GFX ETERNA 65mm Open Gate

Makoto Oishi, FUJIFILM Senior Manager, Professional Imaging Group, Imaging Solutions Div. at CP+

Fujifilm’s 65mm format GFX ETERNA evolves. The latest working prototype appeared under glass at CP+ Expo in Yokohama from February 27 to March 2. It remained on and working during the entire show, with its onboard touchscreen monitor displaying a live image. How things didn’t overheat inside the enclosed plexicase cover is a mystery:) Hidden ventilation?

Since ETERNA’s previous appearances at InterBEE in November and just a couple of weeks ago at BSC Expo London, there are major updates and innovations. Above all, it records Open Gate (full width and full height) — the entire sensor (43.8mm wide x 32.9mm high). Previously, its largest video sensor mode was 43.8mm wide x 18.65mm high (47.61 image diagonal).

But now, at 43.8mm wide x 32.9mm high, the GFX ETERNA has the tallest sensor in the 65mm format family. With an image diagonal of 54.78 mm Ø), it is approximately 1.7 times larger than Full Frame (36 x 24 mm, 43.3 mm Ø).

GFX ETERNA Open Gate will be 4K, with a 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio. Anamorphic Lensmeisters please take note. This has been a classic aspect ratio for 100 years of 1.33:1 solitude, and 2x anamorphic is hardly a stretch at 1.195:1 squeeze.

And for spherical, of course you can crop the height to any other aspect ratio, spherical or anamorphic.

The native GF mount has a 26.7mm flange focal depth. Also under glass was a new Fujifilm GF mount to PL adapter. It has contacts to send /i lens metadata into the camera via the GF mount pogo pins.

Also new: the GFX ETERNA was looking through a working Fujinon 65mm format 32-90 T3.5 PZ zoom lens. It has geared focus, iris and zoom rings. Flip two slide switches, and you have autofocus and auto iris. Another slide switch toggles between Servo and Manual zoom control. Focus, iris and zoom all have internal motors.

Looking at the camera left side, going clockwise from the top: there are 6 tactile buttons, a menu display, more buttons (home-user-play-menu-back) and dials. It will have dual native ISO: 800 / 3200.

Helpful details abound: a GRAB button to grab still frames and a 2-pin Lemo power connector for accessories. The unmarked dial on the front left side of earlier prototypes is now shown to enable the internal ND as well as FIZ control. There’s a duplicate dial on the camera’s top handle.