Digital Medium Format Thread

stuartm1 said:
Agree, the light in the Med always comes out nice in photographs too. I'm too embarrassed to share my GFX photos when I see these examples, mine would look acceptable in a M4/3 forum if I removed the EXIF :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

Please don't be, we NEED more people posting in this thread :)

So what have I learnt from my week away (having reviewed the images)

In the course of the week I took about 730 images, walked over 100,000 steps and was on my 4th GFX50S battery charge. Would I do it again, definitely YES

I am happy working with a fixed focal length (GF45mm is approx 35mm FF equivalent), so the need for a zoom is not something I subscribe to, I never feel I miss shots because of focal length limitations, but try to find alternative views. The extra width (4:3 sensor) in portrait format was very welcome, especially as I often crop to 5:4, so there are fewer pixels discarded.

The weight wasn't an issue (I mainly used the GFX without the optional Tilt EVF - though I did take this, it only saw action for about an hour), I mainly used a Peak Design Wrist Strap when in hand and a small(ish) Billingham Bag when not. The bulk though did make the camera more intrusive and I have quite a lot of shots where I've been 'noticed'!

The Contrast Only Auto-Focus proved more challenging at night (and low light), sometimes taking a couple of attempts to get focus.

Night-time shooting was more of a challenge, as where I'd happily shoot at ISO6400 F4 on the X100F, the much smaller Depth of Field on the GFX meant that I really needed to shoot at F5.6/F8 (I have a number of F4 shots that I'm really not happy with) and conseqeuntly was bumping ISO, obviously a newer model with IBIS would help here, but often I had moving subjects in the view (people) so that in turn would have resulted in parts of the image being blurred.

I found that I was more careful about composition with the GFX, and that out of the 700+ images I have, I have a large number that I would consider keepers (100+), thats a very pleasing hit rate.

The Image Quality and Dynamic Range, I cannot fault, the shadow and highlight control is excellent, the usual Fuji provisos apply, don't push the highlights too far (if at all) and use the shadow recovery.

The colours, I find the Bayer sensor Fujis (X100, GFX) have more natural colours than those from X-Trans (I'm ceratinly nor the only one to think this), and consequently most of the images have been tweaked very little in post (DXO Pure RAW for the conversion, LR for editing)

I would certainly do this again, and I need to practice shooting at night with the GFX to getting more consistent results.

It was a considerable cost saving over buying an additional camera (Leica Q2?), thats not to say that I won't be adding one to the stable, but the 'need' has somewhat diminshed :D
 
Topsy said:
:agree: and I am the worst culprit for not using my GFX 50S enough and for not posting enough on here.

Note to self stop being lazy and use the GFX more....................
Click to expand...
Bt way of apology and self redemption, some from my last outing on Dartmoor with the GFX (late September).

007 Leather Tor Bridge 02-0535 PS Adj.JPG

008 Leather Tor Bridge 03-0537 PS Adj.JPG

014 Crazywell Pool 01-0549 PS Adj.JPG

025 Norsworthy Bridge 03-2398 PS Adj.JPG
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Please don't be, we NEED more people posting in this thread :)
Click to expand...
Hello.

I will try and share more, although I am not sure how good they are but I am really enjoying my 50sii for when I don't use film. Coming from medium format film, I wanted something that lets me work in the same way, a little slower with comparable results. I still use 6x7 when I can, but I do enjoy the GFX. It's not often I buy digital cameras brand new or on launch but I did with this as well as the 55mm f/1.7.

I have owned the 63mm which I sold for the 55 but it was excellent and have rented the 23mm for NYC and the 45mm for a portrait shoot and they have all been really, really great. I actually bought myself a 45mm f/2.8 for a good price but then the 55mm released so I returned it in favour of the latter. I have also previously owned the X system (X-Pro 1, X-Pro 3) and I am not sure Fuji make any bad lenses. I should have probably kept the X-Pro 3 in hindsight.

All this is coming from someone who much prefers an optical viewfinder!
 
Downhill Specialist said:
Hello.

I will try and share more, although I am not sure how good they are but I am really enjoying my 50sii for when I don't use film. Coming from medium format film, I wanted something that lets me work in the same way, a little slower with comparable results. I still use 6x7 when I can, but I do enjoy the GFX. It's not often I buy digital cameras brand new or on launch but I did with this as well as the 55mm f/1.7.

I have owned the 63mm which I sold for the 55 but it was excellent and have rented the 23mm for NYC and the 45mm for a portrait shoot and they have all been really, really great. I actually bought myself a 45mm f/2.8 for a good price but then the 55mm released so I returned it in favour of the latter. I have also previously owned the X system (X-Pro 1, X-Pro 3) and I am not sure Fuji make any bad lenses. I should have probably kept the X-Pro 3 in hindsight.

All this is coming from someone who much prefers an optical viewfinder!
Click to expand...

I have bothy the GF45mm and GF63mm, I have thought about the GF55mm as a substitute for both (and faster), but I don't think I can give up either the GF45mm or GF63mm, let alone both! The GF23mm is very wide, an excellent lens, lots of them about s/h as many 'upgraded' to the GF20-35mm when it came out.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
I have bothy the GF45mm and GF63mm, I have thought about the GF55mm as a substitute for both (and faster), but I don't think I can give up either the GF45mm or GF63mm, let alone both! The GF23mm is very wide, an excellent lens, lots of them about s/h as many 'upgraded' to the GF20-35mm when it came out.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did with regards to the 45/63. Let them both go for the 55mm as it's more suited to what I like to do....although I would love to have the 45mm just in case as a wider option, I can't justify the cash at the moment.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Please don't be, we NEED more people posting in this thread :)

So what have I learnt from my week away (having reviewed the images)

In the course of the week I took about 730 images, walked over 100,000 steps and was on my 4th GFX50S battery charge. Would I do it again, definitely YES

I am happy working with a fixed focal length (GF45mm is approx 35mm FF equivalent), so the need for a zoom is not something I subscribe to, I never feel I miss shots because of focal length limitations, but try to find alternative views. The extra width (4:3 sensor) in portrait format was very welcome, especially as I often crop to 5:4, so there are fewer pixels discarded.

The weight wasn't an issue (I mainly used the GFX without the optional Tilt EVF - though I did take this, it only saw action for about an hour), I mainly used a Peak Design Wrist Strap when in hand and a small(ish) Billingham Bag when not. The bulk though did make the camera more intrusive and I have quite a lot of shots where I've been 'noticed'!

The Contrast Only Auto-Focus proved more challenging at night (and low light), sometimes taking a couple of attempts to get focus.

Night-time shooting was more of a challenge, as where I'd happily shoot at ISO6400 F4 on the X100F, the much smaller Depth of Field on the GFX meant that I really needed to shoot at F5.6/F8 (I have a number of F4 shots that I'm really not happy with) and conseqeuntly was bumping ISO, obviously a newer model with IBIS would help here, but often I had moving subjects in the view (people) so that in turn would have resulted in parts of the image being blurred.

I found that I was more careful about composition with the GFX, and that out of the 700+ images I have, I have a large number that I would consider keepers (100+), thats a very pleasing hit rate.

The Image Quality and Dynamic Range, I cannot fault, the shadow and highlight control is excellent, the usual Fuji provisos apply, don't push the highlights too far (if at all) and use the shadow recovery.

The colours, I find the Bayer sensor Fujis (X100, GFX) have more natural colours than those from X-Trans (I'm ceratinly nor the only one to think this), and consequently most of the images have been tweaked very little in post (DXO Pure RAW for the conversion, LR for editing)

I would certainly do this again, and I need to practice shooting at night with the GFX to getting more consistent results.

It was a considerable cost saving over buying an additional camera (Leica Q2?), thats not to say that I won't be adding one to the stable, but the 'need' has somewhat diminshed :D
Click to expand...

I just shoot my A7Riii and 35GM at f/1.4 and should just crop to 4:3 :ROFLMAO:
 
A couple taken round the paddock at Oulton Park 750MC meeting in October.
Taken on a Hasselblad H3DII-39, still getting used to it as I find the DOF to be surprisingly narrow. still fun to use and going to be using it for an up and coming project over winter.

08-10-2023_0023 by K 91, on Flickr

08-10-2023_0020 by K 91, on Flickr
 
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Mr Perceptive said:
Just in case anyone was wavering, Wex have knocked a further £700 off the GFX100S on a Black Friday Special (saving £1700 off RRP) - now £3,799 - and 0% finance available - its dangerous out there at the moment!!! Time for @SFTPhotography to back to Digital MF ???

www.wexphotovideo.com

Fujifilm GFX 100S Medium Format Camera Body | Wex Photo Video

www.wexphotovideo.com
Click to expand...
My heart sank today when I discovered that Fujifilm have now included the GF110mm f/2 on the promotional list with £500 off until 18th Jan.............. aaaaaaaaargh that means 6-7 weeks of mental torture for me.

fujifilm-x.com

Save up to £1000 on selected GFX products | Promotion | FUJIFILM Digital Camera X Series & GFX – UK

Save up to £1000 on selected FUJIFILM GFX products
fujifilm-x.com fujifilm-x.com

I was really hoping they wouldn't include it this time around as I have the money for it, but I don't shoot portraits anymore.... hmmm. damn you Fuji :headbang:
 
After reading David's response to my comment about being too embarrassed to share my pictures on here, I've decide I'm going to make a more conscious effort with all my photography going forward and that includes being more active on here. For me photography is just a hobby which encourages me to visit nice places and if I get a nice picture it's a bonus. I still always want a nice picture, but I find it's what goes on behind the picture that's far more important.

I plan visiting again for the very last time in late Feb 2024 as I want a winter's landscape with freezing cold temps (like when you get a hoar frost), plus it'll be far easier getting out of bed for sunrise in winter than the 3am in summer.

Here's some pictures I took in the Lake District in the summer with the GFX50SII and 23mm, 35-70mm, 100-200mm....

Morning Mist by Stuart Mac, on Flickr



Keswick Launch by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Borrowdale Mill by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Buttermere by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Otterbield Bay by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Bassenthwaite & Skiddaw by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Reflections at Buttermere by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Ashness Jetty at Dawn by Stuart Mac, on Flickr
 
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stuartm1 said:
After reading David's response to my comment about being too embarrassed to share my pictures on here, I've decide I'm going to make a more conscious effort with all my photography going forward and that includes being more active on here. For me photography is just a hobby which encourages me to visit nice places and if I get a nice picture it's a bonus. I still always want a nice picture, but I find it's what goes on behind the picture that's far more important.

I plan visiting again for the very last time in late Feb 2024 as I want a winter's landscape with freezing cold temps (like when you get a hoar frost), plus it'll be far easier getting out of bed for sunrise in winter than the 3am in summer.

Here's some pictures I took in the Lake District in the summer with the GFX50SII and 23mm, 35-70mm, 100-200mm....

Morning Mist by Stuart Mac, on Flickr



Keswick Launch by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Borrowdale Mill by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Buttermere by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Otterbield Bay by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Bassenthwaite & Skiddaw by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Reflections at Buttermere by Stuart Mac, on Flickr

Ashness Jetty at Dawn by Stuart Mac, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Very nice! No reason at all not to be sharing those (y)
 
Thanks to Fuji launching the GFX100 ii the older 100 has became much more affordable. I have just ordered a mint (let's see when it arrives)! GFX 100 for £2000.
I will mainly use this for amateur landscape photography. I currently have a GFX 50 with the GF35-70 lens. I also have a Canon 16-35 f4 and Canon 70-200 f2.8 and the Fringer adapter.
My question is are the 2 Canon lenses up to the job with the higher MP camera or should they be replaced by the Fuji GF 100-200 and 20-35.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Fordsabroad said:
Thanks to Fuji launching the GFX100 ii the older 100 has became much more affordable. I have just ordered a mint (let's see when it arrives)! GFX 100 for £2000.
I will mainly use this for amateur landscape photography. I currently have a GFX 50 with the GF35-70 lens. I also have a Canon 16-35 f4 and Canon 70-200 f2.8 and the Fringer adapter.
My question is are the 2 Canon lenses up to the job with the higher MP camera or should they be replaced by the Fuji GF 100-200 and 20-35.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

My experience is quite hit and miss with alternative glass, with the exception of the EF100mm F2.8 L Macro lens, I would say that the Fuji Glass is alwyas sharper and thats on a GFX50S and before you get to the smaller pixels size and increased resolution of the GFX100 - The EF Macro lens was very sharp, but I did not compare it against the GF120mm Macro (which I suspect would be sharper still).

I have the GF100-200mm and have been very impressed with it. I have no experience of the GF20-35mm, Its not really on my radar as I don't tend to shoot super wide, my limit being the GF30mm (24mm FF equivalent)

I don't know if those Canon lenses will cover the whole sensor, but you must also remember that towards the edge of the sensor they are outside their designed operating limits, so expect some distortion/vignetting, esepcially on the wide angle lens.
 
Thanks for the responses. I think as I have paid for a high resolution camera it may be wise to use the manufacturers lenses. The 100-200 is available used, the wide angle is not and is expensive so may have to wait.
 
Fordsabroad said:
Thanks for the responses. I think as I have paid for a high resolution camera it may be wise to use the manufacturers lenses. The 100-200 is available used, the wide angle is not and is expensive so may have to wait.
Click to expand...

Still not cheap but available s/h https://www.wexphotovideo.com/fujif...0411f940a46ee5d0f00e3fb5d003662&utm_source=aw

Given that Fuji lenses often appear on promotions, especially as they get older and after releases of new bodies, I would expect the GF20-35mm to come on promotion in the next few months. It has been a popular lens with plenty of people upgrading from the GF23mm which was the previously the only wide offering.

I bought my GF100-200 when it was on promotion, some £630 off list, so it is definitely worth waiting around for deals, but there is always I want this now.......!.....
 
Mr Perceptive.
I have now ordered a mint 100-200 from ffords for £1200. E-finity sell the 20-35 for just under £2k but don't have it in stock.
I am in no hurry for the WA so will keep my eyes out for discounts.
 
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