After an official announcement that the latest Fujifilm X Summit is taking place on 12th September (see Youtube video, below), Fujifilm Rumors has confidently shared that the star of the show is going to be the Fujifilm GFX100 II.
A medium format mirrorless camera is touted as the next mirrorless camera we can expect from Fujifilm, and its rumored name suggests it will be the successor to the four-year-old GFX100, a flagship 100MP monster that raised the image quality bar upon its 2019 release.
Two years later, Fujifilm put most of the tech from this flagship model, including the standout 100MP sensor, into a smaller and simpler body that costs half the price – the GFX100S. With its smaller sibling on the scene, there was little reason to part with twice the cash for a GFX100, unless you needed its larger body and battery.
Since the GFX100, we’ve also enjoyed the Hasselblad X2D 100C, a divine 100MP medium format camera that sits in our best mirrorless cameras guide. It will be a tough ask for Fujifilm to steal our hearts back, so what can we hope for from the rumored GFX100 II?
GFX100 II: what to expect
Stockholm hosts Fujifilm’s second X Summit of 2023, where anyone can attend to try out the lastest camera gear. Previously we have listed a GFX camera with a stacked sensor as new gear we’d hope to see. However, the GFX100 II is unlikely to feature the stacked sensor type as found in the X-H2S – Fujifilm’s fastest camera available – and rumors instead suggest a new version again with 100MP, but with a faster sensor read out that reduces rolling shutter, and improves autofocus speed. Presuming it will be paired with the latest X-Processor 5 that Fujifilm claims is twice the speed of the previous-gen processor, the GFX100 II could be the fastest medium format camera available.
There might also be a modular feel to the GFX100 II, adorning a similar form factor to the smaller GFX100S, but with the option to attach a battery grip to bulk it out and improve battery life – a function that the GFX100S doesn’t offer. That option to modify the camera size and battery life is the best of both worlds, and a bonus is that the detachable battery grip might be included in the box.
The GFX100 II could also work with a tilt-EVF accessory that tilts up for easy viewing from low angles, making it ideal for waist level shooting – again an accessory that not all GFX cameras are compatible with.
The sum of all rumors points to a more refined shooting experience that could make medium format accessible to a broader range of creatives, even if the price could prove a sticking point. Any new GFX camera generates a buzz, and we’re excited to see what’s in store in Stockholm next month.
