Everyone must be so excited about the newly announced Fujifilm GFX100s
And rightly so !!! with a super affordable price at usd5999 and a lighter weight ( compared to GFX100)
and using the same XT4 battery !!! ( a BIG reason for XT4 users to upgrade)
The GFX100s is shown mounted with the new GF80 mm f1.7 lens ( unfortunately, my schedule was a bit packed, so did not manage to take any images with the lens.. will definitely write my experience with it in due time)
I have been fortunate enough to fully use the GFX cameras since it was first launched a few years back
Started with the GFX50s, GFX50R, then GFX100.
I am very happy to see how the GFX series have progressed in the last few years
When GFX50s was 1st launched, it was something very new in the market, a first affordable medium format camera in the market
It was a great camera, I remembered the days when I first used it, I couldn’t let go..
It was great for weddings, and outdoors, I have even brought it to far fetched places in Norway, Kenya, Mongolia, China etc etc
This was followed by the GFX50R
I love the rangefinder style camera, and I love it for travel and street
50 megapixels was awesome, especially when I do prints, every details is so beautifully showcased
Then came the GFX100 !!!!
A big format camera !!
And I knew I had to get that camera
It was the best
Comes with IS, focusing was much improved, and of cos 100 megapixels was fantastic !!
The camera can be charged with USB ( very important for a travel photographer)
enjoyed using the camera so much..
It has travelled around the world with me since its launch.
With all that has been said, i always wonder what other improvements or upgrades Fujifilm will have for their GFX series..
without burning a hole in our pockets..
And I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with the GFX100s
Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the price is very attractive..
It is also lighter, smaller, and uses a different battery ( XT4 battery, a big reason for XT4 users to upgrade)
The controls have changed slightly, but what i love most is the easy switch between stills and video
It can also maintain different settings for them, which make it easy for me when I got to shoot both
Most importantly, it is still 100 megapixels !! More than FULL FRAME !!!
Some people might ask, so will the GFX100 be obsolete ?
I really do not think so
It still has certain advantages..
Even though the GFX100s has got a more powerful battery ( rated 460 shots compared to 400 shots on GFX 100)
But there is only 1 battery slot
Compared to 2 battery slots in the GFX100
This is especially important if you are doing timelapse, where you really need a longer battery life
Using a long lens like to GF250 mm , it definitely feels more balanced on the GFX100
The GFX 100 EVF does have an advantage, Its EVF is detachable and interchangeable and it has a higher resolution of 5.76 million dots and a magnification of 0.86x
The EVF in the GFX 100s is fixed and has an altogether meaner resolution of 3.69 million dots and a lower magnification 0.77x magnification.
At least to me, either camera is great, and if you still need reasons to upgrade to a GFX..
check out the images below (all photos taken with the GFX100s + GF 250 mm lens)
(of cos the best is to see it in print)
Most of us will be worried about the focus speed of the GFX100s, yes, it may not be the fastest camera around, but it definitely can do the job also. I have used the GFX100 for wildlife in Kenya, Birding in Singapore etc, with no problems.
So with this new GFX100s, focus speed is not gonna be an issue.
details details details.. look at the following image, the details from the camera is really amazing
For photographers ( even if you are a hobbyist) who wants to fine tune your craft, such details are really great for fine art prints.
even if its cropped, you can still see the details clearly
lastly, with a 100 megapixels, you can do amazing crop to your images…
With the current pricing of the GFX100s
It is considered cheap for a medium format camera..( competitively priced as compared to high end full frame cameras)
Remember, It’s not just about megapixels, but its a bigger sensor as well