Fujifilms GFX100RF: A Game-Changing 102MP Medium Format Compact Camera Redefining Street Photography

Fujifilm has introduced an impressively unique camera: the 102MP medium-format GFX100RF compact camera. Indeed, you did read that correctly—this is a street-ready camera featuring an enormous sensor and a fixed 35mm f4 lens (equivalent to 28mm in full-frame), capable of capturing images at a resolution of 11,648 x 8,736 pixels. Adding to its impressive specifications, it comes equipped with features seldom found in compact cameras, such as a built-in ND filter and a specific aspect ratio dial.

The GFX100RF utilizes the same 102MP CMOS II HS medium format sensor that powers the GFX100 II mirrorless model. As Fujifilm hinted at last week, this camera serves as a higher-resolution alternative to the much-loved X100 VI APS-C compact. While it is more compact than any other GFX camera, it weighs more than many full-frame mirrorless options at 1.62 pounds (735 grams). To enhance its premium aesthetic, Fujifilm noted that the camera is «machined from a solid aluminum block, and the lens ring, dials, base plate, and other components are also crafted from precision-machined aluminum,» as stated in a press release.

Just like the X100 VI, this model is tailored for street photography, allowing quick visibility and adjustment of shutter speed, exposure compensation, and aperture settings. Nevertheless, the GFX100RF introduces a new dial on the back that provides options for nine different aspect ratios including 7:6, 1:1, 3:4, 16:9, 17:6, and the 65:24 «XPan» wide-screen format found in other GFX cameras.

Additionally, there’s a tele-converter selector/lever located on the front of the camera, allowing digital adjustments of the focal length from the baseline 35mm to 45mm, 63mm, and 80mm (which corresponds to 35mm, 50mm, and 65mm in full-frame terms), albeit with a reduction in resolution. When these modes are activated, users can engage a new «Surround View» feature that shows the surroundings outside the image boundaries as a semi-transparent overlay.

Fujifilm asserts that the crucial fixed lens effectively minimizes spherical aberration and field curvature, utilizing a configuration consisting of 10 elements in eight groups, including two aspherical lenses. It incorporates a newly developed «nano-GI» coating designed to curtail internal reflections, especially around the edges. Despite the sizeable sensor, it can focus as closely as 7.9 inches, presenting intriguing opportunities for high-resolution macro photography.

The shutter mechanism is a leaf type rather than focal plane to keep the size down, and the GFX100RF marks Fujifilm’s first GFX model featuring a built-in four-stop ND filter. This is a practical asset for medium format cameras in bright conditions, as it permits slower shutter speeds to capture motion blur or wider apertures for a shallower depth of field.

The GFX100RF boasts a similar autofocus system as the GFX100 II, complete with an AF prediction capability and face/eye detection autofocus that can identify various subjects such as animals, vehicles, birds, and airplanes. It offers respectable burst shooting speeds of 6 fps using the mechanical shutter at maximum resolution, slightly slower than the GFX100S II. The device is equipped with a 5.76-million-dot offset electronic viewfinder akin to the one found on the X100VI, along with a 3.1-inch 2-axis tilting 2.1-million-dot rear screen.

The camera is also capable of recording 4K video at 30fps in a 4:2:2 10-bit format (likely using some pixel binning), and Fujifilm claims it can achieve up to 13+ stops of dynamic range when utilizing the FLog-2 setting. Additional features include an SDXC UHS-II card slot, 20 integrated film simulations, SSD recording capabilities, as well as ports for microphone and headphones, and a microHDMI socket. However, unlike the X100VI, it lacks in-body stabilization.

The GFX100RF is anticipated to be particularly attractive for street and travel photographers due to its impressive features. While priced at $4,900, which isn’t exactly inexpensive, it is more affordable compared to its main rival, the $6,660 Leica Q3, while boasting a larger sensor and an additional 40 megapixels. This model will be available in black or silver once it launches in late April 2025.