Creative and technical education is a lifelong process and what better way to do it than workshops like the one I attended last Saturday at Sydney’s Ted’s World of Imaging.
The workshop was presented by an excellent teacher, Lindsay Poland.
I’ll write up my thoughts and experiences about ‘DJI – Introduction to Gimbals Workshop’ soon but in the meantime here are some photographs I made at Ted’s and in Hyde Park.
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“Join us for a live Q&A Session with Warwick Williams, National Digital Training Manager for Fujifilm Australia to learn more about the recently announced products. In particular, the Fujifilm GFX 50S II.
This webinar will include:
– Presentation of new introduced Fujifilm products
– Q&A with Warwick (Please send us all questions you’d ask him!)
With so many promising new products shown off in this year’s Fujifilm Summit, we have zeroed in on the items that gave us the most pleasure when watching the presentation video.
Here are some of my personal highlights.
Fujifilm GFX50S II and Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR, with Sara Lando
Fujifilm is now describing its medium format sensor camera and lens system as “large format” and rightly so given the results the company has been showing from its older and newer 50 megapixel and 100 megapixel cameras.
The GFX50S II’s micro-contrast is as close to that of analog sheet film in 4″x5″ and 8″x10″ formats and may even surpass it now.
Kudos to Fujifilm for featuring a female photographer using this camera the LCD monitor of which reminds me somewhat of a Linhof 120 roll-film view camera’s ground-glass screen.
Cue nostalgia for my editorial portrait days during the golden age of Australian magazine photography.
I miss some aspects of that work and that era but I most certainly do not miss carting around my Zone VI Studios cherrywood field camera, heavy Gitzo tripod, film holders and Broncolor three-light monobloc electronic flash kit along with a tripod and light stand case.
Actually, I do miss that gear and the results it gave me, but it looks like the GFX50S II, its IBIS and its bundled Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR (28mm to 55mm in 35mm format) would be a lot more fun to use for the environmental and close-up portraiture I loved to create so much back then.
Add the Fujinon GF 120mm f/4.0 R LM OIS WR Macro lens and you have a great two-lens kit for nearly all forms of portrait photography from extreme close-up to moderately wide environmental.
I am pleased to see that Fujifilm will finally be coming up with its first GF tilt/shift lens given my magazine editorial close-up portrait style relied on view cameras’ swing, shift and tilt image shaping and focus shifting capabilities.
There was more coverage during the presentation of the GFX50S II and coming new GF-series lenses but as I have yet to try out Fujifilm’s GFX system cameras and lenses, I have little to no useful hands-on personal insights into them to share here right now.
However, it is pleasing to note that Fujifilm has some potentially great GF lenses in its updated roadmap including a tilt-shift, an ultra-wide zoom and a fast prime.
Fujifilm GFX cinematography, Blackmagic Raw, and what’s up with Tascam?
What I can comment on here is some hints dropped by Fujifilm about better quality audio coming to its GFX and quite possibly its X series cameras.
Third-party makers have long made audio adapters with various specifications intended for a wide range of cinema and hybrid cameras, with brands like Azden, Beachtek, Comica and Kopul coming to mind.
Panasonic DMW-XLR1 Microphone Adapter for Panasonic Lumix G and S-Series cameras. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Sony XLR-K3M Dual-Channel Digital XLR Audio Adapter Kit with Shotgun Microphone. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
Tascam DR-70D 6-Input / 4-Track Multi-Track Field Recorder with Onboard Omni Microphones. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
Tascam DR-701D 6-Track Field Recorder with SMPTE Timecode, that can be attached beneath your camera when handheld or on a tripod, for top-quality field audio recording. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
I know Tascam from its XLR-input multi-track field recorders that can be mounted above or below cameras but this is the first time I have seen an Tascam audio adapter in the same style as Panasonic’s and Sony’s, a welcome development if Fujifilm has partnered with the Japanese-helmed North American company also known under the TEAC brand name.
One note about audio acquisition for video by one-person indie moviemakers – I would love it if 32-point float was offered in cameras and recorders, though a possible downside is the larger file size of 32-bit audio.
As I am often reminded when attending movie and television events with my X-Pro2 and other Fujifilm cameras and lenses, Fujifilm’s Fujinon cinema lenses are highly regarded in the industry, and it’s good to see Fujifilm promoting their use with the GFX50S II in this presentation.
Also impressive is how Fujifilm will be supporting the Blackmagic Raw video file format in coming GFX series firmware updates to sit alongside the Apple ProRes Raw video file format.
As with shooting raw stills files, creating raw video in either format offers more possibilities in recording data and in editing, whether one relies on Apple Final Cut Pro, Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve or some other non-linear editing software that supports either or both.
Charlene Winfred and the Fujinon XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R “god lens”. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
The Fujinon 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR is Fujifilm’s third “standard normal” lens that is near equivalent to 50mm in 35mm format and it will be interesting to see results from it in the hands of documentary and portrait photographers and photojournalists as well as cinematographers using X series cameras.
Charlene Winfred is primarily a street photographer who also undertakes documentary commissions and “standard normal” lenses have been her mainstay since taking up photography in Perth, Western Australia.
Since its introduction alongside the X-Pro1, Fujifilm has referred to the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R as its “god lens” but is using the term “epic lens” instead now.
I have almost always relied on “perfect normal” lenses that are near equivalent to 40mm in 35mm format over the years regardless of which analog or digital format I am using, and even when I have owned 50mm equivalent lenses have never used them as much.
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 manual prime lens for Leica M-Series. This was my automatic go-to lens for documentary photography and photojournalism. Photograph courtesy of Japan Camera Hunter.
Like many photographers, I refer to the Fujinon X f/1.4 optics as Fujilux lenses and its f/2.0 optics as Fujicron lenses in homage to Leica’s M-Series rangefinder prime lenses which I knew and loved during the analog era.
Having used rangefinder cameras in all formats during the analog decades, my first choice for documentary photography is digital rangefinder cameras with digital rangefinder-style cameras my second choice.
With Panasonic apparently having given up on professional rangefinder-style cameras, I am glad that Fujifilm seems committed to its X100 series and X-Pro series digital rangefinder cameras and am hoping that the X-Pro4 will see a return to the features that are needed for documentary photography and photojournalism.
Documentary moviemaking and other video applications benefit from sets of top-quality prime lenses matched in colour rendering, size, shape and the placement of focusing and aperture rings and it is good to see Fujifilm heeding this in its Mark II prime lenses.
I would love to see the company get to work on adding other focal lengths to its Fujilux Mark II lineup including 14mm, 28mm, 50mm, 60mm and 70mm for use in stills photography and moviemaking.
Some if not all of those focal lengths would benefit from being produced in Fujicron versions too, particularly for use with X-Pro series cameras and Fujifilm’s smaller and more enthusiast-oriented camera lines.
Kevin Mullins and the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR
Fujifilm X-Pro1 with Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R, Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R and Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.4 Macro prime lens, the first set of Fujinon XF lenses released by Fujifilm in March 2012. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
British documentary-style wedding photographer Kevin Mullins played a big role in my choice to invest in Fujifilm’s X-Pro2, Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R and XF 56mm f/1.2 R after being disappointed in the X-Pro1 and its original lens trio.
Whereas Mr Mullins’ style is almost opposite to mine, he preferring wider apertures while I choose f/5.6 or f/8.0 whenever possible, we both tend to rely on two-camera, two-lens rigs for intense, immersive documentary photography.
For pure documentary photography with one lens only, my preferred equivalent focal length is 28mm dating back to my Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 days and so I am looking forward to adding the Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR to my kit when possible.
For those days when I am carrying just one lens and one camera and might need to make portraits or documentary photographs or images in some other genre, I pack the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R attached to my X-Pro2.
The 23mm f/1.4 R has served me well over the years and I value being able to work in available darkness with the lens stopped down just a little given the X-Pro2 doesn’t have in-body image stabilization.
I look forward to seeing more results from the Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR when made by documentary photographers and photojournalists, though right now the 18mm f/1.4 is the more desirable lens for me and I would have loved to have used one when I photographed the Videocraft workshop due to that lens’ more immersive focal length when right in the middle of the action.
One big question stands out for the XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR given it doesn’t have the manual clutch focus mechanism of the XF 23mm f/1.4 R: how well, or not, does this lens’ linear motor work when manual focusing for video and critical focus when photographing in available darkness?
Olympus M.Zuiko Pro, 12 lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras, June 2021. Image courtesy of OM Digital Solutions Australia.
Fujifilm’s manual clutch focus does not work as well as the one on all the Olympus M.Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lenses, and I have always hoped Fujifilm would learn a few lessons from Olympus’ achievements in creating this professional quality lens collection that is so great for stills and video production.
Let’s see if the XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR finds it way into the hands of some cinematographers, documentary photographers and photojournalists for try-out under the intense conditions under which they often work.
Likewise the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR given that is a popular focal length amongst cinematographers, documentary photographers, photojournalists and portrait photographers who often need critical focus on fine details with wider apertures.
Fujifilm Lens Designer Yukari Aida, the Fujinon XF 18-120mm video/stills zoom lens and the X-H2
Header, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 stills and movie zoom lens.
My BFF worked in CiSRA, Canon’s premier global research and development arm, for a decade and was told there were female lens designers there, so Yukari Aida’s appearance in the presentation was not a big surprise but it was a pleasant one.
Fujifilm, like Panasonic, has suffered from a lack of uniformity in the design, engineering and manufacturing of its lenses, in Fujifilm’s case its X-series lenses.
I was impressed by Ms Aida’s dedication in ensuring uniformity in the external design of the Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR, and hope this welcome trend will continue.
Design of this quality and her attention to detail is not just cosmetic.
It ensures easy swap-over between lenses on intense stills and video shoots, avoids having to rethink and re-orient oneself in the middle of one’s work, allows for quick and easy rebalancing when using gimbal stabilizers, and improves keeping equipment clean and functioning efficiently.
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
If size and cost were no objects, every one of us using Fujifilm X-Series cameras for video production might have both Fujifilm MKX cinema lenses in our kit, but these dedicated cinema zooms remain costly even though they are more affordable than Fujifilm’s high-end broadcast and movie production lenses.
As Fujifilm continues to improve its X and GFX series cameras’ video production capabilities, the company needs to ensure its X and G series lenses are as video-capable as they are suitable for stills photography.
Right now, three Red Badge zoom lenses are apparently high up on the list of preferred X-Series video production optics but their size, weight and cumulative cost is too high for most of us.
Given the Fujinon XF 8-16mm R LM WR zoom’s convex front element, one needs to add a matte box and square or rectangular filters to one’s production kit, adding even more to production costs.
Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional Red Badge super wide-angle zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional Red Badge standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R WR OIS professional Red Badge telephoto zoom lens with stabilization. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
So far little has been revealed about the Fuji XF 18-120mm other than that it is “seamless for both still[s] and movie[s]”, but this is an exciting new development about which I hope to learn more.
Is Fujifilm’s statement that this lens offers “XF seamless still/movie” acknowledge shortcomings in its current prime and zoom lenses?
Also exciting is the revelation that a “stacked layer back illuminated X-Trans CMOS sensor” is under development.
Will it appear in the coming X-H2 flagship models sometime in 2022?
Will one X-H2 be more video-oriented with the other X-H2 more suited to demanding applications like sports, wildlife and action photography?
Will Fujifilm be bundling the video X-H2 with a XF 18-120mm that fixes other XF lenses’ focus breathing, aperture jumps and lack of pro-quality manual clutch focus?
Will the XF 18-120 be parfocal?
The Fujilux Trio on Fujifilm X-Pro3 and X-H2
Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip in portrait/vertical orientation. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
My favourite Fujifilm X-Series camera types are the X-Pro and X-H series and for very different reasons.
Rangefinder cameras were a revelation after SLRs and opened my eyes to a new way of seeing and photographing, one that made me feel like I was within the world I was documenting instead of peering at it through mirrors and prisms.
Medium format and view cameras with their more substantial bodies and presences between me and my portrait subjects presented a different way again of interacting with them.
I prefer DSLR-style cameras with vertical battery grips for their medium format size, weight and balance, and use their LCD monitors as if they are miniature ground glass screens.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 with Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR. Image courtesy of Compact Camera Meter.Fujifilm X-H2 with Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR. Image courtesy of Compact Camera Meter.
Rangefinder style for documentary and SLR style for portraiture: either way, Fujifilm’s new Fujilux f/1.4 series lenses look like they work well for both camera bodies and I hope there will be more such lenses coming soon, in wider and longer focal lengths than this initial set of three.
EOSHD – Fuji GFX100 Review – the ‘mini Alexa 65’ goes to a Formula One test session – “The look of the images are a real spectacle. Grand, stately, graceful. One day I have no doubt Fuji will have this kind of 4K quality on a more affordable medium format camera too in the rangefinder style, like a GFX 100R? For now we wait, because the GFX 100 is $10,000 – albeit worth every cent.”
Fujifilm X Global X-Photographers – Charlene Winfred (Denmark) – Ms Winfred lived for some years in Perth, Western Australia, and is now back home in Singapore.
Sound Devices – 32-Bit Float Files Explained – “For ultra-high-dynamic-range recording, 32-bit float is an ideal recording format. The primary benefit of these files is their ability to record signals exceeding 0 dBFS. There is in fact so much headroom that from a fidelity standpoint, it doesn’t matter where gains are set while recording. Audio levels in the 32-bit float WAV file can be adjusted up or down after recording with most major DAW software with no added noise or distortion.”
FUJIFILM have created a compact and portable Large Format Digital camera body equipped with powerful In Body Image Stabilisation and high resolution 51.4MP sensor.
September 3, 2021
FUJIFILM Australia Pty Ltd is pleased to announce the release of Fujifilm GFX50S II (GFX50S II), going on sale in late September, 2021, as the latest addition to the GFX System of mirrorless digital cameras equipped with a Large Format digital sensor.¹
The GFX50S II features a 51.4MP sensor that boasts incredible image-resolving power, capturing every detail in sharpness across the frame. The sensor, which is 1.7 times larger in surface area than that of a full-frame² camera, can achieve a wide dynamic range and a high signal-to-noise ratio. The resulting image reproduces deep tonality and texture from shadows to highlights, and delivers image clarity with minimal noise even when taken in low light. One of the strengths of the large format sensor is its ability to produce a very shallow depth of field. It is complemented by GF lenses’ edge-to-edge sharpness to accentuate the main subject against a blurred background for added three-dimensional definition.
The camera is innovatively designed to be portable, so that users can explore its exceptional image quality in a broad range of shooting fields. It integrates the high-speed image processing engine “X-Processor 4” and an autofocus system enabling users to capture a decisive moment.
Another powerful feature is its five-axis In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) mechanism that provides up to 6.5 stops vibration reduction³ (the highest in the history of the GFX System), to compensate for camera shake during hand-held shooting and minimises motion blur. Despite carrying an impressive array of key features, the camera comes in a compact size, weighing approximately 900g. The GFX50S II makes the premium world of large-format image quality more accessible than ever before with its advanced AF, high-performance In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) and compact lightweight body.
Key product features include:
1) Superior image quality delivered with the use of a 51.4MP large format digital sensor
The GFX50S II is equipped with a 51.4MP sensor, which delivers incredible image resolution when combined with a GF lens.
The camera uses a specialised design that employs customised light-collecting micro lenses on the sensor to thereby boost light resolution per pixel for added image sharpness.
Having a larger light-receiving area per pixel results in excellent ISO sensitivity, dynamic range and tonality, controlling highlight/ shadow clipping while conveying the subject’s texture, definitions and even the atmosphere of the scene in precise details.
The ability of the Large Format sensor to produce a very shallow depth-of-field renders background out of focus beautifully, adding definitions to the subject and drawing attention to where the photographer intended.
2) Variety of Film Simulations
The GFX50S II features 19 Film Simulations, including “Nostalgic Neg.”, developed for the launch of the GFX100S and characterised by high saturation and soft tonality. Photographers can use Film Simulation modes, designed for various subject types and scenes, while checking how they affect the final image in Live View.
3) Compact 5-Axis In-Body Image Stabilisation delivering up to 6.5-stops of Vibration Reduction
The GFX50S II features a 6.5 stops five-axis image stabilisation mechanism†, the highest in the history of the GFX System. This has been made possible with the use of a high-performance gyro sensor and accelerometer that can detect motions with high precision. The gyro sensor has been structured to boost detection accuracy for precise image stabilisation.
This camera revolutionises the way conventional medium-format digital cameras are used. Rather than being mounted on a tripod for slow and careful shooting, the GFX50S II can produce superior image quality hand-held with image stabilisation.
4) Fast and high-precision AF thanks to the high-speed processing engine and latest algorithm
The GFX50S II’s fast and high-precision AF system is assisted by powerful devices such as the Large Format high resolution sensor, high-speed image processing engine “X-Processor 4” and the In-Body Image Stabilisation mechanism. During the contrast detection process for AF, the built-in powerful image stabilisation mechanism controls sensor motion blur to add speed and accuracy to the AF performance, ensuring a decisive photo opportunity is captured under any conditions.
The GFX50S II uses the X-Processor 4 and the latest algorithm to improve AF, resulting in more accurate autofocus in Face/Eye Detection compared to the previous model.‡ The camera is able to capture portraits with movement using shallow depth of field, despite the Large Format sensor.
5) Innovative compact and lightweight body for better portability
The compact and powerful In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) mechanism and shutter unit have been combined with an optimized layout of high-end technology to achieve a logic-defying compact body for a large format digital camera, weighing approximately 900g and measuring 104.2mm high and 87.2mm deep.
The grip has been ergonomically designed so that the camera sits comfortably in the hand, even when using larger lenses.
The casing is made of highly rigid magnesium alloy with added thickness around the base of the lens mount, that is subject to a greater load, making the camera body highly robust.
The GFX50S II is also weather-sealed at 60 locations to offer dust- and moisture-resistance and offers the ability to operate in temperatures as low as -10℃.
6) Easy operability for a smooth shooting experience
The top panel features a Mode dial, that is familiar to many digital camera owners, offering six customisable positions C1 – C6, allowing users to record their choice of functions to each of the positions and activate them quickly for smooth operation.
The selector on the top panel instantly switches between still and video modes for added convenience.
The use of a flat-shaped Focus Lever (joystick) responds with enhanced sensitivity when moving the focus point, allowing users to attain focus of the intended location quickly and easily
An 1.8-inch sub LCD monitor is located on the top panel, displaying key settings such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity and exposure. Additional information displayed includes the number of frames remaining when shooting stills and the remaining duration when recording video. The display can be customised for added convenience.
The rear panel features a 3.2-inch LCD monitor with 100% coverage. It can tilt in three directions to enable high- and low-angle shooting, in situations when the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is not suitable.
7) “Pixel Shift Multi-Shot” function to capture and generate 200MP True Colour images
The GFX50S II features the Pixel Shift Multi-Shot function, capable of creating 200MP true colour images. The ability to reproduce a photo subject’s colours, texture and even its atmosphere in the finest of details makes the camera a perfect choice for archiving. Large artworks and historical artifacts, previously difficult to photograph in detail because of their size, can be captured in precise details in edge-to-edge clarity.
This function uses the camera’s IBIS to shift the image sensor by 0.5 of a pixel and records 16 RAW images. The “Pixel Shift Combiner” software transforms them into a single Digital Negative (DNG) file, resulting in an ultra-high-definition 200MP image. The high pixel count leads to an astonishing level of tonality and three-dimensional definitions.
The image sensor is shifted in high precision to ensure that each pixel records image data in red, green and blue, completely eliminating false colour and recording the subject accurately.
Product name, release date and price
Prices are in Australian dollars.
¹ An image sensor that measures 55mm diagonally (43.8 mm x 32.9 mm) and is approx. 1.7 times larger than a 35 mm full-frame sensor.
² When compared to a 50-megapixel full-frame camera.
³ When mounted with the FUJINON Lens GF63mmF2.8 R WR.
† When mounted with the FUJINON Lens GF63mmF2.8 R WR.
‡ Fujifilm GFX 50S.
Fujifilm GFX50S II with Fujinon GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm GFX50S II with Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm GFX50S II with Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
FUJIFILM announces the new FUJINON lens GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR
Introducing the palm-sized GF zoom lens that is the smallest and lightest in the GF zoom series
September 3, 2021
FUJIFILM Australia is pleased to announce the release of the FUJINON Lens “GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR” (hereinafter GF35-70mm), a new-concept interchangeable zoom lens for FUJIFILM’s GFX System Large Format digital cameras, in late November 2021.
The GF35-70mm combines versatility with portability. It weighs approximately 390g, with a 62mm filter size and outstanding image-resolving performance and focal length range covering the frequently used 35mm wide angle to 70mm (equivalent to 28mm – 55mm in the 35mm film format). Its portability broadens the scope of applications for GFX System cameras equipped with a large format sensor.¹
The GF35-70mm’s retractable barrel structure reduces the length to approximately 73.9mm when fully collapsed, making it a perfect lens to carry when travelling.² The compact and lightweight focusing elements are complemented by a stepping motor for silent, fast and highly accurate AF to smoothly focus on any subject. The lens offers a minimum working distance of 35cm across its zoom range, enabling close-up shots of subjects of approximately 25cm from the front element of the lens.
Key produce features include:
1) Advanced versatility that covers all the focal lengths required to capture day-to-day scenes
The GF35-70mm covers versatile focal lengths from 35mm in wide angle to 70mm (equivalent to 28mm – 55mm in the 35mm film format) to cater to a variety of photography genres, from tabletop and snapshots to portraiture and landscape.
It has one of the shortest minimum working distances of 35cm among interchangeable lenses for the GFX System, enabling close-up shots of subjects approximately 25cm from the front element of the lens.
The GF35-70mm consists of 11 elements, including one aspherical element and two ED elements, in nine groups. Its advanced image-resolving capability with well-controlled spherical and chromatic aberrations, provide a precise description of each scene, even when shot at wide-angle side.
2) The most compact and lightest-weight body among GF lenses offering high-speed AF and advanced mobility
The GF35-70mm has been designed with a compact and lightweight construction, weighing approximately 390g and measuring 73.9mm (when retracted), 96.4mm (wide-end), 95.7mm (tele-end) with the filter thread size of 62mm.
The GF35-70mm supports Face/Eye Detection AF modes. Fast, silent and highly accurate AF is achieved in as quickly as 0.13 seconds.³ This is particularly effective in portraiture that involves subject movement, capturing a momentary change in facial expression. The low operation noise during focusing makes it suitable for both stills and videos.
The lens barrel is weather-sealed at nine locations to make it dust- and moisture-resistant and capable of being used in temperatures as low as -10°C. The lens can withstand rain even during hand-held shooting, seizing shutter opportunities in the toughest of conditions.
3) Supporting information
The GF35-70mm uses a manual retractable barrel structure. Before shooting, users can manually rotate the zoom ring to extend the barrel to the wide-angle 35mm position, which is the barrel’s default position.
Product name, colours, release date and price
Prices are in Australian dollars.
¹ An image sensor measuring 55mm diagonally (43.8mm x 32.9mm), with a surface area approx. 1.7 times that of a full-frame 35mm sensor.
² The lens measures approx. 96.4mm when fully extended.
³ When in the Phase Detection AF mode on the FUJIFILM GFX100S; Compliant with the CIPA guidelines.
Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR on Fujifilm GFX 50R. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR on Fujifilm GFX50S II. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
“FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) is pleased to release the latest firmware update for the “FUJIFILM GFX100” (GFX100) in June 2021.
The GFX100 is a flagship model of the GFX series of mirrorless digital cameras, boasting an impressive 102 megapixel resolution with the use of a large format sensor about 70% larger than the 35mm full-frame sensor, and offering advanced expandability with in-body image stabilization (IBIS) that provides up to 5.5-stop advantage and a detachable EVF. The up-coming firmware upgrade will transform it into a completely new camera with a multitude of additional functions and operational enhancements, delivering autofocus (AF) performance equivalent to that of the latest model with cutting-edge technology, “FUJIFILM GFX100S” (GFX100S)….”
Fujifilm GFX100 medium format mirrorless hybrid camera with Fujinon GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR prime lens, equivalent to 50mm in 35mm sensor format. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Commentary
I haven’t covered Fujifilm’s GFX medium format hybrid cameras much on Unititled.Net due to having no practical firsthand experience of them and am thus grossly under-qualified to comment upon them.
That situation may be about to change for the better, though, thanks to a recent kind offer from Fujifilm Australia’s PR consultants to borrow a GFX Series camera and lens.
Now I need to find a project or two to justify the reportedly amazing image quality and large raw files of GFX cameras and, in this time of COVID-19 and long-delayed vaccinations, project options are more limited that usual.
Of the GFX100, GFX 50S and GFX 50R, the GFX100 looks to be the most suitable for the sort of projects I undertake given its in-body image stabilization and video capabilities that have been favourably compared to those of Arri cinema cameras.
Bear with me while I find suitable projects that will be COVID-safe and help show and understand these cameras and lenses’ capabilities.
Given that, this statement in the press release is interesting:
“… The new firmware adds the Film Simulation “Nostalgic Neg.,” characterized by colors and tones reminiscent of the “America New Color,” which emerged in the 1970s to advocate the potential of color expressions to the world and established color photography as the mainstream style for photographic fine arts. The style combines “soft tonality” with “high saturation” at the same time and applies warm amber to highlights to soften the look while maintaining fine details and pop colors in shadows for lyrical looks….”
The New American Color Photography and New Topographics movements were crucial in the development of contemporary documentary photography as well as fashion and fine art photography, and their aesthetics have influenced contemporary moviemaking and especially movie colour grading.
Many of both genres’ practitioners relied on small as well as medium and large format cameras, with some such as Joel Meyerowitz swapping between Leica M-Series rangefinders and Deardorff sheet film cameras.
Their example inspired me to add a Zone VI Studios 4″x5″ sheet film camera, 4″x5″ sheet film holders, Polaroid magazine and Sinar 120 roll film variable format magazine as well as shoulder bag, wooden tripod and other items to my kit.
I loved both ways of seeing and photographing as well as the amazing hardware that helped me evolve so much in my magazine editorial portraiture and documentary work.
Ever since a scion of the British ruling class stole all my equipment, negatives, transparencies, prints and portfolio from a temporary share studio in Princes Street around the corner from Condé Nast Publications in Hanover Square, Mayfair, I have made photographs only with Micro Four Thirds, APS-C and 35mm cameras, and have desperately missed the unique qualities that medium and large format cameras and lenses bestow to the photographic process and its results.
Links
Artsy – New American Color Photography – ““Perfectly boring,” wrote the _New York Times_’ Hilton Kramer of William Eggleston’s exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in 1976—the first major museum exhibition of color photography. What he (and the many other critics who panned the show) did not anticipate was that Eggleston’s exhibition would be the watershed moment for color photography. Alongside Eggleston in the late 1960s and ’70s, Joel Sternfeld, Stephen Shore, Richard Misrach, and a host of American photographers exploded the boundaries of photography through the use of color. After the fact, these artists were grouped by the term New American Color Photography; in concert with their use of color, these artists focused on contemporary life, presenting raw portraits of suburbia and critiques of “The American dream.””
Unititled.Net – Cameras – Please use these B&H affiliate link lists here and below for researching and purchasing hardware and help keep Unititled.Net going.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
FUJIFILM Announces New FUJINON GF80mmF1.7 R WR Lens
The World’s Widest Aperture Autofocus Lens for a Large Format Camera System
January 28, 2021
FUJIFILM Australia is pleased to announce the FUJINON GF80mmF1.7 R WR Lens (GF80mmF1.7), the world’s first¹ F1.7 interchangeable lens with Autofocus designed for a Large Format system. The lens will be available for purchase from the end of February, 2021.
GF80mmF1.7 R WR has a standard focal length of 80mm (a 35mm equivalent of 63mm). Its large-diameter autofocus (AF) features a maximum aperture of F1.7, which also makes it the fastest prime lens among FUJIFILM’s G Mount lenses.
Portrait photographers using GFX System cameras can now choose FUJINON GF110mmF2 R WR for images with a tighter angle of view, or alternatively select GF80mmF1.7 for wider shots. This choice will give photographers more options creatively, especially since the highly anticipated bokeh produced from GF80mmmF1.7’s wide aperture provides an aesthetic quality to any image.
Key features of the GF80mmF1.7 include:
(1) Optically designed for limitless creativity
GF80mmF1.7 R WR features nine rounded diaphragm blades. These can be stopped down to provide edge-to-edge sharpness or opened up to produce images with beautifully smooth bokeh, and astounding separation between a subject and its background from any GFX System camera. Comprising 12 lens elements in nine groups, including one aspherical element and two Super ED elements, this lens is optimally balanced to control spherical aberration and deliver a quality of bokeh so aesthetically pleasing that it most likely cannot be reproduced by any other Large Format lens.
The use of ultra high-precision glass molding technology means both surfaces of the aspherical lens element can be manufactured within a tolerance of 1/100,000th of a millimeter. This is five times more accurate than regular molding and reduces the onion-ring effect caused by slight defects in the lens surface on its out-of-focus regions.
(2) The world’s first F1.7 lens with autofocus for a large format digital system
GF80mmF1.7 features a powerful DC motor that has enough torque to drive the focus group of six lens elements to deliver accurate and reliable autofocus even when the lens is wide-open at F1.7 and depth of field is extremely shallow. The lens also supports the Face / Eye AF function, which uses an advanced focusing algorithm to accurately acquire focus on a subject’s face or eye even when they are moving within the frame.
GF80mmF1.7 brings a half-a-stop of improvement to GFX100’s AF scene luminance limit. Moving from EV-5.0 to EV-5.5, GFX100’s autofocus is now even more capable in low-light situations.
3) Compact and practical size
Measuring at 99.2mm long and weighing just 795g, with a filter thread size of 77mm, GF80mmF1.7 is practically sized and suited for both on-location and in-studio applications.
Weather-resistant seals have been applied to the lens barrel at 10 locations on the lens to protect it against dust and water, while also providing it with the ability to operate at temperatures of down to -10°C. The front lens element is also coated with fluorine to repel dirt for an added layer of protection.
Product name, release date and price Product name
Release date
Recommended retail price
FUJINON Lens GF80mmF1.7 R WR
End of February, 2021
$AU3,499
¹ Among interchangeable lenses for mirrorless digital cameras equipped with an image sensor measuring 55mm diagonally (43.8mm x 32.9mm), according to FUJIFILM as of January 28, 2021.
Inspiration can come from anywhere, but my first source of it after choosing to become a portrait photographer was the great portrait painters, foremost London-based German, Hans Holbein. Two Holbein portraits were key, Portrait of Christina of Denmark and The Ambassadors.
The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein the Younger.
The Ambassadors teaches us how to use light, location and objects to tell a story in one frame.
Portrait of Christina of Denmark shows us how to depict someone so it feels like we are standing in their presence, as if in Holbein’s shoes, forever.
Environmental and full-figure portraiture are two of my favourite photographic genres that quickly became specialities during my magazine editorial days, creating them with tripod-mounted sheet film or 120 roll film cameras, with or without flash or continuous lights supplementing the lighting I found on location.
The medium format option
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, by Hans Holbein the Younger.
Although relatively affordable digital medium format cameras and lenses are here with the arrival of Fujifilm’s GFX 50S and its reportedly excellent lenses, medium format photography remains relatively unaffordable for me right now and for the foreseeable future.
I have learned to bypass version 1.0 of most new moviemaking or photography hardware unless there is a truly compelling reason to be an early adopter, another reason why I have passed on the GFX 50S.
I do look forward to seeing what comes of the GFX 100S and wonder whether a rangefinder-style GFX camera might be in the works some day, one drawing on Fujifilm’s remarkable 120 roll film rangefinder camera heritage.
Meanwhile Panasonic may already have their own solution to my high resolution, high image quality portrait photography needs in the Lumix DC-G9’s 80-megapixel high res mode.
All that I have seen so far in Panasonic’s marketing web pages is a low res landscape, the genre in which I am least likely to ever want to photograph.
Panasonic’s image to illustrate the Lumix G9’s 80 megapixel high resolution mode, leaving much to be desired and the technology unexplained.
Hard facts about how the G9 performs in high resolution mode and precisely how it does so are thin on the ground, but a reasonable surmise is that it does so by pixel shift, a technology also appearing in other mirrorless cameras including Sony’s a7R III and Olympus’ OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Pen-F cameras, and the Pentax K-1.
What is pixel shift?
Imaging Resource has explored high resolution modes via pixel shift in several Olympus and Pentax cameras, links below, so I won’t reiterate their findings.
Quite how Panasonic does it in the G9, whether shifting by half or full pixels, remains to be seen and Imaging Resource will no doubt produce a similar article on it soon.
How pixel shift works, by piezosystemjena.
Meanwhile, according to Imaging Resource’s Mike Tomkins and William Brawley:
“The G9 takes eight separate frames in quick succession and composites the individual frames together in-camera. Like other pixel-shift high-res modes from other camera makers, the G9’s comes with similar limitations, or rather, appropriate use-cases. The high-res mode on the G9 is best suited for still life, architecture or certain landscape subjects without any moving subject matter.”
What is it good for?
I beg to differ on their list of subjects best-suited to the G9’s 80.6 megapixel pixel shifting high resolution mode, and so, it appears, do Panasonic UK’s Carol Hartfree and UK-based Lumix Ambassador Ross Grieve.
Both have just begun exploring the G9’s high res mode for portraiture and both report their first impressions in glowing terms.
“… my first test is impressive.”
“We have just had a go and it works like an absolute dream as long as you and the model is very still. It works particularly well with a good prime…. Stupid excited!”
“We were discussing formal portraiture earlier and the fact that people don’t really do it any more. Using the G9 in this way, on a tripod with slowish exposures might really lend itself.”
Formal, casual and all forms in between may be more popular than meets the eye judging by the slew of portrait photography award, books, competitions, Instagram accounts and websites I came across in the course of researching this article.
Formal portraiture for a myriad of uses and whether environmental or of the figure or face alone, has endured from the birth of photography onwards with such notable practitioners as Arnold Newman, August Sander, David Bailey, Richard Avedon and others too many to mention here.
Three approaches to portraiture
I have long wanted to find affordable digital analogues for the way I successfully made casual and formal portraits in sheet and 120 roll film during my magazine photography career, affordable being the key word.
Rolleiflex 4.0 FT twin lens reflex telephoto portrait camera, special edition. Image courtesy of DHW Fototechnik.
Linhof Master Technika Classic 4″x5″ “Snow” sheet film view camera. Image courtesy of Linhof.
Fujica GW690 120 roll film rangefinder camera, image kindly released into the public domain by Jfriedl.
I had three distinct approaches – documentary-style with a Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera, environmental or full figure or face close-up with 4″x5″ view cameras, and less frequently a casual medium format rangefinder approach.
Fujifilm’s X-Pro2 does an impressive job of matching if not surpassing the image and handling qualities of its many generations and variations of 120 roll film rangefinder cameras under the Fujica brand name.
Panasonic’s GX8 provides a rare digital equivalent to Rolleiflex twin lens reflex cameras with its magnifying waist-level viewfinder-emulating tilting EVF, a unique feature I hope will continue in the Panasonic Lumix GX9.
Linhof view camera with Graflok stitching adapter for Phase One digital back.
While the only exact digital equivalent of a multifaceted sheet film view camera like the Linhof 4×5 Master Technika Classic is a Linhof 4×5 Master Technika Classic with Phase One digital back, I suspect that the Panasonic Lumix G9 may provide good enough emulation of its high resolution image qualities, minus the camera movements.
“Good enough” being enough high resolution to produce large exhibition prints with more detail and more sense of the sitter’s presence than I can achieve right now with 20 megapixel and 24 megapixel mirrorless cameras.
Some portraits as evidence?
A couple of photographers with access to pre-production G9s have agreed to shoot and send me some portraits made in 80 megapixel high res mode, and I will share them here when they arrive.
Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 – until I learned about its high resolution mode, I might have passed over this camera and defaulted to relying on the GH5 for stills as well as video.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – moderately wide prime lens for environmental portraiture for a sense of a figure enclosed within a space. I prefer lenses with manual clutch focus mechanisms for focussing accuracy especially when using wide open apertures.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – standard or normal prime lenses have been used for portrait photography in many different camera systems and are a good compromise between medium wide and medium long lenses.
3 Legged Thing Albert or Winston tripods – their unique construction makes them more stable for their size and weight than any other tripod I have used.
3 Legged Thing QR11-LC Universal L-Bracket – fast and easy flipping the camera from landscape to portrait orientation from switching from environmental to full-figure mode.
Rotolight AEOS 2-Light LED Kit – an excellent self-contained two LED light kit for continuous light or flash, with high output for its colour accuracy, versatility, weight and size, that can be used with optional barndoors.
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre – Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture – “The Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture is a $20,000 biennial national award for excellence in photographic portraiture dedicated to the memory of photographer Olive Cotton.”
Although I am not fond of DLSR-style cameras for stills photography, preferring the DSLR form factor for video cameras so long as they are equipped with fully articulating monitors, I find the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 intriguing for its feature set and its promise as a smallish, fast-to-use camera for news, events and magazine feature photography.
For the urban documentary stills photography which I also practise, I still vastly prefer rangefinder and rangefinder-style cameras with tilting electronic viewfinders and hope that we can expect a Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 tilting EVF camera in the near future.
It is early days insofar as hands-on professional user reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 go, and I am looking forward to learning about how its many new features work out in practice.
I can visualize how the G9’s wildlife and sports photography-oriented features will make the job of those photographers lighter, faster and easier.
As a former magazine and daily newspaper photographer I can extrapolate how photographers in those fields will benefit especially given the tight deadlines of the newspaper business.
The G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode has piqued my interest, even more so now that I have been asked if I want to take up architectural photography again.
Food for thought.
Digital medium format photography costs far more to get into than large format analog photography ever did, in my experience.
Unless shot strictly for magazine, print or web publication, architectural photographs need to be usable at high reproduction sizes for displays and posters.
I love Micro Four Thirds and APS-C mirrorless, and medium format digital hardware suitable for architectural photography is well beyond my current means.
Medium format image quality, micro four thirds sensor size?
The Panasonic Lumix DC-G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode used for landscape photography. Not the best way to demonstrate its effectiveness. I would like to see the 80-megapixel mode well demonstrated for use in architectural and environmental portrait photography, in HDR multiple bracketing for architecture and a single shot for portraits.The incredible Linhof Master Technika Classic 4″x5″ hand-and-stand sheet film camera with universal viewfinder, rangefinder and shift, swing and tilt camera movements. Perfect for architectural photography and portraiture. I learned photography with one of these and taught photography with it at the same university art school.
Is the G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode the way to go when needing to go large?
Combine the G9 with a super wide-angle Olympus or Panasonic zoom lens, or a Laowa M43 or adapted prime lens, choose the ones offering the best optical correction, and select an easily portable tripod that extends high enough to shoot above eye level as needed.
Above all buy lenses with the very least optical distortions to avoid nasty curved parallels when shooting video.
The legendary medium format Rolleiflex 4.0 FT telephoto twin lens reflex camera, brilliant for portrait and documentary photography along with its siblings the Rolleiflex 2.8 FX-N with standard lens and Rolleiflex 4.0 FW TLR with wide lens, last in a long line of such instruments. I had a couple of Rolleiflex TLRs and used them for documentary and portrait photography until they were stolen.
Shoot HDR brackets when the light and subject dynamic range demand it, then process in Skylum (formerly Macphun) Aurora HDR 2018.
I made a living in magazine editorial portraiture as a result of my fine art portrait photography, relying on large and medium format analog cameras for the most part, supplemented with Leica analog rangefinders when portability and speed were of the essence.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 tilting viewfinder camera. I found that using TLR cameras’ waist-level viewfinders allowed me to be right in the middle of the action when shooting documentary photographs, effectively almost invisible. Shooting portraits the same way had a similar effect in that looking downwards with the top of my head to my subjects helped them relax far more than if I had been pointing an SLR at them at eye level. The GX8 gives me a similar experience to that of my Rolleiflexes and it is unique amongst contemporary digital cameras.
Photographic prints shown in galleries gain authority and power when printed large, traits often lost when reproduced small.
Should I consider getting back into creating larger format photographs for exhibition?
My question is, then, does the G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode permit applying it to the sort of portrait photography I love to this day?
One thing I know for sure is that Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds sensors have close to the perfect aspect ratio for environmental, full-face, head-and-shoulders and full-figure portrait photography, whether in landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) orientation – 4:3 or 3:4.
If the Panasonic Lumix G9’s 80 megapixel high res mode proves usable for my type of portrait photography, then that nudges it well into medium format territory for me, but at a far more affordable price than the other current contender, the Fujifilm GFX 50S.
Panasonic Lumix GH5, G9 and GX8 and then some, compared at Compact Camera Meter
Until the unexpected appearance of the G9, the GX9 was the Lumix stills-oriented camera most expected to be announced late this year or early the next.
Until now, the GX8 has been Panasonic’s flagship stills photography camera.
The rangefinder-style GX8 is very different in size and weight to the DSLR-style G9 so I compared it with the G9 and GH5 at the Camera Size website, with two lenses in which I am interested, the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 Aspheric zoom and the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200m f/2.8 Power OIS telephoto.
Laowa – low and zero distortion super wide-angle and long lenses for macrophotography and other applications including architecture, cityscapes and landscapes.
“The lens line-up of the FUJIFILM GFX Series expands further with the FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR, the sixth lens in the GF Lens Series. Offering excellent portability, with a compact and lightweight design (490g), this new lens will bring street and documentary photography in stunning medium format quality….
… The “GF45mmF2.8 R WR” lens combines high performance with high reliability, making it an ideal photography tool for professional photographers. Because it’s compact, lightweight and portable, it’s also an optimal lens for snapshots and documentary photography, enabling photographers to shoot natural photos without intimidating their shooting subjects….”
Gallery
Fujifilm GFX 50S medium format DSLR-style camera with vertical battery grip. Image courtesy of B&H.
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