Camera

Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR Evaluate

15/09/2023

Introduction

The GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is a really quick, customary prime lens for the Fujifilm GFX medium-format mirrorless digicam system.

This lens provides a focal size of 44mm in 35mm time period and an aperture vary of f/1.7-f/22.

The focal size of 55mm is identical because the diagonal measurement of the e large-format sensor, utilized in GFX cameras, which has dimensions of 43.8mm x 32.9mm, offering a discipline of view which is near that of human imaginative and prescient, thereby making a extra pure perspective.

The utmost aperture of f/1.7 makes it the joint-world’s brightest lens with autofocus for medium format mirrorless digital cameras, together with the GF 80mm F1.7. R WR lens.

It’s comprised of 14 components in 10 teams together with together with two ED components and two aspherical components and it is the primary ever GF lens to have 11 rounded aperture blades for ultra-smooth bokeh.

This lens has a dust-, freeze- and weather-sealed bodily development that is sealed in 9 completely different locations and is able to working in environments as chilly as -10°C. The entrance component includes a fluorine coating to assist repel mud, dust, and moisture.

The Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is priced at £2249 / €2599 / $2299 within the UK, Europe and US respectively.

Ease of Use

With a most diameter of 94.7mm, a size of 99.3mm and a weight of 780g / 1.72 lb, the Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is comparatively compact and light-weight contemplating the very quick most aperture of f/1.7 that it provides.

It would not really feel significantly unwieldy when mounted on the equally new Fuji GFX 100 II digicam that we examined it with, with even one-handed use not out of the query!

As with the entire the opposite GF lenses that we have beforehand reviewed, the construct high quality of the Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is great. The lens is mud, freeze and moisture resistant and it includes a metallic bayonet.

The Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR lens is comprised of 14 components in 10 teams together with together with two ED components and two aspherical components and it accepts 77mm filters through metallic threads.

Be aware that there is no such thing as a built-in optical picture stabilisation on this lens, so be certain that to decide on a suitably quick shutter pace when hand-holding the digicam/lens.

The focusing ring may be very extensive, buttery {smooth} and fantastically well-damped in motion with out being free, and it has a ridged, rubberised grip band. There aren’t any “onerous stops” at both finish of the 50cm-infinity focus vary although.

It has a really giant rotation angle which allows exact focusing and strikes easily with none play. Two completely different focusing aids are supplied – auto magnification and focus peaking.

Along with the GFX 100 II’s high-resolution digital viewfinder, we discovered it very straightforward to precisely decide vital sharpness when manually focusing.

Auto-focusing is acceptably fast and quiet given the entire glass inside this lens. It may’t fairly match the pace and silence of the linear AF motor discovered within the GF 110mm lens, which might be the benchmark GF lens relating to auto-focusing.

As an alternative the GF 55mm makes use of what Fujifilm have termed an “developed” DC motor. This makes the auto-focus operation each quieter and quicker to alter from its close to focus level of 50cm to infinity and again once more than, say, the same GF 80mm F1.7 R WR lens.

We did not expertise an excessive amount of “searching”, with the lens precisely focusing nearly the entire time, even in low-light situations.

Focusing is usefully inside and handbook focusing is feasible when set through the digicam physique. Full-time handbook focus override is accessible at any time just by rotating the main target ring, if specified within the menu system, or you may set the focusing change on the digicam physique to M, C or S.

The Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR lens has a conventional aperture ring on the lens barrel which lets you set the aperture in 1/3 steps, full with full aperture markings. The aperture can be proven within the viewfinder or on the LCD display screen as you alter it.

The aperture ring is properly damped and makes a particular click on as you alter the setting. The aperture ring toggles between auto aperture management (the ring is about to A) or handbook aperture management (the change is about to one of many aperture values) or the C (Command) place which lets you set the aperture through the digicam physique fairly than the lens.

A delicate material bag, entrance and rear lens caps, and a big plastic petal-shaped lens hood are provided as customary within the field.

Focal Vary

The 55mm focal size offers an angle of view of 52.9° levels, which is equal to a focal size of 44mm on a 35mm full-frame sensor digicam.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, sometimes seen as purple or blue fringes alongside contrasty edges, are obvious in very high-contrast photographs, significantly when taking pictures wide-open at f/1.7.

Gentle Fall-off

Gentle fall-off is kind of noticeable extensive open at f/1.7, although this could simply be corrected in Photoshop. Cease all the way down to f/4 and the vignetting is already a lot much less outstanding, however it’s nonetheless seen when taking pictures pale scenes that fill the body.

Distortion

With a typical focal size of 44mm (35mm equal), we would not anticipate this lens to have too many issues with distortion.

Our pattern photographs point out that to be the case, with little or no barrel or pincushion distortion seen.

Macro

A minimal focus distance of 50cm / 1.6′ and a most magnification ratio of 0.17x would not make the lens significantly helpful for taking pictures shut topics, though the quick most aperture does at the very least make it straightforward to isolate the topic.

Bokeh

With a most aperture of f/1.7, the Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is the joint-fastest GF lens presently accessible, and it generates extremely {smooth} out of focus areas due to having11 rounded aperture blades and naturally that giant format picture sensor.

Bokeh is nonetheless a reasonably subjective a part of a lens’ picture high quality, so try these examples to see the GF 55mm F1.7 R WR’s bokeh high quality for your self.