X Summit PRIME 2021: Fujifilm Unveils the GF35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR Lens
Fujifilm has just announced the GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR zoom lens for their GFX line of medium-format digital cameras. GF35-70mm is a compact and lightweight zoom lens, weighing approximately 13.7 ounces (390g), with outstanding image-resolving performance and focal length range. The highly portable form factor broadens the scope of applications for GFX System cameras equipped with a large format sensor.
“GF35-70mm is a new concept, portable zoom for the GFX System, combining excellent versatility with mobility and portability,” says Victor Ha, senior director of marketing and product development for FUJIFILM North America Corporation’s Electronic Imaging Division. “It’s rugged, yet lightweight design is combined with its incredible adaptability to make it an invaluable part of any photographer’s gear.”
Product features
Advanced versatility that covers the focal lengths required to capture day-to-day scenes
- GF35-70mm covers versatile focal lengths from 35mm in wide-angle to the standard 70mm (equivalent to 28mm-55mm in the 35mm film format) to cater to a wide range of photography situations, including landscape, portraiture, and street photography. At 35cm, the lens features the second shortest minimum working distance among interchangeable lenses for the GFX System, enabling a close-up shot of a subject approximately 25cm from the front-most element of the lens. This means it has a broad shooting range, from the dynamic wide-angle framing to the standard framing style with a natural perspective.
- GF35-70mm consists of 11 elements, including one aspherical element and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements, in nine groups. Its advanced image-resolving capability, with well-controlled spherical and chromatic aberrations, provides a precise depiction of each scene.
The most compact and lightest-weight body among GF lenses offering high- speed autofocus (AF) and advanced mobility
- GF35-70mm is optically designed to balance image quality with compact portability, weighing approximately 13.7 ounces (390g) and measuring 73.9mm (when retracted)) with the filter thread size of 62mm, an impressive achievement for a standard zoom designed for large-format sensor cameras. Even when mounted on the FUJIFILM GFX100S or FUJIFILM GFX50S II mirrorless digital cameras, the combined weight is less than 3 pounds (about 1,300g).
- The compact and lightweight focusing elements are driven with a stepping motor for fast and accurate AF performance, attaining focus on a subject nearly instantaneously to capture the perfect moment. Whisper-quiet AF makes it suitable not only for stills but also for video recording.
- The lens also supports the GFX System’s Face / Eye Detection AF modes. Fast and highly accurate AF is achieved as quickly as 0.13 seconds in near-silence for near-instantaneous focusing on the main subject’s face/eyes. This is particularly effective in portraiture that involves subject movements, permitting a momentary change in facial expressions to be captured.
- The lens is weather-resistant at 9 locations and can be used with weather-resistant GFX System cameras in temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C). The lens withstands rain even when it is mounted on the camera for hand-held shooting, providing shutter opportunities in the toughest of conditions.
Here some sample pictures:
The GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR is expected to be available in late November 2021 at a suggested retail price of $999.95. It’s also included as a kit with the GFX 50S II camera at a premium of around $500.
More info on Fujifilm’s website.
