Fujifilm announces GF 100-200mm f/5.6 telephoto zoom lens for GFX medium-format system
posted Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 12:59 AM EDT
Fujifilm has announced that their newest GF lens, the Fujinon GF 100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR will hit store shelves on February 14. It will be the eighth Fujinon GF lens and the second zoom lens to join the medium-format GFX system.
Designed with outdoor photographers in mind, the GF 100-200mm f/5.6 lens features a durable and lightweight design and includes weather resistant construction. Given the GFX's large sensor, the 100-200mm lens provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 79-158mm, making it a great telephoto companion lens to the wider GF 32-64mm f/4 zoom lens (25-51mm equivalent).
Of the new GF 100-200mm, Yuji Igarashi, General Manager, Electronic Imaging Division and Optical Devices Division, Fujifilm North America, says, "Outdoor photographers need to consider a plethora of challenges including lighting, environment and timing -- all while battling the natural elements. As the first GF telephoto zoom lens that has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 79-158mm in a compact, weather-resistant design, this lens will meet the needs of outdoor and landscape photographers."
Looking closer at the lens' construction, it is sealed against dust and water in 10 areas and can be used in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Regarding its size, the lens weighs approximately 2.3 pounds (1,050 grams) and is 7.2 inches long (183 millimeters). The lens has a 67mm filter thread. Further, the lens has a rotating tripod foot which can be removed.
Optically, the lens includes a total of 20 elements that are spread across 13 groups. It includes a single aspherical element and a pair of Super ED elements. Interestingly, despite its f/5.6 maximum aperture, the lens is compatible with Fujifilm GF 1.4x TC WR teleconverter, which was previously compatible only with the GF 250mm f/4 lens. When using the teleconverter, the lens offers a 140-280mm focal length (in 35mm terms, this is a 111-221mm focal length range) and a maximum aperture of f/8.
The Fuji GF 100-200mm also offers optical image stabilization, which Fujifilm states is rated for up to five stops of shake correction, per CIPA guidelines. The autofocus system relies upon a linear motor and has been designed to be quiet and fast. Like the GF 250mm f/4 lens, it also has a mechanism to fix the linear motor in position when turning the camera off or utilizing the camera's playback mode. Regarding close focus capabilities, the lens can focus down to just under two feet (0.6 meters) at the shortest focal length and a little over five feet (1.6m) at the long end.
The Fujinon GF 100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR lens is scheduled to hit store shelves on February 14th with a suggested retail price of $1,999.95 USD in the United States and $2,599.99 CAD in Canada.
