The Fujifilm GFX 50R pulls you into medium format for a reason that has nothing to do with chasing megapixels. It’s about seeing the frame the right way before you press the shutter.
Coming to you from Craig Roberts of e6 Vlogs, this reflective video follows Roberts’ shift back to medium format with the Fuji GFX 50R, a 2018 camera that still holds its ground. Roberts started with 35mm film in 1986, moved through 6x7 and 6x9, even shot 6x17 panoramics, then settled into digital full frame, Micro Four Thirds, and APS-C. Now he circles back to a larger sensor, not for resolution bragging rights but for format. The GFX 50R gives him a native 4:3 ratio and, more importantly, the 65:24 crop mode that echoes the old XPan look. That framing option changes how you stand, how you wait, how you commit.
Roberts makes it clear he doesn’t need medium format for daily work. He shoots APS-C with Fujifilm for most things and is comfortable there. The 50-megapixel sensor in the GFX 50R isn’t wildly beyond the 40 megapixels in the X-T5, and he prefers it that way. He doesn’t want the bulk or files of the 100-megapixel models. He wants the experience of composing in that wide panoramic frame in camera, handheld, in the moment. No stitching ten frames later. No casual crop as an afterthought. You either see it in that ratio or you don’t.
That’s where his stance gets firm. If you rely on stitching or plan to crop later without committing to the frame on location, Roberts pushes back. He talks about using a simple black card mask over the LCD in the DSLR days, even placing one in a waist-level finder on medium format film. Mirrorless made it easier, but the principle stayed the same. You block out what doesn’t belong and force yourself to compose with intent. The 65:24 mode in the GFX 50R removes the workaround and builds that discipline directly into the camera. You raise the camera and the world is already shaped into a long, narrow slice.
The GFX 50R also mirrors the rangefinder-style design of the Fujifilm X-Pro2, with the viewfinder pushed to the side. It feels familiar in the hand, just larger. There’s no in-body image stabilization, and even newer models don’t offer everything. Roberts accepts the tradeoffs. He bought the camera used, kept expectations tight, and targeted one purpose: handheld panoramics composed in real time.
He also touches on what happens after capture. Instagram isn’t kind to extreme wide frames. The images shrink, lose presence. That leads Roberts to talk about presenting panoramics in other formats, including a new zine project that pairs the images with the stories behind them. Not just the final photo, but the thinking, the approach, the hesitation before the shutter.
If you’ve been cropping wide from standard frames and calling it close enough, this video may nudge you to reconsider how you see before you shoot. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Roberts.
1 Comment
Making your photographs intentional is about how you approach your work, not the camera you use. It can be done with a phone or a 16 x 20 ultra large format. To pretend otherwise is just making excuses.