The Fujifilm GFX100S is Fujifilm's latest medium format camera, and uses the same 100mp sensor as the GFX100, but in a much smaller camera body, it's also available at a much more affordable price point, being £5499 compared to £10,000 for the GFX100. The GFX100S uses a GF lens mount. The 100mp sensor is a BSI CMOS sensor, and there is 5-axis image stabilisation built-in. There's also an electronic viewfinder and a tilting multi-angle touch-screen.

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Fujifilm GFX100S Features

The GFX 100S features the same 100mp BSI CMOS sensor from the GFX100, but in a much more compact and portable camera body. The sensor is a medium format sensor measuring 43.8x32.9mm, which is 1.66x the size of a full-frame sensor, and the same size as the sensor used in the medium format 50mp Hasselblad X1D II 50c. But it's not as large as the (also) medium format sensor found in the Hasselblad H6D and other medium format cameras from Phase One, which feature a larger 53.7mm wide sensor.

The camera uses the GF lens mount, and there are a good number of GF mount lenses from Fujifilm (with some third party support), and the camera body is similar in size to some full-frame DSLR cameras, however, the lenses are (for the most part) quite a bit larger than DSLR lenses, so this is something to be aware of when looking into the system as a camera to use when out and about. The overall size of the camera makes it much more suitable for this, compared to the GFX 100, and it's noticeably smaller than the GFX 50S.

The camera operates a lot like a Digital SLR, with a P, A, S, M mode dial, with six custom modes, and command wheels to control settings on the camera. There's also a large 1.8inch top LCD screen that is used to display shutter speed, aperture, ISO and other camera information.

The Fujifilm GFX100S features phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) pixels covering the entire frame (approximately 100%) to deliver fast and accurate focus, as well as face/eye detection AF, and subject tracking. With eye-detection AF you can select which eye to focus on, or let the camera decide. You can also switch between subjects using the touchscreen or focus level. Focus is also effective down to -5.5EV when using the GF 80mm f/1.7 WR lens.

With In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), the sensor can move to compensate for camera shake, offering up to 6 stops of image stabilization. It also works in combination with Fujifilm lenses with built-in OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation). This should make it easy to get shots without having to worry too much about the perfect technique.

The camera can also move the sensor and take multiple images to produce images with additional colour and detail, using the Pixel Shift Multi-Shot feature, as first seen on the GFX100, and explained here:

PIXEL SHIFT

GFX100 Pixelshift1 | for Accurate colour (every pixel has full R, G, B colour information)

GFX100 Pixelshift2 | for High-res 400mp images, the sensor is moved at a sub-pixel level for additional detail capture.

The camera takes 16 shots, and you can then combine the photos on your computer using Fujifilm's Pixel Shift Combiner software to produce a 100mp image with improved colour or a 400mp higher resolution image. The camera takes 16 shots in the multi-shot mode, and you decide later whether you want a 100mp image or 400mp image, which is output as a DNG raw file. Well, that's the theory anyway, we'll find out how and if it works later in the review.

There are 19 Film simulation modes: (PROVIA/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, ASTIA/Soft, Classic Chrome, PRO Neg.Hi, PRO Neg.Std, Classic Neg., Nostalgic Neg., ETERNA/Cinema, ETERNA BLEACH BYPASS, ACROS, ACROS + Ye Filter, ACROS + R Filter, ACROS + G Filter, Black & White, Black & White + Ye Filter, Black & White + R Filter, Black & White + G Filter, Sepia

There's 4K (UHD) and 4K CINE video recording, at up to 30fps, with 16:9 and 17:9 aspect ratio options and you can choose 10-bit (4:2:0) colour F-Log capture internally or 12-bit (4:2:2) Apple ProRes RAW via HDMI. The camera has microphone and headphone sockets, as well as (micro) HDMI out. You can record at up to 400Mbps (4K) and 200Mbps (FullHD) with up to 60fps available when recording the latter.

Wi-Fi and low-power Bluetooth are built-in as you would expect, letting you remotely connect to the camera and transfer images. You've also got an HDMI micro connector (Type D), 3.5mm stereo microphone socket, and stereo headphone socket, plus a 2.5mm remote release connector, sync terminal, and hot-shoe.

Key Features

• 102mp Medium Format (43.8x32.9mm, 4:3 aspect) Bayer BSI CMOS sensor
• IBIS - In-body image stabilisation, up to 6 stops
• 3.2inch tilting touch-screen, 2.36m dot
• 3.69m dot EVF, 0.77x magnification
• 5fps continuous shooting (with C-AF)
• ISO50 to ISO102400 (extended)
• 425 AF points, with face/eye detection AF
• 400mp Multi-shot high-resolution mode
• 4K CINE/UHD video recording, upto 30fps, 400Mbps
• FullHD 60fps video, up to 200Mbps
• 19 film simulations
• 460 shot battery life
• Built-in Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth
• Dual UHS-II SD card slots

Fujifilm GFX100S Handling

The GFX100S feels great in the hand, with a fairly good-sized grip, similar to a DSLR, however, it will also depend on what lens you use with the camera. With larger, longer and heavier lenses the optional MHG-GFX S grip could be a good addition, however, we can see that Fujifilm has tried to give a good balance between compact size and handling. The rear of the camera also has a raised area for your thumb to hold on to.

There's ample rubber grip on the camera, with a good texture, and plenty of space for your fingers to grip on to, and the metal body of the camera helps give it a real feeling of quality, with weather-sealing making it suitable for outdoor use even in poor weather. You will find 6 different custom modes on the mode dial, so you can set up the camera exactly how you want it for different shooting scenarios, and you'll also find a Movie / Still switch so you can quickly switch between stills and video recording, with different settings remembered for each.

The camera measures 150 x 104 x 87.2mm (44mm at the thinnest point), and is compact for a medium format camera, but not as compact as the Hasselblad X1D II 50c, which is also lighter at 766g. If you're used to large full-frame DSLRs, or the GFX100, then the GFX100S will seem like a more compact option, but if you're coming from a full-frame mirrorless camera, then (depending on the model) you may find the GFX100S quite large and heavy. The camera body weighs in at 900g including battery and SD memory card. With a lens like the GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR (£2149 new), you're looking at a total weight of around 1.775KG, which can get tiring after some time.

The top LCD can be illuminated with a small button on the side of the EVF housing. On default settings, it shows you all the expected camera settings, such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed, film mode, battery life and mode, but it can also be changed to show a live histogram, or virtual ISO and Shutter speed dials.

The mode dial makes it easy to pick up and start using the camera without having to study a manual (too much), and just start shooting. There are some small buttons on the camera, such as the small exposure compensation button, and small Q button, but you will get used to these after time.

The command wheels on the front and back of the camera can be pressed in to alter what these do, with the rear dial being used to show live view magnification. You can also customise how these work, as well as customising a number of external buttons on the camera. To access additional settings, you can find them by pressing the (rather small) Q button.

There is a joystick control on the back of the camera to help select the AF point, and this works as expected, with the textured bumps helping with grip. Or you can use the touch-screen to set the AF point.

Speaking of autofocus (AF), the camera can focus down to -5.5EV (with the 80mm f/1.7 lens), and will be familiar to anyone who's used any other recent Fujifilm cameras, with up to 425 AF points selectable. Eye-detection and Face-detection AF work well, and focus is generally rapid. There are multiple options available, as well as focus bracketing, which will be useful for macro work (and the shallow depth-of-field offered by the camera).

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 3.69 million dots and 0.77x magnification gives a good, clear view of the scene, with good colour reproduction, although at times it can look a little contrasty. There is a Natural Live View option to help with this, and this tones down the contrast. There's also a large rubber eye-cup and there's a good distance sticking out the back of the camera, to help make the camera more comfortable to use when you hold it up to your eye, and also helps avoid getting nose prints on the screen.

The three-way tilting screen is great for stills photography, being quicker to tilt than a vari-angle screen, and with a 3.2inch screen, and 2.36m dot resolution, the screen look good, with good colour reproduction. The screen does not tilt forwards.

The menus are clearly laid out, with colour-coded sections, and will change when you switch between stills and movie modes. The Q button (found on top of the camera) gives quick access to a number of settings on the rear screen, and you can customise what's shown to give you quicker access to your favourite settings.

The touch-screen can be used for a number of different things, including changing the focus point, but it can't be used to scroll through the menus and change options here. You'll also find a "MyMenu" section where you can create shortcuts to your favourite options so that you don't have to scroll through all the menus.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 460 shots according to Fujifilm / CIPA test results, which is reasonable, and the battery is the same one used in the Fujifilm X-T4. A USB / AC Adapter charger is included in the box, letting you charge in-camera, with the provided USB-C cable, however, there is no external charger, which is a shame considering the price of the camera, although if everything was charged via USB, then this should help avoid future waste. Charging using the provided adapter takes around 3 hours, and we'd recommend that you don't connect it to a computer to charge, as this can up to 10 hours (with a 5V/500mA connection) according to the manual. You can also power the camera over USB with a compatible device.