LENS STORIES: GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR x Patrick BELLAIR

Impression of the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR

I am Patrick Bellair, beauty photographer, based out of Paris. Here are my impressions about the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR.

As a beauty photographer, I particularly like telephoto lenses, they allow me to flatten perspectives and therefore sublimate faces. For this kind of image the compression of the GF250mm is ideal.

The GF250mm is the longest of the Fujifilm GF series lenses. Its focal length allows me to be at a good distance from my model and let her be in her bubble. It’s ideal for close-up portraiture, as well as for the series we did today. It was very crowded, and I was able to easily isolate my subject in the crowd. I also chose it for its extreme resolution, resulting from a technical expertise only Fujifilm has the secret. During the photoshoot at the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the weather was very uncertain, and it often rained. Fortunately, the GF250mm is designed to be weather resistant so I didn’t have to worry about its survival no matter what the conditions. In the sand, in the rain, in the snow, it will always be ready.

As you can see in the video, I can easily orientate my lens, thanks to the small tripod integrated on the GF250mm. It can rotate to switch between portrait and landscape in an instant. This is very valuable on this kind of photoshoot where you have to react quickly.

The OIS system is impressive on this lens. Coupled with the GFX100S and its stabilized sensor, it allows to go to speeds as low as 1/20s and still have a perfectly sharp result. It’s unheard of on a medium format! I could very well have done another series at the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye at nightfall with natural light.

To adjust the aperture, a ring is placed on the lens and enables you to easily select the desired value from f-4 to f-32 in third stop increments. You can also set the ring to function C and adjust the aperture with the control wheels on the camera. This is a real plus in terms of experience, since it is the equipment that adapts to you and not the other way around, which is very pleasant. 

The autofocus is ultra-responsive for a medium format system. Coupled with the GFX100S it will be smooth and accurate in all situations. Fujifilm has also integrated a focus memory system to realize comfortable auto focus operation which allows you to use a medium format camera for sports photography, as if you had an APS-C in your hands! It’s a real game changer.

During the photo shoot, I used only the autofocus and it worked perfectly. 

Where the GF250mm will really surprise you is at full aperture. Its bokeh is massive and splendid. This bokeh is unique because of its level of detail. It’s not just classic blur. There is information in there, which allows me to really sublimate the backgrounds. The separation between the sharp and blurred elements is excellent. You can easily play with the foreground and background elements and perfectly cut your subject in focus. Feel free to have a look at the photos from the shoot.

I’ve been looking for such a lens for a long time. It’s my new go-to lens!