Fujifilm Fujinon GF 45mm F2.8 R WR Review

The Fujifilm GFX medium format camera system is a relatively young one, and the company is still working to fill in the gaps in its lens system.

Early adopters had a single choice when it came to an all-around prime lens, the GF 63mm F2.8 R WR.

It's now joined by the Fujinon GF 45mm F2.8 R WR ($1,699), which covers a wider angle of view, roughly equivalent to a 35mm lens on a full-frame system.

It's another excellent performer, and a fine option for any GFX owner.

Between Wide and Standard

The GF 45mm F2.8 ( at Amazon) is a relatively small lens when you consider its medium format coverage.

It measures 3.5 by 3.3 inches (HD), supports 62mm front filters, and weighs 1.1 pounds.

It balances quite well on the slimmer of the two available GFX cameras, the rangefinder-styled 50R.

As with other GF lenses, the 45mm is finished in matte black.

It's also protected from the elements—internal seals keep dust and moisture out of the lens and out of your camera.

The manual focus ring is rubber, with ridges to make it easier to grip and turn.

There is also an aperture control ring; it's bare metal, but is also ridged.

Fujifilm has put optical stabilization into some of its GF lenses, but it's absent here.

There isn't a stabilized alternative available, so you'll just have to live without the feature, at least for the time being.

The company is developing a model with a stabilized 100MP sensor, but we don't know when it will arrive or how much it will cost.

The minimum focus distance is 17.7 inches (45cm).

I didn't find it too limiting.

Macro shots are out of the question, and you'll have to pull back a little bit to snap a photo of your fancy dinner plate.

But it's absolutely fine for documentary and street work—a segment that Fujifilm is targeting with the GFX 50R.

The Word of the Day Is Sharp

Fujifilm has stated that its lenses are designed to meet the needs of future, 100MP sensors, but those aren't on the market as of yet.

There is no question that the 45mm keeps up with the current 50MP designs used by the GFX 50S and 50R ($4,499.00 at Amazon) .

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At f/2.8 the lens delivers excellent resolution across the frame, notching 4,445 lines in an Imatest evaluation.

Edges show just as much detail as the center of the frame.

Stopping down to f/4 increases the average resolution to 5,185 lines, which is an outstanding result on a 50MP sensor.

Resolution plateaus starting at f/5.6 (5,464 lines) through f/8 (5,435 lines), f/11 (5,562 lines), and f/16 (5,365 lines).

Diffraction comes into play starting at f/22 (4,594 lines) and continuing through the minimum f/32 aperture (3,235 lines), so you should avoid stopping down to that extent.

Barrel distortion is visible, but at 1.2 percent not overwhelming.

It's very easily corrected using software tools.

There is a slight drop in illumination at the corners (-1EV) at f/2.8, but the minor issue disappears at f/4 and all smaller apertures.

Another Fine GF Lens

I've yet to use a Fujifilm GF lens with disappointing image quality.

The GF 45mm F2.8 R WR is no exception.

It is impeccably sharp, shows very little distortion, and only exhibits a slight vignette at its widest aperture.

Add weather sealing, manual aperture control, and a rather compact build and there's not a lot to complain about.

There are some things that aren't perfect.

The lack of stabilization is one—future bodies may include IBIS, but as of now those cameras aren't available for sale.

The close focus distance is another; it's just a little long for my taste.

You'll need to lean back for certain shots, instead of leaning in.

And there's price.

The Fujifilm system is a bargain when compared with competing medium format options, but both cameras and lenses carry a premium over similar options for full-frame systems.

But that's simply what you're going to live with if you opt to move beyond 35mm format photography.