Fujifilm’s new mirrorless medium format camera, the GFX 50R, which has the innards of a large studio camera but is styled to look like a small, portable shooter. My first impression is that it’s both. By the enlarged standards of medium format cameras, the 50R can be described as slim and compact — it’s a full inch thinner than its GFX 50S sibling — and yet it’s still in a distinct and separate category from the cameras that typically adopt the rangefinder styling, such as Fujifilm’s own X-E3 or X-Pro2. So this is both huge for a rangefinder and tiny for a medium format shooter. Fujifilm says it designed the 50R for more mobile purposes, meaning street, wedding, and documentary photography — and even though it’s still a large camera, the 50R might be up to those jobs.

The best analogy I can offer for the 50R is that it’s similar to Fujifilm’s X-Pro2. The body and controls of the camera immediately reminded me of the Pro2, albeit at a larger scale and a heavier weight. And yet — this is the constant contradiction about the 50R — it feels lighter than its size would suggest. So I suppose photos do justice to its weight more than its bulk                    

Considering the major advance that the 50S already represented in terms of making medium format shooting more accessible and portable, the 50R couldn’t go much further, but Fujifilm has still pushed things forward in meaningful ways without sacrificing too much. Picking between the two, should you ever be fortunate enough to be in such a position, will eventually come down to what you prioritize. If it’s the best viewfinder and ergonomics, go with the 50S. And if you’d rather be able to take the camera (almost) everywhere with you, then the 50R is your choice

Priced at $4,500, the 50R undercuts its medium format competition, including Fujifilm’s own 50S, substantially. So this new camera is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than most medium format shooters, even while it’s larger, heavier, and pricier than most cameras.