Fujifilm GFX100 II review | Tom’s Guide
I love my job, in large part because of the immense range of products I get to test. But nothing excites me more than when a medium format camera lands (or more precisely, thuds) onto my desk. Medium format cameras represent the pinnacle of imaging. And this camera, the Fujifilm GFX100 II, is in turn the pinnacle of medium format. It’s the best of the best.
Just like its little sibling, the GFX100S II, the full fat GFX100 II features Fuji’s 102MP GFX CMOS II HS medium format sensor and X-Processor 5, with the latter delivering the manufacturer’s latest autofocus algorithms.
Unlike the ‘lite’ model, the GFX100 II is built to remedy two of the usual pitfalls of medium format cameras: high speed performance and video capability. In short, the GFX100 II is one of the best mirrorless cameras, designed to make absolutely no compromises for hybrid shooters.
But does it? Sorta, but not really. Find out more in my full Fujifilm GFX100 II review.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Specs
Sensor | 102MP Medium format |
Processor | X-Processor 5 |
Stabilization | 5-Axis, 8.0 stops |
AF System | Intelligent Hybrid AF |
Viewfinder | 0.64-inch OLED, 9.44m dots, removable |
Display | 3.2-inch tillting LCD, 2.36m dots; 2.09-inch backlit LCD mono sub-monitor, 320×219 dots |
ISO range | ISO40-102,400 (Extended); ISO80-51,200 (Native) |
Max video resolution | 8K/30p |
Ports | CFExpress Type-B; SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II; USB-C; mic; headphone; HDMI; flash sync; hot shoe; LAN |
Wireless connectivity | Yes |
Max shooting speed | 8fps |
Max shutter speed | 1/32,000 sec |
Battery life (CIPA) | 530 frames |
Size | 5.9 x 4.6 x 3.9 inches |
Weight | 2.2lbs |
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Price & availability
Alright then, let’s get the bitterest pill swallowed straight away, shall we? The Fujifilm GFX100 II costs $7,499 / £6,999. That’s (almost) Hasselblad money — Hassy being the other major player in the medium format biz.
The good news, though, is that you’re getting more bang for less buck with the GFX100 II versus the Hasselblad X2D 100C ($8,199). The X2D is a luxury product, the supercar of the camera world, but can’t shoot video and features outdated autofocus. The GFX100 II is better equipped for the requirements of modern hybrid professionals.
Fuji’s ‘lite’ model, the Fujifilm GFX100S II, features the same sensor and processor, delivering similar stills performance for a much lower (albeit still hefty) $4,999. Unless you need +4K/30p and faster/sustained continuous drive rates, that’s where to put your money, banking some change for a lens.
On that note: to resolve 100 megapixels, optics must be incredible. Budget $2-3K minimum for new lenses. You can expect to pay similarly, if not more, for Hasselblad lenses. It’s par for the course with medium format systems.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Design & controls
The Fujifilm GFX100 II is a behemoth, at 5.9 x 4.6 x 3.9 inches and weighing 2.2lbs when fully loaded with viewfinder, cards and a battery. And yes, I did say “with viewfinder” — the GFX100 II’s EVF is removable, allowing a tilting EVF adapter to be fitted for use at different angles, but removing it can also help save space in your camera bag.
Handling
Despite its heft, the camera handles very nicely. The chunky, sculpted grip keeps it securely in hand, while a rear thumb rest provides support when shooting in portrait orientation.
It isn’t one to keep around the wrist or even neck, though. I use a longer strap and sling the camera across my shoulder, resting it on the opposing hip, which is far more comfortable. I carried the camera like this on a hike with no issues.
Controls
I love how the GFX100 II’s controls are laid out. Everything is sensibly positioned and within easy reach, making it a pleasure to shoot with in anger. I especially enjoyed the two Fn buttons inside the front cavity between grip and lens.
There are also three more assignable buttons, four screen gestures and two assignable command dials. Alongside the hardcoded controls, there’s enough space to customize the camera to your will, without having too much choice and forgetting where things are.
Fuji’s menu system is quirky but fine. Occasionally you’ll notice something in a nonsensical place, but it gives you everything you need. The Hasselblad X2D 100C’s menu system felt way too stripped back for such an expensive professional camera.
Displays
The GFX100 II has three displays. There’s the removable 9.44M-dot OLED EVF, which is just gorgeous. Its super high resolution does full justice to the 102MP sensor, and is an absolute necessity for detailed focus checking on the large 4:3 images.
The X2D 100C and Fuji GFX100S II offer 5.76M-dot EVFs — paltry by comparison, despite being higher res than most other mirrorless camera EVFs.
The rear main display is a 2.36M-dot tilting LCD. It’s fine, but when zooming deep into images to check focus, you’ll want to use the EVF.
There’s also a backlit monochrome LCD sub-monitor on the top panel for quick readouts of key settings. This also shows what the three adjacent Fn buttons are assigned to, which helps you remember how you’ve set the camera up.
Connectivity
The GFX100 II features a CFExpress Type-B slot, enabling much faster read/write speeds than SD cards. That means faster drive rates and longer sustained drives; more demanding video resolutions, recording formats and data capture rates; and rapid offloading of those 200MB RAW image files (we’re talking a couple of minutes to transfer 40GB from our SanDisk CFExpress card). The GFX100S II is hamstrung by its SD slots.
The GFX100 II’s second port is a conventional SD/SDHC/SDXC slot. There’s also a USB-C port, an HDMI Type-A port, microphone and headphone jacks, a flash sync port, a hotshoe and a LAN port — as comprehensive an array as you’ll find.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Autofocus
The Fujifilm GFX100 II features hybrid phase- and contrast-detection AF and the manufacturer’s latest AF detection and tracking algorithms. There are detection modes for humans (eyes/faces), animals, birds, cars and motorcycles, planes and trains.
It isn’t mind-bending AF, like full frame cameras including the Sony A1 II ($6,499) and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II ($4,299). And I’d love to see Fuji come up with an automatic detection mode, as the time it takes to switch modes can cost you the moment.
The AF works very well for humans and eyes. In the portrait below, the camera struggled a little with the glare of studio lights on the subject’s glasses, but detected her eye before too long and nailed the focus.
The camera was also able to detect animals and birds reliably, even at a distance. In the image of the bird below, it locked onto the eye; and in the photo of the sheep later on, it detected all three of the animals’ faces from afar.
It isn’t perfect. Low contrast subjects proved tricky, and focusing generally felt a little sluggish versus smaller-sensored cameras. It had issues tracking fast-moving subjects, too. In the images of the ducks below (see high speed section) it detected the bird’s eye but couldn’t keep up as the animal moved. I had only two usable images from 250+ shots, and even in those, the focus is still off, with the bird’s eye being soft.
All that said, this is a medium format camera. In those terms, the AF is excellent, and blows Hasselblad’s rudimentary system out of the water — the X2D 100C lacks even eye detection, regularly resulting in missed eye focus when shooting portraits.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Stabilization
The Fujifilm GFX100 II features 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS), worth up to 8-stops of stabilization, according to Fuji. In testing, I was able to shoot down to 1/8sec handheld with minimal blurring. In the 1/8sec image below, the legends on the scale’s face are very sharp.
At 1/5sec, the IBIS system started to have issues. I was able to get passable results around half the time. In the first image below at 1/5, the legends on the scale are only very slightly blurred. In the second image, also at 1/5, the legends are extremely blurred.
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This performance is on par with the results from our GFX100S II and Hasselblad X2D 100C IBIS testing, so average for medium format.
As you can see in the handheld panning video above, the GFX100 II’s stabilization does a fairly decent job of keeping footage relatively smooth, too, although I wouldn’t call it particularly impressive. You’ll find better stabilization in top-tier full frame hybrid cameras like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Image performance
The images this camera takes are breathtaking. Fuji’s GF lenses are super sharp, rendering extremely crisp images, and combining with the large sensor to create beautifully tight blur for strong subject isolation, even at f/5.6.
I mainly shot with the GF 63mm F2 and GF 80mm with its frankly ridiculous f/1.7 maximum aperture — talk about razor thin depth of field. I fell utterly in love with that 80mm.
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Obviously, with 102MP on tap, you’ve got a lot of headroom for cropping. The first image in the gallery above is an extreme crop into the second, and there’s still bags of detail. This image was shot in RAW.
Even cropping into Fine (second-highest quality setting) JPEGs is no biggie. The first image below is a heavy, albeit not extreme, crop into the second.
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I’ll admit, while the GFX100 II’s images are beautiful, they lack the magic of Hasselblad stills, which just feel that little sharper, more refined and elegant.
Part of that is to do with Hasselblad’s glass, but also its vaunted color science, although Fuji isn’t exactly a stranger to color since itself. For day to day use, I much prefer Fuji’s film simulations over Hassy’s single color profile.
The image above was shot in the Velvia vivid profile, which is great for nature and wildlife, and for injecting some saturation into the diffused lighting of an overcast day.
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Astia is beautiful for softening and warming up tones in portraiture, as in the first gallery image above. You can get creative with the usual range of retro-esque profiles like Nostalgic Neg, Reala Ace, Classic Chrome, and more. Acros (my favorite) looks stunning in high contrast lighting like the architectural shot, second in the gallery above.
Of course, there’s the Provia standard color profile for a less stylized look, and I always shoot in RAW anyway to give myself flexibility later down the line.
High speed performance
One of the GFX100 II’s key selling points is its high speed performance. It’ll shoot at 8fps using mechanical shutter — 1fps more than the GFX100S II — or 8.7fps using e-shutter with a crop to 35mm (full frame).
The key, though, is sustained speed. Thanks to the CFExpress slot, Fuji claims a maximum of 55 frames, although I was able to shoot uncompressed RAW + Super Fine JPEG for 42 frames, or around 5.25 seconds of shooting. After that, buffers filled and I had to wait a minute or so to use the camera again. Mileage may vary based on the card used.
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Either way, it’s very impressive performance for a 102MP medium format camera, and it makes this a viable tool for higher-speed work. For context, the GFX100S II managed just 21 frames after 3 seconds at 7fps.
Drop to lossless compressed RAW + JPEG and you’re looking at 75 frames, while I was able to shoot endlessly at 8fps in Super Fine JPEG only — I was cracking off 300 shots, only stopping after getting bored. With so much resolution, JPEGs still look epic, although you lose the editing flexibility of a RAW file.
The only issue is that the AF can’t really keep up, as I mentioned above. As you can see in the images above, taken in high speed burst, the camera (set to bird eye detection AF) was able to detect the bird, but was unable to keep hold of its eye as the bird moved, meaning the eye is soft. These were the only two remotely usable shots from 250+ shots.
ISO performance
Thanks to its large medium format sensor, the GFX100 II’s high ISO performance is excellent. The image gallery below shows JPEG exports of RAW files shot at ISO12,800, ISO25,600, ISO51,200 and ISO102,400 respectively. The only editing applied to these images was blurring personal details and compressing to JPEG for online upload.
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As you can see, noise starts to become noticeable at ISO12,800, but isn’t destructive there or at ISO25,600. At ISO51,200, background noise is pretty distracting, but the photo isn’t ruined. At ISO102,400, noise is pretty bad, but not totally ruinous, and come on… ISO102,400!
The X-Processor 5 also does a cracking job at smoothing out the noise in straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs, as you can see in the gallery below. These are the SOOC JPEG files of the same images, all shot with the base internal noise reduction applied. The only editing applied to these images was blurring personal details and resizing for online upload.
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There’s just so much resolution to play with that the processor can smooth out the noise and still produce a sharp image. Above ISO12,800 you can still see where the background noise was, but even at ISO51,200 the image looks great, with plenty of fine detail retained in the fur around the dog’s eyes.
ISO102,400 is, again, a little too much even for the X-Processor 5, with a noticeable drop in sharpness thanks to smoothing, resulting in a watercolor effect. I’ve gotta say, though, I’ve seen a lot worse than this at much lower sensitivities on other cameras.
Dynamic range
The larger sensor also delivers a wide dynamic range. The GFX100 II boasts upwards of 14 stops of dynamic range, according to Fuji, and can shoot stills in 16-bit color for a huge color gamut of 28 billion individual hues.
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The gallery above shows a backlit photo of a lens, taken at the camera’s lowest native sensitivity, ISO 80, using the default multi-metering (evaluative/matrix metering) to set the camera at EV-0. Normally on this test, the window in the background is simply whited out, but in the first gallery image you can make out individual shades and colors.
The second gallery image shows the same image with the shadows and exposure boosted. Plenty of shadow detail has been retained, with the individual ridges of the lens control rings visible.
Looking closely, there is some noise in the shadowy areas, but it’s very fine and requires zooming in to see, again suggesting a wide dynamic range.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Video performance
The Fujifilm GFX100 II is designed to be a capable video tool. Thanks to that CFExpress slot, it’ll shoot 8K/30p internally in Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 10-bit, at bitrates of up to 3.5Gbps. RAW output is also available at 8K/30p via HDMI in 12-bit Apple ProRes RAW to ATOMOS recorders, or Blackmagic RAW to Blackmagic recorders.
Obviously, you also have Fuji’s color profiles at hand if you don’t feel like grading —Eterna and Eterna Bleach Bypass are my favorite for video. And for when you do grade, there’s Fuji’s F-Log 2 profile for wide dynamic range capture up to 14 stops.
The GFX100 II is geared more towards cine use than hybrid shooters or content creators. With the right adapter, such as a PL to GF adapter, cine lenses can be fitted, including Fujinon’s Premista PL-mount lenses. And there’s a range of crop modes available to suit, including 8K anamorphic in 2.76:1 aspect, and a 5.8K cine aspect of 2.35:1.
All of Fujinon’s GF lenses are photography oriented, though. That means noisy focus motors across much of the range, plus notched focus rings negating smooth focus pulls. For non-cine video, I would recommend a manufacturer/lens mount with a more versatile range of native lenses — the Panasonic Lumic S5IIX ($2,199) would be my top pick.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Battery life
The GFX100 II uses Fujifilm’s NP-W235 battery. It’s a decent power cell, delivering over 700 shots in cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 ($1,299). In the GFX100 II, Fujifilm rates the NP-W235 for 530 shots, which is the same as the GFX100S II. For video, you can expect up to 60 minutes at 8K, although overheating will be an issue — Fujifilm supplies a bolt-on fan for extended recording time.
Mileage will vary based on the type of shooting you’re doing, of course. In testing, I used the camera for a variety of single-shot, high speed drive bursts and video clips, and came away with over 1,400 photos.
Fujifilm GFX100 II review: Verdict
It isn’t perfect, but it isn’t far off either. Stunning stills with vast amounts of detail, strong low-light performance and bags of dynamic range make this any photographer’s dream.
With its 8fps drive and subject detection/tracking AF, Fuji has remedied the usual sluggishness of medium format cameras, at least as far as is practically possible at the moment. That said, the AF still has a hard time tracking fast-moving subjects and modern sports/wildlife full frame cameras are pushing 40fps drive rates, so this still isn’t a proper high speed camera.
Fuji has also remedied the lack of video capability in the mirrorless medium format market, packing the GFX100 II with powerful video specs — although the camera is much more geared towards cine work than hybrid shooters, thanks to the lack of video-centric GF lenses.
All in all, Fujifilm put everything it had into GFX100 II, and it shows. This is the finest medium format camera you can buy today.
