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Fujifilm GFX 100 II Camera Review

discover whichAs pioneers of the world's first 100MP medium format camera, which also records 4K video and comes with in-body stabilisation, expectations are high for Fujifilm’s second flagship medium format GFX 100 II.

The new generation Fuji medium format digital camera is subject to significant upgrades inside and out, so prepare to be blown away by what it can achieve for high-end photo and video creation.

Our Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera review has everything you need to know, whether you’re considering upgrading, are tempted to join the Fuji GFX medium format system for the first time, or simply want to know what technology a world-class hybrid camera of this calibre includes.

Fujifilm GFX 100 II launch date

With two years between the original GFX 100 and the slimmed-down GFX 100S, it makes sense that the new generation flagship Fujifilm GFX 100 II was released on 12 September 2023. This puts roughly two years of development between each Fuji 100MP medium format camera generation.

Sample image Elephants. Camera settings: 1/230 sec. f/8. ISO 320

How much is the GFX 100 II medium format camera?

With a newly developed sensor and significant upgrades throughout, it comes as no surprise that the Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera costs £7500.00. Although this puts it out of reach for most creators, professionals working in studio, fashion, architecture, commercial and other genres will be impressed by its balance between image-quality and price.

Is the Fuji GFX 100 II full-frame?

Photographers often wonder whether the Fuji GFX 100 series is full-frame, however the GFX 100 II camera features an all-new 43.8mm x 32.9mm high-speed medium format sensor, developed in-house. This is around 1.7x bigger than a 35mm sensor, which provides several advantages revolving around image quality and depth of field.

The resolution of GFX 100 II is 102 megapixels, which measures 11648 x 8736 pixels in 4:3 format. Fujifilm has added support for the HEIF file format, which is around 30% smaller than JPEG, yet captures for more data in 10-bit colour depth.

Sample photo camera settings: 1/230 sec. f/8. ISO 800

Image formats are available as follows:

• DCF Compliant with Design rule for Camera File system (DCF2.0)
• JPEG Exif Ver.2.32
• HEIF 4:2:2 10bit
• RAW 14bit / 16bit RAW (RAF original format)
• TIFF 8bit / 16bit RGB (In-camera Raw Conversion Only)

What are the key GFX 100 II features?

The GFX 100 II not only improves on the first generation GFX 100 camera, but leapfrogs the GFX 100S to create a whole new category of cinema-ready hybrid medium format cameras. The list below highlights many of the most significant upgrades, which include:

1. A new 102 megapixel medium format GFX 102MP CMOS II HS sensor with far quicker readout speeds up to 2x that of the GFX 100S
2. Faster processing with the X Processor 5
3. Quicker burst shooting at 8fps with double the buffer capacity
4. Shooting stills and video in any format to external SSD hard drive via USB-C
5. Upgraded video with internal 4K/60p and 8K/30p recording in several formats with 4:2:2 10bit in 30p
6. External recording over an upgraded full-sized HDMI port in ProRes or BlackMagic RAW with an external video recorder
7. Additional profiles including F-Log2 for the first time in GFX, and cinema-ready profiles such as ALEXA35 and Venice S-Log3
8. 13+ stops dynamic range with a maximum 14+ stops when using D range priority
9. Support for IDT for ACES (Input Device Transform)
10. Upgraded native ISO performance with base ISO 80 for stills (16-bit RAW) and ISO 100 for movies
11. Upgraded in-body stabilisation up to 8-stops with compatible medium format GF lenses
12. Significantly upgraded phase detection AF system with huge improvements to autofocus
13. Newly added AI-driven subject detection and tracking AF for Animal/Bird/Automobile/Motorcycle&Bike/Airplane/Train
14. Upgraded ergonomics with in-body Ethernet / IP support, new function buttons and stills/video lever
15. Updated shoulder LCD panel
16. Pixel Shift Multi-Shot function with 400MP images
17. Newly added CFexpress card Type B slot plus a UHS-II SD memory card slot
18. 20 digital film simulation modes including an additional REALA ACE
19. Improved battery life of up to 540 frames
20. IPTC tagging and profile editing in the updated App
21. Reduced weight at 1030g with the EVF thanks to removing the battery grip

Sample astrophotography with GFX 100 mark II. Camera settings: 25 sec. f/4. ISO 12800

As a flagship camera, which will be utilised and scrutinised by many of the world’s foremost photographers, it was essential that Fujifilm struck a balance between ‘affordability’ used relatively, and image quality.

Fuji has managed to accomplish this with capabilities that blur the performance differences between medium format and full-frame or crop sensor cameras, which is an impressive achievement. Thew new model is capable of not only capturing traditional medium format subjects such as fashion, portraits and wedding, but also sports and wildlife for incredible versatility.

Stills photo features

If you’re wondering does the Fuji GFX 100 II have focus stacking, the answer is yes, in both auto and manual. It also includes Film simulation bracketing, Dynamic range bracketing, ISO sensitivity bracketing, as well as White Balance and Multiple Exposure bracketing, ensuring you can capture the most compelling images easily.

Fujifilm GFX 100 II vs 100S vs 100

The comparison table below further demonstrates the extended capabilities of the newest member of the GFX line-up and is perfect for those wondering what is the difference between GFX 100, GFX 100 mark 2 and 100S.

Is the GFX 100 II good for video?

Fujifilm is targeting professional filmmakers with the GFX 100 II, which improves on previous generations capabilities, enabling you to capture 4K/60p, 8K/30p, FHD/120p 4:2:2 10-bit Internal Recording as well as RAW over HDMI.

In-camera recording can be made in ProRes (HQ/422/LT), H.264/265 and ProRes / H.264 Proxy and additional colour profiles include F-Log2 for the first time, which captures 14+ stops of dynamic range (F-log2 D Range Priority mode). Cinema professionals also gain IDT for ACES support, with colour spaces Venice S-Log3 x IDT and ALEXA35 Log-C4 x IDT.

This puts the GFX 100 II into the realms of pro video cameras, which is suited to any platform where cinematic medium format video-quality is desirable. Whether you capture movies for wedding clients, corporate videos or make high-end documentary films the GFX 100 mark II is ready to roll.

How user-friendly is the GFX 100 II?

The first thing most photographers will notice is the omission of the GFX 100 mark II’s built-in battery grip, which reduces its weight to pro-sized DSLR levels. However this is just the beginning of a complete ergonomic overhaul, which make this flagship camera more user-friendly than ever.

Upgrades to the camera body include:

1. Added a CFexpress card slot
2. Added recording to SSD external hard drives via USB-C port
3. Added an ethernet port with IP support
4. Upgraded the HDMI port to Type-A
5. Upgraded the top shoulder 2.09-inch LCD info panel
6. Added a stills/movie switch lever
7. Added three function buttons next to the silent shutter button: Fn1 for Face/Eye, Fn2 for subject detection and Fn3 for exposure
8. newly developed new BISHAMON-TEX grip texture for improved camera hold

Sample landscape photo. Camera settings: 1/440 sec. f/8. ISO 500

Despite removing the grip, which housed an additional battery, the GFX 100 II captures around 540 frames per charge, which is adequate for working professionals who typically pack extra batteries by default.

We would be remiss not to mention the EVF, which is crystal clear and covers 100% of the viewing area in a 0.64 inch OLED Colour Viewfinder with 9.44 million dots. This offers a refined viewing experience, especially when using the optional tilt adapter mentioned below.

You can really engage in a familiar way with the GFX 100 II, by using Swipe, Pinch-in / Pinch-out, Double-tap and Drag functionality for playing back images on the bright LCD, which is a 3.2-inch Tilt-Type (3-directions), Touch Screen Colour LCD Monitor. When shooting and navigating menus you are again able to use intuitive double taps and versatile touch functionality.

Best GFX 100 II accessories

There are two new custom-made accessories for the newest GFX medium format camera, which include an EVF-TL1 EVF Tilt Adapter for the beautiful 9.44-million-dot EVF with 1.0x magnification. The adapter enables you to adjust EVF angles from 0°∼90° when shooting horizontally and -45°∼+45 when shooting vertically.

The Fujifilm VG-GFX II Vertical Battery Grip is a brilliant accessory, which maintains the camera dust and weather resistance and provides over 1000 additional frames through an W235 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery, as well as improved vertical shooting comfort.

Other essential accessories include adding at least one CFexpress memory card (Type B), which will enable the camera to burst for longer and capture seamless video. CFexpress is considerably quicker than SD, which will speed up your workflow through faster data transfers of large image and video files.

You may also wish to add supplemental Fuji fit flash lighting and the GFX-series is compatible with the Fujifilm EF-60 Flashgun, the brighter EF-X500 flash, as well as the Fujifilm EF-W1 Wireless Commander for off-camera lighting control.

Fujifilm GFX lenses

A camera system is only as good as its lenses and the GFX system has seen growth through the release of high-quality G-mount lenses, which now spans 20 models, thanks to 3 Fujifilm GF lens additions.

These were released alongside the camera and introduce a new standard Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR Lens, which features 11 rounded diaphragm blades and a beautifully bright maximum aperture for selective focus and low light masterpieces.

Additionally, Fuji has launched two specialist tilt shift lenses for architecture, landscape and commercial photography, with the wide angle Fujifilm GF 30mm f/5.6 Tilt Shift Lens and the mid-telephoto Fujifilm GF 110mm f/5.6 Tilt Shift Macro Lens. These provide T/S capabilities for the first time when using a GFX camera, and promise outstanding image quality with versatile features.

Discover which GFX lenses are currently available, and which are on the horizon with our Fujifilm G Mount Lens Roadmap, and if you love your Fuji camera, why not collaborate with Fujifilm UK and become an ambassador for the brand.

The new generation Fujifilm GFX 100 II is an exceptional medium format camera, which will pique more than just casual interest from professional photographers, serious enthusiasts and hybrid shooters.

It renders extremely high resolution results which are just WOW, faster and more accurately than ever before, whilst also packing significant upgrades across the body, both inside and out. The GFX 100 mark II will also interest cinematography professionals who can explore their craft with a medium format camera system for unprecedented movie quality.

Whichever camp you fall into, reserve your Fujifilm GFX 100 II Medium Format Digital Camera Body today and discover how this latest model can transform your workflow and generate simply gorgeous results.

If you’re upgrading from a previous GFX camera, or have other unwanted gear, why not grab a free trade-in quote, and use the money to offset against the cost of the GFX 100 II.

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By Nick Dautlich on 12/09/2023