Fujifilm announces GFX 50S II
Posted on Sep 2, 2021
The latest model in Fujifilm’s medium-format family is the GFX 50S II. It’s a highly featured camera as you’d expect but perhaps its headline feature is its price: £3899 complete with a kit zoom
From the beginning, Fujifilm’s stated aim with its GFX system was to make digital medium-format photography as affordable as possible to enthusiasts and pros alike. Nearly five years later, with several models available including two 100 megapixel cameras and an extensive lens system it clearly has had success with its ambition.
That’s why it’s worth starting this news story with the GFX 50S II’s price. Body only it’s £3499; and £3899 with the GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR lens. With the latest full-frame cameras coming in at ever higher prices, people, landscape and studio photographers now have a medium-format option at a comparable price.
The GFX 50S II is an amalgam of existing GFX models. The 51.4 megapixel sensor is the same as that found in the GFX 50S and GFX 50R, both of which are no longer in production. Sensor size is 44x33mm and offers an ISO range of 100 to 12,800 with expansion to 102,400 possible and 19 Film Simulation modes including Nostalgic neg are available.
Its body is identical to the GFX 100S, a 100 megapixel machine that is comparable in size and weight to top-end full-frame cameras. The only physical difference is on the left end of the body where you see the camera’s name.The new camera uses the X-Processor 4 processing engine – the same as other current Fujifilm cameras and the power of this has enabled no fewer than 79 upgraded camera features.
The magnesium alloy body weighs just 900g and is sealed in 60 locations to offer dust and moisture-resistance. It also features a five axis 6.5EV benefit in-body image stabilisation system (this compares with 6EV on the GFX 100S) and with it comes the ability to use a pixel shift multi-shot mode that can produce 200 megapixel stills with files that are merged in editing software. A NP-W235 gives up to 455 shots per full charge and there are two SD card slots.
Autofocusing is delivered by a Contrast AF system with an updated algorithm for greater accuracy and a more effective face/eye detect. There’s also a Rapid AF function for even more responsiveness.
The new GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR lens gives an equivalent 28-55mm lens coverage in the 35mm format, has a 62mm filter thread and weighs just 390g. This compact lens features 11 elements including one aspherical and two ED elements in nine groups to give it high resolving skills with minimal aberrations.
It has a retracting body and measures just 73.9mm when fully collapsed so ideal for travel when space is at a premium. Length increases to 96.4mm when the lens is at is working wide position.
Autofocus is handled by a stepping motor for fast AF and supports the camera’s face/eye focus detect modes. Operation is near silent too so suits video use.
Sales of the GFX 50S Mark II starts 23 September while the GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR is available from this November at a standalone price of £849.
Read Editor Will Cheung’s hands-on first look at the new camera here.
You can read more about the GFX 50S II and GF 35-70mm here.
Lens roadmaps updated
Fujifilm has updated its X-System and GFX lens roadmaps. All we learnt was the focal lengths of the forthcoming optics but features such as maximum apertures, filter thread size and so on were not unveiled.
Destined for a 2022 arrival, the X-System will gain a XF 150-600mm (35mm equivalent 229-914mm) long telephoto and an 18-120mm (27-183mm equivalent) superzoom.
GFX fans also have two lenses to look forward to in 2022, a GF 55mm f/1.7 (44mm equivalent) and a GF 20-35mm (16-28mm equivalent). Further into the future expect to see a tilt/shift optic.
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