The rumour is that Fuji will release a “compact” medium format camera next year - the GFX100RF, which will be a rangefinder style camera with a fixed focal length lens.
It’s expected to be the same size as an X-Pro 3, which is pretty much the size of the X-T5 or a small full-frame camera. The trade-off to get it to this size looks to be a lack of IBIS and a minimum aperture of F4 on the 35mm lens.
Some rumoured features:
35mm F4 lens
100MP
Rangefinder style
Compact (for MF)
No IBIS
Probably pricey
So, what do you think? Would you consider buying it? If not, why not?
Personally, I probably can’t afford it. But if I could, I’d certainly be interested in trying it out, but ultimately I think an X-Pro would be more of what I’m looking for. I don’t think I want to give up on the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, especially for the price. But it will be interesting to see how popular it is. Will it be a game changer?
If it is less than $3,000 USD, I’ll probably get one. I think that’d be crazy tho.
If is more than $3k, I’d just move towards the GFX100S II.
What is interesting is that the X100 series of camera is known for having not the best lens. Will they put a subpar lens on a camera that expensive? Let’s find out!
I’d be interested in a compact camera, but I think 35mm is plenty of real-estate for what I shoot. Frankly, I’m looking at cell phones with decent cameras right now, as my “real” camera workflow is just too slow for family and travel shooting. Wife needs to feed Facebook!
Back in the days of film I was a professional photographer with cameras ranging from 35mm to a 5x4 inch view camera. Based on my experience the only real advantage of medium format was less grain (noise) because you didn’t have to enlarge the image as much as a 35mm film. This doesn’t apply to digital medium so I am not interested in medium format digital cameras, but if they built a good and affordable digital back for my Mamiya RB67 or 4x5 inch view camera I would revisit this idea.
The disadvantage of medium format is shallow depth of field and that was definitely more often a disadvantage than an advantage.
If only. You never know because Fuji have surprised us before, but I can’t see this being under $3000. As for the lenses, I think their GFX lenses are fairly well regarded, aren’t they?
I can see that, yes. But this camera sounds like it will be ideal for portraiture and street photography, and that medium-format, shallow-depth-of-field look could be very nice once you get used to exploiting it.
I keep hearing everywhere that APS-C and Micro Four Thirds are doomed (I don’t necessarily agree), so this camera might be to tempt X shooters to join the professionals already using the GFX line. There was a time when professionals were shooting the X series, but most of the YouTubers I know that shoot Fuji have now moved up to GFX (Andy Mumford) or moved away from Fuji (Omar Gonzalez, Roman Fox). And we all know that hobbyists like to follow the pros, even if they don’t need to!
35mm f/4 in medium format would come out as 28mm f/2.8 equivalent. I’ll pass on that, the Ricoh GR III does that well enough for me.
I don’t really see the need for more resolution or aperture than my current APS-C gear provides. And frankly, if we’re talking multiple thousands of Euros to buy one, I’d rather spend that money on experiences instead of gear.
I try to imagine a world-view where money truly wouldn’t matter, and I could just buy anything on a whim. But even then, would I opt for this instead of a Q3, an RX1R2, An X100VI, or an M11? I doubt it.
Same here — crop sensor cameras (including Fujifilm’s line, especially their superb lenses) are so good at this point that it is hard to justify a medium format kit. Fuji’s medium format lenses go for $1k–$4k (new), so building up a used kit of basic lenses would also cost a lot.
And yes, instead of putting money in gear I shoot with, I can just spend it on travel so I see interesting stuff to shoot.
Current cameras are so good that would take a lot for a camera to be a game changer at this point.
Does such a camera contribute towards these points / goals in any way?
I - for my part - could never imagine that such a device would help me, realistically.
However, if your answers are:
yourself or professional customers
super hi-res pictures with MF style of picture quality
extreme pixel-peeping with ultimate contrast etc.
than you should consider such a camera. But isn´t a changeable lens a must at this price point?
Before the X100V the lens had its issues with close focus but that was completely resolved and the lens is quite good X100V onwards. Enough for the sensor at the very least and very good wide open.
The benefit here would be the opportunity to be able to crop heavily, compared to 26MP or even 40MP cameras. This is especially advantageous if the camera has a fixed wide-ish lens like the X100V or this supposed GFX100RF.
People often use these compact cameras in situations where they don’t have much time to compose their shot, so being able to crop so much in post seems like the real benefit of this camera. Dynamic range in those situations can often vary as well, and having 1 to 2 stops of extra DR compared to FF is quite good, not sure if it justifies the price but it’s something.
That said if you’re gonna go large format, might as well get an ILC imo.
Nitpick but Omar never used Fuji professionally, it was always as his hobby cameras. He used Sony and then moved to Nikon.
The problem with cropping is that a linear increase in (apparent) focal length requires a quadratic increase in resolution (as measured in the number of pixels). So, if you have a 100Mp camera to start with, “zoom in” 3x and you get 11MP, which is of course OK, but if you want 5x, you have 4MP, etc.
Phones started this game and it is of course fine if the image is viewed on a phone screen, but can only do so much if you hold it up to the standards used in photography.
That said, no matter what Fujifilm comes out with, I am sure some people will buy it. They make great cameras that people like to use.
As a hobbyist, i propose a very different calculus:
Buy whatever makes you happiest.
If a camera gives you more equivalent happiness than a vacation, it’s probably worth it. (Naturally, only buy what you can afford, and without hurting others).
Thankfully, I do not have to weigh my toys against monetary utility. Otherwise I wouldn’t have any.
Haha, I wondered if anyone would get me on this as I was writing it. You’re right of course, but I suppose the point I was making is that his YT channel was very much a Fuji camera channel for a long time, and he was known as a professional who uses X cameras, even if he didn’t actually use them for his professional shoots. His channel now features all kinds of camera brands, and I’m struggling to think of any channel that is now considered a Fuji channel. It’s not very important but merely an observation: very few professionals are using X cameras exclusively.
I think this is what it boils down to. The answer to whether we really need camera A or B is usually a “no”. But the hobby is much more than just what we need. Gear brings pleasure to many in the hobby, and I don’t begrudge anyone for wanting a bit of gear just because they simply want a fun bit of tech.