The GFX “”Review”” Never Seen It, Shot It, Nor Buying It

The GFX “”Review”” Never Seen It, Shot It Nor Buying It

So obviously this isn’t a review – I won’t be going through the peep hole of the GFX.

Nope. No sir.

This is a bit of a rant

“Aw man, please not another opinion piece about how the GFX is only for Pros and how hobbyists/weekenders shouldn’t be allowed to buy one”

Nope not that either.

This article has one purpose, to re-affirm your right to buy any goddamn camera you please.

It seems that Fuji’s new Medium Format (MF) camera has caused quite a stir, and for sure I’ve no doubt that the grass is greener on the other side.

There’s people fawning over the images, and there’s threads on forums asking if ‘amateurs’ should get one.

But also there’s a growing, vocal chord of discontent.

People are claiming that unless you’re a professional fine art tog, or a studio tog or a product tog, then you have no earthly right to purchase this camera, that potential buyers should be ability tested prior to purchase, because heaven forbid that you drop 10K into a camera/lens in order to post shots of your cat to Facebook.

Now, let’s be a little clearer on this.

A MF camera won’t be some sort of ‘run-and-gun’ AF demon. The resolution will be great, but the discipline required to access it will require a good eye and a steady hand.

I’ll be honest… I think a few people buying this camera will think they’ve made a mistake…

MF has a very shallow DOF – you might very well find much of your shots are out of focus.

It might be quite small for a MF body, but it won’t be a teeny-tiny X-T2

The AF will probably perform much like the X-Pro1 (you remember right? The camera that everyone said was so slow to focus as too be practically unusable)

In low light it WILL be slow, hell it’ll probably struggle to even find focus – Fuji’s MF isn’t built for that.

The images will be far larger, tangibly sharper and with more dynamic range that you’ll get from your X-Pro2/X-T2 cameras

But that won’t necessarily show up so well at web resolution or even normal printing sizes.

If you’re buying one of these bad boys to “take your photography to the next level” then I hope you mean technique… because you MIGHT very well struggle to see the improved IQ away from your 5k screen.

So am I actually suggesting that the well healed enthusiast shouldn’t buy this?

No. But they should buy it with both eyes open. Wide open. They should ask – what am I expecting from this camera, that my existing APSC/FF camera isn’t giving me?

If the answer to that is “well 10K isn’t really a lot of money to me and I want to give MF a try” then I’d respectively suggest you really think that through. R-E-S-P-E-C-T-F-U-L-L-Y suggest.

Buy unwisely and your 10K investment is going to end up on eBay before the summer’s out, and you ain’t gonna see all your 10K back

Let me explain who I think the GFX is really for…

It’s for people that have 10K to spend on a camera. (Or some less when they get eBay’d in a few months 🙂 )

It really is that simple.

There’s no rules. There’s no need to listen to belligerent internet bile about how you have to good enough to buy one.

Can you afford 10K? Be honest now… Can you afford 10K and still pay the rent, buy shoes for your kids, have a family holiday?

If so, bingo.

You see this isn’t quite as clear cut as those keyboard warriors and YouTube baiters would have you believe.

You don’t actually have to be the official product photographer of a global brand to have a genuine need for MF camera.

Don’t let people beat you down.

The internet has exposed me to many people with many hobbies. Good people, passionate people, committed people.

People that take pride in what they do. People that want the best tool for the job.

I “know” (not in real life) a guy who collects vintage Rolex. Takes beautiful pictures of them, if memory serves, I think with a D4. He does (or at least did) give away his pictures as desktop backgrounds, so others could enjoy his collection.

Would he take benefit from a MF camera?

Yes, almost certainly.

Is he a pro tog – nope.

Another guy I “know” – does focus stacks of insects/spiders.

Same story – I think he’d honestly enjoy the increased resolution of a MF sensor, and again I don’t think he’s a pro.

What about you?

Maybe your job is senior management, maybe you own a chain of delis – but your passion is astro or macro or architecture or landscape or wabi or well… taking bloody photographs of something!

Why shouldn’t you enjoy an upgraded tool to do the job?

Why should you be swayed by the negativity of a few people telling you, you don’t deserve a MF camera?

Of course – let iterate yet again – go into this WITH YOU EYES OPEN.

Go to DPR etc, download some sample RAFs, run then through your workflow. See if you think you REALLY need it, not just really WANT it

There’s a big rule of diminishing returns in just about everything… a £5000 watch isn’t 10x better than £500 one, it costs a lot more to run a F1 car than a GP2 car, but the F1 car isn’t faster by the ratio of cost variable.

Buy a GFX and understand – understand you’re paying a lot more for some more, maybe even only a bit more.

Understand that MF will be merciless with your basic skills, struggle to hold a camera steady… well you’d better brush up on that. Pronto.

But if you holistically understand all that, if you’ve reviewed those facts carefully, and still want to pull the trigger on one.

Then do so. I can’t speak for your spouse or bank manager – but this “blogger” gives you his blessing, besides – I like cat pictures and I’m on Facebook 🙂

For me? Hell no! I’m not dragging a large 10k camera around to take street shots and cover events. No need for me to get one whatsoever!

Oh, and seeing as I have natural dislike of people telling other people, how they should spend their disposable income, can you do me a favour?

If you’re truly well heeled, I mean like 10K is your monthly Michelin starred eatery food bill or something

Maybe buy 2 GFXs, big up the Fuji bank account for those of us hoping that Fuji keeps developing APSC, and of course for the satisfaction of sticking two giant medium format fingers up at those that have the audacity to tell you what you’re allowed to shoot with and what you spend your hard earned on 🙂

I believe the phrase might be: ‘Peace Out’

We’ll be back to X-Pro stuff next week!

Cheers

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