New kid in towns

Medium-format cameras are the megapixel kings, but they're big... well, they were until now. Is Fuji's scaled-down star the ideal tool for street photography?

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Don't let the name fool you: medium-format camera sensors are huge. The 102MP unit found inside the GFX100RF is almost four times as big as the APS-C type found in the phenomenal X100VI fixed-lens compact. For Fujifilm to have squeezed one inside a rangefinder body that makes most of its rivals look positively portly is a quite massive achievement.

It's no coincidence that the smallest, lightest GFX model to date looks like an X100VI that's had a growth spurt. Only the taller body and missing optical viewfinder give the game away. The retro-inspired styling, precision-milled metal top plate and control layout mean Fuji fans will feel instantly at home. And at 735g including battery and memory card, it's impressively portable - at least if you leave off the bundled lens hood and weather-resistant adapter ring.

It's a fixed 35mm lens, but all those pixels meant Fuji was free to add in-camera cropping and digital magnification to give dedicated zoom lenses a run for their money. The firm has also debuted an aspect ratio dial, which lets you mimic the panoramic pics of long-retired film cameras.

All this is sure to catch the eye of street snappers who would otherwise gravitate towards the Leica Q3. But shrinking the dimensions has also meant a few cutbacks. So can this still claim to be the ultimate urban camera?