Zhong Yi Optics has announced the Pittura 30mm f/2.4, a manual-focus wide-angle prime lens for Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD medium format systems. On both mounts, the 30mm focal length produces a 24mm full-frame equivalent field of view, covering an 84.5-degree angle of view. The lens addresses a gap that Zhong Yi identifies in the medium format native lens market: wide-angle primes for these systems rarely exceed f/3.5, and the Pittura’s f/2.4 maximum aperture represents a full stop of additional light-gathering capacity over the most common alternatives.

The closest native competitors are the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5, the Hasselblad XCD 25mm f/2.5, and the Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5, all of which are priced substantially higher. Hasselblad users should note, however, that the Pittura does not incorporate the leaf shutter present in native XCD glass — a meaningful omission for photographers who rely on flash sync at high shutter speeds, since the leaf shutter in native Hasselblad lenses allows sync at any speed rather than being limited by the camera’s maximum sync speed.

The practical value of the f/2.4 aperture is twofold. In low-light conditions — indoor ambient light, dusk, or night streetscapes — it allows the use of faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings than a slower lens would permit, which on high-resolution medium format sensors translates directly into preserved detail and dynamic range. At close distances, the combination of a wide angle of view and a relatively fast aperture produces a degree of subject separation that is unusual for this focal length on a medium format sensor, where depth of field is inherently shallower than on smaller formats at equivalent apertures.

The optical formula comprises 13 elements in 12 groups, with an 11-blade aperture diaphragm running from f/2.4 to f/22. No special glass types or proprietary coating technologies are specified in Zhong Yi’s communications at launch. Minimum focusing distance is 20 centimeters — unusually close for a medium format wide-angle lens — which expands compositional possibilities for close-up architectural details, still life, and environmental subjects where a longer minimum distance would prevent tight framing. The front filter thread is 58mm. Physical dimensions differ slightly by mount: 81 × 80mm for the GFX version and 73 × 84mm for the XCD version, with a stated weight of 550 grams.

Here are some sample pictures, courtesy of Zhong Yi Optics: