Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Lens Review
There are some exciting lenses in the Fujifilm range, and the medium format GF lenses are at the forefront of that innovation with two Tilt/Shift lenses. Two focal lengths are on offer, 30mm (“35mm equivalent” of 24mm) and 110mm (“35mm Equivalent” of 87mm). The first being put through our review process is the impressively complex looking 30mm, coupled up to the equally impressive GFX 100 II body, with its 100MP sensor. Let’s look at this in depth and see what the new lens offers and consider just how specialist it is, or maybe more universally useful than anticipated, and how it performs at a price level that demands high expectations.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Handling and Features
It is well understood that if we point a lens upwards at, say, a building then we will observe it appearing to fall over backwards, an effect known as converging verticals. If we photograph a diagonal line of objects then we need to stop down the lens as much as possible to make sure all are in focus, maximising our use of depth of field. The Tilt/Shift lens addresses these issues, which are not problems as such, but just the inevitability of the laws of optics.
Taking the issue of converging verticals, what the camera sees is of course optically correct, but that is not what our brains want to observe, so using shift to “correct” those converging verticals, although now optically incorrect, put things back to what we generally expect to see around us. Interestingly, this only works one way, vertically. If we take the example of railway lines receding into the distance, our eyes and brains accept the converging horizontals without question. To “correct” this effect would be quite bizarre. The lens enables shift of plus or minus 15mm, enough for most requirements.
As well as the tilt and shift functions the lens can also rotate as a complete unit, adding more versatility. This all comes together with the special tripod ring/mount that holds the camera and keeps the nodal point fixed as the lens is adjusted. The release mechanism is secure and the mount can be left on the tripod, giving an easy way to remove and replace the camera in position. The instructions caution against trapped fingers, and although with normal care this is unlikely to be a problem, there are numerous release catches, locking knobs and adjustment knobs as well as the lens tilting and shifting, so there is plenty going on that needs to be watched and operated properly.
Apart from the main body of the lens, with its maze of shift/tilt/rotate controls, the only other adornment is the manual focus ring, as this is indeed a manual focus lens, not surprisingly. Despite being only f/5.6, the focusing aids of the camera make manual focusing very straightforward. Again, Fujifilm caution that auto exposure may not be accurate when shifting and tilting, but in fact it does not seem to be too far adrift and easily corrected if necessary. Focusing is down to 0.3m, for a maximum magnification of 0.21x, around 1:5, and quite respectable for an ultra-wide lens.
Handling is best considered to be tripod mounted, both for precision in placing the various effects of lens movements and for the ease of selecting and adjusting the various components of what is a fairly complex set of controls. Having said that, Fujifilm have done well with the design and everything is very accessible, making the overall handling experience a very satisfactory one.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Performance
Central sharpness is outstanding from f/5.6 to f/8, excellent at f/11, very good at f/16, good at f/22 and fair at f/32. The edges are very good at f/5.6, excellent at f/8, very good at f/11, good at f/16 and fair at f/22 and f/32. This comparison relates well to the other GF lenses and there is an enormous amount of detail in the image files.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S MTF Charts
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How to read our MTF charts
The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.
For this review, the lens was tested on a Fujifilm GFX100 II using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?
CA (Chromatic Aberration) is also very impressive, centrally being close to zero. The edges are also kept well under control. Overall, CA is unlikely to be a problem and in any event there are software solutions should they be required.
Distortion is almost zero, actually measuring at +0.42% pincushion. This should be as close to rectilinear as will be needed for most subjects, but if necessary more correction could be applied in software.
Bokeh is pleasantly smooth and apart from the other qualities of the lens, we can add to that the medium format “look” that is so distinctive.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Chromatic Aberration Charts
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How to read our CA charts
Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens’ inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.
Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.
For this review, the lens was tested on a Fujifilm GFX100 II using Imatest.
Fujifilm’s coating technology is well proven and excellent. Even with the most severe lighting tests it is almost impossible to generate any significant artefacts.
Vignetting is present at relatively modest levels.
| Aperture | Vignetting |
| f/5.6 | -1.5 |
| f/8 | -1.4 |
| f/11 | -1.4 |
| f/16 | -1.2 |
| f/22 | -1.2 |
| f/32 | -1.2 |
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Sample Photos
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Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Aperture range
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Value For Money
The [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S|Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S[/AMUK] lens is priced at £3899.00
Alternatives within the GF system might be:
- [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Macro|Fujifilm Fujinon+lens[/AMUK], £3499
- [AMUK]Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift|Laowa+lens[/AMUK], £1159
- [AMUK]Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D Shift|Laowa+lens[/AMUK], £1129
- [AMUK]Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift|Laowa+lens[/AMUK], £1259
Although there are lower cost options, the range of control is shift only so the Fujifilm lenses look to be unique for the marque. As specialised lenses go, they look good VFM.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Verdict
If you need a tilt/shift lens for the Fujifilm GFX range and if you need the ultra-wide version, then the answer is clear. The lens produces gorgeously detailed images and has a wide range of adjustment, whilst remaining relatively good value for money. It would be a bit cumbersome to use just as an ultra-wide lens, or to try to use it hand held for extended periods, but fixed to a firm tripod it is an efficient and very usable optic. It is also true that for many users the Transform tool in Photoshop will provide a quick and easy method of adjusting convergence, at the cost of it stretching and reducing the field of view of an image and quite probably reducing quality as well. For those who want the very best result and can afford the cost of the shift/tilt lens, the new optic is a very fairly priced option.
In this respect, Highly Recommended.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Pros
- Superb sharpness and detail
- Low CA
- Virtually no distortion (rectilinear)
- Shift facility
- Tilt facility
- Rotate facility
- Excellent tripod mount
- Excellent handling when tripod mounted
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Cons
- Heavy and bulky
[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=5|R_handling=4.5|R_performance=5|R_value=4.5|R_overall=4.5|A_level=4.5|A_text=Highly Recommended – A highly efficient, high quality tilt and shift lens|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]
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Source: Photography News
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Lens Review
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