Fujifilm GFX 50S Extended Gallery

Fuji GFX Extended Gallery

Delving into portraits, higher ISO's and more

By Dave Pardue | Posted: 03/17/2017

As I started writing this extended gallery piece I couldn't help but notice that the Fuji GFX is not only the most popular camera on our website as of today (populated by readers in the Most Popular pod on our homepage) but it also has been for some time, and is leagues ahead of the next camera on the list. That wouldn't be at all surprising to me, given several factors such as how good our First Shots looked from a first pass through our test lab. However, the relatively high price tag compared to even most full frame cameras makes that enormous popularity all the more intriguing. My colleague William Brawley had just brought the camera stateside after an initial gallery sampling in Japan, and asked if I'd take it out for a portrait spin. (Well... sure!)

Given the enormous sensor housed inside, I was, like many others, surprised by how relatively light the camera is. Even with the 63mm f/2.8 attached, which is the only lens I had to work with, the entire package is scarcely larger than a typical full-frame DSLR. Given this reasonable weight and the ability to fit in my relatively small "everyday" camera bag (a slim, over-the-shoulder Lowepro) I therefore kept the camera with me a lot more than I would have expected, including on some extended family hikes in the hills. This is obviously not your father's medium format camera here, and the more I shot with it the more I could understand the attraction. It's not without a few obvious and immediate drawbacks in the performance arena, which we'll be exploring in depth for you from the lab and from the field. But, then again, that's not why people spend their money for a medium format camera.

(Images have been resized to fit this page, cropped and/or altered in post-production, primarily to balance shadows and highlights as needed. Clicking any image will take you to a carrier page with access to the original, full-resolution image as delivered by the GFX. For additional images, EXIF data and access to the RAW files from these images for downloading please see our Fuji GFX-50S gallery page.)

Portraits: The medium format Fuji way

Of the two prime lenses announced alongside the Fujifilm GFX, the 120mm f/4 (95mm eq.) certainly sits more snugly in the range of common portrait territory, but the 50mm-equivalent 63mm f/2.8 is a full stop brighter, and sports a focal length that is definitely still within the common portrait wheelhouse, especially for capturing more of the subject than just basic head shots. As you'll see from these images as well as a few down below, the much larger sensor adds to the shallow depth of field potential lost by the shorter focal length and dimmer aperture than what's typically found on most classic portrait lenses and somewhat levels the playing field for this lens when shooting wide open.

While I've very much enjoyed shooting with the capable and reasonably lightweight 63mm f/2.8, it will be interesting to see if our friends at Fuji have a special portrait lens on the drawing board for this mount coming at some point down the road, especially given their excellent XF 56mm f/1.2 and XF 90mm f/2 portrait lenses for their X-series mount. When they do, this photographer will surely be eager to try it out!

ISO freedom: Cranking the gain on a large sensor

When you crank the volume on a tiny speaker it breaks up quickly and turns to noise, but not so with a quality speaker of ample proportions. So too are we accustomed to that luxury while cranking the ISO gain as the sensor size increases, and as we saw from the initial lab images of our Still Life test target from the GFX, this sensor and processor combination are indeed designed to allow for that freedom in spades. I suppose the use of higher ISOs isn't the first reason people reach out for a medium format camera, but it's certainly nice to know you have that power at your disposal when you need it.

Stay tuned for much more to come from us in the higher-ISO image quality department, as we'll soon bring you our signature Image Quality Comparisons and Print Quality Analysis. Those should both prove eye-opening based on the initial results from our laboratory First Shots. We'll have more to come from the lab and the field in the performance department as well.

Fujinon 63mm f/2.8: A nifty fifty with shallow DOF

We touched on the 63mm f/2.8 lens earlier, but let's take a closer look at the relatively shallow depth of field attainable with this combination. After all, when you think 50mm eq. at f/2.8, you're not generally thinking about the subject-to-background isolation potential afforded by something longer and brighter, as the classic portrait lenses generally provide. This is where the third part of the equation comes into play in the form of that huge sensor housed inside, one that can take an otherwise average-sounding aperture and focal length and make it behave more like something a bit more exotic.

Fuji Film Simulations: Let's go to 11!

If you've not yet surmised, I'm a Fuji Film Simulation addict. Admitted, convicted, not restricted. I fell for them years ago and think about them often when I'm shooting with Fuji cameras (and yearn for them when I'm not). Their default simulation, called "Standard" and based on their Provia film, is fine and certainly the most "true" to the real life scene in front of you, but I rarely use it as I'm often going for a certain look from the start. You can certainly achieve this after the fact, but I very much like getting a head start on the look I want, knowing the RAW file will still be there later for choosing another direction or for converting in-camera. I'm quite certain these film simulations have changed the way I shoot, and most definitely expand the artistic canvas while out in the field.

There are 9 Film Simulations found in the GFX, and the two monochrome versions each come in 4 flavors, yielding 15 in total. In this piece and throughout our GFX gallery, I've covered 11 of these for you, including all 6 of the color varieties. They really can radically alter an image and give it the "feel" you're after, while generally remaining subtle enough to not seem like a gimmick. To each his own, as some purist photographers will surely disagree, but I'm also certain that there are some of you reading this who are fellow film simulation addicts like myself. (And I'd love to hear from both sides in the comments down below... do you have a favorite film simulation or two? Do you shun their very existence? Let's hear it! Family-friendly, please.)

So my addiction to film simulations remains alive and well, and even bolstered by the relatively new ability to process RAWs in-camera after the fact. Of course, you can also bracket 3 different simulations while shooting, but you do lose the RAW file option in that scenario. I do use the bracketing feature though, when I'm sure it'll be narrowed to one of those three, as that saves time and lends to the artistic enjoyment of selecting images after the fact.

GFX Extended Gallery Conclusion

Shooting with the Fuji GFX was an enjoyable experience for me and really taxed my skill level. Only once have I shot with this high a resolution (Canon 5DS) and once again found it a good learning experience. In addition, the enormous sensor housed in such a reasonably-sized package is very alluring for a variety of subjects, and when combined with the high ISO prowess and Fuji's film simulation modes, the camera lends itself to a wealth of artistic expression for the adventurous photographer, even while on-the-go. Of course, the medium format class is also known as a primary tool for landscape photographers, and our own Jeremy Gray is working on a Field Test for you as I type from the late winter locale of Maine, USA. Stay tuned for his experienced take from the field and snow, landscapes aplenty, and for more on factors like weather-sealing as well.

For more images from this collection and from our tour of Japan please see our Fujifilm GFX Gallery!

• Fuji GFX Gallery • Lab Samples •