Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Feed Link: https://www.engadget.com/
---

Title: Fujifilm GFX100RF review: A powerful and fun camera that's far from
perfect

Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 13:30:34 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-gfx...

After watching its fixed-lens X100 VI camera do stratospheric sales numbers,
Fujifilm decided to build a bigger and badder version that could go up
against LeicaΓÇÖs full-frame Q3. The result is the $4,899 GFX100RF, the first-
ever 100-megapixel medium format compact camera.

The GFX100RF has some novel features, like a crop dial that lets you choose
aspect ratios ranging from vertical 3:4 to a panoramic 65:24. It can
digitally zoom via a dedicated toggle and offers all the social media-
friendly benefits of the X100 VI, including film simulations. You can even
shoot medium-format 4K video.

However, the GFX100RF has some flaws. Where LeicaΓÇÖs Q3 has a fast 28mm
f/1.7 lens and optical stabilization, FujifilmΓÇÖs 35mm lens (28mm
equivalent) here is limited to f4 and lacks any shake reduction, hurting the
camera in low light. IΓÇÖve used the camera for nearly two weeks now and
enjoyed it, but given the high price and quirks, itΓÇÖs definitely not for
everyone.

Design and handling

Though itΓÇÖs FujifilmΓÇÖs smallest medium-format camera, the GFX100RF is
still a hefty unit at 735 grams. ThatΓÇÖs more than many full-frame
mirrorless cameras and around the same weight as the Q3. The control layout
is similar to the X100 VI with control dials on the front and back, along
with exposure compensation, shutter speed and ISO controls on top.

WhatΓÇÖs new is the aspect ratio dial that offers modes for 4:3, 3:2, 16:9,
17:6, 3:4, 1:1, 7:6, 5:4 and 65:24 (the latter pays tribute to FujifilmΓÇÖs
TX-1 panoramic camera). The GFX100RF also has a toggle up front to select
28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 63mm (full-frame equivalent) zoom levels. Those
gradually lose resolution due to cropping, from 100MP at 28mm down to 20MP at
63mm. Bokeh is also reduced as the sensor size shrinks.

The rear 2.1-million-dot, 3.15-inch display only tilts up and down, but
thatΓÇÖs fine for the camera's primary street photo role. Though sharp and
detailed, the 5.76-million-dot electronic viewfinder unfortunately lacks the
X100 VIΓÇÖs signature hybrid display that lets you switch between optical and
electronic views. However, it does offer three modes to support the aspect
ratio dial and make composition easier. One only shows the selected crop,
another shows the full scene with a box around the crop and the third
displays everything outside the crop at 50 percent opacity.

Fujifilm's GFX100RF includes an innovative aspect ratio dial at back Steve
Dent for Engadget

Battery life on the GFX100RF is outstanding with up to 820 shots on a charge
or about 100 minutes of 4K 30 fps video shooting. For me, that amounted to
nearly two days of use, which is better than nearly every other (non-DSLR)
camera IΓÇÖve tested. The camera also includes dual UHS-II memory card slots
plus mic, headphone, microHDMI and USB-C ports. The latter allows not only
data transfers and charging, but also SSD video recording.

Performance

The GFX100RF is essentially a GFX100S II squeezed into a compact body, so
performance is similar with up to 6 fps burst shooting speeds. However, each
RAW file is up to 150MB in size and JPEGs are 70MB, so even at those slower
speeds, you can fill your memory cards very quickly. That said, this camera
definitely isnΓÇÖt designed for sports or wildlife, so I didnΓÇÖt use burst
shooting often.

The autofocus is reliable when shooting single photos, but itΓÇÖs a little
laggy for bursts. Using the face and eye detect AI modes helps nail eye focus
reliably, but itΓÇÖs not as fast as Sony and CanonΓÇÖs systems. It also
supports animal, bird and vehicle tracking, which helped me capture sharp
photos of ducks floating on the Seine river in Paris.

Steve Dent for Engadget

The GFX100RF has both mechanical and silent electronic shutter modes. Rolling
shutter skew is a big issue with this sensor in silent mode with fast moving
subjects, though. Luckily, the mechanical shutter eliminates that and is
nearly inaudible.

The built-in ND filter can reduce light up to four stops, letting you shoot
on sunny days while retaining some bokeh. However, the main problem is when
thereΓÇÖs not enough light. The minimum f4 aperture is simply inadequate and
the lack of stabilization exacerbates the issue as you risk blurry photos at
slow shutter speeds. In dim light you may need to pack a tripod, which
isnΓÇÖt ideal for a compact camera.

Image quality

The aspect ratio and zoom options on the GFX100RF are handy and fun. Some
curmudgeons may prefer to shoot full sensor 100MP photos and then just crop
later in post production. But the GFX100RF lets you have your cake and eat
it, too. You can apply all the crops, zooms and film simulations you want and
save them as JPEGs for easy sharing. Then, if you need to go back and change
something, you also have the full 100MP RAW image as a backup (though
obviously, shooting both will fill your memory card more quickly).

As with the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF is a top performer when it comes to
detail and sharpness. Colors are pleasing and RAW files retain high amounts
of dynamic range, allowing for easy adjustment in Lightroom. And of course,
FujifilmΓÇÖs film simulations give you colorful, nostalgic options ΓÇö like
Reala Ace or the dramatic black and white look of Acros ΓÇö straight out of
the camera.

The GFX100RF also delivers beautiful bokeh, with the f4 aperture equivalent
to around f3 for a full-frame camera in terms of depth of field (but not
light gathering). Like other GFX models, the large sensor produces more
dramatic images than full frame for portraits, landscapes or street shots.

Like I mentioned, things fall apart when the light dims, though. With no
option below f4 and no stabilization, I relied on high ISOs to boost
exposure. The GFX100RF isnΓÇÖt bad in this area, with controllable noise up
to about ISO 8000, but thatΓÇÖs not high enough considering the other
factors. For these reasons, the GFX100RF is less versatile than it could be.

Video Steve Dent for Engadget

The GFX100RF can handle 4K and widescreen DCI 4K at up to 30 fps with fairly
high bit rates, as long as you have a fast UHS-II SD card. It can even shoot
ProRes with at much higher data speeds, but for those, youΓÇÖll need to
record directly to an SSD via the USB Type-C port.

Autofocus for video is decent but not incredibly fast, so ideally your
subjects donΓÇÖt move too much. The AI-powered face and eye detection helps
nail focus when filming people, but again, can fail if subjects dart around.

Video has a dreamy quality and bokeh that only a large sensor can offer. Like
the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF captures video using the full width of the
sensor in most modes, albeit with pixel binning that reduces quality. The
sharpest video comes with a 1.32x crop, but that reduces the image quality
benefits of a large sensor.

Video on the GFX100RF has one thing going for it that the photo side lacks:
digital stabilization. This smooths out shakiness for handheld shots, but the
excessive rolling shutter limits your ability to move the camera quickly.

Colors are pleasing and easy to adjust, particularly when using FujifilimΓÇÖs
F-Log or F-Log2 10-bit modes to boost dynamic range. And of course, Reala
Ace, Acros and other film simulations are available in video modes to create
great looks straight out of the camera.

Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget

FujifilmΓÇÖs $4,899 GFX100RF is a powerful camera with incredible image
quality thatΓÇÖs hampered by a lack of low-light performance. ItΓÇÖs also a
niche and expensive product that, unlike FujifilmΓÇÖs popular X100 VI, only
appeals to a small group of photographers.

Its primary rival in this space is LeicaΓÇÖs Q3, which has a smaller 60MP
full-frame sensor and higher $6,735 price tag. However, the Q3 has a much
faster 28mm f/1.7 lens, less rolling shutter, a single SD UHS-II card slot
and up to 8K video. It also has the Leica brand cachet, which does mean
something to people spending this kind of money.

The GFX100RF is fun to use, though, and introduces several innovations like
the aspect ratio dial. Though it may never have a huge market, I think
products like this push the industry in new directions and create
conversations that draw new people into photography. So even though IΓÇÖd
never buy one, IΓÇÖm glad the GFX100RF exists for those reasons.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-gfx...
camera-thats-far-from-perfect-133034384.html?src=rss

---
VRSS v2.1.180528