System Upgrade? / GFX100s
I've mentioned in a few previous posts that I've been running Fuji and Sony parallel for some time and that I wanted to concentrate on one system, and although both systems have their pros and cons I wasn't keen on jumping between two systems for various reasons and that I grew to prefer the Fuji system. Well, the time came and I made the decision, I've done it, I've now sold all of my Sony gear.
For a long time now I've had two cameras, although I've never really needed it I liked to have a backup. When I was using solely Sony, it was an A7 and an A6000, a great solution as both used the E-mount and I would always have the backup in my bag.
Later it was a Sony A7 and a Fuji GFX50s, I would use the Sony with a 200-600mm lens for wildlife, and the GFX for everything else, this changed over time as I grew to prefer using the Fuji system. So I made a choice and decided to sell all other camera gear and use only the GFX.
It feels strange not having a backup solution right now, but as my backup system has spent at the very least, the past six months boxed up and ready to be sold, I see this as a mindset issue rather than a technical one.
Now over to the GFX100s. Will I upgrade, I don't know yet. I am still very undecided. With the design of the new camera some features have been taken away that I loved using, the tilt EVF for example.
It feels like the changes made to the GFX100s compared to the GFX50s are targeting the system in a new direction or maybe widening the direction, it looks like Fujifilm are trying to pull in customers from a full-frame market. What I do not understand though, is why take away the aspects of the design that made it stand out from the crowd, and move in a direction that is closer to the Hasselblad X1D while trying to target the Full Frame markets of Canon and Nikon. I've left Sony off as they appear to be moving more towards the classic Fuji design at least to dials.
The GFX50s is in my opinion, a masterpiece, yes there are a few issues but nothing too serious and as with any new design, they are to be expected. Most were also just personal preferences, and you can't please everybody.
With this product, Fujifilm found a niche in a market that is dwindling.
The pros and cons from my perspective, and I think that I am going through this to try to help me decide whether I should move to the GFX100s.
Tilt adapter
Probably the largest issue for me, as I have grown to appreciate the flexibility of this tool. Yes, it is/was horrendously overpriced, this may have in part been a reason for not including it in the design. Yes, the theory that it could be upgraded when improvements were available never came to fruition, but what a wonderful concept. I held off getting one for a long time because of the price but eventually caved in. I had intended to only use it occasionally, at times when the camera was for example on the tripod at an angle that made it difficult to get to the viewfinder, which happens a lot more than I would like, but now I never remove it. As this rarely leaves my camera, it may very well be a reason for me not to upgrade.
New sensor
The advantages that this brings are clear. For me in particular the 100MP would mean that I could work around the lack of longer native lenses by being able to crop considerably and still have an image large enough for larger prints. As it appears that Fuji is targeting the full-frame market, maybe there will be longer lenses available soon.
Strap connectors
This was a no-brainer. I understand the idea behind the retro styling of the GFX50s connectors, but they were a mistake and as these were not used on the GFX50r or GFX100 it was a mistake that was noted and I hadn't expected to see them on the GFX100s. I've got around not being able to attach a strap to the camera like many others by using the L-plate.
IBIS
All of the lenses that I predominately use hand-held have OIS, and I mainly shoot using a tripod, so this isn't an upgrade that has a great deal of effect on me, although as the IBIS works in combination with the OIS there could certainly be an advantage. As IBIS opens the gates for pixel shift it may be an option in the future, although I haven't seen any details on whether this will be included or not, it would make it very interesting for landscape though.
Smaller size
- I've never had a problem with the ergonomics of the GFX50s the ergonomics were one of the things that attracted me to the camera. The bulge of the screen is unusual but has never been an issue either. I'm not sure how I feel about the size change, but a smaller size would certainly not be a reason to change.
Tilt screen
This is personal preference, as all of this is, and from reading a lot of comments recently I can see that a lot of people prefer the screen as it currently is on the GFX50s and GFX50r, and I am in the minority. It's not clear to me though whether they prefer it because they like the function as it is or because they feel that a rotating screen is only for vlogging. I don't use the screen much and I do not the rotating screen as a vlogging screen. I like the fact that they can be completely closed and more importantly due to how I use the camera, protected from any damage. It's a shame for me, but it's the same as before and something that I can continue to live with.
Changes to the button layout
I've grouped, no D-Pad and changes to the dials, buttons, etc, together, because it’s all about ergonomics. I'm not sure that this will have a great effect on my use, I'll just have to re-adjust to the new layout, if I were to change. Removing buttons removes the ability to assign specific functions to these buttons, which is not a good thing, but a joystick could be able to replace these functions. The change of the top dial shouldn't affect me as I tend not to use them and prefer to reassign the ISO and shutter speed to the front and back dials. It could be a good thing, but not a reason to upgrade.
Lack of a vertical battery grip
I have one for the GFX50s and I use it, but not having it wouldn't bother me too much. The battery life is also good enough not to require a second battery. It seems a shame to remove the ability though.
After all of that, I still do not know whether to move to the GFX100s or not. As far as I see it there are only really two points that I need to consider, one pro, the sensor, and one con the lack of the tilt evf.
The lack of the tilt evf is a big issue, but is this outweighed by the new sensor. As I hear that there are delivery delays, I will still have time to consider it
