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.
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Sensor and lens
- Digital teleconverter and aspect ratio dial
- Design and build
- Autofocus and AI detection
- Video capabilities
- Screen and EVF
- Controls and ergonomics
- Taking photos
- Who is it for?
Fujifilm GFX100RF specifications and price
| Sensor | 102MP medium format CMOS II, 44 x 33mm |
|---|---|
| Processor | X-Processor 5 |
| Lens | Fixed 35mm f/4 lens (28mm full-frame equivalent) |
| Shutter | Leaf shutter, flash sync up to 1/4000s |
| ISO range | ISO 80–12,800 (expandable ISO 40–102,400) |
| Autofocus | Hybrid AF (Phase Detection + Contrast Detection), AI Subject Detection |
| AF points | 425 selectable points |
| Continuous shooting | Up to 4.5 fps |
| Video recording | DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) 30p, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal, H.265 and Apple ProRes support |
| Log profiles | F-Log2 (over 13 stops dynamic range) |
| Stabilisation | Digital image stabilisation (DIS) for video |
| EVF | 0.5-inch OLED, 5.76 million dots, 0.84x magnification |
| Rear LCD | 3.15-inch tilting touchscreen, 2.1 million dots |
| Aspect ratio options | 9 options including 65:24, 7:6, 3:4, 1:1, 3:2 |
| Storage | Dual SD card slots (UHS-II supported) |
| Battery | NP-W235 (approx. 540 shots) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, HDMI micro, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy top and bottom plates, weather-sealed |
| Weight | Approx. 735g (including battery and memory card) |
| Colours available | Black, Silver |
| Australian price | $8,699 |
| Official website | Fujifilm Australia |
| Warranty | 2-year manufacturer’s warranty (Australia) |
Sensor and lens
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.
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
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 Fujifilm X100VI (once they stop being sold out).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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