Fujifilm has achieved spectacular success over the past few years with its X100-series fixed-lens APS-C cameras, while dominating the medium-format market with its GFX system. So it is, perhaps, logical that the firm should combine the two. Its new Fujifilm GFX100RF employs a 102MP medium-format sensor and a fixed 35mm F4 lens, in a rangefinder-style body design that’s strongly reminiscent of the popular X100VI. I got my hands on the camera for a couple of hours prior to its official launch, and it’s an intriguing piece of kit that could well turn out to be one of Fujifilms best cameras.

　　Fujifilm GFX100RF at a glance: $4899 / £4699 / €5499 102MP CMOS sensor, 44 x 33mm Fixed 35mm f/4 lens ISO 100-12,800 (standard) Up to 6fps shooting 4K 30fps video recording 0.84x, 5.76m-dot electronic viewfinder 3.15in, 2.1m-dot tilting touchscreen What’s perhaps most striking, on seeing the Fujifilm GFX100RF for the first time, is that it’s surprisingly compact given its large 44 x 33mm sensor. Measuring 133.5mm wide, 90.4mm in height, and 76.5mm in depth including the lens, it is, unsurprisingly, somewhat bigger than the Fujifilm X100VI. However it’s not dramatically different overall to the full-frame Leica Q3, and even manages to be a few grams lighter, at 735g. And while its £4699 price tag is anything but trivial, it’s £700 less expensive than the Q3.

　　However, the flipside of that relatively compact size comes with the lens. The Fujinon 35mm f/4 optic provides a 28mm equivalent angle of view, but a relatively limited maximum aperture. In contrast, the Q3 has a 28mm f/1.7 lens, while the X100VI is 35mm equivalent and f/2.

　　There’s also no image stabilisation on board, either in-lens or in-body. This means that to get critically sharp shots hand-held, you’ll need to maintain fairly fast shutter speeds. A switchable 4-stop neutral density filter is built-in.

　　Fujifilm GFX100RF key features: Power: Fujifilm’s familiar NP-W235 battery is rated for an impressive 820 shots. It charges via the USB-C port Storage: You get a pair of UHS-II SD card slots, and the camera can also record to an external SSD Kit contents: Supplied accessories include a metal lens cap, 49mm filter adapter, protective filter, square lens hood, and a nice rope strap Colours: The GFX100RF will be available in either a sober all-black finish, or an attractive two-tone silver and black X100-like design Design-wise the GFX100RF is very much like the X100VI, which can only be a good thing. You get analogue top-plate dials for exposure compensation, shutter speed and ISO, and there’s an aperture ring around the lens. On the back you’ll find a focus-mode switch and a joystick for setting the focus area. Existing Fujifilm users will feel right at home here.

　　Two new, and somewhat unexpected controls make an appearance, though, with the aim of taking full advantage of all that sensor resolution. Firstly, a vertical dial on the back is dedicated to setting the aspect ratio. It provides no fewer than 9 settings, ranging from 17:6 wide panoramic, through the sensor’s native 4:3, to 1:1 square and even vertical-format 3:4. Essentially, this replicates the many and various formats that Fujifilm used to offer with medium-format film cameras.

　　On the front, there’s a new rocker than engages digital zoom. This provides 36mm, 50mm and 63mm equivalent settings, which give approximately 62MP, 31MP and 20MP JPEGs, respectively. A new “Surround View” display shows the current crop overlaid on the full sensor view, and the camera still records a full-resolution raw file alongside a cropped JPEG.

　　Build quality is superb, with the GFX100RF feeling extremely robust in your hand. The top plate is machined from a single block of aluminium, and all the dials are milled too, giving a pleasingly tactile operational experience. Like the X100VI, the body employs dust- and splash-resistant construction. But as the lens extends on focusing, you need to fit a 49mm filter via a screw-on adapter to get full weather sealing, which increases the overall depth.

　　Photographic specifications In terms of core photographic specs, the GFX100RF offers a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800 as standard, with extended settings covering ISO 40-102,400. The in-lens leaf shutter provides speeds from 60 seconds to 1/4000sec in program and aperture-priority modes, while the electronic shutter goes even faster, to 1/16000sec. Its also possible to set timed speeds as slow as an hour, in shutter priority or manual modes. Up to 6fps continuous shooting is on offer, with a buffer of 40 raw frames.

　　Subject detection autofocus is included, with the camera capable of recognising people, animals and vehicles. Naturally, Fujifilm’s full set of popular Film Simulation colour modes is on board, including all the usual options for tweaking the output to your personal taste.

　　While the GFX100RF is primarily a stills camera, it can record video in DCI 4K resolution at 30fps, or FullHD at up to 60fps. A 3.5mm stereo microphone socket is built-in, which is also compatible with an electronic remote release. Electronic stabilisation is available during recording, but this comes with a 1.3x crop, giving a 37mm equivalent angle of view.

　　One key difference compared to the X100VI is that you don’t get a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder. Instead, Fujifilm has included an impressively large and detailed electronic viewfinder, with 5.76m-dot resolution and 0.84x magnification. This makes sense, given Fujifilms emphasis on multiple aspect ratios and digital zoom. Below it there’s a 3.15in, 2.1m-dot touchscreen with a super-slim tilting design, much like the smaller unit thats on the X100VI.

　　Fujifilm GFX100RF sample images Herea a slideshow of full-resolution sample images taken using a full-production Fujifilm GFX100RF. Click on any image to see the full-size version.

　　First impressions Fujifilm has designed the GFX100RF essentially as a “super X100” for high-end enthusiast photographers, and my initial impression is that it’s done a fantastic job. The camera is beautifully designed and built, while offering an extremely engaging user experience.

　　Without the filter adapter or hood, the camera is reasonably slim. Image credit: Andy Westlake My only real concern is that the relatively small-aperture lens and lack of image stabilisation could restrict its usefulness in certain situations. But there’s no denying the attraction of getting image quality that should surpass any full-frame camera, in such a portable package. Look out for our upcoming full review.

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　　Fujifilm GFX100RF full specifications