Motorsport with the Fujifilm GFX

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Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/40s @ f9 ISO100
I have been shooting motor sport with the Fujifilm X Series since 2014 and the X-T2 and XF Fujinon lenses have provided me with the tools to complete my work with ease and the quality required.  Back in the 1990s I used to take my Bronica ETRSi system alongside my Nikon F5s to get a very different feel to the final images.  Shooting on Fujifilm Velvia 120 roll film I had 15 shots with manual focus and single shot, so I learned very quickly to be precise with my focusing and exposure.

 Fast forward 20 years and I am testing the Fujifilm GFX50S at Spa-Francorchamps at the FIA World Endurance Championship event in Belgium and next weekend at Monza with the European Le Mans Series.  The operation of the GFX is very similar to how I used my Bronica, you have to be slower and more deliberate.  

 In the pitlane and behind the scenes this camera is a dream, producing images that just jump off the screen.  Shooting action with this camera is tricky but not impossible, you just have to be more selective on how you shoot.  With the longest GF lens currently available being the 120mm f4, which is 95mm in full frame terms, you are not going to get frame filling shots from most locations around the circuit.  However with a media pass there are some positions that are very close to the track.

 Now I am not advocating that the GFX is a good choice for the sports photographer but it can be used to good effect.  It also has the advantage of being able to produce images that are different from the images provided by the other 200+ photographers shooting on full frame / crop frame camera systems at the event.

 For now I will keep testing the GFX and report back after Monza but so far I am impressed by the quality and look of the final images, even if obtaining these images can be more difficult than shooting with the X-T2 due to the limitations of the GFX system.

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/1250s @ f4 ISO400

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/30s @ f14 ISO100

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/160s @ f4.5 ISO500

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/100s @ f4 ISO800

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF120mm f4 - 1/1000s @ f4 ISO200

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF120mm f4 - 1/4000s @ f4 ISO200

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF120mm f4 - 1/100s @ f4 ISO800

Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/640s @ f4 ISO800

Driver's Briefing - Fujifilm GFX50S + GF110mm f2 - 1/320s @ f2 ISO1600

Driver's Briefing - Fujifilm GFX50S + GF110mm f2 - 1/320s @ f2 ISO1600

Press Conference - Fujifilm GFX50S + GF63mm f2.8 - 1/100s @ f2.8 ISO1000

Mathias Lauda - Fujifilm GFX50S + GF63mm f2.8 - 1/100s @ f2.8 ISO1000
Fujifilm GFX50S + GF32-64mm f4 - 1/100s @ f8 ISO100
Neel Jani - 2016 FIA World Endurance Drivers Champion - Fujifilm GFX50S + GF120mm f4 - 1/125s @ f4 ISO3200

CLICK HERE for more information on the Fujifilm GFX system

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Jeff Carter is an Official Fujifilm X Photographer and was named as a Fujifilm brand ambassador in June 2015. In 2016 he worked with the company on the launches of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 in Tokyo and the Fujifilm X-T2 in Paris in July 2016.  You can view his profile and gallery on the Fujifilm website HERE

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Comments

  1. Unknown6 May 2017 at 11:54

    Great photos! The images the GFX produces are terrific, but I can't seem to justify the high cost and size of this new platform. I'm very happy knowing that my X-T2 and X100F can deliver in very similar situations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zachary Sports Reports7 May 2017 at 17:56

    Bravo thinking out side of the box. Good for you. Images look great. I guess I need to start saving money. Lol

    ReplyDelete

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