Fujifilm seems to have a medium format compact camera up its sleeve
[11:26 Wed,4.December 2024 by blip]
If Fujifilm has its way, 2025 will probably be the year of the medium format. Following the announcement that it intends to launch its first cinema camera on the market next year - you can find our thoughts on the GFX Eterna in this article - the rumors that have been circulating for some time about a compact camera model called the GFX100RF, which will allegedly be presented in March 2025 and will also be equipped with a medium format sensor, are now becoming more concrete.
Although the information about this camera is still both sparse and unconfirmed, it at least rhymes quite well. According to Fujirumors, the GFX100RF will have a 100 megapixel sensor, but it will not have a movable mount - so no IBIS on board. Whether the fixed GF35mmF4 lens will be optically stabilized is unknown at this time. The effect of the focal length, which by the way is not currently in the Fuji GF repertoire, would correspond to about 28mm Kb-equivalent.
Medium format sensor with G-mount on the left, X-Pro3 on the right
In terms of construction, the GFX100RF should be roughly in the same size league as the X-Pro3 (which, incidentally, is no longer available), with dimensions of 140.5 x 82.8 x 46.1mm and a weight of 447g. However, as is well known, it uses an APS-C type sensor (23.5mm x 15.6mm), which measures almost a quarter of the medium format area (43.8mm × 32.9mm).
The extent to which the compact camera will also have video capabilities remains to be seen. Our guess is that Fuji is aiming this camera more at the demanding hobby photo scene, for whom a medium format aesthetic has been too expensive up to now. The omission of the IBIS is more likely to be tolerated in the photo sector than in moving image recording, and rolling shutter distortions are only noticeable when very fast objects are in the picture.
And then there is the matter of heat, because reading and processing high-resolution video data is computationally intensive - and we are talking here (if the predictions prove true) about a 100MP sensor in an extremely tightly dimensioned housing. To prevent the GFX100RF from getting too hot, we estimate that it will tend to film with a crop, or only in very short sequences when the sensor is fully read out. But then again, it would be rather pointless for filmers without photo ambitions.
But that doesn&t matter, because those who want to film in medium format can look forward to the GFX Eterna, which combines the inner workings and video support of the GFX100 II with a real cine body including external controls.
No prices are yet being discussed for either camera.
;)