Fujifilm GFX 50R Review

Overview

The Fuji GFX 50S delivers excellent image quality thanks to its 51.4-megapixel medium-format image sensor, but the camera is fairly large and quite expensive, with a suggested retail price well north of $5,000 USD. Fujifilm has heard from customers who would like medium-format image quality in a more compact and affordable camera body. The 50R -- the second camera in the GFX mirrorless medium-format camera system -- has been designed to respond to these criticisms of the GFX 50S.

The GFX 50R offers the same 51.4-megapixel image sensor as the 50S but in a more compact and lightweight body, which is reminiscent of retro rangefinder medium-format film cameras, and it introduces Bluetooth compatibility, a wireless feature missing from the GFX 50S. Let's take a closer look at the GFX 50R, including covering which specifications and features are shared between the newer GFX 50R and the existing GFX 50S, which released in March 2017.

Key Features

• Rangefinder-style GFX camera
• More compact and lighter than the GFX 50S
• Built-in electronic viewfinder
• Tilting touchscreen
• 51.4-megapixel medium-format CMOS image sensor
• 14-bit RAW recording
• Fujifilm Film Simulations
• Native ISO range of 100-12,800, expandable to 50-102,400
• 425-point contrast-detect autofocus system
• Maximum shooting speed of 3 frames per second
• Full HD video recording
• Built-in Bluetooth 4.0

Camera Body and Design

This is the primary area of differentiation between the 50R and the 50S. Where the GFX 50S is shaped more like a DSLR camera and includes a detachable electronic viewfinder on the top and a rather substantial bulge behind the rear display for the battery, the GFX 50R is shaped more like a rangefinder. The GFX 50S is a complex shape, which some have described as unattractive. The GFX 50R, on the other hand, is a generally rectangular block with a considerably simpler, more streamlined aesthetic.

Designed like a rangefinder, the electronic viewfinder is located in the top left corner of the camera rather than on top. Another difference between the GFX 50R and its 50S sibling is that the 50R does not have a battery bulge on the back. The difference in overall size with respect to depth is considerable, with the GFX 50R having a maximum depth of 2.62 inches (66.4 millimeters) versus 3.6 inches (91.4 millimeters).

Considering other dimensions, if you compare to the GFX 50S with its electronic viewfinder attached, the camera is 5.81 inches (147.5 millimeters) wide, 4.48 inches (113.8mm) tall and has the maximum depth of 3.6 inches mentioned above. The GFX 50R is wider at 6.33 inches (160.7mm) and shorter at 3.8 inches (96.5mm). If you remove the electronic viewfinder of the GFX 50S, it's 3.71 inches (94.2mm) tall, which is slightly shorter than the GFX 50R -- which has a built-in electronic viewfinder. With the EVF attached, the GFX 50S weighs 32.5 ounces (920 grams) and the GFX 50R weighs 27.3 ounces (775 grams).

Returning to the electronic viewfinder, the GFX 50R has a 0.5-inch OLED panel which offers 100% frame coverage and 0.77x magnification (35mm equivalent). This is lower magnification than the GFX 50S, which offers 0.85x magnification. Both cameras' EVFs have 3.69 million dots, so the primary difference appears to be in terms of the optics within the viewfinder rather than the underlying technology. The GFX 50R also offers two degrees less angle of view (38 versus 40). Finally, unlike the GFX 50S's electronic viewfinder, the GFX 50R cannot be used with Fujifilm's optional tilting viewfinder.

Similarly, the rear touchscreen LCD has basically the same technology. The GFX 50R has a 3.2-inch 4:3 display with approximately 2,360K dots and full 100 percent frame coverage. However, unlike the GFX 50S, the GFX 50R's display tilts in two directions rather than three (up and down versus up, down and to the side). Further, the GFX 50R does not have a top display like the GFX 50S, which offers a customizable 1.28-inch monochrome LCD status screen near the shutter release.

As for the ruggedness of the GFX 50R, it is weather-sealed in 64 locations. It is designed to be weather- and dust-resistant, plus it can be operated in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius). The camera is built using a magnesium alloy body and its two top dials are constructed of milled aluminum.

The primary takeaway is that the GFX 50R is smaller and lighter than the GFX 50S. In some ways, particularly with respect to depth, it is considerably smaller. That said, the GFX 50S has an ample front grip, something the GFX 50R lacks.

Image Sensor

The GFX 50R includes the same Fujifilm G Format 51.4-megapixel medium-format image sensor. The sensor is not a "full-size" medium format sensor, but is instead 43.8 x 32.9 millimeters, which while a fair bit larger than a full-frame image sensor is not as large as the medium-format sensor found in cameras like the Phase One IQ4 150MP, for example. With that said, the image quality from the GFX 50S has proven to be very impressive in our laboratory and real-world testing, and as expected, the 50R's IQ is much the same. The GFX 50R offers an ISO range of 100 to 12,800 and can be expanded to ISO 50-102,4000.

Like the GFX 50S, the sensor in the GFX 50R is paired with Fujifilm's X-Processor Pro image processing engine, which is designed to offer high-quality color and tone reproduction. To that end, we find the same Fujifilm Film Simulation modes: Provia, Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome, Pro Neg. Hi, Pro Neg. Std, Black and White (standard, yellow, red and green filters), Sepia and Acros (standard, yellow, red and green filters). Similarly, you will also find identical crop modes on the GFX 50R, including: 4:3 (51.1 megapixels), 5:4 (48.0MP), 3:2 (45.4MP), 16:9 (38.3MP), 1:1 (38.3MP) and numerous smaller sizes, including a 12-megapixel 4:3 file. The GFX 50R records RAW images at 14 bits in uncompressed or lossless compressed format and can produce 24-bit TIFF files via in-camera RAW conversion.

Digging further into the nitty-gritty details of the image sensor, it offers a pixel pitch of about 5.31 microns and does not include an anti-aliasing filter just like the 50S'. Further, compared to a full-frame sensor, the GFX 50R's sensor has a ~0.79x focal length multiplier. In practical terms, this results in a lens such as the GF 32-64mm f/4 offering a 35mm-equivalent focal length of about 25-51mm. The sensor is also self-cleaning via ultrasonic vibration.

Autofocus and Performance

The GFX 50R has the same autofocus system as the GFX 50S, which includes contrast-detect autofocus and 425 autofocus points. The autofocus area covers a large portion of the image frame and can be utilized via single point (six sizes), Zone AF and Wide/Tracking AF area modes. The camera offers face and eye-detect autofocus, including left versus right eye priority and has subject tracking continuous autofocus. The GFX 50R supports touch AF as well.

The GFX 50S is not a fast camera, nor is the 50R. The camera can shoot images at up to 3 frames per second and has a claimed uncompressed raw file buffer depth of 8 frames (or 13 frames if you are using lossless compressed raw file quality). In the lab, the 50R met Fuji's 8 frame spec for uncompressed raw files, but managed significantly more (25) lossless compressed raw frames before slowing. See our Performance page for full details.

The GFX 50R has a focal plane shutter system which offers shutter speeds ranging from 60 minutes to 1/4000s. There is an electronic shutter as well, which offers shutter speeds as fast as 1/16,000s. Regarding flash sync, unlike camera systems which utilize leaf shutters in their lenses, the GFX has a flash sync of 1/125s, which is considerably slower than something like the Hasselblad X1D but also a bit slower than modern full-frame cameras.

With respect to shooting functionality, the camera offers bracketing up to 9 frames (with up to +/- 3 EV), +/- 5 EV worth of exposure compensation, Auto ISO functionality and TTL 256-zone metering. The available metering modes include Multi, Spot, Average and Center-weighted, with the spot metering mode being tied to the active autofocus point.

Video

Video features were not particularly good on the GFX 50S and the story remains the same with the GFX 50R. The GFX 50R can record Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) video at up to 29.97p with a bit rate of up to 36Mbps for 30 minutes. The camera can also record 720p video which also tops out at 29.97p.

Connectivity, Storage and Power

The addition of Bluetooth connectivity is one of the primary differences between the GFX 50S and GFX 50R. The GFX 50R has Bluetooth version 4.0 low energy technology and this Bluetooth connectivity allows for geotagging of images, image transfer, image viewing, printing to an Instax printer, auto image transfer and remote control functionality.

With respect to ports, there are some differences between the GFX 50R and GFX 50S. The GFX 50R opts for a combined 2.5mm mic/remote jack in lieu of separate 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks and a 2.5mm remote jack. Further, the GFX 50R uses USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 1) port whereas the GFX 50S used a Micro USB 3.0 (Micro-B) terminal. It's located on the bottom of the camera this time, next to the 15V DC IN connector and no longer supports Fuji's Remote Release RR-90. The 50R still includes a Micro Type-D HDMI port, a PC sync terminal and of course, a hot shoe.

Like the GFX 50S, the GFX 50R writes to SD/SDHC/SDXC cards -- UHS-II is recommended -- and features two card slots. The GFX 50R also uses the same NP-T125 lithium-ion battery pack which is CIPA-rated at up to 400 shots per charge, identical to the 50S.

Fuji 50R Pricing and Availability

The Fujifilm GFX 50R started shipping in late November for a suggested retail price of $4,499.95 USD and $5,699.99 CAD, but the price has since dropped to just under $4,000 in the US at the time of writing.

The GFX 50R includes a Li-ion NP-T125 battery, battery charger (BC-T125), plug adapter, body cap, 2 strap clips, 2 protective covers, clip attaching tool, shoulder strap, cable protector, hot shoe cover, sync terminal cover and owner's manual. The GFX 50R does not include support for an optional vertical battery grip like the GFX 50S.

GFX 50R versus 50S

When you consider the imaging pipeline of the GFX 50R, it is identical to the GFX 50S. This is a common theme with the GFX 50R as a lot of its shooting features are shared with the GFX 50S. Where the two cameras differ the most is in terms of their design and appearance. The GFX 50R, as we've seen, opts for a rangefinder-like design which is ultimately simpler than the design of the GFX 50S. Some people may prefer the look of the 50S, but we suspect most will consider the 50R a more attractive-looking camera.

Looks are only part of the equation. The 50R has lower viewfinder magnification, doesn't have as many physical controls as the 50S, lacks a top status display and its rear touchscreen tilts in two directions rather than the three directions offered by the 50S's rear display. Further, the 50S can take a vertical battery grip to improve ergonomics for portrait orientation shooting and greatly improve the battery life, an option the 50R does not offer.

In terms of buttons and controls, the GFX 50S has a dedicated ISO dial whereas the 50R opts for a dedicated exposure compensation dial but no dedicated ISO dial. The GFX 50S also has directional navigation buttons, which can be assigned to be different function buttons. The GFX 50R uses the sub-selector focus point joystick for menu navigation and also moves the menu and playback buttons from the top of the display to the right side.

The 50R opts for USB-C instead of Micro USB 3.0 but loses 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks, offering instead a combined 2.5mm mic/remote input but no headphone jack. For both cameras, video functionality is not particularly impressive, topping out at 1080/30p recording.

Perhaps most notably, the GFX 50R is also considerably less expensive than the GFX 50S. At current prices as of this writing, the 50R is about $1,500 less than 50S in the United States.

In the Box

The GFX 50R body-only retail kit (as reviewed) contains the following items:

• Fujifilm GFX 50R (Body Only)
• NP-T125 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Pack
• BC-T125 Battery Charger
• Plug Adapter
• Body Cap
• Shoulder Strap
• 2 Strap Clips and Protective Covers
• Clip Attaching Tool
• Cable Protector
• Hot Shoe Cover
• Sync Terminal Cover
• Owner's Manual
• Limited 1-Year Warranty

Optics

The Fuji 50R is officially sold body-only, so we have no "kit" lens results for you here. We do however present our viewfinder accuracy test results below.

Viewfinder Test Results

Accuracy
Excellent accuracy from the electronic viewfinder and LCD monitor.

The Fuji GFX 50R's electronic viewfinder and LCD monitor proved very accurate, both showing essentially 100% coverage in record mode. Excellent results.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Fujifilm GFX 50R Photo Gallery .

Exposure

Color

Saturation & Hue Accuracy
Bright colors with very good hue accuracy.

ISO Sensitivity
50	100	200	400	800
1600	3200	6400	12800	25600
51200	102400
In the diagram above, the squares show the original color, and the circles show the color that the camera captured. More saturated colors are located toward the periphery of the graph. Hue changes as you travel around the center. Thus, hue-accurate, highly saturated colors appear as lines radiating from the center. Mouse over the links to compare ISOs, and click for larger versions.

Saturation. The Fuji GFX 50R produces images with bright, pleasing colors using the standard film simulation (Provia) at default settings. The camera pushes most colors by small amounts, dark red and dark orange by moderate amounts, but undersaturates aqua just a bit. Default mean saturation at the base ISO of 100 was 112.2% (12.2% oversaturated), which is just a bit higher than average these days. You can of course tweak saturation and/or select a different film simulation mode if the default is not to your taste. Mean saturation was quite stable up to ISO 25,600 but fell as ISO was increased from there, ending up at 100.3% at the maximum extended ISO. Most consumer digital cameras produce color that's more highly saturated (more intense) than found in the original subjects. This is simply because most people like their color a bit brighter than life.

Skin tones. The GFX 50R rendered pleasant Caucasian skin tones that were just a touch on the pinkish side when white balance was adjusted to match the light source at base ISO, because of the moderate push in reds. Results were quite pleasing, though, with a natural and healthy look. (Here, too, the 50R's saturation and/or film mode options may come into play for some users, letting them tweak the color of skin tones if they find the default rendering a bit too saturated for their personal tastes. Note that Fujifilm claims their Astia film simulation produces "true-to-life" skin tones.) Where oversaturation is most problematic is on Caucasian skin tones, as it's very easy for these "memory colors" to be seen as too bright, too pink, too yellow, etc.

Hue. The Fuji GFX 50R produced only a few color shifts relative to the ideal reproduction of hues, and has excellent hue accuracy overall. Of note is the virtually no yellow to green shift that we often see from digital cameras. The largest shift is in cyan toward blue, however we think it's a deliberate choice by camera engineers to produce better-looking sky colors. Average "delta-C" color error after correction for saturation at base ISO was only 3.54 (lower numbers are better), which is very good, and hue accuracy remained better than average across the ISO range. Hue is "what color" the color is.

Sensor

Exposure and White Balance

Indoors, incandescent lighting
Auto and Incandescent white balance were quite warm, but very good results with the Manual setting. Above average exposure compensation required.

Indoors, under typical incandescent lighting, color balance was quite warm using the Auto setting, with a fairly strong red/pink cast. Results with the Incandescent white balance setting were also very warm, with a strong yellow/orange cast. Manual (custom) white balance was quite accurate, though. The Fuji GFX 50R required +0.7 EV exposure compensation here, while most cameras need about +0.3 EV for this scene. Our test lighting for this shot is a mixture of 60 and 100 watt household incandescent bulbs, a pretty yellow light source, but a very common one in typical home settings here in the U.S.

Outdoors, daylight
Very good color and exposure outdoors.

The Fuji GFX 50R produced very nice color in simulated daylight at default settings. The GFX 50R required +0.3 EV exposure compensation for our "Sunlit" Portrait shot. This is better than average exposure accuracy, as most cameras need +0.7 EV to keep the face bright for this shot, but it did lead to a lot of blown highlights in the mannequin's shirt and flowers. Skin tones were pleasing, with a healthy-looking pinkish cast that's not too overdone with Manual white balance, and Auto wasn't much different (though not quite as bright for some reason). See the "Extremes: Sunlit..." section below to see how the GFX 50R's Highlight/Shadow Tone and D-Range settings help with harsh lighting like this.

Resolution
>4000 lines of strong detail.

Our laboratory resolution chart reveals sharp, distinct line patterns all the way up to the 4,000 lines per picture height limit of our chart from both in-camera JPEG and ACR converted RAW files, though the in-camera JPEG shows stronger aliasing in the form of luminance moiré starting at about 3,600 lines. Both show some color moiré/false colors although at different frequencies, however the ACR conversion shows slightly lower luminance moiré.

Sharpness & Detail
Very sharp images at default settings, with only minor edge-enhancement artifacts appearing along high-contrast edges. Very mild noise suppression is visible in the shadows at base ISO.

Sharpness. The Fuji GFX 50R captures very sharp images by default, while producing some minor edge enhancement artifacts along high-contrast edges such as the relatively thin sharpening "haloes" around the lines and letters of the bottle label above left. Excellent results here. Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.

Detail. The crop above right shows incredible detail with only mild detail loss due to noise suppression at base ISO. Very few individual strands of hair merge together even when local contrast is low and as shadows deepen, and chroma noise appears to be very effectively controlled. We do however see "jaggies" and other aliasing artifacts thanks to the lack of an optical low-pass filter, though this is expected from cameras without an optical low pass filter. Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost "watercolor" look appears.

RAW vs In-Camera JPEGs
As noted above, the GFX 50R produces incredibly sharp and detailed JPEG images at default settings. Let's see how an Adobe Camera Raw conversion compares.

Base ISO (100)
Camera JPEG, defaults	RAW via Adobe Camera Raw

In the table above, we compare an in-camera JPEG taken at base ISO using default noise reduction and sharpening (on the left) to the matching RAW file converted with Adobe Camera Raw 9.1 via DNG Converter 11.2 using default noise reduction with moderate but tight unsharp masking applied in Photoshop (USM of 250%, radius of 0.3 pixels, and a threshold of 0).

As you can see, the ACR RAW conversion did indeed retain some fine detail that was lost in the in-camera JPEG, although overall contrast and saturation is lower at default settings. In the mosaic crop, we can see ACR retained much of the offset printing coloration that is present in the bottle label, although some of the coloration appears to be false or exaggerated. In contrast, the in-camera JPEG crops shows almost no coloration, likely the result of the 50R's very effective chroma noise suppression. You can also see that ACR produced much better contrast in our tricky red-leaf swatch while not boosting the saturation as much as the JPEG engine. As is usually the case, noise is more visible in the ACR converted JPEG at default NR settings, however it is remarkable low.

Bottom line, the Fuji GFX 50R produces stunning JPEGs straight from the camera, though as is usually the case, you can produce even better results when working with RAW files and a good converter.

ISO & Noise Performance
Outstanding high ISO performance.

Default High ISO Noise Reduction
ISO 50	ISO 100	ISO 200
ISO 400	ISO 800	ISO 1,600
ISO 3,200	ISO 6,400	ISO 12,800
ISO 25,600	ISO 51,200	ISO 102,400

The Fuji GFX 50R's images are very clean and incredibly detailed with almost no drop in image quality up to ISO 800. At ISO 1600, noise reduction efforts are a little stronger as you'd expect, but noise is quite low and fine detail is still outstanding. ISO 3200 is the first ISO step to show a significant drop in fine detail due to noise and the effects of noise reduction, however detail remains quite good. At ISO 6400 detail is still very good but luminance noise becomes more noticeable, however the noise is still very fine-grained, and chroma noise is still well controlled. Image quality at ISO 12,800 is still pretty good, though noise grain is of course more visible and some mild chroma blotching can be seen in the darker areas. Image quality drops off more rapidly at ISO 25,600 and above, with progressively more visible noise grain, stronger blurring and more noticeable noise reduction artifacts. Image quality at ISO 25,600 is not bad, but fine detail at ISOs 51,200 and especially 102,400 is quite soft with heavy luminance noise accentuated by sharpening artifacts, as well as chrominance noise in the form of large yellow and purple blotches. Still, high ISO performance is outstanding, among the best we've seen from any camera and on par with the 50S.

We're pixel-peeping to the extreme here though, which isn't always representative of what you see in prints. As always, see the Print Quality section below for maximum recommended print sizes at each ISO.

Extremes: Sunlit, dynamic range and low light tests
Mediocre dynamic range in JPEGs at default settings. Very good low-light performance.

Sunlight. The Fuji GFX 50R struggled with the harsh lighting of this test at default settings at the base ISO of 100 (which should be best case). We preferred the +0.3 EV exposure overall, because the exposure at +0.7 EV exposure compensation was too bright with far too many clipped highlights. Even at default exposure (0 EV), quite a few highlights were blown in the mannequin's shirt and flowers. There are quite a few dark shadows as well, though they contain good detail and relatively low noise with the default Provia film simulation. (Note that some other higher-contrast film simulations such as Pro Neg. Hi and especially Velvia frequently blow highlights and crush deep shadows, clipping them abruptly.)

Overall, the Fuji GFX 50R's JPEGs performed below average here without the help of any highlight and shadow adjustments, nor any dynamic range enhancement applied (see below). The good news is the blown highlights and detail in dark shadows in the above test scene are easily recoverable in the RAF RAW files, so the dynamic range captured by the GFX 50R's sensor appears to be excellent.

Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here.)

Face Detection
The Fuji GFX 50R not only offers face detection to optimize focus and exposure for human faces, but also eye detection, and you can even specify which eye gets priority (right, left, or auto).

As you can see above there are subtle improvements in exposure, with face detect enabled being brighter than without, and eye detect being slightly brighter still. However all of them are still somewhat underexposed in the face, which is a bit disappointing. Focus is better with face detect enabled as well, keeping the eyes in sharp focus. Given the GFX 50R's very high resolution and the format's shallower depth of field, this feature should come in handy to help focus on the eyes in portraits when shooting at wide apertures.

Contrast Adjustment
The Fuji GFX 50R does not offer a traditional contrast adjustment. Instead, it offers Shadow and Highlight Tone settings, which let you adjust contrast in highlights and shadows independently. There are seven settings each on the GFX 50R, ranging from -2 to +5.

Highlight and Shadow Tone Comparison
Highlight:	-2	-1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4
Shadow:	-2	-1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4

Shadow and Highlight Tone. Above you can see the effects the seven settings for Highlight and Shadow Tone control on our high-contrast "Sunlit" Portrait. Mouse over the links to load the associated thumbnail and click on the links to visit the full resolution image.

Notice how the Highlight settings mainly affect the brighter portions of the image, while the Shadow settings impact the darker areas. Both settings can be used simultaneously, giving more flexibility to tune the tone curve at both ends compared to a single contrast setting. Nice.

D-Range Comparison
DR 100%	DR 200%	DR 400%	DR Auto

D-Range is Fuji's name for their dynamic range enhancement technology. D-Range is designed to preserve hot highlights, by exposing for highlights and then boosting mid-tones and shadows. There are three levels: DR100 100% (default), DR200 200%, DR400 400%, as well as an Auto mode which can select DR100 or DR200. DR200 is available at ISO 200 and above while DR400 is available at ISO 400 and above, so all the examples above were taken at different ISOs. Mouse over the links above to load the corresponding thumbnail image. Click on the links to get to the full resolution images.

As you can see the images above, the Fuji GFX 50R's higher D-Range settings were effective at toning down highlights without impacting shadows and midtones significantly. As they say, though, there's no free lunch, because improved highlight retention comes at a cost of increased noise. This is because the camera's sensitivity needs to be raised to take advantage of the D-Range feature, though that's really not much of penalty because the GFX 50R's ISO performance is so good. (Note that the Fuji GFX 50R does not offer a multi-shot in-camera HDR mode.)

Dynamic Range Analysis
We've switched to using DxOMark's dynamic range results because cameras were starting to exceed what we could measure ourselves with a standard Stouffer T4110 step chart, however DxOMark no longer publishes test results for Fuji sensors so we have no DxOMark results to share.

Looking at base ISO RAW files, though, it appears that the Fuji GFX 50R's peak dynamic range is excellent; very similar to the 50S'. And if we look at the Photons to Photos website, their "Photographic" dynamic range results (which are not directly comparable to DxOMark's numbers) confirm the GFX 50R indeed offers nearly identical dynamic range to its sibling's.

Low Light AF
The Fuji GFX 50R's contrast-detect autofocus system was able to focus in fairly low light. With our low-contrast AF target, the camera was able to focus down to about -2.9 EV, and with our new high-contrast AF target, the GFX 50R was able to autofocus down to about -4.5 EV unassisted with an f/2.8 lens, which is very good. We test this on a sturdy tripod, though, so hand-held results may differ significantly. Unlike the 50S, the 50R has a built-in AF assist lamp which allows it to focus in complete darkness as long as the subject is within range and has sufficient contrast.

How bright is this? The one foot-candle light level that this test begins at roughly corresponds to the brightness of typical city street-lighting at night. Cameras performing well at that level should be able to snap good-looking photos of street-lit scenes.

NOTE: This low light test is conducted with a stationary subject, and the camera mounted on a sturdy tripod. Most digital cameras will fail miserably when faced with a moving subject in dim lighting. (For example, a child's ballet recital or a holiday pageant in a gymnasium.) Thanks to its much larger sensor, cameras like the Fuji GFX 50R tend to do better than point & shoots, but you still shouldn't expect a quick autofocus lock with moving subjects.

Output Quality

Print Quality
Wonderfully detailed 30 x 40-inch prints up to ISO 3200; Usable 11 x 14-inch prints up to ISO 25,600; Nice 8 x 10-inch prints all the way until ISO 51,200!

ISO 50 through 3200 images are, much like its GFX 50S sibling's, packed with a fantastic level of detail and resolution, and offer really clean noise behavior as the ISO rises. As with the 50S, the 50R here is easily capable of providing sharp, clear prints all the way up to 30 x 40 inches -- or larger, depending on how large of a print you need or how much you're willing to push the resolving power of the 51MP sensor. 30 x 40 is just the largest print size we can test. Up to ISO 400, images are pretty much identical, and we only start to see a hint of fine-grained shadow noise at ISO 800, which doesn't negatively affect the print quality size. Throughout this ISO range, prints are super crisp with tons of resolution, and colors are pleasing and nicely saturated. A stunning print quality performance from the GFX 50R!

When you reach ISO 3200, we do see a bit more shadow noise, though it's still very finely-grained and not distracting nor impacting fine detail or color. At this ISO, the camera still produces an excellent 30 x 40-inch print. Unlike the lower ISO levels where prints larger than 30 x 40 are possible, here we'd recommend stopping right at 30 x 40 inches; any larger and noise might become an issue.

ISO 6400 images start to show more visible noise as well as signs of noise reduction processing, reducing very fine detail to some degree. The noise itself remains film-like and finely grained, though. Despite the seemingly high ISO, the level of noise is still well controlled overall, and there is still a ton of crisp, fine detail, easily allowing for prints up to an impressively large 24 x 36 inches. Detail is excellent, and despite the increase in shadow/background noise, it's not likely to have a negative effect given the typical viewing distance for a print of this size.

ISO 12,800 prints top-out at 16 x 20 inches; an impressively large print for this sensitivity. Color is still rich, and the prints still have nice contrast. However, noise has noticeably increased and has reduced fine detail in some lower-contrast areas, which make printing larger sizes not recommended.

ISO 25,600 images just pass the mark at 11 x 14 inches, which is still quite remarkable. We've now reached into the GFX 50R's expanded ISO range, and noise is noticeably stronger now, taking its toll on subtler, finer detail.

ISO 51,200 prints match the benchmark reached by the GFX 50S: 8 x 10 inches. At this print size, noise is surprisingly well controlled and the print has lots of detail throughout. In the shadows, a combination of noise and noise reduction processing reduces fine detail to a degree, displaying a somewhat mottled appearance in some areas. Colors also appear slightly less vibrant.

ISO 102,400 images finally reach the breaking point, displaying too much noise and too little detail for us to consider acceptable when it comes to prints. Perhaps a 4 x 6-inch print would work for less critical applications, but we'd rather avoid this ISO if possible.

Just like the bigger GFX 50S, the rangefinder-esque GFX 50R is an absolutely fantastic camera for printmaking, which shouldn't be surprising, given its medium-format sensor. This 51MP camera packs an incredible amount of resolving power and refined image processing, making it capable of fantastic prints at up to 30 x 40 images all the way up to ISO 3200! Below ISO 3200, you could make even larger prints, but we hit the size limit of our testing. As the ISO increases, the GFX 50R displays excellent noise control, with very gradual increases in noise; and the noise that we do see is very finely-grained. As such, the camera is capable of impressive feats, such as a 24 x 36 inch print at ISO 6400 and an 11 x 14 inch print at ISO 25,600. At ISO 51,200, the GFX 50R manages a shockingly usable 8 x 10 despite this super-high ISO sensitivity -- an achievement shared only by GFX 50S in our tests. At the maximum expanded ISO of 102,400, however, images are too noisy and soft for our taste, and this ISO should be avoided for serious prints.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Fujifilm GFX 50R Photo Gallery .

Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Fujifilm GFX 50R with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!

Performance

Image Quality

Below are crops from our laboratory Still Life target comparing the Fuji GFX 50R's JPEG image quality to its bigger brother's, the 50S. We've also compared it to other high-resolution cameras: the 50-megapixel full-frame Canon 5DS R, the 46-megapixel full-frame Nikon D850, the 51-megapixel medium format Pentax 645Z, and the 42-megapixel full-frame Sony A7R II Mark III.

NOTE: These images are from best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction and using the camera's actual base ISO (not extended ISO settings). All cameras in this comparison were shot with our very sharp reference lenses. Clicking any crop will take you to a carrier page where you can click once again to access the full resolution image as delivered straight from the camera. For those interested in working with the RAW files involved: click these links to visit each camera's respective sample image thumbnail page: Fuji GFX 50R, Fuji GFX 50S, Canon 5DS R, Nikon D850, Pentax 645Z and Sony A7R Mark III -- links to the RAW files appear beneath those for the JPEG images, wherever we have them. And remember, you can always go to our world-renowned Comparometer to compare the Fuji 50R to any camera we've ever tested!

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Fujifilm GFX 50S at Base ISO

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 100	Fujifilm GFX 50S at ISO 100
These two Fuji GFX siblings use the same sensor and processor, so as expected, image quality is practically identical ignoring slight differences in lighting and white balance.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Canon 5DS R at Base ISO

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 100	Canon 5DS R at ISO 100
Here we compare the medium format Fuji GFX 50R to 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 somewhat 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.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Nikon D850 at Base ISO

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 100	Nikon D850 at ISO 64
Here we compare the 50R to the 45.7-megapixel Nikon D850. Again be aware that the GFX's sensor has a 4:3 aspect ratio while the D850 has a 3:2 aspect ratio, so the GFX has more of a resolution advantage over the 3:2 cameras than their relative pixel counts would imply here, as we frame this shot vertically. (The D850 and GFX both produce images with 8256 pixels in the horizontal axis, but the Fuji yields 6192 pixels in the vertical, versus 5504 pixels for the Nikon.) As you can see, the GFX handily out-resolves the D850 and has lower noise levels as well. Both produce very crisp images, but the Fuji generates less obvious sharpening halos around high-contrast edges. The Nikon produces higher contrast though, particularly in our tricky red-leaf swatch. Both cameras offer pleasing, vibrant color though the Nikon is a bit warmer and overall the Fuji's colors are a little more accurate.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Pentax 645Z at Base ISO

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 100	Pentax 645Z at ISO 100
The Fuji 50R 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.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Sony A7R III at Base ISO

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 100	Sony A7R III at ISO 100
The 51MP medium format 50R readily out-resolves Sony's 42-megapixel full-frame A7R III mirrorless, though again when framed vertically like this, the 4:3 aspect ratio Fuji has a larger advantage over the 3:2 Sony in terms of resolving power than their relative pixel counts would imply. The Fuji exhibits 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 Fuji either. Both cameras produce aliasing artifacts but the difference in resolution happens to make moiré patterns more visible from the Sony in our red-leaf swatch. The A7R III renders much higher contrast in our red-leaf swatch than the 50R , however overall color is warmer and more accurate from the Fuji.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Fujifilm GFX 50S at ISO 1600

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 1600	Fujifilm GFX 50S at ISO 1600
Again, nearly identical image quality from these two medium format siblings here at ISO 1600, as expected.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Canon 5DS R at ISO 1600

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 1600	Canon 5DS R at ISO 1600
The Fuji 50R'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. 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.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Nikon D850 at ISO 1600

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 1600	Nikon D850 at ISO 1600
The Fuji GFX 50R easily bests the Nikon D850 here at ISO 1600, with much better detail and clarity, lower noise and a tighter noise "grain," though contrast is a bit higher from the D850.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Pentax 645Z at ISO 1600

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 1600	Pentax 645Z at ISO 1600
Here at ISO 1600, the Fuji 50R produces a noticeably cleaner, crisper and brighter image even though the 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.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Sony A7R III at ISO 1600

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 1600	Sony A7R III at ISO 1600
Here at ISO 1600, the Fuji 50R continues to easily out-resolve the Sony A7R III as expected. Both show similar levels of luminance noise however the Fuji's grain pattern is a bit more regular and film-like, and it leaves behind much lower chroma noise. The Sony still shows much higher contrast in our tricky red-leaf swatch along with more obvious moiré patterns, however the Fuji's low-contrast rendering doesn't suffer from the Sony's somewhat peppered look.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Fujifilm GFX 50S at ISO 3200

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 3200	Fujifilm GFX 50S at ISO 3200
Yet again, as expected the two Fuji siblings produce practically identical image quality here at ISO 3200.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Canon 5DS R at ISO 3200

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 3200	Canon 5DS R at ISO 3200
The Fuji 50R'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".

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Nikon D850 at ISO 3200

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 3200	Nikon D850 at ISO 3200
Again, an easy win for the 50R here at ISO 3200 with a sharper, more detailed yet cleaner image, though contrast continues to be better from the D850.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Pentax 645Z at ISO 3200

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 3200	Pentax 645Z at ISO 3200
Here at ISO 3200, the GFX 50R 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 a little more by the Pentax's default noise reduction.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs Sony A7R III at ISO 3200

Fujifilm GFX 50R at ISO 3200	Sony A7R III at ISO 3200
Again, the Fuji GFX 50R bests the Sony A7R III in this comparison at ISO 3200, producing a cleaner, crisper, more detailed image with lower chroma noise and fewer noise reduction artifacts. The Sony continues to produce better contrast in our troublesome red-leaf swatch, however subtle detail is more distorted than from the Fuji.

Fujifilm GFX 50R vs. Fujifilm GFX 50S, Canon 5DS R, Nikon D850, Pentax 645Z, Sony A7R III

Fujifilm GFX 50R ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Fujifilm GFX 50S ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Canon 5DS R ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Nikon D850 ISO 64 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Pentax 645Z ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Sony A7R III ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400
Detail comparison. High-contrast detail is also important, pushing the camera in different ways, so we like to look at it, too. The 50R does a little better than its predecessor here, offering slightly better contrast at higher ISOs, but it's pretty close. The Pentax 645Z performs similarly as expected, however clarity doesn't appear to be quite as good, at least at high ISOs. The Nikon D850 and Sony A7R III both perform very well, but obviously don't resolve as much detail as the Fujis. Trailing the pack here is the Canon 5DS R, with lower contrast, higher noise and more visible lens aberrations, although the latter can be mitigated with in-camera lens corrections, at least when using Canon optics.

Fuji GFX 50R Print Quality Analysis

Wonderfully detailed 30 x 40-inch prints up to ISO 3200; Usable 11 x 14-inch prints up to ISO 25,600; Nice 8 x 10-inch prints all the way until ISO 51,200!

ISO 50 through 3200 images are, much like its GFX 50S sibling's, packed with a fantastic level of detail and resolution, and offer really clean noise behavior as the ISO rises. As with the 50S, the 50R here is easily capable of providing sharp, clear prints all the way up to 30 x 40 inches -- or larger, depending on how large of a print you need or how much you're willing to push the resolving power of the 51MP sensor. 30 x 40 is just the largest print size we can test. Up to ISO 400, images are pretty much identical, and we only start to see a hint of fine-grained shadow noise at ISO 800, which doesn't negatively affect the print quality size. Throughout this ISO range, prints are super crisp with tons of resolution, and colors are pleasing and nicely saturated. A stunning print quality performance from the GFX 50R!

When you reach ISO 3200, we do see a bit more shadow noise, though it's still very finely-grained and not distracting nor impacting fine detail or color. At this ISO, the camera still produces an excellent 30 x 40-inch print. Unlike the lower ISO levels where prints larger than 30 x 40 are possible, here we'd recommend stopping right at 30 x 40 inches; any larger and noise might become an issue.

ISO 6400 images start to show more visible noise as well as signs of noise reduction processing, reducing very fine detail to some degree. The noise itself remains film-like and finely grained, though. Despite the seemingly high ISO, the level of noise is still well controlled overall, and there is still a ton of crisp, fine detail, easily allowing for prints up to an impressively large 24 x 36 inches. Detail is excellent, and despite the increase in shadow/background noise, it's not likely to have a negative effect given the typical viewing distance for a print of this size.

ISO 12,800 prints top-out at 16 x 20 inches; an impressively large print for this sensitivity. Color is still rich, and the prints still have nice contrast. However, noise has noticeably increased and has reduced fine detail in some lower-contrast areas, which make printing larger sizes not recommended.

ISO 25,600 images just pass the mark at 11 x 14 inches, which is still quite remarkable. We've now reached into the GFX 50R's expanded ISO range, and noise is noticeably stronger now, taking its toll on subtler, finer detail.

ISO 51,200 prints match the benchmark reached by the GFX 50S: 8 x 10 inches. At this print size, noise is surprisingly well controlled and the print has lots of detail throughout. In the shadows, a combination of noise and noise reduction processing reduces fine detail to a degree, displaying a somewhat mottled appearance in some areas. Colors also appear slightly less vibrant.

ISO 102,400 images finally reach the breaking point, displaying too much noise and too little detail for us to consider acceptable when it comes to prints. Perhaps a 4 x 6-inch print would work for less critical applications, but we'd rather avoid this ISO if possible.

Just like the bigger GFX 50S, the rangefinder-esque GFX 50R is an absolutely fantastic camera for printmaking, which shouldn't be surprising, given its medium-format sensor. This 51MP camera packs an incredible amount of resolving power and refined image processing, making it capable of fantastic prints at up to 30 x 40 images all the way up to ISO 3200! Below ISO 3200, you could make even larger prints, but we hit the size limit of our testing. As the ISO increases, the GFX 50R displays excellent noise control, with very gradual increases in noise; and the noise that we do see is very finely-grained. As such, the camera is capable of impressive feats, such as a 24 x 36 inch print at ISO 6400 and an 11 x 14 inch print at ISO 25,600. At ISO 51,200, the GFX 50R manages a shockingly usable 8 x 10 despite this super-high ISO sensitivity -- an achievement shared only by GFX 50S in our tests. At the maximum expanded ISO of 102,400, however, images are too noisy and soft for our taste, and this ISO should be avoided for serious prints.

Field Test

Fujifilm's medium-format camera system receives a sleek and stylish addition

By Jeremy Gray · 01/22/2018

In 2016, Fujifilm launched its new GFX medium-format mirrorless camera system by introducing the 51.4-megapixel GFX 50S, with Fujifilm making the bold decision to skip past the full-frame sensor size. While there is overlap with the APS-C X Series in terms of styling and the user experience, many aspects of the GFX system are brand-new. With a fledgling camera system, there will always be some growing pains, particularly as a company fleshes out its native lens lineup. In that respect, the new GFX 50R, which uses the same sensor as the GFX 50S but places it inside a vastly different camera body, has more native lens options at launch than its sibling did. There are more native GF lenses, there are numerous adapters out there for non-native lenses and Fujifilm has made important upgrades to its GFX system via firmware updates.

Compared to the three lenses which launched alongside the 50S, the 50R hit the shelves next to seven native GF lenses -- with an eighth arriving in February of 2019. While there are still gaps in the lens lineup, it is a much fuller and more versatile assortment of optics than the GFX 50S had at its launch. Furthermore, the 50S launched with a price of $6,500 USD whereas the 50R launched at $4,500. While the 50S's price has gone down since to $5,500, it remains an expensive camera. The 50S is big, bulky and pricey. It does do many things very well, including capturing incredibly detailed images. It also offers a reasonably good user experience for a medium-format camera, with good autofocus point coverage and decent performance for its class.

The GFX 50R opts for a somewhat smaller and modified camera body but maintains the same excellent image quality and internal components. In fact, much of the 50R's performance is identical to that of the 50S. If you have not yet read my Field Test of the GFX 50S, I recommend that you give it a look as much of what I said about that camera applies equally to the GFX 50R.

Of course, there are differences between the two cameras, primarily with respect to the design and overall usability. I'll highlight and detail the differences throughout this Field Test, but a few examples are a lack of ISO dial on the 50R, lower viewfinder magnification and less tilting of the rear display.

Key Features and Specs

• Rangefinder-style GFX medium-format mirrorless camera
• Compact and lighter than the GFX 50S
• Built-in electronic viewfinder
• Tilting touchscreen
• 51.4-megapixel medium-format CMOS image sensor
• Native ISO range of 100 to 12,800
• Includes Fujifilm Film Simulations
• 425-point contrast-detect autofocus system
• 3 frames per second continuous shooting
• Full HD video recording
• Built-in Bluetooth
• $4,500 USD for the body only

Camera Body and Handling

With so many similarities between the GFX 50S and the GFX 50R, one of the best ways to differentiate between the two cameras is in their design and appearance. With the 50S, Fujifilm opted for a more DSLR-like design. To the extent that the camera was familiar to me as a full-frame DSLR user, it was a success. However, it is a big, bulky and rather unattractive camera. The 50R, on the other hand, is more like a brick in its form. Save for small protrusions on the back and front of the camera, it's smooth and certainly a sleeker camera than the 50S. (If you haven't seen it already, please watch our hands-on video for a great first look at how the 50R compares to the 50S and some other cameras.)

In addition to its different shape, size and styling, the GFX 50R also uses a different viewfinder location and design when compared to the 50S. The 50R's viewfinder is on the left edge of the camera and it is a 0.5-inch OLED EVF. It has a magnification of 0.77x, which is a bit less than the 50S, which offers 0.85x magnification. I have no issues with the lower magnification, but I don't find the 50R's viewfinder as comfortable to use. It has hard plastic around it rather than the nice rounded soft eyecup on the 50S and it did occasionally cause some discomfort and can allow a bit of light in from the sides.

With that said, the image through the electronic viewfinder is quite nice. It's sharp and detailed, although the 50R, like the 50S, can sometimes have some issues with framerate. The image in the viewfinder can be a bit jumpy and sometimes lags behind the scene you are photographing. It is particularly noticeable in lower light but can also occur when focusing in bright conditions. It is not a bad EVF, by any means, it is simply not as natural or as refined of a shooting experience when compared to something like a Nikon Z7 or Sony A7R III.

As you can see in this side-by-side comparison, the Fuji GFX 50R (left) is actually wider than the GFX 50S (right), but it's a bit smaller overall. It is worth pointing out that the GFX 50S's viewfinder, which is on the top of the camera, is removable. The 50R also has a much less pronounced front grip than the 50S.

Getting back to the design of the GFX 50R, this is where I think the camera shines. While I thought that the 50S did a good job of making a medium-format camera feel like shooting with a full-frame camera, the 50R is even better. While it is much bigger than the similarly-shaped X-Pro2, the GFX 50R is not significantly bigger than cameras such as the Nikon D850 or Canon 5D Mark IV. Where the GFX 50R differs quite significantly from both the GFX 50S and SLR-styled cameras is that the 50R does not have much by the way of a front grip. It is essentially the same depth as the amount the lens mount flange protrudes from the front of the body, which isn't very much. I would personally prefer a slightly more pronounced front grip.

There is no doubt that the 50R is easier to travel with than the 50S. It fits more easily into my backpack, it is lighter and more tolerable to carry around my neck for extended periods of time. A tradeoff is that there are fewer buttons and no directional pad, meaning that menu navigation is performed via a joystick. Despite the small surface area of the joystick, I found it pretty easy to use for moving the focus point and navigating menus. The joystick was even usable when wearing gloves. On the other hand, some of the buttons on the 50R are quite small and don't protrude much from the camera body, which makes them hard to press when wearing gloves.

There are also stark differences between the two GFX cameras when looking at the back. The 50R (left) has fewer controls and doesn't have the same bulge on the back as the 50S (right). We can also see the different viewfinder location better in this comparison.

The rear display is the same size as the one on the 50S, 3.2 inches. The display has 2,360K dots, is very sharp and works well outdoors. The touchscreen tilts in two directions, up and down, rather than in three directions like the one on the 50S. The 50R lacks the top display of the 50S, a feature I find useful, but not one that is a major omission for many users.

Overall, the 50R feels significantly different from the 50S. Having fewer controls can seem limiting at times. However, having a camera which is easier to carry and looks better is a nice consolation. Like the 50S before it, the 50R is a well-built camera with pro-level weather resistance and delivers a positive user experience.

Image Quality

While the GFX 50R, like the 50S, is a medium-format camera, it is worth pointing out that there isn't the same level of standardization with medium-format digital cameras as there is with full-frame cameras. While all full-frame cameras have nearly identical sensor sizes, that is not true of medium-format cameras. Cameras like the GFX 50R, Hasselblad X1D and Pentax 645Z have medium-format sensors that are smaller than the sensors found in cameras like a Phase One digital back. The GFX 50R's sensor size is 43.8 x 32.9 millimeters (compared to a 36 x 24mm full-frame sensor). That said, there are notable image quality gains to be had with the GFX 50R's image sensor compared to cameras such as a Nikon Z7 or Sony A7R III. The important takeaway is that while the GFX 50R offers outstanding image quality, the jump up from a full-frame camera is not particularly noticeable in every situation. With cameras like a GFX, you are operating in an area of diminishing marginal returns. You're at a reasonably affordable cutting edge of imaging, but the gap between a GFX 50R and an A7R III in terms of image quality is not the same as the gap between a 50R and a Fuji X-T3, for example.

Looking closer at the image sensor itself, the GFX 50R image sensor is a 51.4-megapixel CMOS sensor and it offers a native ISO range of 100 to 12,800 (which can be expanded to ISO 50-102,400). In every way, it's the same sensor and imaging pipeline as is found in the GFX 50S. The 50R also offers the same aspect ratio modes: 4:3 (native; 51.1 megapixels), 5:4 (48.0MP), 3:2 (45.4MP), 16:9 (38.3MP), 1:1 (38.3MP) as well as numerous smaller sizes, including a 12-megapixel 4:3 file. Raw images are recorded with 14 bits of depth in lossless compressed or uncompressed .RAF files.

With its lack of an anti-aliasing filter, sharpness is excellent in the GFX 50R files. While the straight-from-the-camera JPEG images are good and have very nice detail, the raw files are where the 50R shines. With careful sharpening, you can produce images with a staggering level of detail and resolution. Some of this is of course due to the excellent image sensor, but perhaps just as important are the very good Fujinon GF lenses.

Of course, with a lack of anti-aliasing filter comes the possibility of increased moiré and other aliasing artifacts. In the image below, the tree branches are a semi-repeating pattern, which cause some issues. There are also some shimmering artifacts along the fine details in the water. It is worth noting that this is not an issue in the JPEG file of the image below. However, the image is simply not as sharp. There's a tradeoff to be considered.

In the image and crops below, we see that there are artifacts visible in the ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) conversion as well as in the JPEG file straight from the camera. The issue of moiré is a case-by-case basis as well as what software you use.

The difference between the GFX 50R and something like a Nikon Z7 or Sony A7R III is significant only in specific situations, such as when making very large prints or doing extensive cropping. It is not always easily seen, but it is something I notice. However, part of the reason I can see it is because I am looking closely. It's a rare situation when someone views a print from a modern full-frame camera and believes it's soft or lacks detail.

However, in my opinion, there is something special and unique about images from a medium-format camera such as the GFX that does set it apart in a meaningful way from a full-frame camera. That separation is negligible at times and it does come at a cost, both in monetary terms and with respect to overall camera performance and usability.

When I was reviewing the GFX 50S, its .RAF files were excellent, but not always easy to process because some popular software couldn't read them, including Capture One software. Since that time, Phase One has started to support Fujifilm cameras, including its medium-format cameras, which is a really big deal. The newfound editing flexibility is not a strength unique to the GFX 50R compared to the GFX 50S, but it is worth noting.

You can do a lot of correction to raw files from the GFX 50R without them breaking down, including images captured at high ISOs. In the comparison below, we see the highlight recovery you can easily perform with GFX 50R raw files.

At higher ISOs, the camera also performs very well. The image below was captured at ISO 6400 and while there is some loss of detail, it's generally good file quality, especially considering that it is over 50 megapixels. If you are printing at 16 x 20 or smaller, the issues visible in the full-size file are not nearly as apparent.

If you have yet to read my GFX 50S Field Tests, I suggest you do so for further insight on the image quality you can expect from the GFX 50R. In those Field Tests, I further discuss raw file flexibility and also how the sensor performs at different ISO settings with respect to exposure recovery.

Suffice it to say, you can expect very sharp images from the GFX 50R. Further, the raw files are flexible, and you can perform a lot of work on them while maintaining image integrity. Obviously, nailing as much as possible in camera is ideal, and generally the GFX 50R makes this pretty simple, but there is also value in being able to adjust files to artistic taste or compensate for an error during capture.

Overall, the GFX 50R delivers outstanding image quality. When the GFX 50S launched at $6,500, it stood to reason that the camera should deliver image quality above and beyond that which you could achieve with full-frame cameras costing roughly half as much. However, with the GFX 50R launching at $4,500 USD -- a little over $1,000 more than cameras such as the Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 -- the situation is a bit different and stellar medium-format image quality is more attainable than ever before for enthusiast photographers.

Autofocus and Performance

Autofocus

Continuing with the theme of identical specifications and features with the GFX 50S and the new GFX 50R, the autofocus system is the same 425-point contrast-detect system. There are good things and bad things about this autofocus system. I'd like to get the bad out of the way first. It's not fast and it is not particularly good in low light. While the GFX 50R is not a fast camera in and of itself, the autofocus system in particular can be quite sluggish and is not very good at handling moving subjects.

With that said, focus is generally accurate when dealing with stationary subjects. Further, the camera has very good autofocus area coverage. All but the extreme edges of the frame are covered by one or more of the 425 autofocus points. The camera also works well with touch focus, which is useful in the field.

In total, the GFX 50R offers single point, zone, wide/tracking and face/eye detect autofocus modes. The face detect mode works quite well, although it does not always deliver quite enough accuracy when you are working with a shallow depth of field. The eye detect mode is an interesting inclusion, allowing you to even select between the left and right eye of your subject, although much like face detect, it is not fool-proof. Personally, I find that the single point mode, which offers six different sizes, is the most consistent focus area mode.

Overall, the GFX 50R's autofocus performance is far from its greatest strength. However, while it is not as fast as recent high-end full-frame cameras, it is reasonably quick and, perhaps most importantly, it is accurate and consistent.

Performance

As a medium-format camera focused on delivering great image quality above all else, the GFX 50R is unsurprisingly a pretty sluggish camera. Its maximum continuous shooting speed is only about 3 frames per second and its buffer depth when shooting raw files is a bit shallow. Buffer depths ranged from 8 uncompressed to 25 lossless compressed raw frames with a fast 64GB Lexar Pro 2000x UHS-II SDXC card in our lab tests, though when shooting best quality JPEGs there didn't appear to be a limit other than card capacity. When I used a slower 600x UHS-I SDXC card out in the field, I found buffer depths ranged from only around a half dozen to a dozen frames depending on the scene, ISO and file quality settings. So of course, continuous shooting is not a strength of the GFX 50R. With that said, in the course of normal single-frame shooting, it feels quick enough. Menu navigation is pretty snappy and the camera very rarely slows down. Powering on to the first shot is reasonably quick and going through image playback is fine too. See the Performance page for our lab performance test results.

Battery life is a concern, but the GFX 50R is not very different at around 400 shots than many other mirrorless cameras. Also, given the nature of the camera, it certainly encourages you to slow down and take your time, so I very rarely depleted a battery during a day. However, if you are shooting a lot of portraits or leaving the camera on when exploring, you will likely want a spare battery. It is worth noting that the GFX 50R, unlike the 50S, does not have an optional vertical battery grip.

Shooting Experience

As was the case with the GFX 50S, there are some occasional oddities when shooting with the GFX 50R. Its 256-zone TTL metering system is generally good, but it occasionally produces some strange results, particularly with respect to white balance metering. Of course, you can correct for this when processing a raw file, but it is nonetheless frustrating to not fully know what to expect when shooting with a camera. Exposure metering mistakes can be more significant, but fortunately were limited mostly to low-light shooting situations. Further, the camera has an exposure compensation dial right on the camera (the 50S has a button + dial system for exposure compensation), which is convenient and helps alleviate some of the frustration.

Like other Fujifilm digital cameras, the GFX 50R offers Film Simulations. The variety is the same as the GFX 50S, meaning it includes: Provia, Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome, Pro Neg. Hi, Pro Neg. Std, Black and White (standard, yellow, red and green filters), Sepia and Acros (standard, yellow, red and green filters). In my opinion, Provia and Velvia are the best for color and Acros is the best option for black and white photography. Others may prefer Classic Chrome or a different option. Therein lies the beauty of Film Simulations, there's something here for everyone.

While I always prefer to process raw files on my computer using Adobe Camera Raw or more recently Capture One, thanks to the addition of GFX file support, the GFX 50R does offer the ability to process files in-camera, allowing for some broad global adjustments. Another feature the GFX 50R offers which I don't use in my own workflow is wireless connectivity. As was the case with the GFX 50S, the feature works fine although it is unspectacular.

GFX 50R versus GFX 50S

I found that during my time with the GFX 50R, I generally enjoyed using it. The shape and style is very much to my liking and it was noticeably easier to carry and transport than the 50S, particularly since I use the 50S with the optional EVF tilt adapter and vertical battery grip.

The differences between the GFX 50S and the 50R were a mixed bag. While the smaller size of the 50R was nice, I prefer the EVF experience of the 50S, particularly with the tilt adapter, something that is incompatible with the 50R. I utilize the tilt adapter nearly every time I shoot with the GFX 50S. Further, the lack of a compatible battery grip means that the battery life can be more problematic. I also prefer the three-way tilt of the 50S's rear display. For me, I think that these differences make the GFX 50S worth the additional size and cost compared to the 50R. However, I can appreciate the reasons why many other photographers will find the new GFX 50R better suited to their preferences, not the least of which is the lower cost.

Video

The Fuji GFX 50R is not a camera well-suited for recording video. If you intend to use it as a hybrid camera or as part of a multimedia setup, you will likely come away disappointed. Like the 50S, video resolution tops out at 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and the frame rate maxes out at 30 frames per second. There is no 4K recording. Further, the autofocus performance is mediocre to poor. There is not a lot to like with respect to the 50R's video performance.

From a usability standpoint, to begin recording video with the GFX 50R, you must enter the Drive mode menu. At the bottom of a lengthy list is the video recording option. Once you're in the mode, the screen will show a 16:9 image area and you start and stop recording using the shutter release.

While the base ISO for still images is 100, when shooting videos, the lowest ISO is 200. Similarly, the maximum ISO is not the same in video as it is for stills, it is capped at 6400 for video. You can use Auto ISO while recording video, which is nice. You can also use the exposure compensation dial on the top of the camera if you want to augment automatic exposure.

The autofocus during video recording is very slow and indecisive as you can see below. You also don't have access to as many autofocus areas when recording video and are limited to larger autofocus areas.

Generally, the Full HD video looks fine. However, 1080/30p video is not an impressive offering these days and the autofocus is limiting. The GFX 50R is not a camera designed around video. The upcoming 100-megapixel GFX is promising 4K video, so it will be interesting to see how that camera performs and if the GFX system really can become a hybrid camera system. But as of now, there are much better options for recording video.

Fujifilm GFX 50R Field Test Summary

Same great image quality as the GFX 50S with more style and some of the same issues

What I liked:

• Sleeker and more compact than the GFX 50S
• Good touchscreen
• Excellent image quality
• Pretty good, albeit slow, autofocus
• Easier on the wallet than the GFX 50S

What I didn't like:

• Sluggish overall performance
• Still big and heavy
• Some gaps remain in the GF lens lineup
• Poor video features and performance

The Fujifilm GFX 50R is an interesting camera. With respect to its image quality, it is one of the best cameras out there. On the other hand, while more affordable than the 50S, it is still an expensive mirrorless camera. The decision to purchase will come down to how much you value different aspects of a camera's overall performance.

Those who value image quality above all else will find a lot to like. Photographers who care about speed, performance and versatility will find issues with the GFX 50R, much as they would with the 50S. The sensor is amazing, and the Fujinon GF lenses are universally excellent. However, if you need something fast or compact, the 50R is a nonstarter. Its video features and performance are also poor.

Despite its shortcomings, there is something special about using the 50R. It is an approachable yet supremely powerful medium-format mirrorless camera with great style and overall usability. For a travel photographer who doesn't need something extremely small or light, the 50R should prove compact enough. For a landscape photographer, it's a great tool due to its excellent image quality. When it comes to studio work and portraiture, the situation may become a bit murkier depending on the need for fast autofocus. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of the Fujifilm GFX 50R and its image quality.

First Impressions

Gallery and hands-on time with a new instant classic

By Dave Pardue | Posted: 09/26/2018

Ahhh... to have Medium Format in a rangefinder-styled body sporting 50mp that costs a few thousand dollars less than the original GFX 50S… Now that is the promise of the Fuji GFX 50R. We were given a prototype of the camera last week, ahead of the announcement, and then a few days later were told that we could actually shoot with it in the field... so straight out the door I went!

I went to fields with flowers, fields with insect life, even to a soccer field. I searched and waited for the rising moon, and for any dramatic skies I could find to bring you examples of what a sensor this powerful could convey. And, while only a prototype sample, I did let the ISO climb on occasion as well. After all, Fuji bodies have historically shined brightly in higher-ISO competitions, with the GFX 50S itself setting a new record for maximum print size while dialed to ISO 51,200!

But mostly, I just had a lot of fun shooting with this incredibly capable, large-sensor camera.

1/2000s / f/2.5 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: Pro Ng. Std]

Bright midday sun: The dynamic range afforded by a sensor as large as the one housed in the 50R can help tame even harsh summer sun in the Southeastern U.S. This shot with a smartphone or even a camera with a much smaller sensor would most certainly show blown out faces and a severely overblown sky lacking much detail.

(Images here are in-camera JPEGs that 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 50R. These images are from a prototype sample, and are therefore labeled as "beta" -- final image quality may differ slightly. For additional images and EXIF data please see our Fuji GFX 50R Gallery page.)

GFX 50R: A modern, beefy "rangefinder"

Before moving on to the gallery samples, let’s talk about the GFX 50R in the hands. I had the privilege of shooting with the original GFX 50S shortly after it was unveiled for an initial gallery piece and was duly stunned by the image quality. But of course the feel of that camera in the hands is far different from the new 50R, as they are simply "different beasts" in their overall external designs.

Just as Fujifilm offers the X-Pro series (rangefinder-styled) alongside the X-T series (DSLR-styled), both equipped similarly under the hood, this split-type series idea now makes its way to their GFX Medium Format offerings. The only big difference other than external shape is that the GFX 50R is priced far less than the original 50S, which runs about $1500 higher. So while not an inexpensive camera to be sure, the 50R is now the most modestly-priced Medium Format offering available, which should certainly turn the heads of some landscape and portrait shooters who've been waiting for a more affordable entry point into this enticing realm.

Having a camera this large but without a traditionally deep grip took some getting used to at first. There is a small front grip, and the rear thumb grip is beefy and generous, but I still felt compelled to quickly add a wrist strap for safety. The camera is simply larger than any rangefinder-style camera I've yet held, and is reminiscent of models from bygone days in the film era. I love the aesthetic, but again it took some getting used to out in the real world, especially in the hot, humid days in Atlanta where perspiration is a given.

The 50R controls are rock-solid, as I'd both hoped and expected. The metal dials are firm and reassuring, and the shutter speed dial has a locking mechanism as well. Every photographer is different in their personal preferences regarding external controls, but for me there is no substitute for actual dials. Simple, solid, old-fashioned dials. I love them, am addicted to them, and once I don't have them I get upset and lose my bearing. Hey, to each his own, as that just happens to be the way I am. Being able to look through the EVF while I am adjusting the dedicated shutter speed dial to suit the shot is just awesome to me, or aperture, or EV, and with bodies from Fujifilm that is exactly what you get. Nothing more, nothing less, very simple.

They've removed the 4-way dial and associated buttons from the back, which at first seemed a little weird. But the joystick takes the place of it for the most part, and the joystick is, um, a joy to use. Once you've had one at your disposal for jockeying your AF point you'll see what I mean and will miss it when you switch to a camera without one. My right hand constantly goes back and forth to and from the dials and the joystick. Oh, and much like on the 50S, having the AF switch (S, C, M) near where your thumb sits is awesome. Fuji often puts this switch on the front of their cameras, and that has always seemed counter-intuitive to me. Now it's in a logical place that's easy to reach (and remember!).

With this initial prototype sample I found autofocus to be fast and responsive, and accurate as well. With the super-shallow depths of field provided by bright lenses on a huge sensor, you certainly have to pay close attention, but that's not the camera's fault. The power afforded to photographers with this combination is awesome, but the learning curve heavily increases as well. I found myself concentrating more on the shooting than ever before, or at least in a similar fashion to when I shot with the GFX 50S. But wow, when you nail focus, the rewards are significant.

We'll discuss handling in deeper detail in a forthcoming Field Test once we receive our full production sample. And for a comprehensive 50R hands-on video please click here!

50R: Images from the field

Let's head out into the field and take a look at the image potential from this rangefinder-esque beauty!

1/500s / f/2 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

Dreamscape: This is shot in my boring little back yard, and that's the beauty of a camera like this. The otherwise boring can quickly become sublime.

The Simulator

As mentioned earlier I've only had a few days with this sample so far, and fortunately the weather cooperated for the shooting time. I'm a big fan of Fuji's Film Simulations, so I've tried to give you a good assortment in this initial piece as well. I shot part of the piece in Film Simulation bracketing, where the camera captures one RAW file but provides three Film Sims (user-chosen) as JPEG files. This provides a lot of flexibility during image culling, as you can quickly choose a good starting point for rendering your final image (even if you decide to process from RAW).

My personal favorites are Classic Chrome, Pro Neg Standard and Velvia, so you'll see a lot of these here. I also delved into several of the relatively new Acros presets, which I'd only gotten to use on a few occasions before. They're a ton of fun to use and can really add tone and texture to an image before any post-processing need occur. In a fast-paced and chaotic world I enjoy this as a benefit, because while I enjoy post-processing, I often simply don't have much time for it.

1/250s / f/3.6 / ISO 125 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: Acros Yellow Filter]

Acros Magic: This little local garden scene is heavily transformed by the Acros simulation, and I'm glad they added it to the arsenal a few years ago, as it imparts a lot of natural depth and texture to the right subject matter.

1/500s / f/2 / ISO 1600 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: Pro Ng. Std]

The Standards: I use Pro Neg Standard more than any other film simulation, more or less a "go-to" for me in the Fujifilm world, as it simply has a timeless quality for portraits and such. It removes "digital sterility" for me before I even need to touch the images.

1/1000s / f/4 / ISO 125 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

Rich Colors: Fujichrome/Velvia film simulation really brings out the natural world. It's nice to have in Film Simulation bracketing, as you can also include less dramatic simulations to have after the fact.

1/400s / f/4 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: Classic Chrome]

The Classics: For a more subdued look, and yet still having a lot of presence, Classic Chrome brings a far different feel to the natural world, and other subject matter. I have also used it successfully on portraits before.

1/250s / f/4 / ISO 640 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

Sublime: Similar to the image of the fall foliage earlier in this piece, the combination of the 50R and Velvia can yield an otherworldly beauty to what would otherwise seem normal or ordinary.

Using your resolution

One of the major advantages to a camera like this of course is the generous 50mp resolution you're provided! There are precious few cameras available that go this high. In addition to the promise of massive print sizes, this also affords ample cropping potential, and here are a few examples where I needed to use it simply because I couldn't get close enough to my quarry without scaring them away.

1/1000s / f/4 / ISO 160 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

[1:1 crop of above image]

The image above is already cropped in to a degree, while the lower crop is at 1:1 to show you the full cropping power of the 50R and its generous resolving power.

1/500s / f/4 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

[1:1 crop of above image]

Shallow: Even stopped down to f/4, nailing focus can be quite tricky with such a large, high resolution sensor!

1/500s / f/5 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: F2/Fujichrome/Velvia]

[1:1 crop of above image]

Detail: One more example of the image quality while zoomed all the way into the image.

More Film Simulation examples

50R: An unlikely sports camera

The GFX 50R won't likely be mistaken for a high-end sports camera, nor would I take one to a professional sporting event (unless, of course, I was hired to shoot portraits of the athletes!). But if you buy one of these and also have a child in a sport like soccer, you may want to tote it along for the game, and that is exactly what I did.

I used Continuous AF and continuous drive mode through much of the game. The camera didn't feel like a high-end sports camera, and I got far fewer keepers than misses, but a lot of that comes down to very shallow depth of field and also simply being new to the camera. It is also a prototype sample, so the final C-AF adjustments are likely yet to be made. But the image quality is second to none and so the shooting experience was still an enjoyable one, especially since I knew not to expect anywhere near the kind of performance you'd get from a high-end sports camera.

1/2000s / f/2.8 / ISO 100 / GF 110mm f/2 lens [Film Simulation: Pro Ng. Std]

Dynamics: These are the type of shots that the GFX 50R lends itself to with aplomb. With most cameras, and virtually all smartphones, that bright Georgia sky would be completely blown out and unusable. One side benefit I should mention to shooting the GFX 50R in a public place: The camera itself turns heads! Buy one and you'll see...

Summing it all up

Using a medium format camera to capture images is like using a high-end microphone to capture a singer in the studio. The bump up in image quality from enthusiast-grade gear may not be huge, but once you've experienced it, there is a noticeable difference that just can't be achieved with lesser gear. Thus far, and even with this prototype, the GFX 50R is capable of producing astounding images, even in the hands of this non-professional photographer. I'm quite sure I'll be sneaking the full production sample out of our lab on weekends once one arrives.

• Fujifilm GFX 50R Gallery •

Conclusion

Back in 2016, Fujifilm unveiled their new GFX medium-format mirrorless camera system and announced its first family member, the GFX 50S. This medium-format camera featured a 51.4-megapixel Bayer-filtered CMOS image sensor inside a pretty large and very expensive camera body. Fast forward a couple of years and Fujifilm has launched their second medium-format camera based on the same sensor, the GFX 50R.

There are a lot of similarities between the GFX 50R and the GFX 50S, although you may not expect it when you first look at the cameras. The 50R looks very different when compared to the 50S, opting for a slimmer, more brick-like design (rather like a supersized X-Pro2). This change in design leads to not only a reduced price, but also results in a different kind of user experience when shooting with the GFX 50R when compared to the 50S.

The Fuji GFX 50R looks much different than the GFX 50S. It is styled more like a Fuji X-Pro 2 in its general design. While in some ways smaller than the GFX 50S, the 50R is still a large, bulky camera. Unfortunately, the front grip is quite small and the overall ergonomics are troublesome, particularly when using a heavy GF lens.

Camera Design: Smaller, but blocky and cumbersome

Whereas the GFX 50S was bulky and included a pronounced front grip, the GFX 50R opts instead for a blockier, somewhat smaller design. The GFX 50R is basically shaped like a (very) large Fuji X-Pro2 camera. While the 50R is, at least in our eyes, a more stylish GFX camera, there are some usability concerns which arise from the new design.

The lack of a deep front grip as is found on the 50S means that the 50R can be a bit difficult to hold, especially when paired with the heavier Fujinon GF lenses. It's not easy to get a comfortable grip around the camera. While a blocky design can be nice to look at, especially compared to the oddly-shaped and asymmetrical 50S body, the 50R is not as comfortable to hold due to its size, the weight of the GF lenses and the lack of a deeper grip.

Fuji has also removed some controls and features from the body. Gone are the top deck display, tri-axial touchscreen (the 50R's display tilts up and down, but not to the side), ISO dial and navigation buttons. Further, the 50R's electronic viewfinder has lower magnification than the viewfinder on the 50S (which is removable and has an optional tilting adapter).

With a lower price tag comes a stripped-down camera body. For some users, this may prove to be a worthwhile trade. For others, the poor ergonomics of the 50R may be a deal breaker.

Image Quality: It's what inside that counts

Before getting into the performance of the image sensor and the GFX 50R's outstanding image quality, there is a bit of ambiguity with respect to what a "medium-format" image sensor actually is. In the case of the GFX 50R, the image sensor is a 43.8 x 32.9 millimeter 51.4-megapixel CMOS sensor. This is the same size sensor as is found in the Hasselblad X1D and the Pentax 645Z. However, the sensor is smaller than the one found in the medium-format digital backs produced by companies such as Hasselblad and Phase One. Those sensors, also called medium format, are around 53.7 x 40.4 millimeters. This means that while larger than full-frame image sensors (by about 1.7x), the Fuji GFX system is not built around the largest type of medium-format image sensor.

Regardless of the sensor size specifics, the 50R, like the 50S before it, produces superb stills across a wide variety of ISOs while producing images with excellent color and hue accuracy. Image files are very sharp with outstanding detail and low noise, but like the 50S, the 50R can produce moiré and other aliasing artifacts, which can be tricky to correct during post-processing. As we have seen with many other Bayer-filtered cameras with high resolving capabilities, it's a tradeoff.

For photographers interested in capturing images of highly-varied light, you will want to process raw files, as the camera showed the tendency to produce very dark, clipped shadows in JPEGs using default settings. Dynamic range performance with raw files is excellent, however.

As you increase the ISO sensitivity, the GFX 50R continues to perform very well. From the base ISO of 100 to around ISO 800, there is very little noticeable drop in image quality. At ISO 1600 and 3200, performance remains very good, although at the latter ISO, you can more easily see the effects of noise reduction processing. We were able to produce detailed 30 x 40 inch prints up to ISO 3200, although some fine luminance noise "grain" is visible at ISO 800-3200. At ISO 6400, it remains possible to produce a nice 24 x 36 print, which is remarkable. And at ISO 12,800, you can make a good 16 x 20 print, which is as impressive as it was when the GFX 50S first achieved this feat.

Overall, the image quality from the 50R is essentially identical to that from the 50S, which is to say superb. The primary draw of the GFX 50R is medium-format image quality in a more affordable package and the 50R delivers here in spades. The camera produces incredibly sharp and detailed images across an impressive range of ISOs.

Autofocus and Performance: A mixed bag

Autofocus and performance is an area where the GFX 50R offers slight improvements over the 50S, but still lags quite a bit from similarly-priced full-frame cameras. Whereas high-end full-frame cameras in this price range generally deliver not only great image quality, but also a lot of speed and overall performance, the 50R remains primarily focused on image quality.

On the positive side, the GFX 50R offers better autofocus and speed than some other medium-format cameras, although it is not as fast as the relatively old Pentax 645Z DSLR, which is no surprise given the Pentax's dedicated phase-detect AF sensor. The 50R's 425-point contrast-detect autofocus system is noticeably slower, but it covers nearly all of the image area, which is impressive given the large sensor size.

Although a bit sluggish, autofocus performance is accurate and fast enough for many types of photography. The GFX 50R is not an action camera, but it's also not a slouch when compared to other large-sensored cameras. Low-light autofocus performance is also pretty solid. The camera does include face and eye-detect autofocus, although the performance is mixed.

Like the 50S, the 50R is capable of shooting at up to three frames per second. The GFX 50R is not speedy, but its speed is typical for a medium-format camera. Buffer depths are also not great, but ample enough for short bursts and improved in some cases when compared to the 50S, especially when shooting JPEG images. In the lab, the GFX 50R had an unlimited JPEG buffer, whereas the 50S slowed down after 40 frames. The buffer when shooting lossless raw files also improved over the 50S, but only modestly, from 21 to 25 frames. As we said when reviewing the 50S, it's not an action camera. The 50R is not either, although its performance is slightly improved compared to when we tested the 50S.

Summary: Same great image quality in a lesser body

The Fujifilm GFX 50R includes many of the features which made the GFX 50S such an impressive camera when it released. However, despite the lower price point, the GFX 50R also misses the mark in some ways which may prove significant for some photographers. The superior ergonomics of the 50S may have resulted in an ugly camera, but it feels great to hold and use, even when using heavy lenses. The 50R, on the other hand, is blocky and difficult to grip.

With that said, the 50R does improve the camera's overall performance some and retains the excellent imaging performance of the 50S. The 51.4-megapixel medium-format image sensor captures great images with excellent detail, colors and dynamic range, especially if you are working with the 14-bit raw files. Autofocus performance, although a bit sluggish, is good for its class and the autofocus area coverage is excellent.

The GFX 50R cannot compete against high-end full-frame cameras in terms of speed, autofocus or video features. However, it delivers incredible image quality above and beyond what even very good full-frame cameras offer. To this end, we think that the GFX 50R is a very good camera for stills photographers looking for the ultimate in image quality. However, it's likely the case that for some photographers, the GFX 50S remains a better overall choice than the GFX 50R. But for those who are willing to live with the tradeoffs Fujifilm made to reduce the size and lower the price, we definitely recommend the GFX 50R as a Dave's Pick.

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