subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 17 August 2019 43
Features
First of all, let’s think about
what 102MP really means.
The GFX100 outputs files that
measure 11,648 x 8736 pixels,
meaning you can make critically
sharp prints 1 metre (or 39in)
wide at 300ppi. Even its full-frame
crop mode delivers 9552 x 6368
pixel, 60.8MP images – slightly
larger than the new Sony Alpha
7R IV. It’s a landscaper’s dream.
While the GFX100 isn’t the first
100MP medium-format camera
made, it is the first that’s been
specifically designed for handheld
shooting under demanding
outdoor conditions. With such a
high-resolution sensor, even the
slightest handshake or operational
vibration risks blurring fine detail.
So Fujifilm has gone out of its way
to help users get the full benefit of
its resolution without having to use
a tripod all the time. Accordingly,
the GFX100 is the first medium-
format camera to include in-body
image stabilisation (IBIS), that’s
claimed to provide up to 5.5 stops
of shake reduction. The firm has
also isolated the shutter from the
sensor, IS unit and lens mount
using a system of springs, to
minimise any chance of image
blurring from mechanical shock.
By default the camera uses an
electronic first-curtain shutter
to eliminate vibration, although a
mechanical first curtain is required
at shutter speeds faster than
1/125 0 s e c.
In terms of core photographic
specifications, the sensitivity range
covers ISO 100-12,800 as
standard, with extended settings
reaching ISO 50-102,400. While
this is vastly beyond the range
offered by older medium-format
sensors, it’s still not quite a match
for the best full-frame models.
However Fujifilm claims that the
new back-illuminated sensor can
record a very impressive 14 stops
of dynamic range, with a 16-bitraw option available to make the
most of this. The resultant raw files
are vast, at 200MB a shot, which
means they require an up-to-date
computer to process them at
anything like a sensible speed.
Even using a brand-new top-spec
Windows laptop with an Intel Core
i9 processor, they take about 10
seconds each to develop. Then
there’s the disk space required
simply to store all this data.
The camera offers timed shutter
speeds as slow as an hour, so
landscape photographers shooting
with deep neutral density filters
shouldn’t have to mess around
with bulb mode. The mechanical
shutter maxes out at 1/4000sec,
and while the silent fully electronic
shutter can attain higher speeds
up to 1/16,000sec, it’s generally
best avoided as rolling-shutter
distortion is immense.
Continuous shooting is available
at 5 frames per second, which
again doesn’t match the latesthigh-resolution full-frame
cameras, but is still pretty
staggering when you consider the
data throughput. However once
you get past the spec sheet and
actually use the camera, it quickly
becomes apparent that live view
between frames isn’t available
at this speed, with the camera
playing back previous images
instead. If you want to keep
track of moving subjects in the
viewfinder, you’ll have to drop
down to the 2fps Continuous Low
mode. So not surprisingly, this isn’t
a sports and action camera.
Elsewhere you get broadly the
feature set that Fujifilm’s X-system
users have come to appreciate.
Most importantly, this includes
the firm’s Film Simulation modes,
which surely count as the most
attractive suite of colour and black
& white JPEG-processing modes
you’ll find. In-camera raw
processing allows you to
experiment with differentFujifilm’s ProNegS mode gives
gorgeous, natural-looking
colour that’s ideal for portraits
GF 120mm f/4 Macro,
1/150sec at f/4, ISO 400THANKS TO TIMELINE EVENTS. MODEL: YASMIN