Fujifilm GFX 100S II + GF 35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR

Unbelievable photos. I was pondering over this purchase for months and finally took the plunge. I am not disappointed. Fantastic photos and camera.

Fujifilm has said many times that they will never get into full frame. So instead, they’ve pushed APS-C and medium format cameras. This is a strategy that Pentax did for many years until they finally caved. The Fujifilm GFX 100S II is one of those cameras that Fuji positions to replace your full-frame camera. It’s targeted squarely at the image quality and with some of the extra features which can be hard to use. But quite honestly, in late 2024, Fujifilm is starting to feel like the Pentax de ja vu all over again.

The $5,000 Fujifilm GFX100S II gives professionals outstanding picture quality at a significantly reduced price over the $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It even goes beyond what buyers might expect by offering fairly quick burst shooting with autofocus that’s much more reliable than on the original GFX100S. Video isn’t a strong point, but that won’t be important for its target market. The GFX100S II is also the cheapest camera in the mainstream medium format space, with its primary competition being either the GFX100 II or Hasselblad’s $8,200 X2D100C . I’d highly recommend it for portraits and other types of shooting where detail is key. However, burst speeds and autofocus still aren’t quite good enough in fast moving scenarios. Those who need more speed and reliability for things like weddings or live events would be better off with high-resolution full-frame models like the $3,700 Nikon Z8 , $6,500 Sony A1 or Canon’s new $4,300 EOS R5 II .

Like its precursor, the GFX100S II is a great choice for commercial and wedding photography and, with a suitable lens, it’s also good for landscapes, cityscapes, product and food photography and even (at a pinch) street photography. It’s lighter than a lot of ‘full-frame’ mirrorless cameras and competitively priced, given its sensor size. The pricing, size and complexity of medium format cameras would normally put them out of the reach of everyday photographers. However, Fujifilm’s GFX cameras are similar to the flagship mirrorless models from Canon, Nikon and Sony in all three parameters. This makes them worthy of consideration by serious photo enthusiasts and entry-level professionals.