Fujifilm GFX 50R
Rangefinder-style medium format gives you high resolution without a hernia
Medium-format mirrorless is still a relatively new concept, with the first cameras of the type appearing towards the end of 2016. The initial two models were rather different from each other: Hasselblad’s stylish, flat-bodied X1D-50c appealed strongly to photographers looking for medium-format quality in the smallest possible package, while the Fujifilm GFX 50S provided a relatively conventional but bulkier SLR-like design at a more affordable price. Now with its new GFX 50R, Fujifilm has essentially repackaged the 50S into a simpler rangefinder-style body that’s similar in concept to the X1D, while striking an unprecedented price point. As a result, it may just have hit upon a Goldilocks formula for medium-format digital.
So what makes the GFX 50R so appealing? First, it uses a 51.4MP medium-format sensor that’s 70% larger in area than full frame, and in general, a larger sensor equates to higher image quality. But this still fits into a relatively compact body that’s just as easy to carry around as a high- end DSLR. What’s more, at £3,999 body only, it’s not stratospherically more expensive than the likes of the 45.7MP full-frame Nikon Z 7 or D850.
Of course, a body on its own isn’t enough to take pictures, and when you factor in lenses, the GFX system looks less portable and more expensive. This reflects the fact that the system is built around a small collection of absolutely top- quality primes, with just a single zoom. But then you discover the sheer quality of its Fujinon GF optics, and this doesn’t look like such a bad compromise. In short, photographers who demand superlative image quality from a relatively portable set- up should be very interested in this camera.
Features
To all intents and purposes, the GFX 50R inherits most of its features from its larger sibling, with the same 51.4MP CMOS sensor and X Processor Pro used by the GFX 50S. It also includes the older model’s ISO 100-12,800 standard sensitivity range, which is expandable to ISO 50-102,400 with a risk of compromised image quality. At ISO 50 highlights will be more prone to clipping to pure white, while at extended high ISOs image noise is troublesome.
Continuous shooting tops out at three frames per second, which by current standards counts as very pedestrian indeed. This is the first indicator that the GFX 50R isn’t the kind of all-rounder we’ve become accustomed to seeing recently, and can’t come close to matching the speed of the latest high- resolution full-frame cameras. Instead it’ll reward slower, more considered shooting.
Also like the GFX 50S, the camera uses a mechanical focal-plane shutter that offers speeds as fast as 1/4000sec. It includes an electronic first- curtain option to eliminate any risk of image blurring due to shutter shock, with a top speed of 1/640sec. There’s also a silent electronic shutter that offers speeds up to 1/16,000sec, which is potentially useful for shooting at large apertures on a bright day. However this risks significant distortion due to rolling shutter effects. Thankfully Fujifilm allows you to choose between various hybrid options that use intelligent combinations of mechanical, electronic first curtain and fully electronic shutter, so you can access the desired range of speeds in the most sensible way. I used the electronic first curtain option, which switches across to using the mechanical first curtain from 1/800sec to 1/4,000sec.
When it comes to autofocus, on paper the 50R employs a system that looks similar to those on Fujifilm’s APS- C cameras. You can choose between using 117 or 425 AF points arranged across almost the entire image area, with the latter providing extremely granular control of focus point positioning. Area modes that group 9, 25 or 49 of these points can also be selected, along with a Wide/ Tracking option that attempts to follow a subject as it moves around the frame. As is the modern way, face- and eye- detection options are on hand for portrait shooters. The catch though is that there’s no on-sensor phase- detection system, meaning the camera has to fall back on contrast detection, which is inevitably relatively slow.
Fujifilm has included a solid set of additional photographic features, with a highly flexible exposure bracketing option, an intervalometer, and even a basic double- exposure mode. Most importantly, though, it’s carried across all of the image-processing settings that help make its APS- C X-series cameras so attractive. So you get the same set of Film Simulation modes which are designed to give an array of different colour looks to the camera’s JPEG output, based on Fujifilm’s decades of colourscience experience. These can also be tuned in terms of shadow and highlight tone, sharpness and saturation, while dynamic range expansion settings are on hand to help prevent highlight clipping in high- contrast scenes. In- camera raw conversion allows you to adjust or re-interpret your images after shooting.
Video isn’t the GFX 50R’s strong point, however. It’ll record in Full HD at 30 fps if you really want it to, and it’s possible to connect a microphone to the 2.5mm remote-release port.
But there’s not much point, given that you can now get high- quality video from many cameras that are vastly cheaper. This is unashamedly a photographer’s camera.
The GFX 50R has both Wi- Fi and Bluetooth built in, with the latter enabling an always- on, low-power connection to your smartphone. Using the Fujifilm Camera Remote app for Android and iOS, you can then use your phone as a basic Bluetooth remote release. Alternatively it’s possible to instruct the camera to fire up its Wi- Fi for full wireless remote control, complete with a live view display and the ability to change most exposure settings. Naturally, you can browse your images and copy your favourites across to your phone, or even set up the camera to copy across automatically every image you shoot, should you so wish. It’s also possible to shoot tethered to computer via the USB- C port, using Fujifilm’s Hyper- Utility software or Tether Shooting plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom.
Build and handling
In terms of design, the GFX 50R broadly resembles a scaled-up version of Fujifilm’s highly regarded X- Pro2. The body is dust- and weather-resistant, and designed to be used in temperatures down to -10°C. It’s truly a medium-format camera that can be taken out of the studio and shot on location in tough conditions.
The GFX 50R feels extremely secure in your hand, thanks to the prominent thumb-hook on the back and the shallow grip on the front. This may not look like much, but with the thick, chunky body it works really well. The controls have an excellent tactile quality, with the dials clicking firmly as they’re rotated. The buttons are a little small, but they’re well spaced and have enough travel to provide decent feedback when pressed.
Like most other Fujifilm models, the control system is built around traditional analogue dials. Dedicated dials for exposure compensation and shutter speed can be found on the top plate, with the latter having a central toggle lock. They’re complemented by the large, easy-to- use aperture rings that are found on all of the lenses. But the GFX 50R has an additional trick, in the shape of an electronic dial around the shutter release that directly controls ISO sensitivity, meaning you have a separate, well-placed dial for each exposure parameter. Coupled with the AF area joystick on the back, and the option to set focus point by touch when composing with the LCD screen, this makes the GFX 50R an absolute pleasure to use.
If for some reason you’d prefer not to use the analogue dials, though, Fujifilm still has you covered. Place the shutter dial to its T position, and you can then change the speed using another electronic dial embedded in the back plate. Set the aperture ring and/or exposure- compensation dial to C, and these settings get passed to the top-plate ISO dial; pressing a button on the camera’s front-plate then cycles through them. It’s all really well thought out, giving you plenty of options for how to work.
The rest of the back-plate controls are closer in concept to the X- E3. There’s no conventional d-pad for navigating menus and changing settings; instead you can use either the joystick or the electronic control dials. A small focus mode switch above the LCD screen selects between single, continuous and manual modes, and is easier to use compared to being on the front of the camera, as with the X-system models. Pressing the Q button calls up the on-screen quick menu for changing secondary settings, which can be done using either the rear dial or the touchscreen.
With the increased size of the GFX 50R’s body compared to its APS- C stablemates, Fujifilm has also found space to dot a number of additional buttons around the
top and back. Several of these are unmarked, reflecting the fact that they’re all user- configurable and can each be assigned to any one of 44 settings. What’s more, directional swipes on the touchscreen – left, right, up or down – can also be used as custom controls. In fact, with such a plethora of buttons and dials available, I found the main challenge was working out a way to make good use of them all.
Viewfinder and screen
One area where the GFX 50R makes slight compromises compared to its larger sibling is in composing and viewing your images. Its viewfinder has the same resolution, at 3.69 million dots, but the magnification is fractionally lower, although at 0.77x it’s still competitive with most other cameras. The EVF is also fixed in place, in contrast to the GFX 50S’s removable unit. But that’s a trade- off I’m happy to make for the reduced body size.
The finder itself is excellent, being large and bright, with a crisp view right into the corners. Various displays are available, with the exposure information either overlaid on the image or arranged on a black border around it, which results in a slightly lower magnification. The live view display mimics the image processing, which means it can look oversaturated and contrasty in some situations. But if you don’t like this, a Natural Live View option is available, which attempts to mimic more closely how the scene might look through an optical viewfinder. I found it helpful to assign this to the top-plate Fn1 button.
As for the rear LCD, at 2.36 million dots it’s one of the sharpest and clearest I’ve used. It also tilts up and down, which is great for shooting at waist level or off a tripod, but sadly it doesn’t have an additional hinge for portraitformat work. This is probably the 50R’s biggest operational shortcoming, but to be fair it’s no different from high- resolution full-frame competitors such as the Nikon D850 or Sony Alpha 7R III. Swiping upwards on the screen while shooting brings up a large RGB histogram, while swiping down reveals a large, precise dual-axis electronic level. Both of these are particularly useful when shooting off a tripod.
Autofocus
Ultimately the GFX 50R’s Achilles’ heel is its autofocus speed. Compared to the standards we’ve become used to from full-frame mirrorless, it’s slow and hesitant, with a tendency to ‘wobble’ noticeably during each focus cycle, and occasionally hunt or miss focus entirely. This is attributable to its reliance on contrast detection for focusing, which is primitive compared to the phase detection overwhelmingly found on other cameras.
What you can’t argue with, though, is the accuracy. As