Hands-on with upcoming Fujifilm XF and GF lenses
We`re in Dubai, where Fujifilm is showing off pre-production and prototype samples of three upcoming lenses - the GF 50mm F3.5 - a compact, lightweight standard lens for medium format - the XF 16mm F2.8, and the XF 16-80mm F4 - both of which designed for the company`s range of APS-C format X-series cameras.
Click through for an exclusive first look at all three, including detailed specifications.
Fujinon GF 50mm F3.5 LM WR
First up is the GF 50mm F3.5, which was placed on Fujifilm`s GF roadmap back in September. Shown here on the medium-format GFX 50R, the GF 50mm F3.5 covers a focal length equivalent to 40mm in 35mm terms, making it a so-called `normal` standard lens. In terms of subject isolation, you can think of it as offering F2.8 full-frame equivalent depth-of-field, thanks to the reverse 0.79x crop factor. As you can see, for a lens designed for a modern medium-format system, it`s impressively small.
Even more impressive when you consider that the GF 50mm F3.5 contains nine elements in six groups, including one aspherical element. Note the small front element - more on that in a minute.
Fujinon GF 50mm F3.5 LM WR
An ideal companion for the (relatively) compact GFX 50R, the 50mm F3.5 provides a versatile and very portable solution for day to day photography. Autofocusing performance seems good, from our brief time with this pre-production sample, and focus acquisition is fast and quiet. Manual focus (as with all GF lenses) is `focus by wire`, via the slim focus ring towards the front of the lens.
Fujinon GF 50mm F3.5 LM WR
This shot shows the rear element of the GF 50mm F3.5. Compare this with the markedly small front element, and you might spot a theme with modern prime lenses designed for mirrorless systems. The short flange back and wide diameters of dedicated mirrorless camera mounts compared to legacy SLR systems allow optical designers to ...
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