Table of Contents
Fuji GFX 100
Reader Interactions
Reader Comments
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The ergonomics part was always more than a bit puzzling. I handled a friend’s X-T1 for a while and although I didn’t feel at home grip-wise, all the dials made me giddy, probably because with my D3200 I had what, 2 dials and had to press multiple buttons to do the most basic things, so all of this tactile feedback (which, rather importantly, didn’t hinder in any way the process of taking a photo) was just different and enjoyable. I can see why they’d remove them, but I do really think that so long as they don’t look shockingly retro, multiple dials can just as well live on a more “modernised” body like the GFX-100s’ one.
The buttons are even more disconcerting. I forget all too often what my buttons do on the D750 and they’re all labeled, I’d probably go insane if I had that many buttons without any labels at all, especially if I started customising them.
Fuji just made some really head-scratching moves. If it had put the 50s ergonomics (maybe with bigger buttons and a proper 4-way controller this time…ah well) on the 100s, it would have been sensibly better, to put it mildly. As it is, it’s just irritating to have a tool that fights you during its use when you can least afford it.
IQ wise, nothing to say, it looks just as good as anticipated. The photos in the previous pages are simply gorgeous and, while 100mp files are not something I’d want to deal with myself, I can still imagine all the glorious pixel-peeping and cropping ;) or, for those of us who aren’t filthy sinners, doing quite large prints too! I just recently printed a multi-row pano that was 79mp in size and goodness knows it’d be less spectacular if printed at my D750 “normal” 24mp.
I do feel that the score is a tad too low. A camera as evolutionary as this one is, the first MF with pdaf and IBIS and with it being on top of the MF world in many aspects, would easily deserve a silver award, in my view. Yes, ergonomics are a major fail and not having used it I obviously can’t speak from experience, but a camera that is very much a milestone in multiple ways is perhaps deserving a bit more love. Just my 2 cents, wouldn’t want to turn PL into another “OMG WHY IS THAT CAMERA’S SCORE BELOW THAT OTHER ONE” website ;)
All in all, excellently written and plenty of stunning images to complement it. This is the type of content I’ll always follow PL for, reviews such as these are just top-notch, full stop. Cheers, have a nice Sunday!
Tomas, thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I actually initially meant to give it a Silver award (similar to the GFX 50S), but somehow picked Bronze from the list when I published the review. You are right, it is only fare to give the GFX 100 a Silver award for being “world’s first” for many things, and doing a good job at them.
The ergonomics leave a lot to be desired, which is very unfortunate. I also forgot to mention that the focus points were jumpy in my viewfinder when I used the camera, which was very annoying (move the focus point to the subject, only to see it move around elsewhere). It turned out that the LCD’s touch AF was messing things up, so I had to turn it off to get rid of this “bug”.
Those apparent software faults are so typical of Fuji. They do good hardware quality control but have a habit of letting the users find the bugs initially. I used Fujis for a while but eventually got tired of the need for updated firmware to solve this or that thing. I still LOVE the X-E2 which was one of the most fun cameras I’ve ever shot with – I think it’s why people also love their Micro Four Thirds cameras. But, for me, nothing satisfies like a proven full-frame camera with two simple but superb lenses: Canon 6D with 24-105 F/4 L IS USM and the legendary 135/2.
Tomas,
your D3200 does feature only -one- dial, 2 dials with Nikon not before the D7x00 Series, or analog nowadays the Z-50, for the DX Camera (APS-C) Class.
Best,
Marc
Nasim, I don’t really plan to buy this camera or even am really interested in it apart from sheer curiosity, but the pictures are really stunning and made me read it through. it made me think that you should have a side website with your best shots for people like me :)
Benoit, thank you for your feedback, and I am happy that you’ve enjoyed the images :)
I have been thinking about updating my portfolio of images for a while now, just haven’t had the chance to do it yet. Perhaps later this year!
Nasim, why are you perpetually in search of the latest greatest gear to improve your photography? I don’t understand.
Harold, I was already invested in the GFX 50S and Fuji GF lenses. I normally skip at least one generation before moving up to the latest, but in this case, the GFX 100 had a lot of features that were very appealing, especially for travel and portrait photography. I don’t buy newer tech to improve my photography – these are serious tools that I use for commercial purposes.
Nasim, These are by far the most beautiful photos that you have ever posted. They are very, very, VERY impressive! It has been a treat viewing them. Thank you!
I have wondered about the 4:3 format. I believe it comes from the old Hasselblad box cameras of film days. I can see its best use might be for portraiture, but what advantage does it have for non-pano landscape? (serious question). Maybe because my eye is trained for 3:2, the 4:3 landscapes seem a bit boxy to me. This is all just curiosity. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of 4:3?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/…3_standard
Elaine, I recently wrote an article on aspect ratios in photography – there is plenty of info there when it comes to aspect ratios and considerations. In regards to landscape photography, 4:3 is quite different than 3:2, because you can fit a lot more into your frame vertically, which obviously impacts framing quite a bit. Composing for 4:3 is quite easy, but I often forget that I also need to leave some space for 3:2 – that’s something you always have to remember, if you want to be able to crop easily between the two.
Hey Nasim, love the images that you posted from this camera. I haven’t had the chance to use the camera itself but I did get a chance to handle it at PhotoPlus back in October and I have to agree with you that handling and ergonomics of the camera body leaves a lot to be desired. I brought this up in an earlier forum but I was wondering if you plan on doing a review of the Hasselblad X1D II 50C anytime in the near futures. I’ll be curious to see how big of an improvement it is from the first generation and how the images compare to the Fuji MF bodies. Thanks.
Thank you Mike!
I am not sure if I will do the review of the Hasselblad X1D 50C II – it seems like it is mostly the old camera, plus a few fixes and tweaks. I hated the long start-up time of its predecessor and it looks like they were able to cut the start up time by half, or something like that (which is still not enough in my opinion).
The images should be very similar to those from the GFX 50S / 50R and the first Hassy, since the sensor tech hasn’t been updated at all…
Great images Nasim! Some of the best I have ever seen in a review on this website.
Thank you Michael, I appreciate your feedback :)
Nasim, I agree with some of the other comments. The landscape images in this review are simply breathtaking. Honestly, just superb photographs.
Thank you Matt, I am happy that you’ve enjoyed the images!
Thanks for another great review, Nasim! I don’t expect I’ll ever have a need for medium format (in fact, I recently concluded I’ll probably not ever have a need for full frame and am a complete Nikon->Fuji X convert), but I love reading all your reviews to learn about different systems and methods. I hope your schedule allows for some more X lense reviews in the future!
Clinton, thank you for your feedback! I am definitely planning to post more reviews of the X-series lenses. Been super busy with workshops, travel and many other things at the moment, but should be getting back to regular posting schedule fairly soon!
Great images, Nasim. It’s just my observation that there are quite a few images you post with rock foregrounds, and of course such images are fascinating for me too…
The Fuji MF and its lenses seem to be stellar with really sharp images…It doesn’t do justice watching some of those images at a small scale on a monitor….
With so much varied gear you use, I wonder how often you calibrate the hardware with lensalign…Do you actually calibrate new gear before use, or your use your hardware straight outta box with no lensalign calibration?
Nasim, A couple questions:
1. Did you find the decreased depth of field of med fmt a big issue when doing landscapes? Another pro I know wasn’t happy when he realized that focus stacking nearly every shot would be required for optimal sharpness front to back, and he couldn’t stop down either due to diffraction which surfaces sooner on this type of sensor.
2. Did you find the Fuji lenses overly soft in the corners? The dpreview of the gfx100 looked absolutely horrible (at least to me), and they as much admitted they couldn’t make it any better.
Thx
RJ,
1) Not really, but it depends on what you are shooting, and whether you truly need that crazy pixel-level sharpness. For ultimate IQ, one should be stacking photos at larger apertures, even on full-frame cameras.
2) Absolutely not. Most GFX lenses are stellar (GF 110mm being the best), providing ridiculous level of detail, even in the extreme corners.
Looks like a nice camera but overall my opinion on MF digital hasn’t changed. I think it’s really cool that it exists for those folks that want it. But I think it will always be very niche, since the quality difference over FF is pretty marginal in most cases, and FF is so much more versatile.
UrbexMark, it is definitely not for everyone. The same can be said about all other MF digital backs out there… very specialized tools for those who understand what they are getting themselves into.
Breathtaking! What planet were these photographs taken on? Purple skies galore, orange clouds, and people who skin tones drip off them they are so vibrant, haha. You guys could tone the post processing down a notch or three… it’s a bit over the top, mates!
Marco, you’ve never seen a purple sky and orange clouds? :)
In regards to colors and saturation, I recently looked at the same photos on an uncalibrated screen using Safari browser and the images looked over-saturated and dark. What is your viewing environment?
The terrible design and horrific ergonomics is clearly a ploy by Fuji to re-establish the pure studio MF body, a la Mamiya, Bronica, Pentax etc. There is no way any respectable photographer would contemplate using such a body in situations where rapid decisions are needed, but used indoors safely chained to a tripod, models will assume complex calculations must be being done as the tog struggles with the basic menus. Kudos to Fuji for bringing back some classic marketing tactics!
That’s too bad. I was hoping for a versatile camera that can be used anywhere. This is concerning for the future of the GFX system.
Clearly, Fuji is NOT just attempting to re-establish the pure studio camera. Did you not see Nasim’s photographs, which themselves are a silent but sure rebuttal to your assertion? Name one studio camera that can take handheld photographs at shutter speeds like the ones shown with those photographs. The 100 is surely not perfect, but is a fabulous as a landscape camera as well as other types of photography.
“…there is no other camera on the market that can even remotely match its capabilities.”
Nasim, I beg to differ. The Mamiya 7II, arguably the best camera ever made, would destroy the GFX-100 in a head-to-head match up in every way, shape, and form. When scanned at Max resolution the Mamiya 7II delivers +400 megapixels. The GFX-100 doesn’t even come close to that resolution.
Plus, every 4 x 5, 5 x 7, and 8 x 10 camera system on the market would mop the floor with the GFX 100.
Sorry, Nasim but medium format film and large format still rule.
@Gregore, easy tough guy, not so sure about your sweeping statements here.
@ CAT Pro – Agree with you. Nowadays photogs whine and moan about having to change memory cards or not getting enough shots from a battery. Imagine the same guys having to change rolls every 10 or 20 frames, not to mention the joys of rangefinder focusing, the limits on focal length, the paucity of lenses, etc. Not exactly “wipe the floor in every way, shape and form” material, is it?
Gregore, I was specifically referring to digital cameras with that statement.
Not going to argue about film vs digital – I think it is an individual choice, and the systems / formats should not be compared.
Hi Nasim,
I often agree with your camera and lens reviews. I have both the Nikon Z7 and the Fujifilm GFX 100 and I question why you gave the Z7 a Gold rating and the GFX 100 a Silver rating. The only purpose of a camera is the quality of the images it produces. In my mind, the images produced by the GFX 100 are far superior to those produced by the Z7 and they got the same rating (5). Is the size of buttons more or less important than lack of a second memory card. Maybe image quality should be worth more than for example, features or movie recording features. The images produced by the GFX 100 are the most spectacular images I have ever seen. Just saying!
Brien, we give ratings based on what we believe is the best score for that system. I do not encourage that you compare ratings between different systems. The Z7 is a much more rounded choice and has few ergonomic issues that get in the way of shooting. I cannot say the same about the GFX 100. Image quality is not everything…
I didn’t say image quality is everything. In your rating system, image quality represents only one of 16 categories. Since the only purpose of having a camera is to take photographs, it is my humble opinion that image quality is more important than for example, stability. I do understand long time Nikon shooters might think the Z7 might be a more well rounded system. I have both and respectively disagree. I don’t think the Z7 is well rounded or in fact a professional camera at this point, maybe when the Z8 is released.
Brien, there are three total factors that impact overall image quality, and it includes high ISO performance and dynamic range. So I would say it is more like 3, not 1 out of 16. In regards to all other categories, we don’t have a way to give them different weight factors, so the numbers are simply based on 1-5 ranking. For me personally, things like stability are even more important than image quality. How good is a camera, if it dies on you or becomes inoperable when shooting? I could argue about each factor being quite important.
In regards to the Z7 being a more well-rounded camera, that’s what I personally think (and I own both systems too). I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one…
Nasim, if the Z7 is superior to the GFX 100, why is it that the Z7 has been on sale ever since it was released and the discounts keep getting larger, while on the other hand, the GFX 100 is constantly on back order and the price for the GFX is $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the country. If photographers are willing to spend three to for times more for a GFX 100 and are willing to spend months waiting, that tells me this camera is worth at least as much on your rating system as a Z7! I note you indicated you, “own both systems too”. From your review, I assume you mean by that, you own the GFX 50s and not the GFX 100!
Brien, are you trying to compare sales of a specialized medium format to a general-purpose full-frame camera? How many units has Fuji produced and sold worldwide to date? A thousand? Nikon probably sold more Z7s than that on the first day of the release. It means nothing!
A Porsche 911 Turbo has been on sale for many years, and yet one has to wait for 3-5 years to get one. Where do Porsche sales stand when compared to Nissan or Toyota? I think you know where I am going with this.
The new iPhone 11 Pro is pretty incredible. If I give it a gold star and a rank of 4.5 stars, does it mean that the GFX 100 is worse than the iPhone? Of course not.These rankings are all relative. Don’t compare systems. A person who wants the GFX 100 knows what they are getting themselves into.
Yes, I own the GFX 50S (that’s why I used the word “system”), and the GFX 100 is sitting on my desk right now. Not planning to buy it, for the reasons indicated in the review.
Nasim, I think you missed my point. I wasn’t attempting to compare the number of sale of the Z7 vs the GFX 100. I have no idea the number of GFX 100’s that have been sold/ordered or if Nikon sold more Z7 the first day it was released. I doubt you do either. By in large, photographers that spend $10,000 to $15,000 on a camera are professionals not amateurs and wouldn’t spend that kind of money unless they thought it was an excellent camera. Clearly, Nikon would sell more Z7’s because it is significantly lower in price and is targeted at a different camera market. I sold my D850, a truly professional camera, and replaced it with a Z7. At this point, I don’t think the Z7 meets the standard Nikon set when it released the D850. As I said earlier, maybe when they release the second version of their Z7, it will meet the standard Nikon set with the D850 and I will be happy to purchase one. Clearly you think the Z7 is an overall better camera and I feel the same about the GFX 100 and neither one of us is going to convince the other of the merits of our respective points of view. I’m done.
Brien, I don’t understand why I need to keep repeating the same thing… I never said the Z7 is a better camera. I said it was more well-rounded and GFX 100 has its issues. In IQ, the GFX 100 destroys any full-frame camera on the market, and that’s a given. Please stop comparing systems. Medium format will always be medium format. It is apples vs oranges comparison…
One last thing. The iPhone 11 Pro is a more well-rounded camera than the Olympus OM-D E-M1, which is a more well-rounded camera than the Fuji X-T3, which is a more well-rounded camera than the Nikon Z7, which is a more well-rounded camera than the Fuji GFX 100.
Does it mean the iPhone 11 Pro is better than the GFX 100? :)
0verall rating Z7 – Gold. Overall rating GFX 100 – Silver.
Nasim- What’s your advice. I am in two minds …whether to buy GFX50s and wait till fuji resolves some of the ergonomic issues. I am sure not all of them would be taken up in the near future as they have very heavily invested in GFX 100s to get some money..Who knows what next?
I have Nikon D850 which is a masterpiece as it can handle almost all types of photographs with the right lenses. I also have XT-3 which is extremely handy and i love shooting landscapes with that as well.
If i buy GFX 50s instead of GFX 100 i would probably using almost the same resolution as that of Nikon D 850 but with minor enhancements. Is it worth investing in GFX 50s for landscapes. I normally use Nikon for action and wild life. I would appreciate your suggestion.
I don’t see how Fuji can resolve the ergonomic issues I pointed out in this review via firmware, when the issue is mostly hardware-related (bad button placement, poor joystick, etc). The GFX 50S does not have these handling issues.
If you love your D850, why change the system? If you only shoot landscapes and you know what you are getting yourself into with the GFX system, then it is a different story…
Than you sir for your considerate opinion. There are three categories that I am into.. Wildlife , Landscape and astrophotography. I believe that GFX 100 with the higher noise levels (owing to pixel densities) and the absence of wide aperture GFX lenses may not be suitable for astrophotography as I find D850 to be more suitable. I have shot with D850 in the past in Germany with it. There is also another advantage with the D850 which is , I can attach a telescope at a later point in time if I require. This means I have to use GFX 100 just for landscapes and probably still wildlife solely because of its outstanding resolution.
Forget about using the GFX 100 for wildlife – it is not suitable, and there aren’t even any good lenses for wildlife in the first place. It is a landscape / architecture and studio camera.
Like I said, unless you really understand what you are getting yourself into, I would not recommend the GFX 100. If the resolution of your D850 isn’t limiting your work, I think it is best to hold on to it. You can’t really do much astro with the GFX 100, so are you going to end up with three different systems? That would be wasteful and unnecessary.
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for a computer specs that can handle this camera? My working hard drives are all mac formatted so to avoid the nightmare of converting everything back to pc, I am shopping for a new mac. Could the new 16″ mac laptop maxed out cut it?
Thanks!
Chris, it depends on what you are planning to do with the files. If you want to post-process 100 MP RAW files, those specs on the MacBook Pro should work out. But for processing panoramas, you will need more RAM. That’s the issue I struggled with when working on images for this review – my iMac Pro with 32 GB of RAM suffered a lot.
While the camera is no doubt impressive, I found the photos more interesting! Nasim, would you be able to share in which country you took these photos?
…it looks like the Faroe Islands, but wanted to check :)
Sid, Denmark, Faroe Islands and USA (Colorado).
I have received a gfx 100 now, and this after earlier having both the 50s and the 50r. These were both fantastic cameras in many ways, but I have to say, the gfx 100 is something special. And it should be at that price point!
But I have to disagree on the ergonomics. I was a bit worried before trying it out, but I love it. I’ve read that many people do not, but I mean, if you consider something like this, try it out, you might be positively surprised. I too should have tried it first, but got an opertunity to get one fast in a trade deal for a sony 400mm GM lens. And I do not regret!
Simply loving it!
Hi Nasim,
Love your photographs (especially Jordan one’s, cause been to Jordan a few times and recollecting those places) and reviews. I need your suggestion on my next purchase has its going to be an expensive affair. I’m completely into photography,NO video for me. Statistically, I’m into Landscapes(75%), Portraits(20%) and sometimes Macro(5%). I’m considering the following initially a. Fuji GFX 50S + 23mm + 110mm b. Sony A7R4 + 16-35mm 2.8 + 135mmGM c. Canon EOS R (this will upgraded later or kept has 2nd) + RF15-35mm + RF70-200 d. Leica SL2 + 24-90mm
Only image quality matters, video/weight/price doesn’t matter. Latter on quality glass will be added.
Awaiting your valuable suggestion.
Fantastic review and wonderful photography!