Big test
PERFORMANCE: GF35-70MMF/4.5-5.6WR
SPECS › Price £849
› Focal length Equivalent 28- 55mm coverage in full-frame › Aperture range F/4.5-5.6 to f/32 › Diaphragm Nine blades › Construction 11 elements in nine groups, one aspherical and two ED elements › Minimum focus 35cm › Filter size 62mm › Dimensions (dxl) 84.9x73.9mm (collapsed position) › Weight 390g The GF35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR is impressive – just the ticket as a general, all-round lens. At its price, it plays the part of the ideal, entry-standard lens to get you into the Fujifilm GFX ecosystem. And it’s relevant to existing owners, too, for those travel-light occasions. The lens is an even better deal when bought with the GFX 50S II.
ROTATE FOR OPTIONS The PASM dial is large and can be locked, if preferred. There are also six custom modes, so if your photography involves hopping from one subject genre to another, these could improve workflow
combines very nicely with the GFX 50S II or GFX 100S. Turn the camera on with the lens in its retracted position. You get a warning in the EVF/monitor to unlock the lens, which is done by rotating the zoom barrel. The zoom ring is smooth and nicely taut. One quarter of a rotation takes you elegantly from 35mm to 70mm. Autofocus is swift, and the lens meshes well with GFX 50S II’s features, such as face detection.
Fujifilm’s latest addition to its GF lens family is the GF35-70mm f/4.5- 5.6 WR, which gives the equivalent of 28-55mm coverage in the 35mm format. It’s the smallest and lightest zoom lens in the system. For portability, it collapses to 73.9mm and extends to 96.4mm at the 35mm setting, and is sealed to give dust and moisture resistance. It’s the perfect walkaround lens to go with the GFX System, and suits scenic, street and people photography equally. Physically, it
I enjoyed testing the GFX 50S II, because it just delivered without undue fuss. I treated it like a smaller format camera, shooting mostly handheld, and was very pleased with how the exposure, focus and image stabilisation systems performed – although AWB had a tendency to be on the cool side. The new 35- 70mm zoom performed with great credit, too, and made for a lovely walkaround lens. WC
using the focus lever or touchscreen to move the AF zone/point around the image – or pressing in the lever to select AF point. AF accuracy rated highly, even on my evening walks when relying on street lighting to compose and focus. Ensuring the focus point was aimed at a hard edge, or area with tone, was all that was needed. Face/eye detection was not as sensitive or tenacious as the latest full-frame models, but still capable.
35MM
50MM
70MM
F/4.2
F/4.2
F/5
F/5
F/5.6
F/5.6
Final word
Verdict If your end goal is to shoot digital medium format, you would be naive to think it can be done cheaply. However, the fact remains that – for what it offers, and in the arena where it resides – the GFX 50S II is simply brilliant value for money. It gives more people, scenic and studio photographers the opportunity to enjoy this specialised format. Priced at £3899 with the GF35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR, this is still serious money. But the pair offer incredible cost and excellent all-round performance, in a form factor that’s comparable to full-frame. 24 /25 FEATURES This might be a ‘budget’ medium format camera, but that doesn’t mean it skimps on features – there are plenty here
F/5.6
F/5.6
F/5.6
F/5.6
F/8
F/8
F/8
F/8
F/8
F/8
F/11
F/11
F/11
F/11
F/11
F/11
F/16
F/16
23 /25 HANDLING
This is a compact body for the format, and control layout promotes lovely handling
F/16
F/16
F/16
F/16
F/22
F/22
23 /25 PERFORMANCE
Wonderful-quality image files, high ISO performance, powerful IBIS, decent AF
24 /25 VALUE FOR MONEY
For a medium format digital camera, £3499 is a great price – but it’s all relative, of course
F/22
F/22
F/22
F/22
F/32
F/32
94 /100 OVERALL
An excellent camera that will appeal to people, scenic and studio shooters
PROS Price, handling, form factor, image quality, IBIS, customisation options, low vibration and quiet shutter, dual-tilt monitor, good supporting lens system, USB-C charging, two SD card slots CONS No separate battery charger supplied, Full HD video only, electronic shutter prone to rolling shutter
QUALITY PERFORMER This standard zoom performed well, especially at the wider apertures, where sharpness and detail rendition were top quality. And it gets even better one or two f/stops down
F/32
F/32
F/32
F/32
50 Photography News | Issue 94
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