The new GFX100S II is Fujifilm's cheapest medium format camera with a 100MP sensor yet at launch, and is aggressively priced at $4,999 / £4,999 / AU$8,699 body-only.
That high-resolution medium format sensor delivers a degree of detail in your images that full-frame cameras can't match, not even the class-leading and similarly priced Sony A7R V and Leica Q3.
We're now in a world where the most affordable medium format cameras are the same price as professional full-frame models, so the best camera for you may be based more on your experience and user needs than your budget and preference of cameras. sensor size.
Photographers who want the best possible detail will be drawn to the GFX100S II, while those who need a camera that is as adept at capturing action sequences as it is detail will look to a model like the Sony A7R V.
That said, the GFX100S II is a much faster camera than the now discontinued GFX100S, which, in case you're interested, has been at record selling prices for several months – it's just $4,399 at B&H Photo or £3,499 at WEX.
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The GFX100S II has Fujifilm's latest processor and a refined version of the 102MP sensor, although its readout speed is not as fast as the stacked 'HR' version of the sensor in the more expensive GFX100 II.
The sensor is also equipped with eight stops of image stabilization, depending on the lens used, a feature that is extremely useful when shooting handheld at such a high resolution, when cameras are much less tolerant of camera shake. camera.
Despite capturing large file sizes, the GFX100S II is capable of playing up to seven frames per second, while including subject detection and tracking autofocus for people, animals and vehicles.
There's also a gorgeous dual-axis vari-angle touchscreen and an improved viewfinder that now has a 5.76m dot resolution and 100fps refresh rate. The viewfinder is fixed in position, unlike the removable GFX100 II unit, while there is no option for a battery grip, again unlike the modular GFX100 II.
The aesthetics have changed too, with modern design touches taken from the GFX100 II, Fujifilm's first model dressed in a bishamon tex leather exterior. However, the body and control layout are the same as the traditional-looking GFX100S, meaning you get a comfortable grip and a useful top LCD screen.
Ultimately, the GFX100S II sits somewhere between the outgoing GFX100S and the flagship GFX100 II, bringing faster performance to the base model and an improved 100MP sensor with stabilization, for just a small margin over the asking price of his predecessor.
I've already tested the GFX100S II a bit, along with the new GF 500mm f/5.6 telephoto lens. I was able to capture some fantastic, detail-rich photographs of exotic animals at a UK wildlife reserve, although autofocus performance wasn't as good as I'd hoped.
The on-sale date for the GFX100S II and the new GF 500mm f/5.6 lens is June 17, with the lens priced at $3,499 / £3,499. 6,099 Australian dollars. No word yet on whether the GFX100S II will be available as a bundle with a kit lens.
