Fujifilm Fujinon GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR Review

Fujifilm announced the Fujinon GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR alongside the Fujifilm GFX 50 S II, a new 50Mp medium format mirrorless camera. At around 390g in weight, it’s designed to compliment the compact and lightweight build of the camera while still maintaining its weatherproofing.

On a camera with a sensor that measures 43.8 x 32.9mm, the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR has a focal length range that’s equivalent to a 28-55mm on a 35mm (full-frame) format camera. That makes it a wide-to-standard zoom and an attractive ‘walkaround’ lens.

Fujifilm constructs the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR from 11 elements arranged in 9 groups with one aspherical element and two ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) elements.

In a size, weight and cost-saving move the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR doesn’t have an aperture ring, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s weather-resistant and there are seals around the moving parts as well as the metal mount.

Focusing is achieved using a stepping motor (STM) system and when it’s mounted on the GFX 100 or GFX 100S, the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR is said to focus in 0.17 seconds.

Impressively, the minimum focus distance is 35cm from the sensor throughout the focal length range. That works out as working distance of around 25cm, so you can get close to your subject.

To make it more portable, the Fujifilm GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR has a collapsible design, so before using it, the zoom ring needs to be rotated to extend it to its operational length. The GFX 50S II informs you of this fact if you forget to extend the lens before you power up the camera.

Although it produces an image circle that covers a large sensor, the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR is remarkably compact and lightweight. It’s a world away from the big, heavy lenses that we tend to associate with medium format photography. It also makes a good pairing with the relatively compact GFX 100S and GFX 50S II.

I carried the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR mounted on the GFX 50S II for a couple of hours almost without noticing it on my shoulder.

While it has a metal mount, the barrel of the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR feels a bit more plastic than other GF lenses, but the focus and zoom rings move smoothly and easily.

I was able to shoot with the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR on the new Fujifilm GFX50S II for a couple of hours before their announcement and while I need to shoot more extensively with it to be certain, I’m pretty sure it would be on my shopping list if I was buying the GFX 50S II.

Although it’s small and light for a medium format zoom lens, the image quality doesn’t appear to be significantly compromised. There’s an excellent level of detail visible through the focal length range and neither curvilinear distortion not vignetting seem to be an issue. I’m also yet to find any chromatic aberration.

Follow the link to browse and download full-resolution images shot using the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR on the GFX50S II.