Fujifilm GFX 50S Review - Verdict

Value For Money

The Fujifilm GFX 50S is available for £6199, much less than the Hasselblad X1D (£7788), and Pentax 645Z (£6599). But more than other 50mp DSLRs, such as the Canon EOS 5DS R (around £2899), as well as the 42mp Sony Alpha A7R II (£2499).

If you want the GFX 50S, compared to full-frame cameras, there is a big jump in price. However, compared to other medium format cameras, the GFX 50S is one of the cheapest, less than the X1D, 645Z, and we haven’t yet mentioned other medium format cameras, which start around £22K for a camera like the Hasselblad H6D-50c. 

You'll also need to buy a large memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Fujifilm GFX 50S Verdict

The Fujifilm GFX 50S makes medium format photography accessible to those previously put off by the size and weight of medium format system cameras. Sure the camera and lenses are still quite big, which is the case with all medium format cameras, due to the sensor size, and therefore the lenses also need to be large to cover the image area. But the Fujifilm GFX 50S is as easy to use as other Fujifilm X-series cameras and the results from the camera are simply fantastic.

The image quality possible is simply breath-taking – noise is extremely well controlled, colour reproduction is excellent, and the camera delivers Fujifilm’s beautiful colours. There’s also Fujifilm’s range of film simulations, so you can have the colour style you want. The GFX 50S makes medium format photography accessible in another way too, in that you don't have to process every raw file to get the best out of it, with the camera producing excellent JPEG images straight from the camera.

Currently, there are three native lenses available for the camera, the 63mm f/2.8 prime, which is compact and delivers exceptional sharpness. The 120mm Macro features OIS and is quite large and heavy, but it gives great close up potential, as well as doubling as a strong portrait lens. There’s the 32-64mm zoom lens, which is also quite large and heavy but gives a good zoom range. Two more lenses are on their way, the 110mm f/2 and 23mm f/4, with more planned on the roadmap.

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is large and clear, with a high resolution, and you can remove this if you want to make the camera smaller or you can instead use an EVF that tilts. The 3.2inch touchscreen tilts up and down, as well as vertically, which makes it great for if you’re using the camera on a tripod for portrait orientation shots.

The camera body gives you external controls for aperture, shutter, and ISO speed. This makes the camera extremely easy to pick up and start using, and photographers will love the direct access to controls and settings.

Whether you should invest in the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and system isn’t necessarily a question of whether the camera is good enough or not, it is, without a doubt, an excellent camera, and well worth the money. It makes medium format cameras accessible and delivers exceptional results. If you have the money to spend on a camera like this, then you can’t really go wrong. If you’re in the market for medium format and want to move to another level of image quality then the Fujifilm GFX 50s delivers phenomenal image quality in spades and buckets.