FUJIFILM GFX 50S II

A medium-format camera that might just tempt you away from full-frame

- Sharmishta Sarkar

Fujifilm has taken another big stride in its effort to make medium-format photography more accessible, and ultimately take it mainstream, with the GFX 50S II, the fifth model in the GFX series. On paper there doesn’t appear to be a huge difference between the Mark II and its predecessor, but a completely different body, a few internal upgrades and a more tempting price point could see some photographers making the switch to medium-format.

Fujifilm already has a couple of relatively affordable medium-format cameras in the GFX 50S and GFX 50R, but after the success of its 102MP cameras, it’s no surprise that the company decided to upgrade its 50MP models. Enter the GFX 50S II.

At launch, it’s cheaper than the original GFX 50S, with a price tag that’s comparable with some of the newer high-resolution full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market right now. While that’s an unfair comparison to make in some ways, considering the speed and precision of the full-framers, it does put into perspective how far Fujifilm has come in bringing medium-format photography to a wider audience.

So how exactly did Fujifilm manage to keep costs low? For one, by using the same 51.4MP sensor that was used in the original GFX 50S. That means you can forget about 4K video, and you’re stuck with a continuous shooting speed of 3fps. But not everything in photography is about video recording and burst rates; sometimes all you want is top-notch stills and that medium-format ‘look’.

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