If you’re looking at medium format, the system with a huge price advantage is Fujifilm GFX. Fujifilm calls it a ‘large format’ camera system, which makes a lot of sense when you compare it to a DSLR or mirrorless camera (although the GFX is also mirrorless, of course). On the other hand, the sensor size is closer to that of medium format film – and hence most photographers still refer to the larger format as ‘medium format’.

Some medium format lenses can cost close to $20,000, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see Fujifilm’s new GF 30mm f3.5 R WR lens priced at $2799! Okay, so that’s still expensive, but we’re talking medium format where production runs are much smaller and economies of scale harder to achieve.

The GFX series uses a sensor that is 70 per cent larger than a 35mm full-frame sensor, so the new lens has the equivalent angle-of-view as a 24mm. The lens itself consists of 13 lens elements in ten groups, including two aspherical elements and two ED elements. Fujifilm explains that the high-performance lens groups are positioned to control various aberrations, especially distortion that wide-angle lenses are prone to, achieving excellent, edge-to-edge sharpness. And naturally, resolution is all that you’d expect for a camera with a 50 or 100 MP sensor.

One of the advantages of the Fujifilm medium format camera is its relatively small size and the new 30mm conforms with this principle, weighing 510 g and measuring 99.4 mm with a maximum diameter of 84 mm. The slimline design balances well on a GFX camera, making it a great lens to carry and walk around with for street photography.

The lens is also weather-sealed at nine locations, making it dust and weather resistant. It can also be used in temperatures as low as -10°C.

For more information, visit www.fujifilm.com.au