Fujifilm unveils GFX 100, a 102-megapixel medium-format mirrorless camera

A member of the media trying the 102-megapixel Fujifilm GFX 100. ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
A member of the media trying the 102-megapixel Fujifilm GFX 100. ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
Mr Toshihisa Iida, Fujifilm's general manager of sales and marketing, launched the GFX 100 during a press conference in Tokyo on May 23. ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
Mr Toshihisa Iida, Fujifilm's general manager of sales and marketing, launched the GFX 100 during a press conference in Tokyo on May 23. ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN

TOKYO - Fujifilm has launched the GFX 100, a mirrorless camera with a whopping 102-megapixel medium-format sensor.

This backside-illuminated sensor, which Fujifilm describes as a large-format sensor, is 70 per cent larger than a full-frame image sensor. In other words, you are getting more resolution and details with the GFX 100 than a full-frame mirrorless or DSLR camera.

At the Tokyo press launch on Thursday (May 23), Mr Toshihisa Iida, Fujifilm's general manager of sales and marketing, said that the camera was built to help users preserve life's moments in the highest details and resolution possible.

"We are not developing the technology just for the sake of technology itself," he said.

The Fujifilm GFX 100 was first unveiled as a concept during the Photokina camera trade show in September last year. It is expected to be available in Singapore in July at $14,999 (body only).

It boasts several firsts in its class, such as having five-axis in-body image stabilisation, which Fujifilm claims is effective up to 5.5 stops for shake reduction. It is also the first camera with an image sensor of this size to offer native 4K video recording at 30p.

In addition, the GFX 100 offers quick autofocusing (AF) in almost all situations, which is not always the case for medium- and large-format cameras. This is thanks to having 3.78 million phase-detection AF pixels spread across nearly 100 per cent of its image sensor's surface.

Furthermore, the GFX 100 also features Fujifilm's fourth-generation X-Processor 4 image processor for 16-bit RAW and tiff files output. It is also said to have improved accuracy in terms of face and eye detection AF.

The GFX 100 also comes with a super high-resolution 5.76-million-dots electronic viewfinder along with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display for composing photos.

But as impressive as its technical features are, the best thing about the GFX 100 is probably its lightweight yet tough magnesium-alloy body (1.4kg). It means that the GFX 100 is a "very practical camera", according to Fujifilm CEO and chairman Shigetaka Komori.

With weather sealing in 95 location around the camera body, the GFX 100 is highly resistant to dust and moisture. It is also cold-resistant down to -10 degrees Celsius.

It comes with a built-in grip to quickly switch to portrait shooting. The grip can hold up to two NP-T125 batteries, for up to 800 shots per charge.

The camera can take two SD card slots with UHS-II support. It comes with a USB-C port - for charging and data transfer - along with headphone jacks and a HDMI port.

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