{"id":66656,"date":"2023-09-26T14:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T05:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4228324"},"modified":"2024-05-01T22:35:05","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T13:35:05","slug":"gfx100-ii-a-new-contender","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-ca\/stories\/gfx100-ii-a-new-contender\/","title":{"rendered":"GFX100 II: A New Contender"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B8vPDS5JxBM?si=J_PO6y4RcireriZ9\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>Extreme sports photographer Michael Clark pushes boundaries in action photography with FUJIFILM GFX100 II<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Suspended from a rope high over the Lower Mesa Falls on Henry\u2019s Fork river in Idaho, USA \u2013 and focusing his camera on three world-class kayakers as they descend the torrent \u2013 this is not exactly a typical day for photographer Michael Clark. But it\u2019s close.<\/p>\n<p>A veteran of photographing and participating in extreme sports, Michael is no stranger to the environment. He trusts his rope and his skills. What\u2019s new here is that he\u2019s testing out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-ca\/products\/cameras\/gfx100-ii\/\">FUJIFILM GFX100 II<\/a>, a model which promises to be the first true large format sports camera. Is it capable of matching the speed of the athletes, and the harshness of the environment?<\/p>\n<p>After three exhausting days on the water, the signs are better than good. \u201cGFX100 II is a whole other breed of camera,\u201d Michael admits, \u201cand much closer in focusing speed to a high-end full-frame mirrorless than I\u2019ve ever seen before. When you add the image quality of a larger format sensor, it\u2019s like nothing that\u2019s come before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-5.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-5.jpg\" alt=\"JT Hartman kayaking Lower Mesa Falls on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho.\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Michael Clark | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, 1\/4000 sec at F8, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>The Future of Large Format Sports Photography<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s break it down. A sports camera needs to be as fast as the subjects it\u2019s trained on, or it will be a big problem for the photographer. It requires a high frame rate to get bursts of action, a large buffer to keep the files flowing, and tenacious autofocus that locks onto athletes and keeps them sharp. But the checklist doesn\u2019t end there. It also needs to be portable and durable, especially when your location is a two hour hike over scree and rock sloping toward a cliff edge, and frequently bathed in spray. Combining all that with a 44x33mm sensor is not easy.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Traditional medium format cameras were glacially slow and just as cumbersome. They would cost $50,000, have only one focus point in the middle of the frame, no tracking and no multi-frame burst mode. In fact,&#8221; Michael laughs, &#8220;the speed you could work at was dictated by how fast you could push the shutter button!<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;GFX System has gone an enormous way to changing the landscape of larger format cameras,&#8221; he continues, &#8220;but GFX100 II pushed the range into a new realm.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-1.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-1.jpg\" alt=\"Action photographer Michael Clark holds GFX camera to his eye to make a picture\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Matt Weintritt | FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/640 sec at F4, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>Keeping up with the Action<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s fair to say that, although kayakers aren\u2019t the fastest subjects, they can still present plenty of problems. \u201cBetween portraits, surfing and documentary photos, we did several runs of the falls per day,\u201d says Michael. \u201cSo the kayakers, James Shimizu, JT Hartman, and Darby McAdams, would descend in turn. Each time it was a grueling hike to get back to the start, so it was important to make the most of each opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here, GFX100 II\u2019s 8fps burst mode with its mechanical shutter came to the fore, especially when finding clear views of the subjects through an environment filled with splashes and spray. \u201c8fps is vital for sports,\u201d Michael agrees, \u201cand the camera\u2019s buffer kept pace brilliantly. At 8fps, I got over 50 images in a burst, even when making RAW + HEIF files. Considering these are 102 megapixels, it blew me away. Many cameras with smaller sensors can record faster, but 20fps and 40fps just makes for an editing nightmare.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-3.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-3.jpg\" alt=\"JT Hartman kayaking Lower Mesa Falls on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho.\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Michael Clark | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR + GF1.4X TC WR, 1\/2500 sec at F8, ISO 640<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>On Track for Success<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cSpeed is nothing without the subject being in focus,\u201d Michael continues. \u201cGFX100 II\u2019s AF Tracking mode is by far the best I\u2019ve seen on any GFX camera. It locked onto the kayakers and was quick and accurate, despite the chaos of the water all around them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the pools, where they\u2019re paddling and aligning themselves, focusing was never going to be a problem. But as soon as they dip into one of the 50-foot falls, gravity takes hold and they really accelerate!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-2.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-2.jpg\" alt=\"James Shimizu kayaking Lower Mesa Falls on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho.\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Michael Clark | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR + GF1.4X TC WR, 1\/2500 sec at F8, ISO 1250<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>Improved Image Quality<\/h2>\n<p>Speed and accuracy assured, GFX100 II did not disappoint Michael when it came to image quality. In fact, there have been significant developments over its predecessor. \u201cThe camera\u2019s dynamic range has been extended,\u201d he confirms, \u201cand that shows in high-contrast images. At Lower Mesa Falls \u2013 or any such location \u2013 you have to deal with the super brightness of the frothing water, which can throw the subject into shadow as well as the dark cliffs around. But I could control the highlights and shadows without worry. There\u2019s so much latitude in editing that any corrections are easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-2.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-2.jpg\" alt=\"Action photographer Michael Clark holds GFX camera as he walks with back pack on\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Matt Weintritt | FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/200 sec at F8, ISO 640<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Michael also enjoyed GFX100 II\u2019s new REALA ACE Film Simulation mode. \u201cIt has a natural feel,\u201d he confirms, \u201cit seemed to me like PROVIA\/Standard mode, but with a slightly wider dynamic range, so it suited the environment perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile the 102-megapixel resolution continues to impress. \u201cOne of the things I\u2019ve come to rely on,\u201d Michael explains, \u201cis that the sensor lets me compose from one location working at a wider angle, and then crop in as much as I like in post, so I can get different types of images from a single frame. It\u2019s so far beyond anything in the 35mm full-frame sphere that it\u2019s almost impossible to go back.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-6.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-6.jpg\" alt=\"JT Hartman (red boat) and James Shimizu (green boat) whitewater kayaking below Lower Mesa Falls after descending the falls on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho.\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Michael Clark | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, 1\/4000 sec at F8, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>Dependable in Challenging Conditions<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cAnd let\u2019s not forget GFX100 II\u2019s in-body image stabilization,\u201d he continues. \u201cThe new IBIS system really came through when photographing the kayakers surfing a standing wave at slow shutter speeds down to 1\/10 sec handheld. It\u2019s now rated at eight stops. This allowed me to move fast, light, and get some wild motion-blur images.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-7.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-7.jpg\" alt=\"JT Hartman surfing a small standing wave while whitewater kayaking on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho.\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Michael Clark | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF80mmF1.7 R WR, 1\/10 sec at F11, ISO 40<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>A whole 40 feet below the cliff edge he had rappelled from \u2013 which itself took hours of hiking to reach \u2013 Michael was thankful for the lightness and durability of GFX100 II. \u201cWhen you pick it up, it feels like it was milled out of a solid chunk of metal. It\u2019s one of the most robust GFX cameras ever made, so I wasn\u2019t at all worried about taking it into battle. With the camera locked to my harness, it\u2019s surprisingly light, and all I need.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-3.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/A_New_Contender-Michael_Clark-BTS-3.jpg\" alt=\"Kayakers hike up steep scree slope carrying kayaks over their shoulders\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2023 \u00a9 Matt Weintritt | FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/320 sec at F10, ISO 400<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Is it fair to say Michael was satisfied with GFX100 II? \u201cI was really pleased with the photos we got at Lower Mesa Falls,\u201d he confirms, \u201cand that goes for both me and the kayakers. In sessions like this, I\u2019m trying to convey the essence of the sport: a stunning location with amazing athletes showing their skill and passion. I want to reward the efforts James, JT, and Darby are making, and how incredible these moments are. GFX100 II just proved itself the best way of doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-ca\/products\/cameras\/gfx100-ii\/\">Learn more about FUJIFILM GFX100 II and read the full specifications here.<\/a><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Extreme sports photographer Michael Clark pushes boundaries in action photography with FUJIFILM GFX100 II Suspended from a rope high over the Lower Mesa Falls on Henry\u2019s Fork river in Idaho, USA \u2013 and focusing his camera on three world-class kayakers as they descend the torrent \u2013 this is not exactly a typical day for photographer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":66657,"template":"","category":[2427,2084,1006,1202,1937,10267,13039,3701,320,1251,565],"post_tag":[],"class_list":["post-66656","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-type-stories","category-be-inspired","category-cameras","category-category","category-gfx-series","category-gfx100-ii","category-mirrorless-digital-cameras","category-gfx-series-mirrorless","category-products","category-type-stories","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/66656"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=66656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=66656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}