Fujifilm has introduced a unique camera, the 102MP medium-format GFX100RF compact camera. This camera features a massive sensor and a fixed 35mm f4 lens, equivalent to 28mm in full-frame, capable of capturing 11,648 x 8,736 photos. Additionally, it boasts features rarely seen in compact cameras, including a built-in ND filter and a dedicated aspect ratio dial.

The GFX100RF utilizes the same 102MP CMOS II HS medium format sensor found in the GFX100 II mirrorless camera. As Fujifilm teased last week, it can be considered a higher-resolution version of its popular X100 VI APS-C compact. Although smaller than other GFX cameras, it weighs 1.62 pounds (735 grams), heavier than many full-frame mirrorless cameras. The camera’s premium feel is achieved by being “machined from a single block of aluminum and the lens ring, dials, bottom plate, and other details are all precision-machined from aluminum as well,” according to Fujifilm’s press release.

Similar to the X100 VI, it is designed as a street camera with easily accessible and adjustable shutter speed, exposure compensation, and aperture settings. However, the GFX100RF features a new dial on the back, allowing users to choose from nine aspect ratios, including 7:6, 1:1, 3:4, 16:9, 17:6, and the 65:24 “XPan” widescreen ratio found on other GFX models.

A tele-converter selector/lever on the front of the camera enables digital focal length changes from the native 35mm to 45mm, 63mm, and 80mm (35mm, 50mm, and 65mm full-frame equivalent), resulting in a corresponding loss of resolution. When using these modes, a new “Surround View” function can be selected, displaying the area outside the image range as a semi-transparent frame.

Fujifilm states that the fixed lens can suppress spherical aberration and field curvature thanks to a 10-element, eight-group configuration, including two aspherical lenses. It features a newly developed “nano-GI” coating optimized to suppress internal reflections, even at the edges. Despite the large sensor size, it can focus as close as 7.9 inches, allowing for interesting high-res macro possibilities.

The shutter is a leaf type instead of a focal plane type to reduce size, and the GFX100RF is Fujifilm’s first GFX model with a built-in four-stop ND filter. This feature is handy for bright light shooting, allowing for slower shutter speeds to add motion blur or wider apertures for shallower depth of field.

The GFX100RF has a similar autofocus system to the GFX100 II, including an AF prediction function and face/eye AF that can recognize subjects like animals, vehicles, birds, and airplanes. Burst speeds reach 6 fps with the mechanical shutter at full resolution, slightly slower than the GFX100S II. It features a 5.76-million-dot offset electronic viewfinder, similar to the one on the X100VI, and a 3.1-inch 2-axis tilting 2.1-million-dot rear display.

The camera can shoot 4K 30fps 4:2:2 10-bit video, likely with some pixel binning, and Fujifilm claims it will deliver up to 13+ stops of dynamic range when using the FLog-2 setting. Other features include an SDXC UHS-II card slot, 20 built-in film simulations, SSD recording, mic and headphone ports, and a microHDMI connector. One notable feature missing compared to the X100VI is in-body stabilization.

The GFX100RF is likely to appeal to street and travel photographers due to its capabilities. Although it is not cheap at $4,900, the price is less than its main competition, the $6,660 Leica Q3, while offering a larger sensor and 40 extra megapixels. It will be available in black or silver when it arrives in late April 2025.