GFX Eterna - first Fujifilm cinema camera will arrive in 2025
[12:51 Tue,12.November 2024 by blip]
Fujifilm already offered large format for filmmakers in the form of the GFX100 II - now, for the first time, a real cinema camera is in development. The Fujifilm GFX Eterna, which is to be launched on the market next year, will, it seems, largely correspond to the GFX100 II in terms of features and functionality, but thanks to a genuine cine body with external controls, it will be much more suited to video-oriented handling and workflow.
Fujifilm GFX Eterna
The GFX 102MP CMOS II HS sensor from the current medium format camera (sensor width of 43.8 mm / approx. 1.7x larger than full format) and its X-Processor 5 will be used. It is not yet known whether the sensor will be movably mounted as in the GFX100 II. Lenses will be attached via G-Bayonet (a 32-90mm GF Power Zoom is also said to be in development), an adapter to PL should enable the use of other cine lenses.
According to the product images, the camera body features HDMI and SDI, an Ethernet connection, USB-C, a headphone output and microphone input (it is difficult to tell whether XLR or mini jack). A display for menu navigation is integrated on the right-hand side of the camera, and at least one ventilation shaft can be seen.
Fujifilm does not say anything about the planned recording modes; if you look at the GFX100 II, it films internally in 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 with up to 60p and also supports the recording of 8K videos up to 30p. The camera records on SD or CFexpress type B with up to 720 Mbps. If you want to record in Apple ProRes (HQ, Standard or LT), you must use CFexpress internally. In addition to 16:9 and 17:9 DCI formats, “cinamascopic” 8K 2.76:1 with 8192x2968 pixels can also be recorded in 24p.
The GFX100 II supports recording in F-Log2, but Fujifilm has now announced a firmware update (www.slashcam.de/news/single/Fujifilm-X-H2-S--und-GFX100-II-bekommen-F-Log2-C-u-18862.html) for November, which will bring F-Log2 C for an even wider color gamut. This mode should certainly also appear in the upcoming cine camera. Incidentally, the GFX100 II already has all kinds of extras such as waveform and vectorscope display and the “Focus Map” focus assistant.
After more than 90 years as a supplier of film material and lenses for the film industry, Fujifilm is now taking the step into the front row - we are curious to see how the first step will turn out. With such a large sensor, the GXF Eterna definitely has quite a unique selling point - the sensor would be significantly larger than that of the Alexa LF and would even have more sensor area than the Alexa 65 sensor (54.12 x 25.58 mm). However, efficient readout in this size range is anything but trivial (key point: rolling shutter).
The Fujifilm GFX Eterna will be exhibited at InterBEE 2024, which starts tomorrow - it is not yet known in which price region the camera will be positioned. From our point of view, it is not easy to give an estimate, because on the one hand the Cine-Fuji will offer highly interesting features, on the other hand the GFX100 II, whose technology is mainly used here, is available at a list price of 6,999 euros. So let us be surprised.