The all new Fujifilm GFX100S
Okay, we all know that Fujifilm is gonna launch the medium-format GFX100S soon, and I had a chance to hold and test out the beast of a camera, thanks to Ivan Joshua Loh, a Fujifilm X-Photographer in Singapore.
This is just going to be a short, quick post on my initial thoughts on the new camera. Not going to detailed into the specs (you can easily Google them!)
“Shut up and take my money”
Keitaro-san, Division Head Optical Devices & Electronic Imaging Division (yup, the Japanese and their long titles) giving the brief.
It wasn’t too long before we had our grubby hands on the new GFX. My first thought was ‘wow - this is a medium-format!?’. It felt more like a DSLR to me. How did they manage to cramp everything into this slim medium-format body?
Keitaro-san, who was the presenter, went through a detailed deep-dive of how the engineers at Fujifilm made it happen. Colour me impressed.
The only time you’ll catch me being attentive in class. (Photo by Ivan Joshua Loh)
(Photos by Ivan Joshua Loh)
People who know me, know that I’m not exactly a geek when it comes to specs on gears. That is why I’m shooting on the Fujifilm system, in a way. Sometimes, it’s about ‘feel’, the intuitiveness, the moment rather than numbers. Fujifilm shooters would agree. Of course, aesthetics help.
Mathias, a fellow X camera user, from Yipmages was also in attendence
The GFX100S is great looking (think the Hummer/Jeep of the camera universe). Has all the dials and modes similar to existing Fujifilm system but when you read into the specs, it seems like it’s on steroids.
I just had to do a little pixel-peeping. Just check out the 200% cropped-in photos. Oh.my.gawd.
Just some initial thoughts from that sneaky 1-hour preview session (this post isn't sponsored and I doubt I'll ever have the clout to make it count, so here's the honest opinion):
What I liked:
- It's grippy enough for my big hands
- It feels like a DSLR with the ergonomics of a Fujifilm
- It's 102 megapixels, and that.is.nutters (just check out my 200% zoomed-in photos). Imagine details from pre-wed photos with this.
- It's Fujifilm! Meaning lovely dials and vintage/modern fusion look that's bound to turn heads
- It's not in your face kinda size. In fact, it feels just nice in the hands of someone my size (think me driving a Jeep, instead of a Mini Cooper)
What I disliked:
- It's still heavy and I doubt it will be a proper actual day wedding tool. Backs are going to break. No doubt it's light for a medium-format but I'm speaking as a wedding photographer/user here
- Unsure yet but the price is gonna set us back at least 8k for the body alone, but then again this is a medium-format (which is dirt cheap compared to other medium-formats)
- Nostalgic Negative < Classic Negative
Who I think this camera is for:
- Product photographers
- Portrait photographers
- Architectural photographers (even Interior Designer Firms)
- Wildlife photographers
- Crazy hobbyists
- Misc/other commercial work photographers
Again, this is just my 2-cents. Make of it what you will!