The Fujifilm GFX100RF ($5,599.95) strives to be the ultimate camera for travel photography. It puts a big, 102MP sensor into a camera that you can comfortably carry all day, without the potential for back pain that usually comes with medium format photo gear. That many pixels are overkill for sure, but the GFX100RF smartly leverages them to add a useful digital crop, and supports an array of aspect ratios to better capture scenes that don't work with the boxy 4:3 sensor. It's a rewarding camera for photographers who refuse to compromise on picture quality, but don't want to carry an interchangeable lens kit all the time. Still, among luxury models, I prefer the brighter lens and full-frame 60MP sensor in the Leica Q3 ($6,735), and can't overlook how good the Fujifilm X100VI is for $1,799.95, even though it is a waitlist item.

Design: Medium Format Sensor in a Rangefinder Style Body

It's easy to see from where Fujifilm draws its inspiration for the GFX100RF. The camera is a mashup of the long-running APS-C sensor X100 series and long-discontinued film bodies like the GS645S. Like the X100VI, the GFX100RF uses a slim, fixed prime lens, and like the GS645S, its imaging area is far larger than a 35mm film frame.

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The sensor and lens leave nothing on the table in regards to imaging prowess. While I'll argue that 102MP resolution is excessive and unnecessary for most of us, creators who typically use an interchangeable lens GFX100S II or GFX100 II can pick this camera up and enjoy the same user interface and imaging features, and use it as a backup body, for travel, or a mix of both.

The camera body feels sturdy, and its aluminum exterior and knurled dials look classy. The GFX100RF is a likely candidate for travel photography and includes dust and splash protection, so you can use it comfortably in rainy weather. You'll need to make sure to attach the filter holder, protective filter, and lens hood to complete the camera's sealing, all of which are included. You can get the GFX100RF in black, which I received for review, or silver.

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The GFX100RF qualifies as a compact camera because of its permanently attached lens, but at 3.6 by 5.3 by 3 inches (HWD), it isn't small enough to fit into a pocket, large winter coats excluded. Still, at just 1.6 pounds, it hangs comfortably from a strap and won't leave you icing a stiff shoulder at the end of the day. Compare that with the GFX100S II and a GF 30mm F3.5 lens, a pair that's noticeably bulkier and around 3 pounds, while the Hasselblad X2D 100C and XCD 38mm F2.5 V lens total about 2.8 pounds.

It's an incredible feat of miniaturization when you take the size of a medium format image sensor, around 44x33mm, into account. It makes for a bigger camera than those that use full-frame (36x24mm) sensors like the Leica Q3 (3.2 by 5.1 by 2.6 inches, 1.6 pounds) and the Sony RX1R III (2.7 by 4.5 by 3.4 inches, 1.1 pounds), or an APS-C sensor (24x16mm) like the Fujifilm X100VI (2.9 by 5.0 by 1.2 inches, 1.2 pounds) and Ricoh GR IIIx (2.4 by 4.3 by 1.4 inches, 9.2 ounces).

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The medium-format sensor has some inherent advantages. At 102MP, GFX100RF photos can be printed at large magnification and still hold up to scrutiny, even with some cropping. The camera also saves images with 16-bit color, which, along with its big surface area, makes for smoother gradation between tones than even a full-frame chip can muster.

Fujifilm also leverages the pixel count to support a bevy of in-camera crop modes. The GFX100RF supports a digital step zoom that crops in to a tighter angle, as well as a multi-aspect ratio so you can capture images with a tall or widescreen frame. Granted, most direct competitors offer crop modes too; the Leica Q3, Q3 43, and Sony RX1R III all have 60MP chips with digital zoom, while the Fuji X100VI has a healthy 40MP starting point for its crops.

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The large sensor comes with some tradeoffs. On the technical side, the GFX100RF's 35mm F4 lens captures a quarter of the light as the F2 lenses on the Sony RX1R III and Fujifilm X100VI at its wide-open aperture. Effectively, this means you'll use a higher ISO for the same scene, and that, despite its huge sensor, the GFX100RF has less background blurring power than full-frame competitors. The Leica Q3, for instance, has a 28mm f/1.7 lens, the RX1R III uses a 35mm F2, so both can get blurrier backgrounds. On a personal note, I find that I have to put more care and concentration into using a medium format camera to get good results versus smaller sensor sizes. The larger the sensor, the less forgiving it is, and every bit of bad technique is magnified.

Handling: Rough, Tight Dials Made My Fingers Hurt

I'm a little torn about the GFX100RF's ergonomics. On one hand, I think its retro approach to exposure control is the right choice for the audience. It puts aperture control around the lens and includes discrete shutter and exposure dials on the top plate. This makes it easy to take command of exposure directly or switch the dials over to A (for automatic), effectively putting the camera into a Program mode.

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On the other hand, I ended up with raw fingertips after my first day of photography. I had a difficult time turning the shutter speed and aspect ratio dials for most of the day. Both are tighter and require more torque to turn than I would expect, and they're just a little too narrow to grip confidently. I also noticed that the surface of the rear focus joystick is a little rough and, well, pointy.

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All and all, the GFX100RF has the least comfortable dials of any camera I've used in recent memory, which is a shame as the layout itself is quite thoughtful and configurable too. For instance, the manual focus ring around the lens may be remapped to cycle through film simulations or set white balance, and levers on the front let you adjust digital zoom, engage the in-lens neutral density filter, and cycle through eye sensor and crop marker settings, among others.

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The top plate includes a combination shutter speed and ISO control dial, a common sight on Fujifilm cameras. To set ISO, you'll raise the dial's knurled exterior straight up and turn, and the current ISO is shown in a cutout window. Push the knurled edge back down, and it returns to shutter control. The EV dial, shutter release, and flexible function button are nearby; the latter toggles face and eye detection for people by default. The shutter release includes a thread that works with soft release buttons and mechanical release cables. Looking to the rear, you'll find a focus mode switch, command dial, the aforementioned eight-way joystick for focus control and menu navigation, along with AEL/AFL, Menu/OK, Display/Back, Play, Drive/Delete, and Q menu buttons.

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The aspect ratio dial is especially handy, and so far, an exclusive feature of the GFX100RF. Sure, it's easy enough to crop an image with software after it's been captured, but the camera can capture photos in boxy (4:3, 1:1, 3:2, 5:4, 7:6), widescreen (16:9, 65:24, 17:6), or tall (3:4) ratios. It's a smart way to use all of the pixels the camera has, and I appreciate that you can choose between showing the cropped out portions of the frame blacked out, semi-transparent, or fully visible with white frame markers indicating the crop. If you use the camera for JPG capture, the crop is irreversible, but if you opt for Raw, you have the option of reverting to full-frame in Lightroom or the Raw workflow app of your choice.

The on-screen Q menu works in conjunction with buttons and dials. Its 16-panel interface provides quick access to autofocus, Film Simulation, and aspect ratio, among other options. The menu is entirely configurable; you can set every panel and even pare down to a 12- or 8-panel display if you prefer. Given my struggles turning the dial, I'm glad that aspect ratio is included by default.

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Displays: A Large Viewfinder and Tilting Touch Screen

Both of the GFX100RF's displays are excellent. It has a 3.2-inch, 2.1-million-dot touch LCD that's easy to see outdoors at maximum brightness. The screen tilts vertically so you can frame images from a low or high angle, which gives it a leg up over the fixed display on the smaller Sony RX1R III. Most other cameras in this class, including the X100VI, Leica Q3, and Leica Q3 43, have a tilting screen as well.

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The electronic viewfinder is among the best in the class. It is large to the eye: Its 0.84x magnification rating projects an image that's bigger than with many interchangeable lens cameras; the Nikon Z6III has a 0.80x EVF, for instance. The GFX EVF is also sharp at 5.8 million dots, which is beneficial for precise manual focus.

Power and Connectivity: Long-Lasting Battery

The GFX100RF's NP-W235 battery, per CIPA standards, is rated for up to 820 images per charge, an excellent result that means it should easily get through a full day of photography. It's more than double the Leica Q3 43 (360) and Sony RX1R III (300). The battery charges in-camera via USB-C. The camera also has a micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3.5mm microphone/remote connector, and two UHS-I SDXC card slots.

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There's no built-in flash, but the camera has a hot shoe that works with external strobes and wireless systems with full power sync at speeds as short as 1/4,000-second, a benefit of the in-lens leaf shutter. I'm disappointed that Fujifilm didn't put a flash in the camera, as it's a handy feature to have in a travel camera—there were a few scenes I encountered during a couple of weeks of use that would have benefited from a little fill-in light.

The camera connects with Android and iOS devices running the Fujifilm X app. Pairing the GFX with my iPhone 13 via Bluetooth took about a minute. Once connected, the app supports wireless file transfer and remote control and provides useful information, including the total number of photos the camera has captured and its battery health.

Autofocus: Confident and Competent

The GFX100RF uses the same autofocus system as the GFX100 II and other interchangeable lens cameras from Fuji. It provides focus coverage across all but the very outer edge of the sensor with hybrid phase-contrast detection and face and eye detection for people, along with subject recognition modes for animals and different types of vehicles. The subject modes work in conjunction with a tracking mode that keeps focus on top of its target. And while I don't love that Fuji puts its human subject recognition in a completely different Q menu panel than the other subject types, it's an all and all reliable and competent focus system.

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It's the lens that proves to be a slightly weak link in the focus chain, however. The 35mm F4 takes about a quarter-second to drive from a distant to a near subject, and shows a little bit of back-and-forth wobble when using continuous focus drive (AF-C). It's a step behind the speed I enjoyed when I reviewed the Leica Q3, and while I haven't had hands on time with the Sony RX1R III as of yet, PetaPixel reports that its focus drive is essentially instantaneous.

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Focus speed may be a concern if you are looking to use the GFX100RF for candid photography, and while I don't see many photographers picking this camera up with the intent of capturing uncooperative kids or pets at play, its popularity for documentary street photography is obvious. I didn't get a chance to take the GFX into a city or to a social event during my review, so I can't speak directly as to how it handles for the popular genre, but I would expect it to be up to the task.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I'm also happy with the drive speed. The GFX100RF supports 6fps for around 40 Raw or 300 JPGs in sequence before its buffer fills, more than enough for the scenes you're likely to capture. The Sony RX1R III (5fps), Leica Q3 (7fps), and Fujifilm X100VI (8fps) all deliver similar speed with their in-lens shutters, though the X100VI can go faster (13fps) if you use its e-shutter mode.

Imaging: Useful Digital Zoom, But No Stabilization

The 102MP medium format BSI CMOS sensor is no doubt the GFX100RF's marquee feature. A ton of megapixels still brings some wow factor to marketing copy, even if it's excessive if you're sharing photos online. I've already talked about how the GFX uses the sensor to get more versatility out of its prime lens by changing its aspect ratio.

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It also uses its pixels for a helpful digital zoom, which crops the 35mm F4 lens to (in medium format terms) a 45mm (62MP), 63mm (31MP), or 80mm (20MP) frame. This gives the lens an effective 2.3x digital zoom and covers the same angles that you'd get with a 28-60mm full-frame zoom, wide to standard angles, while still leaving you with a printable photo even at its maximum digital zoom.

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There are a couple of trade-offs versus an optical zoom. For one, cropping into the frame makes high ISO image noise more apparent. Secondly, you're often left with a flatter image with more depth of field than you'd expect for the focal length, though whether or not that's a drawback comes down to personal preferences and the particular scene. That said, it's fair to levy these same gripes about the Leica Q3, Sony RX1R III, and X100VI, all of which support the same type of digital zoom.

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Still, these are minor complaints in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider that an optical zoom would no doubt make the GFX100RF a heavier, less desirable camera for travel. Fuji has you covered if you prefer a bigger kit with a zoom; the GFX100S II paired with the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR zoom fits the bill.

The GFX100RF uses the same 102MP BSI CMOS sensor and X Processor 5 imaging engine as the two current interchangeable lens entries in the series, the GFX100 II and GFX100S II. The sensor covers a wide ISO 80-12800 sensitivity range in Auto ISO, and goes from ISO 40-102400 with manual adjustment. The camera is at its best from ISO 80-3200, at which images show very little noise and ample dynamic range (8.3 to 12.5 stops per a Photons to Photos analysis). Noise starts to show at ISO 6400-12800, so images start to show some natural texture and grain. The image detracts from picture quality at ISO 25600-102400, and dynamic range drops to around 6.0 stops.

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The typical audience for medium format cameras uses Raw capture format by default, but I expect at least a few photographers who pick up the GFX100RF will use and appreciate its Film Simulation processing engine, even though it creates 8-bit files that aren't as editable as the GFX's 16-bit Raw format. The camera includes more than a dozen tasteful, but characterful, tones that draw inspiration from photochemical film stocks. The processing engine also lets you add grain, apply a color chrome effect, and adjust dynamic range. It's a good feature for a travel camera to have, especially if you plan on sharing photos along the way. In-camera processing is supported, too, so you can try out different looks for any Raw image after capture. For desktop editing, Adobe supports Camera Matching profiles for the GFX100RF in Lightroom and Lightroom Classic for all of its Film Simulations.

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I'm happy with the fixed 35mm F4 lens. It captures plenty of detail, scoring around 5,900 lines at f/4 and improving to 6,500 lines at f/5.6-11. It loses some detail due to diffraction when stopped down to f/16-22, as expected. There's very little reason to go that narrow with this particular lens, as it does not render sharply defined starbursts at tiny apertures as some others do. The GFX100RF's lens relies on digital correction to remove barrel distortion, but it's done transparently in-camera. All and all, the prime lens's optical performance is in line with what I saw from the GF 32-64mm F4 when I tested it along with a GFX100S.

I did encounter some flare when taking photos against a strong backlight. Flare pops up as a soft white glow, and the lens also shows some purple and green ghosts, depending on the angle and intensity of the backlight. It's a good idea to use the hood, but if the sun is coming in right behind your subject, you'll want to adjust your angle to either reduce or accentuate the flare, depending on what you prefer.

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The GFX100RF is capable of creating images with background blur situationally—you'll see it most when focusing within ten feet and using the lens wide open at f/4. But because the GFX100RF doesn't get the smooth look achievable with a lens like the GF 110mm F2, it's easier to identify subjects in the background, which can be distracting depending on the scene. If you prefer making images with blurred out backgrounds, I'd recommend the Sony RX1R III or Leica Q3 43, both open to f/2.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I'm happy to see an in-lens neutral density filter included. When engaged, it cuts out 4 stops of light, effectively letting you use longer shutter speeds in bright light. This filter is useful for long exposure photography, as it lets you use the camera at a wider aperture and lengthier shutter speed to blur motion.

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You'll need to bring a tripod or find a steady surface on which to set the camera for long exposures, however, as neither its sensor nor lens is stabilized. I tried some handheld long exposure with the camera and managed to capture one good image at 1/5-second by bracing my elbows on a fence, but it took several tries to get. To me, that's a major omission, and not just for long exposure photography. The 102MP sensor calls for a brisker shutter speed than you'd expect to get crystal clear results for handheld photography. If left on automatic, the GFX100RF prefers a 1/125-second exposure time, which is brisk enough to eliminate signs of handshake.

Video: 4K30 With a Film Sim or Flat Profile

The GFX100RF includes video capture, too, though it's easy to blame you if you missed the feature entirely. The video mode is buried in the Drive menu, the same place you go to enable continuous drive, and to be fair, the body style isn't really suited for commercial video or cinema work. Even so, Fujifilm supports 4K30 recording with 10-bit 4:2:0 color sampling. The camera uses pixel binning to downsample its 102MP sensor to a 4K (8MP) frame, which means its picture is softer than lower resolution cameras, but will still look good on YouTube and phone screens.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I missed having some sort of physical stabilization for video, and it's easy to spot jumps and jitters in handheld footage. The camera includes a digital stabilization mode, which crops the lens to around 50mm (37mm equivalent) to help reduce the jittery look, but is itself prone to motion artifacts. As with long exposures, the GFX100RF does better for video when paired with a tripod or set on a flat surface.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Content creators who may need to record some video on the road can get good results, and clear audio out too, thanks to support for external microphones. As with most cameras, the built-in mic picks up too much background noise and doesn't have the rich dynamic range vloggers want. All of the Fuji Film Simulations work for video, so you can get pleasing colors right out of the camera, and a flat F-Log profile is included if you prefer to color correct yourself. So while the GFX100RF doesn't make much sense for creators with a video-first mindset, its toolkit should satisfy photographers who want to record the occasional movie.