All You Need: One Camera, One Lens: Review of the new GFX100 II from Fujifilm Canada and BJPhoto Canada.
I have been using Micro four thirds cameras for many years. My -preference is small and light and naturally I moved from big DSLRs like Canon and Nikon to Fuji cameras, beginning with its first X-100 series. Now I own the X-H2, X-T5 and a X-100v. All are small, light. I operate mostly with one lens. I run out the door with the camera slung over my shoulder, and maybe, another lens tucked in a coat pocket. A practice developed after a lifetime as a journalist. I carried a Canon F-1 with a 50 mm lens. Fires, floods, elections, summer concerts, car shows, pie-eating contests, you name it. All the gear I needed.
This brings me to the newest adventure, courtesy of BJPhoto Canada, a Waterloo Ontario family-run camera shop, and Fujifilm Canada. All the hype around the Fuji GFX100 IIcaught my interest, but I shied away because of its size, weighing a little over two pounds. It dwarfs the X-100v (of course), but even to some extent the larger X-H2. But I heard this newest iteration adopted measures to be a better all-around camera, notably for action, street, or even sports. I gave it a try. The first photo was in a nearby woods in Windsor, and a woman passed me who was entirely taken with the first change of autumn colour in the landscape. Unbeknownst to her, I captured her with her arms stretched out behind. I took others, in the soft light, and at one point when I turned on the trail I was struck by this blaze of yellowing shimmering leaves. None of the colour — those deep reds — of Northern Ontario except for the splash of clumps of red baneberries on nearby bushes. Our woodlands instead breathe the soft yellows and faded browns of a Robert Frost’s stroll into the woods. And on my way back home, I spotted the quietude and contrast of a dark window with weathered and crumbling panes set against fine lacy curtains. A backyard picture of clothespins, the ordinary domestic scene shot at f3.5 so the clotheslines practically disappears into the array of orange and browns of a backscatter of light. I made quick run to the other side of town — I was chasing colour, with the sun glowing on the rising towers of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge rising above the Detroit River. I finally retreated indoors to a not so well-lit room with the muted glow peaking through a set of flowered curtains, and saw how it highlighted a small windowsill figure. Lovely halo, sharp detail in the screens, dazzling but not over-the-top colours. Shooting this on simulations but backing off the Velvia choice. Another image of two newspaper frames, one from the Second World War, one of the Kennedy shooting, both awkwardly askew. And another windowsill collection of bartered hockey pucks with fading yellowed tape marking the date of a game winning goal. Again magnificent light, the story in the detail and tone of the curling tape.
I was already conscious of the GFX series’ vaunted reputation for high resolution and rich tonality in stunning studio portraits and glorious landscapes. It was aimed at the professional market. The difference this time around was transforming it into a more versatile camera product that would not limit itself. What about action? What about street photography? What about point-and-shoot? Every day portraits? For my curiosity, the real test was a neighbourhood boxing club in the shadows of the original Ford Motor plant in Windsor, Ontario. The Border City Boxing Club is home to several Canadian amateur and professional champions. It’s also home to a throng of young boxers, some of whom were rescued from the street and away from gangs of young offenders. And so, it is to this place that I ventured. One camera — the new GFX100 II— and one lens, the snub-nosed 45 mm 2.8.
I started right away with Jayden Trudell, the 19-year-old welterweight champion training hard for a rematch. He was working the pads with the wily André Gorges, the Iraqi-born former Ontario champion and now coach at the club. I only had the GFX100 II— at this point — for a little more than a few hours, and not really enough time to be comfortable with its ergonomics. I jumped right in, quickly shifting the ISO to 2,000. The day had turned overcast, and the gym that late afternoon was dark, and challenging. I set the shutter speed to 500th of a second, and shot wide open at 2.8. All jpegs straight-out-of-the-camera-provided simulations. Soon I was at ringside studying and following the lightening jabs, right crosses, body punches, and the dancing of three boxers sparring, each taking a turn, one after another. I never noticed the time running down, and then heard Jayden at ringside barking out encouragements. He leaned on the ropes, intense in his gaze, and his neck glistened in the light with sweat from his workout with André. It was then I realized I had been lugging this beast of a camera around without any effort — it could’ve just been my X-H2. Weight wasn’t the slightest concern. This was the only package I needed. The 45 mm (equivalent 35 mm.) was the perfect focal length, fixed on Continuous focus, eight frames a second. Soon I moved to areas outside the ring, fighters working the Heavy Bag. There was Rosalind Canty, 18 years old — now Ontario Champion in bantam weight. She comes from a family of boxers. Her mother, Margaret Canty, was a three-time world champion, a professional who fought all over the world, including Japan. Framed by two swinging heavy bags, Rosiland dipped in and out and from side to side, firing and timing quick jabs and uppercuts —the radiant background walls behind her, adorned with old photographs and boxing ephemera. As I turned away, other fighters were tiredly stuffing gloves into lockers, or into gym bags, while others wrapped their hands for sparring, or worked the speed bag or hydrated themselves after the workout, or lazed and leaned on the heavy bag catching their breath and studying the action, while still more resumed skipping, jumping, or shadow boxing in the mirrors that covered the south wall of the club. This camera worked the scenes without a thought. Magical the way it eked out such rich, deep, gorgeous colour with detail and drama from the poor light of an old gym on a dark afternoon day.
Physically, the GFX100 II itself appears chunky, and prodigious, especially if you are accustomed to the clean retro lines of a camera like the tiny x-100 or the X-T5 Mind you, this a Medium Format camera, and so it shouldn’t disguise itself as anything more than that. The grip certainly declares its heft, but surprisingly it is a good feeling in the hand, actually steadies the hand. You are holding something substantial. And as a Medium Format, it carries a kind of elegance. Another real blessing is that when you bring the EVF to your eyes, it is vast and clear. I actually found my eyes stretching to catch the corners as I framed the action. The buttons and dials are perfectly placed with no distraction. In essence, this new GFX is really a simple camera to use. The camera is everything that Fuji promises. It will deliver arresting and handsome portraits, stunning landscapes, meaningful street action, and offers up colour and gorgeous light control. You also really don’t need to worry yourself deep into its menu system. Go with the tried and true. Set the shutter speed with a dial, twist the aperture ring to 2.8 and dial in the ISO, and there is nothing to hold the camera back. The clicking sound of the shutter is satisfying and reassuring — and the colour is dazzling. There is no real need to fiddle with Simulations. I went with whatever was in the provided list but also experimented with the new Reala which softened the reds of the canvas ring and the nearby lockers. It provided a much truer colour to what I was seeing. Outside on the street, the Reala took on a different look, a little flatter.
This is a big step for Fuji. And for me, moving from cameras that are smaller, more accessible, in terms of heft, this was a surprise. It is versatile with blisteringly- fast autofocus, and there’s absolutely no need to fear for what unfolds in front of you as you move in to capture the action. You can trust its performance. You can concentrate solely on the image, and forget everything else. You suddenly find yourself in the midst of action, moving directly in, just a hair’s breadth from it, and capturing the scene in a more compelling and authentic way. I believe this camera is a package for everyday, especially if you pair it with a smaller prime. Take it with you. Leave everything else behind. One camera, one lens.