FUJI GFX ETERNA 55 event!

SICA Hosts Grand Screening of Kaathadi and Fujifilm ETERNA Presentation at Prasad Lab Theatre saligramam chennai.

The Southern India Cinematographers’ Association (SICA) hosted a grand technical and screening event at Prasad Labs on March 15, drawing an impressive turnout of cinematographers, technicians, students, and film enthusiasts.

The gathering was warmly welcomed by SICA office bearers including President A. Karthikraaja, General Secretary Ilavarasu and Treasurer Sakthi Saravanan, who addressed the audience and highlighted the importance of technological evolution in cinematography.

The event was graced by the presence of ace director and cinematographer Rajiv Menon, whose presence added prestige to the gathering. In his interaction with the community, discussions also touched upon the growing significance of large-format cinematography and the impact that formats like IMAX have had on modern visual storytelling.

A special felicitation was presented to cinematographer Shiva GRN for winning an International Award at the London Film Festival for the film Rasavathi, celebrating his achievement before the assembled cinematography community.

The Fujifilm team delivered an engaging technical presentation on the ETERNA large-format filmmaking camera. The session featured insights from Arun Babu, Hiroki Yokomizo, Sathya B, Ranjeet Chennampully, Vaibhav Tuteja, and Sourabh Joshi, who introduced the camera system and discussed its design philosophy and workflow advantages for contemporary cinema production.

The highlight of the event was the screening of the short film Kaathadi, directed by Thejo Bharadwaj and cinematographed by Niketh Bommi, an alumnus of Mind Screen Film Institute and a rising cinematographer. The film received thunderous applause from the audience, with many appreciating its visual language and storytelling approach.

Following the screening, the entire crew of the film was present on stage and honoured, recognizing their creative contribution to the project. The session evolved into an interactive discussion where cinematographers and students engaged with the crew about the visual design and production process.

The event concluded with an enthusiastic hands-on session with the new camera system, where many cinematographers and technicians explored the equipment and interacted directly with the Fujifilm technical team.

Quick look at advantages of Fuji GFX eterna with Specification and features

FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 – Cinema Camera (Key Specifications)

Sensor & Image

Sensor Type: Large-format CMOS (GFX 102MP CMOS II HS)

Sensor Size: 43.8 mm × 32.9 mm (≈55 mm diagonal)

Resolution: 102 Megapixels

Processor: X-Processor 5

Dynamic Range: 14+ stops

Dual Base ISO: 800 / 3200

Recording Formats

Max Resolution: DCI 8K (8192×4320) up to 24/30 fps

4K Open Gate (4:3): up to 48 fps

Full HD: up to 60 fps

Supports multiple formats:

GF Large Format

Premista

35mm DCI

Super 35

Anamorphic (35mm)

Recording & Codecs

Internal Recording:

Apple ProRes 422 / ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes LT

H.265 / HEVC

External Output:

12-bit RAW via HDMI

Color: 10-bit 4:2:2 output

Lens Mount

Native Mount: Fujifilm G Mount

Optional: ARRI PL mount support

Exposure & Filters

Electronic Variable ND: approx 2–7 stops

Optical Low-Pass Filter (OLPF) included

Color & Profiles

F-Log2 / Log recording

3D LUT support

20 Film Simulation modes including ETERNA look

Media & Connectivity

Media: CFexpress Type-B + SD card slots

Ports:

SDI

HDMI

USB-C

Ethernet

Wireless/Bluetooth support

Display

Main Screen: 3-inch LCD

External Monitor: detachable 5-inch high-brightness display

Physical

Weight: approx 2 kg (4.4 lb) body

Power: about 21W power draw with hot-swap battery system

Special Notes

Fujifilm’s first dedicated cinema camera.

IMAX certified thanks to its tall sensor and Open-Gate capture.

Why cinematographers are interested:

• Large-format 44×33 sensor (bigger than full frame).
• Open-Gate 4:3 good for IMAX / vertical crop flexibility.
• Fujifilm film simulation color science.

Conclusion

Overall, the program became a vibrant platform for technology exchange, cinematic appreciation, and community bonding, reaffirming SICA’s commitment to supporting cinematographers and encouraging dialogue on the future of motion picture imaging.

Article drafted by

CJ Rajkumar

Author/ Cinematographer

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