Fujifilm’s quest of making medium format accessible has revolutionized the industry. And now, they continue their pursuit of making quality medium format systems more attainable than ever with the Fujifilm GFX50s II. It will make its debut as a bundled kit with the Fujifilm 35-70 f4-5-5.6 lens or as a body only option. The competitive price is on par with many Full-Frame offerings and is sure to entice photographers looking for more real estate. If the optics are what we’ve come to expect and love from Fujifilm, this will be a great camera to make the switch. Spoiler alert, they are. Keep reading to find out why.

Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

The Fujifilm GFX50s II offers beautiful image quality. The film simulations and in-camera skin smoothing transfer to the RAW file, significantly reducing editing time. The dynamic range ability makes it difficult to capture an unusable frame. Autofocus isn’t always the fastest, although it rarely misses once it’s achieved. Its price is sure to entice anyone looking to get their feet wet with medium format.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Beautiful image quality

Colors and film simulations

In-camera skin smoothing transfers to raw file

It cuts down on editing time

Dynamic Range

Addition of IBIS

Small camera body for medium format

Cons

Autofocus can be sluggish

Although it’s improved, face detection can still be improved upon

Quick AF mode quickly drains the battery

Not a lot of fast lens options in the current lens lineup

Gear Used

I tested the Fujifilm GFX50s II with the Fujifilm GF 63mm f2.8 R WR Lens, Fujifilm GF 110mm f2 R WR Lens, and Broncolor Siros L 800ws monolight.

Innovations

Fujifilm isn’t completely redesigning the medium format system. They’re building upon what has worked well for them. The sensor is pretty great, but it isn’t new. It is paired with the newer X-processor 4 for improved performance. In-camera skin-softening within the GFX50s II is very usable and drastically cuts down on editing time in post. The second iteration of the camera has also gained an impressive 6.5 stops of IBIS. That’s an extra 1/2 stop better than the flagship GFX100s. For medium format, that’s the best on the market.

Fujifilm isn’t completely redesigning the medium format system. They’re building upon what has worked well for them. The sensor is pretty great, but it isn’t new. It is paired with the newer X-processor 4 for improved performance. In-camera skin-softening within the GFX50s II is very usable and drastically cuts down on editing time in post. The second iteration of the camera has also gained an impressive 6.5 stops of IBIS. That’s an extra 1/2 stop better than the flagship GFX100s.

Tech Specs

For a complete list of technical specifications, visit the Fujifilm website.

54.1MP CMOS Sensor Large Format (44x33mm)

Quad-core CPU X-Processor 4 with Latest FW

Mode Dial Controls

Weather Resistant

3.0fps Continuous Shooting

Full HD/30P, 4:2:0 8-bit (SD/HDMI)

Contrast Rapid AF of .272s

Lowlight Priority AF -3.5EV / 14 Stop Dynamic Range

New Nostalgic Neg. Film Simulation

IBIS with 6.5 Stops of Stabilization, more than GFX100S

Fixed 3.9M-dot EVF (0.77x Mag. 50fps refresh)

NP-W234 (440 frame) battery. Same as “X-T4 Battery”

205MP Multi-Shot Pixel Shift / Drone-Gimbal Support

New 35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR kit lens

Ergonomics

Upon first glance, you might mistake the GFX50s II for the GFX100s. The two bodies are identical, with only the model badge distinguishing the two. It is comparable to the size of a DSLR, slightly heavier, and is very comfortable to hold.

The top panel of the camera has a large LCD display and two programmable exposure buttons. I prefer to set these to resemble the ISO and shutter speed dials found on the X-series. Above, you will find the on/off switch and the shutter button. The electronic viewfinder is in the middle. The mode dial is on the left with plenty of customization options and the movie/still switch.

On the back panel of the GFX50s II is a large LCD panel that tilts and f...