Fujifilm released their latest medium format digital camera – the GFX 100RF on March 20, 2025 with a global availability from April. We got our hands on one for a week, and here is our review of the latest 100Mp pocketable camera.
The original intent was to use the camera for our week long trip to India, where we had hoped the scenery would be ideal for a camera like the GFX 100RF. But due to the geo-political situation between India and Pakistan, the trip was postponed. And as this camera was a kind loaner from Fujifilm Singapore, we had to return the camera after the week is up. But here are our thoughts after a week with the camera.
Review: Fujifilm GFX 100RF – the new pocket medium format camera
The Fujifilm GFX 100RF retails at USD 4,899 / SGD 7,999. At time of publication, there is a very high demand on this camera, and it seems to be sold out everywhere.
Key features
- Medium format (44 x 33 mm) 102MP sensor
- 35mm (28mm equiv) F4 lens w/ leaf shutter
- 5.76M dot OLED EVF
- Weather sealed when using filter ring and filter (included)
- Subject recognition autofocus
- Aspect ratio dial
- 3.2″ tilting rear touchscreen
- 4K video up to 30fps
- Built-in 4EV ND filter
- 14 film simulations
We will not delve into the specifications as these are easily found elsewhere. The Fujifilm webpage is particularly detailed, as is the GFX 100RF page on B&H.
YouTube summary
GFX 100RF
The headline speciality of this camera is that this is a small, light, weather proof medium format camera with a 102Mp sensor. Sounds like the recipe for the perfect travel camera or everyday carry? Well, almost. Very nearly ticks all the boxes. But not quite.
The sensor is a proven one, being sourced from Sony, and used in the other 100Mp Fujifilm GFX cameras, like the GFX 100 II, GFX 100s, as well as other cameras in other medium format cameras like the Hasselblad X2D and CFV II 100C. This is an excellent sensor, well known for its superb imaging capabilities. And the GFX 100RF is the smallest and lightest package that features this sensor.
The camera has a fixed focal length lens. In this case, a 35mm lens with a leaf shutter. Fujifilm has a long history of producing medium format film cameras with fixed focal length lenses. Some famous cameras in this genre are the GA645 (6×4.5 medium format) to GW 670 and GW690 (6×7 medium format and 6×9 medium format) up to the humongous G617 (6×17 medium format, at this film size, it is already in large format territory). These were legendary cameras, all classics and vintage gems in their own right. So it is with perhaps only a small stretch that Fujifilm decided to do the same with their medium format digital cameras. Their GFX series has been challenging the genre in continuously lowering the price of entry to the medium format market. And with this new GFX 100RF, they have democratised the 100Mp MF camera world yet another time.
Compromises
As I see it, the compromises made to achieve a camera like this are twofold. The first is that the lens is limited to a widest open aperture of f/4. As the sensor is large, this will provide a depth of field roughly equivalent to an f/3.2 on a full frame equivalent.
The second is the lack of In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), or any Optical stabilisation on the lens. These two negatives couple with each other to present challenges in low light situations. The BSI sensor’s prowess in low light does comes to the rescue, aided by the leaf shutter, which is less vibration prone than a standard focal plane shutter. But in the final analysis, I feel that it is not quite enough. Being able to use a wider aperture and/or being able to hand hold at longer shutter speeds at lower ISOs will always win out in terms of image quality.
We understand that Fujifilm intentionally made these compromise decisions to keep the body and lens very small. And to this goal, they have succeeded. The body is very small and light, being not much larger than its APS-C sibling, the X100VI.
Image quality
Image quality, overall, is excellent. This is the same 100Mp, 16 bit capable sensor as that found in the GFX 100 II. Dynamic range is superb. Details captured by the huge, high megapixel sensor is sensational. Especially to the user experiencing large sensors of 100Mp and above for the first time. But in essence, the 100Mp sensor produces an image measuring 11648 x 8736 pixels, while a comparable full frame sensor with 60Mp will produce an image with 9520 x 6336 pixels. Not quite as big a difference as would be apparent at first glance.
But the image quality is top level. The colour science offered by the Fujifilm X-Processor 5 is good, and usability of the files, especially when underexposed is excellent, given the superior dynamic range of the sensor. The files are very malleable in Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw or in Capture One.
Autofocus
Autofocus is usable, but nothing to write home about. The hybrid system uses a combination of phase and contrast detection with 425 AF points and a 100% coverage area. In practice, the autofocus is perhaps similar to what the GFX 100 II is capable of. Meaning it is very good for medium format. But it is nowhere close to the full frame cameras like the latest Sony, Nikon or Canon. Nor even the Leica SL3-S, whose autofocus performance is almost at the level offered by the big 3.
Video
The camera does full fledge video. The specifications go up to DCI 4k at 30fps full 4:2:2 at 10 bit, but the GFX 100RF is not designed to be a video centric camera. This is clearly a photo first camera. The controls are photo centric. For example, it continues to use shutter speed as opposed to shutter angle. However, it does have a 4 stop neutral density filter built in, which is very useful for keeping the shutter angle at 180°, or 2 x frame rate.
Autofocus for video includes continuous mode with face/eye and animal detection. But I find the autofocus hunts even on simple single talking head videos. For example, see our video on the Hollyland Lark M2S.
Fujifilm is not clear as to how the huge sensor is used to capture video, but we suspect that only the center part of the sensor measuring the DCI 4096 x 2160 pixels is used. It would be nice if the GFX 100RF can shoot open gate, it would be capable of almost 12k. OK, 12k video is a bit of a stretch, but perhaps it might do 8k? Of course upping the resolution would require a much more beefed up electronics which will probably increase the size.
Aspect ratio dial
This is a heavily touted feature of the GFX 100RF. This is the first time any camera is provided with a beautifully machine knurled dial, strategically well placed which allows the photographer to change the aspect ratio of the camera at will. But it comes with a catch. First, this aspect ratio is only applied to jpeg images, and this is not exactly a new feature. The older cameras, even my GFX 50S II is able to change aspect ratio. Though in the other GFX cameras, it can only be changed by diving into the menu to make the selection, whereas on the 100RF, this is done by simply flicking a dial. Very convenient if you shoot jpeg.
For me, this feature is not very useful, as I shoot 100% in raw only (not even raw+jpeg). And in raw, this feature is not enabled. And there is no way to reassign the dial to another function that I may find useful.
Comparisons
The natural comparison which come straight to mind is the Leica Q3. The Q3 is also a fixed lens premium level camera, and is more expensive than the GFX 100RF. The Q3 has a 28mm lens, which is the same focal length equivalent on its full frame sensor as the GFX 100RF’s 35mm on its medium format sensor. Both the Q3 and the GFX 100RF have leaf shutters. And both have a solid aluminium construction. But the Q3’s lens is much faster at f/1.7 compared to f/4 and is equipped with optical stabilisation. The Q3 is weather sealed to IP52, and the GFX 100RF has weather sealing though Fujifilm does not specify the standard in which it meets, but only with the supplied filter attached, which extends the lens. In practical terms, wide open, the Leica Q3’s f/1.7 lens with Optical Image Stabilisation is a substantial advantage over the f/4 non-stabilised GFX 100RF.
Another comparison might be to its own sibling – the X100 VI. This is an APS-C sensor, but it has IBIS and the lens opens up to f/2. The X100 VI has exactly the same leaf shutter as the GFX 100RF.
A third may be to the Hasselblad X2D, which uses the same sensor base, though Hasselblad applies their colour science and straight out of the box, the colours are more natural. The X2D is also not fixed focal length, but interchangeable lens capable.
Concluding thoughts
The GFX 100RF is an amazing achievement. The camera is small, light, and can serve well as for travel or everyday carry duties. The 35mm focal length is well chosen, especially useful for street style shooting. And the 100Mp sensor gives image quality to spare. There is so much to love about this camera.
This is an excellent camera, with many great capabilities, but ultimately, it is also a flawed camera. All cameras have flaws, but the GFX 100RF’s shortcomings are big enough to be show stoppers for many. For my use case, the f/4 widest open aperture and the lack of stabilisation cripples the GFX 100RF. Especially when many of these use cases are otherwise ideal for the GFX 100RF.
