Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: Stephen Scharf on February 24, 2017, 12:02:00 pm
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Fujifilm reps were at Samy's Cameras in San Francisco on Wednesday, so I had a chance to play and "shoot" with the much-anticipated medium format (MF) Fujifilm GFX 50S.
As the camera was a pre-production model, we were not allowed shoot any images on our own cards, but regardless, I came away with some useful, at least for me, first impressions.
In the hand, it is about the size of a Nikon D810 or Canon 5D-series. As you may have read, it is surprisingly light, but it is also very well made and robust-feeling; the fit and finish are excellent. The front grip and thumb rest are comfortable and nicely textured, and provide excellent purchase for a secure grip, and if you're an Fuji X-camera user, the now-classic X-camera knobs and dials will immediately feel right at home. I found the AF to be surprisingly fast, at least as fast as a Fujifllm X-T1. There is a short viewfinder blackout after taking a single frame, but in the applications and scenarios in which this camera would be used, the blackout time poses virtually no practical issue. The EVF and LCD are gorgeous, and the shutter actuation and “feel” is to die for. It is also very well damped, you can tell that shutter shock is not going to be an issue with this camera.
Given the size of the lenses, they are suprisingly light, bright, and exude a very high level execution and fit and finish. The autofocus performance is fast and quiet with no discernable aperture blade chatter. The lenses give the impression of being extremely well-made.
After holding, using, and shooting with the camera, it's clear it’s primarily intended for seriously "hard-core" advertising, portrait, editorial, commercial, automotive, and fashion medium format photography of the highest professional standard, as well as expert enthusiast outdoor, travel, or landscape photographers who understand what working with a MF camera entails, and know how to get the camera to deliver it.
Full article at my blog here: First Impressions of the Fujifilm GFX 50S (https://stephen-scharf.squarespace.com/racingthelightblog/)
Cheers,
Stephen
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Thanks for the feedback. Looking fwd to the roll-out.
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Sounds like a nice camera.
But beyond that, this launch is managed incredibly well by Fuji.
Cheers,
Bernard
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Sounds like a nice camera.
But beyond that, this launch is managed incredibly well by Fuji.
Cheers,
Bernard
That's a matter of perspective. I find it troubling that Fuji has been so reluctant to let people who are attending "demos" shoot raw files to their own cards and work on them in a raw converter. I can't remember Phase and Hasselblad starting to ship cameras to end users before they were able to shoot and/or download raws that could be worked on in Capture One, Phocus or Lightroom. This whole "launch" feels "stage managed" to me. The GFX is scheduled to ship next Tuesday and Fuji still is not letting the public shoot raw files and see for themselves how the files work in Lightroom. I hope I am wrong, but I almost feel like something is being hidden from me. I guess I will find out next week, as I have one on order. However, if there is no Lightroom support for raw files, I don't know what I will do. An $8500 JPEG shooter doesn't really interest me. [G]
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That's a matter of perspective. I find it troubling that Fuji has been so reluctant to let people who are attending "demos" shoot raw files to their own cards and work on them in a raw converter. I can't remember Phase and Hasselblad starting to ship cameras to end users before they were able to soot and/or download raws that could be worked on in Capture One, Phocus or Lightroom. This whole "launch" feels "stage managed" to me. The GFX is scheduled to ship next Tuesday and Fuji still is not letting the public shoot raw files and see for themselves how the files work in Lightroom. I hope I am wrong, but I almost feel like something is being hidden from me. I guess I will find out next week, as I have one on order. However, if there is no Lightroom support for raw files, I don't know what I will do. An $8500 JPEG shooter doesn't really interest me. [G]
My guess it is to dissuade pessimism around early products. Wasn't this a problem with Hasselblad X1D?
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That's a matter of perspective. I find it troubling that Fuji has been so reluctant to let people who are attending "demos" shoot raw files to their own cards and work on them in a raw converter. I can't remember Phase and Hasselblad starting to ship cameras to end users before they were able to shoot and/or download raws that could be worked on in Capture One, Phocus or Lightroom. This whole "launch" feels "stage managed" to me. The GFX is scheduled to ship next Tuesday and Fuji still is not letting the public shoot raw files and see for themselves how the files work in Lightroom. I hope I am wrong, but I almost feel like something is being hidden from me. I guess I will find out next week, as I have one on order. However, if there is no Lightroom support for raw files, I don't know what I will do. An $8500 JPEG shooter doesn't really interest me. [G]
The Fujifilm rep at Samy's SF this week said that Adobe ACR/LR RAW support should follow the GFX release for sale within a couple of weeks.
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My guess it is to dissuade pessimism around early products. Wasn't this a problem with Hasselblad X1D?
My guess it is to execute a disciplined market launch.
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RAWs available in the gallery of this article. .... not exactly interesting ones though
RAWs (https://www.dpreview.com/products/fujifilm/lenses/fujifilm_gf_63_2p8_r_wr)
and here
RAWs (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/fuji-gfx/fuji-gfxGALLERY.HTM)
... only thing we need is software, not even Silkypix can open them yet ... maybe P1 or LR come first ;D somebody mentioned Affinity Photo can open them
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My guess it is to execute a disciplined market launch.
Well, if the launch was truly disciplined, Fuji would already have in place Lightroom support for the GFX raw files. What are we supposed to use to process raw files between next Tuesday and Mid to Late March?
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RAWs available in the gallery of this article. .... not exactly interesting ones though
RAWs (https://www.dpreview.com/products/fujifilm/lenses/fujifilm_gf_63_2p8_r_wr)
and here
RAWs (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/fuji-gfx/fuji-gfxGALLERY.HTM)
... only thing we need is software, not even Silkypix can open them yet ... maybe P1 or LR come first ;D somebody mentioned Affinity Photo can open them
The version of Silkypix that is going to ship with the GFX camera will open GFX RAF files, acc. to the Fuji rep at Samy's.
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Hi,
I have tried to open the raw files with RawTherapee and AccuRaw, both worked fine, although RawTherapee has no built in profile for the GFX. I used the attached DCP profile.
Best regards
Erik
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Hi,
I have tried to open the raw files with RawTherapee and AccuRaw, both worked fine, although RawTherapee has no built in profile for the GFX. I used the attached DCP profile.
Best regards
Erik
I was also able to open some GFX RAF files a few weeks back with RawDigger's FastRawViewer and convert them to TIFFs but as you say, Erik, there was no GFX profile.
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Photography Blog had raw samples but have since been removed.
I posted these pictures before, this is what the RAW files looked last month out of RawDigger (no profiles, no auto corrections).
(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab14/Andrea_Minganti/fujifilm_gfx_50s_12-RGB-2_zpsfkp6kgkb.jpg)
(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab14/Andrea_Minganti/fujifilm_gfx_50s_05-RGB-2_zpsbhsstbdv.jpg)
I have about 3GB of RAW files and as I said before they all seem very nice. This is what you would expect from the Sony 50MP sensor paired with Fuji glass.
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Hi,
I processed a sample raw from Imaging Resource, attached below. Left side JPEG image from Imaging Resource, right side raw image processed in RT using a DCP profile intended for my A7rII.
A second sample, downloaded from here: http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_gfx_50s/photos/ is also attached.
Best regards
Erik
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Erik..... what is RT?
Victor
Edit: Figured it out......
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Can't say the skin tones on the model's arms look very nice.
Reminds me of the look of early digital skin.
Rob C
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Hi Rob,
I would agree on that.
At this time we have no colour profiles for that camera. I could easily make a profile if I had a decent shot of a ColourChecker. The white of the eye was used for colour balance.
Here is the image on the original site: http://img.photographyblog.com/resize/1920/1440/0/100/reviews/fujifilm_gfx_50s/photos/fujifilm_gfx_50s_07.jpg
That may be original out of camera JPEG. I don't know.
(http://img.photographyblog.com/resize/1920/1440/0/100/reviews/fujifilm_gfx_50s/photos/fujifilm_gfx_50s_07.jpg)
Best regards
Erik
Can't say the skin tones on the model's arms look very nice.
Reminds me of the look of early digital skin.
Rob C
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BH Photo is now showing GFX 50s availability on Tuesday, February 28.
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I had a chance to play with one in Austin yesterday. They were allowing folks to take images on their own cards... but I didn't have one with me. I was particularly impressed by the in-camera reprocessing of raw files. I reprocessed a raw with different film simulations and white balances and was able to save the results as jpeg or tiff. The LCD and EVF display also changes depending on the film simulation in use.
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I've processed some of the available Raw files in RT just to check as much lens consistency as I can. Odd that I get a black column on the right hand side of every image. The files don't have the cutoff when viewed initially in the file browser but when brought into the editor the black column appears and also affects the file in the browser window. I'm not all that concerned as soon enough there will be raw support with other software.... just curious.
Victor
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Hi Victor,
All sensors have masked pixels that are used as a reference black. If that black area is masked pixels that is very wide. Could be that the sensor is actually a bit wider than 44x33, but masked to 44x33 mm dimensions.
Best regards
Erik
I've processed some of the available Raw files in RT just to check as much lens consistency as I can. Odd that I get a black column on the right hand side of every image. The files don't have the cutoff when viewed initially in the file browser but when brought into the editor the black column appears and also affects the file in the browser window. I'm not all that concerned as soon enough there will be raw support with other software.... just curious.
Victor
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This would not be the first time when Fuji lacks raw converter support upon launch. I don't recall if it was the X-E1 or the X-T1 but for some weeks it was only the included Silkypix that could open raws, I shot raw+jpeg for quite some time before settling on raws only.
The Sony RX100 mark1 had no raw support for few weeks also and I'm sure they are not the only ones.
PS. I'm talking about Adobe raw support
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Hi Victor,
All sensors have masked pixels that are used as a reference black. If that black area is masked pixels that is very wide. Could be that the sensor is actually a bit wider than 44x33, but masked to 44x33 mm dimensions.
Best regards
Erik
Thanks, Erik. Don't know what it is but its in all images and the only way to get rid of it is to alter horizontal perspective which brings the right hand side to the edge. Again.... only curious as all of this will get ironed out.
Victor
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The images that I have processed do so have some softening of the edges (not serious but visible). Everything I've downloaded was shot with the 63mm and with relatively large apertures. I haven't seen signs of decentering which would be easy to spot. Don't know what F stop would be necessary to tighten everything up.
Victor
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Hi Victor,
I am pretty sure it is going to be an excellent camera. It used to take some time until we have raw support in Lightroom and other tools. But the sensor is just a well behaved Sony sensor, with Bayer pixel design so I would hope that Lightroom CC and ACR updates will be fast.
AccuRaw supports the GFX already but I don't know about the colour profiles. The images I was able to produce were a bit on the pink side. I am really waiting for a good shot with a ColorChecker. All those images are useless for judging colour, as you have no reference on either light or colour profiling.
I don't see myself as a GFX buyer, BTW. The A7rII covers my needs, not that I love it, but it offers pretty much all I am asking for. I have also spent way to much on switching systems, first MFD and than Sony A-mirrorless.
Still, the GFX is very interesting and so is the Hasselblad X1D. On the other hand they may be to little and to late. I feel that the A7rII is grown up for almost any job. If I need more, there is 100 MP MFD or I may stitch.
Great systems have their attractions, but somewhere I feel I need to stop. Having a single system to explore, learn and expand is probably better than playing around with two or three systems. It was a bit my experience with the P45+, playing around a bit to much instead of taking good pictures. Each shooting situation is unique, they don't come back. Focusing on a single system that you know well can be a winning concept.
Best regards
Erik
Thanks, Erik. Don't know what it is but its in all images and the only way to get rid of it is to alter horizontal perspective which brings the right hand side to the edge. Again.... only curious as all of this will get ironed out.
Victor
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Hi Victor,
I am pretty sure it is going to be an excellent camera. It used to take some time until we have raw support in Lightroom and other tools. But the sensor is just a well behaved Sony sensor, with Bayer pixel design so I would hope that Lightroom CC and ACR updates will be fast.
AccuRaw supports the GFX already but I don't know about the colour profiles. The images I was able to produce were a bit on the pink side. I am really waiting for a good shot with a ColorChecker. All those images are useless for judging colour, as you have no reference on either light or colour profiling.
I don't see myself as a GFX buyer, BTW. The A7rII covers my needs, not that I love it, but it offers pretty much all I am asking for. I have also spent way to much on switching systems, first MFD and than Sony A-mirrorless.
Still, the GFX is very interesting and so is the Hasselblad X1D. On the other hand they may be to little and to late. I feel that the A7rII is grown up for almost any job. If I need more, there is 100 MP MFD or I may stitch.
Great systems have their attractions, but somewhere I feel I need to stop. Having a single system to explore, learn and expand is probably better than playing around with two or three systems. It was a bit my experience with the P45+, playing around a bit to much instead of taking good pictures. Each shooting situation is unique, they don't come back. Focusing on a single system that you know well can be a winning concept.
Best regards
Erik
Very true! Stick with that resolution, even though it is almost the end of February!
;-)
Rob
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Hi Rob,
I will do that! I plan a shoot on Iceland and one in the Dolomites this summer. No MFD on any of those trips, I will stick to the Sony stuff. That doesn't mean packing light, two bodies, seven lenses and tripod I guess. But I will not split time and efforts on different systems…
Best regards
Erik
Very true! Stick with that resolution, even though it is almost the end of February!
;-)
Rob
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Hi Victor,
I am pretty sure it is going to be an excellent camera. It used to take some time until we have raw support in Lightroom and other tools. But the sensor is just a well behaved Sony sensor, with Bayer pixel design so I would hope that Lightroom CC and ACR updates will be fast.
AccuRaw supports the GFX already but I don't know about the colour profiles. The images I was able to produce were a bit on the pink side. I am really waiting for a good shot with a ColorChecker. All those images are useless for judging colour, as you have no reference on either light or colour profiling.
I don't see myself as a GFX buyer, BTW. The A7rII covers my needs, not that I love it, but it offers pretty much all I am asking for. I have also spent way to much on switching systems, first MFD and than Sony A-mirrorless.
Still, the GFX is very interesting and so is the Hasselblad X1D. On the other hand they may be to little and to late. I feel that the A7rII is grown up for almost any job. If I need more, there is 100 MP MFD or I may stitch.
Great systems have their attractions, but somewhere I feel I need to stop. Having a single system to explore, learn and expand is probably better than playing around with two or three systems. It was a bit my experience with the P45+, playing around a bit to much instead of taking good pictures. Each shooting situation is unique, they don't come back. Focusing on a single system that you know well can be a winning concept.
Best regards
Erik
Very good insights.
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Very good insights.
Did you mean photosites?
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Did you mean photosites?
No, I like Erik's insights about focusing on just one system.
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... only thing we need is software, not even Silkypix can open them yet ... maybe P1 or LR come first ;D somebody mentioned Affinity Photo can open them
PhotoRaw on my iPad can handle 'em! ;D
-Dave-