Fujifilm’s announcement of its GFX Eterna, the company’s first dedicated cinema camera, marks an exciting expansion into the high-end cinema market. Slated for release in 2025, this camera combines Fujifilm’s expertise in color science and large-format imaging with features that cater to the needs of professional filmmakers. Positioned to compete with cinema giants like the ARRI Alexa LF, Sony Venice, and RED V-Raptor, the GFX Eterna brings a unique 102-megapixel medium-format sensor to the table, a rarity in cinema cameras.
Here’s how it should measure up against leading cinema cameras, and why its features—especially its modular, box-like design—could make it a key tool in future cinematography.
Fujifilm GFX Eterna: Key Technical Specs
102MP Medium-Format Sensor
The GFX Eterna’s sensor is approximately 1.7 times larger than full-frame, delivering over 100 megapixels of resolution at 11648×8736 pixels. This high pixel count, combined with the sensor’s size, allows for deep color gradation, precise tonal rendering, and a level of detail that can rival 70mm film. The larger sensor size also provides a distinctive look, with smoother transitions between sharp and out-of-focus areas—ideal for those wanting a cinematic, immersive feel.
X-Processor 5 and High-Resolution Potential
Equipped with the X-Processor 5, the GFX Eterna is expected to handle high-res footage at impressive speeds. While maximum video resolution is unconfirmed, 8K and more seems highly likely, positioning it to compete with NIKON/RED’s V-Raptor in high-resolution digital cinema. Combined with the medium format, this could provide a new visual language in 8K+ cinema, capturing finer details and color depth that set it apart from full-frame and Super35 sensors.
Comprehensive Connectivity
The GFX Eterna offers HDMI, SDI, Genlock, Ethernet, USB-C, and V-lock battery compatibility, designed to integrate seamlessly into professional workflows. This connectivity means the GFX Eterna can slot into a wide range of setups, from solo-run operations to fully rigged studio environments, with options for real-time monitoring and remote camera control.
Comparison: GFX Eterna vs. Leading Cinema Cameras
ARRI Alexa LF: The Gold Standard
Sensor and Color Science
The Alexa LF’s 4.5K large-format sensor has set a high bar, prized for its natural skin tones and smooth color transitions. ARRI’s color science, refined over years with input from cinematographers, gives the Alexa LF a “look” that often needs little grading—a feature especially valued on high-profile sets. In comparison, the GFX Eterna’s medium-format sensor promises a new level of detail and depth, with an image that may surpass the LF in sheer resolution while preserving natural, filmic colors through Fujifilm’s proprietary Eterna LUT.
Fujifilm’s Eterna LUT replicates the company’s famous Eterna film stock, known for its soft contrast and muted tones, giving cinematographers a unique color profile straight from the camera. For those seeking a more analog, unpolished look, the GFX Eterna offers a viable alternative to ARRI’s refined color palette.
Modular Build and Potential for Variable ND Filters
The Alexa LF is known for its versatile, rugged build, adaptable to any professional rig setup. The GFX Eterna’s box-style modular design follows in this tradition, but its layout suggests that it may add a significant advantage: a variable electronic ND filter system. With electronic NDs, cinematographers can control exposure more precisely in changing lighting conditions without swapping out physical filters—a feature that would further streamline Fujifilm’s cinema camera for high-end use, from documentary work to high-action sets.
Sony Venice: Versatility with Dual Native ISO
Dual ISO and Color Science
The Sony Venice’s dual native ISO (500 and 2500) is one of its standout features, allowing it to perform exceptionally well in both low-light and high-brightness situations. Combined with Sony’s S-Gamut3.Cine and S-Log3 profiles, the Venice is a versatile choice for productions with diverse lighting needs.
The GFX Eterna’s larger sensor inherently captures more light, which may achieve similar low-light performance even without dual ISO capabilities. Additionally, Fujifilm’s Eterna color science—rooted in decades of film stock development—offers a different look from Sony’s digital color palette, with a naturalistic, film-inspired aesthetic that may not require extensive post-production.
Resolution and Build
While the Venice maxes out at 6K, the GFX Eterna’s likely 8K+ capability, paired with a medium-format sensor, gives it a resolution and depth that may surpass Sony’s offering, particularly in capturing fine textures and color gradients. Both cameras share a modular, rig-friendly build, but the GFX Eterna’s potential variable ND filter feature could provide added convenience in challenging lighting environments, enhancing on-set efficiency and creative control.
Fujifilm’s Color Science Legacy
Fujifilm has a rich legacy in film stock, with favorite movies like My Left Foot, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, and Minority Report all shot on Fujifilm’s Eterna with some other film stocks. The Eterna film series, in particular, was known for its subdued color contrast, natural skin tones, and smooth gradations, a look that has long appealed to cinematographers wanting a subtle, classic feel.
With the GFX Eterna, Fujifilm is bringing that same color science into the digital realm. The camera’s Eterna LUT goes beyond standard LUTs by replicating the analog processes Fujifilm is known for. This provides:
- Soft, Natural Skin Tones: Fujifilm’s color science prioritizes skin realism and tone consistency, reducing the need for heavy grading.
- Extended Dynamic Range: The large sensor and color science ensure a wide dynamic range, capturing nuanced details in both highlights and shadows.
- Compatibility with Fujinon Lenses: engineered with Fujinon lenses, known for their clarity and out-of-focus rendering, the GFX Eterna’s color science offers an image quality that should be organic and rich.
Practical Advantages of Medium Format in Cinema
Shallow Depth of Field and Bokeh
A medium-format sensor offers a distinct shallow depth of field, even at wider focal lengths, enabling filmmakers to isolate subjects in new ways. The larger sensor allows for smoother transitions from in-focus to out-of-focus areas, giving shots a more immersive, three-dimensional quality compared to Super35 and full-frame cameras.
High-Resolution Capability
With 8K+ potential, the GFX Eterna’s resolution is primed for high-end production, providing detail levels suitable for post-production demands like VFX and advanced color grading. For filmmakers focused on large-format cinematography, this level of detail is invaluable, especially on large screens where every pixel counts.
Key Features and Upcoming Developments
- Autofocus Inheritance: The GFX Eterna is anticipated to inherit the advanced autofocus capabilities of the GFX100 II, enhancing precision in high-resolution video capture.
- Power Zoom Lens and G-to-PL Adapter: Fujifilm is also developing a 32-90mm power zoom GF lens optimized for the GFX mount, as well as a G-to-PL mount adapter to ensure compatibility with cinema-standard lenses, further expanding its versatility.
- Prototypes on Display: Fujifilm will showcase the GFX Eterna at Japan’s InterBEE 2024, from November 13-15, offering a first look at its capabilities alongside its accessory lineup.
GFX Eterna’s Position in the Market
Narrative and Feature Films
With its color science, medium-format detail, and potential variable ND feature, the GFX Eterna could attract filmmakers aiming for a high-end cinematic look with a unique depth of field and color profile.
After years of content creators and the younger crowd embracing Fujifilm’s X cameras and signature look, Fujifilm is now poised to capture their loyalty like never before—this time, in high end motion.
While ARRI’s Alexa LF may remain a top choice for its proven reliability and color accuracy, Fujifilm’s Eterna LUT and medium-format sensor offer an alternative.
Commercial and High-Resolution Projects
The GFX Eterna’s high resolution and color fidelity make it a strong candidate for commercial and luxury brand work, as well as projects that require impeccable detail. Its modularity and comprehensive connectivity align it with the demands of modern digital cinema, where flexibility in rigging and on-set control are essential.
The Fujifilm GFX Eterna represents a new direction in digital cinema, integrating a medium-format sensor with Fujifilm’s film-rooted color science.
For cinematographers looking to capture the depth, texture, and emotion of analog film within a digital workflow, this camera offers a powerful new tool to bring your story to life.
We can’t wait to get our hands to check it out when it’s available. Fujifilm – if you need any input on the new camera system please contact us: teamlula@luminous-landscape.com.
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