I took out my Thermomix for the first time in a long while.  Not to use it.  But to take photos because I’m selling it.  That’s when it occurred to me:

A Thermomix has a lot in common with the Fujifilm GFX 50S II?

Yes. That all-in-one German kitchen robot that can sauté onions, knead dough, steam a fish, and then ask you politely to clean the lid.

And just like my GFX paired with the humble but mighty GF63mm, the Thermomix is absurdly competent, slightly intimidating, and often misunderstood by normal people.

So here it is — an entirely unnecessary comparison between two wildly different machines that somehow… make perfect sense together.

1. Both Cost as Too Much

You don’t just buy a Thermomix. You invest. Same with medium format. You say things like, “It’s an ecosystem,” and pretend you didn’t just drop two grand on a lens with no image stabilization.

Your friends will not understand.
Your partner will ask follow-up questions.
Your credit card company is the only one who’s pleased.

2. People Think You Bought It for the Flex

“Oh you got a Thermomix? Must be nice.”
“Oh you shoot medium format? Fancy.”

No bro, I’m just trying to make soup and portraits with the least amount of effort and the highest amount of pixel and onion fidelity.

3. They Both Have Cult Followings

Thermomix owners? Zealots.
They’ll steam salmon, make kaya, and tell you it changed their life.

Medium format photographers? Same energy.
They’ll say things like “microcontrast” and “tonal falloff” with a straight face while showing you a portrait of their cat.

4. They Reward Slow, Intentional Use

You don’t rush a Thermomix. It needs time to sauté aromatics, pulse, reverse stir, and sing you a little German tune when it’s done.

The GFX isn’t exactly a speed demon either. It makes you slow down, think, compose.
Miss focus? That’s on you, champ.
Same as adding too much turmeric.

5. You Will Defend Their Existence to Skeptics

“Couldn’t you just do that with a regular blender?”
“Couldn’t you shoot that on a Socanikony camera?”

Yes. And I could also eat instant noodles and photograph everything with my phone. But I’m not a monster.

6. They Make the Ordinary Look… Expensive

The Thermomix will turn three sad carrots and leftover chicken into Michelin-adjacent risotto.

The GFX + GF63mm combo? Will make your cat look like a celebrity chef.

That pot on the stove in the background of my shot? Probably doesn’t even contain anything interesting. But the falloff, the rendering, the way the stainless steel glows like a Renaissance painting? Chef’s kiss.

7. You Secretly Love That No One Else Gets It

Most people don’t care what lens you used.
Most people don’t care that your soup was emulsified at 80°C with reverse blade speed 2.

But we know.

And we’re fine being a little insufferable about it.

Closing Thoughts: Buy the Thing. Make the Art. Eat the Soup.

Thermomix and medium format cameras are ridiculously overengineered, slightly absurd, and completely unnecessary.

And that’s exactly why I love them.

Because life is short. And if a German kitchen robot and a Japanese digital medium format camera make you feel just a little more joy while sautéing or shooting — then it’s worth every weird look.

Shot with GFX 50S II + GF63mm f/2.8
Soup not included.
Regret also not included.