Why do I sometimes feel like the Fuji GFX 50Sii isn't ready for prime time? And how did it work out with the manual Pentax lens adaptation?
I won't beat around the bush. I walked around the lake and downtown with the Fuji GFX 50Sii for about two hours and after less than half an hour in 95° heat the camera started giving me the "thermometer overheating indicator symbol" and it pretty much stayed on for the rest of the walk. I wasn't doing anything particularly rigorous with the camera. The lens was a manual focusing Pentax 150mm lens (for the 645 format) and in all I took less than 100 frames. Mostly Jpegs. The camera didn't care, it decided that anything over 94.5 was verboten and I needed to be consistently warned not to proceed. I did anyway. Nothing bad happened. But it's annoying. I've been shooting with digital Leicas now since 2019 and I've never experienced a temperature warning. Not even after a full day of shooting in the August sun with temperatures as high as 108°.
Strike two is battery life. The medium format Fuji cameras need bigger batteries. 100 frames in a quiet walk, not too much chimping but when I got back to the office the battery in the camera was down to its last bar. Not encouraging. I'd estimate that on a long shooting day I would need about five batteries to feel comfortable about making it to the end of the day. Otherwise? It's a really nice camera...
If you are keeping score you might remember that I bought a used Pentax 645 A 150mm f3.5 manual medium format lens to use with the above mentioned "delicate" camera. I also bought a Kipon Pentax 645 to GFX adapter because.... otherwise there would be no way to attach the lens to the camera.
The lens gave me no temperature warning signals. It's a nice, happy and well adjusted lens. It doesn't vignette. It doesn't seem to have noticeable C.A. nor longitudinal frick-a-frack. It fits well on the camera and focuses easily. This was my first time out with the lens. I made some test shots. I tried to keep the shutter speed above 1/320 so that vibration or hand shake wouldn't be a factor. Do I like this new addition? Yes. Very much. Take a peek and see what you think.
Well. It was quite an eventful week. Huge rain storms savaged the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. MJ used one of my comments on his blog as an ice-breaker for a discussion of possible camera companies retreating. The first ex-president in history was found guilty of 34 felony counts by a jury of his peers. Nvidia became bigger than Apple. And in the biggest news for me, the aerators at our pool have been fixed and the water temperature is dropping back down into the "safe swimming" category. Delightful.
I still think 35mm digital is a fine way to proceed and still harbor good feelings about Leica cameras and lenses. I think I'll leave it right there...
Kt, That is interesting about Fuji. Not that I shoot Fuji nor would I likely to be out in 95 degree weather but I have had my Nikon in hot temperatures and never had an issue. Thanks for sharing good post. Eric
ReplyDeleteHi Kirk,
ReplyDeleteSome observations. I never owned a GFX50. I did own a GFX100s and I experienced overheating frequently in 90+ degrees - but only if I was in full sun. If I kept the camera in the shade it did not overheat. I have traded it in to the GFX100ii and have to say that it is as if I was trying a completely new camera. The viewfinder alone was worth it to me and it has yet to overheat (knocks on wood). My SL2 and M11 are beginning to gather dust. I have to confess that I prefer carrying the GFX to the SL2. Also, recently discovered the OMS OM-1 and everything else seems to be way too cumbersome.
Furthermore, I recently compared two nearly identical close-up shots of an intricate flowering plant. When you download the RAW with default Lightroom settings the difference is clearly visible (although not huge, even on a 31" colour balanced monitor). However, I then processed them in Topaz AI and both images improved substantially. But what was fascinating is none of my "expert" photographer friends, both enthusiasts and professionals, could tell that one came from M43 and one from medium format. When asked which they preferred it was usually the OM-1 because it has a bit greater depth of field.
As an aside, like you, sometimes I value a bit of "friction". I am now really enjoying reliving my view camera passion by putting the GFX100ii on a Cambo Actus system, purpose designed for GFX.
P.S. And, yes, I do load my cargo shorts with batteries when shooting with the GFX.
P.P.S. I am seriously considering trading in all my full frame and APS-C gear. KEH is coming to town. There are some seriously good Scheider-Kreuznach Digitar lenses out there.
That pedestrian. Sublime.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob. It reminds me of "the Girl from Ipanema."
ReplyDeleteThe camera is not talking to itself; it's talking to you. It's telling you to get out of the heat. Who knows? The camera knows...
ReplyDeleteHi Greg, 95°? Pah. That's just getting warmed up. When a Leica suggests I retreat I'll pay closer attention... :-)
ReplyDelete