Fujifilm GFX 100S - One Month Review

[@jonathanbush1936]

Great review! Like some others commenting here, I also found that you addressed details that I was very interested in such as the improved overall speed of operation (as opposed to frame-rate), button arrangement, IBIS effectiveness, Arca-Swiss baseplate warning(!), etc. Well done! I’ve had a 50s for about 3 years and *love* the tilting viewfinder adapter, so I’m not quite ready to move to the 100s and give that up, although it is getting harder to “look away” as I see reviews like this that talk more about the improvements in usability that I would welcome. Thanks again.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Hi Johnathan! Thanks for watching. If the improvements in usability and overall speed make a difference to your work, it might even be worth looking at the new 50S II. Although it doesn't get the PDAF sensors, it does get pretty much everything else (while sacrificing the retro dials and the tilting EVF, of course). Have you given it some thought?

[@jonathanbush1936]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer thanks Dylan. I gave the 50s II some thought, but there’s just not enough there to move me to upgrade. Had they added a new 50MP BSI sensor with PDAF, well, that might have done it.

[@SonicStates]

Really appreciate your thoughts on this beast. I don't think I can justify buying one... but probably will anyway! Thanks again!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Very few people on the planet can actually justify this camera. As I said in the beginning "want" and "need" are very different things.

[@borromine]

Wow. Packed quick. Super informative. Absolutely best 100S review! Thanks!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Thanks for watching, Joseph!

[@stephendixon8575]

Brilliant review thanks - You bizarrely managed to cover all of my burning questions that everyone else had missed!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bobby350z]

Watched two of your videos on GFX100s and really liked both of them. Thanks.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Glad you like them!

[@woodyfilm92]

Thanks for sharing your great experiences. I also hope to hold that GFX100s in my hand soon.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Thanks for watching. I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you do!

[@delta2194]

Very informative. I have come to enjoy your reviews more and more. Thank you sir.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

You're welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

[@ateliercunha2876]

Hi Dylan, thanks for your impressions of this camera. two years later do you still have the same impressions of the GFX100s that you expressed in this video? Has anything disappointed you in the meantime? Anything that positively surprised you? Thank you.

[@zvitkovits]

… I’d also appreciate a long-term update and your thoughts on upgrading? Plus: I hear again and again about overheating issues (photography, not video). What are your experiences?

[@icogicog8287]

Yes just got the Small rig L bracket and it is very good. The only issue I have with it is that it doesn’t have the right hole to fit one of the straps with quick release ( I can’t remember the manufacturer) that allows to carry the camera across your shoulder and body and yet raise it to your eye without fiddling with the straps. Way mor comfortable to carry around. The quick release fitting that fits the bottom of the L bracket ( like in the RRS one) makes it also very easy to put the camera on a tripod. This feature alone will likely make me get the RRS one in spite of the very high cost. BTW your impression are spot on and I concur with them 100%. I hear of some possible release of a 50 new generation. Would love to see IBIS n that body at a minimum and perhaps a new sensor to allow for better face/eye autofocus. The 50MP sensor in general seems better to me to adapt no Fuji lenses and very few (if any) legacy lenses do well with the 102 MP. Sorry for the long winded comment.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

I'm enjoying my smallrig bracket as well. I've used it on a three-day shoot this week and it performed wonderfully. I've seen the rumors of the new 50MP body and I'm sure it will be well placed in the market and have some great improvements.

[@chuckm482]

JUST ordered mine. Getting it Tuesday 2/15/2022!!! Now for the 1st lens with it!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Enjoy making images with it!

[@louis5352]

Love these 2 100S videos so far. As regards the smaller file sizes see p104 of manual. For example 50MP is the M setting whereas the L setting is 102MP, etc.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Hi Louis. Thanks for watching. Those are jpg sizes rather than raw sizes. We're talking about having a small raw file here.

[@louis5352]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer My mistake since I thought a 11648x8736 image size would be the full size 102MP RAW and a 8256x6192 would represent a medium image size 51MP RAW. Mine is due to arrive today and I thought just like you one should be able take a 50MP RAW when wanted.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

@@louis5352 It would be a helpful feature, to be sure! Hopefully Fujifilm will implement it.

[@PaulAllann]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer Is this something that could be done in a firmware update?

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

@@PaulAllann provided the processor is capable of it, it shouldn't be an issue. I guess it would just depend on whether Fujifilm feels that there's enough of a demand to warrant the development time.

[@alexandervlasov6746]

Excellent review, excellent camera!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Thank you kindly!

[@CiciOlssonPhotographyCOprod]

Hey Dylan, thank you so much for this video ! I know I'm reacting a bit late -like two years ..., but in case you read this ; I seem to have lost all indicators and information - speed, aperture, iso etc - that were visible while looking through the "proper" viewfinder. It's all there on the LCD screen. It's so annoying because I really, really don't like to photograph "through" the screen, and I like to be able to adjust and see what I'm doing while I'm taking my picture. Thanks for your feedback, Cici

[@danbarton6946]

Great review, better than most

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Cheers, Dan.

[@waveland]

The function button and general handling design approach Fujifilm takes (and seems constantly unsettled about) would make me jump to another brand-if I had access to similar image detail and quality with another camera. On the GFX 100, the rear command dial was spongy and small and fiddly. On the 100S they’ve improved the command dials, but I have to agree that the joystick is imprecise, especially when pressing. It takes me out of the moment more often than not. I also prefer using back-button focus, but Fujifilm does not embrace this in their ergonomic design choices on any of their cameras. On the X-T4 I have adapted the AEL button for focus, and I have to do the same with the 100S to have a comfortable reach for my thumb without having the adjust my right hand position for every focus push. BUT, the AEL buttons are in opposite directions on those two camera bodies. The X-T4 is above the joystick. The 100S, the button is below the joystick. That’s just nonsense. Every time I pick up these cameras I miss my old D850 which was properly designed for pro-handling. Fujifilm, you’re not building toys. Please give us users, pro-caliber bodies to go along with these amazing sensor and IBIS combinations. Please.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

I agree with much of what you say here. It often feels like Fujifilm is experimenting rather than refining. They do an excellent job of image quality, make gorgeous lenses, and build cameras that you WANT to use. However, there are always small changes or poorly considered design choices on each camera. I hope soon that we can see a more unified design across their cameras.

[@adalsteinn69]

Thanks for this review. I'm torn between the new GFX 50S II and GFX 100S. Really don't need 100 mpix but the autofocus and much better video quality is important to me.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Might be time to visit the Fujifilm store and try them out.

[@lanycera]

I'd personally go for the 100S if I was you. The faster AF is really a big thing. You can just shoot compressed RAW if the filesize would be an issue, and you won't see much of a difference to uncompressed.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Hello and thanks for this interesting point of view after using the GFX100S and I like your point comparing what DSLR provide with small RAW files like the D850 for instance. The good features of this 100S is the AF and IBIS compared to the former 50 series. And I really wished that the 50S2 had the same for the reason you mention : having the medium format look in my images, with lower resolution (50 is enough) and phase detect AF and IBIS. Unfortunately they kept the hold sensor not compatible with phase detect AF. So far for this reason I keep my Leica SL2 system. Not enough reason to switch if it is to stay with contrast detect AF only.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

The PDAF makes a huge difference, to be sure. With certain lenses, it is extremely fast. Without it, things can hunt quite a bit. How is the SL2 in that regard?

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer with the last firmware update the SL2 is fast for still subjects. Tracking moving subjects is another story and both the S1R and the SL2 are not good for this kind of shooting. I tried again this week to shoot my father’s dog… no way to get several sharp images. The S1R has animal detection which the SL2 doesn’t. Regarding image quality, they are marvelous when paired with marvelous lenses

[@lanycera]

No one has been mentioning it except for a few people in their reviews, but lossless compressed file sizes are extremely doable - I see barely any difference in Capture One Pro VS uncompressed. You could even shoot compressed on something like weddings, and still have immaculate picture quality. The 100S is a choice over the 50SII all the way, until they fix the issues with the 50SII.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

To be sure. And, it's all I use. But the two issues a lower resolution would solve are the times when we don't need the full resolution and halving the file size again. There is definitely a place for a small raw option in many workflows.

[@TheRcsb]

Excellent review, Dylan! Just one question: There is still a lack of glass for this camera (especially an ultra wide angle fast lens). I've seen your review of the Laowa Magic Format Converter and was wondering how it would work with the GFX100S (your review was made using a GFX50R, as I understand). Any thoughts? Since then have you noticed any newer (better!) adapters coming to market? Thanks in advance.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Hi Rui, Thanks for watching. If you're after ultra-wide at this point, the Laowa 17mm f/4 (essentially their 12mm f/2.8 with the MFC built in) is a great option. When it comes to functionality, the MFC will behave the same on all GFX cameras. Haven't seen any other alternatives, but now that the market has expanded a bit, we might.

[@TheRcsb]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer Many thanks, Dylan. I had looked at the 17mm lens, buut the lack of weather sealing and the inexistence of metadata for a swift lens correction on Capture 1 (or any other RAW processor) left me in doubt on the merits of the investment...

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

@@TheRcsb That's going to be the case with any lens that doesn't have electronic contacts. Also with any adapted lens, especially if you use the full sensor, you'll have to make any corrections yourself.

[@waveland]

I had the Laowa for a time and came to find that the field of view ended up too broad most of the time. The GF 23mm has given me the coverage needed most often, and for wider panoramas, I’ve been very satisfied with using an L-bracket and merging images in photoshop-with the added advantage that those panoramas end up 25k or 30k pixels wide for really large scale prints that you can put your nose up to and still keep finding amazing detail. Not what everyone needs certainly, but the 23mm is perhaps more flexible than you realize.

[@ridgefield]

Great review.. and neat video editing.. I wonder if the guitar play in the intro and outro is an intrumental version of Downtown Baby.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Thanks for watching. It's actually a track called "Accoustical". Not sure where the inspiration came from, though. :)

[@ridgefield]

Thank you for the reply. I like your video either way.

[@marc066]

Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the review you've done. May i know if there's any difference in tonality between GFX 50 vs the 100s?

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Not something that I'm particularly discerning about. You'd want to look at some of the sensor testers for that. Maybe DXO or someone will have done some testing. It's a newer sensor, so there are likely to be some improvements.

[@sriniv7439]

Informative review, thank you. Btw, what was this video shot with? Seems low-contrast (by design?)

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Not at all. I'd done a job the week before and significantly reduced contrast and sharpness for that shoot. I was tired and out in the sun where I couldn't see the screen properly. Complete user error.

[@johnspijkers7368]

I received the Smallrigg L-bracket yesterday and it is great.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

I actually got mine the day after I filmed the final section of this and I concur. It's a little bulkier and clumsier than Fujifilm's, but it does the job so much better! Cheers for watching.

[@stephendixon8575]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer @John Spijkers Any chance you could share some quick images of how this fits, especially at the bottom around the camera grip section? Had a look at images in SmallRig site and looks like their L bracket protrudes out, beyond the grip but hard to tell from the camera angles they’ve shot it from. Was interested to buy one but might wait fir RRS’ version to see if the design is improved?👍

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

@@stephendixon8575 Fits really well. It has an extension that allows for the use of tether cables, etc.

[@stephendixon8575]

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer so there’s no protrusion of the L-bracket around the base of the camera grip, at the front where the grip meets the body at right angles?

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

@@stephendixon8575 Not quite sure what you mean here, but it's a snug fit all around.

[@srinagardiary-lifeinkashmi5731]

Awesome 💖

[@fredphoto6676]

Swapped my GFX100 for the GFX100s and love it. Only hates the new joystick,wants my old joystick back FUJI !!!! Glued a silicone drop on it [double-sided tape]........and lose it every time......"smile" The Smallrig L bracket is good and about half the price.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Oh yes... that joystick has been driving me nuts as well. The original design was much more usable.

[@stephendixon8575]

Just a thought, but have you ever tried (or even heard of) Sugru? It’s a mouldable silicone putty like material that sticks to pretty much anything and then hardens to a firm, grippy soft touch finish in about 24 hours. There’s a million and one amazing uses for it, but have seen people use it on camera where the buttons are fiddly or uncomfortable to use. You can get it in black, white, grey and lots of other colours, so you can even colour code stuff (if that’s your thing - I’m not that OCD!). Sounds like a perfect solution. I’ve used it for tons of hacks and mending things, as it’s even heat proof to at least boiling water/100 degrees or more. You can buy it on Amazon these days, but check out their website for a while host of inspiring use ideas! Hope this works for you p might give it a go when my GFX100S finally arrives (been waiting 2 months now!) 👍

[@valenciosmall1683]

At 1430 in the video you talk about file size, my question is how much quality if any do you give up by shooting this camera in 35mm mode, I might be wrong by I find the quality to be Exelent and the files are just over 60mb, the only thing that bothers me is that you give up the 4/3 aspect ratio

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Thanks for watching, Valencio. The trade off with 35mm mode is the change in field of view, which is not something I want from my already limited selection of focal lengths.

[@dongliu5002]

What GFX lenses do you recommend to buy ? I am going to get one soon.

[@lanycera]

45mm or 50mm (depends if you want a wider angle, and the 50mm is great bang for the buck) - then 80mm and 110mm. I would skip the 63mm, I wasn't too much of a fan of it and was slower in AF vs the 45 or 50. I also don't use zoom lenses, just primes, and I think those listed are definitely worth recommending!

[@steveh1273]

do you recommend turning off IBIS when using a tripod?

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Absolutely. While it might not affect all your images, if the IBIS kicks in while the camera is stable, you'll get a world of blur.

[@robbe4711]

Great video.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@frankwieczorek5112]

I'd like the 100s with a 30-35MP SENSOR

[@ruudmaas2480]

Good for a rental sometime. I'am a happy xt user :))

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Not for everyone and not for every job, to be sure. It has it's place in my kit, though.

[@ToniNordli]

Wardruna

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Hard to go wrong!

[@ArgentoRAWRz]

cutting the legs on knees on a corp shoot?

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Client's framing for the entire set shot over several countries. We shoot to the breif, not what we think might be "correct".

[@REMY.C.]

What is a DSLR? I looked on Google and couldn't find the answer. I need more than 100mbits for what I do. I shoot my breakfast everyday and really enjoy to watch those pictures on my 3.5 inches smartphone. Plus i can keep like 12 shots on it, which is plenty. The shutter is quieter than the X-PRO3. Wardruna, one of the best bands with a unique style.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? Haha. Wardruna are phenomenal, to be sure. Did you see the cave concert?

[@Ramfotografia]

Totalmente de acuerdo con lo que dice en el minuto 14:50, estaría bueno que incorporaran archivos en RAW mediano y pequeño porque no todo el tiempo uno necesita estar haciendo imágenes en RAW de 102 MP. Sería espectacular poder contar con un un formato de RAW mediano para cosas más sencillas.

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

I will keep saying it until Fujifilm pays attention! It's the same with the 40 MP APS-C sensor... it's really unnecessary most of the time.

[@chinye107]

I notice those chinese characters at the back!

[@DylanGoldbyPhotographer]

Yep! My wife's warnings to me. Haha

[@stammyy2091]

Your video looks washed out you might need to add contrast