ON TRIAL FUJIFILM GFX 100
As per the 50 MP models, the
GFX 100 has both a conventional
focal plane shutter and a sensor-
based shutter (a.k.a. the “electronic
shutter”). With the sensor shutter,
the fastest shutter speed is
1/32,000 second and the slowest
is 60 minutes which is also the
longest timed setting for the
FP shutter (although the actual
ranges vary according to the
exposure mode. The FP shutter’s
top speed is 1/8000 second, but
the camera can be configured
so it will automatically switch to
the sensor shutter if the faster
speeds are selected. The third
option is the hybrid “electronic
first curtain shutter” which makes
the exposure with the sensor,
but finishes it conventionally
with the FP shutter’s second
set of blades. This hybrid shutter
operation eliminates the vibrations
created by the FP shutter’s first
set of blades moving (and also the
associated lag), and consequently
also offers some reduction in
noise levels (of the audible sort).
Obviously using the sensor-based
shutter alone eliminates any noise
and vibrations. Fujifilm says the
FP shutter mechanism has been
tested to 150,000 cycles.
The auto white balance
correction is supplemented
by seven presets (including,
interestingly, one for shooting
underwater) and provisions for
creating up to three custom
measurements. Fine-tuning and
auto bracketing are available,
plus manual colour temperature
settings over a range of 2500 to
10,000 degrees Kelvin.
IN THE HAND
What initially looks like a bit of an
ugly duckling transforms into an
elegant swan when you pick it
up. The GFX 100’s balanced and
supremely comfortable handling
is one of its biggest surprises per-
haps because it’s so unexpected...
you really expect to be in for a solid
work-out.
Size-wise, it’s similar to the
GFX 50S with its optional vertical
grip fitted or either the Canon
EOS D X Mark II or Nikon D5, but it
out-handles all of them... which is
saying something because the D5
is pretty close to flawless here. It’s
hard to pin down what Fujifilm has
achieved here, but it simply doesn’t
feel like you’re lugging around
100 MP-worth of digital medium
format camera. It just looks so
ungainly, but who cares about
appearances when the ergonomics
and functionality are as good as
this? The vertical grip isn’t as big or
as nicely shaped as the main one
(in fact, it’s not really shaped at
all), but it’s comfortable enough to
hold and has a full set of controls.
Inside is housed a pair of batteries- the NP-T125 lithium-ion pack
that’s used across the GFX line-
up – and in-camera recharging is
available via the camera’s
USB-C port.
The main shell and
chassis are magnesium
alloy with a new
separate inner frame
carrying the lens mount,
sensor and IBIS assembly.
There’s sealing at a total of
95 points to provide both weather
protection and insulation and this
includes the EVF which, as on
the GFX 50S, is detachable. It’s
not the same module though,
stepping up to a resolution of
5.76 megadots and a magnification
of 0.86x (35mm equivalent) which
means it’s simply brilliant to use.
The display itself is again an OLED-
type panel and has adjustments for
brightness, colour saturation and
colour balance. The optional EVF
tilting adapter launched with the
GFX 50S can be used, but the bad
news for owners of this camera
is that they can’t fit the higher-res
finder.
The main monitor is an 8.1
cm LCD panel with the same
three-way tilt adjustments
as are available on the 50S,
X-T3 and X-H1; a resolution of
2.36 megadots and capacitive
touchscreen controls. It’s also
adjustable for brightness, colour
saturation and colour balance.
In terms of the control layout,
the GFX 100 is like nothing we’ve
seen from Fujifilm before, with
very few classical elements such
as physical dials. You can have
dials, but they’re virtual types
displayed in the camera’s LCD top
info panel – which Fujifilm calls
the “Sub Monitor” – although
they still look pretty nifty. The
alternative displays are for basic
capture info (either for stills or
movies) or a real-time brightness
histogram. As with Nikon’s D5,
there’s yet another info panel on
the camera’s back below the main
monitor and this is, logically, the
“Rear Sub Monitor”, although it’s
an OLED panel this time. It too,
has a choice of displays, including,
again, a real-time histogram. The
idea behind these supplementary
displays is to help remove a bit of
clutter from the live view display
in the main monitor.
The external controls are
mostly buttons except for the
front and rear input wheels,
the focus mode selector and adrive mode selector which has
three positions for Still, Movie
and Multi. The first two are
self-explanatory, while Multi
is selected for the multi-frame
capture functions such as auto
bracketing. There’s a joystick-type
control – actually two because it’s
replicated on the vertical grip – for
faster AF point/zone selection,
but it’s also used for various
navigational duties, including the
menus.
The customisation options are
extensive and involve13 buttons,
the two rear input wheels and four
‘Touch Functions’ actions which
are assigned to up/down and left/
right swipes on the touchscreen.
Essentially, just about anything
can be assigned anywhere.
Additionally, the ‘Quick Menu’
display – which provides direct
access to 15 default functions –
can be customised to create an
additional seven screen layouts,
and a personalised ‘My Menu’
can be populated with up to 16
regularly-used functions.THE GFX 100’S
BALANCED AND
SUPREMELY
COMFORTABLE
HANDLING IS ONE
OF ITS BIGGEST
SURPRISES.
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