▷Fujifilm GFX50R review: a concentrate of power 🥇

Fujifilm GFX 50R is the penultimate among the medium format of the Japanese manufacturer and is presented as an "economic" choice for those who want an extremely professional mirrorless at a very affordable price. This test was very special as it is my first real in-depth review of a medium format mirrorless, a kind of combination that I have always been intrigued by.

Fujifilm GFX 50R: the medium format at the right ratio

To better understand the potential of this camera, I focused exclusively on its use in portraiture and reportage, two topics that for this product are like bread with salami for me (golfetta, please).

The fact that I call it "medium formatIs not madness, because, for the uninitiated, this camera does not have a "normal" sensor and does not belong to either the APS-C category or the Full Frame category. It is something more. An APS-C sensor measures about 23 × 15, a full frame 36 × 24 while a medium format about 43 × 32, this means that an APS-C fits twice in this sensor, which in fact turns out to be gigantic. The first time I removed the cap, I was watching the sensor as if it were a huge planet in the sky, then, after about two hours, I realized that life around me was going on.

Fujifilm GFX 50R Features

The sensor is a medium size 51.4 megapixel which measures 43.8 × 32.9mm, the viewfinder is OLED and has 3.69 million dots while the 3.2 "rear display has 2.36 million and is touch. This rear display is, as I like to call it, "Fuji-Tiltabile", in the sense that it can be rotated in an "all Fuji" way. It cannot be flipped towards the front but please do not consider it a defect because if I find you on the street doing VLOG or Selfie with a GFX 50R I will throw an aluminum tripod on the teeth, without meanness though. After taking the tripod back I leave you my dentist's note, you know, he is very good and will help you understand the reasons why you don't take VLOGs or selfies with a GFX50 R.

Aside from that, there is a Joystick in the back to easily manage the focus points, the body is tropicalized, the SD slot is double and supports the standard UHS-II, there is a USB-C connector but you cannot use it for recharging (serious defect) and obviously there is no shortage of Bluetooth and WiFi for managing the camera from a smartphone. There burst is equal to 3fps, it's not absolutely fast but that's okay: beyond the sensor, this camera is not made to go to the stadium to photograph footballers or catch Formula 1 racing in front of you. An additional feature is the ability to record video in Full HD a 1080p @30fps, nothing special, but as far as I'm concerned this feature could not even be there. It is interesting to observe how, as far as video recording is concerned, there are no limits to 29 minutes but it is possible to practically go up to the saturation of the card (which in my case was 99 minutes).
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Fujifilm GFX 50R Design & materials

Speaking of design and materials, you should know that Fujifilm GFX 50R was born as a younger sister of GFX 50S, which was Fuji's first medium format mirrorless. Both are present in the Fujifilm price list and both are designed for similar but also different purposes, especially for those who want to make a minor investment or do not need some peculiarities present in the more expensive and "greater" model. Let's say that the sensor is practically the same in the two cameras, but the GFX 50S has a more pronounced grip, an optional battery grip, a completely different and circular viewfinder and above all an upper secondary display that is not present in the GFX 50R.. Do you feel the lack of this display? It's up to you, I personally miss it exactly as I miss it in Sony A7III, but it's not that essential, you can live without it.
The controls are comfortable and well spaced, made for both those with small hands and those with large hands. I immediately loved the ergonomics of this camera: it's big but not too big, it's solid and well built but doesn't weigh 200kg. In short, there is a respectable engineering work behind it that I can notice and appreciate even before turning on the camera. Those with large hands will be happy with the size of the body however, it must be said, they would certainly be better off with a GFX 50S which has a much more pronounced grip.
If you have used any Fuji in the past, you will immediately know how to use Fujifilm GFX 50R too, the commands are the same, the menu too. If you have never used a Fuji ... well know that the menu and the use is by no means the most difficult, you just need to orient yourself in the first moments and then you will be comfortable comfortable.

The battery is the same as the GFX 50S, one NP-T125 HUGE and that allows you an autonomy of about 400 shots. The downside in this case is that there is no battery pack for the GFX 50R, unlike the older sister, therefore you will have to physically have another battery and change it or wait for the charging time (equal to about two hours).

The body weighs 775 grams with battery and an SD, not bad for a medium format, absolutely.

Fujifilm GFX50R performance review

Let's get to the gist of it all: how does Fujifilm GFX50R behave? I'll give you an answer right away: know that a raw file weighs tra i 100 ei 120mb, which is a lot, but in fact it is fair to expect this type of size by counting the size of the sensor, the megapixels and the various characteristics.
An uncompressed JPEG derived from a Lightroom DNG instead weighs around 30mb, but, in reality, a normal JPEG that comes out of this camera can be as high as 50mb. Keep in mind that this camera captures images at 8256 × 6192 pixels, a decidedly important dimension.

The quality already in the room and on this display literally left me speechless, just as the GFX 50S left me speechless. This is because the qualitative result is practically the same given the sensor is the same, so even in this case the shots are incredible.

What impressed me incredibly is the definition, which goes way beyond any other similar megapixel SLR. This is obviously thanks to the much larger sensor, capable of acquiring more light and better managing the dynamic range. The colors are amazing, the details superlative, and the overall quality leaves the need for a few tweaks in post. Here, speaking of post-production, one thing I noticed is that the recovery of shadows and highlights is not always fantastic, it depends a lot on the shooting conditions and on what you want to achieve. We assume that, beyond all expectations, you could get better results with a very high-end SLR, but we're always talking about shadow recovery, not overall quality. Allow me to explain this point better: in fact I happened to have some problems with the management of the shadows but not really on all the shots. In more "standard" situations I noticed excellent recoveries, in portraiture instead I noticed washed-out recoveries. This is a decidedly anomalous behavior, counting that the sensor comes from Sony and as far as I'm concerned that brand has always been a guarantee on recoveries together with Nikon (which in the end still fitted Sony sensors).

ISO sensitivity can be extended up to 102.400 but by default, in the menu, you will find the possibility to set up to 12.800 ISO (as native). It must be said that, thanks to the sensor so large, the ISO sensitivity plays in favor in this product. In fact, you will be able to have excellent results at all the various stops, counting however that a little excess noise must be expected compared to the classic cameras precisely because of the great resolution of this product. Obviously, compared to any other 50 megapixel SLR, the ISO performance is better, again thanks to the large sensor.

Also note the presence of a triple shutter: mechanical, electronic on the front curtain or fully electronic. For most uses it is worth choosing the electronic mode on the first curtain which starts the exposure digitally and mechanically synchronizes on the second curtain. This parameter reduces the risk of a small movement caused by opening the mechanical shutter.
The downside to all of this is that it could have a negative impact on bokeh, so consider which of the three modes to choose based on the type of photo you're taking. However, the fact of being able to choose is excellent: it gives freedom to every professional.

Thanks to the fully electronic mode you will be able to shoot silently and reach a maximum speed of 1/16000 second which is something that is not so easily seen on a camera. Warning: shooting at this speed allows you to retract a bullet but also to have serious problems with rolling shutter and banding. You will hardly shoot at this speed, but know that it is possible to do so.

Speaking of Autofocus, this camera has a contrast AF engine and it can go up to 117 points or 425 zones, enough to cover a good part of the sensor (albeit not all of course) and allow you to shoot in focus in most situations. The autofocus does not shine for speed and it is also for this reason (in addition to the low burst) that I do not recommend using Fujifilm GFX 50 R for sports photography. In situations where you can rest easy and schedule shooting, such as portraiture and landscape, you will be able to understand the great benefits of this product.

It is also right to mention the part concerning video recording but without dwelling too much: as already mentioned, Fujifilm GFX 50R registra video in Full HD a 30 fps, nothing special but it is still possible to get an excellent time in terms of recording, much higher than the cameras.
Otherwise, don't expect great video performance, but that's okay; Fujifilm GFX 50R remains a camera with a capital f that allows you to tell fantastic stories and enjoy the true essence of photography.

Fujifilm GFX50R conclusions

Fujifilm GFX50 R turns out to be an excellent product for weddings, portraits and landscaping; if you want to use this camera also for Street Photography no one forbids it and I am sure you will get extraordinary results, however you must understand that the body and the lenses are much more bulky than a normal mirrorless, so maybe it is not always comfortable to carry in tour. Definitely trying this camera thoroughly made me reflect a lot on the type of evolution we have been having over the last few years and on all fronts: thinking about creating a mirrorless medium format with this type of technology was impossible even "only" 6 years ago, so we are certainly in the midst of a great technological revolution that has fortunately also affected photography. Unfortunately, the software has some bugs: it often happens that the Joystick goes crazy and starts selecting things at random, but it is a problem that can be easily solved with a firmware update. The autofocus is very slow and not always accurate, you will have to be patient.
Furthermore, although it is an excellent studio camera in terms of quality, I must say that the usual defect of mirrorless presents itself: given the electronic viewfinder, if you shoot in the studio with single-torch flash, low ISO and small aperture you will see absolutely nothing, so framing will be difficult. There is a mode that simulates the optical viewfinder and tries to show you the reality for what it is, but it doesn't work very well, so outdoor shooting sessions are done with a bit of difficulty.
On the “pro” side, there is certainly to remember how the image quality is spectacularly incredible (even if in Italian it means nothing, but let me pass it as extreme emphasis), and there is an excellent dynamic range that manages to impose itself on the competitors.
The quality-price ratio is one of a kind and remains unique even with the presence of GFX 100.

Fujifilm GFX 50R costs indeed € 4.575 in the list for the body only and represents the economic medium format par excellence which, however, leaves nothing to chance and practically offers the same potential as its superior sister.

Fujifilm GFX50R

Pro

Incredible image quality;
Excellent dynamic range that manages to impose itself on its competitors;
GF lenses are a sight;
The quality-price ratio is unique in its kind and remains unique even with the presence of GFX100;