Reviewing Fujikina Brussels 2025

Fujikina Brussels 2025 took place at Asiat Park in Vilvoorde. The site is vast and green, flanked by industrial buildings and the airport’s cargo terminals. Its open layout allowed for relaxed walking, never feeling cramped or chaotic—a real plus, both for peace of mind and for photography.

Asiat Park was a well chosen photo-event location for its balance of different styles

The event spanned the weekend, but I only attended on Sunday, as family duties kept me busy Saturday (unfortunately, that meant missing Cédric Gerbehaye’s conference, which was high on my list).

I went partly on a whim, having seen the ads on Instagram. Brussels is only about an hour away from where I live, and I figured it would be a good opportunity to test some of Fujifilm’s newer gear and maybe strike up a few conversations. At the very least, it felt like a good excuse to immerse myself in the brand ecosystem a bit more actively.

I’d also prepared something more deliberate: a 50-page GFX portfolio book, printed via Blurb, that I brought along with the idea of sharing it in person. That part didn’t pan out. Part of it is personal—I tend to be reserved and not the kind to initiate small talk in crowded spaces—but the environment also didn’t naturally foster dialogue between visitors, which I’ll come back to later.

On that note, yes—there were official portfolio review sessions offered, but I made a conscious decision not to take part. I usually look up the photographers hosting those to assess whether there’s potential for meaningful input. This time, I felt there wasn’t. Call it hubris if you want, but after 20 years of photography and 10 years of transmission, I operate differently now. I maintain honest, peer-level exchanges with professionals and published photographers from various fields—people I trust to challenge me, to help refine book drafts and edit long-term projects.

To be blunt, I don’t need someone glancing at 20 images for seven minutes to tell me whether my work "pops" enough. I also don't want to submit myself to such dynamics unless I really admire or value the reader's work (imagine Jean Gaumy reading your portfolio, for instance). I favor settings in which sharing is reciprocal, curious, and grounded in mutual interest. A review done in the portfolio-reading format rarely reaches that level of sincerity.

Workshops & Talks

The event offered a full slate of workshops and talks, covering topics like portraiture, product photography, photo walks, and of course, Fuji’s signature film simulations. Everything was open access; you just showed up at the designated time and place. That flexibility is great for people who like to build their day on the fly.

I didn’t join any sessions directly. Instead, I wandered, observed, hovered. The workshops were designed to meet the needs of a broader audience, especially hobbyists, and that’s completely valid. But at this point in my path, I’m not likely to walk away from a beginner-friendly session with new tools. I’ve been teaching photography and audiovisual media in a professional setting for years now.

My bar for growth sits in different places.

As for the talks, I wasn’t in the right headspace to sit through a full hour indoors while the weather outside had turned pleasant (if the conferences had been held outside, it might've been another story). I almost joined the talk about personal projects, but arrived a bit late. Again, the one talk I really would’ve prioritized—Gerbehaye’s—was scheduled for Saturday.

Touch & Try: The Gear Testing

Let’s be honest: this is the main draw for most attendees. Playing with gear obviously appeals to all of us. Testing a dream lens or trying out a new body under real light, outside, at no cost? Yes, please.

Let’s get this out of the way: I skipped the new X-Half. I’m not the target audience for that camera. Anything below M43 with no raw support feels like a novelty aimed more at the Instax crowd. Fun, maybe—but not at all for me.

What I did try were the lenses and bodies that actually matter to my ongoing GFX journey.

Testing gear: "this is where the fun begins dot jpeg"

GF 500mm f/5.6

This was my top priority. Since switching from Nikon DSLRs to GFX, I’ve missed the reach of my old 200–500mm. The moment I saw the 500mm poking out from a shelf, I pointed at it like a child spotting candy.

What stunned me first was the weight. It’s light—absurdly so for what it is. Compact too. Handheld shooting was easy, and even on my older 50R, AF was snappy. This lens now holds the number two spot on my priority list, right behind the 20–35mm f/4 (which sadly wasn’t available for testing). That said, the 500mm makes an incredibly strong case for anyone needing reach with little compromise.

The 500mm 5.6 really pulls me back to memories of a time I enjoyed shooting supertele for almost anything

GF 55mm f/1.7

Next up was the long-awaited 55mm. Honestly? It didn’t wow me. The focal length—40mm-ish equivalent—isn’t one I’m really drawn to. On my 50R, the lens also hunted noticeably. I don’t shoot in a way that makes that a dealbreaker, but I’m already well-served with the 50mm f/3.5 for that focal length, while the 110mm f/2 covers the fast aperture and the image perfection. The 55mm lives in between, and it felt like a lens I could skip. No regrets there—testing it helped me let go of that particular itch.

Pleasant creamy images come out of the 55 1.7 despite its slower AF

GFX 100RF

This one had my curiosity. The online discourse has been... fiery to say the least. Complaints ranged from “no IBIS?!” to “only f/4?!” and “what are these new dials even for?”

Let me tell you: most of those complaints evaporate the moment you hold it.

The body is incredibly compact. Slightly taller than an X-Pro, and yet housing that 102MP medium format sensor. Add to that the leaf shutter—near-silent, clean actuation. It’s a joy to use, especially when you're trying not to disrupt a quiet moment.

What most dissenters seem to forget is that IBIS and aperture limitations don’t hit the same on this camera. This sensor is clean at high ISO, and if you need to clean up—denoise. Done. What about the new dials? You'll ask. Well, they work. On top of that, the aspect ratio and crop lever features are well implemented and non-destructive. You still see the full frame through the EVF/LCD, and your raw file of course remains untouched—though you need to shoot RAW+JPEG to use those preview features.

The aspect ratio and crop modes don't intrude on the regular shooting experience.

The 100RF imposes itself as an overpowered Fuji X100 that makes compromises where needed while introducing new features in a way that doesn’t get in the way of the experience. Fuji still dares to try new things and here they pulled it off.

The only issue that I see is that I'm not in the market for one, as I will always (understandably) prioritize lens acquisition over the convenience and joy of using such a camera. This means that people in a similar spot, who've invested into the GFX system but are not done with the acquiring all the parts yet, inevitably will have to disregard the camera. I see myself owning one, but second hand and in about five years.

Reflections on the event's format

Events like Fujikina are a wonderful playground. They gather brand fans, beginners, enthusiasts, and professionals into one space with a shared love for image-making. The hands-on gear testing is fun. The freebies are cool. The space was well chosen. From a brand strategy point of view, it hits all the right notes.

But there’s something missing. I don’t mean better coffee or more demos—I mean depth.

For someone with a foot in education, the arts, and long-term storytelling, I kept wishing for something a little more layered. A slow corner of the event: spaces on archiving practices or photobook sequencing, discussions on process and ethics. I recognize that this doesn’t appeal to everyone. But that’s precisely why a diversity of offerings matters.

That said, I want to acknowledge the gesture made through the Life As You See It exhibition. Fuji printed and displayed photos submitted by attendees. That’s the kind of gesture that opens a door. It may be surface-level now, but it’s a foot in the right direction. Same goes for the Instax wall. These elements foster participation and ownership, however modest. They suggest an ecosystem that could, with just a little more curation, grow into something truly meaningful.

The area with the touch & try, exhibitions and historic displays would've been idea to arrange a more social space

If I had one wish for future editions, it would be this: create intentional spaces for conversations between image-makers. Not reviewers, not influencers, not teachers and students. Just people, talking, sharing, connecting—outside of any kind of transaction. A quiet spot in the noise, where thought matters more than F-stop. Because we all, at any level, benefit from moments of reflection that don’t begin or end with the tool.