After the closure of the Catch online marketplace, its associated telco brand, Catch Connect, will now be known as OnePass mobile.
Catch’s parent company Wesfarmers announced the online store’s closure in January. Following this, Optus, Catch Connect’s network provider, confirmed that the budget telco would continue to operate.
In February, there was some confusion about the future of Catch Connect due to the wording of a message from an affiliate partnership company. However, this was clarified to refer solely to the closure of Catch.com.au.
Under the new OnePass mobile branding, existing Catch Connect customers don’t need to take any action. According to the official FAQs, the service remains the same, with customers being automatically migrated. At this stage, the prices and plans stay in place, as does the Optus 4G network connectivity.
“With OnePass mobile, we now have a unique opportunity to connect more Australians to a seamless, integrated experience across shopping, rewards, and mobile. This marks the start of an exciting new chapter,” said Vir Nath, Head of Challenger Brands at Optus, in a media statement.
OnePass mobile promises a “smarter, simpler, and better connected” service with “deeper integration” with the overall OnePass platform.
It’s unknown what those integrations will entail; a $4 monthly OnePass subscription includes free delivery from stores like Kmart and Bunnings, in addition to 5x Flybuys points at various stores.
OnePass mobile’s current cheapest SIM plan starts at $10 for the first 28 days, including 15GB of data. Here’s how that compares to other prepaid plans on the market:
Meanwhile, the telco also has a 365-day plan for $169, coming with 280GB of data. It’s pretty competitive alongside other long-expiry plans:
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A US judge has ruled Apple can no longer take a commission on payments made outside of its app ecosystem. It’s the latest development in the Epic Games v. Apple trial, with judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers taking issue with Apple’s 27% commission imposed on payments made through apps that don’t use the App Store’s billing system.
Canon just announced its new RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens, designed for photographers who want to get up close to the action without actually being near it. Think capturing wildlife without spooking your subject, shooting sport from the sidelines, or finding the perfect creative angle for your portraits. Canon says a quarter turn of the large zoom ring will run through the entire focal range. The lens weighs just 507g, is 146.1mm in length, can focus from 1.5 metres, and background blur is enhanced by a 7-blade aperture.
While the new lens is designed for Canon’s full-frame R family of cameras, the RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 can also be paired with APS-C bodies like the Canon R100, with an extended zoom of 480mm thanks to the sensor’s crop factor.
The convertible laptop is an interesting beast. At its core, it’s designed for creativity. It’s there to be drawn on, to take on graphics-heavy tasks to take advantage of the beautiful screen, and their versatility means that they can grow with your hobbies.
But a convertible PC with low graphics power needs to be low-cost, making it a hobby machine for basic work and then watching movies on, or doing light drawing. Without a discrete graphics card and with a $2,800 price tag, it is a curious beast indeed, and one that makes me wonder who it’s for.
That said, we have all at times fallen for someone or something that is beautiful on the surface, but lacks power at its core. And for people with deep pockets, and a desire for a gorgeous and convertible screen, with no use for graphics power (or with a dock with an external card), or who want to focus on generative AI workflows with no need to do their own visual creativity, this will be a good choice. I reviewed the 16GB model of the Asus Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407), but there is also a 32GB model for $2,999 (more commonly found in Australia) that will likely perform better.
My first impression upon setting it up was just how stunning the screen is. This is a screen beginning to be looked at and touched. The OLED Lumina NanoEdge touchscreen looks as premium as the $2,800 price tag. It would have been nicer in 4K rather than full HD, but it’s still very good.
I like the number of ports. It’s still minimal, this is an ultra-portable PC after all, but there’s enough that you have options.
Image: Alice Clarke.
The setup process was easy, the trackpad glides smoothly, and the keyboard has a satisfying click. All up, at first glance, this is an excellent, premium ultra-portable PC.
Specifications and price
Operating system
Windows 11 Home
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 258V
Memory
16GB RAM
Graphics
Intel Arc Graphics
Display
WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio
DCI-P3: 100%
14.0-inch
400nits
Touchscreen
0.2ms response time
60Hz refresh rate
Storage
1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Ports
1x Thunderbolt 4 with support for display / power delivery (data speed up to 40Gbps)
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
1x HDMI 2.1
Micro SD card reader
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with support for display / power delivery (data speed up to 20Gbps)
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (data speed up to 5Gbps)
Camera
FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello
With privacy shutter
1080p FHD camera
Network and Communication
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth 5.4
Military grade
US MIL-STD 810H military-grade standard
Battery
70WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
Dimensions (WxDxH)
31.26 x 22.09 x 1.69
Weight: 1.57 kg
Warranty
12 months
Price (RRP)
$2,799
These specs are fine enough as long as you ignore the price. It’s a solid PC that will stand up to ordinary work stuff, and just about anything that doesn’t require high graphical performance. The 28 hour battery life is excellent, and WiFi 7 is a must in 2025, though the promise of “US military-grade durability” is a bit meaningless.
Personally, if I could swing it, I’d opt for the model with 32GB of RAM, given it’s “only” a $200 jump for double the RAM. But I also probably would want a laptop with more graphical power at this price point.
Design
The design of the ASUS Vivobook 14 Flip is very nice. Sleek lines, thin body, relatively light – not the lightest, but by no means heavy. It was clearly designed to go everywhere with the user.
There are lots of ventilation ports on the side and bottom, to help it suck in as much cool air as possible to keep it running at optimal levels. Though, I did find that it still got a bit hot, which affected performance when gaming.
The hinge design is excellent. It feels very sturdy, as though you’ll be able to move the screen nearly 360 degrees multiple times a day for years without incident. Often these hinges feel a bit flimsy to make them lighter, this one has a bit of resistance and feels like it was built to last.
Aluminium laptop bodies are common, but that doesn’t make them feel any less nice and premium when encountering one as smooth as this one.
The one thing I don’t like about it is that there’s nowhere for the stylus to be stored. The whole point of these 2-in-1 laptops is that the screen can be used with a stylus. If there’s nowhere to recess that stylus, then it’s going to get lost. There’s also the issue of whether a stylus comes included with the Vivobook. The online listing for the higher-spec model is ambiguously worded, suggesting the stylus is an optional add-on. If it’s sold separately, many people who buy this laptop won’t have the opportunity to explore exactly what the PC was designed for. Which is very disappointing.
Screen
This is a laptop designed for portability and all-day work. But it’s also got just one hell of a pretty screen. I love this screen. It’s so bright, the colours are so vibrant. Using it is an absolute pleasure.
More than that, it’s a very reactive touch screen. Often, I find that when I use touchscreen PCs, I get frustrated by slow responsiveness, but I didn’t have any of those problems with the Asus Vivobook 14 Flip.
Image: Alice Clarke.
The problem I did have is that the screen is a fingerprint magnet. Just a complete sponge for flesh oils. I found I needed to keep a glasses cloth nearby to keep the screen looking its best. A minor quibble, and a price I’m willing to pay for a screen this bright and beautiful, but something to keep in mind if it’s the kind of thing that bothers you.
Benchmarks
In terms of benchmarking, it’s not exactly a gaming powerhouse, but it’s no slouch, either, when it comes to everything else.
I’ve used it to play Wingspan and Fortnite and it was… bad. After about 15 minutes in Zero Build Battle Royale, the frame rate would dip quite low, to the point where it wasn’t enjoyable. That’s surprising for an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with Intel Arc graphics. It could speak to me having a dodgy unit, or the Vivobook Flip range having some difficulties with cooling.
It’s fine for everything else that isn’t graphically intensive, though. Those raw numbers are pretty damn good if doing AI or processor-intensive tasks. I wouldn’t want to edit photos or videos on it very often, but it’s usable enough.
That said, I would just expect more for $2,800, especially given what a $1,999 MacBook Air can do in comparison.
Who isASUS Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407)for?
I’m not entirely sure. If you ignore the graphical power limitations, it’s a beautiful PC with an impressive battery life. But for $2,800 I’m struggling to think of who can justify that price when most of that price is going to the screen. I can understand paying extra for a beautiful screen if doing a lot of graphics-heavy tasks or playing games, but I don’t get it in a laptop that isn’t designed for those tasks.
This would suit someone who wants a laptop with a long battery life and beautiful screen, and is willing to buy the stylus separately, but doesn’t want to do any tasks that require too much graphics power. That’s a pretty specific person. But if that person is you, then you’re in for a treat.
Asus Vivobook 14 Flip
The Asus Vivobook 14 Flip has a gorgeous screen and a durable 360-degree design, but it lacks graphical punch.
Features
7
Value for money
6
Performance
6
Ease of use
8
Design
9
Positives
FHD OLED screen is beautiful
28 hours of battery life is impressive
Plenty of ports
Negatives
Not suited to graphically intensive tasks like gaming
Not as powerful as some laptops two thirds the price
Samsung has confirmed its full TV range for Australia, including the brand’s flagship Neo QLED QN990F 8K model.
Like Samsung’s previous 8K TVs, such as the QN900D, the gap between available 8K content and these high-resolution screens is bridged by upscaling. Equipped with the new NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor, Samsung’s QN990F uses a technology called “8K AI Upscaling Pro” to give lower-resolution video a facelift. Available in a sizable 85-inch version, its $11,999 price tag highlights the TV’s premium status.
For a more affordable 8K alternative, Samsung also has the Neo QLED QN900F, which starts at $4,499 for the 65-inch size. It’s similar in many ways to the top-of-the-line model, yet several differences contribute to its cheaper price. The main one is the use of a “Gen2” processor. It’s tricky to compare the chipsets side-by-side, other than comparisons listed on Samsung’s website between the brand’s 8K and 4K TVs.
Compared to the chip used by its 4K Neo QLED TVs, Samsung claims the QN900F’s Gen2 processor boasts the following improvements:
12x greater AI Neural Networks
Up to 1.6x faster GPU
Up to 17% faster CPU
While Samsung lists the following QN990F’s Gen3 processor benefits (still compared to the 4K TVs):
Up to 2x faster NPU
38x greater AI Neural Networks
Up to 2.2x faster GPU
Up to 30% faster CPU
As you’d expect, the priciest TV sports the biggest advertised performance boost. According to Samsung, this technology, particularly the neural networks, is what drives the QN990F’s 8K upscaling efforts. Both TVs also use anti-glare technology, as also used by Samsung’s high-end OLED TVs.
What about Samsung’s 4K TVs?
If 4K is enough for you, Samsung still has plenty of Neo QLED Mini LEDs to choose from. They start at $1,799 for the 55-inch QN70F, all the way up to $9,999 for the 98-inch QN90F model.
Like Samsung’s 8K TVs, the 4K Neo QLED range has incremental differences between them. Predictably, the QN90F gets the fanciest features, most of which end with the suffix “Pro”: 4K AI Upscaling Pro, AI Motion Enhancer Pro, Auto HDR Remastering Pro – you get the idea.
Continuing the pro theme is The Frame Pro, Samsung’s latest iteration of its art gallery-inspired TV. Starting at $3,499 for the 65-inch model, the different take on Mini LED is 4K with a 144Hz refresh rate, while also supporting the brand’s Wireless One Connect box.
Image: Samsung.
In addition to TVs, Samsung also confirmed the Australian launch of the Premiere 9 ($8,499) and Premiere 7 ($4,999) short-throw projectors. Shown at IFA last year, both projectors create up to 130-inch images, with the Premiere 9 reaching 3,450 ISO lumens of peak brightness.
Ignoring the boring muted colour palettes of many phones before it, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is big on personality.
Part of the sub-brand belonging to Nothing (think the Nothing Phone 3A Pro), the CMF Phone 2 Pro will be easy to spot from a distance. It’s $449 in Australia for the 128GB storage option or $509 for the 256GB option. Both versions ship with 8GB of physical RAM alongside a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chipset.
Internal specs aside, it’s the outside of this phone that’ll get people talking. The orange finish is particularly striking, with a two-toned design that mimics a frosted glass look. Its visible screws add an industrial touch, reminiscent of the modular HMD Fusion, albeit in a much brighter colour. Sure, the CMF Phone 2 Pro also comes in White, Black, and Light Green, but why would you choose any of those when bright orange is right there?
More vivid colours like this, please. Image: Nothing / CMF.
On the other side is a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen that sports a 1080 x 2392 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It’s supported by a four-camera array, including a 50MP main sensor, a 2x optical telephoto lens, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 16MP selfie camera.
Launching alongside the phone are three sets of earbuds: the CMF Buds 2 ($89), CMF Buds 2 Plus ($109), and CMF Buds 2a ($79). As the respective prices suggest, the 2a is the entry-level model, followed by the other two that support active noise cancellation, which is pretty decent for buds hovering around $100.
Even the new range of earbuds gets the fun design treatment. Image: Nothing / CMF.
All of the new CMF gear arrives on Australian shores on 6 May. Pre-orders start today exclusively through JB Hi-Fi, the stockists of Nothing’s other devices locally so far.
I can only hope that Nothing and CMF’s bold design philosophy catches on, filling the rest of the tech world with fun splashes of colour.
Major tech milestones are always a good excuse to look back on past trends and see what’s changed over time. In the latest episode of Two Blokes Talking Tech, Valens Quinn joined TechGuide‘s Stephen Fenech to look at 10 years of the Apple Watch among the latest news.
In between looking at the history of Apple’s wearables, the duo took time to examine Hisense’s new TV range that just landed in Australia. Hisense typically goes head-to-head with TCL each year, providing decent mid-range screens for shoppers on a budget.
Val recently went hands-on with two gadgets that caught his eye: the Fujifilm GFX100RF camera, and the tiny HOVERAir X1 ProMax drone. Of the two, the Fujifilm camera really impressed him, reminding him how much joy there is in photography when a phone isn’t involved.
At GadgetGuy, we review many security cameras, and the features and functions are generally similar. Each brand and model, of course, has its differences, trying to set itself apart in your eyes and make you invest in a camera ecosystem to protect and monitor your belongings.
But what does Amazon, one of the largest and most connected companies in the world, do to make its cameras different? I reviewed the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus to find out more.
How do you choose between different security cameras?
Let’s assume you are standing in a JB Hi-Fi or a Harvey Norman and want to buy a security camera. There are big boxes, small boxes, and different colours, and each box will list some key features. Here are the features you should consider when buying a security camera:
Indoor or Outdoor: Where is the camera going to be positioned? Is it weatherproof?
Battery or wired: Whilst most cameras connect via a wireless Wi-Fi signal, you will need a battery or a wired model to connect to mains to power them. Most have optional solar panels to recharge batteries.
Camera Resolution and viewing angle: To ensure you can see detail in your captured images, check that the resolution exceeds 2K. The field of view refers to the width of the angle the camera sees.
Lighting: Especially for an outdoor camera, do you want a camera with a built-in sensor light?
Storage: Where do you want your images stored? On a built-in memory card, in the cloud, or perhaps both?
Cloud subscriptions: Do you get any free storage, and what is the ongoing monthly cost? What extra value-added services come with that subscription?
Multipacks: Once you buy one camera, you adopt its ecosystem and app. If you buy a different brand, you need another app. Multipacks of cameras reduce costs per camera.
Price: You pay more for better quality and more features. Always look for the best value based on your needs. Remember that having to pay monthly subscription fees will add to your overall cost.
Ring Outdoor Cam Plus Battery features
The Ring Outdoor Camera Plus is a battery dual-band wireless 2K camera with cloud storage.
Ring also offers the camera as a plug-in-to-mains version, for $179, as well as multipacks and solar panels ($229 for a single camera and panel).
The camera is available in black or white and is very neat mainly due to no included light. The night vision on this camera works particularly well and is also designed for indoor use.
Intuitive timeline. Screenshot: Angus Jones.
This is one of the first cameras I have seen supporting a dual-band Wi-Fi connection, which means if the camera is close enough to your Wi-Fi hub, it will use the 5GHz band, resulting in a faster connection. Being completely wireless with a built-in battery will give you more flexibility with mounting, which can be done both vertically or horizontally, subject to your Wi-Fi range.
The camera has a 2K resolution, technically making it sharper than the evening news on your TV. The camera has a field of vision of 160 degrees diagonally, 140 degrees horizontally, and 80 degrees vertically. (180 degrees would mean you could see everything from left to right of the lens).
Features that are standard on all brands today include a siren and two-way communication. A speaker and a microphone on the camera allow a two-way conversation between your camera and the owner’s smartphone. The same speaker can also emit a siren when movement is detected manually or from the app. I found the microphone very directional, so a person off to the side of the image was hard to hear.
To set up and monitor the camera, you must download an app to your smartphone. Once set up, you can also use a browser on your PC to access the camera and recordings. This same app supports all Ring cameras and doorbells.
Image: Angus Jones.
The camera comes with a mount and two screws and wall plugs. On Ring’s website, they also sell compatible accessories, including:
Pole wall mount $50
Stake mount $65
Hardwire kit (240 volts) $99
Spare parts kit $8
Ring Outdoor Camera Plus specifications and price
Camera resolution
2K
Field of view: 160 degrees Diagonal, 140 degrees Horizontal, 80 degrees Vertical
I am not sure if it is because this camera comes from a bigger company or that Ring just has smarter people, but right from taking this product out of the box, I noticed little differences that make it more user-friendly.
These days, setting up most security cameras is very simple. It involves scanning a QR code with the camera and downloading an app. You simply follow the instructions. The difficult part is adjusting the settings to suit your particular environment.
The Ring setup process incorporates the environmental factors into your setup process. Ring provides simple explanations during your setup process to explain what and why you are customising.
For example, the setup process with other brands means that any movement in the field of view will activate the camera. Ring requires you to decide during the setup process rather than as a separate process. Say you have a flapping flag in the camera’s field of view that might trigger a motion alert. A portion of the camera’s view can be set not to trigger.
Screenshots: Angus Jones.
Another setting as part of the installation with Ring is to blank out an area that will not record. Let’s say your camera captures a neighbour’s window. This can be blanked out in recordings. You end up with a better setup as part of the guided installation rather than struggling with the settings by yourself afterwards.
My only bugbear with the Ring camera is that it does not offer free cloud storage. If you do not subscribe, you will only receive alerts and watch live images. If, however, you subscribe, then a whole new set of features awaits.
For your information, a recording can be made for up to 30 minutes, and multiple live cams can be displayed on the smartphone screen at once. By default, you will receive an alert each time movement is detected, and the alert on your smartphone will include a small preview snapshot.
Screenshot: Angus Jones.
In the table above, you can see the different available plans. Ring offers up to 180 days of recordings, which is significantly longer than other cloud subscriptions from other brands. I guess it helps that Amazon owns the data centres.
Having so much recorded footage is great over a long period, but finding an older recording could be an issue. Ring has solved this by allowing search by date, motion, person detected, vehicle detected, live view recordings, and deliveries. A new AI feature they offer is Smart Video Search, which allows you to enter a search phrase like “person with an orange shirt”.
Screenshot: Angus Jones.
I was extremely impressed with this camera’s night vision capabilities. In the images below, you can see the result of the Ring versus the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera with its lights off.
On the left is night vision from the Ring Outdoor Plus, and footage from the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera is on the right. Images: Angus Jones.
Who is the Ring Outdoor Camera Plusfor?
Ring has produced a well-made camera in a neat package that performs well. If you buy multiple cameras and possibly a doorbell, this camera and indeed the ecosystem would suit the less technically oriented.
The setup is easy, the feature set is rich, and Ring has really worked hard with its interfaces to make using the camera simple and easy to find footage from the cameras.
I wasn’t expecting much from the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus, but I’ve been surprised by how well it performs.
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Ring Outdoor Camera Plus
The Ring Outdoor Camera Plus is an easy-to-use battery-powered 2K camera with sharp vision, even at night.
In an era where compact digital cameras often feel iterative, the Fujifilm GFX100RF stands out as a truly unique offering. By merging the exceptional image quality of medium format photography with the convenience of a compact, fixed-lens design, it redefines what’s possible in portable photography.
There are a few features that really stand out with the Fujifilm GFX100RF. First, there’s that massive 102-megapixel medium format sensor. This is a 44-by-33-millimetre CMOS II sensor designed to maximise high dynamic range and colour fidelity. The larger sensor size offers more creative options, especially for those familiar with medium format photography and its benefits.
Next, there’s a fixed 35mm f/4 lens, which is equivalent to 28 millimetres in full-frame terms. Fujifilm developed this lens with a leaf shutter, allowing flash sync up to 1/4000 seconds. It also has a 20-centimetre minimum focus distance, making it great for macro shots, and includes a built-in four-stop ND filter, which I was quite surprised about. This feature opens up more possibilities for outdoor shooting.
The Fujinon f/4 fixed lens is a great match for the huge 102MP medium format sensor. Credit: Valens Quinn.
Digital teleconverter and aspect ratio dial
The massive sensor also makes it possible for a digital teleconverter, which enables in-camera cropping to simulate focal lengths of 45mm, 63mm, and 80mm—these are the full-frame equivalents. What I really like about this is the versatility of different focal lengths without changing lenses.
On top of that, and probably my favourite feature, is the aspect ratio dial. This is a dedicated dial that allows you to switch between nine different aspect ratios, including classic Fujifilm formats like 65:24, 3:4 and 65:24, and photography mainstays including 5:4, 1:1, and 3:2. All you have to do is flip the dial, and it will change your photo’s look entirely.
Design and build
This dial offers you nine different aspect ratio crops ranging from cinematic wides to magazine portraits to smartphone verticals. Credit: Valens Quinn.
And let’s not forget the Fujifilm GFX100RF’s compact, stylish body. It feels rock solid, made from aluminium, and weighs about 735 grams. It’s the lightest camera in the GFX system, plus it’s weather-sealed, and I absolutely love the machined feel of the dials and the satisfying click when you move them. The body is textured as well, for added grip.
You can choose between all-black, which I had for my review, or a black body plus sliver top. The styling sort of has a retro look, and stands apart from modern compact cameras.
Autofocus and AI detection
The Fujifilm GFX100RF also has an intelligent hybrid autofocus setup, which combines both contrast and phase detection. Specification-wise, it has up to 425 selectable autofocus points and uses an AI-based subject detection model to recognise different subjects, including human faces, eyes, animals, birds, vehicles, aeroplanes, and trains.
This is similar to Canon and Sony offerings and is handy for different shooting scenarios. And like most AI systems, its first debut appears to be quite capable and should improve over time with software updates.
Video capabilities
For video shooting, the Fujifilm GFX100RF offers 4K at 30 frames per second with 4:2:2 10-bit colour depth, recorded internally to up to 2 SD cards using the H.265 codec. It also supports Apple’s ProRes format when recording to an external SSD via USB-C. Fujifilm’s F-Log 2 profile provides over 13 stops of dynamic range, offering rich tonal expression and high flexibility in post-production.
Additionally, the camera features digital image stabilisation to help correct camera shake during video recording, but there’s no in-body image stabilisation (IBIS). For this, you’d be better leaning towards the very excellent FujifilmX100VI (once they stop being sold out).
Even the attachable lens hood is machined aluminium, which looks great. Credit: Valens Quinn
Screen and EVF
When it came to using it, I found that the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and rear display screen options were handy, and the EVF really does open up a huge amount of detail. The rear LCD display is articulated so it can be tilted upwards and downwards, but not hinging outwards towards the subject, so there’s no selfie mode. Still, it performed well and bright enough to be seen, even on sunny days.
The EVF is comfortable to use and is very clear. There’s a diopter as well for wearing glasses. Credit: Valens Quinn.
For those who want to know the specs, the LCD display is a 3.15-inch tilting touchscreen with a resolution of 2.1 million dots. This is also a touch display, so you can make selections directly or use the buttons and wheels. The EVF is a 0.5-inch OLED electronic viewfinder with 5.76 million dots and a magnification of 0.84 times.
The articulated LCD display is handy when shooting with the camera above or below you, but no side hinge for selfies. Credit: Valens Quinn.
Controls and ergonomics
Menu system-wise, there are a number of different ways of navigating the many settings and menus. There’s a Q button, which gives you shortcuts to the major settings, plus, by pressing the menu button, you can access a myriad of options. However, I found the system to be somewhat difficult to master in a short period of time, but with practice, I’m sure I would get used to it.
Next, the button placement is fairly logical. However, one of the key frustrations I had was the position of the teleconverter toggle, which is close to the on-off switch, and I found myself switching it off and on by accident too often.
There are two V90 SD memory card slots for photos and video storage. Credit: Valens Quinn.
Next, there is a combined shutter and ISO wheel, which saves space instead of using two wheels, but can be a bit fiddly and difficult to read the ISO numbers because they are quite small.
The iris ring is also in a slightly awkward position at the base of the 35mm lens. There are a few other toggles and wheels for dialling in your settings, which are fine. However, the one on the front next to the lens, which opens your colour selections, felt a little difficult to find.
As a Canon shooter, Fujifilm’s system felt a little unfamiliar, but like any camera brand, once you spend time in their ecosystem, the buttons, menus and controls become a lot easier to get up to speed quickly.
Shutter and ISO are combined into the same button. Credit: Valens Quinn.
Taking photos
When taking photos, the maximum resolution of 11,648 x 8,736 offers so much room to play with. An expansive canvas means you can experiment with the aspect dial and teleconverter to fit your creative intent.
You can choose from 20 different film “simulations” as well for some added creative flair that is baked into your final image. I really liked the Classic Chrome look, which brought a magazine photography look, and there are many others like Provia, Reala Ace, Acros and many others.
This camera gets Fujifilm’s latest X-Processor V which can burst up to six full frame shots per second in mechanical shutter mode – which is impressive considering the amount of image data generated per shot.
While the lens limits you to f/4, you can get closer to the subject for a shallower depth of field, and the built-in NDs were very handy to keep the aperture wide open when out in the sun.
I’ve included some of my photos below. Click on a photo to see a larger version – keep in mind that they’re not full-resolution versions as they’d be too large to upload here. My favourite crops included the ultra-wide 65:24, not to mention the vertical “smartphone” nature of 3:4, which was great for social posts. 7:6 is also pretty amazing, and a popular choice for commercial shoots.
In terms of image quality, there’s no doubt that anyone using this camera will be very satisfied. There’s an incredible amount of detail, low noise, accurate colours and piles of dynamic range to work with. Night shots look great, and you can get up to 20cm away from your subject for some macro-style shots too.
One thing I struggled with was deciding whether to take advantage of the medium format sensor and just shoot everything in full frame and crop it later rather than in the camera. However, I needn’t have worried, as, once I loaded my photos into Adobe’s Lightroom, the magic began to happen.
As I set the GFX100RF to capture a RAW and JPEG file for each shot, noticed that all my RAW photos, while cropped to the aspect ratio that I set in the camera, still contained the entire full image.
Once in Lightroom, I could access the entire sensor’s version in RAW mode (top), and my cropped and processed shot in JPEG (bottom). Credit: Valens Quinn.
Essentially, the Fujifilm GFX100RF gave me the ability to capture the full sensor view in RAW while creating an in-camera finished ‘look’ with the JPEG, including crop, simulated film and other post-processing. So, if I wasn’t happy with my decision, I could start again and re-choose my crop, regardless of what I shot at the time.
Lastly, while I didn’t shoot a lot of video, the footage of the coastline looked very sharp and detailed, but the 4K/30fps in 10-bit mode can be a bit limited if you’re after slow-mo effects. It would be amazing if you could access the entire sensor for video (i.e. Open Gate), which would make it an absolute hybrid-shooter weapon, but it appears to be locked in 16:9. I suppose that’s not what this camera is really about. Maybe with a later firmware update?
Who is the Fujifilm GFX100RF for?
Wow, what a camera. Having that huge 102MP medium format sensor, along with aspect ratio modes, a teleconverter, and built-in NDs, all in a compact body with a fixed 35mm lens is truly unique.
Who’s it for? That depends on what you want. For pros, the Fujifilm GFX100RF may lack the versatility and ergonomics to be your day-to-day workhorse, but would certainly be great in your kit bag. For enthusiasts, well, I would love this, however, the $8,700 price tag certainly stings. Not because it isn’t worth it, as this is a medium format camera after all.
If you can take the plunge, this camera has the magic to be far greater than the sum of its parts. It literally draws the creativity out of you and into your photos, and if I could choose just one camera to live with, it would be this.
Fujifilm GFX100RF
A fantastic, modern take on the medium format camera, with creative crop modes, film simulations and a stylish, retro design. Oh, and it takes fantastic photos. And you'll never want to use a smartphone camera again.
Performance
9.6
Features
9
Ease of use
8.5
Design
9.2
Value for money
8.5
Positives
Incredible 102MP medium format sensor in a compact camera body
Machined metallic body, satisfying controls and a great vintage look
Highly detailed EVF and touch-screen viewfinder
Dedicated aspect ratio dial for quickly selecting iconic formats like such as 5:4, 3:2 and 1:1
Responsive autofocus, intelligent AI tracking, and lots of configurations to match your preferences
Negatives
Some of the dial placements are a little awkward to reach or operate
