Last week I brought the Fujifilm GFX 100S II with me on a trip to the UK. This was an aviation-themed trip with visits to the Royal International Air Tattoo held at RAF Fairford and the excellent RAF Museum at RAF Cosford. It would also be the first serious outing for the GFX, I was very excited to see what results this camera would produce and how it handled itself in the field.
General use
Now the GFX system is new to me and there are a few things I really have to get used to. I really wonder why the Fujifilm engineers omitted a dedicated ISO button. Now I either have to go to the menu to change the ISO settings or I have to use the front wheel after pressing it down. The latter function is tricky, if you accidentally touch the wheel whilst shooting your ISO settings will change without you noticing it. And if, after switching lenses, you'd like to activate the dust removal function, good luck. That means scrolling through the menu again instead of taking pictures and at RIAT things happen fast. No time to fiddle with the menu. I guess it would be quicker to just switch the camera off and then on again to activate dust removal.
Battery life is another thing to consider. I used up two batteries before the end of the afternoon at the RIAT.
Aside from the lack of an ISO button these are things that I will get used to over time when the menu of this camera gets more familiar. The short battery life was unexpected, I'll have to get me at least one more battery before I take the GFX out for a long day of shooting again.
The camera feels solid in my hands and I had no issues carrying it around all day long. And those images? Wow! This is where the GFX really shines, those gorgeous medium format images. I had no issues with the autofocus, I had set the camera autofocus to the airplane mode and this worked fine for me. The image stabilization is also top notch, I am very impressed how slow I can go with my shutter speeds whilst using the camera handheld and still get sharp images.
Will I take the GFX to an air show again? You bet! I just need a longer lens than the 100-200mm I was using so Fuji, if you're reading this: I would really like to see a 100-500mm telephoto lens for the GFX system!
Images
Below you'll find images shot at the RIAT at RAF Fairford and at the RAF Museum at RAF Cosford.
Wow, the quick emptying of the batteries is a bummer, I noticed that with the Sony A7 as well, so much so that I accustomed myself to switch of the camera while I am not shooting immediately. I guess you are used to the old Canon workhorses that could go for days without recharging (when new... :-) ). How is the screen and the EVF?
ReplyDeleteLoving the CN-AOG photograph, always nice to see machines in flight, and the color of the plane contrasts beautifully with the overcast sky. I’m betting that looks gorgeous when printed / viewed large, this web-thumbnail cannot possibly do it justice, even though I sort of feel the medium-format vibe in the contrasts and sharpness.
Thanks Joeri! It is something to keep in mind, indeed your solution of shutting down the camera in between shots is a good one. The screen is good and the EVF and I get along. I can't really comment on how good the EVF actually is as I have no previous experience with EVFs. I still like the prism of an SLR better. Where the EVF really shines is with manual lenses though. Focus peaking etc. cannot be done without one.
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