Shooting with medium format cameras isn't simply about image quality; it's about altering your entire approach to photography. Making the jump from full frame or crop sensor cameras to medium format is a significant step, one that changes not just the look, but the feel of your work.
Coming to you from Samuel Elkins, this insightful video breaks down why Elkins chose medium format and how it shaped his creative workflow. Medium format cameras, specifically the Fuji GFX series, provide a distinctive look that's hard to replicate with smaller sensor cameras. Elkins mentions the rich depth and character that medium format brings to portraits and landscapes—qualities that are subtle yet impactful. However, these benefits come with considerable changes in your workflow, including file sizes that can quickly balloon to over 200 MB per image. Elkins candidly discusses the need to upgrade storage and editing capabilities to handle these large files, highlighting the practical considerations you must plan for.
Beyond the technical side, Elkins emphasizes how medium format photography has positively slowed down his shooting process. This intentional slowness parallels film photography, where limited shots encourage precision and careful composition. Elkins finds that this shift toward deliberate shooting results in fewer but better-crafted images, making post-production less overwhelming. The dynamic range of medium format is another standout, allowing impressive recovery of shadows and highlights, which is particularly beneficial in challenging lighting situations. Fuji's renowned color science complements this dynamic range, reducing the time spent editing by providing a strong starting point straight from the camera.
But shooting medium format isn't without challenges. Elkins notes that slower frame rates have historically limited medium format cameras primarily to studio or still-life photography. Fortunately, recent updates in Fuji’s GFX series have improved frame rates significantly, opening up the format to lifestyle and action photography. These improvements are gradually bridging the gap between medium format and faster, smaller sensor cameras, making medium format more versatile than ever.
The video goes beyond discussing specs; it reveals how a medium format system affects your approach to photography at a deeper level. Elkins shares insights into his six-year journey with Fuji’s system, explaining how his style and vision evolved alongside the technology. There's a clear emphasis on how adopting medium format is more than a mere gear change—it's about enhancing your connection to your craft. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Elkins.
As much as I would enjoy exploring the benefits of medium format, the drawback for me is the availability of lenses made for medium format and their cost. If one longs to have a telephoto lens in their bag using a medium format body get ready to pay the price if you can find one that meets your needs. Fuji seems to be better than Hasselblad in this regard, but medium format overall is a different economy for many. For a non-professional such as myself, sadly I can't go there.
I will respectfully disagree. One of the final factors that pushed me from a Canon R5 to a GFX 100S ii was lens price. In Australia now, an RF 70-200 2.8 is now about 3800 AUD. A GF 100-200 is currently significantly cheaper at 2757 AUD. Even the GF 500 prime is priced at 5700AUD; significantly cheaper than an RF 400 mm prime.
Sure, you need to factor in the cost of change over but personally I just couldn’t keep throwing money at full frame system when the medium format lenses cost less.
Keep in mind a 100-200mm medium format focal length is equivalent to 79-158 mm full frame. If you want full frame telephoto reach for medium format, you're going to have to pay extra for it.
100 megapixels....means you can crop to insane levels ..this is 25 megapixel file ...cropped from 158mmm (100-200)...its essnetially 400mm..thats tbe advantage of GFX100 cameras.
Also they make a 500mm lens now which is 420 ish ...
Croo that in too!
That's not even apples to oranges the difference between those lenses are so extreme. Not just focal length but depth of field as well.
Well, I own them both so I will dispute that. The DOF on the GF lens is remarkably shallow
Yep and it has advantages and disadvantages. It's interesting. Many of the people who comment on medium format start to bag it but have never used it or they criticise it because they don't understand it and it does take you awhile to get your head around it but I love it. It has so many benefits. It means I carry less lenses. I pretty much only carry two lenses now for my landscape photography because the insane depth of field and also the ability to crop at insane levels gives me flexibility with my files. I love it. That above photo is cropped 75% from 100 megapixels to 25 and I have printed it and it still looks amazing. That's what 100 megapixels gives you. It gives you freedom and flexibility that people don't see it like that.
I still shoot 120 film and love it, but unfortunately medium format digital is so far out of my price range I don't even entertain the thought of getting into it.
Same.
OK my views after owning GFX 50s ii and 100s ii for a year now. And doing professional work and use them for fun too.
The good and great!
Insane cropping ability
Image quality is so beautiful
Fuji colours.
Slower systems ..which has benefited me to slow down and be more mindful. They are not run n gun cameras.
Insane dynamic range
Awesome low light performance
Dreamy bokeh and skin tones on fuji and hassleblad cameras.
The bad
They are expensive but note the 100s camera can be had for 4k Australia and that's comparable to many full frame cameras here.
They are bulky systems. That said the 100s ii is lighter and smaller than a Nikon Z8 and Z9.
You'll need a fast computer. 24gb ram minimum. And storage!!
The myths ..busted IMO!
You can.shoot sports if need be
Lense choices...there is plenty, you need to look and understand focal.lengths
My thoughts overall.
If you can afford it you won't be disappointed!
They are challenging cameras to use. I wanted to challenge myself and take my work higher.
What sold.me.....I played with ten files from a GFX user and you can't unsee what you have seen. The files are open slather in terms of workability with no quality lost if you push them.
Love my Fuji GFXs. They are not for everyone! But they are amazing.
Medium format is no different today than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. it offers marginal advantages in very specific genres for very specific uses. For 0.1% of photographers it can make sense. Since 90% of photographers believe they are in the 0.1%, there will always be enough demand to justify supply.
Well I do know one thing that's changed in the two GFX cameras that have been released in the last year and a half is the auto focus is very good. You can honestly shoot sports with these two cameras. Now. I've shot surfing and I've shot some other sports as well with my GFX camera that would've been unheard of 10 years ago. You can definitely shoot a wedding reliably now with the GFX cameras. That is one major change and they're only gonna get better also the cost of medium format has come down as well. Yes the bodies are expensive but they're probably not much more expensive than many full frame cameras and you can buy lenses at good value secondhand.
Fujifilm GFX is only really comparable to FF cameras in the $3000+ range. You can easily buy a decent brand new fullframe and lens for that sort of money.
What I find is most people who comment negatively on medium format cameras are actually people that have never used one. If you talk to people who owned medium format cameras they will tell you how good it is so it's always gonna be a debate if you look at the files from the GFX cameras, they are absolutely amazing to work with and they render so amazingly that you cannot see what you've seen. My journey into Fuji was funny. I left Nikon and I wanted to explore Fuji for something different but Fuji don't make full frame cameras so you left with no choice but to go medium format and I like the Fuji medium format. It's actually not as big as the hasselblad which would I think cause even a shallow depth for field which would be very difficult to work with. I love the GFX system. They are great cameras but they are not for everyone and they are difficult to use, but I actually embrace and enjoy that challenge.
Firstly you completely ignore the point I made and secondly you are repeatedly assuming the resolution from medium format cameras automatically means they are superior cameras that everyone should want to own above every other. There is more to a camera than just the image quality and medium format certainly lacks when it comes to a lot of features and lens choices. So you love medium format, so what. Stop trying to push your views onto everyone else. We all have different needs and different requirements from our cameras.
you said it's only comparable to the $3000 range which is totally not true as there are now GFX cameras less than $3000 even where I live in Australia which is ridiculous. I'm not pushing my views onto anyone. I'm just trying to debunk some of the myths and crap that I see about medium format that is just rubbish.... also again you've never done any research on lens choice. There are lots and lots of different lenses you can use on medium format cameras and adapters as well for third-party lenses and even the Fuji GFX line has at least two choices in every focal length to be honest that's enough. You don't need 400 choices for lenses. You just need a couple and nearly every GFX lens is optically just pure. If you go and do your research on all the GFX lenses you'll find. They are absolutely amazing pieces of glass and there's plenty of good affordable lenses the 55 3.5 63 2.8 very affordable and comparable to any full frame lenses in terms of price.... even the GFX kit lens is an amazing piece of glass. It's a 4.5 it's a 35 to 70 which is 28 to 55. It's an amazing piece of glass again. I'm not trying to push medium format onto anyone but I would say that it's amazing system to use and I absolutely love it and I've actually been able to convince a few people to come over to this site because what you get in image quality and versatility in files and you also carry less lenses people say IG fracture is so big and bulky but here's the thing you don't have to carry 3 different lenses i
Is [insert product here] worth the price? What photography do you shoot? Is it a profession you get paid for or just a hobby? How much gear do you actually need? Can you actually afford the cost? Will the money you make through your business justify the cost or are you a rich hobbyist with money to burn?
So many questions.
Interesting.