Medium format is back as photographers look for insanely high resolution and ‘that’ perfect large sensor look, so it’s no surprise to see that Fuji has built on the success of the original GFX100 by following up with the GFX100S, which takes all the advanced technology and places it into a more compact body.
In fact, the GFX100S tips the scales at just 900g – to put that into perspective, Nikon’s full-frame D850 DSLR weighs 1005g – and the GFX100S measures only 15cm wide, 10.4cm tall, and 8.7cm deep, which could remove the barrier for photographers who have never moved onto medium format because of the physical size of the cameras.
At the heart of the GFX100S is that 102-megapixel back-illuminated large format CMOS sensor, which is backed up by a high-performance quad-core X-Processor engine. The medium format sensor is actually around 1.7 times larger than the typical full-frame sensor found in a DSLR camera and has a number of benefits, including sensitivity to light and the special look of shallow depth of field in the frames.
Those wishing to use the GFX100S handheld will appreciate that the body benefits from a 5-axis In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) system that offers up to 6-stops of compensation – incredibly useful in low light conditions where camera shake can be more prevalent. In fact, the IBIS mechanism inside of GFX100S is 20% smaller and 10% lighter than the version found in the GFX100 and provides a 0.5-stop improvement over GFX100, too.
When it comes to autofocus, the GFX100S is well specced and features on-sensor phase detection pixels that cover almost 100% of GFX100S s imaging sensor. This allows the GFX100S to lock onto subjects in as little as 0.18 seconds. What’s more, the autofocus system looks set to perform well in low light conditions, with the AF operating down to -5.5 EV.
The GFX100S is likely to be of particular interest to portrait photographers looking to take advantage of that combination of high resolution and image quality so it’s worth mentioning that the camera features Fuji’s Face/ Eye Detection AF functions, which will help ensure the eye’s stay sharp in frames and the AF is also backed up with a Tracking AF mode too.
Offering a robust magnesium alloy casing build, the GFX100S can operate in temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F) and is also dust and moisture-resistant. The camera also features no less than 19 of Fuji’s Film Simulation modes, including a new mode called Nostalgic Neg, Fuji describes as; ‘reminiscent of American New Colour Photography, which emerged in the 1970s’. The Fuji GFX100S is priced at $5999 / £5499 (body only).