Fujifilm announces 102MP GFX100RF fixed lens camera

Fujifilm has announced the GFX100RF, a fixed-lens medium format camera, with a monster 102MP sensor and a 35mm (28mm equiv.) F4 lens.

The new camera is unique for Fujifilm, and marks the company's first fixed-lens digital camera in its GFX System. It's also easily the lightest GFX camera as well - at just 735g (the company's previous lightest GFX camera, the GFX 50R, is 775g).

Buildwise, the GFX100RF is milled from a single block of aluminium, and visually has much in common with Fujifilm's popular X100 series of cameras.

It's a little taller than the X100, and features a different array of buttons, the most notable a lever to control the "digital teleconverter," which allows for photographers to crop in to several different focal lengths in-camera: 45 (35mm equiv.), 63 (50mm equiv.), and 80mm (63mm equiv.).

Speaking of the lens, Fujifilm says its been newly developed for the camera, and the company has shortened the back focus by adopting a leaf shutter mechanism instead of a focal plane shutter.

The advantage of the leaf shutter over a more traditional focal plane shutter is it allows flash photography at any shutter speed.

As well, the adoption of a leaf shutter created extra space, which helped significantly reduce the overall size of the camera.

The lens features 10 elements in 8 groups, including two aspherical lenses, and has a 20cm minimum focus distance. It also comes with a built-in 4-stop ND filter.

On the body itself, the camera features Fujifilm’s first-ever Aspect Ratio Dial on the top rear of the camera body. This dial allows for switching between nine aspect ratios for both stills and video formats. 

On the rear, a 3.15-inch, 2.1 million-dot, two-axis tilt LCD monitor, features a user interface (UI) that optimally aligns shooting icons to match the monitor and 3:2 aspect ratio. The EVF is 5.76 million-dots.

Inside, the camera uses a 102MP sensor, paired with the X-Processor 5 chip. AF features the usual face/eye detection, and additionally, the AI subject detection AF uses deep learning technology to recognise a wide variety of subjects, including animals, vehicles, birds, and aeroplanes.

Fujifilm also says the tracking AF function has been enhanced for video recording, allowing subject tracking with touch operation.

Speaking of video, it maxes out at 4K/30P and 4:2:2 10-bit internal. 

Overall, the GFX100RF looks to be a pretty compelling camera that meshes the retro aesthetic Fujifilm is known for with a modern, huge sensor and solid AF. We're currently testing one now, and should have a review in the next few weeks. 

The GFX100RF will be available from 7 April, and will set you back $8,799. You can find out more at Fujifilm.