[repaap]

Knowing that the primary income for most professionals comes from promoting cameras in photography workshops, it's not surprising at all that the majority of the so called professional photographers use the most popular full frame, apsc, micro43 and even smartphones. The reason for that is that to keep popularity and quality of service high in the workshops, instructors want to use the same camera equipment as their customers who attend the workshop. For example, how inconvenient would it be for a photo workshop instructor to use a Phase One technical camera with TS movement, while having to do the following things related to their income from workshops:
1) get sponsoring money from squarespace & camera brands (e.g Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Canon)
2) recommend camera equipment to hobby photographers
3) help their customers sort out camera settings , for who recently bought the recommended Fuji...Sony..Nikon...Canon (whatever) models were supplied for free for the workshops.

Nowadays , professional photography is just a cover name for professional camera advertising, since revenues from photographic production are very tiny compare to revenues from advertising activities (such as writing camera reviews, "testing" new camera and lenses and writing and publishing articles about it, recording videos of camera reviews). I know a real photo artist who live only of selling photographs, he lives in a tiny house (like a mobile home) because he couldn't afford to pay rent for a flat, and he is the kind of artist who use old camera equipment to create his art because there is no way he can afford any of the new digital camera models.

When I read "professional photographer" for me it's either "camera promotion" or "photography workshops" or "commercial / multimedia marketing agency".

This is true. In some content.

Looking forward to see what is there in this model. I could see some AF tuned, and faster FPS perhaps 8 K video.

Biggest thing should be that image quality . The thing what even 90 mp FF camera can’t compete with. Or can it?

That and then superresolution unheard of before.
But I have to admit it. This is so far most tempting thing, in the way of yea, this could be cool...and with in reach of me(not really, but maybe) I was bashing a bit GFX100 before. Just because it tried to be FF camera but with bigger size and bigger price. So. A real contender in it’s class. I’m going to get refreshments and popcorn ready for CP -21.

[Rondec]

Knowing that the primary income for most professionals comes from promoting cameras in photography workshops, it's not surprising at all that the majority of the so called professional photographers use the most popular full frame, apsc, micro43 and even smartphones. The reason for that is that to keep popularity and quality of service high in the workshops, instructors want to use the same camera equipment as their customers who attend the workshop. For example, how inconvenient would it be for a photo workshop instructor to use a Phase One technical camera with TS movement, while having to do the following things related to their income from workshops:
1) get sponsoring money from squarespace & camera brands (e.g Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Canon)
2) recommend camera equipment to hobby photographers
3) help their customers sort out camera settings , for who recently bought the recommended Fuji...Sony..Nikon...Canon (whatever) models were supplied for free for the workshops.

Nowadays , professional photography is just a cover name for professional camera advertising, since revenues from photographic production are very tiny compare to revenues from advertising activities (such as writing camera reviews, "testing" new camera and lenses and writing and publishing articles about it, recording videos of camera reviews). I know a real photo artist who live only of selling photographs, he lives in a tiny house (like a mobile home) because he couldn't afford to pay rent for a flat, and he is the kind of artist who use old camera equipment to create his art because there is no way he can afford any of the new digital camera models.

When I read "professional photographer" for me it's either "camera promotion" or "photography workshops" or "commercial / multimedia marketing agency".

I think the thing is that full frame cameras are better all around tools. So if you want to dabble in a combination of landscape, take photos at your kid's soccer game, and maybe do a bit of wildlife, you are better off using a full frame or even APS-C camera.

If your only interest is in landscape, then a medium format may work for you. But my guess is that most of the people who own medium format also own either APS-C or 35mm cameras that they use at least as often their larger format gear.

I really like landscape photography, but I can't afford to add medium format to the cameras I already own and it isn't good enough all around to use to snap photos of my kids doing their normal every day activities.

[MJKoski]

GFX is good for everyday activities excluding soccer or something else requiring long telephoto lens. FWIW, now "ancient" GFX 50R tracks moving subjects better with CDAF and the "pancake" GF50mm lens compared to K-1 + HD24-70 WR. There is also Eye-AF.

[biz-engineer]

The specs of the new GFX100S are out. Five frames per second max, buffer 42 JPEGs or 16 RAWs (more than Pentax K1) at 102 Mpixel per frame. Also has 5 stops IBIS. Weight+size like a Pentax K1. CIPA battery life = 460 (half of K1), no battery grip available however so that mean carrying half dozen batteries in camera bag or in pockets. You buy three Pentax K1 for the price of a GFX100s, and excluding lenses. It look like a good camera, except no grip on a mirrorless camera is IMO a significant annoyance because camera may run out of battery at the time you want to freeze a moment, so with such camera you develop a compulsion of checking battery level all the time afraid of running out of juice at the time you want to take a shot. They (manufacturers) do this kind of cripple design choice purely for business, to protect the other products from being cannibalized. For that the K1 didn't have much to cannibalize in the Pentax camera lineup, that's why Ricoh had put everything they had into it.

---------- Post added 26-01-21 at 14:20 ----------

FWIW, now "ancient" GFX 50R tracks moving subjects better with CDAF and the "pancake" GF50mm lens compared to K-1 + HD24-70 WR.

Strange. I've used a GFX50S, beside image quality I wasn't impressed by anything else. As much as I like the Fuji X series for their size, retro look and AF speed, I wasn't impressed by the 50S (50R is the same).


First, I disliked the EVF on the 50S so much, I couldn't use it without removing my glasses so I had to remove my glasses every time I wanted to take a shot, I don't have this problem with the K1, that was the reason why I gave the 50S back , not being able to use it with glasses was a deal breaker for me. The eye relief and EVF experience for me wasn't acceptable for a camera of such price. I would have expected perfect view and handling experience for a camera at $5000.

Second, when I used the GFX50S, I felt like the build quality was on par with the X series, which was a problem for me for a camera that cost five times more than X series, I expected no to have a tilt screen the same as the one on the cheaper X-A or X-T series model! Basically, the tilt display on the GFX50S ($5000) is the same as the one on an X-T2 (I've use X-T2 as well, AF was very quick).


Third, the CDAF on the 50S was like LV AF on the K1, even single shot sometimes missed focus, I didn't even consider using it for tracking anything.
But , the GFX100 series are different, they have PDAF on sensor, this is completely different. However, I don't expect Fuji build quality to be as good as Pentax, I think Pentax cameras still have superior construction materials and sealing, it's just another level, often completely ignored by people.

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Last edited by biz-engineer; 01-26-2021 at 06:25 AM.

[Rondec]

GFX is good for everyday activities excluding soccer or something else requiring long telephoto lens. FWIW, now "ancient" GFX 50R tracks moving subjects better with CDAF and the "pancake" GF50mm lens compared to K-1 + HD24-70 WR. There is also Eye-AF.

I'll take your word for it, but there is nothing like a 24-70 or 28-105 lens available for medium format and I really need zooms with some flexibility for every day shooting. That is much more useful to me than eye AF.

[MJKoski]

When did you use 50S? 50-series received major FW update last summer. AF is not a laggy slowpoke anymore and certainly more reliable than it used to be.

There is GF45-100 stabilized zoom available currently. No, it's not super wide but wide enough given the 4:3 aspect ratio.

Also, GF32-64 zoom becomes more useful with the IBIS now.

[biz-engineer]

When did you use 50S? 50-series received major FW update last summer. AF is not a laggy slowpoke anymore and certainly more reliable than it used to be.

I used it about two year ago, while the image quality and Fuji film sims go me enthusiastic, I changed my mind after using the camera with the 32-64. I guess if I never used a Pentax, but came from an X-T1 perhaps I wouldn't have notice the lower build quality. I found that Fuji are a bit overpriced compared to others, in average you pay roughly 30% more than for Pentax gear of equivalent quality. A good apsc Fuji camera these day costs more than 1500 euros, that's quite a bit of money for a 24Mpixel apsc camera. I'm not say Fuji don't make good cameras, I just noticed that they are more expensive, and they can because there is no much Fuji equivalent alternative choices. Who makes a good extensive apsc lens lineup other than Fuji? So for an apsc camera Fuji charges as much as much as Canon/Nikon full frame offering, but you still get apsc image quality, not full frame IQ...

My opinion about the new GFX100S, I give it $3999 introduction price, not more and $3000 later.

[MJKoski]

I agree, 6000$ is a LOT to ask. 3999$ is realistic what it offers compared to K-1.

But 645Z is also priced far too high for what it is. GFX50 price class is correct and no more.

[biz-engineer]

I agree, 6000$ is a LOT to ask. 3999$ is realistic what it offers compared to K-1.But 645Z is also priced far too high for what it is. GFX50 price class is correct and no more.

It's also what I believe. There are a couple of 645z for sale here, the same 645z bodies for the last 3 years, I've looked again a the price once in a while hoping that they would be forced to drop the price over time, they've kept the original price because they don't want to lose any money compared to the price paid to Ricoh for buying the stock, but they didn't sell them in 3 years, and will never sell them unless they find a customer who doesn't compare prices, but that's not going to happen any time soon, it's only going to get worse over time, so instead of the dealer losing $500 two years ago, they're going to lose $2000 or even have to write off the totality of it in the future.

[MJKoski]

Well, GFX100S might make some happy Pentaxians soon. If there is some leftover stock somewhere it has to be sold and prices lowered. 6000$ GFX100s vs $6000 645Z is a bit off these days.

[gatorguy]

Well, GFX100S might make some happy Pentaxians soon. If there is some leftover stock somewhere it has to be sold and prices lowered. 6000$ GFX100s vs $6000 645Z is a bit off these days.

The 645Z new goes for $5000 at all major camera retailers these days. Then there's the used market. I mentioned a week or so ago that there was a gently cared for one on Ebay that included two lenses (a 55 and something else), batteries, charger etc for $2500.

[MJKoski]

Pentax 645Z is sold locally (the only shop which has it listed here) for 6299€ for the body only. 7199€ for the kit which has 55mm lens. Finland is Finland though. I expect to see something like 7999€ as the price for GFX100s.

[repaap]

Yes, very expensive still at Finland. only possibility for 2-5000€ deal would be to order it from germany from ebay. If you get 3-4000€ deal from US or Japan, it will be around 6000 because of tax. regardless. I suppose that GFX100s could be around 8000€ but you never know.

---------- Post added 01-27-21 at 14:27 ----------

The 645Z new goes for $5000 at all major camera retailers these days. Then there's the used market. I mentioned a week or so ago that there was a gently cared for one on Ebay that included two lenses (a 55 and something else), batteries, charger etc for $2500.

There are this kind of deals, not s cheap, but yes. surfacing. Gently used 645Z kit.

[surfar]

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[gatorguy]

"We've been impressed with what Fujifilm has achieved with the GFX system so far: most of the lenses are superb and the cameras bring a level of mass-market polish and usability that hasn't always been a feature of medium format cameras (Pentax's digital '645' models being the notable exception)."

Props to Pentax from DPR. Must be a good day.