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30mm

Updates:
06/30/2020: Gallery Images added
08/18/2020: Field Test added

 

Fujinon GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR Field Test

Wide-angle prime lens delivers great sharpness across the frame

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 08/18/2020

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/4, 1/320s, ISO 400. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Since the launch of the Fujifilm GFX medium format camera system, which initially featured the GFX 50S camera body and a trio of Fujinon GF lenses, Fujifilm has consistently expanded its lineup with a strong mix of focal lengths and price points. In total, including the new GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens, there are 11 native GF lenses, eight of which are prime lenses. It's a strong start for a medium format camera system.

The GF 30mm lens has an equivalent focal length of 24mm in 35mm terms, making it a classic wide-angle prime lens. The 84.7° field of view is well-suited to a variety of photographic applications, including landscapes, nature images and environmental portraiture. The GF lens is quite compact and one of the most portable lenses in the GF lineup.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/350s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Alongside the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera, the time spent out in the field with the GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR was enjoyable. Let's take a close look at how the lens performs in a variety of situations.

Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR Key Features and Specs

• Wide-angle prime lens for Fujifilm GFX medium format camera system
• 24mm equivalent focal length
• 84.7° field of view
• Aperture range of f/3.5-f/32
• 9 rounded aperture diaphragm blades
• Minimum focus distance of 1.05 feet (32 centimeters), resulting in 0.15x maximum magnification
• 13 elements in 10 groups, including a pair of extra-low dispersion elements
• 58mm filter thread
• Weighs 1.12 pounds (510 grams)
• $1,700 USD MSRP

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/200s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Lens Design and Handling

The Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens is quite small for a medium format lens, with a length of just 3.31 inches (84 millimeters) and a maximum diameter of 3.9 in. (99.4mm). The lens weighs a relatively low 1.12 pounds (510g) and balances very well on the GFX 50S. Having shot with both the GFX 50R and GFX 100, I think that the lens would pair well with both camera bodies, as well.

The GF 30mm shares the same design as all other Fujinon GF lenses, meaning it has a semi-glossy black metal barrel, a ridged rubberized focus ring and a dedicated aperture control ring. The aperture control ring, per usual, features engraved and painted aperture markings. Further, the aperture ring has distinct clicks as you rotate between each available aperture setting, which makes it easy to select the desired aperture without necessarily looking at the ring. The lens is weather resistant and includes a dust- and weather-sealed construction. Specifically, the lens is sealed at nine locations, including at the lens mount.

One aspect of this lens, and other GF lenses, that I don't like is that it utilizes a focus-by-wire design. Focusing is done all electronically. The result is that there's a digital focus scale on the camera, but no physical focus scale on the lens itself. Further, the amount of focus throw as you get on the focusing ring depends upon the speed with which you rotate the ring, which can take a little getting used to and makes precise focus throws very difficult. This is a matter of personal preference, but I find the focus ring on GF lenses to rotate a bit too loosely.

The GF 30mm is well-built, allowing for comfortable shooting even on rainy days.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/500s, ISO 640. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the field, the lens feels well-constructed, and the included detachable petal-shaped lens hood works well. The lens has a 58mm filter thread as well, which means that filters won't be too large or expensive. Overall, it is a well-built and intelligently designed lens. I particularly appreciate the compact and lightweight design, especially because it doesn't come at the expense of usability or function.

Image Quality and Performance: Impressive performance at f/3.5 across the frame

The Fujinon GF lens includes 13 lens elements across 10 groups. Of these elements, two are extra-low dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing throughout the aperture range and the focus range. The resulting image quality is very good, even when shooting wide open at f/3.5.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/55s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sharpness

Before evaluating the sharpness of the Fujinon GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens, I must point out a couple of things. The lens I used was a pre-release version, however, it was running firmware version 1.0. Fujifilm has asked me to label my files as beta files, and I have done so, but I also feel confident in evaluating the quality of the lens due to its firmware version and also because the performance is excellent across the board.

The test shots below were manually focused and shot on a Fujifilm GFX 50S. Like all GF lenses, the GF 30mm f/3.5 has been designed to work on sensors with 100 megapixels, such as the GFX 100. The 100 percent crops have been taken from raw files processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings, save for white balance, which has been set to 'Daylight' for all images.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/3s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

When shooting wide open at f/3.5, the center sharpness performance of the GF 30mm f/3.5 lens is excellent. There is very good detail, color and contrast. Further, even high-contrast edges display little to no aberrations or issues with fringing.

Stopping the lens down slightly to f/4 adds a small amount of additional detail, but the increase in contrast is more noticeable to my eyes. At f/5.6 and f/8, the story is much the same, with the lens performing very well.

At f/11 and beyond, the impact of diffraction becomes more noticeable. It reaches what I would consider concerning at f/16 and downright problematic at f/22 and f/32. This is nothing unusual, of course, but it is worth keeping in mind when you want to stop down the lens considerably for additional depth of field or slower shutter speeds.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/680s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/680s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/11, 1/60s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Having used every Fujinon GF lens to date, I have come to expect excellent center sharpness, even when shooting at maximum aperture, but excellent corner performance is not always guaranteed, as it is a much more challenging engineering task. I'm happy to report that the GF 30mm f/3.5 passes the corner sharpness test. At f/3.5, corner sharpness is very good. Performance with an f/4 aperture is great as well. At f/5.6, there is a very slight increase in detail at the extremes of the frame. Overall, the performance in the corners with the GF 30mm is excellent.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/680s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent top left corner crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent top left corner crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/11, 1/60s, ISO 100. Sharpness Test Image, 100 percent top left corner crop. This image has been converted and processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The Fuji GF 30mm f/3.5 lens is a very sharp wide-angle prime lens. When shooting wide open, the entire frame presents very good detail. You can increase sharpness and contrast slightly by stopping down to f/4. Ultimately, the lens performs best from f/3.5 through f/11, and I would feel confident using any aperture within this range.

Autofocus: Quick and quiet

The internal design of the lens not only benefits image quality, but the compact focusing group also results in quick autofocus speeds, too. Autofocus performance on the GFX 50S was quick, quiet and precise.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. The GF 30mm f/3.5 is not a macro lens, but it can focus pretty closely.

In terms of close-focusing, the GF 30mm f/3.5 is not bad considering the type of lens it is. It can focus as close as 1.05 feet (32 centimeters), which results in a maximum magnification of 0.15x. It's far from a macro lens, but the minimum focus distance is plenty good for nature, landscape and environmental portraiture.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 5.3s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR Field Test Summary

Another great lens in the Fujifilm GFX system

What I like most about the GF 30mm f/3.5 lens:

• Impressive build quality and overall feel
• Very good image quality
• Quick autofocus

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/3s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I dislike about the GF 30mm f/3.5 lens:

• Seems slightly expensive
• I do not like the focus-by-wire aspect of the GFX system

The GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens is a very good lens. It offers a slightly wider field of view and faster aperture than the GF 32-64mm f/4 in exchange for versatility and reach. Likewise, the 30mm f/3.5 delivers strong wide-angle performance in a much smaller and lighter package than the GF 23mm f/4 in exchange for less field of view. If a portable wide-angle prime lens is what's missing from your GFX kit, then the GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens is just what the doctor ordered. It's enjoyable to use in the field, and overall performance is great.

Shot on Fujifilm GFX 50S at 30mm (24mm equiv.), f/6.4, 1/30s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

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Product Overview

(From Fujifilm lens literature) FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the launch of the FUJINON GF30mmF3.5 R WR (GF30mmF3.5 R WR), a wide-angle prime lens with a focal length equivalent of 24mm (in the 35mm film format) for the FUJIFILM GFX System of large format*1 digital cameras.

With its dust and weather-resistant design, the GF30mmF3.5 R WR caters to a variety of shooting styles including landscapes, architecture, as well as casual snapshots on the move. “This lens is a great compliment to our existing series of GF lenses and gives image-makers a great wide-angle option for landscapes, architecture, or wide environmental portraits,” said Victor Ha, senior director, marketing and product management with the Electronic Imaging Division of FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “We are really excited to see the images our community will make with this lens.”

Main product features:

Image quality

The lens consists of thirteen lens elements in ten groups, including two aspherical elements and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements. The high-performance lens groups are positioned to control various aberrations, especially distortion to which wide- angle lenses are prone, to achieve edge-to-edge sharpness. The lens is able to resolve an impressive amount of detail, compatible with 100MP sensors -- “enabling the photographer to re-create the atmosphere of each scene with a sense of visual honesty and feeling,” said Ha.

Portability

This compact lens weighs approximately 18 ounces (510g) and measures 3.9 inches (99.4mm) with a maximum diameter of 3.3 inches (84mm). In addition, the slim design balances well on a GFX System camera, making it a perfect lens to carry on-the-go.

Performance

The new GF30mmF3.5 R WR lens uses an internal focusing system, offering fast and quiet autofocus (AF). Focus breathing is just 0.05%, making it a great lens for recording video. Like all of Fujifilm’s lenses in the GF family, the GF30mmF3.5 R WR incorporates Fujifilm’s optical design and production technology processes to achieve a sub-micron level precision lens surface. This allows the lens to bring out the full potential of the FUJIFILM GFX 50S and GFX 50R mirrorless digital cameras, as well as the 100MP image sensor of the FUJIFILM GFX 100.

Durability

The lens is sealed at nine locations to make it dust and weather-resistant. It can also be used in temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C), offering photographers peace-of-mind when shooting in inclement weather or dusty environments.

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Pricing & Availability

The GF30mmF3.5 R WR lens will be available in late July or early August in the U.S. and Canada for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of USD $1699.95 and CAD $2299.00. Click here for more information.