Fujifilm has already rewired the paradigm of medium format by making it more affordable and accessible than ever, and it looks like they have no intentions of slowing down.
Fuji rumors is reporting that the upcoming GFX100S II camera will launch at a price of just $5,000. This aggressive pricing strategy from Fujifilm is a bold move that directly challenges the dominance of full-frame cameras. Traditionally, medium format systems have been reserved for high-end professionals and studios due to their exorbitant costs. However, the GFX100S II's price point brings the allure of medium format within reach of a much wider audience, including serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who previously considered it financially out of bounds and continues the company's trend of encroaching on the upper end of full frame territory.
The implications of this shift are significant. The exceptional image quality, detail, and dynamic range offered by medium format sensors were once considered a luxury. However, with the GF mount, these advantages have become accessible to a new segment of photographers, potentially reshaping the landscape of the camera market. Full frame cameras, long considered the gold standard for professional and enthusiast photographers, now face stiff competition from a medium format option that doesn't require a second mortgage.
Of course, no matter the price of the GFX100S II, full frame remains the better choice for a wide range of applications, but for people like portrait and landscape photographers, the choice just became a bit harder. Hopefully, we'll hear more soon!
The 100MP GFX 100S is already selling at $4399.
What about lenses, especially telephoto equivalent of 400 to 800mm costs? Or zoom lenses like 200-800mm equivalents?
Fujifilm has the worst custom service i ever experienced. Nikon and canon services are way more professional. Forget about it.
You're right. Where I live (South Africa), Fuji service is atrocious. I had a lens with a problem. It was sent to a service centre in Portugal. It stayed there for 5 months with no feedback, and came back without being fixed. Great products, useless service. I get much better treatment from Nikon.
I'm in the UK. I needed a repair on a telephoto lens and sent it off to Fuji. It was back in a week and cost just over £100, no matter what the fault was. I was very pleased with the service.
I have sent 2 lenses and my GFX100s to FujiFilm Service as an FPS member. One day later I received the same equipment from FujiFilm free of charge as a loaner to work with. After 5 days my lenses and camera were back from service. I then returned the loaned equipment and everything was dealt with quickly and professionally. No, so far I can't say anything bad about the FujiFilm service.
If Fujifilm is successful with this launch, there are 2 scenarios where Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others may react to compete. (1) bump up their full frame sensors to 60-80 MP (Sony already has one) and/or (2) consider developing their own medium format or introducing a customized sensor somewhere in between medium format and full frame. As mentioned, Fujifilm's (and others) challenge would be to develop more glass, especially telephotos.
Fujifilm, at 43.9mm x 32.9mm, is already labelled "crop MF" by the Phase One and higher end Hasselblad folks. And their 53.4mm x 40 mm is cropped relative to 60mm x 45mm to 60mm x 70mm+ film. The only hard definition of medium format is 'larger than 35mm, smaller than 4" x 5"'
There's really no point in going larger than FF but smaller than 43.9mm x 32.9mm or so. Canon has industrial sensors at 120MP and 250MP, but at higher pixel densities, they won't match the dynamic range of MF, of course.
I think Fujifilm and Sony have extended the crossover between FF and MF, but they remain different tools in the general case. The larger MF systems are rarely used outside of a studio. Fujifilm's not going to match FF on the range or reach of their lens line. They won't have comparable volumes of lens sales. They get to glass too heavy for handheld use at lower magnifications than FF, and that's were the sakes drop precipitously and become specialized tools.
The people that need 100mp will, no doubt, buy in but most people have realised by now that they don’t even need the 45-60mp that full frame can offer. That’s why 25mp sensors are still popular. It’s nice that the option is there but not everyone is sold on big numbers.
We don’t print our images, we just use the phone, monitor a tablet… we don’t need high megapixels. A camera with 25mp has already enough resolution for those screens.
It is nice to have room to crop and better color science and files. I personally use the 100/100s for my business and 8x10 for personal work/fine art etc that I will later print.
Digital medium format has still a long way to go to catch up with real large or ultra large format.
Who is or are, “we” ? Please don’t pretend to speak for everyone
I am apart of that "we". I had a 100s. It's an okay camera. It over heats pretty easily. I don't need 100mp. I traded it in for a Nikon Zf and am much happier with that camera. I also don't have to worry about near as much hard drive space getting used up. If I want more resolution I still have My 36mp D800E which is more than plenty for me. There are a lot of people that don't need more than 25mp as evidence of how well 25mp camera sell and the fact that they are still made.
That we is a figure to express that the fact of printing our images is not as common as it used to be. I used to go the lab with my rolls and get all the images printed. Now I print some, but not even close as I used to. You are not the center of the world. Go out and get some air, may help you with your internet comprehension.
Some of us not part of the "we" you mention still print our images and the high megapixel (>50, 100 medium format) cameras allows us to crop and create a composition that is a very good quality print pleasing to the viewer (and the customer). Your comment is similar too those used over the past many decades why we don't need this or that when everything we have is just fine. As technology progresses there will always be the naysayers. Why use an iPhone 14, 15, ,,, when your old Blackberry worked fine for making calls and texting? And you can take OK pictures with the 1st Canon Rebel. Fortunately the rest of the world moves on.
I've went down the GFX road twice. The lenses are incredible but they're just too large. That plus the inevitable law of diminishing returns has me firmly living in the full frame space.
I used to chase big MPs until I took still images with the Sony A7S3 - not video - just stills. As good as any. Why do I need medium format to view images on a smartphone most of the time!
Like said already who really needs 100MP, I guess to brag, I started with the A7S back '14 and have poster size Milky Ways. I have seen images that Fujifilm cameras produce and the only thing I wish Sony and the rest or the makers would adopt is the Fujifilm X-Trans sensor! My nephew who travels a lot and only captures in Jpeg gets images that are so clean and colorful.