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The EVF blackout is about the same from previous GFX cameras. This is an area Fuji could have improved on to make the shooting experience a bit more pleasurable. My work around has been setting my drive mode in Low Speed Burst Mode. This all but eliminates the EVF blackout and also increases my shooting speed. If you’re shooting in Single Shot mode, the blackout may be an annoyance to some.
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The joystick is pretty similar to the one implemented on the GFX100S. While it feels more durable(a definite plus), it’s still recessed too low. It should protrude just a bit more to give you an increased feeling of control. Right now, it’s pretty nubby feeling. I wish they would have brought back the four way selector to give us even better menu control. Seems like the camera manufacturers giveth and they taketh away with odd little design decisions that no one asked for.
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I think Fuji’s menu system could use an update. Namely some splashes of color in the UI. It’s been the same boring gray UI for years now. For a company renown for its color, you’d think they would have some flourishes of color in the UI. Nope, boring old gray. Color also helps differentiate the different areas of the menu. It could use a more modern overhaul. Thankfully with the amount of function buttons and the Quick menu, I don’t see the need to dive into the menu on a regular basis.
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No touch shutter. Not gonna gripe on this one too long, but why? Why isn’t this just a standard feature on all cameras that have a touch screen. It’s a software feature, so it should be easy to add via firmware. Such a weird oversight.
Finding a Use Case
While the GFX 100 II is a brilliant camera in terms of specs, image quality, etc. there’s always the question, “What is this camera best suited for?” In theory, you could use it for everything, but is it best suited for everything? Probably not.
I can’t speak for other artists, but for my use case, I see the GFX as being a camera for creative/important work. I.e., work where a client demands that size or work you deem important enough to want to archive. I do a lot of volume work in my headshot photography business and I wouldn’t dare use the GFX on a job where I’m photographing 50-100 people. I’d end up with about 500GB of images to sift through. While I have plenty of hard drive space, that doesn’t mean I should be in a rush to fill it up. And clients won’t even care about the perceived better image quality.
In my opinion, the GFX is better suited for low volume, creative work. In my case that would be portraits, swimwear, nudes, beauty, etc. It would be great for landscape work too. It could be used for street photography, but manage your expectations. It’s not small and discreet. It isn’t blazing fast, but doable for street and the images are gorgeous. People use the Leica SL2 for street photography and they rave about that camera, so don’t be unfair when viewing the GFX as a potential street camera. It’s not meant to be small and it’s not meant to be fast like a sports camera. So it shouldn’t be criticized for being something that it isn’t.
Advertising work is an obvious use for it because that’s often a big creative project. Those clients will appreciate the flexibility in cropping with all the resolution you’re given. I could also use it for individual portrait/headshot clients, just not high volume work. The files are just too big and there are cameras that are much better suited for that sort of project.
Fuji could fix this by offering different RAW size and/or compression options. Nikon does it and Sony implemented it in the A1 last year. I believe Canon does it as well. Regardless, there is a need for a smaller RAW file. Imagine having a 102MP camera, but you can get a RAW file the size of a 50MP file? Or 30MP file? And all without a loss of quality. That would enhance the versatility of the system. I’ve mentioned before that I think Fuji wants to convince people to buy their 50MP medium format cameras, but I’d rather just have a single 102MP camera and be able to set my RAW file sizes according to the project.
Full-Frame Is Still Its Biggest Competitor
Though I am one to tout the virtues of medium format, I still love full-frame cameras. They offer a versatility that medium format will never be able to. For many, they’re a perfect combination of size, performance, and image quality. Since my work is quite diverse at times, having a set of full-frame cameras is very helpful. For volume work, the occasional event, real estate photography, etc. my full-frame cameras are the better choice.
In my last post I mentioned having my Panasonic S1R’s up for sale. I’ve since sold them and moved on to another system entirely. More on that near the end of this post.
A tangent about the Panasonic S5 II/IIX:
I briefly had the S5IIX, but didn’t enjoy using it(or the previous S5 camera) for stills. I found the viewfinder small and the ergonomics lacking in some key areas. Also, there’s an issue with the battery grip which I’ll detail below:
