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50R. Its 51.4MP sensor is, at
44x33mm, 70% larger in area
than full frame, which means it
promises images with extremely
low noise and high dynamic
range, especially at low ISOs. It
provides a standard sensitivity
range of ISO 100-12,800 that’s
extendable down to ISO 50,
although with a greater tendency
to clip highlight details, and up to
ISO 102,400.
One area where the sensor
shows its age is a continuous
shooting speed of three frames
per second, which is pretty
pedestrian by current standards.
There’s no live view between
frames, either, just playback of
your previous images, which
makes it difficult to keep track of
moving subjects. The camera is
also only capable of recording
video in Full HD resolution, rather
than 4K, which feels decidedly
outdated. But if you’re thinking of
buying into medium format,
chances are you’ll be far more
interested in shooting stills.
Timed shutter speeds are
available for as long as an hour,
which is great for shooting
landscapes with neutral density
filters, and as fast as 1/4000sec
using the mechanical shutter. It’s
possible to go higher still using
the silent electronic shutter, right
up to 1/16,000sec. But this
comes with a considerable risk of
rolling shutter distortion and
banding under artificial light, so
I’d avoid using it. Instead, I set
the shutter to its EF+E mode,
which employs an electronic
first-curtain shutter at slower
speeds to eliminate vibration.
Strangely it also locks you out of
using the extended ISOs, but
that’s not a significant problem.
Unlike its 102MP siblings, thesensor lacks on-chip phase
detection, so autofocus is based
on contrast detection only. But
thanks to the faster processor, it
should generally be quicker than
the older GFX 50 models. Even
so, it’s inevitably not going to be
a good choice for tracking moving
subjects, meaning the camera is
best suited to landscape, portrait
or studio work.
One notable feature is 5-axis
in-body image stabilisation (IBIS)
that promises up to six and a half
stops of shake reduction. This is
great for shooting handheld at
much slower shutter speeds than
you could otherwise contemplate.
But more generally, it ensures you
get sharp pictures handheld as a
matter of course, and don’t have
to use a tripod all the time.
The IBIS unit also enables a
205MP multi-shot mode in which
16 exposures are compiled toproduce a single high-resolution
image, although this will only
work with completely static
subjects. Creating the 205MP file
requires Fujifilm’s Pixel Shift
Combiner software for Mac or PC.
You also get the benefit of
Fujifilm’s industry-leading colour
science, with a full set of Film
Simulation modes that provide a
wide range of attractive looks for
your images. There are 19 to
choose from, ranging from the
punchy, saturated Velvia to more
subtle, muted options such as
Pro Neg. The GFX50S II also gets
Nostalgic Neg that first appeared
on the GFX100S, while
monochrome lovers are well
served by the excellent Acros.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in
for connection to your
smartphone or tablet, offering the
usual set of functions via
the free Fujifilm CameraThe GFX50S II delivers medium-
format image quality in a relatively
compact, easy-to-use package
Fujifilm GFX 50 S II, GF3 5 - 70 mm F 4. 5 - 5. 6 WR at 44 mm,
1/ 60 sec at f/ 16 , ISO 100