Reader Comment: “had I read your article before, I surely could have spared money and disappointment before buying”
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Alberto D writes:
Dear Mr. Chambers,
I’m reading your site with great interest and your articles are more than helpful—thumbs up for your great work.
I have recently switched from Canon EOS 5Ds R to the Fujifilm GFX-50S system. I’m happy but I wasn’t aware of the weakness of the Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 lens and bought it. I have the Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 and the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2, which are good—maybe I was lucky no focus issues at the moment.
I have kept three Leica R lenses that I’ve used with Canon. The Leica 280/2.8 APO-Telyt-R with the 50 GFX-50R was terrible but It has a lens separation problem discovered by a Technician—very disappointing considering the original cost of the lens.
The 100/2,8 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R is ok but not so good as I expected, and the 50 Summicron shows vignetting from 5,6.
Having read your articles before I surely could have spared money and disappoint...
Many thanks have a nice day— Alberto D
DIGLLOYD: the Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 is a very good lens (I’d have no objection to having a good sample), but it does have some mild field curvature and focus shift issues—perfectly reasonable in context, but I prefer the flatter field and freedom from focus shift of the Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5. Plus the 50/3.5 is a much better pairing with the Fujifilm GF 80mm f/1.7. Because anything but negligible focus shift or field curvature a Big Deal on a 100-megapixel sensor with 3.76 micron pixels—a big PITA. Even the 50/3.5 has a little field curvature towards the corners.
Adapting 35mm-format lenses
I do not recommend any 35mm-format lenses on the Fujifilm medium format system. Yes, a rare few do reasonably well stopped down to f/8 or f/11 (ugh), but most are a waste of time—inadequate coverage and/or massive field curvature outside the 35mm frame and so on. As well as awkwared to use.
Introduction to Adapting Lenses to Fujifilm GFX: Overview and Experience with Zeiss DSLR Lenses
Evaluating 9 Top-End 35mm DSLR Lenses on the Fujifilm GFX
Adapting Lenses to the Fujifilm GFX
Even a good sample of the Leica 280mm f/ 4 APO-Telyt-R cannot take a sharp image if there is shutter vibration—for example on Leica M240 it as a disaster at any speed under 1/500. Be sure to use the electronic shutter.