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

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WATCH Fujifilm X Summit NOW: Fujifilm GFX100 II, GF55mmF1.5, GF Tilt Shift and MORE – LIVE on FujiRumors

Fujifilm X Summit – LIVE COVERAGE
(refresh for updates)

Fujifilm X Summit – The Full Coverage Live!
SUMMARY + SCREENSHOTS

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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

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Fujifilm Launches New GFX Deals with up to $1,800 Savings

Fujifilm has launched huge Fujifilm GFX camera and lens deals. You can save up to $1,800. Here are the deals:

Cashback Deals*

Purchase a GFX50SII body or GFX50SII body with lens kit, with up to three eligible Fujinon GF lenses and save up to $1,800. To submit your claim click here.

COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFYING GF LENSES

Some combo samples:

Excluded GF Lenses: GF50mm3.5 R LM WR lens and GF20-35mmF4 R WR lens

Instant Rebate

* APPLICABLE OFFER TERMS

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NEW DEALS: Save up to $500 on Fujinon GF Lenses and Freebies with XF/XC/MKX Lenses and X-T4 Purchase

Well, now it’s your turn to try to resist to GAS ;). I failed in less than 48 hours and grabbed a discounted Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 here in Italy.

The latest temptations you shall try to resist better than I did are:

The gear that gives you access to the deals is:

GFX Gear

Buy within April 3 and submit your claim by May 3.

X Gear

Buy within March 27 and submit your claim by April 26.

Deal Details

These are mail-in rebates (except for GFX50R). So buy your gear now, submit your claim and then you’ll receive your money back in form of a pre-paid MasterCard (for the GF lens deals) or get your freebie (for XF/XC lens deals).

BHphoto has all the instruction on how to submit your claim next to each item in offer: just click “rebate available” and then “view details“.

Similar deals run also in Europe here.

RUMOR, NEWS and COMMUNITY

Oops I did it Again: I Bought my Dream Lens and Here is Why

image taken with Fujifilm X-T4 and XF80mmF2.8
image taken with Fujifilm X-T4 and XF80mmF2.8

I Failed

I tried, but I failed.

And I failed in less than 48 hours.

I am afraid too many of you guys know what I talk about: try to resist to G.A.S!

It all started February 1st, when Fujifilm launched new deals here in Italy (and all over Europe). And to my surprise, the deals included one of my top 3 Fujifilm items on my 2022 wishlist.

Less than 48 hours after the launch of deals, I found myself at my local photography store, my credit card flying over the sales counter and in my bag a box containing the Fujinon GF50mmF3.5.

And don’t worry, my wife approved this purchase… now all I need is her to approve also my other two Fuji-dreams gear 2022, meaning this camera and this lens ;).

I am Happy I Failed :)

Here is why I bought it, and I am so excited about this lens.

As you know, last year I bought into the Fujifilm GFX system by treating myself with a Fujifilm GFX100S and Fujinon GF32-64mmF4.

My main application for this wonderful combo is landscape photography.

So how is that working out?

Well, my go-to bag for hiking is my Camslinger Outdoor. I love the practicality of it to a point, that I won’t buy gear (for landscape photography) that does not fit in there. And despite having a sensor about 70% larger than full frame, the GFX100S with GF32-64mmF4 still fits!

So, for me, this combo is compact enough, and I can easily make my usual 4 to 6 hours hike with the GFX100S and GF32-64 on my hips.

Why do I say this?

Because I want to make clear that I don’t perceive the GFX100S with GF32-64 as too big for the purpose of landscape photography, especially considering what it is: a 100 megapixel medium format system that I can carry around all day on my hips. It’s frankly amazing.

But while it is a surprisingly compact combo for the purpose of landscape photography, the GFX100S combined with the GF32-64mmF4 is not small enough for my taste to bring it with me for more casual shooting, may it be for my street photography or to document my family life.

By getting the Fujinon GF50mmF3.5, though, the whole combo gets substantially smaller and lighter, making it much more portable and easier to pick also for casual photography.

And to be clear: my well-equipped APS-C system is and remains king when it comes to flexibility, performance and value for money. I still take my X system with me on hikes, on my travels, on my day trips with family and I also blindly trust it in crucial moments like when I had to photography my first wedding.

But owning the GF50mmF3.5 simply gives me more options and opportunities to pick up my GFX100S more often if I want to.

I am very happy with my purchase and I can’t wait to use use it comprehensively starting with this weekend.

We (my family and me) are probably going to the town of Sirmione this Saturday. I have never been there and can’t wait to test my new lens in such a wonderful little lake town.

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

Save up to €500 on Fujinon GF Lenses, GFX Full Frame Trade-In Deal and X-T4/X-T3 Savings in Europe

New deals are spreading all over Europe (in addition to the ones already running).

As usual, there might be slight difference according to different European countries, but often they more or less match each other.

I will list below the deals for Germany and UK.

Germany

GF Lens Deals – End March 31

X-T4 and X-T3 Deals – End March 31

UK

Full list of X and GFX deals here – End March 31

GFX Gear

X Gear

  • X-S10 (save £100)
  • X-T4 body or with XF18-55 or with XF16-80 (save £150)
  • X-T3 body or with XF18-55 or with XF16-80 (save £100)

 

The Guardian Nominates Fujifilm Shooter and WPP Award Winner Yasuyoshi Chiba “Agency Photographer of the Year”

image courtesy - Yasuyoshi Chiba (via The Guardian)
image courtesy – Yasuyoshi Chiba (via The Guardian)

Do you remember when back in 2020, photographers using Fujifilm X and GFX gear creamed off tons of prestigious awards at the World Press Photo Awards, including the top spots for the two most prestigious categories, World Press Photo of the Year and World Press Photo Story of the Year?

Well, Yasuyoshi Chiba, the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year, who took this amazing image with his Fujifilm X-H1, has now been nominated “Agency Photographer of the Year” by The Guardian.

Congratulations again to Yasuyoshi Chiba and make sure to check out his instagram here, where all the images shared so far are taken with the Fujifilm X-H1 and Fujifilm GFX100.

As for the images in this specific reportage from Tigray (Ethiopia), Yasuyoshi Chiba used his GFX gear with the one lens I dream to own for my GFX100S, the Fujinon GF50mm f/3.5.

For the full article check out TheGuardian here.

One more thing:

Yasuyoshi Chiba is planning to do photo exhibition of the images of Tigray from Ethiopia (and Sudan for refugees) in February and March, both at Fuji’s imaging plaza (below is info, in japanese though). Pictures at the exhibition are all taken by GFX100+GF50mm.

Some Fuji Pro Work:

Not enough? Well, then know that photographers using Fujifilm cameras also…

  • won the world wildlife photography award (story here)
  • made the cover of the TIME magazine (story here)
  • won the World Photography Arts&Culture Award 2015 (story here)
  • won the First Prize of the World Press Photo Category “Stories (stroy here)
  • made the front page of the Wall Street Journal (story here)
  • were good enough for God’s work (story here)
  • captured America’s most hated man (story here)
  • distracted a French presidential candidate during his interview (story here)

Hey Jared… are you really sure about that Fuji, LOL? ;)

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Top 3 Fujifilm Gear I’d Love to Buy in 2022

I think I can say that in 2021 I’ve done a decent part in supporting Fujifilm with my hard earned money, as here is the Fujifilm gear I’ve purchased:

For as much as Fujifilm made medium format accessible to the masses, buying into the 100 Megapixel GFX system still requires a significant investment. It’s worth every penny, but it’s not cheap.

So in 2022 I will try to contain my GAS as much as possible and be cautious with my purchases (do I hear you guys laughing?? ;) )

And yet, there is some gear I’d love to buy in 2022. And I mean gear that is either already announced, available or at least on the Fujifilm roadmap for 2022. So this is not about rumored gear.

  1. Fujinon GF 50mm f/3.5
    One of the main declared goals by Fujifilm is to make the GFX system smaller. A huge step in this direction was made with the Fujifilm GFX100S, which is already smaller than some full frame mirrorless cameras out there (see the Panasonic S1R) and about as big as the Canon R5. Sure, the GFX lenses are usually bigger, just as Full Frame lenses are usually bigger than APS-C lenses. Well, the Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 serves exactly the purpose to make the system smaller and mounted on my GFX100S, it could give me a very nice combo that I would probably end up carrying with me more often also for casual family stuff. And hey, I need 2 more GFX lenses to reach the average GFX shooters’ lens attachment rate* ;)
  2. Fujifilm X100V
    I mean, just look at it. It’s of a beauty matched maybe only by some Leica cameras. The only problem here is that I own the Fujifilm X-E3 with XF27mmF2.8 R WR, so the Fujifilm X100V would become a bit redundant in my lineup. And yet, it would not only be about its beauty. It also has the pull-up ISO dial from the X-Pro line that I totally love. Combined with WCL-100 II and TCL-100 II it would give me a compact and versatile leaf shutter mini-system. And just like the X-E4 it has that “invisible” tilt LCD screen that I could make good use of every now and then.
  3. Fujinon XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6
    You might know how much Iove my XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6, especially when mounted on my X-T4 (you can see the combo here on the Dolomites). But in 2022 I’d love to get a bit more into a photographic territory I haven’t explored much yet, wildlife photography. That’s why a bit more reach could come in handy then the one the 18-135 can offer me. There are some options here: from the XF200mmF2 to the XF100-400 to the XF150-600mm that is on the roadmap. And why not, also the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 could be a nice option. But taking into account prize and size, I think the  XF70-300mm f/4-5.6 could be a reasonable choice to start with. And for even more reach I could couple it with the XF 1.4x TC WR Teleconverter.

Bonus

Related Article

The Gear

*From the Interview “Fujifilm Manager: GFX Triumph and Full Frame Attack Strategy, Shrinking IBIS, AI Future, Fuji X-H2 Needs Breakthrough, COVID and More”

  • 70-80% of GFX customers were coming from non-Fuji cameras. Most probably from full frame DSLR cameras
  • GFX sells 50% better than Fujifilm predicted
  • GFX lens attachment rate: about 3 lenses per 1 GFX camera
  • Fujifilm X system has a lower lens attachment rate than GFX system
  • read more in this article