The latest GFX 100S medium format camera from Fujifilm has a 102 MP sensor. Before you call it a gimmick, the company’s Indian head of electronic imaging and optical devices has good reason to opt for a medium format sensor with higher megapixels.
“If you need to capture historical places or are in the fashion industry, such megapixels are necessary in a camera because you never know when to enlarge the captured image to a hoard size of up to 200 feet. Arj Babu tells about Fujifilm Indianexpress.com in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the GFX 100S medium format camera in the country.
Babu points out that such high-pixel sensor cameras target certain genres in photography where it is impossible to capture fine details with a smaller sensor camera. In contrast to smartphone cameras with tiny sensors, the GFX 100S uses a medium format sensor with 102 MP (43.8 x 32.9 mm) and is approximately 1.7 times larger.
“When you say that a medium format sensor is 70% larger than a full frame sensor, it means that this sensor’s potential to capture the light is much higher,” he explains. Babu adds that the capacity of this type of medium format sensor is much higher because it gives you very detailed images with rich colors.
The new GFX 100S medium format camera is more accessible than the original GFX 100, which also had a 102 megapixel sensor but was priced at $ 9,999 internationally. However, the new GFX 100S costs Rs 539,999 in India. However, it is also lighter and is housed in a medium-sized full-screen DSLR.
Babu called the GFX 100S “cheaper than a premium full-frame camera” and recalls that medium format sensor cameras used to cost between 20 and 30 lakh. Medium format cameras were “unaffordable” and professionals rented these cameras when they were given specific tasks. According to Babu, Fujifilm is making medium format cameras affordable with the GFX100S, so a newbie or someone entering the professional genre may consider such cameras. Fujifilm’s medium format camera line starts at Rs 350,000. This includes models with a 50MP medium format camera sensor.
The new Fujifilm GFX 100S costs Rs 539,999 in India. (Photo credit: Fujifilm)
Like other camera manufacturers, Fujifilm has had a rocky ride due to the global pandemic. This affected Fujifilm’s consumer camera business as there were no events or weddings, a segment that is boosting sales of professional cameras in India. The second half of the year was better in terms of sales, however, as professional events and weddings were back on the move despite the restrictions of Covid-19. Babu hopes the GFX100S medium format camera will be well received by professionals involved in wedding photography. “Imagine a picture taken at 100 MP of a group of people that can be enlarged and every single picture taken out. Even so, this picture doesn’t look distorted. So that’s the performance of the GFX 100S, ”he said.
At a time when smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung are marketing their high-end smartphones to professional photographers, there is a whole new debate about how traditional camera makers are facing the growing threat of a new age of cell phones that house the camera , will withstand foreground. Smartphones like the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra have improved camera sensors and offer special photo functions for vloggers. In some cases, these phones have a 108-megapixel sensor for the main wide-angle camera.
“This debate will always remain that way because as the wireless industry evolves, so does the camera industry,” Babu replied when asked how Fujifilm will adopt smartphones designed to attract a professional photographer. Instead of giving up, Babu sees this as an “opportunity”. Finally, a group of professional photographers or vloggers starting their careers with smartphones will consider a professional interchangeable lens-supported camera in the future. “In a way, it’s a boon for camera makers,” he said.
The X-E4 is the smallest X-mount camera on the market. (Image credit: Fujifilm)
The popularity of mid-range mirrorless cameras, especially cameras with enhanced video experience, shows how successfully Fujifilm and other camera manufacturers have served the growing segment of YouTube vloggers in India. “The mirrorless cameras have already captured a large chunk of the entire camera industry, although they are almost 30-35% in India,” he said.
Fujifilm is closely monitoring the booming demand for mirrorless cameras and is therefore introducing the X-E4 in India. The lightweight, rangefinder-style mirrorless camera uses a 26MP BSI CMOS sensor and can record videos at 4K / 30p. The camera has a dedicated dial for shutter speed, exposure compensation, and a new tilt screen that vloggers might be interested in. The Fujifilm X-E4 costs Rs 74,999.
