p.2 #1 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
I currently own the 20-35, 45-100, 55, 50 which gives me a good arsenal of selections depending on what I'm doing.
If you want to go for two lenses (and that was a "MUST"), i'd probably run the 45-100 and 55. You obviously are limited in the landscape / telephoto department.
Another option could be the 20-35 and the 50, which has the added bonus of a nice portable walk around setup with the GF50. The 35 on the long end hits your 28mm equivalent brief as well.
I would steer you away from your "they must be primes brief". The main reason to shoot prime on GFX is to get the speed, which is really just the 55 / 80 / 110. Based off your IG, you hardly have many examples which have blown backgrounds and heavy subject separation. You could honestly get away with the 20-35 and 45-100...!
To throw a spanner in the works, the way i think of my GFX kit is to pack one lens only... My Fuji APS-C system takes up the slack. Blind AB tests with friends has me worried... as they are picking many of my Voigtlander APS-C shots over the GFX...!
p.2 #6 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
I had the larger GFX zooms at work. Now, in retirement, I have the 50/3.5 and the 35-70. They are both quite good, and very compact and lightweight. On a GFX100s they balance nicely and I'm happy with the results.
One thing I like to do is use the 50mm and the 24:65 aspect ratio, to get a modern digital Xpan.
p.2 #7 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
I might need to look for a used 35-70mm!
kenbennett wrote:
I had the larger GFX zooms at work. Now, in retirement, I have the 50/3.5 and the 35-70. They are both quite good, and very compact and lightweight. On a GFX100s they balance nicely and I'm happy with the results.
One thing I like to do is use the 50mm and the 24:65 aspect ratio, to get a modern digital Xpan.
p.2 #8 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
BTW, personally I got into GFX partly to not have "character" (aberrations) in lenses.
A lot of people seem to think they need those lens aberrations (or some of the more horrible "film simulations") in order to make their images interesting, rather than putting in the effort to find interesting compositions or lighting. Then they like toss around terms like "sterile lenses" or "pixel peeping" in order to denigrate people who have more skills or creativity than they do.
p.2 #9 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
A lot of people started doing photography many years ago, when the best lenses had aberrations that were pleasing instead of fugly. They were usually available only in the better systems of the day. When sterile clean came about it looked well, sterile clean, clinical and boring to us. We longed for the magic that pleasant aberrations added to our art. Think of them as brushstrokes; or perhaps similarly, how vinyl played through a tube amp sounds vs all digital to the speakers.
Content and composition remain king, of course. But pleasant rendering character can add icing to that cake…
YMMV
PS, you can also have “meh” without character, and IMHO, the aforementioned 35-70 GF zoom is precisely that. The 50 pancake is an entire level better optically. The 20-35 and 55 are about as good as it gets optically, primes or zooms.
p.2 #11 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
Cliff L. wrote:
A lot of people seem to think they need those lens aberrations (or some of the more horrible "film simulations") in order to make their images interesting, rather than putting in the effort to find interesting compositions or lighting. Then they like toss around terms like "sterile lenses" or "pixel peeping" in order to denigrate people who have more skills or creativity than they do.
Huh? I think you might want to put some effort into learning how lens characteristics can be used to enhance composition and lighting to avoid making such absurd statements.
p.2 #14 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
If you are using a lens' flaws to hide the fact that your subject isn't well-lit or to make up for a bad composition, it might be a crutch. If you are using it to evoke a specific emotional response that a "perfect" lens cannot, it’s a tool. Flaws like spherical aberrations result in a soft glow that can make a portrait feel romantic or nostalgic. Some flaws like flares can add to the sense of space and dimensionality in a photo. Flaws take digital output and transform it into something more human imo.
Back to the op's question, if the gf55/1.7 is in your budget its one of the best lenses you can get, on any platform. That along with a wide will be a versatile setup for your use case. I would personally go this route than a slower zoom.
I do own the 35-70, 45-100, 20-35, 55/1.7, 80/1.7, 110/2, 250/4, 100-200 and have shot extensively with all of them.
p.2 #16 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
To the question of the OP:
If the focal length works for you, the 50mm f/3.5 is a great documentary lens. It is small, light, relatively unobtrusive, and has pretty fast AF. It produces what I would call "clean" images. I used to own it but found the focal length too long for my taste, even though I like 40mm on FF. The 55mm is focusing too slowly for documentary work, in my opinion.
I do not think 50mm is too close in focal length to the 30mm for the combo not to make sense, but that is a very personal decision.
If you want something a bit longer, the 63mm f/2.8 is a nice lens, but AF is not the fastest.
I don't want to tell you to look at zooms, since you specifically mentioned a two-lens solution. I have used the 32-64 quite a bit, and if you are considering zooms, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. AF is fast, the image quality is impeccable, and again "clean". It is too heavy for me to enjoyable to carry for long periods of time, though. The upside is you don't miss images while you are changing lenses. The 35-70 is lighter but I have not used it, and 35mm might not be wide enough for you, anyway.
p.2 #17 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
Thanks mranger211 - I appreciate your insight
mranger211 wrote:
To the question of the OP:
If the focal length works for you, the 50mm f/3.5 is a great documentary lens. It is small, light, relatively unobtrusive, and has pretty fast AF. It produces what I would call "clean" images. I used to own it but found the focal length too long for my taste, even though I like 40mm on FF. The 55mm is focusing too slowly for documentary work, in my opinion.
I do not think 50mm is too close in focal length to the 30mm for the combo not to make sense, but that is a very personal decision.
If you want something a bit longer, the 63mm f/2.8 is a nice lens, but AF is not the fastest.
I don't want to tell you to look at zooms, since you specifically mentioned a two-lens solution. I have used the 32-64 quite a bit, and if you are considering zooms, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. AF is fast, the image quality is impeccable, and again "clean". It is too heavy for me to enjoyable to carry for long periods of time, though. The upside is you don't miss images while you are changing lenses. The 35-70 is lighter but I have not used it, and 35mm might not be wide enough for you, anyway....Show more →
p.2 #18 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
Erik_A wrote:
I also bought a vintage Minolta 58mm f1.4 to test, and am waiting for the adapter to be delivered. If I find myself liking that, I may need to take your advice!
I'm curious how you like the Minolta 58/1.4. Its looks like it may be interesting for the OP, given your style (very cool, btw) based on reviews of that lens on Gfx. I have Contax 645's adapted via Fringer to retain AF, although its almost more of a semi-auto. I often make manual adjustments after AF gets close. Not that hard once you get used to it and I like the variation of look. They aren't as razor sharp as native lenses and harder to use, but they have a look I like on occasion. The 35/3.5 is my "alternate" 35, your work makes me want to try some B & W with it. Anyway, would like to see a post on the Minolta once you have some experience with it.
p.2 #19 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
I have a small GFX kit, mostly for square and panoramic shooting. I don’t use it much, but like being able to use it. This also means I don’t want to spend much money on it and I don’t want heavy, bulky lenses for it.
Thus I bought the GFX100s used and added a used 35-70, 50/3.5 and the 63mm. They serve my purposes very well. For longer stuff, I use a Canon EF 70-200/2.8 (which I can also use on my R5, so it does double duty).
I rented the 110mm and think it’s really special, but it’s just too large for me to consider it. I’m intrigued by what people say about the 55/1.7, but again not willing to carry it or spend the money on it. I’ve got plenty of lenses for smaller formats that render quite nicely and I really don’t need 100mp (which is why I basically always use this camera in one of the two mentioned crop modes).
Your use case is different, but I fear bulky primes wouldn’t serve it. OTOH, the smaller primes are quite slow aperture-wise. Wouldn’t you be better served with a high-MP FF kit and a few fast primes?
p.2 #20 · GFX - Two Primes - Lens Combo: GF 30mm f3.5 and GF 50mm f3.5 (24mm and 40mm in FF FOV)
Had both. I prefer the 30 if forced between the 2. But if you really wanna go minimalist and only carry one, it'll be the 45 2.8 over these two.
My favorite 2 lens combo was 20-35 and 80 1.7. Amazing combination.
In reality, there's absolutely nothing minimalist about GFX. The lenses are huge. They're heavy, and a burden to travel with. In the end, I went back to a true minimalist setup with an X-E5 and Fujicrons and I'm happy again.
