- Fujifilm rumors predict a 100MP medium format compact camera for 2025
- Leica rival could be called the GFX100RF and be the size of an X-Pro 3
- GFX sensors are about 70% bigger than full-frame rivals
The Fujifilm X100VI has been the undoubted camera hit of the year, but new rumors suggest the company could be cooking up something more audacious for 2025 – a 100MP medium format, fixed-lens compact camera.
In recent days, the reliable Fuji Rumors has posted a succession of leaks from “trusted sources” about a new Fujifilm GFX100RF camera. What’s got photography fans chattering is that the rumors predict that it’ll combine a 100MP GFX sensor (that’s around 70% bigger than full-frame) with a body that’s “about the size of an X-Pro 3”.
That would be a big deal. The X-Pro 3 is similar in size to the X100VI, a camera that’s been sold out for much of the year thanks to its retro, film camera looks and smartphone-beating APS-C sensor. So the recipe for the GFX100RF appears to be a rangefinder-style compact camera with a huge sensor and a fixed GF35mm f/4 lens.
On paper, that’s a combination that could see Fujifilm’s new camera emerge as an alternative to ultra-premium compacts like the beautiful-but-bankrupting Leica Q3. That GF35mm f/4 lens would be about 28mm f/3.2 in full-frame terms, a versatile focal length for environmental portraits, travel and landscapes. By comparison, the X100VI’s lens is like a 35mm f/2.8 on full-frame.
A couple of the spec rumors suggest the GFX100RF is going to be a far more specialist camera than the X100VI. There will apparently be no in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which would place some demands on its owner’s handheld technique in lower light. That 100MP sensor would also create enormous files –our Fujifilm GFX100S II review found full-resolution files were around 200MB each.
In short: the GFX100RF rumors
– Fujifilm GFX100RF
– similar size to X-Pro 3
– 100MP GFX sensor
– GF35mm f/4 lens
– No in-body stabilization
– March 2025 launch
But these rumors also suggest that Fujifilm wants the GFX100RF to hit new price lows for a medium format camera. In many ways, it sounds like a spiritual successor to the GFX50S II, which landed in 2022 for $3,999 / £3,499 / AU$6,499 (body-only).
It’s a bit early for price predictions, but if Fujifilm could hit that kind of price ballpark for its new camera, it could garner X100VI-style hype, if not quite the same level of demand. Fuji Rumors is predicting an arrival in March 2025, so we can expect to see more detailed leaks in the next few months.
Analysis: A niche but exciting prospect
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The Fujifilm GFX100RF sounds like a smart move for Fujifilm and an exciting one for photographers (if not their bank managers). Fujifilm has done a lot to popularize digital medium format cameras, but its GFX series has lacked a fixed-lens star like the X100VI – the GFX100RF could be that camera.
What is medium format?
Medium format comes from the film days and originally described cameras that used 120 film. Now it describes digital cameras that offer a roughly equivalent sensor size. Fujifilm’s GFX sensors are smaller than traditional medium format, but are about 1.7x bigger than full-frame. The benefits are dynamic range and, with a 100MP sensor, huge cropping potential.
It’d certainly be a more niche affair, not least because of the price tag. And despite its rumored dimensions, it wouldn’t be a walkaround all-rounder like the X100VI – we’d expect it to excel at portraits, architecture and landscapes (despite that tight-ish focal length), with fast-moving scenes still likely too much for its autofocus and burst speeds. Think the ultimate hiking camera, rather than a street star.
But its fixed lens (for smaller overall dimensions) and 28mm equivalent focal length could make it a highly tempting alternative to the Leica Q series. The Leica Q3 is an incredible little full-frame camera, but costs $5,995 / £5,300 / AU$9,790. If Fujifilm could significantly undercut that, it could have a new cult favorite on its hands.
There are a few gaps in the GFX100RF’s specs that we need to learn about before hailing it as a sure-fire winner. Like the Leica Q3, will its lens have optical image stabilization (OIS) to compensate for the lack in-body stabilization? That seems nigh-on essential. And how good will that fixed, f/4 lens be? It certainly isn’t bright, so its sharpness needs to flawless to pull out the benefits of that 100MP sensor. Hopefully, the camera will also have weather-sealing.
Those doubts aside, the GFX100RF is promising prospect. Yes, a Fujifilm X-Pro 4 (which we hope it’s also working on) would be far more affordable and the more sensible choice for most. But a GFX camera that’s similar in size to the X-Pro series would be a real statement – and, in theory, could continue Fuji’s recent hot streak into 2025.
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mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson)
