Steve Spencer
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I got my Fuji GFX a couple of weeks ago and I have finally got time to test it a bit. So, far I have tested it with 6 Zeiss lenses for the ZF mount -- the Milvus 135 f/2 APO; the Milvus 85 f/1.4; the Otus 55 f/1.4; the Classic 35 f/1.4; the Otus 28 f/1.4; and the Mills 21 f/2.8; and six medium format lenses -- a Hasselblad HCD 24 f/4.8; a Hasselblad CFE IF 40 f/4; a Mamiya 645 MF 55 f/2.8N; a Hasselblad HC 100 f/2.2; a Mamiya 645 MF 120 f/4 Macro A; a Hasselblad CF 180 f/4; and a Hasselblad HC 300 f/4.5.
I have the a Fotodiox Nikon F adapter, a Fotodiox Mamiya 645 adapter, a Fuji Hasselblad H adapter, and a Hasselblad H to V mount adapter.
Let me start with the FF 35mm lenses. The mini MF sensor is notably bigger than a FF 35mm sensor but no so much bigger that FF 35mm lenses automatically won't work. The FF 35mm image circle is 43.2mm, whereas the mini MF sensor requires a 55mm image circle to cover the whole sensor, but different crops require different image circles and one of the nice things about the Fuji GFX is that you can set up the camera to show different crops in the view finder--more on that later. Anyway, here is the image circle that is required for the various crops:
1 to 1 (i.e., square) - this format requires just a 46.5 image circle which is only a bit larger than FF 35mm. Many FF 35mm will be able to cover this format.
16 X 9 (common for video and some like it for landscapes) - this format requires a 50.3mm image circle. Now we are getting quite a bit bigger, but some FF 35mm will cover this format.
7 X 6 (a format the Pentax used for MF) - this almost square format requires a 50.5mm image circle; and requires just at tiny bit bigger than 16 X 9, some FF 35mm lenses will cover this format as well.
5 X 4 (classic format which many including me like for portraits if you want to print 8 x 10s this is your format) - this format requires a 52.7mm image circle. This will be more challenging yet for FF 35mm lenses to cover.
3 X 2 (classic format that is the format of FF 35mm) this format also requires a 52.7 image circle, but as many people will want to use this for landscapes at least some of the time it will at times require good coverage right to the corners.
4 X 3 (classic format this is the native format of the GFX) this format requires a 55mm image circle (or 54.8mm to be precise). This image circle will be difficult for almost all FF 35mm lenses.
Keep in mind usage of the lens will matter. The image circle of a lens is usually smallest at infinity, and that compounded by landscape shooter often wanting excellent performance all the way to the corners makes it much more difficult for a FF 35mm lens to work as a landscape lens. In contrast for portraits many people don't care much at all about the corner performance, so as along as a lens doesn't have to severe of vignetting then a FF 35mm can work pretty well for portraits. Macro or close focus shooting will also be much easier than landscapes, but better performance at the edges and maybe the corners may make it more demanding than portraits. With all this in mind let me describe the FF 35mm lenses I have tested.
Zeiss Milvus 135 f/2 APO - This lens is a lot like a 100mm f/1.5 lens on FF 35mm for crops of 4 by 3 or squarer on the GFX; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 110mm f/1.6 FF 35mm lens; it a lot like a 175mm f/2.6 lens for 645 film. This lens does remarkably well on the Fuji GFX. The only flaw I can see is when shooting landscapes in the full 4 X 3 the corners are a bit weak, they aren't terrible just not as good as the rest of the image. It is a relatively small area in the corners that is effected and even a 3 X 2 crop completely eliminates that area. See the picture below for some close focus shots of flowers. The first shot of the lilly is full 4 X 3 format and no vignetting correction at all. With the darker corners in this shot none is need. The second shot is also full 4 X 3 format and with the brighter corners I did use vignetting correction here, but it cleaned up nicely and it was just the tips of the corners. The third shot is 3 X 2 and needed nor correction at all.
Zeiss Milvus 85 f/1.4 - This lens is a lot like a 60mm f/1.0 FF 35mm lens for crops of 4 X 3 or squarer; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 70 f/1.2 FF 35mm lens; it is a lot like a 110mm f/1.8 lens for 645 film. This lens does fine for 1 X 1 portraits; 6 X 7 portraits and even 4 X 5 portraits if you can put up with fairly heavy vignetting. I haven't tested it fully for landscapes yet, but I am not that optimistic. Maybe 16 X 9 will work, but I am pretty sure that 3 X 2 will not.
Zeiss Otus 55 f/1.4 APO - This lens is a lot like a 40mm f/1.0 FF 35mm lens for crops of 4 X 3 or squarer; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 45 f/1.2 FF 35mm lens; it is a lot like a 70mm f/1.8 lens for 645 film. This lens does fine for 1 X 1 portraits; 6 X 7 portraits; and even 4 X 5 portraits but the vignetting is pretty heave for 4 X 5 portraits even heavier than the Milvus 85 f/1.4. I haven't tested it for landscapes yet, but I doubt it will work well.
Zeiss Classic 35 f/1.4 - This lens is a lot like a 25mm f/1.0 FF 35mm lens for crops of 4 X 3 or squarer; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 28 f/1.2 FF 35mm lens; it is a lot like a 45mm f/1.8 lens for 645 film. This lens is pretty good for 1 X 1 and 6 X 7 portraits, but has too much vignetting for my tastes even for 4 X 5 portraits. I don't hold out really any hope for landscapes with this lens.
Zeiss Otus 28 f/1.4 APO - This lens is a lot like a 20mm f/1.0 FF 35mm lens for crops of 4 X 3 or squarer; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 23 f/1.2 FF 35mm lens; it is a lot like a 35mm f/1.8 lens for 645 film. Unfortunately this lens is not even suitable for 1 X 1 portraits. It has heavy dark vignetting anywhere beyond the 43mm image circle of FF 35mm, in fact at f/1.4 it doesn't really seem to even cover this image circle. It is a beautiful lens, but it just won't work on the Fuji.
Zeiss Milvus 21 f/2.8 -This lens is a lot like a 15mm f/2.0 FF 35mm lens for crops of 4 X 3 or squarer; for crops of 3 X 2 or skinnier it is a lot like a 17 f/2.3 FF 35mm lens; it is a lot like a 28mm f/3.6 lens for 645 film. Surprisingly this lens works noticeably better than the Otus 28mm. It would work for 1 X 1 portraits, but not much else for my tastes. It does make for intriguing focal lengths, but unless you want to shoot square it probably won't be useful.
I will report on the MF lenses, which all work fine without problems later. Some including the 24 and 40 which are very wide and pretty wide perform very very well. I will add some shots with them soon, but I want to compare them to the Loxia 21 and the Otus 28 on the Sony A7rII and I haven't done those comparisons yet.
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