FUJIFILM GFX - THE STORY SO FAR

20th May 2026

Part One - The Cameras

GFX 50S

Just like the original X-Pro 1, Fujifilm nailed sublime, organic image quality with the GFX 50S. The 51.4 megapixel Sony sourced sensor had already been used in the Pentax 645Z, but was ‘tweaked’ by Fujifilm. The resulting images are subtle and natural without obvious digital over-sharpening.

The camera body itself is a bit Frankenstein, with the rear LCD screen protruding awkwardly like an afterthought. The removable electronic viewfinder unit seems like a good idea, but in practice it is clumsy and massively frustrating, snagging every time the camera goes in and out of the camera bag. There is also the major issue of having to remove a tripod L-bracket to change the camera battery.

I’ve had several GFX 50S cameras but have never kept them for very long due to the poor handling, there is no denying the fabulous images made by this camera though.

If you can cope with the quirks of a ‘prototype’ camera, there are always lots available for sale, many hardly used, for under £1500. The main thing to look for is bleeding or darkening of the top LCD. Also, make sure that the EVF-TL1 electronic viewfinder unit is present, it is amazing how many GFX 50S cameras for sale are missing this essential item. Always buy used cameras from trusted retailers with a guarantee and a good returns policy. Have a look at my ‘Top 10 Cameras’ feature for my list of recommended gear specialists.

GFX 50R

Using the same sensor and processor as the GFX 50S, the GFX 50R will produce identical images - ie. great!

The camera feels strange, like a hollow, empty box. With anything other than a small prime lens like the GF 63mm, handheld shooting with the GFX 50R is terrible, rather like Fujifilm X-E series camera with ‘Middle-age spread’, there is no proper grip and the camera body is just too thick. On a tripod it is better, with the dials on the top plate for shutter speed (T for long exposures) and exposure compensation easy to access and operate. However, the exposure compensation dial doesn’t have a locking function, it is way too easy to move and needs to be constantly checked. Of course, if using Manual exposure this is no concern. The buttons on the rear of the camera, especially for Menu, Q and Play are way too small. All of the buttons have a rather spongy feel, including the shutter release which feels disconnected from the camera. This is at odds with the GFX 50S where all the controls have a positive and quality feel.

The GFX 50R has a cult following, used prices have risen in the last couple of years and now stabilised around the £2000 mark. The rear LCD screen is easily scratched and the main ON/OFF switch is rather flimsy. It is also worth bearing in mind that both the GFX 50R and 50S cameras use the old NP-T125 Battery, many third party versions of this battery give poor performance and can also overheat, causing them to swell and jam in the camera.

GFX 100S

In many ways the first ‘proper’ GFX camera. A small ‘normal’ looking camera body with a 102 megapixel sensor, in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), phase-detection autofocus and the same battery as the current X-series cameras at less than half the price of the brick-like GFX100 monstrosity.

My first GFX 100S was a huge disappointment, producing flat, uninspiring images. The next one I bought was a massive improvement, the images were more ‘clinical/digital’ than the GFX 50S/50R but superbly detailed with no need for any sharpening or noise reduction in processing.

Of course there were compromises in producing a medium format digital camera this small and at the original price point of £5499. The build quality is poor compared to the GFX 50S + GFX 100. The paint rubs off far too easily (surprising for a camera made in Japan), the shutter release is laggy and feels disconnected from the camera just like the GFX 50R. The major flaw is the positioning of the tripod socket which is right at the rear of the baseplate. The socket is screwed to a flimsy piece of base metal that isn’t even part of the main camera chassis. I have had 2 GFX 100S bodies where attaching an L-bracket has caused the camera to lock-up and malfunction in other random ways. I believe this is due to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) being trapped when pressure is applied to the baseplate. This issue isn’t easy to replicate but I guarantee it will occur at precisely the wrong moment, having to take the battery out to reset the camera means a missed shot. The fix for this seems to be mounting a thin piece of foam between the PCB and the baseplate, a chargeable repair for something that should be a free recall.

With regard to L-brackets, avoid the Leofoto LPF-GFX-100S L Plate at all costs. It doesn’t fit properly, the tiny piece of rubber doesn’t grip the baseplate causing the L-bracket to move and the sharp edge damages the camera body.

Despite the issues mentioned above, the GFX 100S is a superb landscape photography camera. The 6 custom shooting modes are great for quickly changing between different shooting styles (tripod, long exposures, astro etc.) without having to delve into confusing menus, the remote release socket is (finally!) on the right hand side so the door doesn’t foul the L-Bracket.

In my opinion, the GFX 100S is still the sweet spot in the range for image quality and value for money.

Used prices for the GFX 100S are currently around £2500. Don’t buy one that has been heavily used with lots of paint scuffs, there are plenty to choose from on the used market.

GFX 50S II

Basically a GFX 100S body with the original 50S/50R sensor, an updated processor, contrast only autofocus.

The updated X-Processor 4 removes all of the greatness of the original 50 megapixel sensor. Images are flat and lifeless, lacking fine detail in grasses and other foliage, often with a blue cast that seems to be baked in the RAW files even with custom white balance.

Not really a camera I can recommend and I feel that the current used prices of around £1750 represent poor value.

There is no doubt that most of the GFX range are superb landscape photography cameras.

But, from a long exposure perspective, there are two huge issues that need to be mentioned.

Firstly, although it is great to be able to go above a 30 second shutter speed without resorting to Bulb mode, beyond 1 minute it is only possible to select double increments - 2, 4, 8 minutes etc. So, for a 3 minute exposure you either have to use the ancient Bulb mode or set 4 minutes and cancel the exposure after 3 minutes. This is where the GFX cameras show their relatively old technology. Canon, Nikon and some Sony mirrorless cameras have a bulb timer where it is possible to select any exposure over 30 seconds.

Secondly, hot and stuck pixels. This is more of an issue with the 100 megapixel cameras but still exists with the 50 megapixel models. An exposure of over 2 minutes will result in a number of coloured square dots in the image due to sensor overheating. I don’t know the exact tolerance but Fujifilm consider a number of stuck pixels to be OK. Pixel mapping helps a bit and single pixel noise reduction in Capture One sometimes removes a few stuck pixels but be prepared to be doing a lot of spot removal if you shoot long exposures.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try the GFX 100 II or the GFX 100S II but I understand from friends and colleagues that neither of the above issues have been addressed.

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