Call us: 01444 237070

Proposition Bar Snippet

Fujifilm GFX 100 II Camera Review

With the original GFX 100 combining 100MP medium format capture, 4K video and in-body stabilisation, expectations are high for Fujifilm’s second flagship medium format GFX 100 II.

Video Review | Is this the BEST Medium Format Camera?

Check out Gareth's thoughts here.

The next generation medium format digital camera is subject to significant upgrades inside and out, so join us as we discover what it can achieve for high-end photo and video creation.

Fujifilm GFX 100 II Camera Review

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

Launch date

Following the original from 2019 and the slimmed-down GFX 100S in 2021, the new generation flagship was announced on 12 September 2023, with launch scheduled for 28 September 2023.

Fujifilm GFX 100 II sample photo African elephants 1/230 sec. f/8. ISO 320

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

How much is it?

With a newly developed sensor and significant upgrades throughout, it comes as no surprise that the 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.

Top body panel with new high res screen on Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera

Is it full-frame?

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

The resolution is 102 megapixels, which measures 11648 x 8736 pixels in 4:3 format. Fujifilm has added support for the HEIF file format, which can use up to 30% less space than JPEG while supporting 10-bit colour depth.

GFX 100 II sample photo with camera settings 1/230 sec. f/8. ISO 800

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)

Fuji GFX 100 II with new 30mm tilt shift lens mounted

What are the key features?

It not only improves on the first generation camera, but leapfrogs the GFX 100S to create a whole new category of cinema-ready hybrid. 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 directly to a compatible external SSD via USB-C, with supported formats depending on the drive
  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 RAW or Blackmagic RAW with a video recorder
  7. F-Log2 for the first time in GFX, with IDT support for integrating footage into ACES workflows alongside other cinema cameras
  8. 14+ stops dynamic range when using F-Log2 D Range Priority mode
  9. Upgraded native ISO performance with base ISO 80 for stills (16-bit RAW) and ISO 100 for movies
  10. Upgraded in-body stabilisation up to 8-stops with compatible medium format GF lenses (CIPA rating with the GF 63mm F2.8 R WR lens; results vary)
  11. Significantly upgraded phase detection AF system with huge improvements to autofocus
  12. Newly added AI-driven subject detection and tracking AF for Animal/Bird/Automobile/Motorcycle&Bike/Airplane/Train
  13. Upgraded ergonomics with in-body Ethernet / IP support, new function buttons and stills/video lever
  14. Updated shoulder LCD panel
  15. Pixel Shift Multi-Shot function with 400MP images
  16. Newly added CFexpress card Type B slot plus a UHS-II SD memory card slot
  17. 20 digital film simulation modes including an additional REALA ACE
  18. Rated battery life of approximately 540 frames using the LCD in Normal mode under CIPA testing
  19. IPTC tagging and profile editing in the updated App
  20. Reduced weight at 1030g with the EVF thanks to removing the battery grip

Sample photo astro with the GFX 100 mark 2

Sample astrophotography. 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. The 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.

Front face of the new GFX mark ii camera

Stills photo features

If you’re wondering does the Fuji GFX 100 II have focus stacking, it offers focus bracketing with auto and manual setup, ready for combining the images in software. It also includes Film simulation bracketing, Dynamic range bracketing, ISO sensitivity bracketing, as well as White Balance bracketing and Multiple Exposure, 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.

 

GFX 100 II

GFX 100S

GFX 100

Release Year

2023

2021

2019

Image sensor

43.8mm x 32.9mm CMOS II HS

43.8mm x 32.9mm CMOS

43.8mm x 32.9mm CMOS

Effective pixels

102 MP

102 MP

102 MP

Processing Engine

X-Processor 5

X-Processor 4

X-Processor 4

Storage media

SD Card UHS-II x1 CFexpress x1

SSD (external)

SD Card UHS-II x2

SD Card UHS-II x2

Max image quality

16bit RAW

16bit RAW

16bit RAW

Native ISO Stills

ISO 80 - 12800

ISO 100 - 12800

ISO 100 - 12800

Native ISO Movies

ISO 100 - 12800

ISO 200 - 12800

ISO 200 - 12800

Max. Image stabilisation

8.0 stops

6.0 stops

5.5 stops

Continuous shooting RAW Compressed (mechanical shutter)

8 fps

5 fps

5 fps

Buffer capacity RAW compressed

325 frames (CFexpress)

16 frames

15 frames

Max video quality internal

8K/30p / 4K/60p 4:2:2 10bit

4K/30p 4:2:0 10bit

4K/30p 4:2:0 10bit

Film simulation modes

20

19

19

Battery life for still images approx

540 frames (LCD, Normal mode; CIPA) (NP-W235)

460 frames (LCD, Normal mode; CIPA) (NP-W235)

800 frames (NP-T125 x2)

Weight (including battery and memory card)

1030g

900g

1,400g

Fujifilm GFX 100 II rigged up for video recording

Is it good for video?

Fujifilm is targeting professional filmmakers, and it 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 support for integrating footage into ACES workflows alongside footage from cameras such as the Sony VENICE and ARRI ALEXA 35.

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.

Front of camera with tilt shift lens controls

How user-friendly is this version?

The first thing most photographers will notice is the omission of a 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.

Body upgrades include:

  1. Added a CFexpress card slot
  2. Added recording to SSD 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 BISHAMON-TEX grip texture for improved camera hold

Sample landscape photo

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

Despite removing the grip, which housed an additional battery, the GFX 100 II is rated for around 540 frames per charge using the LCD or 460 using the EVF in Normal mode, under CIPA testing with auto power save enabled and the GF 63mm F2.8 R WR lens attached. Actual endurance varies with use and conditions.

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.

New EVF tilt adapter accessory for the GFX 100 II

Best accessories

Compatible accessories 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 accommodates two additional NP-W235 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries, as well as providing improved vertical shooting comfort. With all three batteries installed, rated endurance in Normal mode is approximately 1470 frames using the LCD or 1240 using the EVF under CIPA testing; actual results vary.

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 EF-60 Flashgun, the brighter EF-X500 flash, as well as the Fujifilm EF-W1 Wireless Commander for off-camera lighting control.

All new GFX camera with new macro tilt shift lens

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 GF 30mm f/5.6 Tilt Shift Lens and the mid-telephoto 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 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 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.

Share this post:

 

By Nick Dautlich on 12/09/2023

Nick Dautlich

Nick Dautlich

Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer

Nick Dautlich is the Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer at Park Cameras, with over 15 years of photography experience. A Sony Imaging Professional and expert reviewer, Nick has worked with major brands such as Canon, Sony and Nikon. His work is also featured on Vanguard World UK’s website, Capture Landscapes, and Shutter Evolve. Nick’s photography includes National Trust projects and magazine covers and he is passionate about landscapes and storytelling. Nick also enjoys hiking and teaching his children about nature. Learn more on his profile page.

Trade in your old equipment

Fast and easy trade in service ensures your old gear is collected efficiently and you are paid quickly! It's very simple to trade in your unwanted photography gear. Just head over to our dedicated Sell or Part Exchange page, fill out the details, and we'll get back to you with an offer for your old gear. Take the cash, or put it towards the cost of your new gear. It's up to you! Find out more