Fujifilm announced several new products at its virtual X Summit event, including the lowest priced medium format camera to date, a refreshed version of the popular X-T30, and new lenses.
GFX Medium Format System
The GFX50S II is the headline grabber. Medium format cameras have image sensors with more surface area than full-frame models. They were common tools for pros working in the film days, but high entry costs have kept them out of the hands of many in the digital age. Fujifilm wasn’t the first to deliver digital medium format for under $10,000—Pentax beat it to the punch—but its GFX system has continued to develop, while it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen anything new for the Pentax 645Z system.
Fujifilm just keeps rolling with new GF cameras and lenses. The GFX50S II re-uses some existing tech. It puts the 50MP sensor from the first version of the GFX50S into a smaller body—the same one used by the GFX100S, introduced earlier this year. Aside from the model badge the two are identical, at least on the outside.
The body is small given the sensor size, about the same as a full-frame SLR. It omits an integrated vertical grip, and doesn’t have the modular viewfinder from the first GFX50S. It is protected from dust and splashes, and sports a high-magnification 3.7 million dot EVF.
Inside is a slightly different story. The GFX50S II has a 50MP sensor, one with half the pixels as the 100MP chip used in the GFX100S. It uses the same image processor and is mounted on a five-axis stabilizer, a real help for handheld, high-resolution photography. The system is rated for up to 6.5 stops of correction with many GF lenses.
Multi-shot capture is supported if you need more resolution. The IBIS system shifts the sensor to better sample color and improve resolution. You’ll need a sturdy tripod and a static scene to get 205MP photos, so you can’t use it in every situation.
For focus, the GFX50S II relies on a contrast system, slower than the GFX100S’s phase detection. It’s also more limited as a video camera—1080p instead of 4K—and has a meager 3fps continuous capture rate for images.
At around $4,000 to start, the GFX50S II is a strong value proposition for photographers interested in using a camera with a bigger-than-full-frame sensor, but without stretching to buy the $6,000 GFX100S.
To ease new users into the system, the GFX50S II is being offered with a new kit lens, the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR. It’s available on its own for $999.95, but is kitted along with the camera for $4,499. It’s a retracting zoom, about the same size as the GF 63mm prime, but uses a short range of adjustment and a rather modest f-stop to get there.
The GFX50S II is expected to go on sale around Sept. 23. The GF 35-70mm lens will follow in November.
Looking ahead, Fujifilm has also added a few GF lenses to its development roadmap. System owners can look forward to the wide-angle GF 20-35mm zoom next year, with the GF 55mm F1.7 and a tilt-shift lens to follow in 2023.
X APS-C System
The X mirrorless system is a bit more consumer friendly, with most models starting at under $1,000. Two stalwarts, the earliest entries in the current 26MP sensor generation, are getting updates.
The X-T30 II is basically the same camera as the original, but with a couple of small changes. The rear display is upgraded, from 1.04 million dots up to 1.62 million, and the system memory has been expanded, so the camera can take advantage of Fujifilm’s latest firmware improvements.
Fujifilm is keeping the pricing for the new model the same at introduction. The X-T30 II comes in at $899.95 without a lens, and kits are available with the XC 15-45mm ($999.95) and XF 18-55mm ($1,299.95). It’s set to go on sale in late October in black or silver editions.
The X-T3 is getting refreshed, but without any new features. Fujifilm is bringing it to market without an AC adapter or battery charger in the box, just a USB-C charging cable.
This allows the company to streamline packaging worldwide, cutting the price from $1,499.95 down to $1,099.95 for the body only configuration, or in a kit with the XF 18-55mm ($1,499.95). It’s also on sale in October, but will be marketed in black only.
While neither new X camera is groundbreaking, system owners will enjoy access to a couple of new prime lenses. The XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm F1.4 R LM WR are refreshed versions of a pair of old favorites, both with all-new optical formulas.
Both use linear motors to focus quickly on newer cameras, and show minimal focus breathing for video. They’re weather resistant, with the aperture control rings Fujifilm photographers expect. They’re close to the recent XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR in size, a plus for swapping angles on a gimbal without spending time to reset balance.
The XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR takes the spot of the older XF 23mm F1.4 R in the lineup. The price remains the same, $899.95. It’s expected to arrive in stores at the end of November.
You can pick up the XF 33mm F1.4 R LM WR earlier, in September, for $799.95. It’s a more modern version of the XF 35mm F1.4 R, now in its tenth year on the market. Expect a big improvement in focus speed and more modern, corrected optics. The older XF 35mm F1.4 R will continue, many adore its vintage character.
Looking ahead, Fujifilm meted out some orts on a pair of zooms, both set for release next year. The XF 18-270mm and XF 150-600mm are now officially coming, but we don’t know when, how much they’ll cost, or what f-stops they’ll cover.
