My Experience with the Fujinon GF55mm f/1.7 – Crafted to Trigger GAS

On Saturday, Fujifilm had one of its Italian Roadshow gear presentation in the lovely town of Trento just 30 minutes car drive away from my home.

Much to my surprise, they already had the Fujifilm GFX100II and the Fujinon GF55mm f/1.7 R WR there for testing. And I could test it for about 30 minutes only.

Now, initially I wrote an article that contained both, my GFX100II and my GF55mmF1.7 first impressions.

But I decided to split it up in two parts for one reason: the launch of the Fujifilm GFX100II has overshadowed what I believe is a true gem of a lens: the Fujinon GF55mm f/1.7.

So much so, that I believe Fujifilm should have given this lens a separate launch date.

But that’s how it is.

And that’s why FujiRumors wants to bring the GFX system world into the right balance again by giving the wonderful Fujinon GF55mmF1.7 the space it deserves.

So, here are my first impressions without GFX100II distraction.

Fujinon GF55mmF1.7 R WR – Perfection Achieved

INSANE!

I shot everything at f/1.7.

The reason?

It was so sharp wide open, that I was scared to stop down and to hurt my eyes with even sharper images (if that is even possible).

The good thing?

If you need to take a rest from all that sharpness, then just look at the background of the image and enjoy a massive relaxation for your eyes thanks to a wonderful, dreamy-creamy and buttery-smooth bokeh.

And the autofocus?

Surprisingly fast autofocus for a lens without linear motor in it. I mean, I used it initially on my Fujifilm GFX100S, and my first reaction was to read on the lens front element if there is really not “LM” (linear motor) written on it. I was very positively surprised. Having had experience with the GF80mmF1.7, I can say the GF55mmF1.7 is a significant step up compared to it.

Sure, Linear Motor lenses might still be faster. But shooting with the GF55mmF1.7 won’t be a frustrating experience in terms of autofocus. Actually quite a pleasing one it was for me.

I have also made a tracking test using the Fujifilm GFX100II and GF55mmF1.7. I will share the results in the second part of the review where I talk about the Fujifilm GFX100II, because I need to talk about settings, test conditions to put the results in proper context. So watch out for that one coming soon.

Two problems!

  1. The depth of field is very shallow. Used on my GFX100S, I had images where the top of the eyelash was in focus and the eye pupil itself not (see sample below). If you are going to shoot it wide open it certainly will help to have the best autofocus possible. And the best autofocus possible you get is with the GFX100II.
  2. True story: after my third “wow” while I was testing it and reviewing the images, my wife said: “but you are not going to buy it, right?” So now we have a problem. A problem that hopefully a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant and a couple of flowers will be able to solve.

Overall Conclusion

Not the lightest lens on the world, but it is also not too big for an f/1.7 lens. Well balanced overall with my GFX100S.

At f/1.7 it is so sharp that, true story, my wife complaint when she saw the images because she could notice every single little imperfection of her skin.

They say Bokeh is subjective, but this one is objectively very good.

Fujifilm said during X Summit that they use the aspherical lens manufactured with ultra precision resulting in the reduction of axial chromatic aberration and onion ring effect. it is also their first GF lens with 11 aperture blades for near perfect circular aperture.

If you love the versatility of the 40mm-ish full frame equivalent focal length, then this is the one!

And look, I own the Fujinon GF50mm f/3.5 and love it for its fantastic portability. But versatility comes not only from size, but also from speed. And at f/1.7 the GF55mmF1.7 opens up other possibilities in terms of low light performance and subject separation that make it just more suitable and flexible for more use cases.

I can totally recommend this lens if all you want in your life is the humble need for optical perfection in your images :D.

That’s at least my impression after 30 minutes of use. I had no time to test chromatic aberration, focus breathing and what not. So if those are critically important things for you wait for further reviews. Although what I’ve read so far is that also chromatic aberration is well controlled and Fujifilm actually emphasised during launch at the X summit the “reduction of axial chromatic aberration” and “less color fringe“.

Samples

Down below I will share three samples. All taken at f/1.7 using the Fujifilm GFX100S.

  • Sample 1 + Crop = shows how impressively sharp the performance is at f/1.7
  • Sample 2 + Crop = shows how shallow the DOF is and how that can lead to slightly out of focus images
  • Sample 3 = enjoy the smooth bokeh background

Get Yours

And the Rest of the New Gear

Fujifilm GFX100 II IBIS Performance with GF Lenses (vs GFX100S)

Thanks to a new smart system that relies not only on the gyro sensor to stabilise the sensor, but also uses data from the image sensor itself to fine tune stabilisation (more about it in our X summit summary), the Fujifilm GFX100II is capable of achieving 8 stops IBIS.

But this peak 8 stops performance is achieved not with all lenses.

In the chart above shared by Ken L Photo (in text format below) you can see how many stops of IBIS you get on the GFX100II with each GF lens. Also, you get the IBIS performance comparison with the Fujifilm GFX100S.

Full Chart

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Firmware Updates for Fringer NF-GFX (v1.10) and NF-FX II (v1.80)

Fringer has released firmware updates for the following smart adapters

Down below all the details.

This comes in addtion to the firmware launched for the EF-FX Pro II a few days ago as we reported here.

Fringer adapters can be ordered at B&H Photo, AmazonUS and Adorama.

List of Smart Adapters

Firmware Details & Dowload Links

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Yongnuo 50mm F1.8X DA DSM PRO X Mount Autofocus Lens Teaser (and FujiRumors already Shared the Images)

A few weeks ago we shared a lot of images of the upcoming Yongnuo autofocus X mount lenses. You can see them here.

Now Yongnuo has launched an official teaser for the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 (also already shared on FujiRumors) on their Chinese social media.

The only new tidbits we can extract from the teaser is that the announcement should happen in June and that the 50mm f/1.8X DA DSM Pro has the same optical design as the YN 50mm f/1.8S DF DSM (Sony E mount) with the addition of an aperture ring.

Check out the real life hands on images of this lens (and many other upcoming Yongnuo AF lenses) in this article.

Fujifilm Facebook Groups

via Yongnuo

A Massive Fujifilm GFX Review Roundup to Celebrate Massive GFX Deals

There are currently massive deals running on Fujifilm GFX gear. So I thought let’s share a dedicated GFX roundup, just in case you are interested in the system and want to see what others think about it.

Lots of reviews will also cover the Fujinon GF20-35mmF4 lens, which is not included in the rebates, but is a true gem and I am afraid will pretty much reduce sales for the Fujinon GF 23mm f/4 to a minimum, as it is more flexible and smaller, while still being optically fantastic.

Also, I warmly recommend you to join our Fujifilm GFX group, which is full of talented and passionate GFX shooters sharing their work and thoughts there.

Deals

The Roundup

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Fujifilm Releases Significant Firmware Updates for Many XF/GF Lenses (plus X-A3, X-A10, XA20)

Fujifilm has released firmware updates for plenty of lenses that will make the autofocus more silent, the aperture operate smoother and also give better tracking performance while zooming.

That’s a very nice upgrade especially for video shooters.

Not all lenses will get all these three updates. You can find the full detailed list below.

Firmware Details & Download Links

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Which Fujinon GF lens do You Want Next?

All deals end January 8

I Solemnly Promised Myself… (and Failed)

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

These are Your Top X and GFX Camera Wishes for 2023 – and They are Quite Clear on What You Want!

I’ve looked at the results of your future X camera wish and future GFX camera wish.

Here they are… and what they tell us.

X series

  1. X-Pro4 with 40MP
  2. X100V with 40MP
  3. X-Pro4 with 26MP stacked

GFX gear

  1. GFX100R with 102 MP BSI stacked sensor
  2. GFX100T with 102 MP BSI stacked sensor (the X-T styled GFX concept)
  3. GFX100S with 102 MP BSI stacked sensor

Conclusion for X series

There is a tendency to prefer more megapixel over more speed. And as a Fujifilm X-T5 owner myself, I can understand why: the X-T5 is plenty of fast enough for most of us thanks to the brand new processor. Plus, the 40MP sensor gives us the best dynamic range on any X series camera.

But most importantly, the list is dominated by rangefinder cameras.

So, after a year full of DSLR styled cameras (X-T5, X-H2 and X-H2s), people are hungry to see something happening on the rangefinder front… and I am totally with you guys!

Conclusion for GFX series

Stacked sensor makes the top of the list. Which means that contrary to the X series, for the GFX series people desire more speed rather than more resolution.

List of Fujifilm Related Gear launched in 2022

Ronaldo, Messi and GFX :: Fujifilm X-T5 :: The Revenge of the X-T4 :: Fix This Fuji :: X-Pro3 Class Action & More – Top 10 November Articles

Here are the top 10 articles for November.

  1. Fujifilm X-T5 – FULL SPECS and PRICE LEAKED – Same EVF of X-T4 and More Details
  2. The Revenge of the Fujifilm X-T4: Declared Best Mirrorless Camera by Germany’s Most Prestigious Consumer Organisation (and X100V Best Compact)
  3. I am Sorry Fujifilm, but You MUST fix This NOW (a Firmware Request and a Workaround)
  4. Size Comparisons: Fujifilm X-T5 vs X-T4 vs X-T3 vs X-H2/s
  5. LEAKED: First Fujifilm X-T5 Images
  6. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 for Fujifilm X mount Listed at Stores – Announcement Imminent?
  7. National Geographic Top 10 Travel Cameras 2023: Fujifilm X-T5 “Reigning Champion” and X100V (3rd), X-S10 (7th)
  8. After Summit Wishlist: Fujinon XF70mmF2 and XF23mmF2 MKII Mock-ups
  9. Fujifilm X-Pro3: Class-action Lawsuit Filed for Falsy Advertising ‘Reliable Durability’
  10. SIMPLY the BEST: Messi and Ronaldo Meet the Fujifilm GFX100S of Annie Leibovitz

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Fujifilm X-T5 Stock Check

Fujinon XF30mmF2.8 Macro Stock Check

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X-T5 Other Countries

Novoflex Automatic Bellows (BAL-FUG) and Automatic Reversing Ring (FUG-RETRO) for Fujifilm GFX

Novoflex recently added an Automatic Bellows (BAL-FUG), as well as an Automatic Reversing Ring (FUG-RETRO) for Fujifilm GFX to their program. Both, the Auto Bellows and the Auto Reversing Ring allow for full electronic passthrough, meaning the camera and lenses are still able to “talk” to each other as if the lens would be connected directly to the camera. Above you can see images of both products.

The Auto Bellows is quite intereting in combination with the GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro lens. This lens offers a magnification factor of 1:2 when used directly on the camera. Putting the new Auto Bellows inbetween, at full bellows extension you’ll reach a whopping 3x life size magnification at 13cm working distance (front lens element – subject).

Here are some other examples:
Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5R LM WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 1.5 – 4.4:1
Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4.0 R LM WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 1.2 – 4:1 (in reverse position on the bellows)
Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4.0 R LM OIS WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 0.59 – 3.6:1

The Auto Reversing Ring FUG-RETRO has a 77mm filter thread by default and is best used with zoom lenses e.g. Example: with a Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4.0 R LM OIS WR in reverse position directly on the camera, a magnification factor of 1.1:1 at 100mm focal length up to 1.9:1 at 45mm focal length can be achieved. Lenses having filter threads other than 77mm can be used with stepping rings. 

As is usual with NOVOFLEX-parts, the Auto Reversing can be attached to the other universal bellows BALPRO T/S with Tilt/Shift movements, as well as the CASTBAL-PRO Bellows attachment to form full-fledged Auto Bellows again.