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Cameras

Fujifilm’s Forgotten Camera

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 07/06/2026
07/09/2026
6 Mins read
Close-up of a Fujifilm GFX 100RF camera with a small Pikachu figure sitting on top.
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A while back, I moved away from Fujifilm cameras and gear after being a pretty die-hard Fuji lover for over a decade. Their treatment of the X Pro 3 and their newfound fascination with content creators made me feel like they’ve been leaving photographers in the dust. It’s part of why I even created the 5 Boro Foto Fest coming later this year. And with the Fujifilm GFX100RF, I still feel that to be the case.

The following text is an update to our full Fujifilm GFX100RF review. You can view the full review here at this link if you wish.

Did Fuji Forget About The Fujifilm GFX100RF?

A small Pikachu figure sits on top of a black camera with a brown strap on a green fabric background.
Fujifilm GFX100RF

Since my original review of this camera, Fujifilm gave two firmware updates. Here are the details.

Ver.1.12

The firmware update Ver.1.12 from Ver.1.10/Ver.1.11 incorporates the following issue:

  1. A firmware bug is fixed that the eye sensor fails to activate in rare cases when viewing through the EVF at preview mode.

Ver.1.10

The firmware update Ver.1.10 from Ver.1.00 incorporates the following issues:

< Important notice after firmware update >

  • After the firmware update, you cannot connect the camera to the iOS version of FUJIFILM Camera Remote. Be sure to upgrade your smartphone or tablet to iOS13 or later and use FUJIFILM XApp instead of Camera Remote.
  • After the firmware update, you cannot use the FUJIFILM Camera Remote (Android version) to connect with the camera through Bluetooth: Ver.4.1 and earlier. To pair via Bluetooth, smartphone/tablet must be Bluetooth Ver. 4.2 and latter.

Regarding the details of No.1 download the “GFX100RF New Features Guide［Ver.1.10]” from our website.
GFX 100RF New Features Guide: English, Français, Deutsch, Español, Italiano, Nederland, Polski, Svenska, Norsk, Dansk, Pусский, Suomi, 中文简, 中文繁體, 한국어, ภาษาไทย, Arabic

  1. The wireless communication security is enhanced while camera is connecting with a smartphone application or external device wirelessly.
    After updating the firmware, security will be enhanced, so the connection procedure with the smartphone application will be changed, or the “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” setting menu on the camera will be deleted (see section, below for details).
    ‌
    < Changes after firmware update >
    1. The procedure for pairing the camera with a smartphone is changed.
    2. “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” option in the “SHOOTING SETTING”, “MOVIE SETTING”, and “PLAY BACK MENU” are removed.
    3. “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” option is removed from the functions assigned by the following operation flow in the “Setup Menu”.
      ・Operation flow: “BUTTON/DIAL SETTING” ➔ “FUNCTION (Fn) SETTING”
    4. “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” option is removed from the “Fn1 BUTTON SETTING” menu in the “BUTTON/DIAL SETTING” of the “Setup menu”.
    5. “instax PRINTER CONNECTION SETTING” menu is removed from the “NETWORK/USB SETTING” of the “Setup menu” .
    6. “instax PRINTER PRINT” option is removed from the “PLAY BACK MENU”.
      ‌
      < Precautions After Firmware Update >
    7. Network security level is improved by updating to the latest versions for both the smartphone applications (FUJIFILM XApp / FUJIFILM Camera Remote) and connected cameras, since the latest versions change the network setting menus and connecting procedures to enhance the wireless communication security.
      Be aware that the security level remains unchanged in the following case.
      ・In case that the camera’s firmware is the current version, and the smartphone application (FUJIFILM XApp / FUJIFILM Camera Remote) is the latest version.
    8. After updating the camera firmware, if the smartphone application (FUJIFILM XApp / FUJIFILM Camera Remote) is not updated to the latest version, you cannot connect to the camera. Be sure to upgrade your smartphone application software to the latest version.
    9. After updating the firmware, the “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” setting menu of the camera will be removed, so if the “CONNECTION MODE” setting in the “NETWORK/USB SETTING” menu is set to “USB TETHER SHOOTING FIXED”, the setting is reset to the default value.
    10. After updating the firmware, you will no longer be able to print images taken with a digital camera directly from the instax™ SHARE SP-1/2/3. When printing images using instax™ SHARE SP-1/2/3, please use the smartphone application
      (FUJIFLM XApp or FUJIFILM Camera Remote) to import images and print from the dedicated instax™ printer application.
Two smiling men pose together in a cozy, dimly lit bar with brick walls and framed art.
Fujifilm GFX100RF Sample image

Fujifilm hasn’t really done a lot to this camera. Autofocus on people of color in low light has dramatically increased, but otherwise I found that Fujifilm actually took away features. Compared to my X Pro 3, I can go into the drive menu and then choose a set of options that give me stuff like a toy camera look. That’s all missing from this camera.

To further clarify my previous statement about autofocus on people of color in low light, it doesn’t work all that well when people are moving and backlit. But when they’re still, it does a good job. Nikon and Leica are still at the top when it comes to this parameter.

Man in a light blue shirt sits in a cozy café, looking at his phone; other patrons are in the background.
Fujifilm GFX100RF Sample image

It’s nice that Fujifilm gave us all this wireless sharing stuff though. Admittedly, I didn’t bother to use it because if I bought this camera, I wouldn’t use it while asking people for portraits and then offering them an image. For that, I’d use more serious cameras. The GFX 100RF is more for documentary work where you’re purposely not trying to intrude on what’s happening so that you document history as it is happening without changing the future. Otherwise, everyone I photograph would’ve been fine with the digital photo sent to them.

Let me be clear here: this is now twice that Fuji charges an arm, leg, and a bit of your liver for a camera and doesn’t do much to improve on it.

While using this camera, a gentleman who works at B&H Photo came up to me in the Roosevelt Ave train stop. He (or they) started chatting with me. He works in the Used Dept and talked about how he uses his GFX100S II as his hobby camera. It was cool. He said that he never ended up getting the GFX 100RF because he wanted more versatility. And honestly, I don’t blame him. I wish that Fuji had given us a realy GFX 50R replacement and not just this. Granted, this is one heck of a camera.

A subway train speeds by on a platform as people wait and stand under fluorescent lights.
Fujifilm GFX100RF photos

Ultimately, I didn’t get his gentleman’s name and I didn’t even tell him mine. There’s a chance he knew who I was because while I positively adore the company’s employees, I will condemn the management endlessly. But I usually don’t tell people in camera groups who I am because as a journalist, I’ve had death threats come my way from people who are way too deep into their echo chambers and the marketing mindsets created by the people who do marketing for the Japanese brands.

To me, it’s as ridiculous as an Apple fanboy coming up to you if you said that Apple’s entire ecosystem is flawed because of the design changes that don’t ultimately fully integrate with one another. Just imagine stating a fact like that and then getting a death threat from some Apple fanboy. It’s ridiculous; but I do indeed get this from camera fanboys and some of them I’ve even reported to authorities.

Brick apartment building with trees, parked cars, and a driveway entrance on a sunny day.
Fujifilm GFX100RF photos

Returning to the conversation I had with this fellow, I ultimately agree with them. The GFX 100RF is a fantastic camera and point and shoot. And Fujifilm very much so did a first of its kind. But like almost any rangefinder style camera Fuji makes except for the 100VI, they just didn’t do much to it after the launch. This, ultimately, makes me feel like I was used. I guess I can say that about any corporation; but I remember when you’d buy a Fujifilm camera and towards the end of the life of the camera, you still felt like you had a brand new camera due to the firmware updates.

Despite my great time with the Fujifilm GFX100RF, I really wish that Fujifilm did more.

What am I talking about?

  • Halation control: give us a look like digital Cinestill
  • More experimental looks: a disposable camera? Cross processing with various chemicals? Natura? Double exposures with preset overlays? Tungsten film?

Honestly, I shouldn’t be sitting here saying all the different ways that they can pack more features into these cameras for photographers. They can literally just look around the web. I’d be happier giving them more ideas when the Kaizen philosophy returns in full effect.

Lush green trees and shrubs in front of houses under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A graffiti-covered dumpster sits on the street in front of residential houses and parked cars.
Overgrown grassy area with dense green trees, a black chicken, and a white box in the foreground.
Green plants growing behind a metal fence on a city sidewalk, with cars and buildings in the background.
A tall modern apartment building with many balconies under a blue sky, next to an older brick building.
Three men sit at a restaurant table with menus, glasses, and a bottle of water on the table.
A sunlit green couch with two pillows sits under a window, a remote on the seat and shadows on the cushions.
Three people sit at a restaurant table with menus, talking; two men and one woman are visible.
Open door of a cafe at 4111, with people dining inside and a business hours sign on the glass.
People dining at a casual restaurant with a TV on, sunlight streaming in, and flags hanging inside.
Entrance of a house with black stairs, white fence, green plants, and a laundromat next door.
Barbershop storefront with a striped barber pole, two white chairs, and sunlight on the sidewalk.
A tall tree stands in front of a brick apartment building with a metal fence and green plants around it.
A snake plant in a white pot sits by a window with black curtains in a sunlit room.
A plate of fried seafood topped with sliced red onions, with people dining in the background.
Two men sit and talk at a dimly lit bar; one is smiling, and a drink is on the table beside them.
A sunlit city sidewalk lined with brick buildings, fire escapes, and trees casting leafy shadows.
Brick apartment building with fire escapes, framed by tall green trees under a bright, partly cloudy sky.
A man wearing glasses sits at a table in a warmly lit restaurant, looking toward the camera.
Three people sit at a restaurant table, engaged in conversation, with drinks and utensils in front of them.
A man in a blue shirt walks past a taco food truck on a city street under a train track.
Sidewalk next to a fence and parked cars, with trees overhead and a graffitied sign in the foreground.
Two women sit at a restaurant table with drinks and water glasses, warmly lit by a hanging lamp.
A stone memorial with wreaths and American flags, surrounded by flowers on a sunny day.
A white picket fence lines tall green bushes beside a cream-colored house on a sunny day.
Dimly lit bar with board games, cozy seating, string lights, and a projector screen on a brick wall.
Two women sit at a restaurant table, one gesturing with her hand, both appearing relaxed and engaged.
Storefront of The Broski Grill with Halal Food sign and a large burger poster on the brick wall.
Brick apartment building with trees, parked cars, and a driveway entrance on a sunny day.
Green bushes in a mulched garden bed near a sidewalk and black metal fence on a sunny day.
People sitting at a dimly lit bar, some using their phones, with drinks and menu boards visible.
A man stands in a dimly lit restaurant with tables, chairs, and lamps around him.
A man in blue stands at a row of turquoise stools outside a cafe on a sunny city street.
Yellow daylilies blooming beside a cobblestone path with green foliage in sunlight.
Tall metal utility pole by train tracks, surrounded by green trees and bushes under a partly cloudy sky.
View of a small garden with trees and a fenced path, seen through a gap between two vertical surfaces.

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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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