FUJIFILM GFX 50S
Form an orderly queue please. Fujifilm’s new mirrorless digital medium format camera system is landing now and we’ve had a sneak peek ahead of conducting our full review.
SENSOR: “Customised” by Fujifilm in terms of the design of the microlenses and the handling of the data from the photodiodes. Sony-fabricated CMOS with an imaging area of 32.9x43.8 mm with an effective pixel count of 51.4 million which gives a pixel size of 5.3 microns. No optical low-pass filter. The bigger pixel size delivers an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and better sensitivity which is equivalent to ISO 100 to 12,800 with extensions to ISO 50 and ISO 102,400. RAW capture gives 14 stops of dynamic range. Ultrasonic vibration for self-cleaning
PROCESSOR: Dedicated ‘X Processor Pro’ engine – but the same generation as used in the X-T2 and X-Pro2 – delivers 3.0 fps continuous shooting at full res, 1080p video recording at 25 or 24 fps and in-camera processing for functions such as the ‘Film Simulation’ picture presets.
CAPTURE SETTINGS: Plenty of options here starting with JPEGs at three compression levels and two image sizes. Maximum image size is 8256x6192 pixels and there’s a total of seven aspect ratios – 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1, 5:4, 7:6 and 65:24 (i.e. the ‘true’ panoramic ratio). RAW files are captured with 14-bit RGB colour (RAF format) and there’s the option of RAW+JPEG recording. RAW files are automatically captured with a 12 MP thumbnail JPEGs. In-camera RAW-to-TIFF conversion.
EXPOSURE CONTROL: Based on a 256-zone metering system (from the sensor) with multi-pattern, centre-weighted average, fully averaged and spot measurements. Program, aperture/shutter-priority auto and manual control modes. Up to +/-5.0 EV compensation and auto bracketing over two, three, five, seven or nine frames at up to +/-3.0 EV per frame. HDMI VIDEO OUT: Uncompressed video (8-bit, 4:2:2 colour) available for
recording to an external device via Type D Micro HDMI connector.
SHUTTER: The world’s first focal plane shutter specifically designed for a digital medium format mirrorless camera (although, of course, the GFX 50S is the first such camera anyway). The speed range is 60 minutes to 1/4000 second with flash sync up to 1/125 second. The shutter is rated up to 150,000 cycles. There’s also an ‘electronic first curtain’ shutter to reduce vibrations or a fully-silent sensor-based shutter which extends the top speed to 1/16,000 second and eliminates all vibration.
EXTRAS: ‘Film Simulation’ presets (including ACROS and Classic Chrome), ‘Grain Effect’ and ‘Colour Chrome Effect’ processing, ‘Lens Modulation Optimiser’, five auto bracketing modes (AE, ISO, white balance, dynamic range and ‘Film Simulation’ presets), multiple exposure facility, intervalometer, tethered shooting, built-in WiFi, copyright info and dual-delay self-timer.
AF SYSTEM: Contrast-detection system using 425 measuring points arranged in a 17x25 pattern. Single-point, Zone and Wide/Tracking modes. Choice of 17x25 and 9x12 point patterns for single point selection. Focus point ‘joystick’ selector carried over from the X-T2 and X-Pro2. Zone mode options are 3x3, 5x5 and 7x7 point clusters.
ACCESSORIES: In addition to the battery grip and tilt adapter for the EVF, there’s an adapter for Hasselblad’s H-Mount lenses (which are made by Fujifilm), giving the GFX system a lensshutter option. There’s also a stereo microphone, view camera adaptor, the EF-X500 on-camera flash (launched at Photokina 2016) and a hardwired remote release.
PRICES: $9999 for the GFX 50S body, but you’re obviously going to need a lens (or two). Prices are $2399 for the 63mm f2.8 standard lens, $3499 for the 3264mm f4.0 zoom and $4199 for the 120mm f4.0 macro.