“When I am 80, I probably won’t be travelling that much. And then I am going to begin travelling in my contact sheets.”
Quote: Josef Koudelka
For decades, travelling and photographing were inseparable for Josef Koudelka. His work emerged from continuous movement—across countries, borders, and shifting political realities. What remained from these journeys were not only finished photographs, but complete bodies of material: contact sheets, negatives, prints, notebooks, maps, newspapers, and personal travel documents.
Over time, this material accumulated into a vast archive spanning more than half a century of photographic work, beginning in the late 1950s. Today, this archive has become a territory in its own right – a place where past journeys can be revisited, re-examined, and understood anew.
Preserving this archive means preserving more than images. It requires retaining the full visual information of the originals: fine detail, tonal nuance, colour relationships, and the physical presence of each object. Only under these conditions can future generations continue to engage with the work as Koudelka envisioned—travelling through the images themselves.
This perspective defined the starting point for the digitization initiative of the Josef Koudelka Foundation. The archive encompasses an extraordinary range of materials, from 35mm and panoramic negatives to photographic prints, bound notebooks, framed works behind glass, and large-format posters. Capturing this diversity demanded a digitization approach capable of meeting the highest archival standards while remaining flexible enough to respond to changing priorities.
To achieve this balance between precision and adaptability, the Foundation required a solution that could deliver uncompromising image quality across all formats—one that would not impose limitations on the archive, but instead adapt to it.
This requirement led to the implementation of a camera-based digitization system built around Fujifilm imaging technology.
A Digitization Platform Built Around the Archive
“Preserving Josef Koudelka’s photographic archives requires uncompromising technical precision, consistency, and image fidelity.
The FUJIFILM GFX camera system delivers us the exceptional resolution and reliability demanded by archival preservation, ensuring that every detail of the Foundation’s visual history is captured with accuracy and care for future generations.”
Quote: Jonathan Roquemore
Josef Koudelka Foundation
Working in close collaboration with the Josef Koudelka Foundation, a digitization solution was implemented based on the FUJIFILM GFX100 II camera system. The setup was designed to respond to the specific demands of the archive, rather than imposing a fixed technical process on the material.
The Foundation works on a daily basis with museums, publishers, graphic designers, galleries, and international partners such as Magnum Photos.
Reproduction requirements are diverse, ranging from grain-level scans of original negatives to large-scale reproductions for installations in public spaces.
Accurate and faithful reproduction is therefore paramount.
At the core of the system is the FUJIFILM GFX100 II, paired with the FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR and GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro lenses. This combination delivers the optical precision and operational flexibility required to digitize a wide range of originals with consistently high image quality.
High-quality LED light panels with a high CRI value ensure accurate colour reproduction. A motorized copy stand enables precise and repeatable positioning, supported by a foot pedal for efficient capture. Tethering software allows direct camera control and immediate image transfer, forming the basis of a controlled digitization workflow. Colour targets and dedicated software support a standardized and reproducible process.
In this configuration, the system functions as a high-end reproduction platform, meeting the highest archival standards in terms of resolution, colour accuracy, tonal reproduction, and geometric precision—while retaining the flexibility of a camera-based workflow.
Using the same core setup, formats ranging from 35mm negatives and panoramic film to bound notebooks, framed works behind glass, and large-format posters can be digitized efficiently without extensive reconfiguration.
The complete solution was configured with support and training from Fujifilm, ensuring a reliable and sustainable digitization process.
Resolution, Detail, and Tonal Fidelity
At the heart of the system is a 102-megapixel large format sensor capable of capturing extremely fine detail across large image areas. This level of resolution allows even the smallest elements within contact sheets to be examined, enlarged, and reproduced with precision, while preserving the integrity of the originals.
Equally critical is the sensor’s ability to capture subtle tonal transitions. With 16-bit colour depth and a dynamic range exceeding 14 stops, the system preserves fine gradations in shadows and highlights – an essential requirement when digitizing photographic film and prints. This ensures that the full visual content of the originals is retained, rather than compressed or simplified during the digitization process. The optical performance of FUJINON GF lenses supports this level of fidelity, delivering consistent edge-to-edge sharpness and accurate rendering across the entire frame—key requirements for professional reproduction and archival applications.
Efficiency and Adaptability in Practice
Beyond image quality, operational efficiency was a central requirement. Fast capture, reliable autofocus, and direct tethered transfer via USB-C or Ethernet enable a smooth and controlled workflow. Live view and instant image review support continuous quality control, ensuring consistent results across large volumes of material.
Thanks to the high native resolution of the sensor, multiple object sizes can be captured from predefined camera positions using a limited number of lenses. This approach reduces setup changes while maintaining consistent reproduction quality across formats. For applications requiring even higher detail, Pixel Shift Technology enables multi-shot captures that significantly increase effective resolution.
Fragile, bound, or three-dimensional materials can be digitized safely using a non-contact, camera-based approach.
A System Designed for Continuity
Integrated into a copy stand and operated via tethering as part of a professional digitization workflow, the system functions as a fully-fledged digitization platform.
At the same time, it remains a versatile high-end camera system for professional photography and video production.
Josef Koudelka created key parts of his photographic work using analogue cameras from Fujifilm. Today, the digitization of his life’s work is once again based on Fujifilm imaging technology.
The Josef Koudelka Foundation relies on the FUJIFILM GFX system as a high-end digitization platform, integrated into a professional digitization workflow. Its resolution, tonal range, and colour accuracy meet the demanding requirements of preserving analogue photographic material at the highest level. This continuity—from analogue capture to digital preservation—creates a consistent technological line across decades. In this way, technology becomes not an endpoint, but a means of sustaining access to Josef Koudelka’s work – allowing future generations to continue travelling through his images.
