The important thing that you missed - they constantly updating their camera and lens software. Supporting camera for 2 - 3 years after release and adding new features is a really great thing.
I agree it's a good thing. I used to have a bunch of Fuji cameras a while back and currently have an X100V. I will say however that Sony has always been pretty good with firmware and updates.
I am a fashion shooter on the GFX100 and love this lens - separation from fore and back is a about 2ft on a full length model - perfect - magazines love it - ensure you are dead on waist level or everything looks odd though - as you should for any full length - or lower looking up - never looking down. - or even better dead on waist level or below and a bit of a jaunty angle. As for wildlife - I would imagine if AF isn't your kingpin (I never use it) but the ability to crop in on an eye is - then super duper.
This is one of the most intelligent and useful camera reviews I have seen in years. I own this camera but never thought of using it for wildlife; it's just not the appropriate tool. My area is commercial photography and landscape, where this camera excels. I think wildlife photography requires long lenses and high burst rates with a very large buffer. The GFX 100 has none of those; however, for what I do it gives fabulous results. I can use Canon tilt/shift lenses on this camera with no vignetting in most situations. I have great admiration for you wildlife photographers, and anyone who can use this behemoth camera to capture arctic foxes in the air as they pounce on prey under the snow has the skills of Harry Potter. My hat's off to you, Mr. Cho!
Michael, thanks for watching and for your kind words. It is true that usually wildlife photographers rely on long lenses and high burst rates but I think it would still be possible to use the GFX100 for some types of wildlife photography and in fact a small number of people have photographed wildlife with medium format film. I'll be continuing to consider the possibilities and watching what Fujifilm does with the system.
I hope those Froebel Fuji see your video and think about bringing longer-range lenses to the market, since I am interested in this system for wildlife photography.
Great video. Your comment at 8:40 is the point often missed about the GFX100: It's "peers" are Hasselblad and Phase One. Comparing the GFX100 to these gives every checkmark to Fuji: price, speed, flexibility... by a w-i-d-e margin. No other larger-than-full-frame comes close. The GFX is rarely compared against these medium format systems, probably because there is no comparison. The comparison is made instead against the Sony A7rIV (and now the Canon R5). Then the checkmarks go to Sony and Canon on price, speed, and flexibility. I agree that if the A7rIV with a 300mm lens can give better wildlife photos than the GFX with a 200mm lens, then Sony has won. But, if image quality is the primary thing, then no 100mp full frame will match the GFX, because as Sony and Canon advance in their technology, so will Fuji. The larger sensor gives--and maintains--a significant advantage. Sony and Canon cannot catch up so long as Fuji keeps advancing as well. Whether that is an advantage that any individual shooter needs is up to that person, but it is a unique advantage. BTW: The DP Review image comparisons show a noticeable advantage to the GFX on high ISO and moire. Moire especially is a concern in wedding photography. Possibly Sony and Canon can get past this, but so far Fuji's 100mp (and its medium format cousins) are the only ones that show no moire in the DP Review tests.
You are wrong in terms of sensor size ratio. You said : 1.26 times is the Fuji's compared to the Sony's! Indeed, that was the diagonal ratio not the surface area ratio. The Fuji sensor is 1.7 times that of Sony.
@@AdrianChoPhotography Welcome, that was enjoyable video, thanx for including the Sony ar7iv in your thoughts about the beast tanker Fuji GFX100. Waiting for side to side comparisons in a deeper insight between the Sony ( which I think you already own), and the lovely Nikon d850 iff possible.
Adrian Cho Photography thank you for the great review and the reply. It was the reason for subscribing. I went to film school (for cinematography) and learning how to work within limits is a huge focus, because of the multiple variables associated with any production, regarding budget constraints, production size/scope, types of equipment available, etc. So it’s refreshing to hear this coming from a photographer where often I see/hear very ego based opinions or closed-minded reviews about specific equipment or brands. In cinematography, the focus is primarily based on how best to support the story with what you have (certainly there are big ego, know-it-all, technophiles in this field, but that’s beside the point), because there’s always going to be a bigger, better product out there. I think skill and talent is best shown through what kind of story you can tell with what you have available at that moment. For example, the two white foxes (one jumping and the other with its head in the snow). That is an amazing captured moment. Anyway, I digress. I am looking forward to browsing your library of videos.
Sorry the for late reply. I somehow missed this one. Thanks for your insight. Personally I think that in many art forms (and I see it in music too) there are people with an abundance of technique and technical know-how but no artistic sensitivity at all. There are also people who have incredible gear and tools at their disposal but the complexities of the gear overwhelm them (or they get lost in it when they should be focusing on other things. There are also people who have great artistic talent but are held back by a lack of technique knowledge and sometimes by their tools. Mostly I come across people who are too focused on tools and technical details and are lacking in the artistry, the creativity, and the storytelling. The tools and techniques should support and enable those things.
Adrian Cho Photography Thank you for the reply. There is no need to apologize (though I appreciate the gesture), I understand that you are a busy man and of course there’s the time difference. I completely agree with your assessment. I have worked with all of the types you’ve described. To keep this short, I am no exception with regard to egotism, it took time working in the field with multiple experienced people/crews to see that time/experience was the only real way to open my mind up to other possibilities. The question always being, “what am I here to accomplish?” Be it for my own vision or someone else’s. By the way, you have a fantastic library of videos. I enjoy learning new things and perspectives.
I’ve been thinking of replacing my Canon 5dsr with either a Fuji 50s or Pentax 645Z for my large slow wildlife shots, will continue to use 1DX2 for speed. Fuji has lots of positives but Pentax currently has a 400mm auto focus lens and 600mm 645 manual focus film lens. But it looks like their are adapters to mount Pentax on the Fuji and if it’s a old manual focus lens anyway no big loss. Also have seen Canon EF adapters for Fuji so maybe I could even use my 600/4 IS II On the Fuji but in manual focus and some vignetting. Ricoh seems to have given up on the medium format so Fuji is probably the way to go but their is something about that 645Z that keeps having me check it out. I don’t mind size or it being a dslr, never used a EVF so not sure how big a change it would be for me. Really enjoyed this video, first time I’ve seen you will definitely check out your others.
Thanks for watching. To be clear, I only tried it for wildlife but did not end up purchasing it, at least not yet :) I definitely thought it could be a good option with its own pros and cons like any system.
Great review Adrian, thanks. Note there has been an update for the GFX100 body and lens that slightly improve autofocus. This camera has not betrayed me yet except its average battery life and relatively slow autofocus which is actually faster than my X1Dii. Funny, I was stopped and questioned by security outside Van Gogh museum in Holland because of this camera which as they said appeared too large and bulky for a normal camera..!!!!!!
The pixel pitch of the sensors used in the Sony A7R4 and Fuji GFX100 are the same (3.76um). So I would not necessarily expect that the noise behavior of both sensors is so much different. If there is a difference later on the images then it is because of the camera hardware itself (--> Read Noise) and maybe the AD conversion. I used the Fuji GFX100 before (and I still have access to it) and this was also my observation. With the 250mm lens with that 1.4 TC you have an effective FOV of 280mm what is a bit short for Wildlife I think, in case you do a 100% crop, you end up with around 354mm FOV at (guess what): 61MP (same as A7R4) but f/5.6. Interesting, right? So yes, I agree. A nice and great approach from Fuji, I like it for Landscape. But they need a long telephoto lens for this system on order to make it really useable for Wildlife. Including the speed.
Thanks for your thoughts. Yes in the short time I had the camera I found the image quality was roughly on par with the A7RIV although there’s obviously even more pixels to play with when you have those 100 MP files. For most of what I do, I think in certain situations, such as in Africa, I actually could shoot with just that 250mm lens and the slower body but there are other situations where the reach definitely wouldn’t be enough and the speed of the camera would mean missed shots. Also, there’s no way I would go into the field with just one body and in fact I usually carry three bodies so I’d need to figure out what else I would take in a kit that would include the GFX100.
Very interesting, I think it's important to stress sensor size is perhaps more important than total MP for overall image quality. If you look at similar images from say a Sony A7rIV and a fuji GFX 50 r/s to my eyes the image quality from the larger censored Fuji are massively better than the smaller censored Sony. My old Nikon D3 with it's mere 12 MP produced fantastic image quality from it's full frame sensor despite it's relatively low pixel count.
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! There’s no doubt that a larger sensor will have better image quality when all things are equal including resolution and lenses. The GFX 50, with slightly less resolution than the A7RIV on a bigger sensor, will clearly have bigger photosites. On the other hand, the GFX 100 ends up having roughly the same size photosites as the A7RIV.
I learned a lot from this video, I didn't realize the noise was about the same on this GFX 100 and the A7RIV, I assumed the Fuji had lower. It'd be interesting to see what could be accomplished with a larger sensor and perhaps 50 megapixels, I'd assume that'd give us an excellent low light camera. The tech in this camera is very interesting, most notably the move-able EVF that allows so many viewing options. I guess it remains to be seen if Fuji ever makes a full frame camera suitable for wildlife but perhaps some of this tech will make it into other brands. I'm like you, I do everything in my EVF because without glasses I cannot see the rear LCD and in sunlight it's just better, what I wouldn't give for an EVF that moves like that to accommodate low shooting angles. Currently I'm using an optical right angle finder attached to my Sony but to shoot straight through you have to remove it and in addition it only offers 90 degrees, not all those other angles. Incidentally when I switched to mirrorless I really wanted to be a Fuji customer but not offering a full frame camera just didn't fit my needs. I will say their APS-C cameras are amazing, a friend of mine is renting a lens for his XT-3 to see how it works as a wildlife camera, he currently shoots with Sony full frame bodies. Exciting time to be a photographer, thanks for another superb video.
robwas Fuji really does make some awesome stuff and they give a lot of thought to the overall experience to the photographer. At one point I had a couple of their cameras and many of their lenses. Unfortunately I needed to focus on the gear for my wildlife photography and Fuji’s lack of telephoto primes (they didn’t even have their 200 f2 at that stage) meant I had to abandon them. However I am looking again now at getting one of their lower-end APS-C cameras for some documentary work and those times when I don’t want to carry my full-frame gear.
@@AdrianChoPhotography For some reason the output of the Fuji seems to look a lot better than the Sony which doesn't make sense since Sony likely makes the Fuji sensors. I'm hoping Sony develops some better APS-C cameras in the future... I own the RX100VII and although it's terrible in low light it is an amazing camera for something so small.
I read a lot about the battery staying power when photographers use the camera other than what it was designed for. I can see why someone would use the Fuji GFX100 just for the image quality. I would have to go back and look up the purpose of the camera according to Fuji. Thank you for sharing your video and thoughts.
Hi Earl. Thanks for chiming in. An intereresting related thing - I think Sony always intended the A7RIV as a camera for landscape or studio use. I don’t believe wildlife photography was one of their intended applications but the camera has been enthusiastically adopted by wildlife photographers who love the camera’s high resolution.
Using crop factor for the f value is misleading (or a mistake). You can use it to give a depth of field equivalence, but not for the luminosity. I'd not use it.
Flexable I appreciate the feedback. It’s intentional on my part. What I find interesting is that when people discuss cameras with smaller sensors like micro four-thirds, many people seem to get very upset when the crop factor is not applied to everything. For my videos I assume people will have their own idea about how the crop factor is applied. Thanks for watching anyway.
Enjoyed your synopsis, liked and subscribed - you had me with the jazz intro and then affirmed my clicks with the conclusions. I came to the same conclusion about pairing the GFX100 with Olympus m43. I'm curious if you tried adapting that 400mm Sony to G mount?
Hi Paul. Thanks for watching. That is an interesting idea but the thought did not occur to me as I figure the lens will not fully cover the sensor. All the best!
The files are easy to work with on PCIe 4.0 or even 3.0 NVMe systems. The fact you're trying to use a consumer device like an iPad with an internal bus speed of 0 in your workflow is very surprising. If it has to be portable and support a stylus, look at a newer HP or Lenovo convertible device with a Ryzen processor. (Preferrably the prior, as Lenovo are pretty shady with spyware hidden on UEFI etc.) Another alternative would be Microsoft Surface, if they step into this century with internal bus speed with their upcoming generation. At least the most recent Surface Laptop has USB 3.1 gen2, but the other ports are all trash. Apple are not pursuing good enough storage and internal bus speeds for us media creators to use these days sadly.
Interesting video; regarding using the GFX 100 for wildlife photography, I don’t believe that was Fuji’s intention with this camera, so I don’t believe you”ll be seeing any super telephoto lenses in the lineup for this camera... it’s primary market is for fashion, product and landscape photography, primarily in a controlled setting. Most professional wildlife photographers are using crop sensor cameras for that extra reach and these cameras are getting better and better with new technologies, blurring the lines to some degree between crop and full frame. I believe Fuji has some super telephoto lenses in the lineup for the XF system. The Angry Photographer RUclips channel discusses this topic quite often and I do agree with his opinions despite many people disliking his personality. He will often remark that that all cameras can do the job but some cameras aren’t the best tool for the job. Like you can drive a John Deere tractor to get from point A to Point B but it will take far more time and be less efficient than a sports car.
Hi Marcia. Thanks for watching and for chiming in. I certainly agree on the original intention for the GFX100 and as it is, Fuji has let to produce many big primes even for X cameras except for the 200 f2 which they have probably sold very few of. So such lenses for the GFX system are even less likely. One thing I have doubts about is your thoughts that most professional wildlife photographers are using crop sensors for that extra reach. I really don’t think that’s true. There are a small number who are using APS-C and even some that are using MFT but I think the overwhelming number of professional wildlife photographers are using full-frame cameras. I do think a higher number of amateur wildlife photographers are probably using crop sensors. I think there are a number of reasons for this. Just in terms of framing, recreational wildlife shooters tend to frame too tightly and go after shots where the subject fills more of the frame whereas many professional shooters may be more likely to frame environmental portraits of their wildlife subjects. I teach wildlife photography and this is something I’m constantly discussing. Also, professional shooters are probably more likely to have access to higher resolution systems like the 60 MP full-frame cameras I typically use. The thing is, they might actually crop in on these images at times (I’ve made a couple of videos about this) but are not necessarily obliged to do it through the use of a crop sensor body. I definitely agree about using the right tool for the gear. The way I usually put it is that it doesn’t really matter what gear you are using, the most import things are that a) you have mastery over it and b) it supports your style of shooting and/or you adapt your style to it. Thanks again for your thoughtful input! Stay safe.
Thanks so much for your quick reply and insights. You have certainly made me rethink my opinions regarding full frame vs crop sensor for wildlife photography...I think both systems are very capable and can be employed in different scenarios. One wildlife photographer I’m very fond of is Trond Wesley, he uses both the Nikon D500 and Nikon D4 depending upon the situation. I noticed that he also doesn’t go crazy with cropping. Cheers, and stay safe.
Marcia, one of the really nice things about the 61 MP Sony A7RIV that I mostly use for wildlife photography is that you can easily switch into crop mode and shoot it as a 26 MP crop sensor, or shoot in full-frame mode and then crop later. There are pros and cons to both approaches (I made a separate video about that). Thanks again for watching.
Hey Roland. Thanks for watching It's definitely not a cloud issue. The files were all locally imported. I have a lot of experience using the iPad for editing in the field and it only pulls from the cloud when you are trying to get something that it doesn't have. It's just the time taken to render the image locally at that level of detail.
Thankyou for putting together this presentation, it was informative and thought provoking. I could see that if your photographic interests bridged both wildlife and landscape work the GFX100 would be easier to justify. I guess if one's photography was limited to animalscapes it would also work; perhaps not a bad thing? I have been eyeing the X mount Fuji bodies (XT4) for wildlife as well. I was hoping that they would have introduced a super tele or two for the Olympics to go with the new body, but it hasn't happened so far. I like the aesthetics and functionality of this line and that crop factor.
Gary G Fuji do make some fantastic gear. I had a couple of their cameras in the past and quite a few of their lenses. I really think if they would release some decent telephoto lenses that they could really expand their market. I actually think I could shoot wildlife mostly with the GFX and the way in which it would force to change my style of wildlife photography would just make things different. However, I think I would definitely have to figure out how to put together a kit with a GFX camera and some other cameras because it’s not like I would have multiple GFX cameras in a kit and I’m used to carrying three bodies right now.
I like the GFX system. Other than cheetahs and NFL running backs, I think it can cover just about any type of photography out there. Maybe not an F-22 fighter jet flying by. But none of those are of interest to me. Besides, probably with enough practice at panning and a skilled shutter finger, one can still capture anything.
well they already have a APSC camers - so what kind of crop (extra extension) are we talking about there? between apsc and full frame we have 1.5 crop (zoom) do we just add 0.79 to that equation and thus an apsc using those lens will get a 2.29 crop extension? added the apsc sensor will be faster to shoot more frames per second photos and better tracking?
.724 or .72 is the correct crop factor comparing to 35mm. Aspect ratio has to be taken into consideration or else it’s not actually an equivalent. Best part is you can see this yourself :)
Thank you very much for this informative and balanced review! I agree with you on most of your points both good and in the areas that need improvements. Of course each of us would place differing emphasis on the different factors that impress or need to be further addressed. I myself would find the battery life sufficient for my needs and would include an extra set of batteries as a matter of preparedness. I would love to see longer glass that is native to the G mount but I wonder what your thoughts are on having some existing outstanding long lenses adapted to the GFX 100? I realize that there may be some vignetting, but with 102 megapixels, I wonder how much this would be an issue. I appreciate your thoughts, and again thank you for a very informative review.
Hey Thomas. Thanks for watching. I agree on the battery life. It’s just a matter of carrying more spares. As it is, with my Sony cameras, even though it is very rare for me to exhaust a battery in a day, I still carry multiple spares anyway. I will say also that the charging on the GFX100 is very fast using the USB-C PD port. I did previously look at adapters for GFX as I was curious but I have to say that generally I am personally not big on adapting lenses due to the possibility of poor or compromised AF performance. For example in the Sony ecosystem one of the most capable and widely used adapters is the Sigma MC-11 and the results seem to vary quite a lot depending on the lens. As your comment came in I was actually doing some further analysis on the possibility of extended work in the field using the GFX100. There are some situations where I am able to shoot sometimes with just the 135mm (or 200mm in crop mode) and I’ve shown many shots taken with that focal length in some of my other videos. For those situations it would be theoretically possible to do the bulk of my shooting with the GFX100 and a 35mm equivalent of 200mm (or 250mm with the 1.4x teleconverter) and fallback to another system for the occasional longer shot. Even if I didn’t need the reach, it’s hard to imagine shooting exclusively with the GFX. For one thing I am used to carrying multiple bodies to at least have backups and also be able to work quickly across the focal range using prime lenses and not having to change lenses. Multiple GFX bodies would be both too expensive and too heavy to carry so realistically carrying only one makes sense (and I did also consider the GFX50R and GFX50S). So for me, any kit with GFX cameras would have to include some other system. As I mentioned in the video, I have this crazy idea of trying to pairing it with micro 4/3. It’s a somewhat crazy idea because it would be a system with one camera with 100MP and another with just 20MP. Still working on that idea but it’s fun to do the analysis.
Interesting and exciting comparison. The GFX 100 is limited by its lenses, I can hardly see any advantage of the GFX for landscape photographers - here the wide angle lenses are missing and in wildlife photography the telephoto focal lengths and the speed of the system are missing. Great that the GFX is available but the Sony offers more possibilities due to the variety of available lenses
There's a lot more pixels, that's for sure. Do you see the better image quality in other ways? For example do you see it in lower noise levels or the color depth or just the way it renders the images?
@@AdrianChoPhotography I could not really tell the difference from a youtube video. I would need a RAF or RAW file from each of the same image, then maybe... But, I like the user exp way more in fuji cameras
Well the presentation of this video is more like a sales person, and I was expecting to see image samples and some comparison to the Sony as well. Anyway thanks for the information.
Hi Gino. Sorry this wasn’t helpful enough for you. It’s funny you think was like a sales job because I have no affiliation with Fuji and in fact my final evaluation was that the system wasn’t really right for me. You mentioned image samples. I thought I showed quite a few image samples and talked a lot about the camera in comparison to Sony (even though the video title never said it was going to be a comparison anyway).
Hello Adrian, my apology? I didn't finish the video the first time and you are correct you did compare it with the Sony camera I saw the images. I think you have a good setup with the Sony, the resolution is quite high too. Since the Sony has many pixels how does it handle the noise? I think in dim light the Fuji does creep up with noise as well since there are so many pixels. I like fujifilm colors and the way they design the screen. Good, thank you again.
@@Luigi13 the Sony A7RIV has 61 MP and at a pixel level the noise is definitely more noticeable than something like the 42 MP A7RIII. I generally don’t shoot it at over 1600 or 2000 ISO and I think it’s best suited to use with prime lenses. I found the GFX100 noise about on par with the A7RIV which makes sense since the pixel density is quite common. The 100 MP of he GFX100 was very tempting but at this stage the camera’s autofocus is too slow and there are not enough lens choices for me. However it is definitely a beautiful camera and I can’t wait to see the GFX system evolve.
Yes it’s a reasonable concern. The whole assembly is removable too which in theory is a good thing for possibly replacing it and upgrading it in the future and to make the body smaller and more robust for travel. However I have also heard of people having issues with the assembly in cold weather but it’s hard to know whether those are real problems nowadays or not. During my testing I had one case where something weird happened and I was unable to see through the EVF until I removed it and reseated it.
True. Interestingly, Sony never expected their 60 MP A7RIV to be used much for wildlife photography but it’s been a hugely popular camera with wildlife shooters. Thanks for watching.
I think it's very hard to say that without knowing exactly what camera and lens one is comparing and doing comparison testing under controlled conditions. Sony definitely has some incredibly sharp optics and I use a number of them like the 400 GM, 135 GM, and 24 GM so I understand where you're coming from. What's also great about Sony is that there is a very healthy range of lenses in their ecosystem including ones from other manufacturers.
Unfortunately I’ve not shot with any of those cameras although I do often look at Nikon as an option every now and then and I’m pretty familiar with their stuff but there’s always something that stops me from going there. I personally think the most appealing thing they offer right now is their PF Fresnel lenses. Mainly the 300 PF. Apart from the Canon 400 DO, there is nothing else like it on the market although a patent was recently revealed showing Fuji might be working on Fresnel lenses.
The important thing that you missed - they constantly updating their camera and lens software. Supporting camera for 2 - 3 years after release and adding new features is a really great thing.
I agree it's a good thing. I used to have a bunch of Fuji cameras a while back and currently have an X100V. I will say however that Sony has always been pretty good with firmware and updates.
I am a fashion shooter on the GFX100 and love this lens - separation from fore and back is a about 2ft on a full length model - perfect - magazines love it - ensure you are dead on waist level or everything looks odd though - as you should for any full length - or lower looking up - never looking down. - or even better dead on waist level or below and a bit of a jaunty angle. As for wildlife - I would imagine if AF isn't your kingpin (I never use it) but the ability to crop in on an eye is - then super duper.
This is one of the most intelligent and useful camera reviews I have seen in years. I own this camera but never thought of using it for wildlife; it's just not the appropriate tool. My area is commercial photography and landscape, where this camera excels. I think wildlife photography requires long lenses and high burst rates with a very large buffer. The GFX 100 has none of those; however, for what I do it gives fabulous results. I can use Canon tilt/shift lenses on this camera with no vignetting in most situations. I have great admiration for you wildlife photographers, and anyone who can use this behemoth camera to capture arctic foxes in the air as they pounce on prey under the snow has the skills of Harry Potter. My hat's off to you, Mr. Cho!
Michael, thanks for watching and for your kind words. It is true that usually wildlife photographers rely on long lenses and high burst rates but I think it would still be possible to use the GFX100 for some types of wildlife photography and in fact a small number of people have photographed wildlife with medium format film. I'll be continuing to consider the possibilities and watching what Fujifilm does with the system.
Hello Michael;' which Canon EF to Fiji GFX adapter do you use? Thanks.
Interesting to watch this now after the release of the GFX 500mm f/5.6
I hope those Froebel Fuji see your video and think about bringing longer-range lenses to the market, since I am interested in this system for wildlife photography.
Great video.
Your comment at 8:40 is the point often missed about the GFX100: It's "peers" are Hasselblad and Phase One. Comparing the GFX100 to these gives every checkmark to Fuji: price, speed, flexibility... by a w-i-d-e margin. No other larger-than-full-frame comes close.
The GFX is rarely compared against these medium format systems, probably because there is no comparison. The comparison is made instead against the Sony A7rIV (and now the Canon R5). Then the checkmarks go to Sony and Canon on price, speed, and flexibility. I agree that if the A7rIV with a 300mm lens can give better wildlife photos than the GFX with a 200mm lens, then Sony has won.
But, if image quality is the primary thing, then no 100mp full frame will match the GFX, because as Sony and Canon advance in their technology, so will Fuji. The larger sensor gives--and maintains--a significant advantage. Sony and Canon cannot catch up so long as Fuji keeps advancing as well. Whether that is an advantage that any individual shooter needs is up to that person, but it is a unique advantage.
BTW: The DP Review image comparisons show a noticeable advantage to the GFX on high ISO and moire. Moire especially is a concern in wedding photography. Possibly Sony and Canon can get past this, but so far Fuji's 100mp (and its medium format cousins) are the only ones that show no moire in the DP Review tests.
You are wrong in terms of sensor size ratio.
You said : 1.26 times is the Fuji's compared to the Sony's!
Indeed, that was the diagonal ratio not the surface area ratio.
The Fuji sensor is 1.7 times that of Sony.
Yes are you indeed correct. Thanks.
@@AdrianChoPhotography Welcome, that was enjoyable video, thanx for including the Sony ar7iv in your thoughts about the beast tanker Fuji GFX100.
Waiting for side to side comparisons in a deeper insight between the Sony ( which I think you already own), and the lovely Nikon d850 iff possible.
This is a refreshing way to review kit. Great job.
Thanks for watching, Tim
Great review. I love how you’re able to keep an open mind and highlight how to work within boundaries/limitations.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
Adrian Cho Photography thank you for the great review and the reply. It was the reason for subscribing.
I went to film school (for cinematography) and learning how to work within limits is a huge focus, because of the multiple variables associated with any production, regarding budget constraints, production size/scope, types of equipment available, etc. So it’s refreshing to hear this coming from a photographer where often I see/hear very ego based opinions or closed-minded reviews about specific equipment or brands. In cinematography, the focus is primarily based on how best to support the story with what you have (certainly there are big ego, know-it-all, technophiles in this field, but that’s beside the point), because there’s always going to be a bigger, better product out there. I think skill and talent is best shown through what kind of story you can tell with what you have available at that moment. For example, the two white foxes (one jumping and the other with its head in the snow). That is an amazing captured moment.
Anyway, I digress. I am looking forward to browsing your library of videos.
Sorry the for late reply. I somehow missed this one. Thanks for your insight. Personally I think that in many art forms (and I see it in music too) there are people with an abundance of technique and technical know-how but no artistic sensitivity at all. There are also people who have incredible gear and tools at their disposal but the complexities of the gear overwhelm them (or they get lost in it when they should be focusing on other things. There are also people who have great artistic talent but are held back by a lack of technique knowledge and sometimes by their tools. Mostly I come across people who are too focused on tools and technical details and are lacking in the artistry, the creativity, and the storytelling. The tools and techniques should support and enable those things.
Adrian Cho Photography Thank you for the reply. There is no need to apologize (though I appreciate the gesture), I understand that you are a busy man and of course there’s the time difference.
I completely agree with your assessment. I have worked with all of the types you’ve described. To keep this short, I am no exception with regard to egotism, it took time working in the field with multiple experienced people/crews to see that time/experience was the only real way to open my mind up to other possibilities. The question always being, “what am I here to accomplish?” Be it for my own vision or someone else’s.
By the way, you have a fantastic library of videos. I enjoy learning new things and perspectives.
I’ve been thinking of replacing my Canon 5dsr with either a Fuji 50s or Pentax 645Z for my large slow wildlife shots, will continue to use 1DX2 for speed.
Fuji has lots of positives but Pentax currently has a 400mm auto focus lens and 600mm 645 manual focus film lens. But it looks like their are adapters to mount Pentax on the Fuji and if it’s a old manual focus lens anyway no big loss. Also have seen Canon EF adapters for Fuji so maybe I could even use my 600/4 IS II On the Fuji but in manual focus and some vignetting.
Ricoh seems to have given up on the medium format so Fuji is probably the way to go but their is something about that 645Z that keeps having me check it out. I don’t mind size or it being a dslr, never used a EVF so not sure how big a change it would be for me.
Really enjoyed this video, first time I’ve seen you will definitely check out your others.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the perfect review.Very well explained. I'am buying this camera because of you honest review.
Fantastic review. Very interesting that you are using it for wildlife.
Thanks for watching. To be clear, I only tried it for wildlife but did not end up purchasing it, at least not yet :) I definitely thought it could be a good option with its own pros and cons like any system.
Great review Adrian, thanks. Note there has been an update for the GFX100 body and lens that slightly improve autofocus. This camera has not betrayed me yet except its average battery life and relatively slow autofocus which is actually faster than my X1Dii.
Funny, I was stopped and questioned by security outside Van Gogh museum in Holland because of this camera which as they said appeared too large and bulky for a normal camera..!!!!!!
Thanks for watching and for the info. Glad to hear you're enjoying the camera. It's a beast that's for sure.
The pixel pitch of the sensors used in the Sony A7R4 and Fuji GFX100 are the same (3.76um). So I would not necessarily expect that the noise behavior of both sensors is so much different. If there is a difference later on the images then it is because of the camera hardware itself (--> Read Noise) and maybe the AD conversion. I used the Fuji GFX100 before (and I still have access to it) and this was also my observation. With the 250mm lens with that 1.4 TC you have an effective FOV of 280mm what is a bit short for Wildlife I think, in case you do a 100% crop, you end up with around 354mm FOV at (guess what): 61MP (same as A7R4) but f/5.6. Interesting, right? So yes, I agree. A nice and great approach from Fuji, I like it for Landscape. But they need a long telephoto lens for this system on order to make it really useable for Wildlife. Including the speed.
Thanks for your thoughts. Yes in the short time I had the camera I found the image quality was roughly on par with the A7RIV although there’s obviously even more pixels to play with when you have those 100 MP files. For most of what I do, I think in certain situations, such as in Africa, I actually could shoot with just that 250mm lens and the slower body but there are other situations where the reach definitely wouldn’t be enough and the speed of the camera would mean missed shots. Also, there’s no way I would go into the field with just one body and in fact I usually carry three bodies so I’d need to figure out what else I would take in a kit that would include the GFX100.
1200mm f4 LET'S GO
Very interesting, I think it's important to stress sensor size is perhaps more important than total MP for overall image quality. If you look at similar images from say a Sony A7rIV and a fuji GFX 50 r/s to my eyes the image quality from the larger censored Fuji are massively better than the smaller censored Sony. My old Nikon D3 with it's mere 12 MP produced fantastic image quality from it's full frame sensor despite it's relatively low pixel count.
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! There’s no doubt that a larger sensor will have better image quality when all things are equal including resolution and lenses. The GFX 50, with slightly less resolution than the A7RIV on a bigger sensor, will clearly have bigger photosites. On the other hand, the GFX 100 ends up having roughly the same size photosites as the A7RIV.
THANKYOU...
I learned a lot from this video, I didn't realize the noise was about the same on this GFX 100 and the A7RIV, I assumed the Fuji had lower. It'd be interesting to see what could be accomplished with a larger sensor and perhaps 50 megapixels, I'd assume that'd give us an excellent low light camera. The tech in this camera is very interesting, most notably the move-able EVF that allows so many viewing options. I guess it remains to be seen if Fuji ever makes a full frame camera suitable for wildlife but perhaps some of this tech will make it into other brands. I'm like you, I do everything in my EVF because without glasses I cannot see the rear LCD and in sunlight it's just better, what I wouldn't give for an EVF that moves like that to accommodate low shooting angles. Currently I'm using an optical right angle finder attached to my Sony but to shoot straight through you have to remove it and in addition it only offers 90 degrees, not all those other angles. Incidentally when I switched to mirrorless I really wanted to be a Fuji customer but not offering a full frame camera just didn't fit my needs. I will say their APS-C cameras are amazing, a friend of mine is renting a lens for his XT-3 to see how it works as a wildlife camera, he currently shoots with Sony full frame bodies. Exciting time to be a photographer, thanks for another superb video.
robwas Fuji really does make some awesome stuff and they give a lot of thought to the overall experience to the photographer. At one point I had a couple of their cameras and many of their lenses. Unfortunately I needed to focus on the gear for my wildlife photography and Fuji’s lack of telephoto primes (they didn’t even have their 200 f2 at that stage) meant I had to abandon them. However I am looking again now at getting one of their lower-end APS-C cameras for some documentary work and those times when I don’t want to carry my full-frame gear.
@@AdrianChoPhotography For some reason the output of the Fuji seems to look a lot better than the Sony which doesn't make sense since Sony likely makes the Fuji sensors. I'm hoping Sony develops some better APS-C cameras in the future... I own the RX100VII and although it's terrible in low light it is an amazing camera for something so small.
I read a lot about the battery staying power when photographers use the camera other than what it was designed for. I can see why someone would use the Fuji GFX100 just for the image quality. I would have to go back and look up the purpose of the camera according to Fuji. Thank you for sharing your video and thoughts.
Hi Earl. Thanks for chiming in. An intereresting related thing - I think Sony always intended the A7RIV as a camera for landscape or studio use. I don’t believe wildlife photography was one of their intended applications but the camera has been enthusiastically adopted by wildlife photographers who love the camera’s high resolution.
Any update on using Fuji for wildlife? There is now the GFX 100 II & upcoming GF 500 5.6 lens. I think you request is being fulfilled
Big files. But the images from the Fuji look insane.
Using crop factor for the f value is misleading (or a mistake). You can use it to give a depth of field equivalence, but not for the luminosity. I'd not use it.
Flexable I appreciate the feedback. It’s intentional on my part. What I find interesting is that when people discuss cameras with smaller sensors like micro four-thirds, many people seem to get very upset when the crop factor is not applied to everything. For my videos I assume people will have their own idea about how the crop factor is applied. Thanks for watching anyway.
Enjoyed your synopsis, liked and subscribed - you had me with the jazz intro and then affirmed my clicks with the conclusions. I came to the same conclusion about pairing the GFX100 with Olympus m43. I'm curious if you tried adapting that 400mm Sony to G mount?
Hi Paul. Thanks for watching. That is an interesting idea but the thought did not occur to me as I figure the lens will not fully cover the sensor. All the best!
@@AdrianChoPhotography Right, but even cropping to 65mpix might be a good option if carrying two systems, like GFX & M43, is impractical.
The files are easy to work with on PCIe 4.0 or even 3.0 NVMe systems. The fact you're trying to use a consumer device like an iPad with an internal bus speed of 0 in your workflow is very surprising. If it has to be portable and support a stylus, look at a newer HP or Lenovo convertible device with a Ryzen processor. (Preferrably the prior, as Lenovo are pretty shady with spyware hidden on UEFI etc.) Another alternative would be Microsoft Surface, if they step into this century with internal bus speed with their upcoming generation. At least the most recent Surface Laptop has USB 3.1 gen2, but the other ports are all trash. Apple are not pursuing good enough storage and internal bus speeds for us media creators to use these days sadly.
Interesting video; regarding using the GFX 100 for wildlife photography, I don’t believe that was Fuji’s intention with this camera, so I don’t believe you”ll be seeing any super telephoto lenses in the lineup for this camera... it’s primary market is for fashion, product and landscape photography, primarily in a controlled setting. Most professional wildlife photographers are using crop sensor cameras for that extra reach and these cameras are getting better and better with new technologies, blurring the lines to some degree between crop and full frame. I believe Fuji has some super telephoto lenses in the lineup for the XF system. The Angry Photographer RUclips channel discusses this topic quite often and I do agree with his opinions despite many people disliking his personality. He will often remark that that all cameras can do the job but some cameras aren’t the best tool for the job. Like you can drive a John Deere tractor to get from point A to Point B but it will take far more time and be less efficient than a sports car.
Hi Marcia. Thanks for watching and for chiming in. I certainly agree on the original intention for the GFX100 and as it is, Fuji has let to produce many big primes even for X cameras except for the 200 f2 which they have probably sold very few of. So such lenses for the GFX system are even less likely. One thing I have doubts about is your thoughts that most professional wildlife photographers are using crop sensors for that extra reach. I really don’t think that’s true. There are a small number who are using APS-C and even some that are using MFT but I think the overwhelming number of professional wildlife photographers are using full-frame cameras. I do think a higher number of amateur wildlife photographers are probably using crop sensors. I think there are a number of reasons for this. Just in terms of framing, recreational wildlife shooters tend to frame too tightly and go after shots where the subject fills more of the frame whereas many professional shooters may be more likely to frame environmental portraits of their wildlife subjects. I teach wildlife photography and this is something I’m constantly discussing. Also, professional shooters are probably more likely to have access to higher resolution systems like the 60 MP full-frame cameras I typically use. The thing is, they might actually crop in on these images at times (I’ve made a couple of videos about this) but are not necessarily obliged to do it through the use of a crop sensor body. I definitely agree about using the right tool for the gear. The way I usually put it is that it doesn’t really matter what gear you are using, the most import things are that a) you have mastery over it and b) it supports your style of shooting and/or you adapt your style to it. Thanks again for your thoughtful input! Stay safe.
Thanks so much for your quick reply and insights. You have certainly made me rethink my opinions regarding full frame vs crop sensor for wildlife photography...I think both systems are very capable and can be employed in different scenarios. One wildlife photographer I’m very fond of is Trond Wesley, he uses both the Nikon D500 and Nikon D4 depending upon the situation. I noticed that he also doesn’t go crazy with cropping. Cheers, and stay safe.
Marcia, one of the really nice things about the 61 MP Sony A7RIV that I mostly use for wildlife photography is that you can easily switch into crop mode and shoot it as a 26 MP crop sensor, or shoot in full-frame mode and then crop later. There are pros and cons to both approaches (I made a separate video about that). Thanks again for watching.
Really great review. That shutter lag issue is bothersome. Wonder if the 100s is any better.
Did you try to " render" the GFX image on iPad without using Adobe Cloud ? it look like it is more a bandwidth internet problem than a file problem.
Hey Roland. Thanks for watching It's definitely not a cloud issue. The files were all locally imported. I have a lot of experience using the iPad for editing in the field and it only pulls from the cloud when you are trying to get something that it doesn't have. It's just the time taken to render the image locally at that level of detail.
Thankyou for putting together this presentation, it was informative and thought provoking. I could see that if your photographic interests bridged both wildlife and landscape work the GFX100 would be easier to justify. I guess if one's photography was limited to animalscapes it would also work; perhaps not a bad thing? I have been eyeing the X mount Fuji bodies (XT4) for wildlife as well. I was hoping that they would have introduced a super tele or two for the Olympics to go with the new body, but it hasn't happened so far. I like the aesthetics and functionality of this line and that crop factor.
Gary G Fuji do make some fantastic gear. I had a couple of their cameras in the past and quite a few of their lenses. I really think if they would release some decent telephoto lenses that they could really expand their market. I actually think I could shoot wildlife mostly with the GFX and the way in which it would force to change my style of wildlife photography would just make things different. However, I think I would definitely have to figure out how to put together a kit with a GFX camera and some other cameras because it’s not like I would have multiple GFX cameras in a kit and I’m used to carrying three bodies right now.
Enjoyed your video and your vision statement - thank you.
Jeffrey B. thanks for watching! Let me know if I can help you with any wildlife photography stuff. Stay safe!
Is image quality far beyond full frame (A7r iv) ?
I like the GFX system. Other than cheetahs and NFL running backs, I think it can cover just about any type of photography out there. Maybe not an F-22 fighter jet flying by. But none of those are of interest to me. Besides, probably with enough practice at panning and a skilled shutter finger, one can still capture anything.
Medium format*
Also the RAW images from Sony RIV are 130mb uncompressed and 60-65mb uncompressed
Not truly but certainly larger the full-frame. I think “large format” is actually a good name for it.
@@AdrianChoPhotography yes you can name it though not truely large format nor even proper medium format
why using the Olympus?
just crop the file from fuji and it is gonna look like a 600mm...ugh
well they already have a APSC camers - so what kind of crop (extra extension) are we talking about there? between apsc and full frame we have 1.5 crop (zoom) do we just add 0.79 to that equation and thus an apsc using those lens will get a 2.29 crop extension?
added the apsc sensor will be faster to shoot more frames per second photos and better tracking?
Yes this is a 0.79 crop so 250mm f4 is 198mm f3.2. It's a completely separate system from their APS-C lenses and cameras so you can't really mix them.
.724 or .72 is the correct crop factor comparing to 35mm. Aspect ratio has to be taken into consideration or else it’s not actually an equivalent. Best part is you can see this yourself :)
Thank you so much
Great review. I have now subscribed to your videos. Thank you.
Thanks for watching Bob. I hope you find some other useful stuff on this channel. Cheers.
Thank you very much for this informative and balanced review! I agree with you on most of your points both good and in the areas that need improvements. Of course each of us would place differing emphasis on the different factors that impress or need to be further addressed. I myself would find the battery life sufficient for my needs and would include an extra set of batteries as a matter of preparedness. I would love to see longer glass that is native to the G mount but I wonder what your thoughts are on having some existing outstanding long lenses adapted to the GFX 100? I realize that there may be some vignetting, but with 102 megapixels, I wonder how much this would be an issue. I appreciate your thoughts, and again thank you for a very informative review.
Hey Thomas. Thanks for watching. I agree on the battery life. It’s just a matter of carrying more spares. As it is, with my Sony cameras, even though it is very rare for me to exhaust a battery in a day, I still carry multiple spares anyway. I will say also that the charging on the GFX100 is very fast using the USB-C PD port.
I did previously look at adapters for GFX as I was curious but I have to say that generally I am personally not big on adapting lenses due to the possibility of poor or compromised AF performance. For example in the Sony ecosystem one of the most capable and widely used adapters is the Sigma MC-11 and the results seem to vary quite a lot depending on the lens.
As your comment came in I was actually doing some further analysis on the possibility of extended work in the field using the GFX100. There are some situations where I am able to shoot sometimes with just the 135mm (or 200mm in crop mode) and I’ve shown many shots taken with that focal length in some of my other videos. For those situations it would be theoretically possible to do the bulk of my shooting with the GFX100 and a 35mm equivalent of 200mm (or 250mm with the 1.4x teleconverter) and fallback to another system for the occasional longer shot. Even if I didn’t need the reach, it’s hard to imagine shooting exclusively with the GFX. For one thing I am used to carrying multiple bodies to at least have backups and also be able to work quickly across the focal range using prime lenses and not having to change lenses. Multiple GFX bodies would be both too expensive and too heavy to carry so realistically carrying only one makes sense (and I did also consider the GFX50R and GFX50S). So for me, any kit with GFX cameras would have to include some other system. As I mentioned in the video, I have this crazy idea of trying to pairing it with micro 4/3. It’s a somewhat crazy idea because it would be a system with one camera with 100MP and another with just 20MP. Still working on that idea but it’s fun to do the analysis.
Interesting and exciting comparison. The GFX 100 is limited by its lenses, I can hardly see any advantage of the GFX for landscape photographers - here the wide angle lenses are missing and in wildlife photography the telephoto focal lengths and the speed of the system are missing. Great that the GFX is available but the Sony offers more possibilities due to the variety of available lenses
Thanks for watching. I agree that one of the most exciting things about Sony is the vibrant lens ecosystem.
The gfx definitely blows Sony far far away in terms of image quality!!
There's a lot more pixels, that's for sure. Do you see the better image quality in other ways? For example do you see it in lower noise levels or the color depth or just the way it renders the images?
@@AdrianChoPhotography I could not really tell the difference from a youtube video. I would need a RAF or RAW file from each of the same image, then maybe...
But, I like the user exp way more in fuji cameras
Well the presentation of this video is more like a sales person, and I was expecting to see image samples and some comparison to the Sony as well. Anyway thanks for the information.
Hi Gino. Sorry this wasn’t helpful enough for you. It’s funny you think was like a sales job because I have no affiliation with Fuji and in fact my final evaluation was that the system wasn’t really right for me. You mentioned image samples. I thought I showed quite a few image samples and talked a lot about the camera in comparison to Sony (even though the video title never said it was going to be a comparison anyway).
Hello Adrian, my apology? I didn't finish the video the first time and you are correct you did compare it with the Sony camera I saw the images. I think you have a good setup with the Sony, the resolution is quite high too. Since the Sony has many pixels how does it handle the noise? I think in dim light the Fuji does creep up with noise as well since there are so many pixels. I like fujifilm colors and the way they design the screen. Good, thank you again.
@@Luigi13 the Sony A7RIV has 61 MP and at a pixel level the noise is definitely more noticeable than something like the 42 MP A7RIII. I generally don’t shoot it at over 1600 or 2000 ISO and I think it’s best suited to use with prime lenses. I found the GFX100 noise about on par with the A7RIV which makes sense since the pixel density is quite common. The 100 MP of he GFX100 was very tempting but at this stage the camera’s autofocus is too slow and there are not enough lens choices for me. However it is definitely a beautiful camera and I can’t wait to see the GFX system evolve.
uploads in 1080p
The hinge on the EVF is so thin that it's just waiting to be snapped off accidentally anytime.
Yes it’s a reasonable concern. The whole assembly is removable too which in theory is a good thing for possibly replacing it and upgrading it in the future and to make the body smaller and more robust for travel. However I have also heard of people having issues with the assembly in cold weather but it’s hard to know whether those are real problems nowadays or not. During my testing I had one case where something weird happened and I was unable to see through the EVF until I removed it and reseated it.
This is a giant leap for photography, but I don’t like to carry a telescope 😔
Great another review of an amazing camera for, not-really-what-it-was-made-for 🙄
True. Interestingly, Sony never expected their 60 MP A7RIV to be used much for wildlife photography but it’s been a hugely popular camera with wildlife shooters. Thanks for watching.
That´s Dwayne Johnson´s camera ! I like the system but I don´t have the muscle.
The Sony images looks much sharper than Fujifilm
I think it's very hard to say that without knowing exactly what camera and lens one is comparing and doing comparison testing under controlled conditions. Sony definitely has some incredibly sharp optics and I use a number of them like the 400 GM, 135 GM, and 24 GM so I understand where you're coming from. What's also great about Sony is that there is a very healthy range of lenses in their ecosystem including ones from other manufacturers.
A kings ransom for all that gear.
Yes it’s definitely expensive gear
Adrian Cho Photography question: have you ever shot With the Nikon D800 /D3/D4 ? If so Thoughts? Recommended lenses Thank you.
Unfortunately I’ve not shot with any of those cameras although I do often look at Nikon as an option every now and then and I’m pretty familiar with their stuff but there’s always something that stops me from going there. I personally think the most appealing thing they offer right now is their PF Fresnel lenses. Mainly the 300 PF. Apart from the Canon 400 DO, there is nothing else like it on the market although a patent was recently revealed showing Fuji might be working on Fresnel lenses.