First look at the Fujifilm GFX 50S - could this photo behemoth get RAW video like Hasselblad H6D-100C?

[Andrew Reid]

It's flown under the radar for video but the Sony 100 megapixel CMOS sensor is doing amazing things over in the Hasselblad camp - 4K RAW to be exact. You can see a great video of that below but first - I present to you the humble Fujifilm GFX 50S.

If I told you Fujifilm had a full frame mirrorless camera system to compete with the Sony A7R III, a lot of people would sit up and notice. However the GFX 50S is a medium format camera, and these don't really register on the same radar screen as others.

Read the full article

[Don Kotlos]

Yep, especially when shooting square then this Fuji is great and not that much more expensive than FF cameras. You can use any FF lenses (36x24) and you get almost double the sensor area than what a  FF sensor would provide for 1:1 crop. And you can get really good FF glass as well, no need to use the expensive MF glass. 

Amazing that the Nikon 58mm F1.4G covers the sensor! I would also love to see how a 35mm f/1.4 would look, wide + super shallow DoF!

I really like the viewfinder with the rotating base as well. 

Can't say I am not tempted... 

[BTM_Pix]

If you've still got any of your Hasselblad HC lenses around from the H3D then this is a used bargain for the H to G adapter for them to go on the GFX 

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-accessories/used-photo-and-video-accessories/used-other-photo-and-video-accessories/fujifilm-h-mount-adapter-g/sku-698888/

It only allows you to use them in manual focus only (with metering and aperture control though) but there are beginning to be some real deals kicking around for those lenses.

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-lenses/used-hasselblad-lenses/

[Andrew Reid]

Thank you bargain hunter. That is a superb price on the adapter, it is £650 new and WEX had it used for £450

I've gone and pulled the trigger on that and we'll see how the Hassy lenses do. Shame it doesn't have AF with these even though it has an electronic interface on the adapter, wonder why they didn't get it to work?

I am keeping the H3D-II with it's even larger CCD, as I love using it. The optical viewfinder on that and the snappy AF vs the GFX is like a nice reliable DSLR in early days of mirrorless.

Recently found the 100mm F2.2 HC for £600 at MPB's eBay outlet... Usually it is £1200 but this one had no AF and was being sold as spares... Manual focus on it works fine and it's actually quite easy to focus through the H3D-II's viewfinder. On the GFX will be even easier.

On the subject of lens adapters, I recently got a TechArt Leica M AF adapter for Sony... Blog post coming soon on that. I am blown away by the AF speed and it works with everything manual, not just Leica M... And it more than halves the minimum focus distance of the Leica M stuff which is usually 1m. I'm impressed.

[BTM_Pix]

9 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

On the subject of lens adapters, I recently got a TechArt Leica M AF adapter for Sony... Blog post coming soon on that. I am blown away by the AF speed and it works with everything manual, not just Leica M... And it more than halves the minimum focus distance of the Leica M stuff which is usually 1m. I'm impressed.

Excellent

As a reluctant late joiner to the E mount party, I'm very interested in this adapter.

[Django]

For those in the MF market a much cheaper GFX 50R is expected to launch at Photokina:

https://www.fujirumors.com/fujifilm-gfx-50r-concepts-of-the-most-affordable-digital-medium-format-camera-ever/

https://www.fujirumors.com/fujifilm-gfx-50r-announcement-not-in-july-august-but-photokina-or-shortly-before-no-price-set-at-this-stage/

[Jonas Nyhav]

Some errors in the article.

1. Hasselblad X1D lenses leafshrutter is working in 1/2000 sec as fastest the same as all current Hasselblad digital cameras with new current lenses.
2. They also feature a electronic shutter that tops out at 1/16000 sec, same as Fuji GXF. 

The Fuji GFX and Hasselblad X1D is in two different categories.
- Fuji is a direct competitor against Phaseone IQ250 or Hasselblad H6D-50c, with a form factor as a traditional medium format camera.
- Hasselblad X1D is a digital reincarnation of Mamiya 7 or Plaubel Makina 67, with a form factor travel as a compact medium format cameras.

I have the X1D and i gives me terrific results. It's is a good complement as a mirrorless alternativ to my Hasselblad V system with the digital back CFV-50c.
If I could go for a classic 645 medium format cameras system I would go for the Hasselblad H6D-100c.

The videofiles from X1D have a really good dynamic range by lac of log-gamma and the sensor has a rolling shutter of approx 30ms. But the big let down is the low datarate of the compressed files. Way to compressed to be useful.

 

[frontfocus]

4K won't happen on the 50MP medium format cameras.

But it will happen on the 100MP 44x33mm cameras (x2D, GFX100S) coming next year. The sensor can do 4K 30p 12bit, but I wouldn't expect to see 12bit, RAW or even 10bit in those cameras. Too much heat. Still, would be nice. Imagine a medium format 4K camera with ProRes Raw :D 

the sensor could probably also handle 8K, but I wouldn't expect that either

[Andrew Reid]

Agree that would be amazing.

Some things don't stack up there though... for a start, 100MP 44x33? The 100MP Sony medium format sensor with 4K is 53x40mm.

That's what it is in the Hasselblad H6D any way, and it makes no sense to do 100MP in anything smaller. It's 12K for crying out loud.

And how do we know a GFX100S is coming?

Are we reading the clickbait rumours sites again?!

By the way the H6D-50C with similar sensor to the Fuji GFX 50S does actually do RAW video as well. Just 2K. Would love to see what that's like.

Come on Fuji get that firmware update out

[frontfocus]

42 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

And how do we know a GFX100S is coming?

I think that was given since Fuji introduced the GFX50s with lenses, which handle 100MP without a problem. 

Quote

Are we reading the clickbait rumours sites again?!

I don't think you need any rumor site. The IMX461 100MP 44x33mm sensor is coming. Phase One already has cameras with it on preorder. Fuji will probably add phase detection focusing to it. Might be a few other tweaks too. Don't know about Hasselblad, but would make sense to go the Fuji route. 

edit: here is the IMX461 on the Sony page: https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/products_en/IS/sensor2/application/index.html

What I am personally looking for, is for one of those medium format camera manufacturers to go into video. The Hasselblad lenses made by Fujinon have been modified to work on the Arri Alexa 65, so we know the glass is there. Neither manufacturer has a video camera business those cameras would hurt, like Sony, Canon or Panasonic have to protect theirs against their smaller cameras. 

While 10000$/€/£ is a lot, I think quite a few would be very interested. Especially the Fuji, with it's modular approach. If you could directly attach a monitor instead of the EVF for example. 

42 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

By the way the H6D-50C with similar sensor to the Fuji GFX 50S does actually do RAW video as well. Just 2K. Would love to see what that's like.

Yeah, 2K would probably be possible. But I don't think Fuji will go this way. They probably still think, that the 50S is a pure photo camera, the video is just for the specs. Wouldn't have to be 2K Raw, I think adding some of the X-H1 features, like silent control, 200Mbit Codec, Eterna Filmsimulation with 200% and 400% Dynamic Range extension and Flog would be very welcome. 

[frontfocus]

I now read trough the whole review. I think you should go work for Fuji. Why? 

Quote

With a faster sensor readout comes better contrast-detect autofocus as well. Maybe this is asking too much on a 50 megapixel medium format sensor, but if they could optimise the speed at which the sensor scans they could bring that benefit to the contrast detect AF system as well

That's actually what they did. The 50s uses a modified sensor, for faster read out (around 1.5x faster). That's probably why it focuses faster than the X1D and why it's viewfinder has a higher resolution. 

One thing I can't wrap my head around is the following claim about the H6D 100C

Quote

The full width of the sensor is used with top and bottom cropped to give 12K 16:9 video down sampled to 4K in camera

Doing the math, that would mean reading and processing no less than 81MP with every picture and that, 24 times a second. That's nearly 2 billion pixels processed every second. That would need enormous power and I just don't think any current stills camera processor can handle that amount of pixels. It also doesn't seem right if you look at the specifications of the sensor that Sony released. 

Anyway, even getting straight 4K off such a sensor is a huge achievement and we can only hope, that it trickles down

[Andrew Reid]

I agree, it's probably pixel binning to produce the 4K from 12K but i was just quoting the cinematographer of that nice drifting video verbatim... that's what he said. Maybe it's not right, maybe it is... who knows

Thanks for the corrections on the X1D. A fine camera system for sure, but I still think the GFX 50S has something special going on with the focal plane shutter, adaptability to so many lenses and Fujifilm colour.

[frontfocus]

11 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

I agree, it's probably pixel binning to produce the 4K from 12K but i was just quoting the cinematographer of that nice drifting video verbatim... that's what he said. Maybe it's not right, maybe it is... who knows

Pixel binned or line skipped. It‘s just that the Sony data sheet, a bit of technical knowledge and common sense suggest no 12K read out :D

[Andrew Reid]

Yeah ok no need to go sarky on people.

[frontfocus]

That wasn't my intend. I just think, that claims like that should be discussed, otherwise they might end up as fake news. 

Anyway, I really enjoyed your view on the camera, I've been enjoying it too. 

[Tim Shoebridge]

The GFX 50s is a fantastic camera for sure, I ended up coupling it with Hasselblad XPAN lenses (ironically made my Fuji) ... they work brilliantly and are extremely compact. BTW I shot this video with the GFX 50s soon after buying it, really love the colours and how the shadows hold up in low light, just a shame the overall video quality is not quite there... 

 

[Trek of Joy]

I spent some time tinkering with the GFX when I was in Japan. Love the files, fat pixels mean wonderful tonal transitions - much like the a7s. Looking forward to seeing some samples with the SigArt lenses mentioned in the article.

Also Andrew, Fuji says with FW 3.10 you can use a custom button for 35mm mode.

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/gfx/fujifilm_gfx_50s/features/page_08.html

Chris

[Andrew Reid]

3 hours ago, frontfocus said:

That wasn't my intend. I just think, that claims like that should be discussed, otherwise they might end up as fake news. 

Anyway, I really enjoyed your view on the camera, I've been enjoying it too. 

No problem. I try not to write fake news. I can't afford an X1D as well so it is a camera I know less well apart from online research and my experience my older Hasselblad lenses. I still love that H3D II form factor by the way. They should maintain it somehow into the brave new mirrorless world. Actually, just a very slim lightweight back would be a start on these cameras - the mirror box core itself is not that heavy, neither is the viewfinder module or the battery grip. It's the back that pushes it all past 2kg.

Imagine a full frame camera in the form factor of a Hasselblad H6D too... Modular design, massive viewfinder, slimmed down sensor back and you could pick your sensor - low light, resolution, video - Sony could offer 3 modules!

The GFX viewfinder being detachable is definitely a nod to Hasselblad.

No doubt there is room for the slimmest, smallest, most beautiful X1D style medium format as well. Only thing that comes close to that in looks and build quality is the Leica SL.

1 hour ago, Tim Shoebridge said:

The GFX 50s is a fantastic camera for sure, I ended up coupling it with Hasselblad XPAN lenses (ironically made my Fuji) ... they work brilliantly and are extremely compact. BTW I shot this video with the GFX 50s soon after buying it, really love the colours and how the shadows hold up in low light, just a shame the overall video quality is not quite there... 

 

I recognise you

Saw your blog and video on the GFX when I was researching into it for first time. Lovely shots in there. Really shows the magic that medium format brings to the image regardless of video quality. So the Helios covers in 16:9?! Nice. I didn't intend to get a GFX lens at first but as it came with my camera, I thought I'd try it any way and sell it if I didn't use it but turns out I am having a hard time parting with the Fujifilm glass. The 63mm F2.8 is a beast for a standard lens and I love the rendering, I thought it would be clinical-modern but it has character at the same time as astounding contrast and sharpness. It's incredible quality for the price vs Hasselblad.

[GiM_6x]

On ‎2018‎-‎05‎-‎29 at 6:00 AM, frontfocus said:

4K won't happen on the 50MP medium format cameras.

But it will happen on the 100MP 44x33mm cameras (x2D, GFX100S) coming next year. The sensor can do 4K 30p 12bit, but I wouldn't expect to see 12bit, RAW or even 10bit in those cameras. Too much heat. Still, would be nice. Imagine a medium format 4K camera with ProRes Raw :D 

the sensor could probably also handle 8K, but I wouldn't expect that either

C'mon, "ProRes RAW". . .
ProRes as a quality LOSS compresion, RAW is a NO quality loss compresion.
You can't have at the same time both.

[frontfocus]

https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/docs/Apple_ProRes_RAW_White_Paper.pdf