PetaPixel posted a couple of articles relating—directly and indirectly—to the Fujifilm GFX100RF, which I found quite interesting. In the first, Every Design Decision on the Fujifilm GFX100RF Was Made to Keep It Compact, they interviewed Makoto Oishi, a Product Planning Manager at Fujifilm, to discuss the ethos of the new camera’s design. In the second article, Compact and Interchangeable Lens Camera Demand Is Diverging, PetaPixel looks at a BCN+R report about market trends between fixed-lens and interchangeable-lens models.

Makoto told PetaPixel, “[O]ur first priority was how to make it smaller and lighter weight.” That’s pretty much the entirety of the article, as the rest is simply explaining why the camera does not have IBIS or a larger maximum aperture than f/4 and other design choices. It’s worth reading, if you are curious about those things. The main point: Fujifilm set out to make it as small and lightweight as possible. Interestingly, they did create mockups of versions with IBIS and larger apertures, but it required the camera to be significantly larger and heavier, which went against their “first priority” of small size and less weight. IBIS alone, according to this interview, would have doubled the camera’s size, because the lens would have to project to a much larger area.

The lens is pretty remarkable in that it is extremely compact for medium-format, and it barely covers the sensor. That’s why IBIS wasn’t practical, as it would have required a different and much larger lens. That’s why the maximum aperture is “only” f/4, as a larger aperture would not only have required a larger lens, but it would likely begin to show vignetting and corner softness when wide open. All of the design choices make sense when viewed through the prism of Fujifilm’s top priority: size and weight. The engineers succeeded, and did so quite fantastically.

Now you might disagree with the “first priority” that Fujifilm gave the GFX100RF team. You might not appreciate that the GFX100RF is the smallest, lightest, and cheapest digital medium-format camera-lens combo that has ever been made. You might have wished that Fujifilm’s top goal was to make this as premium of a camera as possible, or balanced somewhere in-between premium and size/weight/cost. I think that’s where a lot of the criticisms are found. There are some (quite) vocal critics who disagree with the design ethos, and wished that this camera was different.

This is where the second PetaPixel article comes in. Interestingly, interchangeable-lens camera sales are declining year-over-year, while fixed-lens camera sales are increasing because of a renewed interest in compact cameras. Who is leading the fixed-lens camera market? Kodak. Surprised? It’s JK Imaging selling cheap point-and-shoots on Amazon under the Kodak PixPro name—cameras that are basically 15-year-old tech digicams. Second is Fujifilm, thanks to the massive success of the X100VI, which has already outsold all of the previous X100-series models, and also the Instax Evo line. Canon is third—largely because of their nine-year-old (but still in production) ELPH 360 digicam—but declining (the PowerShot V1 will certainly change that trajectory to some degree). Kenko Tokina is fourth with their tiny toy cameras and digicams. Panasonic is fifth and on the rise, due to the sales success of the DC-ZS99. Ricoh is sixth, thanks to the GR III and GR IIIx, and would probably rank higher if they manufactured those cameras at a higher rate to meet the current demand. Most of the fixed-lens cameras that are selling like hotcakes right now are cheap point-and-shoots; the exceptions are the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR III/GR IIIx.

If you are trying to understand why Fujifilm chose to make size, weight, and cost the priority for the GFX100RF, that’s why. Simply, it’s market trends. By making the camera as small, lightweight, and affordable as possible, Fujifilm gave it the best chance for market success. The early indicators seem to show that it was the best choice, but only time will tell. That’s not going to make those who wish that Fujifilm had made other aspects—like stabilization and maximum aperture—more important feel any better, but I hope it sheds some light on the why, even if you disagree.

With the massive success of the X100VI, if sales figures for the GFX100RF are good, and if Fujifilm were to release some other fixed-lens option (say, the half-frame camera that’s been rumored), it’s quite possible that Fujifilm will find itself at the very top of the fixed-lens market, which is a growing segment. But, I think it’s also quite possible that, as the months pass by, more and more fixed-lens cameras will be released by other manufacturers, heating up the competition, and making it more difficult to stay on top. Getting quality (and exciting) products out ahead of competitors is going to be a big long-term win for Fujifilm in my opinion; however, predicting the future is impossible, and I’ve certainly been wrong plenty of times before, so who knows? It does seem like smart moves to me, though. Overall, the GFX100RF is likely only going to be a small contributor to Fujifilm’s fixed-lens sales numbers (it’s a $4,900 camera, after all, and GFX models don’t move nearly as quickly as X-series), but it will probably do well for the company’s bottom line, which is good if you’d like to see them continue to make interesting cameras well into the future.

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Fujifilm GFX100RF in black:
Amazon, B&H, Nuzira, WEX
Fujifilm GFX100RF in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Nuzira, WEX