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THE NEXT FUJI MF CAMERA
Jan 23, 2018 06:47:45   #
Ramm Francis
 
We all know that everyone has a favorite camera manufacturer ie Nikon, Canon, Leica, Sony, Olympus, Hassy, etc. I am going to buy my last camera and I want the camera and glass to be the best - short of buying a Phase One. I've been paid to shoot stills, motion picture film and video for 50 years. Now? I want to shoot for myself, plan out each shot and take all day if neccesary. I'm tired of schleping 50-60 pounds of gear with a crew. Something that tops out about 25 pounds or less would be perfect.

I rented the Fuji GFX 50S and the 120mm Macro prime and was very comfortable. It forced me to slow down and it felt good. Problem? I want to shoot some high-end slider video as well. I need to shoot 4K video and the HD 1080P video that the GFX 50S camera shoots is not sufficient. So my thought was to wait for the next iteration of Fuji's MF camera. Barring a Japanese earthquake, a thermo-nuclear bomb or the Second Coming of Christ (stated with genuine sincerity), the camera should appear somewhere in 2019, yes?

QUESTION: Should I wait for 2019 and get the new camera or load up on glass, buy a used GFX 50S and hope the body can be sold before the new camera comes out? After all, there's no guarantee that Fuji will try to support 4K video in their next MF camera. And for that matter, there's no real assurance that Fuji will develop another generation of MF camera to replace the GFX 50S. Your thoughts?

Thank you in advance for your opinion. - rf

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Jan 23, 2018 06:53:24   #
fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York
 
Your waiting for something that might not happen. Go for the best that's out there now. Time is precious...don't waste it.

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Jan 23, 2018 06:57:23   #
jackpi Loc: Southwest Ohio
 
Based on Sony's schedule for high resolution sensors, I suspect the next GFX will have a 100MP focal plane. That is a lot of pixels to read out and I suspect it will take too long for the GFX to handle 4K video. The key to 4K video turns out to be processor speed as well as sensor size.

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Jan 23, 2018 07:03:08   #
Ramm Francis
 
Yes, at age 71, time IS precious. Thankyou.

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Jan 23, 2018 07:04:59   #
rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin
 
Ramm, I think you have analyzed your options very well, at least as regards Fujifim medium format cameras.

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Jan 23, 2018 07:07:54   #
Ramm Francis
 
Both points are correct. Hmmmm..... Processor speed was the reason the current camera can't process 4K. Thanks for your insight.

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Jan 23, 2018 07:48:38   #
JPL
 
Ramm Francis wrote:
We all know that everyone has a favorite camera manufacturer ie Nikon, Canon, Leica, Sony, Olympus, Hassy, etc. I am going to buy my last camera and I want the camera and glass to be the best - short of buying a Phase One. I've been paid to shoot stills, motion picture film and video for 50 years. Now? I want to shoot for myself, plan out each shot and take all day if neccesary. I'm tired of schleping 50-60 pounds of gear with a crew. Something that tops out about 25 pounds or less would be perfect.

I rented the Fuji GFX 50S and the 120mm Macro prime and was very comfortable. It forced me to slow down and it felt good. Problem? I want to shoot some high-end slider video as well. I need to shoot 4K video and the HD 1080P video that the GFX 50S camera shoots is not sufficient. So my thought was to wait for the next iteration of Fuji's MF camera. Barring a Japanese earthquake, a thermo-nuclear bomb or the Second Coming of Christ (stated with genuine sincerity), the camera should appear somewhere in 2019, yes?

QUESTION: Should I wait for 2019 and get the new camera or load up on glass, buy a used GFX 50S and hope the body can be sold before the new camera comes out? After all, there's no guarantee that Fuji will try to support 4K video in their next MF camera. And for that matter, there's no real assurance that Fuji will develop another generation of MF camera to replace the GFX 50S. Your thoughts?

Thank you in advance for your opinion. - rf
We all know that everyone has a favorite camera ma... (show quote)


As long as the GFX 50S is selling well I think they will not introduce a new model. But I agree that the next upgrade will probably be a 100 megapixel camera and it will probably have some 4K video. This upgrade could happen this year as both Nikon and Sony are rivaling this camera with the D850 and A7rIII. Both have 4K video and a resulution not far behind the GFX 50S. So I expect the advantages of the GFX 50S are not so many anymore in comparison to those cameras. So my guess it that the sales of the GFX 50S must be going downward now.

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Jan 23, 2018 13:44:58   #
rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA
 
fourg1b2006 wrote:
Your waiting for something that might not happen. Go for the best that's out there now. Time is precious...don't waste it.


I agree, the camera you have in front of you is always better than the one somewhere on the horizon.

Question: What slider apparatus are you using?

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Jan 24, 2018 03:40:30   #
Ramm Francis
 
Yes, in-as-much as I am comfortable with the GFX, I should no doubt look for a used unit and start getting the glass I like to use. You are absolutely correct. Bird in the hand beats that whole flock in the bush.

I used a Dynamic Perception full kit.

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Jan 24, 2018 04:05:46   #
Ramm Francis
 
Well, you could be correct though Fuji usually has a couple years span between a new release.

Yes, Nikon and Sony are very close to the GFX in image quality. Were there no hope for a 100MP Fuji, I'd quickly go with the Nikon D850.

To my knowledge, there is a huge R&D gap between Nikon, Sony and Fuji. The prior two have deep pockets and can afford to react quickly to market trends - especially Sony. Unless I am mistaken, Fuji is not in the same league as the other two manufacturers. That's not a put-down to Fuji, I think it is just reality related to company camera division size - in my opinion though, I could be wrong.

Another poster really hit the nail on the head. Processor speed is the apparent reason Fuji did not try to make the GFX 50S capable of 4K video. So what are the odds of Fuji having a fast enough processor to handle a 100MP sensor? That seems to be an expectation that is even more remote.

Now, they "could" come out with a GFX 50S-V - "V" standing for video. It would be identical to the GFX except that it would have a new and faster processor capable of handling 4K. Gee. A new stills vs. video camera line just like Sony. It would make the camera highly competitive with Nikon and Sony and carry a faster upgraded processor. Then, they could come out with a new 100MP (or whatever) camera for stills again with the faster new processor. And on it would go.

Please allow me to say something unrelated. This is one of the first photography sites I've encountered where people are not arguing and name-calling over minutia. What a refreshing difference! Everyone has a different skill set and everyone is at their own level of development. That is no reason for a more knowledgeable person to criticize and verbally bludgeon the person who is learning. So far, this site is so wonderfully civil. -rf

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Jan 24, 2018 07:44:28   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
Ramm Francis wrote:
We all know that everyone has a favorite camera manufacturer ie Nikon, Canon, Leica, Sony, Olympus, Hassy, etc. I am going to buy my last camera and I want the camera and glass to be the best - short of buying a Phase One. I've been paid to shoot stills, motion picture film and video for 50 years. Now? I want to shoot for myself, plan out each shot and take all day if neccesary. I'm tired of schleping 50-60 pounds of gear with a crew. Something that tops out about 25 pounds or less would be perfect.

I rented the Fuji GFX 50S and the 120mm Macro prime and was very comfortable. It forced me to slow down and it felt good. Problem? I want to shoot some high-end slider video as well. I need to shoot 4K video and the HD 1080P video that the GFX 50S camera shoots is not sufficient. So my thought was to wait for the next iteration of Fuji's MF camera. Barring a Japanese earthquake, a thermo-nuclear bomb or the Second Coming of Christ (stated with genuine sincerity), the camera should appear somewhere in 2019, yes?

QUESTION: Should I wait for 2019 and get the new camera or load up on glass, buy a used GFX 50S and hope the body can be sold before the new camera comes out? After all, there's no guarantee that Fuji will try to support 4K video in their next MF camera. And for that matter, there's no real assurance that Fuji will develop another generation of MF camera to replace the GFX 50S. Your thoughts?

Thank you in advance for your opinion. - rf
We all know that everyone has a favorite camera ma... (show quote)


Stick with tried and true, Nikon, Sony, and Canon. Your better off in the long run, and the short run, or in any run.

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Jan 24, 2018 20:22:23   #
Ramm Francis
 
I'm sure that is good and sound advice. I always shot medium format in the past and I personally like the feel of the GFX 50S. If I felt 100% positive about the Fuji camera, I would not have posted this thread. Thank you for your opinion.

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