Fujifilm Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR

The Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR ($2,299.95) is one of the brightest primes available for Fujifilm's GFX medium format system. Its F1.7 optics blur away backgrounds into nothing, while its moderately wide angle and rugged design make it suitable for everything from street photography to documentary work to environmental portraits. The lens is quite large, and its autofocus action could be smoother, but GF owners who chase the bokeh look should be able to look past those downsides. Alternatively, the slimmer, more affordable GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR ($999.95) offers a similar angle of view for those who can make do with a more modest maximum aperture.

Bulky and Bright

Medium format optics trend bigger than full-frame ones as a rule. The oversized 44x33mm image sensor in the case of the GFX system ensures that even shorter lenses like the aforementioned GF 50mm F3.5 are fairly wide at the base. The 55mm F1.7 is both large and heavy due to an optical formula that arranges 14 elements into 10 groups. It comes in at 3.9 by 3.7 inches (HD) and a weight of 1.7 pounds.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The GF 55mm uses 77mm front filters and ships with front and rear caps, a petal-style lens hood, and a cloth carrying pouch. I typically use a hood when testing a lens, but the loaner Fuji sent me for evaluation didn't include one, so I skipped it for this review. As for the build quality, the barrel is metal and features a black finish. The lens' weather-sealed design means you can use it outdoors without worry.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

In terms of alternatives, the Fujinon GF 80mm F1.7 ($2,299.95) has the same maximum aperture, but a tighter angle. The GF 50mm F3.5, GF 45mm F2.8 ($1,699), and GF 63mm F2.8 ($1,499) dance around the 55mm focal length, all with more meager f-stops. Mitakon sells the manual-focus Speedmaster 65mm F1.4 as a budget option ($799), but I haven't tested it. For zooms, the GF 32-64mm F4 ($2,299), 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 ($999), and 45-100mm F4 ($2,299) all cover the 55mm angle, albeit at narrower apertures.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Uneven Focus Performance

Like most Fujinon GF lenses, the 55mm F1.7 uses an aperture ring to set the f-stop. The ribbed metal ring has third-stop clicks across the f/1.7-22 range. It also includes an A slot for automatic control and a C position to move control to on-body camera dials. The ring relies on a push-to-turn lock that you need to hold in to move into or out of either the A or C positions.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The manual-focus ring is the only other control of note. Fuji skips an AF/MF toggle on the barrel, but that's not a loss since every GFX camera body to date includes a physical switch to change focus modes. The manual-focus experience is a letdown overall. The ribbed rubber focus ring turns comfortably with a pleasing amount of dampening, but the focus motor has an uneven, stuttering response.

Autofocus is on the slow side, too. With the GFX100 II, it takes nearly a second to drive from far to close focus and take a photo. The lens also tends to hunt back and forth before locking in on a subject. Although the DC focus motor Fuji uses for this lens is powerful enough to drive focus and achieve accurate results, it lacks the smooth response of an STM motor and the speed of a linear motor.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Neither the autofocus nor manual-focus experience are ideal for video work. The stuttering focus response is distracting, and the motor is loud enough to hear on recordings, especially those from your camera's built-in mic. Focus breathing is an issue, as well, with the frame appearing noticeably narrower at close distances. As such, the lens is not ideal for rack shots that shift focus from one subject to another.

The GF 55mm focuses as close as 19.7 inches for a decent 1:5.9 magnification rating. It's far outside of macro territory, though, so look at a lens like the GF 120mm Macro ($2,699) if close-ups are your primary focus. That optic supports 1:2 reproduction, albeit at a maximum aperture of f/4.

Fuji leaves optical stabilization off the 55mm F1.7, but that's not a major concern since it includes the feature in recent GFX cameras. Just note that it's missing from first-generation models.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

GF 55mm F1.7: In the Lab

I paired the GF 55mm F1.7 with the 102MP GFX100 II and Imatest software to check its performance. The lens puts up excellent marks (6,500 lines) from f/1.7-4 and gets even sharper at f/5.6-11 (7,000-7,300 lines). Edges are softer at wider settings, but the lens is capable of edge-to-edge sharpness at f/5.6-11, good news for landscape photographers.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

It uses a digital correction profile to compensate for a slight amount of barrel distortion, as well as a vignette visible from f/1.7-2.8. These corrections are transparent if you use your GFX camera in JPG mode. In the more likely scenario you are working with Raw files, however, you need to apply a correction profile in your photo editing software. Both Lightroom Classic and Capture One have profiles for the lens.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

At wider apertures, the GF 55mm F1.7 readily blurs backgrounds for a soft overall look. Highlights show little false texture, are free of the shimmering soap bubble effect, and sidestep false color (LoCA). I see some cat's eye shapes in highlights toward the edges of the frame at f/1.7-2, but the 11-blade aperture rounds things out nicely by f/2.8.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 55mm F1.7 isn't great for sunstars even if you stop down to f/22. I'm not too surprised, as wide-aperture formulas don't often fare well in this regard. On a positive note, the lens handles flare well. It mostly avoided ghosts and other noticeable flare artifacts when I took photos into the sun, though some ghosts appeared in the above scene, which I captured just before sunset. I didn't have the hood for this lens, as mentioned, so I can't say whether that would have helped in this situation.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Beautiful Pictures, Disappointing Focus

The Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR produces gorgeous, detailed photos with soft backgrounds, and we have no complaints about the build quality. We're just not as thrilled about the stuttering, loud autofocus motor. Professionals after superb bokeh rendition and stunning image quality might be willing to overlook that flaw, but enthusiasts should consider the less expensive, more compact, and smoother-focusing GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR instead.