Fujifilm’s original GFX100S was a popular alternative to the GFX100 because it offered comparable image quality in a slimmer body at a much lower price. However, there were some drawbacks. Most noticeably, the autofocus doesn’t always keep up with the subject. Similarly, the company recently released the $5,000 GFX100S II as a smaller, cheaper alternative to its $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It looks almost the same as before, but the sensor, processor, autofocus, etc. have been updated.
Both cameras are clearly aimed at professionals, but is the GFX100 II worth the extra $2,500, or will the S model be enough for most people?
fujifilm
Fujifilm’s GFX100S II is a significant improvement over the original, offering the same image quality as the GFX100 II for $2,500 less.
Pros Excellent image quality Improved autofocus Good handling Decent battery life Cons Weak video capabilities Reduced quality due to burst shooting $4,999 at Adorama
body
The GFX100S II weighs 1.9 pounds, an ounce lighter than its predecessor, and has nearly identical body design and controls. As before, it comes with a mode dial, focus selector switch, dual control dial, drive select button, and quick menu. There’s a small always-on display at the top that shows settings, a simulated mode dial, and a histogram. This way you can see all the key settings when shooting at hip level.
It feels more like a mirrorless camera than a classic medium format camera. Handling is good, but after spending time with both models, I prefer the GFX100 II’s larger body and additional controls, even if it’s 5 ounces heavier.
Steve Dent of Engadget
The 3.2-inch, 2.36 million-dot display on the back remains unchanged and tilts up, down, left and right, but doesn’t flip over. However, Fujifilm has increased the resolution of the viewfinder to 5.76 million dots, making it noticeably sharper than the previous model’s 3.69 million dot EVF.
The GFX100S II includes dual SD UHS-II card slots, but it doesn’t have a high-speed CFexpress port like the GFX100 II. It uses the same battery as before, but now takes 530 to 540 photos on a single charge. Other features include USB-C, microphone and headphone ports, and micro HDMI connectivity. A new feature is a USB-SSD connection that allows for faster burst shooting and ProRes video capture.
performance
Steve Dent of Engadget
The GFX100S II can shoot faster than its predecessor at up to 7 fps compared to 5 fps in mechanical shutter mode. However, without a fast CFexpress card, you can only capture about 30 compressed RAW frames before the buffer is full. There is also a slight loss in image quality as the camera shifts down from 16-bit RAW images to 14-bit RAW images during burst shooting. Fortunately, most frames can be sharper thanks to significant improvements in autofocus. Despite the faster burst speed, I noticed a significant improvement in the percentage of clear photos when shooting fast-moving subjects.
The AF improvements don’t end there. AI face and eye tracking is smarter and more accurate, making it more likely to focus on your subject’s eyes instead of their eyelashes. This is very important at 100 megapixel resolution. Fujifilm also introduced new subject tracking modes for animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, planes, and trains.
The in-body image stabilization has also been upgraded, now offering 8 stops of image stabilization compared to 6 stops previously. This allows you to shoot dimly lit scenes or blurred motion at shutter speeds as slow as 0.5 seconds without using a tripod. Like its predecessor, rolling shutter distortion is a big issue with this camera’s electronic mode, so neither you nor your subject can move much during use. Otherwise, severe distortion will occur and the photo will be ruined.
image quality
For professional photographers who can afford it, the GFX100S II offers unparalleled image quality. The 100-megapixel sensor delivers razor-sharp photos and 16-bit RAW pixel depth for 14 stops of dynamic range, more than most other mirrorless cameras. This means you can shoot in very dark, bright, or high-contrast situations and retain detail in every part of your photo.
1/26
Fujifilm GFX100S II review sample image
Fujifilm GFX100S II review: great performance at a low price
Fujifilm’s color science delivers accurate and pleasing skin tones, perfect for portrait work. The level of detail means that prints can be scaled up to a very large size of almost 40 x 30 inches at 300 pixels per inch (PPI). The resolution and accurate color rendering make it ideal for landscape photography and art archive works.
Superior RAW quality allows photographers to perform detailed post-production work without sacrificing image quality even with incorrectly exposed shots. In low light, a fair amount of noise starts to become noticeable above ISO 8000 or so. However, when you scale down a 100 megapixel image to a more reasonable size, much of the grain disappears.
Nathanael Charpentier on Engadget
At the same time, JPEG images are great right out of the camera. Like other Fuji models, the GFX100S II comes with an array of film simulations, ranging from the new Reala Ace to Velvia, Acros, and more. Most professional photographers like to fine-tune their images, and many use film simulation to shoot both RAW and JPEG so they can quickly show clients and make detailed adjustments later. Probably.
video
Unlike the more expensive GFX100 II, this camera’s weak spot is video. Resolution is limited to 4K 10-bit, and while there’s no cropping, there’s a fair amount of pixel binning that reduces sharpness. You can capture 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes video at up to 30fps, which requires connecting an SSD drive. 4K and 1080p recording are both limited to 60fps, so there’s actually no slow-motion mode.
Video lacks the sharpness found in other mirrorless cameras such as the Sony A1, but color rendition is excellent. You can also improve dynamic range by shooting in Fujifilm’s FLog or FLog2 modes and applying a LUT later in post.
Rolling shutter in video mode is reduced compared to photography due to pixel binning, but care must be taken not to move the camera too much to avoid excessive wobble or distortion. In-body image stabilization is only effective when shooting hand-held, where there is not much movement. If you try to walk while posting a video blog, you will see a severe impact. Overall, I think the Fujifilm GFX100S II is primarily a photo camera, with video for emergency use only.
summary
Steve Dent of Engadget
The $5,000 Fujifilm GFX100S II offers professionals exceptional image quality at a significantly lower price than the $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It further exceeds buyer expectations by offering fairly quick burst shooting with much more reliable autofocus than the original GFX100S. Video isn’t a strong point, but it’s not important to your target market.
The GFX100S II is also the cheapest camera in the mainstream medium format camera space, with its main competitors being the GFX100 II or Hasselblad’s $8,200 X2D100C. Highly recommended for portraits and other types of photography where details are important. However, burst speed and autofocus are still not enough for fast-moving scenarios.
If you need faster speeds and reliability for things like weddings and live events, go for a high-resolution full-frame model like the $3,700 Nikon Z8, $6,500 Sony A1, or Canon’s new $4,300 EOS R5 II It would be better to.
