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5 minute read
The Best All-Round GF Lenses
Some optics excel when put to use on specialist subjects, while others are unbeatable day to day. Here are the standout, most versatile lenses in the GFX System
Every lens in the GF family has been thought out and designed in the most user-friendly way possible. You’d expect nothing less from a brand renowned for decades of refinement. But, if you were truly compelled to attach only onelens to your camera and leave it there forever, that would require something very special indeed.
By this point in your photographic journey, you’ve likely developed a sense of personal style and set of tools that facilitate it. There’s much to be said for knowing your kit inside and out, and selecting the best equipment for any given job – but overfamiliarity and reliance can lead to stale work.
So, while you don’t actually have to give away all of your much-loved kit, challenging yourself will always help you progress as a creative. Choose only one lens for a month, week, or just one session, and see what you can make with it.
Conversely, you may be looking for your very first GFX System lens before investing in others. Whatever the case, to help with the decision-making process, here are our choices for the GF lenses that just can’t be beaten for sheer versatility.
FUJINON GF63mmF2.8 R WR
Our first choice is the most obvious. Coupled with GFX bodies’ large format sensors, the GF63mmF2.8 R WR has a perfect 50mm equivalent focal length – widely regarded as the most versatile. It’s wide enough to capture more distant landscapes, and emulates human vision well for naturalistic street and documentary work. The trusted 50mm prime is also almost entirely free from barrel and pincushion distortion – ideal for gorgeous people pictures.
What else deems it worthy of being a year-round lens? Its fast aperture makes it capable in low-light situations, so you can maintain a higher shutter speed or lower ISO in otherwise challenging conditions. It’s exceptionally high-resolving across the entire frame, with a special ED element. Like all GF lenses, the GF63mmF2.8 R WR is weather-resistant, meaning creativity isn’t hindered by wet, cold, or dusty conditions. Plus, the aperture ring can also be set to C position, offering command dial aperture control and conforming to your specific workflow.
It’s a true workhorse of a lens. As is the nature of a prime, you have to be more considered, actually moving around and thinking about the exact frame you want – but these tests are what allow us to develop. You may discover your own limitations before you find the lens’s. It’s a safe bet across the board, and that’s never a bad thing.
Photo © Joseph Mak | FUJIFILM GFX100 and GF63mmF2.8 R WR, 1/640 sec at F5.6, ISO 100
Photo © Joseph Mak | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF63mmF2.8 R WR, 1/80 sec at F16, ISO 400
FUJINON GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR
The GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR is a more recent addition to the GFX System and certainly one to get your hands on – why not test in-store, or hire on a short-term basis from the FUJIFILM House of Photography before buying? As a highly-portable zoom, at 73.9mm and 390g, the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR is entirely deserving of a place on this list.
The potential of such a zoom lens is virtually boundless. It’s the out-of-the-box choice of many photographers and manufacturers in the digital age, but the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR is far from an ordinary kit lens. Attached to more compact cameras, like the GFX100S or GFX50S II, it puts the scale and quality of large format in an almost pocket-sized package.
A 28-55mm equivalent focal range ensures you’re covered for a vast range of subjects, while quality remains high across all focal lengths and apertures, thanks to three special lens elements. There’s also an added draw for filmmakers, with supressed focus breathing.
While every image maker’s needs vary, the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR may just become one of the greatest user favourites.
Photo © Hasachai Boonnuang | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR, 1/160 sec at F5.6, ISO 1250
Photo © Lin Li | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR, 1/5 sec at F11, ISO 100
FUJINON GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR
While the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR is small for a zoom lens, primes have always been forerunners in this field. The GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR itself is, in essence, a large format pancake lens. It weighs less than 350g and measures less than 5cm, but that doesn’t mean it lacks quality or features.
We’ve managed to fit nine elements in six groups into this tiny lens, including one aspherical element and one pair in front of the aperture blades. These work to reduce ghosting, flare and chromatic aberrations. Technical detail aside, you’re left with a fine image that complements GFX sensor quality perfectly.
If you prefer a slightly wider view than the GF63mmF2.8 R WR, the GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR’s 40mm equivalent focal length offers a little more lateral scope, without the noticeable distortion that comes with even shorter lenses. It retains an aperture ring and weather sealing despite its size, plus the autofocus system is driven by a powerful linear motor for some of the fastest, most accurate results in the GFX System.
If you can make a prime lens work to your advantage, and want an easy and discreet daily carry or travel lens, look to the GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR.
Photo © Alex Liverani | FUJIFILM GFX50R and GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR, 1/4000 sec at F16, ISO 800
Photo © Pedro Etura | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR, 1/750 sec at F5.6, ISO 100
Photo © Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR, 1/640 sec at F5, ISO 6400
FUJINON GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR
The last choice on our list is, in many ways, the most specialised. While virtually all genres of photography and filmmaking have at least some need for a wide-angle lens, many creatives never touch longer lenses.
Now, is it viable for a landscape or street photographer to opt for the telephoto exclusively? No. But doing so can sometimes reveal a whole new aspect to this type of work. If you were to approach all of your wide-angle subjects with nothing but a long lens for a whole month, we wager you’d walk away with some very interesting results.
The GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR is actually a nice middle ground, with roughly an 80-160mm equivalent focal length. At its shorter end, you could still frame a pleasing headshot at roughly arm’s reach. With the optional GF1.4X TC WR teleconverter, it can stretch to 221mm. Throughout the range, you’ll enjoy the gorgeous compression and easy-to-achieve bokeh that’s missing in wider options.
Once again, the GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR is weather-resistant and, like the GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR, offers highly advanced autofocus capabilities. It also features 5.0 stops of image stabilisation, which is crucial for handheld use at longer focal lengths.
For wildlife, sports, or even portrait photographers, the GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR as a year-round lens is a comfortable and obvious choice. For anyone else, it’s an opportunity to broaden their image-making horizons (in a figurative sense!) and stretch their skills to new lengths.
Photo © Peter Delaney | FUJIFILM GFX100 and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, 1/400 sec at F5.6, ISO 100
Photo © Karen Hutton | FUJIFILM GFX50S and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, 1/160 sec at F10, ISO 500
Photo © Karen Hutton | FUJIFILM GFX50S and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, 1/200 sec at F18, ISO 640
Photo © Jonathan Bielaski | FUJIFILM GFX100 and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, 1/80 sec at F7.1, ISO 50
Compare the Lenses
FUJINON GF63mmF2.8 R WR
FUJINON GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR
FUJINON GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR
Explore the full range of GFX System products online and find your nearest FUJIFILM Authorised Retailer here.
