Advice on GFX lenses?

[Derek Zeanah]

TL/DR: Can you get away with just zooms on these cameras? What's a good, minimalist, "do everything" lens set?

Background: Never liked zooms. First camera was an AE-1 and it came with a Sears branded 28-70. Nope. Moved to primes. Took some photo classes. Still stuck with primes. Moved to Nikon a bit later with an F5 and did some wedding photography, used some zooms because I needed to - saw good work other photographers were producing with monstrosities like the 28-200 that came out in the late 90's - couldn't do it and preferred Leica and Hasselblad anyway. Picked up a Fuji S2, then later an S3 for wedding work a few years later, still mostly stuck with primes. Gave up the paid work - current kit (last month) was a Pentax K1 with the "Limited" primes and a macro lens (which I'll be selling soon, btw) and a solid tripod.

Anyway, last month I discovered the GFX 50Sii existed and bought one with the kit lens and...I don't hate it. It seems fine, even on an extension ring. Granted I've done limited testing so far - I haven't even gone outside - but now that I'm 50 and a bit more weight sensitive, and ISOs are usable above 400, and workable image stabilization is a thing, mirrorless can kind of see in the dark, and lens corrections are done in software, I'm tempted to simplify and carry less weight with more zooms and less primes.

So I figured I'd ask. If you were trying to build a reasonably simple kit - something to take on vacation, grab for fun, put the occasional print on your wall, maybe assign yourself some projects - what lenses would you include, and in what order? Are there any "must haves?" Are there any that are best avoided?

I'm asking not so I can send a big payment to B&H, but so I can think, and ponder, and maybe pick up the occasional used lens that's on my list when it pops up on the market.

 

[GrahamWelland]

Well, it depends on your preference for zooms or primes. Given that you have the 35–70mm lens you might only really want to add a couple of lenses to flesh out a full kit. If you shoot wide then the 23mm is excellent. Likewise if you want longer then the 100-200 and optionally the TC might cover everything you ever need.

Personally, my go to kit is the 23, 45-100, 100-200 plus TC. Not the lightest combo, especially when I bring the 250mm along but it gives me the complete range that I use plus the zooms are image stabilized although not so much of an issue with the GFX100s or GFX50Sii vs the original GFX50’s. Full disclosure - I AM a lens whore and so my advice is very biased

The other “standard” outfit is to swap out the 45-100 for the 32-64mm but you already have that covered by the 35-70. If you don’t need the extra reach of 200mm with the 100-200 zoom, then the 120 macro is a great lens. Everybody likes the 110mm too so if you want that bokeh and portrait focused lens then that might be a better option.

All I can say is that when it comes to the Fuji G lenses I’ve not encountered a dud yet and I have all of their lenses with the exception of the 63 & 110mm and the new 35-70mm.

 

[aksclix]

I have a gfx 100s with 23, 32-64, 80, 110, 250 + 1.4x TC.. had a 50 too but sold it! I never got the 45-100 because i shoot with other camera systems too and that focal length overlapped with my other gear.. BUT, it’s a fantastic all rounder lens! you can even get a nice pleasing background blur with this lens. If you’re not after the best portrait lens then you’ll be just fine with your 35-70 kit lens and 45-100.. if you want more reach 100-200 is also a great option.. all gf zoom lenses offer great IQ so you’ll be fine if you only got zooms..

 

[aksclix]

Must-haves are totally dependent on what you like to shoot but the 32-64 (or your 35-70) and the 45-100 seem to be the best recommendation for you.. avoid the 63 as it’s prone to some mechanical failure i heard? It’s very compact though.. I’d suggest 50 over the 63 if you want a compact walk about lens.. it’s got the fastest AF among gf lenses

 

[Ari]

Some zooms I've used have been excellent, such as the Tamron 17-28 f/2.8 I use on a Sony body, so I wouldn't discount them so quickly. Today's zoom lenses are not the same those of yore.
I have the 35-70 as well with the S II body, and I like the lens a lot. I tend to prefer primes, but if a zoom is good enough, I'll use it.
I plan to get the 20-35 zoom when it comes out next year, and then the 24mm TS-E lens when it comes out in 2023.
With the 80 I just bought, that should serve me very well for a number of years.
And all of this, including a Canon TS-E, fits in a small Tenba 20L bag that weighs 12 pounds, including the bag (4 lbs).

 

[Makten]

You should choose solely based on your needs, regarding focal length, size, weight, speed and price of course. They are all so optically good that it doesn't matter very much which ones you use.
I have the kit zoom and a bunch of primes, and I think I have to sell off some of them because I just can't choose among them.

GF 30/3.5 – Excellent but too wide in most cases for me. Stupid 58 mm filter thread when the other small primes have 62.
GF 35-70/4.5-5.6 – The optically least good, but I love the small size and the range. Perfect when I don't know exactly what to shoot. And it's really good enough.
GF 45/2.8 – Great lens but I prefer the 50/3.5.
GF 50/3.5 – This could easily be my only lens. It draws nicer than the 45 and gives less LoCA, plus it's tiny. The angle of view is very versatile too and it gives great subject separation despite the smallish max aperture. A bit redundant since you have the 35-70 though.
GF 63/2.8 – Optically fantastic but I've never been a "normal" focal length guy. Often a tad too long. AF is a bit clunky and noisy but no big deal.
GF 110/2 – No idea of why I bought this lens. Wrong focal length and way too heavy to lug around. Optically perfect, though. I understand why others love it.

If I was to start over from zero, which is perhaps also where I'll end up if I sell some stuff...

GF 35-70 for small size and low weight.
GF 55/1.7 (not released yet) for max bokeh and low light. I really hope it won't be too huge.
GF 100-200 as an allround tele.

That would be it.

 

[Godfrey]

Hmm. I don't have a GFX, I have a Hasselblad 907x. Same sensor size though...

The 907x body is nice and compact, the lenses a bit bulky. I haven't used it for travel yet, but I suspect that (for me) a nice kit will be the XCD 21, XCD45, and either of the XCD 65 or XCD 90. Two lens, I'd go for the extremes of 21+90. If only one lens, the XCD 65.

The XCD 35-75 looks like a good lens too, but I've never been a fan of the "normal zoom" lens. I'd rather used a fixed prime focal length so that I always know what the framing looks like without thinking about it. That's just me...

G

 

[Ari]

While I wait for Fuji to release the 20-35mm zoom, I've been looking around for an affordable wide angle lens.
The Sigma 14-24 f/2.8 is what I'd like to get, but even that is too spendy right now.
I'd like an AF 24mm prime, or decent zoom.
The Tokina 16-28 Opera might work, any suggestions? Thanks

 

[aksclix]

any suggestions?

I have the native 23 f/4 but for wider needs I have the Canon 11-24 f/4.. even with the crop mode I get 60+ megapixels out of the 100s.. I haven’t truly shot anything spectacular with that combo yet purely due to the pandemic.. I had also considered the 14-24 sigma, 16-35 iii canon, Zeiss 15 f2.8, sigma 20 f1.4. I hear most FF lenses only have full sensor coverage when you shoot 18mm and above depending on the lens.. my 11-24 also starts to show no vignetting around 17-18mm I believe.. I also thought about the Laowa 17mm but that’s kinda big too and I might have to find a place for it only for those times when I’ll need that focal length! Since I own multiple bodies, I got the Nikon z 14-20, Laowa 15 f/2 for Sony and thinking of an even smaller 11mm or 9mm Laowa for those shots where I definitely need that wide!! For example some of those gorgeous Yellowstone hot springs needed ultra wide angle lenses! My 14-24 f2.8 Nikon f lens was proving not wide enough on a couple of occasions

 

[Ari]

Well, the Tokina is on sale at the moment, so I went ahead and ordered it. Reviews are good, and at that price, it can be a placeholder until the 20-35 shows up.
Noted about the vignetting, thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[PeterA]

For me the minimalist kit would be the GFX100S and the 50 1.7 when it comes out.

 

[algrove]

For me I prefer the Fuji GF LM lenses. That's just me. I still have the 45, but don't use it after acquiring the 50/3.5.
Landscape kit-23/32-64/100-200/250+TC is my go to kit. I have the 110 for portraits and the 50 for a walk around lens. I use the 120 at home for table top images.