Just prior to IBC 2025, FUJIFILM held a special event at the EYE Film Institute in Amsterdam, where they finally unveiled the final shipping version of the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55.
I spoke to John Blackwood from FUJIFILM and asked him if they had plans to add ProRes 4444 or internal RAW recording formats to the EXTERNA 55. I also asked if FUJIFILM intends to make full-frame or S35 digital cinema cameras in the future.
FUJIFILM had several working versions of the ETERNA 55 on display at the event.
At the event, two of the launch films were shown on the big screen.
Above, you can watch the short film Eternal, as well as a BTS.
I had a chance to catch up with James Tonkin, who was the DP and colorist on Eternal.
Above, you can see the other short film, OKAY, which was shot by Oren Soffer and directed by Andrew Kightlinger.
FUJIFILM announced that it was developing its first-ever cinema camera, the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA, way back in November 2024.
The shipping version of the GFX ETERNA 55 will retail for $16,495 USD, and it will start shipping in October. The name has now changed from ETERNA to ETERNA 55.
FUJIFILM announced that it was developing its first-ever cinema camera, the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA, way back in November 2024.
According to FUJIFILM, with the recent expansion of demand for the production of short films, documentaries, web videos, and full-scale movies, there is a growing need for high-quality video production in a short period of time and at a low cost.
“GFX ETERNA 55 introduces the filmmaking community to the tallest digital cinema sensor that has ever been available for purchase on the open market. The native 4:3 Open Gate format echoes back to the filmmaking legacy of 4-perf Super 35mm, but at a scale about 3x larger. This sensor height brings a great range of format flexibility and opportunities to create larger than Full Frame images with spherical lenses, or images of epic cinematic scale when paired with anamorphic lenses.”
“With the ability to import up to 16 3D LUTs, filmmakers can craft withtheir intended vision and mood, from production through post. The inclusion of our internal film simulations in GFX ETERNA 55 allows creatives to get the best color they can, straight out of camera, for beautiful images with intentional creative looks inspired by Fujifilm’s extensive color legacy in analog film. It is fantastic for content with quick turnaround times to delivery.”
John Blackwood, Director, Product Marketing, Electronic Imaging Division & Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation
Key features
- Large-Format 8K Sensor, Variable ND
- 4K48 4:3 Open Gate, 6.3K24 Super 35
- 14.5-Stop Dynamic Range, Dual-Native ISO
- Internal ProRes 422 HQ, H.265, Proxies
- Ext HDMI 10-Bit Uncompressed, 12-Bit Raw
- 5″ 16:9, 3″ 3:2 Touchscreen LCD Screens
- 20 Film Simulations, F-Log2/C 3D LUTs
- FUJIFILM G and ARRI PL Lens Mounts
- Ethernet, BLE with TG-BT1/ATOMOS AirGlu
- CFexpress and SD Card Slots, USB-C Port
Where did the name ETERNA come from?
Way back in 2004, FujiFilm introduced ETERNA500, the first offering in the ETERNA series of motion picture color negative film stock. ETERNA500 offered the highest sensitivity of E.I 500. The name, GFX ETERNA, is a historical nod to FUJIFILM’s past.
The name ETERNA is also Latin for ‘Eternal’.
Sensor
At the heart of the GFX ETERNA 55 is the 43.8 x 32.9 mm (Medium Format) 102 Megapixel (11,648 x 8736) BSI CMOS sensor that comes from the GFX 100 II.
The 102-megapixel high-speed image sensor also utilizes FUJIFILM’s latest 5th-generation X-Processor 5 image processing engine, which has fast readout speeds.
FUJIFILM states that the camera has 14+ stops of dynamic range.
Features
The FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 offers the following features:
- Optical Lowpass Filter (OLPF) Specification
- Available Sensor Formats
- In-Camera Codecs
- Custom LUT Functionality
- Film Simulation Availability
- Film Simulation 3D LUTs
- Custom Framing Guideline
- Remote Multi-Camera Control
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Support
- LCD Monitor & On-Board Menu Display Specifications
Supporting Optical Lowpass Filter (OLPF)
To help in the reduction of moiré and false color
• Wave Plate
• Low-pass Filter 1
• IR Cut Filter
• Low-pass Filter 2
GFX ETERNA 55 Available Sensor Formats
GFX ETERNA 55 Sensor 43.8 x 32.9mm
• GF 4:3 Open Gate
• GF DCI
• Premista DCI
• 35mm DCI
• 8K DCI, dot by dot
• Super 35 DCI
GFX ETERNA In Camera Codecs
GFX ETERNA 55 is based on the GFX100 II system that supports ProRes422, H.265, and H.264.
In Camera
- Apple ProRes 422 HQ, Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24-bit / 48KHz sampling)
- Apple ProRes 422, Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24-bit / 48KHz sampling)
- Apple ProRes 422 LT, Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24-bit / 48KHz sampling)
- HEVC/H.265 (4:2:2 10bit), Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24-bit / 48KHz sampling)
- Apple ProRes Proxy
- H.264 Proxy
HDMI (External Recording)
- 4:2:2 10-bit Uncompressed
- 12-bit RAW
GFX ETERNA 3D LUT Loading
The GFX ETERNA 55 supports 3D LUT Loading and Storing up to 16 custom Lookup Table files
Film Simulation
The GFX ETERNA 55 supports 20 types of Film Simulations.
- PROVIA/Standard
- Velvia/Vivid
- ASTIA/Soft
- Classic Chrome
- REALA ACE
- PRO Neg.Hi
- PRO Neg.Std
- Classic Neg.
- Nostalgic Neg.
- ETERNA/Cinema
- ETERNA BLEACH BYPASSACROS
- ACROS + Ye Filter
- ACROS + R Filter
- ACROS + G Filter
- Black & White
- Black & White + Ye Filter
- Black & White + R Filter
- Black & White + G Filter
- Sepia
Film Simulation 3D LUTs for F-Log2 / F-Log2 C
Fujifilm has developed new 3D LUTs for select Film Simulations for F-Log2 / F-Log2 C (with ITU-R BT.709), which are downloadable from the web.
- ETERNA
- ETERNA BLEACH BYPASS
- PROVIA/Standard
- Velvia/Vivid
- ASTIA/Soft
- REALA ACE
- Classic Chrome
- Classic Neg.
- ACROS
Custom Framing Guides
The camera supports customizable Framing Guides. Create custom guides and select from frame 1 / 2 / 3 settings.
Inputs & Outputs
The ETERNA 55 features the following inputs and outputs:
- 3.5mm, stereo mini connector (Microphone)
- 3.5mm, stereo mini connector (Headphone)
- 2.5mm, connector (Remote Release )
- TC IN/TC OUT connector
- GenLock connector
- 12G SDI OUT connector – max 4K59.94p 12G/6G/3G
- LENS connector (12-pin) : Power supply 14V-0.5A
- DC OUT 12V connector :12V 3A
- DC IN Lemo connector (FGJ.1B.304.CLLD)
Remote Multi-Camera Control
The Remote Rec. Function is a web browser-based remote control application that runs locally on a wired or wireless network.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Support (AirGlu, TG-BT1)
The camera supports BLE connection with ATOMOS AirGlu and FUJIFILM TG-BT1. Time Code Sync. Will be supported with TC plug, Atomos AirGlu Ambient devices. and via a USB-C connection with:
- ATOMOS AirGlu UltraSync Blue
- Tripod Grip TG-BT1
- Smart Phone Browser Remote Rec Function TG-BT1
LCD Monitor & On-Board Menu Display Specifications
LCD Monitor Specifications
- 5.0 inch Touch Screen Color LCD Monitor
- Brightness: Max. 2,000 nits
- Aspect : 16:9
- Dots: Approx. 6.22 million dots (1920x1080x3)
On-Board Menu Display Specifications
- 3.0 inch Touch Screen Color LCD Monitor
- Brightness: Max. 700 nits
- Aspect: 3:2
- Dots: Approx. 1.04 million dots (720x480x3)
Internal ND
The ETERNA 55 also features a Variable Electronic ND Filter with a range of ND0.6 – ND2.1. The ND is adjustable in increments of .015 F-stops.
Size & Weight
The ETERNA 55 weighs 2kg / 4.41 lbs (excluding NP-W235 & media), and it has physical dimensions of 110.8 x 138.2 x 176.8mm.
It is a lightweight camera; however, a lot of users will want to build it up for serious production work.
Power
In terms of power, it has internal NP-W235 battery compatibility in addition to external power support. The NP-W235 enables hot swapping of external batteries or transition to DC input. The NP-W235 battery is automatically charged when connected to an external power source.
The nominal power consumption is 21W, and the maximum power consumption is 49W.
Recording Media
The camera records to CF Express Type B and SD media slots.
Audio
It has compatibility with the TASCAM XLR Microphone Adapter Handle Accessory ($399 USD), which offers support for expanded audio input compatibility.
The TASCAM CA-XLR2d-F XLR Microphone Adapter for Mirrorless Cameras includes an accessory shoe that takes advantage of FUJIFILM’s hot shoe to provide a cable-free digital audio connection to the camera—avoiding any deterioration in sound quality and eliminating the work of synchronizing images and sound in postproduction.
The accessory shoe also allows the camera to supply the adapter with power for the analog-to-digital converter and the 48V phantom power needed for condenser microphones. Two AA batteries will also power the unit, and the 3.5mm output jack will connect to just about any camera’s 3.5mm audio input using the supplied cable, meaning the CA-XLR2d-F can work as an analog audio adapter with a wide variety of mirrorless/DSLR cameras. The audio output can also serve as a headphone jack for real-time monitoring in the field.
Adobe Frame.io Camera to Cloud support
Like other FUJIFILM cameras, the ETERNA 55 provides Adobe Frame.io Camera to Cloud support. This allows users to utilize built-in network interfaces (WiFi or Ethernet) for internet connection to authenticate to a Frame.io project and upload files securely to a central location for immediate accessibility
Mount
The GFX ETERNA 55 features a native G mount with a removable PL adapter. This gives you the ability to use a wide selection of already available G-mount lenses or PL glass.
You need lenses that will cover the sensor
Once you go to a medium-format sensor camera, you need to be mindful of what lenses you are going to need. Now, before you panic, there are actually quite a lot of native G-mount lenses and cine lenses on the market that will cover the sensor, including a couple of new zooms, such as the KIPON CINESPEED65 37-156mm T3.6 Cinezoom.
FUJINON GF 32-90mm T3.5 Power Zoom
The FUJINON GF 32-90mm T3.5 Power Zoom can be used natively with the GFX ETERNA.
It features a very usable 32-90mm focal range and a constant T3.5 aperture. The lens has a 114mm front diameter, and it will cover an image circle of 55mm.
The FUJINON GF32-90mm T3.5 PZ OIS WR Lens, which was purpose-built for the GFX ETERNA 55, is a native G-Mount lens that covers Open Gate recording. It will retail for $5,999.95 USD, and initial shipments are expected to begin in October 2025.
- Lens Configuration: 25 elements in 19 groups (Elements: 3 aspherical & 3 ED)
- Focal Length: 32-90mm (Full Frame equivalent: 25-71mm)
- Angle of View: 81.0°-33.8°
- Max. Aperture: T3.5
- Min. Aperture: T32
- Aperture Control: 13 blades – rounded diaphragm opening
- Minimum Focus Distance: .8M / 2’ 8”
- Dimensions: Φ114mm Front Diameter x 222.5mm/8.76” length
- Weight: 4.74 lbs.
- Filter Size: Φ111
Pricing & Availability
The FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 will retail for $16,495 USD, and it will start shipping in October.
As a comparison, the FUJIFILM GFX100 II retails for $8,499.95 USD.
Competition
The FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 arguably doesn’t have any direct competition. However, it could be compared to cameras such as the Blackmagic Design URSA Cine 17K, and PYXIS 12K.
For more information and access to GFX ETERNA 55 reference materials, including downloadable test footage, please visit http://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/gfx-eterna-55-filmmaking-camera-16969715.
Specifications
Thoughts
The FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 is an interesting release, and it is good to finally see FUJIFILM enter the digital cinema market. Yes, a medium-format digital cinema camera is arguably a little niche, but there is no one else doing this at this price point. FUJIFILM has always tried to follow its own path and not try to compete head-on with other brands.
I personally think that making something a little niche and different is probably the way to go for FUJIFILM. There are plenty of full-frame and S35 digital cinema cameras already on the market, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to just follow the pack. In saying that, FUJIFILM could have arguably brought out a S35 digital cinema camera in a similar form factor instead if they wanted to wet the appetite of consumers. On one hand, a lower-priced camera would mean more sales, but on the other, it would also mean that FUJIFILM would face more competition.
The GFX ETERNA 55 is somewhat of a litmus test for FUJIFILM, and I am sure they will be gauging the market reaction closely.
At the end of the day, it’s always good to see another player enter the digital cinema camera space, and the more options we have, the better.
