Chris and Jordan tell us what they think of Fujifilm's new GFX 50S II medium format camera. They also compare it to the GFX 100S, revealing some important differences that go beyond resolution.
Chris Niccolls says in the video the camera creates absolutely gorgeous images. That's good enough for me. I thought that was what cameras were supposed to do. He then proceeds to trash the camera as if it were an antique piece of junk. This is a specialist camera. I use the GFX 50s to shoot residential and commercial architecture and the results are stunning compared with my experience with full-frame cameras. For action and wildlife photography I use a full-frame or APS-C camera. No, this is not a camera for every Tom, Dick and Harry photographer. The trash-talking reviewers should know this is not a camera for the masses. On the flip slide, Gordon Laing of Camera Labs saw the camera for what it is and gave a very positive review.
Dear DPREVIEW I don't listen to English very much . Could you please add subtitles . (Just English is fine) I can use Google Translate to auto transfer . Thank you very much .
Overall I agree with Chris' verdict that a similarity priced FF camera has a better value proposition for most people compared to the Fuji GFX 50S II.
But there is another POV. Many people buy FF lenses for their APS-C camera to have the option of upgrading to a FF camera someday in the future even though right now APS-C lenses would be a better value for them. So why not buy this camera and GFX lenses to have the option of upgrading to a GFX 100S in future. It's not that different if you think about it.
Perhaps the most important take-away from the introduction of the GFX 50S II is that Fuji have put down a marker that they are coming after FF. The biggest drawback is that the current sensor and processor does not make a strongly competitive case against FF, but if a new generation of internal electronics turn up in this body at some time in the near future, we might see a sudden pivot to Fuji MF.
It's nice to see that MF going down with prices and this can be breaking point for all those folks oriented strictly to photography. For people like me who are looking for best hybrid solution MF is not way to go. At least not yet. Also there is still significant size and weight difference. So, for me, FF is sweet spot between image quality, photo/video capabilities and size and weight. I really like to see some Fuji FF system in short future but yeah, I know, that probably won't happen :|
I do find that with the full frame 35mm format, if I print, I almost always crop substantially to make more square, its just the wrong shape. What I am saying if you hang your work this will be a better option than full frame as you will have more pixels where it matters. all else being suitable in your use case.
Great review boys and girls... boys... I mean... no girls really interested.. Really, though, a good review of the realities of FF and MedForm cams. I personally think that Fujifilm is missing the full frame boat big time. That's where evry1 else is at... while they push their. 1. Expensive cameras 2. That don't match up for their costs. 3. That are bulkier and bigger let alone the lenses..... I mean, what do people want beside a phone? I love Fujifilm but if I go that way it's most likely in the cropped sensor direction, XT-4, XT-5. Thanks for all the hard work, though, DPReview, ya'all great!!
Depends on what you shoot. Landscapes, portraits, studio, food, that 7 yr old sensor still trumps FF sensors. I have A7Riv but picking that GFX50s to shoot puts a smile on your face. And GFX100s is just sublime.
Fairly accurate insiders predict that Pentax is going to release an updated medium format camera, which should be interesting because Pentax has a history of offering the most affordable medium format cameras (645's)....
Biggers sensors will always be more expensive than smaller ones, but, in terms of technological refinement, it's hard for me to see how Fujifilm expects to make a medium format camera that competes with FF if its sole source for sensors remains Sony, a company that doesn't need to produce MF cameras. Not that I would ever consider upgrading from APS-C myself.
It would be incorrect to say that FF sensors offer the same DR as this sensor. The different might be small but it exists both in measurement as well as in visual comparison:
Also it's not just about DR which only tells you about the intensity level in deep shadows where noise becomes comparable to signal. The advantage of larger sensor exists at every intensity level. From deep shadows to mid-gray to whites, the 50MP medium format sensor has higher SNR. At mid-gray the SNR is higher by 2db.
It is a fair conclusion, but it could be written in many other reviews too. The most used FF sensors have around 24 MP, Canon's R6 even less, and if you only need so many pixels, you can as well go for an APSC camera, or even a MFT....
Chris says "If you don't need 100MP and most don't...then this camera (at 50MP) might make sense? Except you get similar dynamic range, similar resolution, more compact form factor much better AF at lower price with something like the Z7 ii or Sony A7riv" so it's not about resolution so much. It doesn't seem like the difference between FF and APS-C where FF has very good AF and in some cases pretty compact bodies and in most cases better IQ.
Sales numbers one year from now will tell us if you are right. As I read in an interview with the actress playing Jessica in the first Dune movie "you never know how the public responds during the creation" of a new release.
Looks like Sony did not develop new MF sensor for Fuji so they had to use anything they had in disposal. Nice camera. If going for MF i'd probably went to GFX 100S with 100MP to make it stand out more vs classing FF cameras. This new 50S II seems fine, is not super expensive but there is nothing really that impressive to pick it over FF cameras.
Most interesting camera I have seen in a long while . I print for exhibits and I do not need more than 50 MP for my models files . I am also surprised you do not mention the higher res mode for static subjects or am I mistaken I hope they sell it as a kit with the 3.5/50mm and not only with that boring new zoom Many people do not need 100MP. I absolutely hate the 3.2 ratio , especially for verticals and 40mm FOV equivalent is my favourite focal length so this ticks most of my boxes Harold
The Mythbusters, continued... "..for 7 years...it now does show it's age". Well Chris, The GFX-50S came out into 2017, 2016 it was into the news. And we're onto the mid-2021, to be fair.
The original GFX-50S came out into late January 2017, so from that date to August 2021, it's never been such a long time, literally. That's not a 7 years passage, please be honest.
Dynamic Range GFX-50S (original) vs Z7 II vs A7R IV, one might being surprised: https://ibb.co/D1PQQNY
'for 7 years, in many different cameras ...' I think you missed a bit of the description. You should know that Fuji was late to the game in using this particular sensor.
If you can read properly, you see that's not just your -hypertheoretically- 0.1 DR difference, your post is just descrediting, disrespecting the GFX-50 Series, and don't tell me it's otherwise, because i don't believe you a single bit.
The Photons to Photos shows a huge DR difference, between ISO 1600 - 12800, and also more than your "claimed" 0.1 EV into the diagram, for your information.
marc petzold so in the Photons to Photos you can clearly see that up to iso1600 the DR of the A7RIV and any of the 50mp Fuji cameras is basically the same. Max a 0.6 stops just before iso300, but just 0.2 at base iso and most other values.
And that from iso1600 to 12800 the symbol on the fuji is different. Do you really think fuji as a magic sensor that doesn't lose DR when the ISO goes up?
I am not 100% okay - to be fair, to "review" a Pre-Production Unit, and make a typical DPR Review later into another post out of it, under that term, that a pre-prod. Camera usually have a) not always (if ever) the final IQ, and b) usually a tad less AF performance even it'll be quite similar.
Well, to be honestly fair, it would have been perfect, if DPReview would review a final production camera, like you guys usually always do, since i read DPR here, back from 1999/2000, just to be bloody honest. Perhaps you guys might re-test a final GFX-50S II later. I have that feeling, that this Review was being a bit rushed into, somehow...because of the well known 50 MP GFX-50S/R Sensor.
One would never know, which additional Firmware tweaks the final 1.00 Firmware would bring on (of course like always being later enhanced over the years by Fujifilm) and if the mechanical, optical part would also see a update then, into the final version, even if only semiconductors changed.
If you are tight on budget and want a “large” format camera, then the GFX50S II does the trick. Eventually you can upgrade into the 100mp one when the price goes down.
I hear your theory but $4k vs $6... you're 2/3rds of the way there already and whoever is interested in buying it second hand probably needs lenses too so selling the body alone for the 100s upgrade will be hard.
Plus I'd worry that the a7r series was released in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019... by the time you're ready to sell there might be an a7r V or some other beyond-50MP FF camera that kicks your resale value in the nuts. It's a risky stopgap camera.
It's a bit like recommending that someone who's got $1000 for a camera spend it on the Canon EOS RP to get into the RF mount. It's ticking the "enter the system" box, but I'd worry less about starting down the wrong path and more about what I'd have to work with here and now. You shouldn't enter a system until you can afford to do it in a way that makes sense.
"2/3 of the way there" might make sense in an everyday buying decision at the supermarket but at these price points, $2000 difference is a lens or two (if you like kit and pancake lenses) in absolute terms. So for someone who wants this system for slow methodical shooting like landscape or pose portrait, it can absolutely make sense to start with this body to gain access to the lens system.
1st comment here, Yay! Please restrain your negativity folks be happy and people who are planning to buy this camera enjoy shooting with your new tool :)
I don't think people are going to be unusually negative. Instead there are not many reasons why to buy this camera instead of existing FF body with much more bang per buck and that's true for the lenses too.
If you compare the GFX lineup to other medium format offerings, nothing else comes remotely close as far as “bang for the buck” goes. The only question is if someone wants/needs the larger format. It certainly comes with trade-offs, both good and bad.
Jnd, nope. And existing FF with 50 MP is not as good. The pixels are smaller. Not as good dynamic range and light collecting ability. This Medium Format with 50 MP GFX 50S II checks all my requirement boxes. I can’t wait to hold one in my hands. And the price point is simply unbeatable.
Chris and Jordan analyze all the announcements from Fujifilm's recent X Summit: GFX 50S II, X-T30 II, new X-mount lenses, new GF-mount lenses, a teaser for a stacked CMOS sensor and more!
Chris and Jordan from DPReview TV just reviewed the Fujifilm GFX 50S II. Check out their sample gallery to judge image quality for yourself – and to see some sweet interpretive dance moves by Jordan.
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