Quick take: After five months and roughly 25,000 photographs, the Fujifilm GFX 100 II improved my shooting experience most through autofocus and its viewfinder. I still use my Canon bodies for faster-moving work, but the GFX is a camera I love picking up for portraits.
Watch my full GFX 100 II review
This review follows weddings, elopements, engagements, proposals, families, senior portraits, food photography, and editorial assignments. I used the GFX 100S for two years before upgrading. The video includes field focus demonstrations, photographs from real sessions, and my menu setup.
Autofocus: better, with limits
In my own shooting, I estimated a focus hit rate around 70% with the GFX 100 II versus about 50% with my GFX 100S. Those are personal estimates, not controlled benchmarks. For groups and more distant subjects, I often turn eye detection off and use a single point. For close portraits, I switch eye detection back on.
The eye-detection indicator can lag or appear slightly misplaced. The improved viewfinder helps me judge whether focus looks right. When unpredictable movement is the priority, I still reach for my Canon R5 or R6.
Viewfinder, handling, and battery life
The electronic viewfinder is one of my favorite upgrades, both for checking a photograph and showing it to a client. The body is a little bigger than the GFX 100S, but the grip fits my hands well. I also enjoy the tilting screen for still photography.
I carry three batteries. At the time of this review, I had not used up two during a wedding day. That reflects how I work with the camera, rather than a standardized endurance test.
GF lenses and adapted Canon and Sigma lenses
The GF 80mm f/1.7 remains a go-to for portraits and families. It is not the quietest or fastest-focusing lens, but I love its rendering. The Fringer EF-GFX adapter also worked on my GFX 100 II, letting me experiment with Canon and Sigma lenses.
The video demonstrates the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 II, GF 45mm f/2.8, GF 80mm f/1.7, Sigma 105mm f/1.4, and Canon EF 100–400mm II. The Sigma became a favorite for studio headshots, often around f/1.8 or f/2. Coverage and vignetting vary by lens, and I sometimes had to restart the camera after changing an adapted lens. See my Fringer adapter tests for individual lens examples.
My settings for portraits
I use back-button focus in AF-S and enable shutter-button autofocus in AF-C. A custom button toggles face and eye detection. I record lossless-compressed RAW files to CFexpress Type B and JPEGs to SD. My usual continuous setting is 5 fps, and I prefer the mechanical shutter because I encountered distortion when using the electronic shutter.
The detailed menu walkthrough starts around 39 minutes into the video. These settings suit my still-photography workflow; they are not a video setup guide.
Editing the files
I used an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro and Lightroom Smart Previews for larger shoots. Later in the video, I checked the compressed RAW files and found sizes around 80–90 MB. The files are workable, but storage and editing time belong in the decision alongside the camera and lens cost.
Is the upgrade worth it?
I did not see a dramatic image-quality difference from the GFX 100S. For me, the upgrade was about focus, the viewfinder, and enjoying the process. It did not automatically make my work more profitable; it made photography more fun. Renting a body with a GF 80mm or 55mm is a useful way to find out whether that experience fits your work.
For another perspective on output, see my GFX 100S vs X-T5 print comparison.
