Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55: a camera to democratize large format

Fujifilm's debut in the film camera market with the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 has been a topic of conversation in the industry. What are the possibilities of Fujifilm's first foray into this area? What differentiating elements does it bring to the sector? In short: what does it promise and what does it offer?

We were able to have it in our hands for the first time at IBC 2025. The Fujifilm stand was structured around a series of GFX Eterna 55, arranged around a harpist who served as a model for those present. It was difficult to find a place to check the camera's functions first-hand. The expectation was high.

It was no wonder: after delving into the video recording options in the range of semi-professional cameras from Fujifilm, the development of a specific camera for professional video was the natural next step. However, the execution has surprised to users and to the industry itself.

The reception of the system, and the market opportunities, led Fujifilm to create a completely dedicated to cinema with a sensor redesigned from the ground up.

The Eternal It seeks, above all, to differentiate itself in a segment with well-established competitors. His precio It is one of its main weapons, but so are the characteristics that identify it. Some are obvious: all you have to do is check the product specification sheet.

Others deserve to be treated in detail. Jose Marquez, Senior Product & Project Manager – Professional Imaging Marketing de Fujifilm, comparte pequeñas píldoras de la intrahistoria de la creación de la Eterna 55, profundiza en algunas de sus características diferenciales y adelanta los next steps of a platform that promises to receive support in the medium and long term.

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A development after a path of a decade

The creation of the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 has been a decision widely considered within the Japanese company. As Márquez explains, part of the company's learning with its GFX range, which, remember, was initially exclusively photographic. Everything changed with the model GFX100 II, a hybrid solution which we already echoed and which stood out for offering, among other features, 8K recording at 30 fps.

The reception of the system, and the market opportunities, led Fujifilm to create a completely dedicated to cinema with a sensor redesigned from the ground up. “Until the moment a solution as serious as this has been prepared, it has not been launched,” comments the product manager about a camera that wants to respond to film productions, but also to series, documentaries, advertising productions or even the creation of premium content: “With a few €13,500 approximately, plus VAT, you have much more expensive camera features.”

Despite the influence on the decision of the great reception of the GFX100 II, the very extensive history of Fujifilm in it film market. From the tapes HDCam and the valued celluloid Eternal, up to the lens series Cabrio y Premista, the company accumulates decades of innovation accompanying hundreds of feature films, many of which are an indelible part of the popular imagination.

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The jewel in the crown: the sensor

Surprises on paper and on the monitor. If the GFX Eterna 55 stands out for something, it is for its large format sensor, with a diagonal de 55 mm and one 33mm height that make up an image circle that surpasses full frame and Super 35 mm formats. “It is the highest on the market, without a doubt,” explains Márquez.

When filming, these features translate into options such as the ability to record in the GF Open Gate 4:3 in full sensor, as well as cropping the source and using various film formats such as Premista, 35 mm, Anamorphic (35 mm) y Super35.

If the GFX Eterna 55 stands out for something, it is for its large format sensor, with a diagonal de 55 mm and one 33mm height that make up an image circle that surpasses full frame and Super 35 mm formats.

This versatility offers all types of creative resources to cinematographers and cameramen: “We can use anamorphic lenses with a compression ratio of up to two.” The amplitude of the sensor has even been recognized by the company itself IMAX, who recently added the camera to his list of certified devices for its ability to film in the brand's exclusive expanded aspect ratios.

He sensor is full of possibilities, explains Márquez: "There is another very interesting resource with this large sensor. And that is that, with the same focal length and luminosity, given its aperture capacity, you can achieve much greater control over the blurring of the background. This can have a creative aesthetic and even practical utility: if the background is not completely convincing, there is the possibility of blurring it and you already have the shot made."

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The reason for your PL adapter

To the list of characteristics of the GFX Eterna 55, such as its X-Processor 5 image processing engine, its film simulation modes, its Dual ISO with base sensitivities 800-3200 and its electronic variable ND filter, is joined by the decision to include, along with the integrated GF mount, a PL G adapter as standard. The decision is not trivial.

The GFX Eterna 55 can be adapted to the “large number of lenses on the market” via its standard PL G adapter.

Fujifilm has not designed the Eterna 55 to create a completely closed ecosystem that benefits from its growing family of GF lenses, but rather a “sensible choice” that makes the camera progressively adapt to the “large number of lenses on the market”.

With the use of the adapter, the lens data can be preserved in the form of metadata for post-production processes, but the possibilities, however, multiply with the use of own lenses such as the new one. Fujinon GF32-90mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR, an optimized solution for film production with which you can control the zoom, iris, focus or even have automatic focus provided by the camera software.

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Two screens for easy operation

The Spanish industry has already been able to have a first approach to the GFX Eterna 55 through several events in Barcelona, ​​Madrid and Seville, as well as offering the device to cinematographers and equipment rental companies who are already testing it and “drawing their own conclusions.”

José Márquez: “With this double monitor you can have the director of photography and the camera operator each next to the camera, making adjustments simultaneously without having to go around and making their work easier.”

The reception has been very positive. Beyond image performance, operators have highlighted its lightness, which with a design of approximately two kilos allows its installation on cranes or steadycams; the flexibility of its sensor, which allows vertical framing and reaching vertical formats in high definition, or small operational details such as its dual screens: Two three-inch LCDs located on both sides of the body that display real-time information on elements such as recording status, audio levels, formats or exposure.

In the words of Márquez: “With this double monitor you can have the director of photography and the camera operator each next to the camera, making adjustments simultaneously without having to go around and making their work easier.”

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The future: an evolution that has already begun

Beyond its visual performance, the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 stands out for responding to some of the most pressing demands on the market. In order to accelerate the flows of post-production and optimize collaboration on set, the camera has a connection via Wi-Fi o Ethernet with services such as Camera to Cloud from Frame.io, which allows you to send content directly to external storage.

It meets current demands, but does not avoid future ones. Fujifilm, explains Márquez, will maintain with the Eterna 55 the same philosophy that has accompanied the GFX series of cameras: a continuous firmware update without requiring additional payments: “Simply, if we manage to add new functions that are interesting, you will be able to download an update that allows you to enjoy them.”

"I know that the camera has been developed for years. It is not going to remain parked, but rather it will continue to improve a product that already makes a difference in the market. This is just the beginning”.

The camera has barely been released on the market, but it already has some first improvements that have come as a result of the feedback of the Fujifilm creative community, such as the possibility of being able to connect an external recorder via SDI or HDMI, and burn RAW directly to it. In the hardware field, improvements are also underway: while Fujifilm is already developing a electronic viewfinder, the main accessory manufacturers are already making solutions available to the market to attach all types of components.

The GFX Eterna 55 is not a mere test of Fujifilm in the world of cinematography, but a solution created for leave a mark on the market and define content creation for a long time. Márquez has no doubts: "I know that the camera has been developed for years. It is not going to remain parked, but rather it will continue to improve a product that already makes a difference in the market. This is just the beginning”.