Fujifilm unveils new portrait and tilt-shift GF lenses plus future lens roadmap
Today’s X-Summit was truly all about taking Fujifilm’s medium format (or GFX) lineup forward. While the newly launched flagship GFX100 II received a host of upgrades strongly prioritizing speed, the company also launched three brand-new G-mount lenses for the GFX system, and announced plans for releasing two more in the near future. Let’s dive right in.
The first to be announced was the GF55mmF1.7 R WR, a portrait lens specially designed to create perfect bokeh, that Fujifilm claims is also great for street photography. With an aperture of f/1.7, it is one of the two brightest GF lenses (along with the GF80mmF1.7 R WR). The AF motor too is redesigned to be smoother and faster. With a full-frame equivalent focal length of 44 mm, its field of view is very close to that of the human eye, giving photos a natural look. This lens is priced at US$2299.
The next two lenses are of the tilt-shift type, which can correct issues with distortion, perspective and focal plane uniformity commonly encountered in landscape, architectural and still-life photography. The wide-angle GF30mmF5.6 T/S is designed for capturing landscapes, while the GF110mmF5.6 T/S Macro is suited for commercial product shots. Both lenses use high-quality optics optimized for Fujifilm’s medium format sensors, while maintaining a relatively compact form. The lenses send shift and tilt settings to the camera to be saved as EXIF data. The prices are US$3,999.95 for the GF30mm and US$3,499.95 for the GF110mm Macro.
Fujifilm also revealed its future roadmap with announcements of two upcoming lenses. The first is a 500 mm ultra-telephoto prime lens (launch planned in 2024) which, paired with the faster shooting and focussing GFX100 II, would be ideal for shooting wildlife and sports. The second is a power zoom lens with motorized control of focus, zoom and iris. The finer, smoother control on these parameters is most useful in video shooting. This lens will arrive in 2025.
