Fujifilm's GFX 100RF camera leaves a dedicated Leica enthusiast in awe and weakened state.
**Photographer Sebastian Oakley Ponders a Shift from Leica M to Fujifilm GFX 100RF**
Sebastian Oakley, a renowned photographer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is contemplating a significant change in his equipment arsenal. The artist, who currently spends his spare time capturing street and documentary scenes with his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2, has expressed an interest in the Fujifilm GFX 100RF.
The Fujifilm GFX 100RF, a medium format digital mirrorless camera, boasts a 100-megapixel sensor that produces high-quality images with rich tonal gradations and detailed shadows. This camera, the world's smallest and lightest 100MP camera, offers modern electronic conveniences like a high-resolution EVF with precise frame lines reminiscent of Leica’s rangefinder framing, but digitally rendered.
Oakley's decision to consider the GFX 100RF comes despite his long-standing loyalty to the Leica M system. The Leica M system cameras use a traditional rangefinder focusing mechanism and are renowned for their minimalist design and tactile shooting experience. Oakley has a history with Nikon, using a Nikon F5 in his film days, and has also worked with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, Sinar, and various cinema cameras from Sony, RED, ARRI, and others.
The GFX 100RF's frame lines in the EVF are crisply drawn, evoking the feel of rangefinder glass. Oakley, who has a Master of Arts in Publishing and a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, is intrigued by the camera's modern tactile controls and the potential for pairing it with a wide-angle lens to capture cityscapes and small cafes.
Despite the allure of the GFX 100RF, Oakley has reservations about leaving his Leica M-system. He has mentioned the potential for a sale price of the GFX 100RF that might be difficult to resist. The first shipment of the GFX 100RF is expected from July 31, and the camera is available for pre-order on Sony's website.
The Fujifilm GFX 100RF features an aspect ratio selector for immediate creativity, a retro-modern design with chrome accents and a leatherette grip, and autofocus capabilities that contrast with the Leica M’s manual focus legacy. The GFX 100RF could be seen as the new "dream camera" for those seeking medium format image quality with modern digital conveniences, even making some Leica enthusiasts reconsider their loyalty.
The Leica M system remains the quintessential tool for photographers who cherish the rangefinder tradition, craftsmanship, and the poetic nature of manual shooting. The Fujifilm GFX 100RF and Leica M system are complementary tools rather than direct rivals, each excelling in different photographic priorities. Oakley's decision to switch systems will be a significant shift in his artistic journey, one that promises to yield intriguing results.
- Sebastian Oakley, a photographer with a Master of Arts in Publishing and a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, is eyeing the Fujifilm GFX 100RF, a medium format digital mirrorless camera with a 100-megapixel sensor, as a potential replacement for his Leica M-E or Leica M2.
- The Fujifilm GFX 100RF offers a high-resolution EVF with precise frame lines reminiscent of Leica’s rangefinder framing, but digitally rendered, and is paired with a wide-angle lens, capturing cityscapes and small cafes.
- Oakley is intrigued by the camera's modern tactile controls, autofocus capabilities, aspect ratio selector, and its retro-modern design with chrome accents and a leatherette grip, setting it apart from the Leica M’s manual focus legacy.
- Despite the allure of the GFX 100RF, Oakley has reservations about leaving his Leica M-system, expressing concerns over potential sale prices and attachment to the rangefinder tradition, craftsmanship, and poetic nature of manual shooting.
- The Fujifilm GFX 100RF could be seen as the new "dream camera" for those seeking medium format image quality with modern digital conveniences, even making some Leica enthusiasts reconsider their loyalty.
- Oakley has a history with other gadgets, including Nikon, products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, Sinar, cinema cameras from Sony, RED, ARRI, and more.
- The upcoming GFX 100RF's first shipment is expected from July 31 and remains available for pre-order on Sony's website, adding another exciting piece of technology to the world of photography news.
