GFX100RF impression –by John St @giant_evertonian
My street photography journey and love affair with Fujifilm started in 2018 taking photos of coffee with a camera before stumbling into the genre of street/urban photography. Coffee and my Fujifilm camera have always gone hand in hand in creating my candid street / urban photography images.
I absolutely love my X-H1, X-T3, X-E3, X70 and most recent addition the X-T5 and I’ll openly admit I’m a bit of a fanboy as are many other Fujifilm users! They’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination (what brand is?) but they’re pretty damn close! Add in Fujifilm’s ease of use, colour science and community centric culture and you might have what some would call the perfect storm.
So, it was a huge honour and a bit of a shock (if I’m honest) when FUJIFILM Australia reached out and asked if I’d be interested in trying out their new flagship GFX100RF fixed lens camera on the streets of my home city of Adelaide, South Australia. So, let me get this straight you’re asking if I would like the opportunity to put a new generation GFX through its street photography paces? You bet your bottom dollar I would!
I think it’s fair to say the GFX system has been better suited to different genres of photography i.e. landscapes and portraiture/studio work as their larger body and heavier lenses tend not to suit wandering the streets for hours on end not to mention their larger profile also made it a little more difficult to remain stealthy while trying to capture candid moments while out on the street.
On first impressions the GFX100RF looked like a game changer and I was going to try my very best to challenge the myths (perceived or otherwise) that large format cameras aren’t best suited for candid street photography and the sexy looking new GFX would be my perfect accomplice for the job.
Build and aesthetics
Most people will agree that Fujifilm cameras are aesthetically beautiful and the GFX100RF is no exception! The Fujifilm style department have absolutely nailed their design brief!
There is a saying “less is more” and the GFX100RF is minimalistic beauty at it’s best. Fujifilm have somehow squeezed that large format sensor into a small form factor body that oozes class and sophistication. I lost count at the number of times people who made positive remarks about how beautiful the camera looked while I was out shooting with it and that was just the general public out on the street.
Fujifilm have spared no expense in creating the GFX100RF which is machined from a solid block of aluminium which has the camera tipping in at around the 735g. The camera is in the classic range finder style format housing a crystal clear 0.5 inch 5.76m dot EVF that allows you to see every detail.
The minimalist and sleek form factor does mean that the hand grip is a little shallow and those with larger hands may find holding onto the camera for longer periods of time a bit of a challenge but there are always compromises to be made where aesthetics are involved. The famous Fujifilm exposure triangle settings are retained for quick adjustments on the fly for manual setting users (like myself) as well as a multitude of customisable buttons and levers on the camara giving you lots of options to set up the camera exactly the way you want it.
A welcome feature is the rear tilt screen which came in handy when passing the camera through the safety bars while trying to get a shot from the 5th floor of a carpark. It’s also useful if you’re taking a shot from below the waist or at footpath level. However, there is a downside in that it doesn’t fully articulate like the screen on the X-T5 and can only really be used in landscape mode.
The fixed 35mm f/4.0 lens and 102MP Large format sensor
We can safely say the camera looks the business but that’s not what creates amazing images and thankfully Fujifilm have thought of that as well!
The driving force of the GFX100RF is the high speed GFX 102MP CMOS II sensor which has been paired with a tack sharp fixed 35mmF4 lens. The lens has a very low-profile form factor straight out of the box. However, you do need to screw on an adaptor to attach the very sexy looking square lens hood. I didn’t find this to much of an issue as it gave me more surface area / anchor points for holding the camera steady.
The addition of a leaf shutter not only offers stealthy almost silent operation but also creates less vibration than a traditional curtain shutter.
The aperture range of F4-22 gave me plenty of DoF options. I tend to shoot in the range of F5.6-13 and the images were razor sharp! However, I did find it a struggle using the camera at night with the aperture limited to F4. I’ll admit I’ve not got the steadiest pair of hands so I prefer to have brighter aperture so I can keep my ISO around the 3200 mark and my shutter speed higher. Again, this may not be an issue for many other users.
Finally, the fixed 35mm focal length is the perfect accompaniment giving the shooter plenty of breathing room to capture the scene, story or that decisive moment. The large format sensor not only captures every detail but gives you plenty of pixels to crop into an image if you’re unable to “zoom” with your feet when trying to capture that perfect street photography shot.
Autofocus
Inside, the GFX100RF is Fujifilm’s X-Processor 5 that Fujifilm suggest offer both AF speed and precision.
Initially, I wasn’t entirely sure how the X Processor 5 would cope with the huge 102MP large format sensor. I’m pleased to report that my concerns were unwarranted as the AF worked almost flawlessly and the camera took everything, I threw at it in its stride. There are times where things happen very quickly while out on the streets and there are occasions where you only have a fraction of a second to fire off a shot. There were a couple of situations where I found myself throwing the camera up to my eye to capture what could be a decisive moment and 99 times out of a 100 the camera nailed the focus. If it did miss focus, then it was largely down to me not reacting quickly enough or failing to have the right settings (i.e. to slow a shutter speed as I shoot in manual mode)
You have eye (L and R) and facial detection as well as Fujifilm AI subject detection feature which gives you a range of subjects (car, birds, dog, bicycle etc) that can be selected for recognition and tracking of fast-moving subjects. It’s not a feature I’d use very often tbh, but I gave it a try and was pleasantly pleased with the results.
Image quality
Probably the standout feature of the GFX100RF is the GFX 102MP CMOS II Sensor.
I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the images I created using this camera especially paired with the 35mm fixed lens! The sheer amount of detail was like nothing I’d experienced before. The colours were beautiful and vibrant too!
There are a number of benefits having a 102MP large format sensor such as having the ability to enlarge your image should you wish to print a huge billboard size poster or the option to crop in and still retain amazing quality and detail.
There are however a few down sides. Those huge files take up a lot of room! Even more room if you shoot in both RAW and JPEG (as I do). So, you’ll need to invest in some large (at least 128gb) and fast SD cards. I don’t tend to shoot in burst mode when out on the streets, so I didn’t have any significant issues with buffering as the images wrote to the SD card without me noticing any significant lag, but this is I something to be aware of and consider. You’ll also need to buy a decent size hard drive to store all those images and trust me you’ll be taking and creating a lot of photos with the GFX100RF as the image quality is stunning.
GFX100RF Additional features
- In built ND filter with a single press of a button – I really loved this feature especially as it allowed me to create slow shutter drag images in bright sunshine. I really wish this was a feature on all Fujifilm cameras as I’d use it a lot!
- Digital Tele-conversion lever – a flick of a button allows you to crop 35mm into 45/63/80mm. This gives the illusion of an increased focal length by cropping into the large format sensor but there’s plenty of pixels, so you’ll still get a cracking image.
- Aspect ratio dial – Offers the user the ability to dial in 9 specific aspect ratios allowing the user to create an image to suit their particular look / style or aesthetic.
- Dual slot SD Card – You’ll need it as the file sizes are huge!
- 20 Fujifilm film simulations allows you to quickly change your look, style and feel for any situation.
- Dust and weather resistant which means the camera can operate in temperatures as cold as -10c
Final thoughts
The Fujifilm GFX100RF is more than just a tool; it’s a statement. Combining substance with style, it stands as a testament to sophisticated engineering and refined craftsmanship. Every detail, from the premium materials to the intuitive customisable controls, speaks to the camera’s dedication to excellence.
But don’t let its good looks fool you because under that sleek exterior, the GFX100RF delivers top-tier performance that meets the demands of the most discerning photographers. Equipped with its high speed GFX 102MP CMOS II sensor, fast dependable autofocus and outstanding low-light capabilities, this camera excels in capturing every detail with precision.
Whether traveling the world or capturing candid street photography moments, its portability allows you to shoot with ease while maintaining a sophisticated, polished look. The elegant design fits seamlessly into any environment—whether you’re on a professional shoot or an impromptu adventure.
All that style and sophistication rarely come cheap and the GFX100RF is no exception. However, I believe the GFX100RF offers exceptional value and performance in the premier league of high-end cameras.
