The Fujifilm GFX50S II is the cheapest medium format digital camera ever

Fujifilm has announced the latest addition to the GFX medium format mirrorless camera line-up: the 51.4-megapixel GFX50S II. Priced at $ 3,999, it is the most affordable medium format digital camera ever.

The company claims that the GFX50S II offers the perfect blend of accessibility and flexibility with professional features that include 19 film simulation modes, advanced autofocus, and a host of exposure controls. The new camera uses a specialized design with particularly small light collecting microlenses on the sensor that creates a wide gap between adjacent pixels, which Fujifilm says maximizes light resolution per pixel for increased image sharpness. . The company claims that this increased per-pixel light reception area provides high ISO sensitivity, wide dynamic range and tonality, and provides precise clipping of highlights and shadows.

The new compact GFX50S II features Five-Axis In-Body Stabilization (IBIS) which the company says provides up to 6.5 stops of vibration reduction, which is the highest available for the GFX range. . This is made possible by the use of a high performance gyro sensor and accelerometer with increased sensitivity capable of detecting movements with high precision for precise image stabilization. This will provide more handheld shooting opportunities compared to previous mid-format generations which tended to stay mounted on tripods for slow, careful shooting.

Fujifilm claims that the GFX50S II harnesses the latest high-speed processing engine (the X 4 processor) and algorithms for a fast, high-precision contrast-detection autofocus system that works in tandem with the IBIS to control motion blur and improve its focusing performance. . This includes improved face and eye detection autofocus over the previous GFX50S.

The new medium format system is comprised of what Fujifilm describes as a very stiff magnesium alloy that weighs approximately 900 grams (37.1 ounces) and is 4.1 inches (104.2 mm) high and 3.4 inches ( 87.2mm) deep, with an improved grip shape to reduce hand and increase comfort. The camera is also weatherproof at 60 locations, providing resistance to dust and moisture and the ability to operate in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius) when used with a lens. just as weather resistant.

For displays, the GFX50S II has a 1.8-inch LCD on the top panel that displays key EXIF ​​settings and a 3.2-inch rear main LCD that can tilt in three directions to enable high-angle and low-angle shooting where the electronic viewfinder (EVF) cannot be easily used.

Fujifilm also states that the GFX50S II comes with Pixel Shift Multi-Shot, capable of creating 200 MP images almost completely free of false colors, making it ideal for archiving large works of art and photography. historical artifacts. Pixel Shift function uses the camera’s IBIS to shift the image sensor by 0.5 pixels to gradually record 16 RAW files and combine them into a single RAW Digital Negative (DNG) with Pixel software Shift Combine. This feature can also be configured to produce 51.4 MP images that are easier to manipulate.

Here are some sample photos captured with the camera (you can download the original JPEG resolution and raw versions here):

Here’s a short promotional video showcasing the new camera:

The Fujifilm GFX50S II is expected to be available in late October for $ 3,999. A GFX50S II camera and lens kit including the GF 35-70mm f / 4.5-5.6 WR lens will also be available for $ 4,499.