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The Fuji GFX

algrove

Well-known member
The Fuji is still locked behind glass at Photokina. I don't think that the Fuji qualifies as "close to being complete" either.
Total misinformation as many videos show the "press" handling it and shooting with the GFX. Some even held their mics up to it so one could hear the shutter sound.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Guy

My thoughts to a T. I have downloaded every TIF and JPG I could find and cannot make them compelling enough in post to generate
any desire to move to those cameras.

They should get you involved ...

I would rather have an option to put a P67 105 F 2.4 with all its delicious aberrations on the camera than have a neutral piece of glass there.

Thanks

Bob
This is why if I'm leaning anywhere it's Fuji because of the shutter and the adapter solution a lot like our Sonys you just get more lens choices to work with and Fuji sounds like it's taking the Sony business model of letting everyone adapt whatever they want on it. That's smart in my book. They are paying attention. I have 3 Zeiss ZM M mounts myself for my Sony. So if they are watching than they are picking up on this 3rd party stuff.

Hassy still has that closed system mentality it seems. Sure they will let H in but what else. Nothing announced. I like that Hassy too but I want wide open gates to enter
 

jerome_m

Member
Total misinformation as many videos show the "press" handling it and shooting with the GFX. Some even held their mics up to it so one could hear the shutter sound.
So some people could get the Fuji out of its cabinet. I did not see that when visiting Photokina. That still does not make the Fuji any more available than the X1D...
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi Guy,

The Hasselblad lenses are designed by Per Nordlund, same guy who did much of the design for the HC lenses, so I would assume that he lenses have similar characteristics.

It would be reasonable that the X1D lenses are designed for higher resolution than the HC-lenses as the sensor is smaller.

I don't think there is a contradiction between "drawing" and sharpness, the Zeiss Otus line is known for good rendition and near ultimate sharpness. One of the attraction of the Otus is that axial chroma, the aberration causing magenta/green fringinging in out of focus areas is held at bay.

Axial chroma is an issue with almost all large aperture lenses.

Best regards
Erik


Bob I have been a little skeptical on the Hassy glass as to being a little sterile and we are not sure of Fuji either. My buy finger has been off both of them because I just have this feeling they will go for the juggler on sharpness and not character. Right now I'm guessing at this but I don't guess wrong too often. I'm hoping I'm clearly wrong though. It's just too damn early to see what both of them have and tested by real craftsman and not pitch men. They really need me to do it. Arm up. Lol
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
As I get older I find myself preferring 'character' of a lens with it's inherent imperfections vs clinical sharpenss.

If the Hassy lenses can impart some of the characteristics of the best Zeiss with micro-contrast and acuity but without looking bland and clinical then they'll do well, actually better than as well as they'll doubtless do anyway. :thumbup:
 
So some people could get the Fuji out of its cabinet. I did not see that when visiting Photokina. That still does not make the Fuji any more available than the X1D...
The Fuji guys were slammed the entire show, showing press and others the GFX and the first 3 lenses in the private rooms. I got the chance to about 20 minutes playing with the camera and lenses and talking to them. Yes it's still many months from being available but it's real and not the complete vaporware that some are making it out to be.
 

mandonbossi

New member
I know this is very much projecting into the future but was just wondering if there is an issue with third party companies like Metabones being able to produce an autofocus adapter for the Fuji GFX camera? As far as I know, there is no electronic autofocus adapter for the Fuji apsc series of cameras, as there is for Sony and m43?

Is it simply due to lack of demand or is it something more complex than that?

Am very excited by the Fuji as it contains a shutter and (potentially) allows the use of a whole bunch of lenses. Am not really concerned about autofocus but would love to see an adapter that enabled the use of Canon TS-E lenses.. Throw in a shift adapter for these lenses (even if the lenses need to be used in aperture stopdown mode) and for use with other medium format lenses and we really have a versatile camera...

Oh, a couple of leaf shutter lenses or the option to use existing ones and then it is very versatile...
 

jerome_m

Member
The Hasselblad lenses are designed by Per Nordlund, same guy who did much of the design for the HC lenses, so I would assume that he lenses have similar characteristics.
From a quick test with a X1D, the new lenses do not appear to have the same rendering as the HC series.
 

jerome_m

Member
The Fuji guys were slammed the entire show, showing press and others the GFX and the first 3 lenses in the private rooms. I got the chance to about 20 minutes playing with the camera and lenses and talking to them. Yes it's still many months from being available but it's real and not the complete vaporware that some are making it out to be.
It is quite clear that the camera is real and not vaporware. OTOH, it is also clear that the X1D will come to market before the Fuji. Dozens of pre-production X1D cameras have been made shown at dealer shows on multiple continents and, at photokina, anyone who wished so could try one.

But availability is probably not such a big deal for this kind of camera, which is probably rarely bought on an impulse. As to me, I am in no rush to buy, I can wait till next year and see how the lens line develops. In the mean time, I can still use my H4D, which still works very well...
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
If I said vaporware I meant it in the context of not on the street yet for public use. Sorry if that was misunderstood.
 
I know this is very much projecting into the future but was just wondering if there is an issue with third party companies like Metabones being able to produce an autofocus adapter for the Fuji GFX camera? As far as I know, there is no electronic autofocus adapter for the Fuji apsc series of cameras, as there is for Sony and m43?

Is it simply due to lack of demand or is it something more complex than that?

Am very excited by the Fuji as it contains a shutter and (potentially) allows the use of a whole bunch of lenses. Am not really concerned about autofocus but would love to see an adapter that enabled the use of Canon TS-E lenses.. Throw in a shift adapter for these lenses (even if the lenses need to be used in aperture stopdown mode) and for use with other medium format lenses and we really have a versatile camera...

Oh, a couple of leaf shutter lenses or the option to use existing ones and then it is very versatile...
Well, the adapter would need to be able to do the following:
1. Report as an AF lens for the camera - easy enough, chipped lenses/adapters do this all the time.
2. Intercept and decode the AF/aperture/shutter signal - requires reverse engineering as most of this data is proprietary, but third-party lenses from the likes of Sigma and Tamron already do this.
3. Encode and re-send said data to adapted lens in question - same as point 2 but in reverse, you need the proper interface protocols for each mount adapted.
4. If the lens in question is mechanically-coupled in nature, that is screw-driven or with a lever for aperture, the adapter would need it's own motors and actuators built-in.

Seeing as many medium format lenses are designed to cover a fairly long mirror box, of around 63-71mm on average, and the GFX flange is 26.3mm, that leaves a fairly comfortable 36~44mm of dumb space between the mount and lens, which I think is plenty to implement whatever mechanical wizardry that's needed for it to work... Assuming, of course, someone takes the initiative to invest in the R&D needed to reverse engineer all the protocols and translate them, and also prototype the hardware and tolerances needed for mechanically-driven features.

The success of this camera could be significantly boosted with adapters as people could take them as second cameras for existing systems, but that depends on how certain companies will see the GFX as an investment. Metabones is primarily concerned with video shooters, so if it ships with solid video features, that would actually be a benefit to everyone.
 

hcubell

Well-known member
I know it is inevitable that the Internet is abuzz comparing the Haaselblad X1D with the Fuji GFX, and people are lining up claiming that the GFX is vastly superior because it has a focal plane shutter that fosters dreams of bolting every lens ever made on to it and an interchangeable viewfinder that MAY provide a better EVF experience. These differences are certainly important to many, and the GFX is a great potential alternative for them. However, the market for theses two cameras is small and there is a very distinct segment of that market for whom the form factor, the size and weight, and the user experience of operating the camera are paramount, and they will want to compare the two systems on that basis. That market segment couldn't care less about being able to adapt non-native lenses. They will be perfectly happy if Hasselblad produces a full lineup of superb lenses for the X1D.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Yea before you get too far in the Fuji need to remember they are adding micro lenses on the sensor so that whole adapter option can be limited to lenses without shifting. We all know micro lenses and shifting are not friendly partners. It could be very limiting or non existent as well. Personally I like the form factor of the Hassy as it looks very nice in the hand. Again the body could change a little in the Fuji as well. Until it's in full production mode things can change.
 

Bernard

Member
Personally I like the form factor of the Hassy as it looks very nice in the hand.
I agree. Furthermore, I think the Fuji isn't creating a new market segment, unlike the Blad. You can already adapt a whole bunch of old lenses on a Pentax, Leica or Phase body, or on a tech cam. One can argue that Fuji has implemented this or that feature better, but it's one more option in an existing market. It doesn't even look much smaller than a Leica S.

The X1D (horrible name) is arguably different. I could see myself using it as a walking-around camera. It's not a big gun like the other medium format options. Three lenses is more than enough for that type of camera, although a SWC-type lens (90 degree coverage vertical) would be welcome.

One announcement that fell through the cracks is the Sinar/Leica back. It may be better suited to tilt/shift work than either the Fuji or the Hasselblad.
 

jerome_m

Member
What lenses would be interesting to be adapted on the GFX, if I may ask? Because we are not in 24x36 land with a plethora of cheap, readily available lenses with interesting focal length and character. This is medium format, most of the cheap lenses were designed in film times for much larger targets (and hence longer focal length) than what the GFX uses. And these old lenses are also much, much larger than what is reasonable to use on a smaller camera.

Sure, there may well be some odd old lens that would be interesting to use on the GFX, but I don't think the option will be that useful in the general case.
 

jrp

Member
To step back, and compare the new mirrorless MF contenders:

  • The Hasselblad is likely to be available 3-6m sooner, but it is more expensive (25%?) will have fewer lenses available at least over the first year and/but they will (have to) have built-in shutters.
  • It is more compact than the Fuji, but the latter has a more versatile viewing system.
  • There are some indications that the Hasselblad firmware is immature. The state of the Fuji firmware is unknown, but they have a track record of providing firmware enhancements.
  • There are some signs that Fuji aims to provide a complete MF system, over time. The Hasselblad seems more tentative. If it sells, they may offer more. (Cf, Leica SL).
  • The Hasselblad seems to have licensed Nikon's flash protocols, so their speed light can be used in addition to studio lights.

In headline summary, the Fuji seems aimed more at the photographic journeyman, a professional tool, where as the Hasselblad is aimed more at the lifestyle market.

This is just the impression from advance marketing. It may well turn out that there are showstoppers in either case, when these cameras are used real life, but I'd be interested in the views particularly of those that have seen / used the cameras.
 
In headline summary, the Fuji seems aimed more at the photographic journeyman, a professional tool, where as the Hasselblad is aimed more at the lifestyle market.
I guess this would depend on ones definition of "journeyman", "professional tool" and "lifestyle". For me, I compare potential new cameras against my current system to see if they offer compelling advantages that justifies the cost. Often time it's 2 steps forward one step back but there has to be a compelling reason to change. The internet's general consensus of how a camera should be used, or who should use it never really enters into my decision making process.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
And it should not. It comes down to you to find a compelling reason you should switch. I have done this way to often myself and I really found damn good reasons when it came to needs not wants
 
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