Fujifilm GFX 50S Image Quality

Here we compare the medium format Fuji GFX 50S with the full-frame Canon 5DS R at base ISO. Although on paper the Fuji has just a slightly higher resolution (51.1MP with a 8256 x 6192 pixel image versus 50.3MP with a 8688 x 5702 image for the Canon), when framed vertically the 4:3 Fuji has a larger advantage over the 3:2 Canon in terms of resolving power than their relative pixel counts would imply. As a result, the Fuji does resolve a bit more detail in this comparison, but it also applies stronger default sharpening and contrast producing a crisper image with more "pop," though with slightly more noticeable sharpening halos as well. (Note that the Canon was shot with Fine Detail Picture Style which does a better job rendering fine detail without visible sharpening artifacts than Canon's Standard Picture Style, but images also have lower contrast.) The Fuji does however show slightly lower noise levels here at ISO 100, particularly chroma noise in the shadows, but it also doesn't reproduce the subtle offset printing coloration in the mosaic crop. Both cameras show some aliasing artifacts but that is to be expected from cameras without optical low-pass filters. Interestingly, the Canon produces higher contrast in our tricky red-leaf swatch. Both cameras produce very pleasing colors as we've come to expect from Canon and Fuji.

The Fuji GFX 50S and Pentax 645Z use very similar if not identical sensors, so it's no surprise they both resolve very similar levels of detail. The Fuji's image appears crisper due to more sophisticated default processing and perhaps a slightly better lens, and it has more pleasing, accurate colors as well. The Pentax on the other hand produces much better contrast in our red-leaf swatch but it renders the pink fabric much too magenta. As expected, both show some aliasing artifacts.

Although not a fair comparison, here we compare the Fuji GFX 50S to the highest resolution camera we have ever tested at IR, the 101-megapixel Phase One XF 100MP, which has an even larger medium format sensor and sells for approximately 7.5x the price as the GFX 50S. The XF easily out-resolves the 51-megapixel GFX 50S as expected, reproducing the finest of details the Fuji simply cannot. The Phase One XF 100 MP also renders a much sharper image, while at the same time producing fewer sharpening halos around high-contrast edges. The Phase One also produces much better contrast in our tricky red-leaf swatch. Noise in flatter areas is more visible from the Phase One already here at base ISO though, even at its lower base sensitivity of 50. Be aware the Phase One camera does not produce in-camera JPEGs, requiring the use of computer software (in this case we used Phase One's Capture One at default settings), so this is another reason this comparison is unfair but still interesting.

The 51-megapixel GFX easily out-resolves Sony's 42-megapixel full-frame A7R II mirrorless, as expected. Once again, the Fuji shows lower chroma noise in the shadows, but the Sony does a better job at reproducing the offset printing coloration in the mosaic crop. Sharpening halos are practically nonexistent from the Sony, but they aren't very obtrusive from the GFX. Both cameras show some aliasing artifacts but the difference in resolution happens to make moiré patterns more visible from the Sony in our red-leaf swatch. Similar to what we saw with the other cameras, the Sony A7R II produces much better contrast in our red-leaf swatch, however overall color is warmer and more accurate from the Fuji.

The Fuji GFX's image quality advantage over the Canon 5DS R increases here a ISO 1600, with the Canon producing much higher luminance noise as can be readily seen in flatter areas, and as a consequence, its default noise reduction begins to blur fine detail more than the Fuji's does. This is particularly evident in the red-leaf swatch which has become noticeably softer with much of the fine thread pattern blurred away. The Fuji has also lost some subtle detail in the red-leaf fabric, though not to the same extent. Contrast in the red-leaf swatch does however remain better from the Canon.

Here at ISO 1600, the Fuji produces a noticeably cleaner, crisper and brighter image even though amount of detail preserved is still comparable. However most of the difference is due to better JPEG processing from the Fuji, as noise levels in RAW files appear very similar. Subtle detail in our tricky red-leaf swatch has been degraded more by the Pentax, however contrast is still a bit better. The Fuji continues to produce better colors.

While the Phase One XF continues to readily out-resolve the GFX here at ISO 1600, its resolution advantage isn't nearly as great as at base ISO. The Phase One's image is much grainier and default noise reduction distorts fine detail and edges more than the GFX. The Phase One image is crisper and contrast remains higher in the red-leaf swatch, though, however color is better from the Fuji. In case you're wondering, resampling the Phase One down to the GFX's image size of 51 megapixels reduces the appearance of noise, but the GFX's image is still significantly cleaner.

Here at ISO 1600, the Fuji GFX 50S continues to out-resolve the Sony A7R II. Both show similar levels of noise, however the Fuji's grain pattern is a bit more regular and film-like. The Sony shows much higher contrast in our red-leaf swatch and still shows more moiré patterns, however most of the fine thread pattern has been blurred away by noise reduction.

The Fuji GFX's image quality continues to pull away from the Canon 5DS R's at ISO 3200, with a much cleaner, crisper, more detailed image all around. The Canon's default noise reduction is working pretty hard at this point, which unfortunately blurs and distorts fine detail while still leaving behind a lot of noise "grain".

Here at ISO 3200, the GFX continues to produce a noticeably cleaner, crisper and punchier JPEG image with better color than the 645Z. And again, the leaf pattern in our tricky red-leaf swatch has been blurred more by the Pentax's default noise reduction.

The Fuji GFX 50S image is dramatically cleaner than the Phase One image here at ISO 3200, with fewer noise reduction artifacts. The XF 100MP continues to be a little crisper with better contrast, but overall the Fuji comes out ahead here with lower noise, fewer noise reduction artifacts and better color. Keep in mind this is with default settings, so it's possible with some careful processing the added resolution provided by the 100MP will allow you to apply stronger noise reduction while still retaining better detail, but the Fuji still comes out ahead in terms of noise when you simply resample the Phase One image down to the same 51 megapixel size.

Again, the Fuji GFX 50S bests the Sony A7R II in this comparison at ISO 3200, producing a cleaner, crisper, more detailed image with better color and fewer noise reduction artifacts. The Sony continues to produce better contrast in our troublesome red-leaf swatch, however fine detail is more distorted than the Fuji's.

At ISO 6400, the Fuji GFX's image quality is so much better than the Canon 5DS R's, that it can barely see the Canon in its rear-view mirror! The GFX appears more than a stop better in terms of noise, and still produces a much sharper (even though sharpening tends to exacerbate noise) and clearer image with far fewer noise reduction artifacts.

Here at ISO 6400, the Fuji continues to produce a noticeably cleaner, crisper and more detailed JPEG than the Pentax with a tighter noise grain and better color as well, but again that's mostly due to better processing from the Fuji as RAW files contain similar noise characteristics. Both cameras blur our troublesome red-lead swatch, but the GFX holds on to a bit more detail.

The Fuji image is again dramatically cleaner than the Phase One here at ISO 6400, with far fewer noise reduction artifacts. The XF 100MP continues to be a little crisper with better contrast, but overall the Fuji comes out ahead here with lower noise, better detail retention, fewer noise reduction artifacts and better color.

Once again, the Fuji GFX 50S easily wins this comparison, producing a cleaner, crisper, more detailed image with better color and fewer noise reduction artifacts than the Sony A7R II.