Portraits on Medium Format - Why are they different? Fujifilm GFX100S II

Find links to more videos and the gear we used below!
Medium Format versus Full Frame: COMING SOON
Adapting Full Frame Lenses to a Medium Format Camera Body: COMING SOON

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#fujifilmgfx #mediumformat #portrait

Hi! We're Leigh and Raymond - the team behind "TheSnapChick." Our channel is about photography as an art form and as a lifestyle, with a healthy dose of technology thrown in. Here’s what you’ll see… adventures, techniques, creativity, the photography process, photo shoots from concept to finished product, photography gear reviews, gadget reviews, art topics, photography basics, modeling and general fun! We post new videos every month so subscribe here on YouTube, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, and join in on the conversation!

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[ruangel]

I use a Nikon D850 with a Nikon 24mm F1.8, a Nikon 105mm F1.4, and a 70-200mm Tamron f2.8. thanks for the amazingly informative discussion

[imkpqis]

I'd offer the suggestion that the Lumix 42.5mm Nocticron offers similarly delicious bokeh for M43 shooters. I use it for nature photography.

[digustipated]

I did a food menu shoot for a restaurant with the gfx 100sII and the gf80mm lens and the photos came out amazing looking. Ive also taken it out on some hikes and took some greats shots. i love shooting with this camera so much.

[nevvanclarke]

Having it used my GFX 100s II now for some portrait work I find that F2 .8 -F3 is the perfect sweet spot is the perfect fall off....BUT 1.7 is still surprisingly easy I'm not a fan of blurry ears and I call it the blurry ear Photography. It's essentially where the ears are out of focus. I know it's an artistic style but lots of people like maybe I'm just a little bit too traditional but I definitely like the ears to be in focus and the end of the nose as well. The thing about GFX as well and I know everyone is into their lighting but you can shoot a lot of natural light portraits because of the dynamic range in the camera. You can definitely shoot a fair bit of natural light portraits on the beach and so forth as well, which I really like because you don't always have to lug your lighting gear down to a shoot if the light is good there's not many other camera systems that you can do that with it also makes wedding Photography a breeze because the low light performance is incredible and you don't have to get the exposure perfect each time given the dynamic range hence why I decided when I was gonna get back into weddings that GFX was going to be my camera of choice. The fuji colours OMG .... And I know you joked about this before but welcome to the medium format snob club you are officially in..ha ha Just Jokes people!! One of the reasons I chose the 55 1.7 is that you can be a little bit further back and get full body shots but you can also crop in. The other beautiful thing about Fujifilm GFX files is that you are just unlimited in what you can do with the file in post. I'm seriously you can even recover things that you just can't with other camera systems. Yes it's expensive but that's what you're paying for. Thanks for the video.

[gvz]

Great video, and we are looking forward to the remainder of your GFX100S II videos!!

[vannoz]

I think that besides “easier” bokeh, the peculiar medium format effect, is the fact that you get wider angles of view with the compression of longer lenses in compare to FF. In the end as you rightly point out, you can get bokeh with many sensor formats, but this wide look plus “tele” compression is possible only with MF, even more so with the bigger “true” 645 formats like in the older digital Hasselblad H series of PhaseOnes, or on film with 6x6, 6x7 or bigger frames.

[toddbailey]

For my taste the GF 110 is the best portrait lens in the medium format field. The separation, bokeh rendering, compression etc is exceptionally pleasing.  
 
My personal favourite portrait combo would be the Canon R series FF cameras with the RF85mm F1.2. I used that lens on the R and then the R6 before selling it as I moved away from portraiture and it helped me produce some of my very favourite images.

[archivist]

What a wonderfully natural portrait of Raymond! That's great.

[rhonaldjr]

Wonderful video, the GF 110 is the undisputed portrait lens from FF, but i am enjoying the GF 55 1.7 these days.

[piero_]

I usually prefer more context in my photos but it's certainly nice to have the option to completely blur out your backgrounds.

[brianeibisch]

Don’t worry about a few stray grey hairs, at least it is a color. If you get to my age you’ll understand the thrill of being “Arctic Blonde” and wonder why nobody talks to you anymore. Cheers

[jimbruton]

Camera and lens choice runs about $7700 at B&H today. As much as I drool for a medium format camera, it's beyond my means for now.

[alvinboning]

I've appreciated your informative videos for many years and look forward to many more in the future. As my experience with the technical aspects of photography increases and having watched many videos about various lenses as portrait lenses I find myself thinking about portrait photography in terms of depth of field and how a lens behaves outside that field.

[Rob_FF]

I love how you intersperse a talk on Bokeh with your assessment of this camera body. Combining something generalized knowledge with some specific knowledge. 👍

[TellurdogIsayhi]

Raymond has the easiest job in the world shooting such a drop dead gorgeous model 😍😅

[gregpantelides]

Leigh, have you tried the Voigtlander 75mm F1.5 Nokton? The shallow depth of field is Keep shooting and you and Raymond stay inspired! :-)

[ZOB]

I use the Sony A7RV and the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM mk.II. I use that set up for most things - it’s great. I also have the 50 1.2 from Sony and I’m going to probably get the new 85 1.4 when I can afford it.

[steveboys]

Hi Leigh and Raymond, very interesting. I guess, conversley, that if you do want an image to be sharp front to back, you'll focus stack a little more often than you would with a FF camera. As someone in the "cheap seats" for portraits I use D3500 ( my one and only camera ) and either a FF 50F1.8 ( getting somewhere near 85 in FF ) or a DX 35mm F1.8 ( nearly a 50 in FF) ... and of course steady hands!

[jackmen]

How is the noise at very high ISO compared to the R6MKii?

[snowhiteqazse]

Are the portrait photos from raw files using adobe color or file simulation?