2021 is coming to a close and B&H Photo has released their best of 2021 list and Fujifilm took home 2 spots which tie’s Nikon with 2 and beats Panasonic/Sigma/Canon with one each. The only company to get more spots was Sony with 3.
Accessible and medium format are no longer mutually exclusive terms with the GFX 50S II; the second-gen compact medium format mirrorless with a new integrated design and the same 50MP sensor that put the GFX system on the map.
Late summer saw FUJIFILM release the second generation of their first mirrorless medium format camera, the GFX 50S II. Compared to what a conventional second-gen camera is, though, this new GFX trended in a new way, with a focus on becoming even more accessible than the first generation of cameras, meaning medium format is now a realistic consideration for people shopping for full-frame systems. And with that in mind, the GFX 50S II presents a truly interesting choice for photographers who value image quality above all other camera specs. Beyond value alone, the GFX 50S II also saw some physical changes, bringing it in line with its 100MP sibling and featuring a fully integrated viewfinder and forgoing the more modular nature of the first GFX 50S.
100MP in a portable form factor, the GFX 100S is simultaneously an historic camera and one of those releases that was maybe so forward thinking that it got overlooked.
Not too long ago, the thought of a 100MP camera sounded like very wishful thinking, considering 36MP was high-res and 24MP is still a go-to standard for many cameras today. FUJIFILM’s GFX 100S isn’t the first 100MP camera, it’s not even FUJIFILM’s first, but it represents the first time 100MP has been available sub $10K and in a camera body that’s portable and reasonable for walkaround shooting use. It redefines medium format and breaks down the barrier that’s made medium format, especially high-resolution medium format, so inaccessible for virtually everyone until now. What’s even more impressive about the GFX 100S is that it has also benefitted from full-frame and APS-C mirrorless development, too, and features many of the same imaging assets you’d expect from other current cameras, like IBIS, DCI 4K 30p video, and even phase-detection AF. Unlike medium format cameras of the past, which were notoriously slow and outdated in performance, but you’d suck it up for the amazing image quality, the GFX 100S doesn’t need these excuses anymore as it meshes high-resolution medium format quality with current mirrorless performance.
Fujifilm did well, but I do not think I would pick the Nikon Z9 over the Alpha 1 or GFX100S. I also do not think I would have included the Sony ZV-E10 over the Fujifilm X-S10. Don’t get me wrong the Nikon Z9 is a huge deal at a great price point, but I am still not convinced that Nikon is really in it to win it until the technology from the Z9 starts to show up in more entry-level cameras like Sony’s AF tech has shown up throughout their lineup of cameras. Further Fujifilm’s success with medium format cameras should attract some competition in the future and I really hope the speculation about Z mount being ready for medium format turns out to be true.
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