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Cameras

Fujifilm GFX 100S II Review: Is Fujifilm the New Pentax?

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 06/22/2025
12/03/2024
12 Mins read
A black digital camera with a large lens resting on a brown bag with leather straps.
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Last Updated on 06/22/2025 by Alberto Lima

Fujifilm has said many times that they will never get into full frame. So instead, they’ve pushed APS-C and medium format cameras. This is a strategy that Pentax did for many years until they finally caved. The Fujifilm GFX 100S II is one of those cameras that Fuji positions to replace your full-frame camera. It’s targeted squarely at the image quality and with some of the extra features which can be hard to use. But quite honestly, in late 2024, Fujifilm is starting to feel like the Pentax de ja vu all over again.

Declaration of Journalistic Intent

The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:

  • At the time of publishing this review, Fujifilm is not an advertiser with the Phoblographer. Regardless, this has nothing to do with our reviews and brands understand that our reviews will always be transparent. In the past few years, we’ve had to reteach brands that journalists shouldn’t be treated the same as YouTubers.
  • Our initial review was done with a pre-production unit. Later on, we got a full production unit for testing.
  • Note that our reviews are constantly works in progress. This review will be updated later on if we manage to get the unit back in.
  • None of the reviews on the Phoblographer are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
  • Fujifilm loaned the lens, camera, and accessories to the Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between Fujifilm and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Fujifilm and several other manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
  • Fujifilm knows that they cannot influence the site’s reviews. If we don’t like something or if we have issues with it, we’ll let folks know. When I penned my recent article about being done with Fujifilm X series, I received many emails and messages commending me for my bravery on what I said. The future of photography for Fujifilm is with GFX.
  • Fujifilm sent the product to Phoblographer in NYC to loan the gear to us. Our home office is based in New York.
  • The Phoblographer’s standards for reviewing products have become much stricter. After having the world’s largest database of real-world lens reviews, we choose not to review anything we don’t find innovative or unique, and in many cases, products that lack weather resistance. We’ve also steered away from Micro Four Thirds and APS-C as they’re dying formats. This is a conclusion that even the other members of TIPA agree on. Unless something is very unique, we probably won’t touch it.
  • In recent years, brands have withheld NDA information from us or stopped working with us because they feel they cannot control our coverage. These days, many brands will not give products to the press unless they get favorable coverage. In other situations, we’ve stopped working with several brands for ethical issues. Either way, we report as honestly and rawly as humanity allows.
  • At the time of publishing, the Phoblographer is the only photography publication that is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative. We champion human-made art and are frank with our audience. We are also the only photography publication that labels when an image is edited or not.
  • Nothing in our review writing process is done using Generative AI. It’s all done by humans who sometimes use assistive AI like Grammarly to copy-edit.

More can be found on our Disclaimers page.

Fujifilm GFX 100S II Review Conclusions

The Fujifilm GFX 100s II is a good camera — but so is literally every other camera on the market today. To be 100% frank with you, I just got off the phone with Senior Photo Editor Feroz Khan, and I told him exactly that fact. And it took stepping away from my desk to realize that I really don’t want to write this review. And if the 15 year photo veteran doesn’t want to do it, just imagine what everyone else is making up just to get through it.

This camera is very much the same as all the others that Fujifilm has made. When Hillary Grigonis reviewed the Fujifilm X100 II for the Phoblographer, we thought that the 100S II would be faster. But in reality, it isn’t. It’s mostly the same camera if you’re doing paid work involving photographing people. Because that’s what most of what paid photography world involves, this camera does a solid job. But again, so too does every other camera on the market.

So what could Fujifilm have done?

  • Even more megapixels. Full frame isn’t too far off from 100MP.
  • More film simulations
  • Better autofocus performance
  • Different ergonomics: a retro-style medium format camera would sell so well.

Know this: I’m really just writing this review because I have to. But the Fujifilm GFX 100s II feels like every other camera out there on the market. And if you switched to Fujifilm because of their unique way of doing things, know that it feels pretty gutted of that identity. This surely isn’t the same Fujifilm that I fell in love with when X series launched.

Updated conclusions (June 2025): Although I can confidently report that there is an improvement in autofocus, I wonder who these changes are for. As a part-time event photographer, I can appreciate better autofocusing speeds, especially in trickier lighting, but I’ve never found myself wanting Animal EyeAF – on a medium format camera, it leaves me wondering who this was made for? The incremental changes to the overall AF abilities are always welcomed but do little to move the needle from our initial review. The Fujifilm GFX 100S II is still an absolute beast when it comes to portraiture, and if this is your bread-and-butter, it only gets better, even if it’s missing a lot of the soul that early X-series cameras were dripping in.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

We’re giving the Fujifilm GFX 100S II four out of five stars simply because it’s a good camera with a lot of megapixels. But this camera doesn’t bring me joy.

Buy Now

Pros

  • Good image quality
  • Scene detection is a bit easier to use than it was with previous generations of Fujifilm cameras
  • Weather resistance

Cons

  • High ISO output is lacking a bit

Who Should Buy the Fujifilm GFX 100S II Review?

You should get the Fujifilm GFX 100S II if you’re going to be photographing people primarily in a studio. If anything, this is probably the single best studio camera in the world right now.

Gear Used

We used the Fujifilm GFX 100S II with the 55mm f1.7, 500mm f5.6, 30mm and 110mm tilt shift lenses. All of these were loaner united provided to the Phoblographer by Fujifilm. We also used the Profoto B10 and Pro Mist filters — which the Phoblographer owns.

Innovations

The big innovations here are that the Fujifilm GFX 100S II includes scene detection and makes it a bit easier to access them. But otherwise, that’s about it.

Hardware

The Fujifilm GFX 100S II feels like pretty much every other Fujifilm medium format camera that’s come out in the past few years since the pandemic. In our original preview, we cited the new body texture. “Even though it appears to be completely new to us in pictures, I’ve got some sad news for you,” we stated. “It doesn’t feel any different in the hand for me to say that there is a stark difference. So, as it is, we’re not sure why they changed the structure.” After spending over a mont with this camera, I still stand by that statement.

Fujifilm GFX 100S II
Fujifilm

This camera doesn’t feel like the Fujifilm that I’ve known and loved. I’ve long accepted that people and products can grow apart — and I think that that’s the case right now. I hesitate in calling this a romance because it’s like cameras have ever loved me back. If they did, they’d go out and shoot photos for me that would earn my Pulitzer awards as romance is a transactional exchange of loving energy. And so, I truly feel like reviewers need to rid themselves of this language. Instead, the Fujifilm GFX 100S II is like a tool that I know can do the job, but that doesn’t really bring me joy. It’s much more akin to being a wrench that should be stuffed into a bucket of other tools.

Protect Your Camera Gear

Even though the Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 boasts weather resistance, your warranty won’t cover problems that may occur with it from wear and tear. This is why we have the Photography Care Plan.

For years, here at The Phoblographer we’ve done tests on cameras, lenses, bags, computers, lights, and more. And we know that your warranty doesn’t always cover the damage. Plus, accidents can happen on set.

This is why we’ve created a Photography Care Program in partnership with Full-Frame Insurance. Now, photographers across the United States looking for extra security can get various protections to cover their craft. The Photography Care Program provides peace of mind; now you’ll know you can bounce back from a photoshoot gone awry, on-site or inside. We’re making it super easy to get it done, too! Better yet, there is coverage outside of the US and Canada when the photographer is traveling for short periods of time for business.

We’re able to do this through our partnership with Full-Frame Insurance, a company specializing in Small Business Insurance. Are you a Freelance Photographer? We’ll cover you. What about a freelance multi-media journalist? We’ve got you. The Photography Care Program will protect you.

Ease of Use

The Fujifilm GFX 100s II is a very straightforward and simple camera to use for the most part. If you’ve been using Fujifilm for years, I think that it’s going to be no issues at all. But if you’re coming from another camera system, then you’re going to have to wrap your head around a whole lot of other things.

Where the camera fails heavily on the ease of use has to do with quickly selecting scene detection modes. I used this camera to photograph people and their pets during a parade. And for that it worked well enough. I could set the buttons to enable and disable scene detection and as long as scene detection was set to animals, I was good to go. But I could imagine that if you’re out in the wild trying to photograph birds and animals, that it would be difficult because the settings require you to do some more manipulation besides scrolling through to get to the right setting.

Realistically, I don’t think that Fujifilm needed scene detection because their lens lineup doesn’t totally allow for it to be used to its fullest potential. If anything, it needed better autofocus performance with people.

Focusing

If I’m being my honest self, the Fujifilm GFX 100s II has autofocus that feels like even the latest DSLRs could outdo it. And in some ways, I appreciate that. The slower autofocus is nice if it’s a camera that you want to slow down with. But in that case, I’d still want the autofocus performance to be better in lower light. That’s where I found the autofocus to really lack. It was this, and when trying to photograph birds moving around in the trees that the autofocus just couldn’t do that I wanted.

June 2025 Update: Fujifilm’s first major firmware update hoped to address some of the issues with the GFX 100S II.

A quick note about settings: I primarily used single-point autofocus and removed exposure preview to help the camera achieve the fastest possible autofocusing. While these changes in autofocus should also translate to video, I didn’t shoot any video and focused on the changes as they would apply to a stills photographer.

A Sample image taken with the Fujifilm GFX 100S II of man wearing glasses and a hat holds a baby while sitting on a chair in a cozy room.
Sample image taken with the Fujifilm GFX 100S II

Image Quality

Overall, I mean, this is Fujifilm. The image quality is nice and lots of that comes from their lenses and the film simulations. I don’t like Reala Ace, but the GFX sensor is one of the best on the market. I also really believe you should start off by working with the film simulations.

High ISO noise is a bit disappointing for bird photography, especially when you go to edit the images in Capture One and specifically try to push the shadows. Otherwise, it can be pretty good.

For this update, I treated the camera as an event photographer would, capturing scenes from family functions, and even did some outdoor portraiture. In each instance, I found that the autofocus had definitely improved, but it was hardly noticeable from a functional standpoint. That said, the GFX 100S II continues to deliver on the autofocusing front, just with a little more speed and, from my testing, just a little more accuracy.

One of the odd choices in this camera (and really a lot of others like it) is the inclusion of Animal EyeAF. During our testing period, I found that it worked well enough, but it was far from reliable with an active pet. In our original review, the GFX 100S II struggled with birds and birding in general. With this update, shooting in more controlled situations, specifically posing an animal, the Animal EyeAF begins to shine and can very quickly find the animal’s eye.

Extra Image Samples

The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience since day one. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, many folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So, we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can decide for yourself.

Unedited

A digital camera body with a red sensor cover rests on a wooden floor.
Person sitting on a bench, smiling and holding a race bib numbered C31463, with greenery in the background.
A sunlit banquet hall with long tables, yellow tablecloths, chairs, and tall windows with draped curtains.
Two people sit on a bench talking, while others relax nearby at an outdoor gathering.
Long tables with yellow tablecloths and party favors in a decorated room with large windows and curtains.
A fluffy brown and white dog on a leash stands on a sidewalk with cars and buildings in the background.
A decorated party room with long tables, yellow tablecloths, balloons, and colorful party cups.
A baby sits on an adults lap, chewing on a colorful toy, with a hand raised nearby.
A woman in a red shirt holds a black pug while standing outdoors with greenery in the background.
Older man wearing a birthday crown holds a green Happy Birthday balloon, cake with 60 candles in front.
A smiling couple points at the camera while the woman holds a baby in a cozy, well-lit room.
Light brown dog standing on a hexagon-tiled patio, looking to the left, with a red logo in the bottom right.
Black and tan dog standing outdoors with its mouth open, another dog blurred in the background.
Young woman hugging an older woman from behind; both are smiling warmly in a bright room.
A person holds a small turtle by its shell, with blurred people in the background.
Woman with glasses smiling in a kitchen, with wooden cabinets and a refrigerator in the background.
A man in glasses holds a baby while sitting indoors, both looking toward the camera.

Edited

A young person with glasses and long hair smiles outdoors, wearing a textured light jacket.
A small black dog stands on wooden floor beside a person’s legs and a folded chair, looking up and baring teeth.
Person sitting on a bench, smiling and holding a race bib numbered C31463, with greenery in the background.
A digital camera body with a red sensor cover rests on a wooden floor.
A fluffy brown and white Pomeranian dog on a leash standing on a city sidewalk.
Smiling man wearing a Happy Birthday tiara sits at a table with a cake in front of him.
A person with long dark hair and glasses sits on a bench in a leafy park, smiling at the camera.
A man sits on a bench in a park, holding a license plate, with greenery and a stone wall behind him.
Person with long hair and glasses smiling while sitting on a park bench, trees and stone wall in background.
A snake plant in a white pot sits on a wooden shelf by a window with other potted plants nearby.

Tech Specs

The following specs are taken from the Lensrentals listing:

BrandFuji
Camera MountFuji G
Camera TypeMedium Format
CategoryPhoto
EnvironmentalOperating Temperature14 to 104°F / -10 to 40°C10 to 80%Operating Humidity
Exposure ControlShutter TypeMechanical Focal Plane Shutter and Electronic Rolling ShutterShutter Speed – Mechanical1/4000 to 30 Seconds in Program Mode1/4000 to 30 Seconds in Aperture Priority Mode1/4000 to 60 Minutes in Manual ModeUp to 60 Minutes in Bulb ModeShutter Speed – Electronic1/16000 to 30 Seconds in Program Mode1/16000 to 30 Seconds in Aperture Priority Mode1/16000 to 60 Minutes in Manual ModeUp to 60 Minutes in Bulb ModeBulb ModeBulb/Time ModeISO Sensitivity Range – Photo80 to 12,800 (Extended: 40 to 102,400)ISO Sensitivity Range – Video100 to 12,800 (Extended: 25,600)Average, Center-Weighted Average, Multi, Spot, TTL 256-ZonesAperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority2500 to 10,000KATW, AWB, Auto, Color Temperature, Custom, Custom 1, Custom 2, Daylight, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Shade, UnderwaterMetering MethodsExposure ModesWhite BalanceWhite-Balance PresetsContinuous Shooting – Mechanical ShutterUp to 7 fps at 102 MP for up to 16 Frames (RAW) / 184 Frames (JPEG)Up to 2 fps at 102 MP for up to 1000 Frames (JPEG) / 26 Frames (RAW)Continuous Shooting – Electronic ShutterUp to 5 fps at 102 MP for up to 17 Frames (RAW) / 526 Frames (JPEG)Up to 3 fps at 102 MP for up to 20 Frames (RAW) / 1000 Frames (JPEG)Yes2/10-Second DelayInterval RecordingSelf-Timer
FlashBuilt-In Flash/LightNoManual, Off, Slow Sync, TTL Auto1/125 SecondTTLShoe Mount, PC TerminalFlash ModesMaximum Sync SpeedDedicated Flash SystemExternal Flash Connection
FocusFocus TypeAuto and Manual FocusContinuous-Servo AF, Manual Focus, Single-Servo AFContrast Detection, Phase Detection: 117Focus ModeAutofocus Points
GeneralBattery Type1x NP-W235 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion1x Hot Shoe1x 1/4″-20 Female5.9 × 4.1 × 3.4″ / 150 × 104.2 × 87.2mmShoe MountTripod Mounting ThreadDimensions (W x H x D)Weight1.9 lb. / 883 g (With Battery, Recording Media)1.8 lb. / 802 g (Body Only)
ImagingSensor Resolution – Effective102 Megapixel (11,648 × 8736)43.8 × 32.9mm (Medium Format) CMOSCrop Factor: 0.79x

* Additional crop occurs in select video modesSensor-Shift, 5-AxisNoStills & VideoImage SensorSensor Crop (35mm Equivalent)Image StabilizationBuilt-In ND FilterCapture Type
InterfaceMedia/Memory Card SlotDual Slot: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) [2 TB Maximum / V90 or Faster Recommended]1x Micro-HDMI (Unspecified Signal) OutputVideo I/OAudio I/O1x 1/8″ / 3.5mm TRS Stereo Headphone Output1x 1/8″ / 3.5mm TRS Stereo Microphone Output1x USB-C InputPower I/OOther I/O1x USB-C (USB 3.2 / 3.1 Gen 2) Input/Output (Shared with Power Input)1x 2.5mm Sub-Mini (Camera Interface) Control Input1x PC Sync Socket (Sync) OutputWi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.2WirelessMobile App CompatibleYes: Android & iOSApp Name: FUJIFILM XAppFunctionality: Access Stored Files, Adjust Settings, Firmware Update, Remote Control, View Live FeedGlobal Positioning (GPS, GLONASS, etc.)GPS, via connected smartphone
Item TypeCamera
Mfr. Model Number600023616
MonitorSize3.2″2,360,000 Dot3-Way Tilting Touchscreen LCDTop: 1.8″ LCD Status DisplayResolutionTypeSecondary Display
MountFuji GFX
Still Image CaptureImage Sizes – 4:3102 MP (11,648 × 8736)51 MP (8256 × 6192)12 MP (4000 × 3000)Image Sizes – 3:290 MP (11,648 × 7768)45 MP (8256 × 5504)11 MP (4000 × 2664)Image Sizes – 16:976 MP (11,648 × 6552)38 MP (8256 × 4640)9 MP (4000 × 2248)Image Sizes – 1:176 MP (8736 × 8736)38 MP (6192 × 6192)9 MP (2992 × 2992)Image Sizes – 65:2450 MP (11,648 × 4304)25 MP (8256 × 3048)6 MP (4000 × 1480)Image Sizes – 5:495 MP (10,928 × 8736)48 MP (7744 × 6192)11 MP (3744 × 3000)Image Sizes – 7:689 MP (10,192 × 8736)45 MP (7232 × 6192)11 MP (3504 × 3000)1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, 7:6, 16:9, 65:24HEIF, JPEG, RAW, TIFF16-BitAspect RatiosImage File FormatsBit Depth
Video CaptureInternal Recording Modes – H.265 ALL-Intra/H.265 Long GOP/MOV/MP4 4:2:2/4:2:0 10-BitDCI 4K (4096 × 2160) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [50 to 720 Mb/s VBR]UHD 4K (3840 × 2160) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [50 to 720 Mb/s]2048 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [50 to 720 Mb/s VBR]1920 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [50 to 720 Mb/s VBR]Internal Recording Modes – H.264 ALL-Intra/H.264 Long GOP 4:2:0 8-Bit4096 × 2160 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [360 Mb/s VBR]3840 × 2160 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [360 Mb/s VBR]2048 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [360 Mb/s VBR]1920 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [50 to 360 Mb/s VBR]External Recording Modes – RAW 12-Bit via HDMIUHD 4K (3840 × 2160) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fpsExternal Recording Modes – 4:2:2 10-Bit via HDMI / USBDCI 4K (4096 × 2160) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fpsUHD 4K (3840 × 2160) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps2048 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps1920 × 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fpsNoNoYesStereoFast-/Slow-Motion SupportRecording LimitIP StreamingBuilt-In MicrophoneAudio RecordingMOV: 24-Bit 48 kHz LPCM AudioMP4: AAC Audio
ViewfinderSize0.5″5,760,000 DotBuilt-In Electronic (OLED)24mm100%Approx. 0.84x-5 to +3ResolutionTypeEye PointCoverageMagnificationDiopter Adjustment
A black digital camera with a large lens resting on a brown bag with leather straps.
Fujifilm GFX 100S II Review: Is Fujifilm the New Pentax?
The Fujifilm GFX 100s II is a good camera -- but so is literally every other camera on the market today. To be 100% frank with you, I just got off the phone with Senior Photo Editor Feroz Khan, and I told him exactly that fact. And it took stepping away from my desk to realize that I really don't want to write this review. And if the 15 year photo veteran doesn't want to do it, just imagine what everyone else is making up just to get through it. This camera is very much the same as all the others that Fujifilm has made. When Hillary Grigonis reviewed the Fujifilm X100 II for the Phoblographer, we thought that the 100S II would be faster. But in reality, it isn't. It's mostly the same camera if you're doing paid work involving photographing people. Because that's what most of what paid photography world involves, this camera does a solid job. But again, so too does every other camera on the market. So what could Fujifilm have done? Even more megapixels. Full frame isn't too far off from 100MP. More film simulations Better autofocus performance Different ergonomics: a retro-style medium format camera would sell so well. Know this: I'm really just writing this review because I have to. But the Fujifilm GFX 100s II feels like every other camera out there on the market. And if you switched to Fujifilm because of their unique way of doing things, know that it feels pretty gutted of that identity. This surely isn't the same Fujifilm that I fell in love with when X series launched.
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autofocus birds ease of use fujifilm fujifilm gfx 100s ii GFX gfx 100s ii image quality people Reala Ace
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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