Forget the Fujifilm X100VI – why the leaked GFX100RF is the most exciting camera of 2025
- Fujifilm rumors predict a 100 MP medium format compact camera for 2025
- Leica rival could be called the GFX100RF and be the size of an X-Pro 3
- GFX sensors are around 70% larger than full-frame rivals
The Fujifilm
In recent days it has become reliable Fuji Rumors has posted a series of leaks from “trusted sources” about a new Fujifilm GFX100RF camera. What has photography fans chattering is that the rumors predict it will combine a 100MP GFX sensor (which is about 70% larger than full-frame) with a body that’s “about the size of an X-Pro 3” .
That would be a big problem. The X-Pro 3 is similar in size to the X100VI, a camera that has been sold out for much of the year thanks to its retro, film camera look and smartphone-beating APS-C sensor. So the recipe for the GFX100RF seems to be a rangefinder-style compact camera, with a huge sensor and a fixed GF35mm f/4 lens.
On paper, that’s a combination that could see Fujifilm’s new camera emerge as an alternative to ultra-premium compact cameras like the beautiful but bankrupt Leica Q3. That GF35mm f/4 lens would be about 28mm f/3.2 in full-frame terms, a versatile focal length for portraits, travel and landscapes. For comparison, the X100VI’s lens is like a 35mm f/2.8 on full frame.
A few spec rumors suggest that the GFX100RF will be a much more specialist camera than the X100VI. There will apparently be no in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which would put some demands on the owner’s handheld tech in low light. That 100MP sensor would also create huge files – our Fujifilm GFX100S II test found that full-resolution files were around 200MB in size each.
In short: the GFX100RF rumors
– Fujifilm GFX100RF
– similar size to X-Pro 3
– 100MP GFX sensor
– GF35mm f/4 lens
– No body stabilization
– Launch in March 2025
But these rumors also suggest that Fujifilm wants the GFX100RF to hit another price drop for a medium format camera. In many ways it sounds like a spiritual successor to the GFX50S II, which launched in 2022 for $3,999 / £3,499 / AU$6,499 (body only).
It’s a bit early for price predictions, but if Fujifilm could achieve such a price for its new camera, it could generate X100VI-like hype, if not quite the same level of demand. Fuji Rumors predicts a March 2025 arrival, so we can expect more detailed leaks in the coming months.
Analysis: A niche, but exciting prospect
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The Fujifilm GFX100RF sounds like a smart move for Fujifilm and an exciting one for photographers (if not their bank managers). Fujifilm has done a lot to popularize digital medium format cameras, but the GFX series was missing a fixed-lens star like the X100VI – the GFX100RF could be that camera.
What is medium format?
Medium format comes from the film era and originally described cameras that used 120 film. Now it describes digital cameras that offer approximately equivalent sensor size. Fujifilm’s GFX sensors are smaller than traditional medium format, but approximately 1.7x larger than full-frame. The benefits are dynamic range and, with a 100 MP sensor, huge cropping potential.
It would certainly be a more niche affair, not least because of the price tag. And despite its claimed dimensions as an all-rounder like the X100VI, we’d expect it to excel in portraits, architecture and landscapes (despite the tight focal length), with fast-moving scenes still likely. too much because of the autofocus and burst speeds. Think of the ultimate walking camera, instead of a street star.
But its fixed lens (for smaller sizes) and 28mm equivalent focal length could make it a very tempting alternative to the Leica Q series. The Leica Q3 is an incredible little full-frame camera, but it costs $5,995 / £5,300 / AU$9,790. If Fujifilm could subvert that significantly, it could have a new cult favorite on its hands.
There are a few gaps in the GFX100RF’s specs that we need to learn about before we can hail it as a true winner. Will the lens, like the Leica Q3, have optical image stabilization (OIS) to compensate for the lack of internal stabilization? That seems almost essential. And how good will that fixed f/4 lens be? It’s certainly not bright, so sharpness will need to be impeccable to reap the benefits of that 100MP sensor. Hopefully the camera also has a weather seal.
These doubts aside, the GFX100RF is a promising prospect. Yes, a Fujifilm X-Pro 4 (which we hope he’s also working on) would be much more affordable and a wiser choice for most. But a GFX camera similar in size to the X-Pro series would make a real statement – and could theoretically continue Fuji’s recent run of success into 2025.