Japanese camera company Fujifilm has announced a groundbreaking medium format mirrorless digital camera capable of producing 102 megapixel images.
The GFX100 is the new flagship in Fujifilm’s professional and enthusiast oriented GFX line and features a huge 55mm diagonal length sensor.
While more companies recently threw down the gauntlet to Sony by announcing full-frame mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm has skipped over them to focus on medium format.
Medium format cameras feature sensor sizes with a diagonal length between 35mm and 162mm.
The company mainly use 28mm diagonal APS-C sensors on its mirrorless cameras, like the X100 line that sparked a brand resurgence at the start of the decade thanks to its innovative and aesthetic design.
Fujifilm has continued pushing innovation with the GFX100.
The company claims its 55mm sensor is the first medium format sensor to feature noise-decreasing back illumination, and phase detection pixels that make autofocus two times faster than other cameras in the GFX line.
Fujifilm is also claiming it’s the first to offer five-axis in body image stabilisation (IBIS) in a camera with a sensor over 35mm.
Given IBIS involves moving the actual sensor around inside the body of the camera, its hardly surprising no other company has managed it yet.
What remains to be seen is how well Fujifilm has pulled it off.
The GFX100 also shoots 4K video up to 30fps.
Its weather-sealed magnesium alloy body features an integrated vertical grip, 3.2-inch tilting LCD and is capable of holding two batteries at once.
Fujifilm’s X-Processor 4 supports 16-bit RAW and TIFF files.
Fujifilm has also included USB-C power, charging, and tethering to help in studio environments.
Being geared towards the professional end of the market means none of this innovation comes cheap, but when the GFX100 arrives towards the end of next month it will still be one of the least expensive medium format cameras on the market, even with a retail price of $16,499.
