Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Hands-on Review
Summary Verdict
The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is an excellent addition to Fujifilm's GFX medium format lens lineup. Its 500mm focal length (396mm equivalent in full-frame terms) can be extended to 700mm with an optional teleconverter, and it takes medium format photography into new territory.
In use, the lens feels lightweight for its format, while its weather-sealing, 6.0-stop image stabilisation system and snappy autofocusing add to its versatility.
Score: TBC
For
Long focal length
Lightweight for format and focal length
Excellent balance
Against
Heavyweight system
What is the Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR?
The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is a super telephoto lens designed for Fujifilm's GFX medium format camera system. It's focal length is 500mm which is equivalent to 396mm on a full-frame (35mm) camera, making it suitable for shooting sport and wildlife, not subjects that are traditionally photographed using a medium format camera.
The lens is compatible with the optional Fujinon Teleconverter GF1.4X TC WR, which extends its focal length to 700mm, equivalent to 554mm in 35mm format.
Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Price and Availability
The Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR will be available on 17 June 2024 for £3499 / $3499 / €3699.
Read our Fujifilm GFX100S II review
Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Key Specifications
Lens type: Medium format super-telephoto
Announced: 16th May 2024
Lens mount: Fujifilm G
Focal length: 500mm, equivalent to 396mm in full-frame (35mm terms)
Construction: 21 Elements in 14 groups with 5 ED and 2 Super-ED elements
Autofocus system: Linear motor
Minimum focus distance: 2.75m
Lens collar: Integrated with removable Arca Swiss compatible foot
Filter thread: 95mm
Weight: 1375g
The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is shown here without its lens hood and mounted on the Fujifilm GFX100S II.
Features
The Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR's optical design comprises 21 elements arranged in 14 groups, including two Super ED and five ED elements, to reduce chromatic aberration and ensure high resolution across the frame.
Weighing approximately 1,375g, the GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is lightweight for its format and focal length, with the majority of the weight towards the bak of the lens to help with balance when shooting hand-held.
There's weather-sealing at 18 points and the lens can operate at temperatures down to -10°C. Meanwhile, the front element has a fluorine coating to repel water drops and fingerprints.
The lens features 6.0-stop image stabilisation to reduce camera shake and enable handheld shooting.
Focusing is handled by a linear motor and the mechanism operates internally so the lens doesn't change length. There's also a focus preset function and focus limiter for more efficient shooting in situations when the focus distance can be predicted. In addition, a focus control button near the front edge of the lens barrel allows for quick function recall and smooth autofocus operation.
The Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR has a metal mount as befits its high-end status.
Build and Handling
When the Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is mounted on the new GFX100S II, their combine weight is 2,258g. That's a substantial weight, but I found it manageable. More importantly, I was able to hold the camera and lens steady enough to frame distant subjects and get sharp shots when photographing at a safari park.
If you prefer to shoot with the lens supported on a monopod or tripod, there's an integrated collar with a tripod foot. The collar rotates smoothly around the barrel to let you swap quickly between landscape and portrait orientation. Conveniently, the foot can also be removed quickly by loser its lock and then pressing the release button as you slide it off. That makes the lens a bit more transport-friendly. The foot snaps quickly back into place, but it's important to remember to tighten its locking knob to ensure it's secure.
The tripod collar on the Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR allows the camera (the GFX100S II seen here) to be roasted to portrait orientation, quality and easily.
Performance
I used the Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR on the GFX 100 II at a safari park ahead of their announcement on 16th May 2024. The focal length proved an excellent choice for many subjects at the park, although occasionally, I had to back away a bit from the enclosure when animals came close to the fence.
The Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR that I used may have been a pre-production sample as we were given a mixture of pre-production and production models with no way of telling them apart. Consequently, the image quality may differ from that captured using a final simple lens.
When given a clear view of the subject, the Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR focuses quickly and decisively when its on the GFX100S II. It proves to be compatible with the camera’s subject detection system. When shooting through a heavy wire fence, things get a little trickier, especially if the animal is close to the fence. If the animal is a bit further away, the focus limiter can help, but I found that focusing on a distant tree and then recomposing the shot with the animal in the frame also often works well.
The GFX100S II has a 102MP medium format sensor, and when it’s paired with the Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR, it's capable of capturing a huge amount of sharp detail. Shooting through fencing at the safari park naturally reduces the contrast and sharpness, but there's still a terrific amount of detail visible in my images.
At maximum aperture, f/5.6, there is slight vignetting visible in some of my images. Turning off the correction profile for the raw files in Adobe Camera Raw reveals the corner darkening is a little heavier without the correction, but it's not dramatic.
I've scrutinised the high-contrast edges in my images from the GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR, looking with and without the correction profile, and I'm unable to find any instances of fringing (chromatic aberration). I'm also only Abe to see very mild pincushion distortion when the corrections are turned off.
I need to investigate the image stabilisation system further, but so far, I've been able to get perfectly sharp images at shutter speeds as low as I/80sec and 1/120sec. Going lower isn't conducive to capturing sharp images of moving subjects.
Fujifilm GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Sample Images
These images were captured using a full-product Fujifilm GFX100S II with a beta-sample GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR lens, so image quality may vary from those captured using production-grade lenses.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson There’s an incredible amount of fine detail visible in this ISO 800 image.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson As the gorilla was very close to the cage wires, it was only possible to soften the cage a little, but the animal’s eyes are pin-sharp.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson The focus here is on the cat’s eye and there’s a fabulous amount of natural detail visible in its fur.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson The 500mm focal length allowed nice tight framing of the meerkat while shooting at f/5,6 has thrown the background out of focus.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson Shooting downhill with the aperture wide open to f/5.6 has created something of a miniaturised effect.
Image Credit: Angela Nicholson. This ISO 1600 image could use a contrast boost thanks to the impact of shooting through a cage, but its perfectly sharp.
Early Verdict
The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is an exciting addition to the GFX medium format lens lineup. It's ideal for sports and wildlife photography, which takes medium format photography in a new direction.
During my early testing of the lens with the GFX100S II, I found their combined weight manageable and well-balanced, so I could frame subjects quickly and easily.
Performance-wise, the lens focuses swiftly and accurately on distant subjects, though shooting through wire fences presents the usual challenges. The GFX100S II’s 102MP sensor, paired with the GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR, delivers sharp, detailed images with only slight vignetting at f/5.6 and minimal chromatic aberration and distortion.
