the electronic image stabilization (available in Fujifilm X-T100) is easier to achieve than with Bayer.

On the other hand, the recently awarded X-Trans sensor, has other advantages. We have written about the Pros and Cons of Bayer vs X-Trans here.

A bit out of topic, but Google just shared a white paper and video explaining their multi-frame super resolution feature that is what powers the Pixels’s night mode for example.
A good reminder that technology is not waiting and will always continue, and that Fujifilm should take note of it!

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera, CalumetDE, ParkcamerasUK, JessopsUK, PCHstore

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