A digital medium format camera
may not be an obvious choice for video-makers, but they like big sensors for all the same reasons that photographers do – an inherently shallower depth-of-field, enhanced low-light performance and plenty of scope for cropping (i.e. or, in this case, moving or zooming about the frame).
The GFX 100S is also a better proposition for video as much as it is for photographym being smaller, lighter and more affordable than the GFX 100.
Switching the GFX 100S to movie mode turns it into a dedicated video camera with the menus and displays all changing accordingly. The GFX 100S records 4K video internally using the full sensor width with 10-bit 4:2:0 colour in either the DCI or UHD resolutions at 30, 25 or 24fps, and 10-bit 4:2:2 colour externally via HDMI. This uses the more efficient HEVC H.265 encoding, but the H.264 codec is available too, along with switching between the AllIntra (intraframe) and Long GOP (interframe) compression routines. The highest bit rate available for 4K is an impressive 400 Mbps. A 12-bit ProRes RAW output (4K DCI at 24, 24 or 30fps) is also available via HDMI and the camera supports the cinema aspect ratio of 17:9 for both 4K and 2K recording. There’s essentially no limit on the clip length, given Fujifilm states that it’s 120 minutes.
Both F-Log and HLG gamma profiles (with 10-bit colour) are available to enable easier contrast control and colour grading in post-production. Of course, the Eterna/Cinema Film Simulation profile is also available for a flatter colour rendering which optimises the dynamic range. Plus there’s the newer Eterna Bleach Bypass profile (introduced with the X-T4) which simulates the bleach bypass film processing technique to give a lower colour saturation, but with higher contrast. All the other Film Simulation profiles are available too, along with their adjustable picture parameters (including the warm-to-cool ‘B&W Adjustment’), noise reduction (including interframe NR for 4K recording), dynamic range expansion processing and correction for lens vignetting. Other video features include zebra patterns (with adjustable thresholds), timecoding, focus peaking displays for MF assist and movie silent control via the touchscreen. New is Digital
I.S. stabilisation that adds digital shifting (i.e. moving the image on the sensor) to the mix, resulting in a small 1.1x crop.
On the audio side, the
GFX 100S has built-in stereo microphones with auto and manual levels control, a windcut filter, a low-cut filter and an attenuator. Both a stereo audio input and output are provided, and both are the standard 3.5mm minijack terminals.
While there’s really nothing that makes headlines here, the GFX 100S has everything needed to make it a very capable video camera and, as in photography, its combination of sensor size and body size – and affordability – make it a viable alternative to a fullframe camera. It delivers the same level of usability, but with superior image quality particularly in terms of dynamic range, noise levels and high ISO performance.