FujiFILM GFX is going after Full Frame & smaller camera users

[dolina]

In future I would not be surprised that FujiFILM GFX medium format bodies will hit these price points occupied by full frame bodies

$4k

- 2016 Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
- 2021 Fujifilm GFX 50S II ($3.5k summer promo price)

$3.9k

- 2020 Canon EOS R5

$3.7k

- 2019 Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R

$3.5k

- 2019 Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H
- 2020 Sony a7S III

$3k

- 2020 Nikon Z7 II
- 2021 Sony a7R IVA

$2.5k

- 2019 Panasonic Lumix DC-S1
- 2020 Canon EOS R6
- 2021 Sony a7 IV
- 2022 Fujifilm X-H2S (Highest-end X-mount body & may serve as the bottom price for GFX bodies)

$1.5k

- 2015 Canon EOS 5DS R (Cheapest 50+ megapixel body was $3.9k in 2015)

Going after Phase One, Hassleblad & Leica medium format customers are secondary concern as the core medium format market is roughly 6000 units per year – worldwide, for all pre-2013 brands. Its that small because typical medium format bodies goes for more than $10k & lenses more than $3.3k

To frame the FujiFILM G system we need to look at the other players...

Leica S medium format system started in 2008.

- $20k for the single 2020 Leica S3 body
- $5k-12.5k price range for 16 lenses with the last lens, Leica Summicron-S 100 mm f/2 ASPH being released in 2014

FujiFILM G system started in 2017 & has these price points

- $3.5-10k for 3 body SKUs with the last body, Fujifilm GFX 50S II being released 53 weeks ago
- $1k-3.3k price range for 15 lenses with the last two lenses, being released later this year

FujiFILM G medium format systems value proposition is as follows

- medium format image sensor
- in a dSLR form factor
- at a dSLR physical dimension & weight
- R3 & R5 price points
- RF L lens price range

This is more damaging to current Canon, Sony & Nikon customers than those of Leica, Hassleblad or any other medium format brand.

An indicator of this would be FujiFILMs marketing tagline is More than Full Frame. If youre a medium format user prior to 2017 the tagline is something to shrug over. But if youre a long time full frame or smaller user then its a big deal.

APS-C & smaller image sensors are losing ground to smartphones so brands are moving to full frame.

Pentax failed in their executions probably due to resource reasons as they did not go further beyond the 2014 Pentax 645Z & 2015 HD Pentax-D FA645 35mm F3.5 AL [IF]. Ive read an article that they had problems fulfilling demand for the $8.5k body that now retails at $5k. I remember feeling surprised by it being the cheapest medium format body at the time.

New lowest price is $3.5k 2021 FujiFILM GFX 50S II body-only during the summer promo price.

The $10k 2019 Fujifilm GFX 100 is the oldest SKU with its successor, the 2021 Fujifilm GFX 100S costing $6k. It has the same 100+ megapixel 0.79x crop image sensor.

If I was making that transition to MILC then FujiFILM looks very interesting from a value proposition.

Its weakness for my use case would be its lack of autofocus designed for birds, wildlife or sports.

To frame this in 2015 the cheapest way to get native 50+ megapixel was the $3.9k EOS 5Ds R. That was a big deal to many professionals whose clients contractually require 50+ megapixel files.

 

[dolina]

Sales of

- >$10k medium format cameras from Phase One, Hassleblad, Leica, etc
- $6-7k double grip full frame flagship cameras like the Canon 1-Series & 3-Series and Nikon D6 & Z9
- $3-4k single grip full frame professional cameras like Canon 5-Series
- $2.5k prosumer full frame bodies like the Canon 6-Series

And other cameras with APS-C and larger image sensors ~$1k or more are largely unscathed by iPhones and Androids.

Below are CIPA's annual worldwide global shipment # of all digital still cameras.

I am displaying key years

- 1999 & 2000: 1st time they released global shipping # for all digital still cameras. In terms of units shipped they reflect 2021 actual shipments and 2022 forecasted shipments
- 2003: 1st time they broke down # of how many Total SLR vs point & shoots
- 2021 & 2022: Last two years with even more break downs of SLR vs point & shoots vs Mirorless

​

Year	1999 Kodak DC20	2000	2003 Canon EOS 10D	2021	2022 forecast
Total Cameras	5,088,207	10,342,084	43,407,956	8,361,521	7,850,000
Point & Shoot	-	-	42,562,628	3,013,250	2,560,000
Total SLR & Mirrorless	-	-	845,328	5,348,271	5,290,000
SLR	-	-	845,328	2,241,772	-
Mirrorless	-	-	-	3,106,499	-
% of Point & Shoots	-	-	98.05%	36.04%	32.61%
% of SLR & Mirrorless	-	-	1.95%	63.96%	67.39%
Worldwide population	6.034 billion	6.114 billion	6.194 billion	7.9 billion	8 billion
% of worldwide population relative to cameras shipped that year	0.0843%	0.1692%	0.7008%	0.1058%	0.0981%

In terms of units shipped we are between year 1999 & 2000 but in terms of value of units shipped it is mostly SLR & Mirrorless bodies.

As Canon & Nikon are transitioning out of dSLRs then the future should be based on mirrorless bodies selling for ~$1k or more.

 

[ricohflex]

Digital cameras are relatively new, compared to film cameras which had more than 100 years of innovation, improvement and evolution.

As far as I know in the early era, there were few manufacturers willing to take the plunge into medium format digital cameras.
Some did try early on.
But because the various technologies were not yet ready at those points in time, those early attempts failed commercially.
Either the cameras were too expensive or the product was not up to expectations.

Mamiya did try with DM33 in 2009. It cost USD$20,000 with lens.
Then Mamiya introduced 645 DF.
Then Phase One launched the 645DF+
Pentax had 645D in 2010 and then 645Z in 2014.

Hasselblad, Alpa and Leica are some of the other manufacturers of digital medium format.
Digital medium format is generally very expensive.

Fuji should be commended for breaking the established practice; by introducing lower & more reasonably priced digital medium format body.
GFX 50S II
Fuji will force the other manufacturers to rethink their {EXPENSIVE} approach.

This Fuji move is reminiscent of Sony introducing full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras with EVF.
That was a ground breaking move.
That eventually forced Nikon and Canon to also manufacture digital mirrorless ILC, instead of resting on their laurels to continue DSLRs.

Not sure whether Sony will enter the scene with its own digital medium format.

 

[dolina]

Hasselblad, Alpa and Leica are some of the other manufacturers of digital medium format.
Digital medium format is generally very expensive.

Fuji should be commended for breaking the established practice; by introducing lower & more reasonably priced digital medium format body.
GFX 50S II
Fuji will force the other manufacturers to rethink their {EXPENSIVE} approach.

This Fuji move is reminiscent of Sony introducing full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras with EVF.
That was a ground breaking move.
That eventually forced Nikon and Canon to also manufacture digital mirrorless ILC, instead of resting on their laurels to continue DSLRs.

Not sure whether Sony will enter the scene with its own digital medium format.

Fuji's not really after the customers of PhaseOne Hasselblad, Alpa and Leica as the tech of these company are absent with Fuji.

Fuji's leveraging mirrorless image camera tech of the X mount but upscales it from a 1.6x crop to a 0.79 crop.

So it has more in common with a Sony E, Canon RF & Nikon Z mount than any older medium format brand.

The size, weight and price points of the bodies and lenses points to R5 & R3 bodies and RF L lenses.

 

[one eye jack]

I think it would be educational to look into the history of photography not from the wet plate technology but the start of emulsion film, yes b/w negative film that used 8 X 10 inch film negative. It is still unrivalled by digital medium format. Bear in mind that digital medium format is still smaller than actual film medium format ,either 6 X6 cm. ,6X4.5, 6X7 or 6X9 cm for that matter.

Although digital in some way is more convenient in terms of use the fact is there are some aspects that are harder for digital medium format to replicate, for a instance depth of field, yes fullframe gets all the hype about shallow dof but medium format trumps FF but large format trumps medium film and digital yet again! Let's not go into large format film resolution.. haha, absolutely no fight.

@ricohflex is right about price of entry for digital medium format but price is only one factor. Why are professional photographers reluctant to jump ship from their favourite systems despite being expensive is because of the look or colour science that each digital medium format plus it's lenses offer. Unless you are a price no object photo enthusiast that does not figure in the ROI ( return on investment ) of a professional.

Has Fujifilm conquered "big" boys like , Hasselblad, Phase one, and a host of others. The only thing I am willing to concede to Fuji is price and reliability. When it comes to colour science it has still some ways to go not withstanding it's long history in producing various film stock. The video below shows why and that Leica although using 35mm fullframe can teach Fujifilm some lessons. So don't be taken in by marketing hype.

As for digital medium format you seldom come across the mechanical failure of the medium format shutter which their marketing choose not to highlight but is a reality because scaling up anything has it's challenges as the saying goes ,the bigger one is , the harder one falls. Imagine and it has occured if you are a professional photographer your digital camera dies on you during a paid shoot. At least Fujifilm is current and have better technical support. Take note video below show a phase one ( more than 10 yrs. old ) which is technically a mamiya, phase one current line also face same problem. Luck of the draw?

 

[ricohflex]

I recently visited some 2nd hand shops in SG and the prices of some used Fuji GFX50S offered are relatively cheap. I think about SGD$2,600 body only.
You may say it is low end of medium format. But it is still 51.4MP. And it is a way to get into medium format at comparatively low cost.
The sensor is 43.8 × 32.9mm, giving an area of 1441.02 sq mm. This is 6.4 times bigger than a M43 sensor.