Lensrentals had one of its Fujifilm GFX100 get briefly exposed to saltwater and it was declared DOA by insurance, but of course Lensrentals found a little more value in the unit by making a teardown post, which you can read here. The teardown reveals a few interesting details about the GFX100 and the first big take away for me is that I will be more careful with my GFX100 and the elements in the future.
I think most photographers know how dangerous saltwater can be for a camera, but this light splash of saltwater got disturbingly deep into the GFX100, which is disappointing to me as an owner. This confirms what I have suspected for some time that the GFX100 isn’t as well sealed as the GFX50S was because there are almost no gaskets in the GFX100.
On the plus side, the IBIS unit in the camera is built to last and built correctly along with the huge shutter that isn’t physically mounted to the body at all. The GFX100 should operate problem-free for years to come if it is well cared for. We also now know more details about the GFX100 sensor stack “The sensor stack had three pieces of glass measured at 0.9mm for the top, 1.34mm total for the second sandwich and 1mm glued to the sensor. That’s 3.24mm of total glass thickness for those of you interested, not counting the two air gaps between the glass plates.”
The GFX100 certainly seems to be built like a brick, but I am personally disappointed in the lack of weather sealing in the camera. The seals in the teardown are diminutive in a camera that has enough room to house full-sized screws. Maybe Fujifilm was hoping that the internal volume of the camera would provide additional protection, but from this teardown, it looks like the saltwater wicked up into the delicate parts of the camera via surface tension and capillary action wrecking almost everything. Sure rainwater isn’t as dangerous but why take the change with a $10,000 camera?
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Fujifilm GFX100: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Fujifilm GFX50R: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Fujifilm GFX 50S: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Atomos NINJA V: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
via LensRentals
