Fujinon GF 120mm Macro Field Test: The only GFX macro lens is great & even better with extension tubes
posted Friday, July 27, 2018 at 12:30 PM EDT
Click here to read my Fujinon GF 120mm Macro Field Test
When the GFX 50S debuted, Fujifilm released three lenses alongside it, including the Fujinon GF 120mm f/4 R LM OIS WR Macro. Until recently, it was the only GF lens I had yet to use. I was excited to try the lens and see what type of resolving power it had.
As has proven to be par for the course with other GF lenses, the GF 120mm Macro is a very sharp lens. However, it is not a true 1:1 macro lens, instead only offering a 1:2 maximum reproduction ratio. At least that's the case when you don't use Fujifilm's new extension tubes for GF lenses. I also had the chance to try out each of the two new 18mm and 45mm extension tubes. With the 45mm extension tube attached, the GF 120mm becomes a 1:1 macro lens, which is very nice. In addition to the great optical performance, the lens also has Optical Image Stabilization, which proved to work well in the field.
There are some challenges with using a macro lens, such as regularly needing a tripod, working with a very shallow depth of field and more. With that said, this lens is worth the effort. Of course, you can also use it as a regular lens, and it delivers very nice performance in that way as well, thanks to some very nice bokeh and pretty good autofocus performance. To learn more about the pros and cons of the GF 120mm f/4 Macro lens, head over to my full Field Test.