Fujifilm Face Off Series. Part 5: Fashion and Fan Favorite. A Friendly Comparison Between The GFX100RF & X100VI.
Subtitle: This is all nonsense done for fun.
I saved this comparison for last because it had the outcome that surprised me the most.
Recently wrote about a four Fujifilm camera back to back photo test at Duke Gardens.
I wrote a high level summary of all four cameras in that post. Here I wanted to spend a little time comparing the GFX100RF to the other three Fujfilm cameras.
This is not a this is a better than that post. More like what they have in common and what is unique about both.
This post is about the APS-C camera that punched well above its weight, literally and figuratively, that day at Duke Gardens.
Why was I surpised? I am glad I imagined that you asked.
I went into this thinking the main competitions for the GFX100RF overall would be the GFX100S.
But other than the sensor, they have little in common, actually. The real comparison came down to these two.
I got my hands on the X100VI first, and it raised the bar very high. An early series of photos taken with it…
…staggered me a bit if I am honest. Here are a few more taken at the same time.
Respectfully, what the heck? What is happening here?
I have had an X100 before. The second generation X100S.
A fine looking camera.
A fine performing camera. But the X100VI plays in an entirely different league. For example, here is a pic taken with the X100S,…
…and here is the same scene, framed differently, with the X100VI.
The X100S pic is nice. Just nice. A solid performance for an APS-C sensor. But the X100VI plays with the larger sensor cameras I had with me that day.
Personally, I could use these photos interchangeably. The X100S images are fine. Not sure if the new lens or the new sensor gets credit or both, but they combine to produce far more interesting results in my eyes.
But let’s put a pin in that. Because the lens and sensor are not the only things at play here. Back to the GFX100RF and X100VI.
What do they have in common?
Sensor size and physical size set aside… near everything.
- Same aesthetic language.
- Wisely, Fujifilm basically made the GFX100RF an upsized X100VI.
- Same control scheme.
- A button may have moved here or there, but if you have used one you could pick the other up and get going right away.
- Accurate AF.
- X100VI.
- The AF of the 40MP X100VI’s sensor is light-years ahead of their older Fujifilm sensors in my experience. I had the X-T100, and the AF performance of that camera basically made me rage quit Fujifilm once when I realized they would not do anything to improve it through firmware like they did with the OG X-Pro 1 I had. I hear things improved with the sensor in the X-T200 that followed, but the idea that I had to buy the next camera to get improved AF was a ridiculous one to me.
- GFX100RF.
- Initially, I made my choice not to go with the GFX system based on the AF performance of the 50MP chip. The GFX50S II, to be specific. This was a mistake. I realized this once I tested the GFX100S.
- X100VI.
- Accurate exposure.
- Lens aperture.
- When adjusted to full frame equivalencies (GFX100RF: f/3.16 and X100VI:f/3), the apertures at play match up nicely.
- Wide-ish lens.
- Largely up to personal preference. 27.65mm full frame equivalent for the GFX100RF and 34.5mm full frame equivalent for the X100VI.
Differences.
I will change things up a bit for this post. I will list spec advantages of each followed by my real world take.
GFX100RF advantages.
- 100MP medium format sensor.
- Not as a big of an advantage as I thought it would be. Yes, in pure terms more MP is better on paper. But 40MP is nothing to sneeze at either. And it is a better fit for a carry-along camera, in my opinion.
- It has been hit a little harder with the luxury stick.
- The X100VI is a nice feeling rig in hand. But with its upsized and deeply gnurled front, rear, and top dials and top plate that somehow feels more… luxurious? I am not sure what is going on here, but the GFX100RF is a camera that will have you carrying it around in hand for no other reason than it feels good in hand.
X100VI advantages.
- Built in flash.
- As mentioned in an earlier post, I thought this was a nicety, but it paid real world dividends.
- IBIS.
- Thought this would be a big deal. For video, it is. But for stills? Truth be told, the lack of IBIS was never an issue with the GFX100RF in the real world. Low light images came out just fine.
The next two I hesitated to list as X100VI advantages because they largely center on the difference in sensors. But given the high quality output of the X100VI, I will proceed.
- Size.
- Yes. Obvious. But in a theoretical world where I owned both and compact size would be advantageous, I would gladly pick up the X100VI and I would not feel penalized for it.
- Price.
- It comes down to this question. Is the GFX100RF 3x better than the X100VI? For me? No.
- I am not saying the GFX100RF is not worth the price. I can very much see how someone would pick the GFX100RF.
Late entry.
- X100VI’s OVF.
- Left it off because I forget it is there. I like. But I rarely use it. So it alone would not sway me.
Thoughts.
I think it can be summarized this way.
The GFX100RF is a camera I very much want to own.
The X100VI is a camera that I very much want to use.
Does this make any sense?
No.
And I am alright with that.
None of this is meant as a ding against the GFX100RF. It is an excellent camera that I very much enjoyed using. After my time with it I would definitely choose it over the other premium point and shoots. Namely the RX1RIII and Leica Q3 variants. Again, those are fine cameras that I would not fault anyone for purchasing. But for me this camera’s main competition comes from the same company.
But I do believe it speaks to how good the X100VI is that it can share the same space without laughing.
Welp. That is it for the four Fujifilm camera comparison. On to the next nonsensical photo related ramblings.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 
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