Fujifilm’s first medium-format mirrorless camera arrives next month

Fujifilm has announced that the GFX 50S medium-format mirrorless camera will be available for purchase in the US in late February. The new camera will cost $6,499.95 for the body and will be accompanied by three new weather-resistant lenses: a 63mm f/2.8 for $1,499.95; a 32-64mm f/4 zoom for $2,299.95; and a 120mm f/4 macro for $2,699.95.

The GFX 50S is Fujifilm’s first medium-format digital camera and will go head to head with the similarly-priced Pentax 645Z and more expensive offerings from Hasselblad and PhaseOne. It has a new 51.4-megapixel 43.8mm x 32.9mm sensor (that’s nearly twice as large as a 35mm “full frame” sensor), Fujifilm’s X-Processor Pro imaging processor, 1080p video recording capability, and a detachable electronic viewfinder.

In addition to the three lenses available at launch, Fujifilm says it will also release 45mm f/2.8, 23mm f/4, and 110mm f/2 lenses later this year. All of the GF series of lenses are weather resistant, and Fujifilm will be releasing an adapter for the GFX 50S that allows older film-based medium format lenses to mount to it.

Dan Seifert / The Verge

In our brief time with the camera after it’s initial unveiling last year, we found it to be a remarkably light and comfortable camera to use, despite the fact that it has a much larger sensor and lenses than DSLR cameras. The GFX 50S won’t be ideal for photography disciplines that require fast autofocus and operations, but it could be an excellent option for portrait and nature photographers looking for more detail and better image quality than full frame cameras currently provide.