Fujifilm surprised everyone last year at Photokina when it announced a new mirrorless medium format system. And when it formally debuted the GFX 50S earlier this year, the interest was unprecedented.
As such, much has been written about Fuji’s return to the world of medium format photography.
But while its 51.4-million-pixel sensor, high definition viewfinder, focal plane shutter and tilting touchscreen may have grabbed most of the headlines, there are some deeper features within the Fuji GFX 50S that will prove really useful to a number of photographers. Here are seven of the best…
Fuji GFX features: 01 Voice Memo Function
Such a simple, yet novel idea. The Fuji GFX 50S allows photographers to record their voice for up to 30secs, giving you time to make notes about the image you are shooting. This can be quite handy when you’re trying to keep track of data such as your location or what settings you used.
Fuji GFX features: 02 Interval Timer Shooting
A number of cameras aimed at professional users offer an interval shooting mode, but the GFX 50S offers a lot of flexibility to experiment with everything from time lapse to fixed-point photography and self-timer images.
Users can set an interval from 1sec all the way up to 24 hours, and you can dial in as little as one frame or set it all the way to infinity.
You can also set the shutter delay all the way up to 24 hours.
Fuji GFX features: 03 Battery Age Display
A handy little display on the GFX 50S shows you the age of the batteries in the camera, as well as the VG-GFX1 vertical battery grip. Age is displayed between 0 and 4, with 0 being the youngest.
Fuji GFX features: 04 3D Electronic Level
The GFX 50S boasts an electronic level like many other cameras, but here Fuji employs a 3D system that the company says allows architectural and landscape photographers the ability to frame more precisely when accurate lines are crucial.
Fuji GFX features: 05 Aspect Ratios
The GFX 50S can record images in the 4:3, 3:2, 5:4 and 16:9 formats like most other cameras do. But here you also have the opportunity to capture images in 7:6 format at up to 45 million pixels, in 1:1 at up to 38 million pixels and a letterbox 65:24 format at up to 25 megapixels.
Fuji GFX features: 06 In-camera Raw Conversion
With the Fuji GFX 50S you can convert your raw files while out in the field without the need for a computer. Via the in-camera raw conversion tool you can make adjustments to exposure compensation, white balance, image quality and other camera settings, even add a Film Simulation mode post-capture.
Processed raw files can be saved as an 8-bit Tiff file or as a JPEG.
Fuji GFX features: 07 H Mount Adapter
OK, so this is more of an accessory than a feature of the camera itself, but Fujifilm has very helpfully released an H Mount Adapter that allows photographers to mount medium format Hasselblad lenses to the GFX 50S.
As well as enabling compatibility with H Mount lenses, you can also mount SUPER EBC FUJINON HC lenses from the defunct GX645AF.
The H Mount Adapter supports lens shutter operations and aperture priority AE, but focusing is manual only. However, Fuji says the mount features electronic contacts to generate and record lens correction data for individual lenses.
It also includes a detachable base plate for your tripod.