23.09.2016 6884 Tests and reviews 0

There were many rumors. Everyone expected that Fujifilm could make a splash at Photokina 2016 with the introduction of a digital medium format camera. And it happened. "It's just that the world around us doesn't fit well in a 35mm camera format," said renowned American photojournalist William Eugene Smith, Fujifilm unveiled its new professional-grade GFX system.

Photokina this year moved away from the stereotypes of high-profile announcements of new cameras, presenting its new developments that have not yet been brought to the industrial standard. Perhaps it all had to do with the impact of the Kumamoto earthquake in April. And among all these officially presented, but not really announced cameras, the heroine of our review is the Fujifilm GFX 50S, which still exists in prototype form. With this announcement, the GFX 50S propelled the Hasselblad X1D to the "Olympus" and the latter is no longer the only medium format mirrorless camera on the market, Fujifilm is invading a space where Hasselblad has been gathering whists of exclusivity. Let's see what makes the GFX 50S so good.

Let's start with perhaps the most attractive part of the camera - with its equipment. Sensor. Fuji is not its manufacturer, but used a 51.4 MP Sony sensor. You can take photos with a resolution of up to 8256 × 6192 pixels. The matrix is ​​devoid of a low-pass optical filter, but this is not a traditional X-Trans CMOS sensor, it has a traditional Bayer structure. It is also important to note here that although the new sensor is about 70% larger than the full-frame format, it is still smaller than the usual medium film format: 43.8 x 32.9 mm, crop factor of 0.79x.

The most compact medium format film cameras were much larger and heavier than the latest from Fujifilm, so from this point of view, this decision is probably justified. The main emphasis is on the compactness of the camera, and the camera turned out to be no larger than the average digital SLR, but a little heavier - its weight is approximately 800 grams.

Fuji developed the G-mount with a short flange, reducing the working distance to 26.7mm to minimize the back focal length, prevent vignetting and achieve edge-to-edge sharpness across the frame. The short working distance allows for a simpler design of the optics, meaning they will be cheaper than the competition. The camera will allow you to take pictures with an aspect ratio of the frame 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 4:5, 6:7 and 6:17. The X-Processor Pro graphics processor provides the camera with the highest quality of tonal development and color reproduction characteristic of Fujifilm cameras.

The Fujifilm GFX 50S features a focal length shutter, which is a first for a medium format camera - it can shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/4000s and sync with flash up to 1/125s. There is no mirror in the camera, so it does not blur the picture when shooting when it is raised. The shutter sound is almost inaudible, it is very quiet and pleasant.

Case design. It is dust and moisture resistant, in many respects it resembles the X-T2, which is not surprising - the company's designers do not want to deviate from already run-in solutions. The camera has a large enough handle and a developed grip surface, which will allow you to work comfortably even with large lenses. On the top panel there are two rotary selectors, one of which sets the sensitivity, the second - the shutter speed. On top there is a small monochrome display that displays the current shooting parameters: shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, white balance, and so on. None of the previous Fujifilm cameras had this element, but the designers did an excellent job - such a display looks very harmonious with the camera.

The rear panel has the familiar navigation element, an eight-way joystick (similar to those used in Canon DSLRs), and a scroller. The interface and menus are almost completely inherited from the X-T2 and X-Pro 2. The GFX 50S does not have a built-in viewfinder, it will be possible to aim at a 3-inch tilt-and-turn display with a resolution of 1,040,000 dots. All camera compartments are accessible even when the camera is mounted on a tripod. We note a very unusual place for the battery - on the side.

Included is a rotary electronic viewfinder, which is installed in the interface connector on the top panel. This makes the camera even lighter and more compact. You can also install a flash there. You can use both the viewfinder and the flash at the same time. Along with the camera, a battery grip will also go on sale, which will make portrait shooting even more convenient.

Preliminary conclusions

With the GFX 50S, Fujifilm has shaken up the digital camera market and set the standard for mirrorless cameras. The camera will be able to perform a fairly wide range of tasks, with the exception of sports and reportage shooting. The reason is simple: the camera has rather slow autofocus, and the burst speed, at best, will be 2-3 frames per second. But now the main question is whether the new product will be cheaper than the Hasselblad X1D and by how much.

Specifications Fujifilm GFX 50S

Price
Suggested retail price	$6499
Frame
Style	Medium format mirrorless
Housing material	magnesium alloy
Image sensor
Maximum Resolution	8256 x 6192
Image aspect ratio	1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2
Number of effective pixels	51 megapixel
Sensor size	Medium format (44 x 33 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
CPU	XPro
color space	RGB, Adobe RGB
Image
ISO	Auto, 100-12800 (expandable to 102400)
Boosted ISO (maximum)	102400
White balance settings	7
Custom White Balance	There is
Image stabilization	Not
Uncompressed format	RAW+TIFF
JPEG quality levels	Super good, good, ok
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.3) RAW (14-bit) TIFF (via Raw conversion)
Optics and focus
Autofocus	Contrast detection (sensor) Multizone Central Selective single point Follower Single continuous By touch Face recognition live view
Manual focus	There is
Number of focus points	117
Focal length multiplier	0.79x
Screen and viewfinder
Screen mount	Incline
Screen size	3.2″
Screen resolution	2360000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	OLED
live view	There is
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	0.85x
Viewfinder resolution	3690000
Photographing Features
Minimum shutter speed	360 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/4000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic)	1/16000 sec
Shooting modes	Program aperture priority Shutter priority Manual
Built-in flash	Not
external flash	Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync terminal)
Flash modes	Auto, Standard, Slow Sync, Manual, Off
X-sync speed	1/125 sec
Shutter modes	Single Continuous Timer Remote
Continuous shooting speed	3.0 fps
Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Metering modes	Multizone center weighted average Local
Exposure compensation	± 5 (1/3 steps)
Exposure bracketing	± 5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)
White balance bracketing	There is
Video shooting features
Format	MPEG-4, H.264,
Modes	1920 x 1080 @ 30p/Mbps MP4 H.264 Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p/Mbps MP4 H.264 Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p/Mbps MP4 H.264 Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p/Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone	Stereo
speaker	Mono
Data storage
Types of memory cards	SD/SDHC/SDXC (two slots, UHS-II supported)
Connection
USB	USB 3.0 (5Gb/s)
HDMI	Yes (Micro HDMI)
Microphone port	There is
Headphone jack	There is
Wireless connection	built-in
WiFi	802.11b/g/n
Remote control	Yes (via cable or smartphone)
physical characteristics
environmental protection	There is
Battery	Accumulator battery
Battery Description	Li-ion battery NP-T125 and charger
Battery life (CIPA)	400 shots per charge
Weight including battery	740 grams
dimensions	148 x 94 x 91 mm
Other Features
Orientation sensor	There is
Timelapse Recording	There is
GPS	Not

Fujifilm is trying to make medium format cameras more affordable. The new $6,500 Fujifilm GFX 50S offers almost all the essential features of a professional camera.

An articulated touchscreen, user-friendly controls, unlimited JPEG support, and a self-cleaning sensor that even the $9,000 Hasselblad X1D can't boast.

Fujifilm has taken the best of its X-series line and brought it to life with the GFX. Therefore, the GFX 50S camera resembles a slightly enlarged flagship X-T2 from Fujifilm. Separate dials for setting ISO and shutter speed are at the top, while aperture is controlled via a ring on the lens.

Strangely, there is no dial to adjust the exposure compensation. But there is a large additional display at the top of the camera, which displays all the useful information.

The rear LCD screen of the Fujifilm GFX 50S tilts up and down and can be rotated to the right by about 45 degrees - just like the X-T2's display. Instead of an optical viewfinder, a removable electronic (EVF) is installed here. A resolution of 3.7 million dots provides a sharp and clear picture, although the moiré effect is annoying. If you want to increase the degree of tilt or rotation, Fujifilm offers an optional adapter for $570 ($33,500).

The body of the GFX 50S feels too thick, mainly because the battery compartment is located between the sensor and the LCD. Usually the battery on cameras fits in the handle, but Fujifilm sacrificed compactness for the convenience of removing the battery, now you can get it even if you have installed a tripod or an optional vertical grip for $600 (35,500 rubles).

With the viewfinder, Fujifilm's GFX 50S weighs 0.9kg (excluding lens) - nearly 0.2kg heavier than the Hasselblad X1D. In addition, the manufacturer offers two rather big lenses - 32-64mm f/4 and 110mm f/2.

Connections and control

The Fujifilm GFX 50S features a 51.4MP 43.8x32.9mm CMOS sensor, the same sensor used on many medium format cameras, including the X1D, Pentax 645Z and Phase One IQ250. This is a "cropped" medium format that is only 70 percent larger than 35mm full frame.

The GFX has the highest ISO range of any camera with this sensor, expandable to 102400. However, some full-frame cameras offer even greater range.

The 117-point contrast autofocus system covers the entire frame and is fast in good lighting conditions. If you reduce the size of the dots, their number can be increased to 425. In low light, the system works much worse.

The GFX 50S's maximum continuous burst shooting speed is only 3 frames per second (fps), which is not enough. But the focal plane shutter operates in 1/4000 of a second, which allows you to capture even the fastest movement.

In addition to microphone and headphone jacks, there is an HDMI output that supports 1080p video.

Camera in practice

With extreme dynamic range, fine detail and contrast autofocus, the Fujifilm GFX 50S sensor is great for landscape photography. Due to its size and weight, it is inconvenient to carry the camera over a long distance, but after mounting it on a tripod, there will be no problems with shooting. The weight of the device is well balanced.

The GFX 50S is fully weatherproof - no need to worry about rain, dust or snow, and the battery lasts for approximately 600 shots.

When using 32-64mm f/4, image distortion is noticeable - a typical shortcoming of wide-angle lenses. This camera is not well suited for street shooting due to its slow autofocus and large size. Continuous AF performance is so poor that it's nearly impossible to track moving subjects. But, autofocus works well during portraiture when the target is not moving.

The GFX 50S phase detection system is noticeably slower than on DSLRs with full frame sensors and APS-C. Even Fujifilm X-series mirrorless cameras are more responsive. We can only hope for better AF in future firmware updates.

GFX will not seem too bulky and heavy if the shooting takes place in the studio. During testing, I made sure that a 110mm f/2 lens and two Profoto D1 monoblocks are enough for excellent results.

Photo and processing

The Fujifilm GFX 50S has a focal length shutter, which causes problems with partial exposure. This type of shutter is commonly found on full-frame DSLRs or mirrorless cameras - medium format cameras boast more efficient shutter shutters.

The maximum flash sync speed on full frame sensors and APS-C is 1/200 or 1/250 second, the GFX 50S has only 1/125 second. It won't hurt in the studio, but if you're going to use the flash for outdoor shooting, you might need an ND filter.

The GFX 50S camera from Fujifilm is inferior to professional cameras not only because of the shutter. Unlike Hasselblad or Phase One, Fujifilm's free utility is very limited. You will have to pay another 1800 rubles for Adobe Lightroom, and 4700 rubles for the full Pro version of this program.

For processing RAW images, specialized applications from manufacturers are better suited. For example, Hasselblad has Phocus and Phase One has Capture One. Fujifilm offers only the inconvenient RAW File Converter EX utility, which has an interface reminiscent of Windows 95 - so again you have to rely on Lightroom.

medium format

On the technical side, medium format sensors are better than full format ones. When testing the image sensor in benchmark DxOMark, the Hasselblad X1D-50c camera scored 102 points, the Pentax 645Z scored 101 points, since the Fujifilm GFX 50S has the same main sensor, the results are similar.

However, the full-frame Nikon D850 scored 100 points and fell behind only because of ISO sensitivity. Is it worth spending 383,000 rubles. for slightly better performance? Paying just over half that amount for a Nikon D850 or Sony A7R Mark III will get you pretty much the same resolution, dynamic range, and ISO.

In addition, full-frame cameras have better autofocus, fast burst shooting, fast shutter speeds, great video modes, and plenty of lenses to choose from.

Fujifilm GFX 50S Warranty

The GFX 50S has a one year limited warranty. If that's not enough, Fujifilm is offering a three-year extension for $299 ($18,000).

Outcome

The Fujifilm GFX 50S is a decent camera that takes great pictures, but the medium format falls short of today's full-frame cameras and lenses. Especially if the format is truncated and the lens is slow, as in this case.

If real performance is more important to you than an interesting design and user-friendly interface, instead of the GFX 50S, it is better to buy a full-frame camera and good lenses for it.

Benefits of the Fujifilm GFX 50S

• High image quality.
• Friendly interface.
• Continuous work.
• Autofocus covers the entire frame.
• Fair price.

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Hello, friends!

In September 2016, I wrote about . At that time, the camera was not yet for sale and I got my hands on it just now.

My today's review will be much deeper than that of all other photographic equipment reviewers that are on the network. Not "on the top" about all the functions, but in detail about some areas of real-life applications for commercial shooting and for advanced amateurs who will stop at nothing in search of the perfect picture.

Appearance

The camera inspires respect for its appearance. The lines are all strict, reminiscent of a medium format camera from the 80s. The lens hood is also without petals and other “flirting” with the user.

The top LCD screen is quite interesting. It glows blue (the screen is made using electronic ink technology and works even when turned off without consuming energy), and there are white numbers on it (when the backlight button is pressed, it turns white with dark numbers). For some reason, I also like it more than screens Canon / Nikon(like in the old electronic clock) :) You can display a lot of information on the screen and most of this information is customizable. Those. now it is not the manufacturer who commands what to display there, but the user (hooray!).

On the left side you see the ISO sensitivity setting wheel. 100-12800 or you can put it on a car. On the right side is the shutter speed wheel, and is mounted directly on the lens, like the one I tested earlier (flagship FUJI for APS-C format, crop 1.5 from 36 × 24 mm).

The dials for setting shutter speed, aperture and corrections are located in the same way as in many other cameras. One on the front side under the index finger, and the other behind the thumb. This has been tested for many decades and is convenient (for Fujifilm GFX 50S it is an alternative way to control. The main one is the control of the sensitivity wheel, shutter speed and aperture on the lens).

On the underside of the camera are contacts for attaching a battery grip. I didn't have it in the kit, so I won't say anything about it.
Most medium format cameras now have a large flat for stable mounting on a tripod plate. Those. ideally it should be set to .

But you can clearly see how “grasping” the camera is. Moreover, in addition to a large grip (grip) in front, she also has an excellent reverse grip on the other side.

Also pay attention to the main LCD screen of the camera. It is touch sensitive, tilts and is protected by tempered glass. Its size is decent and it conveys the picture by color well.

If you remove the lens, we will see the sensor coveted by many.

When you shoot the lens, it’s already a shock - the mount is much larger in diameter than a regular 35 mm camera. And the sensor is even more impressive, at 43.8mm x 32.9mm. It seems that it is not as big as a 6 x 4.5 cm film one, but getting used to a small digital one, this one seems like a giant.

FUJIFILM did a great job - gave impetus to the entire industry of camera manufacturers, transferring them to a larger format. How they resisted ... So many years have passed since the appearance of the first 36 x 24 mm camera and there are sensor gluing technologies that are actively used in digital backs, but they did not want to Canon, nor Nikon do medium format. Perhaps because it entails making a line of lenses for that format.
It is all the more joyful to see that the medium format has appeared. The “psychological” barrier will pass and then we can expect that the rest of the market players will “get moving”.

There is no excess of buttons on the back of the camera, which is good (in the dark you still can’t find them and don’t understand what kind of button). As well as the presence of a multifunctional joystick (1), with which you can not only move the focus point, but also move the picture when viewing a picture on the camera's LCD screen. Surprisingly, this year many manufacturers (for example, Sony) remembered that it would be nice for the camera to have such a joystick. Previously, such a joystick was only in Canon and some FUJI, for example, y (the joystick appeared from the X-pro2 model).

Disp/Back(2) is also a very functional and useful button. Back is to go to the previous screen, and Disp switch screen modes, the amount of information displayed.

Q(3), button for shortcut menu (available on all FUJIFILM X-series cameras). Now it has become fashionable, it is also on cameras from other manufacturers, so you won’t have to get used to it.

On the top left (4) you see the focus mode switch. In principle, it is located conveniently. Although at first I tried to find it on the lens. And my medium format Mamiya it is located in front.

Considering that Olympus the focus mode is generally switched on the lens like on a trombone, by shifting the focusing ring, it is very convenient here and even a person who does not read the instructions can find the button.

The rest of the buttons are not signed. they are programmable. This is a big plus. you can customize the functions for yourself. This is especially convenient for those who will switch to Fujifilm GFX 50S on the other system, it will allow them to make the transition "softer".

Ring (5) is a multifunctional ring. Those. it is not at all the same as on other digital cameras, where it is usually used to change the shutter speed.
At first I was perplexed when I could not change their shutter speed. Then he began to remember that FUJI another ideology of manual exposure mode.

On cameras FUJIFILM“M” mode means setting the aperture on the lens, the sensitivity on the wheel (2) and the shutter speed on the control wheel (1). But on this wheel, the shutter speeds are set approximately (for fine tuning, you still need to turn the dial (5), so you want to be able to set them digitally. To completely transfer the shutter speed control to the wheel (5), you need to set the value C on the wheel (2) - command).

Unlike the limitedly useful retro-style shutter speed wheel ( FUJIFILM I don’t agree with me and, I admit that there are users who will appreciate such an engineering solution higher than the classic solution), there is a sensitivity wheel (2), which really allows you to change much faster ISO. This wheel should also be introduced by other manufacturers.

Under the number (3) is the most delicious! :) Many pins point to some interface...

This is for an external electronic viewfinder! In fact, this external viewfinder is a marvel of progress.

First, this viewfinder is optional! Those. you can use the camera without it, working on the LCD screen. This is less convenient, but the camera becomes much more compact (for example, it fit into my backpack as a second camera only with the viewfinder removed). Secondly, it is better to install it after all and then you can focus at any angle! It rotates around its axis, rises up to an angle of up to 90 degrees and is fixed in several positions! But keep in mind that in the standard package only the viewfinder itself is included, and an optional adapter, which must be purchased separately, allows it to rotate.

The camera is powered by a fat battery NP-T125 Li-ion with a capacity of 1230 mAh.

For a mirrorless camera, the resource is quite good, I checked. But as with any other mirrorless camera, it's better to have two or more batteries in reserve for serious events.

Charger Fujifilm GFX 50S looks unusual.

It does not have a cord, and the “plug” is interchangeable.

I have seen such chargers, they are convenient if you travel a lot. Then you do not need to carry an adapter for sockets with you, but just take a special “plug” for the country where you are going.

The camera is equipped with two high-speed card slots SD UHS-II and this is logical. the files are quite large.
I did not notice any "brakes" during the recording. Used two speed cards, from Sony and from Sandisc.

Interfaces are hidden under rubberized covers on the left side of the camera.

Important point

Camera Fujifilm GFX 50S and lenses with an index WR((Water Resistant) are dust and splash proof. That is, it would be a mistake to think that this is only a studio camera. I would even say that the camera is more for travel than for the studio. But we will see how it can be used in the studio below in the article.And I will tell you about shooting in nature in the next part of the review.

On this I finish about the appearance and move on to the technical side of the camera.

Specifications

Camera model	FUJIFILM GFX 50S
Bayonet	FUJIFILM G mount
Number of effective pixels	51.4 million (8256×6192 pixels)
Sensor	43.8 mm x 32.9 mm with Bayer Primary Filter, sensor cleaning
Excerpt	mechanical shutter 60 min. - １/4000 sec electronic shutter 60 min. - １/16000 sec Flash sync 1/125 sec or slower
Sensitivity	ISO 50-102400
shutter type	focal
Max shooting speed	3 fps
Focusing	Contrast autofocus
Viewfinder	0.5 inch, approx. 3.69 Mdots OLED Color, 100% coverage Eye relief approx. 23 mm, diopter setting -4 to +2 Magnification: 0.85x with 50mm lens (35mm system equivalent) at infinity Diagonal angle of view approx. 40° Built-in eye sensor
LCD screen	3.2 inch aspect ratio Approximately 2,360K dots, touch screen
	Full HD (1920x1080)] 29.97p
Memory cards	SD UHS-II (two slots)
Turn-on time, sec	0.4
Image stabilizer	in lenses (OIS)
File Format	a photo: JPEG (Exif Ver.2.3)*2, RAW: 14bit RAW video: MOV (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, Audio: Linear PCM / Stereo sound 48KHz sampling)
Exposure metering	TTL 256 Zones, Multi/Spot/Average/Center Weighted
Exposure compensation	-5.0EV - +5.0EV, 1/3EV step (for video: -2.0EV - +2.0EV)
Interfaces	USB 3.0, microHDMI, microphone input, audio, Wi-Fi, remote control connector
Source of power	NP-T125 Li-ion battery, life: 400 shots with GF63mmF2.8 R WR lens
Operating temperatures	-10°C - +40°C
Dimensions (width, height, depth), mm	147.5 x 94.2 x 91.4
The weight	920 g with viewfinder and battery

Frame format difference

Camera Fujifilm GFX 50S different from the 36 x 24mm frame format we are used to. The focal lengths indicated on the lenses correspond to the physical characteristics of the lens, and for those who are used to the 35 mm format, it is difficult to understand which narrow format lens the lens corresponds to. Fujifilm GFX 50S according to the angle of view and what will give.

Please note that if the angle of view of the lens is considered in absolute terms, then the relative aperture is given equivalent. Those. if the lens has a relative aperture of F4, then it is calculated in the usual way. When compared with a 35mm format camera, we will set the same shutter speed at the same aperture. But the depth of field will be different with the same aperture, Fujifilm GFX 50S DOF will be less.

Below I provide a lens angle calculator so that you can calculate what a lens of a different format corresponds to.

According to the figure below, you can find the correspondence in terms of the angle of view among the lenses for the 35 mm format, so it will be clearer.

You can see from the picture that the 120mm lens for the 43.8 x 32.9mm format, for which we calculated an angle of view of 25.7°, corresponds to (approximately) a focal length of 90mm on the 36x24mm format.

Those. at rough calculation such tables turn out.

Compliance of lenses according to depth of field when converted to a frame of 36 x 24 mm

GF23mmF4 R LM WR	18 / 3.1
GF32-64 F4 R LM WR	25-49 / 3.1
GF45mmF2.8R WR	35 / 2.1
GF63mmF2.8R WR	48 / 2.1
GF110mmF2 R LM WR	84 / 1.5
GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR	92 / 3.1

Lenses marked in green came to me for testing along with the camera. I definitely wanted to try a macro lens from FUJIFILM and compare with a macro lens Canon on a 50 megapixel camera. A zoom FUJINON GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR needed for landscape and reporting.

In general, the line of lenses looks logical. There is an ultra wide-angle GF23mmF4 R LM WR and universal zoom GF32-64 F4 R LM WR(from wide angle to standard - universal). There is a "fix 35 mm" - GF45mmF2.8R WR, for those who like to shoot everything on this focal length. Usually this is street photography and landscape photography. Also "standard aperture fifty dollars" GF63mmF2.8R WR. "Portrait 85/1.4" - GF110mmF2 R LM WR. "Good makrik 100mm" - GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR.

What is missing? Definitely not enough telephoto lenses.

As you can see, a telephoto lens and a teleconverter are on the way.

There is also no "universal zoom 24-70" yet. Everything else is already specialized lenses that not everyone needs. Personally, I would be very interested in the lens for this system. it would be a large format lens (!) with a huge circle of coverage and a sane cost. Still, the BF lenses currently used most often are either from film times, which do not quite meet modern requirements for optics, or super-expensive modern large format lenses that few people have. BUT FUJIFILM could bring to the photographic world, in addition to an affordable medium format camera, also affordable large format lenses, which were enough in her line of past years. After all, the history of the company is very worthy.

Depth of field calculation for any format

The calculator considers lenses correctly. Whether he correctly considers the depth of field, I do not presume to judge yet, I need to check.

Studio work with Fujifilm GFX 50S camera

I came to my studio, where I do product photography and there are all the conditions. I borrowed a piece of jewelry from the famous craftsman Zhigzhit Bayaskhalanov called "Little Bride" and with pleasure and an element of excitement did the test. I was extremely interested in how a medium format camera would show itself in product photography.

This is what the full frame looked like...

I removed the stand and all unnecessary elements in the photo in Photoshop. And also raised the local contrast. It was interesting what could be squeezed out as much as possible in terms of detail and dynamic range.

And this is a crop of the same frame...

Let's see in macro mode, crops 100% without sharping and other things.

I studied the picture for a long time and will tell my subjective opinion. Firstly, everything is decided in this case by the scale, and it Canon 1:1, while the macro lens FUJI- 1:2. Those. picture on Canon we shoot from half the distance (closer to the subject). This moment gives a big head start to the camera + lens combination from Canon.

Otherwise, it seemed to me that the picture from FUJI was much cleaner and less "noise". Those. if not for the scale, then FUJI would have won, but...

Otherwise, we can say that both cameras provide more than sufficient image quality for any kind of product photography. With Fujifilm GFX 50S this process, perhaps, will go easier. less file processing required. I haven't seen any mention of Canon 5DsR issues online yet, but the camera does show some artifacts in pictures, I call them "red dots". They have to be fought. There are fewer of them in the new firmware (Canon has not officially confirmed the problem), but they are still there.

Nature tests

I climbed onto my favorite balcony from which my “test building” can be seen. On it, I check all the lenses.
Super stable tripod - Gitzo 3 series.

At Fujifilm GFX 50S there is no mirror, so the camera is much less prone to shaking - tested in practice. Canon 5DsR you have to start with a shutter delay or by a radio starter.
Focusing in both cases is automatic, with a check when switching to manual focus. Both cameras focused very accurately. The distance itself is large, and the weather is sunny (contrast object), so it was not difficult to focus accurately.

Story 1

The plot went like this...

In this fragment, I did not see a significant difference in detail. I see that a frame fragment with Canon 5DsR more contrast, but this is more due to the profile of the camera than because of its advantages or the lens. On this fragment, you need to look at the radiator grille of the air conditioner, the flowers on the balconies and other small elements. The fragment size of the Canon 5DsR is slightly larger. at Fujifilm GFX 50S crop of 0.767 and the angle of view of the lens is obtained as a 92 mm lens on a narrow format (and Canon has 100 mm).

This fragment is more interesting than the previous one. upon very careful examination, one can see that Fujifilm GFX 50S the detail is higher, despite the smaller scale of the image. This is noticeable in the texture of the wall, for example, where Canon it's just "porridge", but Fujifilm GFX 50S patches of plaster with clear edges. The same thing happens with many other small objects. They are larger for Canon, but less clear than for Canon. Fujifilm GFX 50S.
Both cameras show a significant moire pattern on the blinds.

Plot 2

The first thing I noticed is that the Canon 5DsR at ISO 100 has “noise” in the dark areas of the image. And at Fujifilm GFX 50S there are no such noises. The second is at Fujifilm GFX 50S much less . Given the profile embedded in the file, I suspect that this is his merit.
Thirdly, the pictures are very different in color. Canon has a “warm” picture, while Fujifilm GFX 50S in "cold" colors, reminiscent of pictures Sony / Nikon. It's not bad or good, it's just a given. By the way, I highly recommend trying the included color profiles for the camera. I really liked the profile Classic Chrome. Full film impression, beautiful!

We continue our comparison test of medium format cameras: Mirrorless Fujifilm GFX 50S and SLR Pentax 645Z. In our first test, with subject shooting, they performed the same way. This time we will test them on a model shoot and, like last time, in identical conditions.

We will try to shoot in such a way as to appreciate the large dynamic range of medium format. Again we use two lenses with the same focal lengths, 125mm.
We expose the light, the so-called T-shaped scheme: on top, above the head of the model, we place a strip, we use the same strip as a backlight source.

Let's put a black background

This concludes the testing of our Fujifilm GFX 50S and Pentax 645Z cameras. We tested them on subject and model shootings in the studio. In my opinion, the cameras are equal in terms of the quality of the output picture. Both have excellent dynamic range, great shadows and highlights, amazing contrast and sharpness. The matrices in the cameras are the same, only the processors and image processing algorithms are different.

Of course, there are also differences. Pentax 645Z - I liked the picture in the viewfinder more when shooting model shooting. Fujifilm GFX 50S - mirrorless with an electronic viewfinder and when the model is rotated, when the shadow falls, for example, on the cheek, I don’t see this shadow, because there are various “improvers” in this viewfinder that highlight this shadow, but I need to see a reliable picture .
The weight of the cameras turned out to be almost identical, because due to the greater power consumption of the Fujifilm GFX 50S, we used it complete with a battery grip.
I have tested the cameras in a studio environment and since this is a professional shoot, I always want the highest possible quality result already during the shooting, without post-processing. Both cameras meet my requirements to perfection, for which many thanks to the developers of both companies.
It is worth noting that the Pentax 645Z autofocus is slower, the Fujifilm GFX 50S is faster.
With the Pentax 645Z, you can use optics from film cameras, since the mount has remained the same.
For the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera, only 3 lenses have been released so far, but the company assures that the line will expand. But, most importantly, the GFX 50S has a short working distance and through various adapter adapters you can put any medium format optics on the camera, including those from Pentax. And this is a very significant plus.

What could be more desirable than a full-frame DSLR? Of course, the medium format "mirrorless"! If the main requirement is uncompromising quality still images, then the large sensor size becomes the determining factor for success. We hope that this is a worthy explanation for our (and not only our) interest in medium format systems. Due to certain circumstances, we are not yet able to reach 100-megapixel medium format cameras “for millionaires”, but 50-megapixel cameras, the prices of which are much less traumatic for the psyche, are becoming more affordable, and we are happy to share our impressions about them.

In September last year, we published a mirrorless "first-born" of the legendary Swedish company. Today we are ready to present you a logical continuation: a review of a worthy follower of the “mirrorless hassel”, created by another famous manufacturer from Japan.

While there are no other models in the manufacturer's medium format mirrorless system, we will refer to this camera as "Fujifilm GFX" for brevity.

In the era of film-and-paper (silver halide) photography, the "medium format" category united systems that worked with roll film and made it possible to obtain frames ranging in size from 60 × 45 mm to 60 × 90 mm. Then cameras began, shooting on sheet film or photographic plates. In digital photography, the factor limiting the frame size is the area of ​​the sensor, which cannot be made very large due to the critically increasing high cost of production. Therefore, in digital medium format systems, the frame sizes are much more modest. For the sake of simplicity, a medium format image sensor in the digital world can be considered an image sensor that is larger than a classic full-frame (36 × 24 mm).

The Fujifilm GFX 50S was announced almost three months after the world's first medium format mirrorless camera (Hasselblad X1D-50c) was released, and although it uses almost the same sensor (despite minimal differences in the pixel count), the differences are in equipment and capabilities from the "first-born" Hasselblad she has very significant.

Specifications

Full name	Fujifilm GFX 50S
Announcement date	September 19, 2016
Type	medium format mirrorless camera
Frame	magnesium alloy
Sealing	moisture and dust resistant (with Fujinon GF WR lenses)
Bayonet	Fujifilm G
Compatible optics	Fujinon GF lenses
Sensor	51.4 MP CMOS (CMOS), Bayer color array, 8256×6192 pixels
Frame size	medium format, 43.8×32.9 mm
crop factor	0.79 (for cameras with sensor sizes 36x24mm)
Pixel Pitch	5.3 µm
Dynamic Range	14EV
File formats	A photo: JPEG (Exif 2.3), RAW (14-bit RAF), RAW+JPEG Video: MOV (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 with audio in Linear PCM (48 kHz stereo))
Frame sizes in pixels	L:(4:3) 8256×6192, (3:2) 8256×5504, (16:9) 8256×4640, (1:1) 6192×6192, (65:24) 8256×3048, (5:4) 7744×6192, (7:6) 7232×6192 S:(4:3) 4000×3000, (3:2) 4000×2664, (16:9) 4000×2248, (1:1) 2992×2992, (65:24) 4000×1480, (5:4) 3744×3000, (7:6) 3504×3000
Video recording modes	Full HD(1920×1080) 29.97 / 25 / 24 / 23.98p; 36 Mbps HD(1280×720) 29.97 / 25 / 24 / 23.98p; 18 Mbps
Equivalent photosensitivity	A photo: ISO 100-12800, Extended ISO 50-102400 Video: ISO 200-6400
mechanical shutter	curtain-slit, in the focal plane
Shutter speed range	mechanical shutter: 60 min. - 1/4000s (4 - 1/16000s in P mode) electronic shutter: 60 min. - 1/16000 s (4 - 1/16000 s in P mode)
X-sync speed	1/125 s
metering	256-zone TTL: multi-segment, spot, average weighted, center weighted
Shooting modes	P (Program AE); A (aperture-priority AE); S (shutter-priority AE); M (manual exposure setting)
Continuous Shooting Speed	3.0 fps (compressed RAW: 13 frames, uncompressed RAW: 8 frames) 1.8 fps (uncompressed RAW: 8 frames)
exposure compensation	A photo: ±5 EV in steps of ⅓ EV Video: ±2EV
bracketing	by exposure: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 frames in steps of ⅓, ⅔, 1, 1⅓, 1⅔, 2, 2⅓, 2⅔, 3 EV; by types of simulated film: 3 frames/3 views; dynamic range: 100%, 200%, 300%; by equivalent ISO: ⅓, ⅔, 1 EV; white balance: ±1, ±2, ±3
Autofocus	TTL, contrast detection, 117 zones (spot, continuous, manual)
white balance	auto, custom, manual color temperature (K); Presets: Sunlight, Shade, Fluorescent (Daylight, Warm White, Cool White), Incandescent, Underwater
Self-timer	2, 10 s
Viewfinder	0.5″ color OLED, ≈3.69 million dots; frame coverage 100%; offset 23 mm (from the rear end of the camera eyepiece); diopter adjustment from −4 to +2; magnification 0.85× (with 50mm lens equivalent focal length at infinity focus)
Screen	TFT 3.2″, 24-bit, 2.36M dots, flip-up, swivel, touchscreen, 100% frame coverage
Film Simulation	15 modes: Provia (Standard), Velvia (Vivid), Astia (Soft), Classic Chrome, Pro Neg.Hi, Pro Neg.Std, Black&White, Black&White+Ye Filter, Black&White+R Filter, Black&White+Gfilter, Sepia, Acros , Acros+Ye Filter, Acros+R Filter, Acros+G Filter
Special effects	Toy Camera, Miniature, Active Colors, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic Tone, Soft Focus, Mono Color (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple)
Interfaces	hot shoe, USB 3.0, mic-in, headphone-out, remote release jack, 15V power jack (for AC-15V), sync cable coaxial jack
Wireless connection	WiFi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n)
Source of power	lithium-ion battery NP-T123; 400 frames (with GF 63mm F2.8 R WR lens in auto economy mode) or 145 minutes of Full HD video
Ready time	0.4 s
Operating temperature range	-10 to +40 °C at 10%—80% humidity
Dimensions	148×94×91 mm
Weight with viewfinder, battery and memory card	920 g

Based on the results of the study of the specifications, we have a strong impression that the Fujifilm GFX compares favorably not only with a carefully thought-out design, but also with rich functionality traditional for the manufacturer.

Design and construction

The general plan of the camera structure inherits the principles typical for the top models of the Fujifilm X family (of course, adjusted for the medium format). An exception is made for the viewfinder, which can be removed and mounted on the camera as needed.

The brushed metal bayonet mount dominates the front. Below (at 7 o'clock) is the lens release button, above it is the self-timer indicator, the main control wheel and the main button (shutter release) with the power off lever. To the right of the bayonet flange is the sync cable connector.	Behind the main design element is, of course, the display. Above it are the wheels for setting the ISO (left) and shutter speed (right). Here, in a vertical row, there are: an exposure memory button, a micro-joystick for setting the focus area, a five-way selector with a central menu button and function buttons.
Above the main element is a removable viewfinder with a hot shoe. To the left of it is the ISO value dial and the focus mode switch (manual, continuous, single-frame), and to the right is the shutter speed selector, buttons for viewing and deleting images, selecting the shooting mode (Drive), and an additional display.	There is a standard tripod thread on the bottom of the camera, as well as a contact pad for the battery pack (it is purchased separately).
The detachable viewfinder is equipped with a massive eyecup and a diopter adjustment wheel. On both sides, at its base, there are latches, by clicking on which, you can release the mount and remove the device from the “hot shoe” of the camera. In the presence of a special adapter, this allows you to fix the viewfinder at an angle to the horizontal plane, which is very useful for macro photography. This adapter is not included in the package and must be purchased separately.
On the right side surface there are hatches for access to wire interface connectors and to the battery compartment.	On the left of the camera, all the space is occupied by the cover of the compartment with slots for memory cards.
The right compartment contains USB 3.0 and Micro-HDMI connectors, connectors for connecting a 15 V power adapter and a wired shutter control.	The left compartment hides the 3.5mm audio jacks: microphone input (top) and headphone output (bottom).
The battery is installed in the lower compartment on the left. The lid of this compartment is equipped with a latch. Inside the compartment, the battery is equipped with another blocking device (orange "hook", it is visible in the photo on the right).

Sensor

The image sensor of the Fujifilm GFX camera (43.8 × 32.9 mm) is a classic CMOS (CMOS) without additional technological tricks. Its area is 67% larger than the sensors of full-format cameras, and this is the main advantage of medium format photography in general and our ward in particular.

With close readings of the “megapixel counter” that a full-format 36 × 24 mm matrix produces, the size of the light-receiving cell of the Fujifilm GFX sensor is noticeably larger, since the sensor itself is larger. The manufacturer's declared dynamic range (DR) is higher than that of top-end digital SLR cameras.

	Canon 1D X Mark II	fujifilm GFX 50S	Hasselblad H6D-100c	Nikon D5	Sony A7RIII
Resolution, Mp	20	50	100	21	42
Frame format, mm	36×24	43.8×32.9	53.4×40	36×24	36×24
Frame size, pixels	5472×3648	8256×6192	11600×8700	5588×3712	7952×5304
Pixel pitch, µm	4,3 (8,5)	5,3	4,6	6,4	4,4
Dynamic range at ISO 100, EV	13.3¹	14²	15²	12.3¹	14.7²

We calculated the pixel pitch by dividing the sensor width (in µm) by the number of horizontal pixels. Strictly speaking, this should not be done, since, for example, in the Canon 1D X Mark II, each pixel is represented by a pair of LEDs (Dual Pixel CMOS technology). In addition, in practice, the values ​​​​of the latitude of the dynamic range are more interesting.

Display

Despite the fact that the on-screen unit of the camera is very much "advanced" to the photographer, the display and the way it is attached, which provides high mobility, deserve all praise.

It is possible that Fujifilm GFX was created not only for studio work, but also for reporting purposes - in any case, this is precisely what its display emphasizes, which can be oriented in any position convenient for photographing. The screen can be tilted down (for shooting overhead) or horizontally (imitating the shaft of medium format SLR cameras and shooting "from the stomach" or from an even lower point - near the ground), as well as tilted down and to the right, making it possible to photograph literally from the corner. In this regard, the design of the device acquires special advantages over other medium and full-format professional systems, the display of which is completely devoid of mobility or is very limited in this mobility.

Control

The Fujifilm GFX is no more difficult to operate than the manufacturer's now textbook mirrorless devices with APS-C sensors. The developers remained true to tradition and, without changing anything fundamentally, they definitely improved something.

The selector wheels for ISO values ​​(left) and shutter speeds (right) are equipped with locking buttons located in the center. This allows you to rely on the fact that the parameters will not change due to accidental rotation of the wheel. The sub-display (right) lets you see all basic settings, including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, shooting mode, exposure compensation, and the degree of software dynamic range expansion.

The backlight of the display can be changed using the button located to the left of it: when pressed, instead of a “negative” image, we will see a “positive” (not white on black, but vice versa). This, of course, is a trifle, but a very pleasant trifle.

The Drive button above the shutter speed selector allows you to quickly access the choice of “film advance” mode: single frame, exposure bracketing series, film types, ISO, continuous shooting, movie shooting, etc.

To the left of the eyecup of the viewfinder is a lever for switching focus modes: single-frame, continuous, manual. You can get used to its location quite quickly, although it is difficult to work with such a control without looking up from the eyecup. But the obviously "amateur" buttons for viewing captured frames and erasing unnecessary material (to the right of the viewfinder eyepiece) turned out to be not very successful: they are located perpendicular to the axis of view, and it is inconvenient to use them.

Menu

The organization of the menu (as always with Fujifilm) is quite logical and clear; it's easy to figure it out. The grouping of functions by tabs is quite obvious, the necessary functions and their values ​​are found without much difficulty. The menu options are covered in detail in the camera's user manual, and below we give only the appearance of most of its positions.

Image quality

Image quality: file size

Image quality: RAW and JPEG

Image quality: compression

Film simulation

Film simulation: Velvia (bright)

Film modeling: Astia (weak)

Film Modeling: Classic Chrome

Film Modeling: Pro Negative Hi

Film Simulation: Pro Negative Standard

Film Modeling: Acros

Film simulation: monochrome

Film simulation: sepia

Film Simulation: Grainy Effect

Film modeling: color chrome

Image quality: dynamic range

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality: white balance

Image quality

Image quality: tone of lights

Image Quality: Shadow Tone

Image quality: color

Image quality: sharpness

Image Quality: Noise Reduction

Image quality: Long exposure noise reduction

Image Quality: Model Light Optimization

Image quality: color space

Image quality

AF/MF setting

AF/MF setting: focus mode

AF/MF setting: keep AF mode

AF/MF setting: Quick AF

AF/MF setting: number of AF points

AF/MF setting

AF/MF Setup: MF Assist

AF/MF Adjustment: Emphasizing the Focus Area

AF/MF setting: Forced AF

AF/MF setting: Depth of field scale

AF/MF Setting: AF or Shutter Priority

AF/MF setting: touch screen mode

Shooting Setting: Timer

Shooting Setting: Timer

Shooting Setup: Exposure Bracketing

Shooting Setup: Film Simulation Bracketing

Shooting Setting: Metering Mode

Shooting setting: shutter type

Shooting Setup: Auto ISO

Shooting setup: wireless

Flash setting

Flash Setting: Modes

Flash Adjustment: Red-Eye Removal

Flash setting: TTL block modes

Video settings

Video settings: shooting modes

Video settings: AF mode for video

Video settings: information display when output via HDMI

General settings

General Settings: Format Media

General settings: setting the date and time

General settings: change time zone

General settings: language

General settings: "my menu"

General Settings: Battery Status

General Settings: Sounds

General settings

General settings

General Settings: Power Management

General Settings: Frame Counter

General Settings: Wireless

General settings: Wi-Fi

General settings: Wi-Fi

General Settings: Geotagging

General settings: Instax printer

General settings: PC connection modes

General settings: MAC address

Fujifilm GF optics

The Fujifilm GFX 50S has six lenses to date, including one with a zoom (and fixed maximum aperture) and one (macro) with built-in optical image stabilization:

• Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR
• Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8R WR
• Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR
• Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR

All of them have 9-blade diaphragms, the lamellas of which have a correctly calculated “rounding” for a more delicate background blur pattern. All lenses are protected from dust and moisture (marking WR - Weather Resistant). The aperture rings can be moved to the "C" (command) position, in which aperture is controlled electronically, using the main (front) wheel of the camera. This provides a special convenience when reporting.

We had the opportunity to evaluate the most interesting optical instruments from the currently available set under working conditions. We present them below in alphabetical order.

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR

A classic portrait lens with an equivalent focal length of just under 90mm and an exceptionally fast aperture by medium format standards. Autofocus is fast enough and not too noisy during operation. In any case, dealing with such an impressive mass of glass inside the tube, one could expect a more “lazy” drive response.

The optical scheme (manufacturer's diagram) is represented by 14 elements, combined into 6 groups. Four lenses are made of extra-low dispersion (ED) glass.

MTF Charts

MTF curves are close to ideal at 10 lines/mm, retain significant appeal at 20 lines/mm, and degrade slightly at 40 lines/mm. With this in mind, the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR promises very high image quality.

In the arsenal of the Hasselblad X1D 50c main competitor, the closest analogue is the Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/3.2 lens. In our opinion, the equivalent focal length of 71 mm does not, by and large, make it a portrait tool, but places it closer to the equivalent "fifty dollars", which, by the way, does not yet exist for the mirrorless medium format "Hassel".

Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR

Macro lens with 95mm equivalent focal length. Provides a maximum magnification of 1:2, equipped with built-in optical image stabilization.

The optical scheme (manufacturer's diagram) is represented by 14 elements combined into 9 groups. Three lenses are made of extra-low dispersion (ED) glass.

MTF Charts, or frequency-contrast response (manufacturer's data). Vertical axis - contrast; the horizontal axis is the distance from the center of the image. Solid blue lines are for sagittal structures (S), dotted red lines are for meridional structures (M).

The MTF curves look fantastic. Only at 40 lines/mm is there a noticeable deviation from the perfect ideal.

Autofocus, frankly, is not quiet and not lightning fast, but it can be accelerated by selecting the “reduced” ranges of 0.45-0.9 m or from 0.9 m to ∞. The uniqueness of the lens lies in optical stabilization.

The direct competitor is the Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5 Macro. It has about the same dimensions and weight, is ⅓ EV faster, but, like all XCD lenses, lacks optical stabilization.

Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR

An ultra-wide angle lens with an 18mm equivalent focal length that is unrivaled in mirrorless medium format. It is a desirable tool for "landscape painters" and reporters.

The optical scheme (manufacturer's diagram) is represented by 15 elements combined into 12 groups. Two lenses are aspherical (Aspherical), one element is made of improved glass with extra-low dispersion (Super ED), three more are made of extra-low dispersion glass (ED).

MTF Charts, or frequency-contrast response (manufacturer's data). Vertical axis - contrast; the horizontal axis is the distance from the center of the image. Solid blue lines are for sagittal structures (S), dotted red lines are for meridional structures (M).

The MTF curves are very attractive at 10 and 20 lines/mm, but give out a little when playing 40 lines.

Autofocus works quickly and confidently without making any noise. The only "but" can be considered the size of the lens with the lens hood on - this is a rather large unit, although not the heaviest in the system's arsenal.

Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR

Standard 50mm fixed focal length lens in full frame equivalent.

The optical scheme (manufacturer's diagram) is represented by 10 elements combined into 8 groups. One of them is made of extra-low dispersion (ED) glass.

MTF Charts, or frequency-contrast response (manufacturer's data). Vertical axis - contrast; the horizontal axis is the distance from the center of the image. Solid blue lines are for sagittal structures (S), dotted red lines are for meridional structures (M).

At 10 and 20 lines/mm the curves are very attractive, but at 40 lines/mm the picture is already deteriorating.

By medium format standards, the lens is compact and not heavy. Autofocus works quickly and confidently without making much noise.

Competitors

Of the digital medium format cameras on the market, three systems have the same sensors: the Pentax 645Z SLR and the mirrorless Fujifilm GFX 50S and Hasselblad X1D 50c.

	Fujifilm GFX 50S	Hasselblad X1D50c	Pentax 645Z
Announcement date	January 19, 2017	June 22, 2016	April 15, 2014
Sensor	CMOS (CMOS) 51.1 MP 1 (8256×6192)	CMOS (CMOS) 51.3 MP 2 (8272×6200)	CMOS (CMOS) 51.1 MP (8256×6192)
Sensor size, mm	43.8×32.9	43.8×32.9	43.8×32.8
Minimum shutter speed, s	mechanical shutter - 1/4000; electronic - 1/16000	1/2000	1/4000
Silent shooting mode	there is	No	No
Minimum X-Sync Shutter Speed	1/125 s	1/2000 s	1/125 s
Continuous shooting speed, frames / s	3	2,3	3
Equivalent sensitivity range	ISO 100 - 12800 (extension to 102400)	ISO 100 - 25600	ISO 100 - 204800
autofocus	contrast, 117 zones	contrast, 35 zones	contrast and phase, 27 zones
exposure compensation	±5 EV in ⅓ EV steps	±2 EV in ⅓ EV steps	±5 EV in steps of ⅓ EV or ½ EV
Exposure bracketing	±5 EV (2, 3, 5, 7 frames)	No	±5 EV (2, 3, 5 frames)
Photo recording format	RAW RAF 14bit, TIFF 8 bit JPEG	RAW 3FR 14bit, TIFF 8 bit JPEG	RAW 14bit, TIFF 8 bit JPEG
Maximum Video Recording Format	1920×1080 30 fps	1920×1080 25fps	1920×1080 30 fps
Time-lapse shooting	there is	No	there is
Image stabilization	No	No	No
Protection against dust and moisture	there is	there is	there is
Memory cards	two slots SD/SDXC UHS-I/UHS-II	two slots SD/SDXC UHS-I	two slots SD/SDXC UHS-I
Display	3.2″ touch, tilt and swivel, 2.36 million pixels	3.0″ touch, fixed, 0.92 million pixels	3.2″ touchscreen, flip-down, 1.04 million pixels
Viewfinder	electronic, 3.69 MP, coverage 100%	electronic, 2.36 MP, coverage 100%	optic, coverage 98%
Connectors and interfaces	USB 3.0, HDMI, WiFi, audio (input and output), "hot shoe" remote control connector power connector, sync connector	USB 3.0, HDMI, WiFi, audio (input and output), "hot shoe"	USB 3.0, HDMI, microphone input, "hot shoe" remote control connector power connector, sync connector
Battery life (snapshots)	400	there is no data	650
Dimensions, mm	148×94×91	150×98×71	156×117×123
Weight, g	920	725	1550
Price 3	$6499	$8995 4	$6997 5

1 8256×6192 = 51 121 152 pixels
2 8272×6200 = 51 286 400 pixels
3 in the days of preparing the material Hasselblad X1D 50c in Russia was sold only complete with a lens. To make the prices comparable, they are given in dollars according to the photo stores bhphotovideo.com and adorama.com
4 on the days of delivery of the material, the discount on bhphotovideo.com was $2500 (); on adorama.com — $1000 ()
5 on the days of submission of the material, the discount on bhphotovideo.com and adorama.com was $1500 ()

Mirror competitor Pentax 645Z is, of course, the heaviest and bulkiest. We put it in the comparison table only because it uses a sensor of the same size and resolution as the other two cameras. Considering this "middle-aged" model in comparison with two mirrorless systems is not very correct.

The Fujifilm GFX 50S is larger and heavier than the Hasselblad X1D-50c, but this is due to natural reasons: the Hassel has a fixed display, a non-removable viewfinder, and controls are just a minimum minimorum, and to such an extent that this laconism makes the camera look more like an inexpensive one. mass system. However, conciseness is conciseness, and it is very difficult to forgive, for example, the lack of shooting with bracketing. In addition, the Hasselblad X1D-50c clearly demonstrates several critical shortcomings: a very long turn-on, depressingly long shutter lags, which puts an end to its use in a report. At the same time, the central Hassel shutter, which is traditionally located inside the lenses, makes it possible to synchronize operation with flashes in the entire shutter speed range up to 1/2000 s. However, in other situations, such a speed limit can significantly limit the capabilities of the photographer, and then the heroine of our review will break far ahead with her 1/16000 s.

Another thing is also important: when working in reportage quality, the Fujifilm GFX 50S can be switched to a completely silent mode of operation, when neither focus confirmation nor the electronic shutter make sounds. The creators of the mirrorless Hassel promised to implement such an opportunity, but at the time of preparing our review of this camera last year, it had not yet appeared. In addition, using only an electronic shutter eliminates Hasselblad's main advantage - synchronization with pulsed light at shutter speeds up to 1/2000 s - since this requires a central mechanical aperture-type shutter.

The set of optics is the most numerous at Pentax and the most modest at Hasselblad. Fujifilm offers arguably the most elaborate set of lenses ever, with some truly unique tools (we'll come back to that below).

In general, the Fujifilm GFX 50S looks much more attractive than the competitors in our table. Perhaps it is our today's heroine that should be considered a system of choice.

Laboratory tests

We investigated the properties of the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera sensor by analyzing test bench images with the noise filter turned off in bright and dark scenes. Below are gray scale shots to assess the tolerance of rising ISO values.

ISO	bright scene	dark scene
400
800
1600
3200
6400
12800
25600

It can be concluded that noise remains acceptable in both light and dark scenes up to ISO 3200. You can get a clearer picture of this from the graph below.

Up to ISO 3200, noise almost does not cause a significant drop in resolution, and the sensor manages to reproduce more than 80% of the information, although the resolution starts from not the highest rates. Nevertheless, one can note the good accuracy of the curves and their relative smoothness, which indicates the high quality of the sensor and good in-camera processing. Below is a resolution comparison of the Fujifilm GFX 50S with the Hasselblad X1D-50c. Perhaps it can be assumed that their sensors are indeed the same, and the difference in resolution is made by optics. With ISO 12800, the resolution difference can also be explained by different noise reduction algorithms at such extreme values.

The Fujifilm GFX 50S's autofocus isn't very accurate, but it's relatively fast. However, according to the total score Hasselblad X1D is exactly at the same level.

Contrast (Hybrid) AF	Fujifilm GFX 50S	Hasselblad X1D	Canon EOS 1D X Mark II	Fujifilm X-Pro2	Sony RX-100 IV	Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Accuracy	8,7	9,4	9,8	9,3	7,4	9,2
Speed	1,8	1,0	1,8	2,5	3,4	1,6

Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR

The lens allows you to get an average resolution of up to 85% in the center of the frame and about 80% at the edges. Even at F22, the resolution does not drop below 60%. Here one involuntarily recalls that Hasselblad lenses are able to work out the sensor by 90%. However, the difference is not that big.

Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR

The lens allows you to count on almost 90 percent resolution at full aperture. With aperture up to F8, the sharpness does not change and is about 88%, although in the center it is noticeably higher than at the periphery of the frame, where its value does not rise above 80%. With a further decrease in the relative aperture, the resolution begins to decrease (up to 79% at F16) and drops to 65% at F22.

frame center	Frame edge

frame center	Frame edge

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR

The lens demonstrates the lowest performance of all tested. Basically, the resolution is kept at 80%, climbing a little higher only in the interval F2.8-F4. But the resolution in the center of the frame and on the edge is almost the same.

frame center	Frame edge

There are no visible chromatic aberrations or distortion.

frame center	Frame edge

Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR

The lens is perhaps the most perfect of those tested. It produces a resolution of almost 90% (recall the noise test again: after all, the sensor is capable of delivering 90%, so the differences with the Hasselblad system are due only to the difference in optics). At the same time, the edge of the frame practically does not lag behind the center and drops below 80% only after F16.

Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR, as you can see from the name, is equipped with an image stabilizer. The manufacturer claims an efficiency of 5 stops, which seems a little fantastic and suggests that at a shutter speed of 1 second, you can safely shoot handheld without noticeable blur. Perhaps, with a certain skill, this is possible, and our test, designed for the average user, confirms the effectiveness of almost 5 steps, which in itself is a very worthy result.

Laboratory testing allows us to conclude that all the lenses we studied are undoubtedly good, since a relatively stable resolution of more than 80% is a good result. Somewhat confusing is the fact that, based on the comparison of the properties of Fujifilm GF lenses with the Hasselblad XCD line in the laboratory, it turns out that the latter wins. But on the other hand, Fujifilm optical instruments fully justify the cost of the system as a whole: it is significantly more affordable, more diverse and has unique advantages in the form of aperture and built-in stabilization.

Practical photography

The Fujifilm GFX 50S feels good in the hand and is well balanced when working with short and not too heavy lenses. Some complications arise when operating the camera in conjunction with large 100- and 120-mm optical instruments. However, full-length professional "DSLRs" with lenses of 70-300 mm and 100-400 mm are not more convenient.

Starting "field shooting", we traditionally set the parameters so that they are most suitable for a variety of shooting tasks:

• aperture priority mode,
• center-weighted exposure metering,
• single frame auto focus,
• center focus area
• automatic white balance (ABB),
• automatic setting of equivalent light sensitivity.

Recorded footage was saved using 64 GB SanDisk SDXC UHS-I Extreme Pro memory cards with write speeds up to 90 MB/s. RAW (Fujifilm RAF) images were converted to JPEG using Adobe Camera RAW version 10.1. Sharpening and saturation, changing contrast and brightness, removing noise by us not applied. In rare cases, lights and shadows were slightly weakened.

General impressions

After turning on the power, the camera “comes to life” almost instantly and is immediately ready for use. After pressing the shutter button, the mechanical shutter operates with a barely perceptible delay. The sound of the mechanical shutter is quite weak, which does not cause problems in public places. And if you use only the electronic shutter, then no delay occurs and no sound is born at all: in this mode, you can activate completely silent shooting, which is indispensable for reportage work.

Autofocus works reliably in good lighting conditions. In the twilight or when aiming at very bright objects, the automaton with contrast detection experiences some difficulties. In such cases, you have to either shift the focus point or switch to manual mode.

When working with "native" lenses, the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera is protected from moisture and dust penetration. In addition, the manufacturer guarantees the frost resistance of the system at ambient temperatures down to −10 °C. We were able to shoot outdoors at -16 °C for 3.5 hours, and from time to time during the shooting session we changed lenses. All this time the system continued to work properly. For the Russian winter, this is very important.

In a studio

The traditional model for using non-reporting professional systems is, of course, studio shooting. Actually, it does not require either a high aperture ratio of optics (the difficulty of achieving it is one of the disadvantages of medium format optics), or a high “rate of fire” and autonomy of the camera, or “portability” of high ISOs. In the studio, everything is decided by the light, which, by definition, is not part of the package.

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR; f/8; 1/125 s; ISO 100	Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR; f/5.6; 1/125 s; ISO 100

The excellent quality of the resulting image is immediately visible. We also note that a significant supply of details in highlights and shadows makes it possible to correct images during post-processing in a very wide range.

As always when working with a medium format, it should be taken into account that the depth of field in the scene is significantly smaller compared to full-frame systems. This requires an additional aperture of 1.5-2 stops to achieve a similar result.

reproductions

We decided to make several reproductions of the paintings, and, moreover, in conditions that are very limited in terms of the organization of filming. According to the rules of the Ministry of Culture, in force in museums in Russia, shooting with a tripod (not to mention additional light) requires a special permit and, as a rule, an additional fee. Therefore, we combined the incompatible: reporting from museums and reproductions of paintings. In other words, everything presented below was shot handheld, without a tripod or stop, at minimum aperture or even at full aperture of the lenses. White balance is automatic. Here and below, abbreviations in captions should be understood as follows: State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow); State Russian Museum - State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg); Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow).

V. A. Serov. Mika Morozov. 1901. GTG. Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR; f/3.2; 1/60s; ISO 500	A. A. Arkhipov. Away. 1915. Timing.
Mademoiselle Riviere. lady with lyre (portrait of Josephine Budaevskaya). 1806. Pushkin Museum. Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR; f/3.2; 1/60s; ISO 800	A. A. Ivanov. Apollo, Hyacinth and Cypress, practicing singing. 1834. GTG. Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR; f/3.2; 1/60s; ISO 640

Color rendition is correct; in post-processing, it practically did not require intervention. Colors are juicy, lively, saturated. Halftones are smooth, their gradations are rich. The detailing is excellent: not only craquelures are distinguishable, but also the smallest picturesque details on the canvases. At ISO 500 the picture is very good. Up to ISO 800, the results are quite satisfactory. Note that in the photographs presented, the superiority of the medium format is quite obvious.

Plein air

Outdoor landscape photography is a genre where digital medium format simply has no equal. In such conditions, it is easy to put everything at the service of the main thing: the achievement of the best result. Indeed, outdoor photography is not limited by the lack of light.

On the Luzhnetsky bridge. Moscow river. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/11; 1/280s; ISO 100	Novo-Spassky Cathedral in the evening. Mozhaisk. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/90 c; ISO 100 (exposure compensation +1.7 EV)
The Goncharovs' estate in Yaropolets. Volokolamsky district, Moscow region Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/350s; ISO 100 (exposure compensation +1.7 EV)	construction geometry. Gardeners. Moscow. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/640s; ISO 100
Fence of the Old Kremlin. Volokolamsk, Moscow region Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/240s; ISO 100 (exposure compensation +1.7 EV)	Gallery of the Engineering Corps.GTG. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/9; 1/60s; ISO 160
Frozen pond near the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery. Teryaevo. Volokolamsky district, Moscow region Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/480s; ISO 100 (exposure compensation +1.7 EV)	Above Soymonovsky passage. Parapet of the fence of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Moscow. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/8; 1/340s; ISO 100

Let's give the camera its due and for the wide DD, and for the excellent colors, and for the high degree of detail in the above pictures. We are not able to anticipate the desires of everyone, but according to the authors, this is exactly what you can (and should) strive for.

Expobracketing

If the 14-stop EV declared by the manufacturer is not enough, then thanks to the implemented automatic exposure bracketing (exposure bracketing), you can easily add another 2-3 EV steps. The three shots below were taken in automatic mode using a Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR lens at its aperture to f/8 and ISO 100: medium with normal exposure (according to the automaton), left underexposed, right overexposed.

After "developing" in Adobe Camera RAW, we "stitched" these three images to obtain an image in a wide DD (HDR, High Dynamic Range) using the HDRsoft Photomatix Pro v.6.0.1 application. Here is the result:

The resulting picture shows that the tonal transitions are aligned due to the “raising” of the shadows (push shadows) and the “lowering” of the lights (pull highlights). In general, of course, the look of the picture has become more natural to the taste of the observer. However, nothing favorable happened with light tonal accents in the plot center of the image. As conceived by the photographer, this picture needs just high contrast, and not its smoothing. Nevertheless, we have shown the technical possibility of expanding DD.

Interior

Shooting handheld (without a tripod) indoors with competing medium format systems sometimes becomes difficult, and the reason for this is the relatively low aperture ratio of compatible optics. But fortunately, the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera has a set of fast lenses, the most successful of which outperform competitors in this regard by one or more steps. In addition to this, Fujifilm GF optical instruments have excellent sharpness even wide open, and therefore the only factor that can limit their use in rooms is the shallow depth of field that is typical for medium format in general.

Hall of Ancient Egyptian Art.Pushkin Museum. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/4; 1/8 c; ISO 1600	Hall of Mesopotamian Art.Pushkin Museum. Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR; f/5.6; 1/4 c; ISO 400
Hall of Ancient Greek Art. Pushkin Museum. Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR; f/4; 1/30s; ISO 800	On the front stairs.GTG. Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8R WR; f/2.8; 1/60s; ISO 400

Note that we did not have the opportunity to really "get used" to our heroine, so most of the shots in this review are the result of instant improvisation. However, even with this approach, we are quite satisfied with the results obtained.

Reportage

Indeed, why not? For a leisurely "everyday" reporting, that is, shooting slowly developing scenes, the camera is quite suitable. We have already noted the advantages of the camera that increase its value when reporting: a moving touch screen, a silent shooting mode when using an electronic shutter, when the camera does not make any sounds at all. These circumstances prompt us to test the Fujifilm GFX 50S in reportage.

Here are the scenes shot with the Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR lens at its maximum aperture. We used single-shot autofocus with reframing between individual shots, leaving continuous AF for video.

Excursion through the halls of Russian art of the XIX - early XX centuries. The State Tretyakov Gallery is hosted by the artistic art critic-encyclopedist Natalia Rybkina.

1/60s; ISO 500	1/60s; ISO 320
1/60s; ISO 500	1/60s; ISO 640

The Fujifilm GFX 50S does an excellent job with its duties even when shooting scenes with noticeably “nimble” dynamics (we mean the gestures and facial expressions of the heroes of the photo). Autofocus works out scenes quite confidently, and the photographer himself becomes the main guarantee of success: he needs to choose the focus point correctly and in a timely manner. By the way, the camera behaves quite correctly even when selecting the AF point by “poking” on the screen, that is, using the touchscreen (see the first and second pictures).

And here are three more reportage photos taken at different times and in different lighting conditions.

In the left and right shots, we can see the effects of the reduction in depth of field on a medium format camera compared to a full-format "film" shot (36x24mm) even at high apertures: f/11 in the "Friends Under the Bridge" photo certainly provided excellent sharpening of the silhouettes the main characters and other details of the foreground, but everything that is located in the background, in the distance (almost at infinity), has lost its sharpness. Such an omission does not harm the idea of ​​this particular shot too much, since it only additionally emphasizes the subject center of the frame, but the situation itself emphasizes that when assessing the depth of field in medium format photography, the traditional approach should be changed. After all, habitual reflexes fail here, and circumstances require the development of other, new skills.

The shot on the right, where the focus was made in the background (on the figures of utility workers), clearly lost due to the limited depth of field of the macro lens, even when apertured down to f / 8: the mother and child in the foreground are blurred. And here such a defect is already fundamentally negative. We present this not in order to reveal non-existent shortcomings of the camera (they do not consist in these features), but to illustrate the specifics of shooting with a medium format camera.

Nevertheless, we conclude that the Fujifilm GFX 50S quite suitable for shooting a reportage with a relatively low dynamics of scenes, but to get an excellent result, it requires the acquisition of a new experience, which is markedly different from what the photographer has based on working with full-frame systems.

Video

We did not seriously try to analyze the video capabilities of our heroine in this material (there is another section and other specialists on the resource for this). Below are just a few illustrations of how the Fujifilm GFX 50S can shoot video at its highest resolution (far from the highest in modern times, to be honest).

Here are two video clips, kindly provided by Peter Pokrovsky.

It is, of course, difficult to say anything definite, interesting, noticeable. But let's not doubt: from the presented samples it is clear that the Fujifilm GFX 50S operates video in the Full HD standard quite confidently.

Fujifilm GFX 50S vs Hasselblad X1D 50c

From the very beginning of this material, we are gradually preparing the reader for a direct collision of two families of medium format “mirrorless” cameras. By the way, in our opinion, in such a comparison, there is a special meaning: how else can you find out for yourself which camera is better to make friends with?

It's time to show how our today's heroine works in comparison with the first-born of the mirrorless medium format world from Hasselblad. In order to present the facts (images) in a useful way for comparison, we took pictures of the same objects in the same places and from approximately the same angles that we used during the Hasselblad X1D-50c field test. The shooting was carried out in the halls of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Of course, there are no “one-on-one” coincidences and cannot be, and the reason for this is, firstly, the inability to use both cameras next to each other, secondly, significant differences in the focal lengths and aperture ratio of the optics we used, and, finally, thirdly, the different seasons and the nature of the lighting when photographing then and now. Nevertheless, we propose to evaluate our results.

Fujifilm GFX 50S	Hasselblad X1D-50c
Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR at f/2.8; 1/60s; ISO 2000	Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2 at f/3.2; 1/50 c; ISO 2000
	Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2 at f/3.2; 1/50 c; ISO 1200
Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR at f/2.8; 1/60s; ISO 6400	Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2 at f/3.2; 1/90 c; ISO 6400
Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR at f/2.8; 1/60s; ISO 1250	Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2 at f/3.2; 1/160s; ISO 1600
Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR at f/2.8; 1/60s; ISO 2500	Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2 at f/3.2; 1/160s; ISO 6400

At a cursory glance, it is noticeable that the white balance in the pairs of photos given for comparison often does not match; it is difficult to adequately assess the sharpness due to the shift in focus points, and the nature of the transfer of halftone gradations suffers due to differences in lighting and exposure parameters. Nevertheless, it seems to us that it is not possible to objectively identify a significant difference in how the sensors of both cameras work. If we exclude corrections for focal length, aperture value, focus point shift, then the pictures will turn out to be almost the same. As a matter of fact, based on the nature, size and resolution of the sensors, one should not expect otherwise. So let's highlight: Fujifilm GFX 50S almost does not differ in image quality from Hasselblad X1D-50s, and all possible variations can be attributed to the difference in optics and electronics

The Fujifilm GFX 50S is well-designed, with a number of acquisitions that make it capable of not only solving previously unattainable tasks (for example, as a reportage camera), but also satisfying the discerning taste of those who are used to getting the best from the world of digital systems.

Notable shortcomings of the system are the traditional, due to the very nature of the medium format: not too high for professional reporting "agility" and focusing accuracy, low burst shooting speed.

Here are photos taken with Fujifilm GFX 50S in Petr Pokrovsky's professional albums:
and Mikhail Rybakov:

In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera:

Ours can also be viewed on iXBT.Video

Thanks to Fujifilm for the camera and optics provided for testing