I'm interested in picking up a Fuji GFX body. Probably the GFX 50s ii. I don't think I need 100mp and don't really even need the GFX, but it is something I want to try.
I already have a bunch of Pentax 645 lenses, so that will be mainly what I would be using. I'm wondering if there are any issues with adapting lenses? I see a lot of people do that, though I have also read that the GFX sensor stack is not well suited for adapting glass.
In terms of native glass, I'd probably look to pick up the 35-70mm "kit" lens and maybe eventually one fast normal to slightly wide prime.
I'd be mainly shooting landscapes and travel stuff on outings where I could tolerate the weight.
A plain dumb adapter will work fine with Pentax 645 glass. I get mine from K&F.
P645 lenses are sharp and offer nice contrast and saturation on the GFX.
And the GFX can adapt a huge range of lenses, some cover better than others, but it's a great camera for this kind of experimentation.
I only use adapted lenses on my GFX 100S. Well, I do have a GF 35-70 -- an excellent little lens. But I don't use it much.
I used to use a lot of adapted Pentax 645 lenses. These ones make a really nice, relative light kit:
* SMC Pentax-A 645 35/3.5
* SMC Pentax-A 645 75/2.8
* SMC Pentax-A 645 150/3.5
* SMC Pentax-A 645 120/4 Macro is outstanding
The 45-85 zoom is great too, but big and heavy.
In many cases the A and FA versions of Pentax 645 lenses have similar optics. FA will be all manual too on GFX.
As ATPhoto mentioned, a simple adapter is all you need -- unless you are use D-FA lenses that have no aperture ring. You can buy an adapter that controls the aperture lever so you can use those.
Have you considered buying a tilt-shift adapter? The image circle is large enough to allow camera movements. If you do get one, splurge on the Kipon P645 to GFX tilt-shift because it is the most flexible.
I really like adapting glass on the Gfx, but have not tried it with Pentax. Obviously, 645 glass has the advantage of no vignetting at any point. If have used Contax 645 with great results. They are not quite as pin sharp as native lens but have nice OOF areas and bokeh with rich colors. With the Contax and a Fringer, I get AF and Exif data. It would be nice if there was a Pentax adapter to at least transmit Exif info. Not sure why anyone would say the Gfx platform is not good at adapting, to me it seems ideal. For me, adapted glass doesn't really replace any native lens, simply gives an alternative look.
Earlier this year Finger trailed a Pentax 645 to GFX adapter that can handle autofocus and electronic aperture control. No idea when they'll be releasing it though.
I thought I should mention for the record, I have now tried out all of my Pentax 645 lenses on the GFX 50sii and they all work well. Wide open, they are not quite as sharp as my two GFX lenses (35-70mm and 20-35mm) and show a tiny bit more fringing but that is only when pixel peeping. Stopped down a stop or two they are barely indistinguishable for GF glass.
For the price, in most instances they are better than adapting Canon EF glass as there are no concerns about vignetting, either hard or soft. The only drawbacks are size and weight, but the GFX system is not the way to go in first place if you are concerned about that.
With a Fringer EF-Gfx, you would also have auto focus that works pretty well. Unless you went for the new Fringer Pentax 645 - Gfx adapter with AF and EXIF. I just noticed that is is now shipping.
SGinNorcal wrote:
With a Fringer EF-Gfx, you would also have auto focus that works pretty well. Unless you went for the new Fringer Pentax 645 - Gfx adapter with AF and EXIF. I just noticed that is is now shipping.
It's a bit of a tradeoff for me. Most of my Pentax 645 glass is manual focus. The only AF lens I have is the FA 45-85mm f4.5, which the GF 35-75mm pretty well covers. With EF lenses you get good autofocus, but coverage is spotty.
The only lens I'm looking now to add is a shortish telezoom up to about 200mm. Not sure if anyone has any suggestions. The GF 100-200mm wouldn't be worth it for me.
Geoff D F wrote:
It's a bit of a tradeoff for me. Most of my Pentax 645 glass is manual focus. The only AF lens I have is the FA 45-85mm f4.5, which the GF 35-75mm pretty well covers. With EF lenses you get good autofocus, but coverage is spotty.
The only lens I'm looking now to add is a shortish telezoom up to about 200mm. Not sure if anyone has any suggestions. The GF 100-200mm wouldn't be worth it for me.
Apparently Fringer just released an adapter to control P645 lenses on GFX cameras.
