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Fujifilm GFX 100RF Compact Camera Review

Medium format photography has traditionally been associated with large, studio-focused systems, but camera manufacturers like Fujifilm, have been steadily shrinking medium format cameras into a more portable size. The GFX 100RF takes this a step further, packing a 102MP medium format sensor into a camera that is smaller than any GFX before it, including the original rangefinder-style GFX 50R.

Fujifilm is of course, no stranger to point-and-shoot cameras, and the GFX 100RF medium format system is reminiscent of the wildly popular X100VI, which is one of the best selling Fujifilm cameras ever.

Our Fujifilm GFX 100RF compact camera review explores this groundbreaking release and includes images, a specs table comparison, and a video covering the X Summit launch on March 20th 2025.

Join us as we look at just how much smaller the medium format camera is, what to expect, and whether it retains all the manual controls Fujifilm users appreciate and expect to see. Let’s start with a brief history.

A brief history of Fujifilm’s medium format development

Fujifilm’s history in medium format photography has paved the way for the innovative design of the GFX 100RF. Fujifilm introduced its first 6x6 medium format film camera with the Fujica Six in 1948, establishing the company in high-quality imaging.

This journey continued with the G690 in 1968, a 6x9 medium format camera which gained a reputation for exceptional build and image quality. In the 1980s, the GS645 series offered more compact, portable medium format options, appealing to photographers who were drawn to being mobile while retaining high image quality.  

The 1990s saw the introduction of the GX680 camera, a versatile system that combined medium format quality with the flexibility of view camera movements, which catered to studio and architectural photographers.  Building on this, the GFX medium format camera series, launched in 2017, bringing medium format into the digital age with models like the GFX 50S and GFX 100, offering high-resolution sensors and mirrorless designs.

Compact Design with Classic Fujifilm Styling

One of the biggest surprises about the GFX 100RF is just how small it is. With a weight of 735g including an SD card and battery, and measuring just 90.4mm x 133mm x 70.2mm, it is notably lighter than previous GFX cameras. This includes the GFX 50R, which was Fujifilm’s first rangefinder-style medium format design.

With such a compact and portable size, it is ideal for street photography, travel, and as an everyday walk around camera for general photography. It also bears more than just a passing resemblance to Fujifilm’s X100 series of point-and-shoot cameras, despite featuring a much larger sensor, and that model is included in the comparison table below.

Handling is intuitive, especially for a point-and-shoot type body, with an immersive experience on offer to creators who enjoy tactile dials and physical controls. The body includes a rangefinder-style EVF, which is positioned classically to the left for natural composition. There are manual dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, which allow for quick adjustments without diving into the menus or needing to customise any buttons.

Sample 01. Camera settings: 1/90 sec. f/4.0. ISO 6400

The body integrates a machined aluminium top plate, which continues to the lens ring, dials, and bottom plate, enhancing the overall feeling, which this camera inspires.

Other controls are explored in more detail below, but the body also features a brand new dedicated aspect ratio dial, which enables users to switch between aspect ratio formats for different compositions. So far it’s ticking all the right boxes, but what lens did Fujifilm decide to integrate into this compact system?

New Fixed 35mm Lens and Digital Teleconverter

The GFX 100RF features a newly developed fixed 35mm f/4 lens, which provides a 28mm full-frame equivalent field of view. This retains the look of a 35mm medium format lens but offers a slightly wider focal length, which extends its suitability for documentary, street photography, landscapes, and architecture, among many other subjects.

With over 100 megapixels to work with at 28mm, the wider perspective offers plenty of scope for cropping, and the lens delivers corner to corner sharpness thanks to the optics which include 10 elements in 8 groups (includes 2 aspherical elements).

Sample 02. Camera settings: 1/65 sec. f/4.0. ISO 3200

What makes this compact fixed-lens camera even more versatile is the built-in digital teleconverter, which crops into the 102MP sensor to simulate longer focal lengths without significant quality loss. In full-frame equivalents, the three settings are:

1. 45mm equivalent (65.9MP output) for a natural field of view similar to human vision
2. 63mm equivalent (31.2MP output) for greater subject separation
3. 80mm equivalent (19.7MP output) is a useful option for compressing backgrounds and short telephoto photography

These are controlled by a small lever on the body, allowing in-camera digital cropping to be a seamless part of your workflow, rather than adjusting your comp. during post-processing.

Fujifilm’s approach makes full use of the sensor’s high resolution, adding flexibility to a single-lens point-and-shoot design without requiring a zoom lens. The ability to crop while retaining plenty of detail makes it comparable to the resolution offered by many full-frame and crop-sensor cameras. Shooting at 35mm (28mm full-frame equivalent) in native 4:3 aspect ratio captures the entire 102MP sensor area, with staggering pixel size of 11648 x 8736. Images can be recorded in 14bit / 16bit RAW (RAF original format), with 4:2:2 10bit HEIF files, JPEG and Tiff all available.

Film Simulation and colour science

For many photographers, Fujifilm’s colour science and film simulations are a major attraction to the camera range, and the GFX 100RF is no exception. It features 20 Film Simulation modes, including REALA ACE, which delivers signature colour profiles inspired by classic film stocks straight out of the camera, reducing the need for any post-processing.

Using Film Simulations allows you to shoot without the need for additional colour grading, baking a rich film heritage directly into your images. With 20 unique styles to choose from, there’s something for everyone who enjoys distinctive results. However, unlike the X100VI, which includes a dedicated Film Simulation dial, these modes are selected through the camera menu rather than via a physical control.

Autofocus

The X-Processor 5 and second-gen. GFX 102MP CMOS II sensor power a fifth-generation autofocus system, which now includes AI algorithms that are capable of recognising a variety of subjects, including human eyes/faces, animals, vehicles, and more. This makes the GFX 100RF more responsive than other medium format cameras, particularly when shooting subjects that move quickly around the frame.

Although it’s not designed for sports or fast-paced action photography, focus acquisition is noticeably quick, and tracking is improved over Fujifilm’s previous medium format AF systems. Wide PDAF coverage ensures accurate focusing across the frame, while low-light AF benefits from deep-learning algorithms that analyse subject shapes for better recognition.

Sample 03. Camera settings: 1/250 sec. f/11. ISO 400

Considering how basic medium format focusing was just five or six years ago, this camera shows a major leap in technology, closing the gap between medium format and full-frame mirrorless cameras. These autofocus improvements also play a role in video performance, which we explore next.

Video Capabilities

Although medium format cameras are typically aimed at stills photography, the GFX 100RF offers impressive hybrid capabilities, particularly for a point-and-shoot-style system. It supports 4K/30p recording with 4:2:2 10-bit internal capture, along with F-Log 2 for 13 stops of dynamic range and colour grading opportunities during post-production.

The combination of a large 44 x 33mm sensor and high-quality video output makes it an appealing choice for filmmakers who enjoy the distinctive cinematic look, especially for a compact, everyday camera.

Electronic 5-axis stabilisation helps to compensate for handheld shake, though it won’t replace a gimbal for more complex shots. The inclusion of frame.io connectivity also supports a modern, cloud-based workflow, enabling users to share, store, and organise footage while collaborating with other creators.

The following table highlights just how capable this model is for 10bit in-camera video recording. Note that for ProRes codecs you must record to an SSD drive.

You can also record out over HDMI at up to DCI4K 17:9, 4096 x 2160 at 30p with DCI4K/4K 4:2:2 10bit, providing even more versatility for moviemaking with this compact camera.

GFX 100RF vs. GFX 100S II vs. X100VI

This table compares key specs between three of Fujifilm’s most popular medium format and compact all-in-one cameras.

Sample 04. Camera settings: 30 sec. f/5.6. ISO 640

The GFX 100RF is the most portable medium format camera from Fujifilm yet, and smaller than the GFX 100S II or other models from the range. However, the GFX 100S II offers interchangeable lenses, and includes IBIS, which comes at the cost of size and weight.

With the X100VI, Fujifilm wrapped their premium compact camera around an APS-C sensor, and this series has been wildly popular for several generations, with waiting lists commonplace.

In many ways the GFX 100RF does something similar to the X100VI, but with a larger medium format sensor, although the X100VI offers a 35mm equivalent field of view with a faster f/2 lens. Despite being light for a medium format camera, it is of course a bit larger and heavier, weighing 735g vs 521g.

All three cameras are surprisingly portable considering what they offer, and provide a tactile shooting experience from Fujifilm’s signature dial-based design. The GFX 100RF and GFX 100S II offer the advantages of a larger sensor, which leads us neatly onto target users.

Who is the GFX 100RF for?

The GFX 100RF is a natural evolution of Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras, and is the first model to combine medium format image quality with a compact, fixed-lens design. The design is beautiful, and will no doubt appeal to a wide range of photographers and creators who appreciate its styling, image quality, film simulations and the overall ownership experience.

Whether you use it as a lightweight second camera, a travel-friendly medium format system, or a hybrid tool for stills and video, it offers both versatility and exceptional image quality, without ever needing to switch lenses.

Potential users include:

• Professional and enthusiast photographers who want a no-compromise second camera
• Street, travel, and documentary photographers who need medium format quality from a compact size
• Content creators aiming for high-resolution stills and medium format cinematic video output

Sample 05. Camera settings: 1/450 sec. f/4.0. ISO 200

It’s often said that the best camera is the one you have with you, and no doubt the GFX 100RF will compel you to pick it up and enjoy photography more frequently. Despite being medium format it offers the conveniences of smaller format cameras, with great battery life, amazing autofocus and huge image resolution for cropping and changing aspect ratios.

This is exciting for medium format technology too, proving that size is no longer a limitation. By pairing a 102MP high-resolution sensor with a new fixed-lens design, Fujifilm has introduced something completely new to the GFX system, with a model that fills a niche perfectly.

Although it’s not a replacement for interchangeable-lens GFX models, it offers a new way to experience medium format photography and still shoot on the go, which will attract newcomers to the Fujifilm ecosystem. Whether it’s the right fit for you depends on your shooting style, but there’s no doubt that the GFX 100RF is one of Fujifilm’s most unique and compelling releases to date.

Reserve your Fujifilm GFX 100RF in black or the GFX 100RF Camera Silver today, and join an exclusive era of medium format photography and cinematic video, that was previously unheard of.

If you’re upgrading, why not get a fast, free trade-in quotation? We’ll take the hassle out of selling your old camera equipment with our convenient trade-in process.

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By Nick Dautlich on 20/03/2025

Nick Dautlich

Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer

Nick Dautlich is the Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer at Park Cameras, with over 15 years of photography experience. A Sony Imaging Professional and expert reviewer, Nick has worked with major brands such as Canon, Sony and Nikon. His work is also featured on Vanguard World UK’s website, Capture Landscapes, and Shutter Evolve. Nick’s photography includes National Trust projects and magazine covers and he is passionate about landscapes and storytelling. Nick also enjoys hiking and teaching his children about nature. Learn more on his profile page.