Shoot wider with a GFX 100RF than Fujifilm ever intended... all thanks to Ricoh!

Ricoh GW-4 wide conversion lens
(Image credit: Jason Friend / YouTube)

The Fujifilm GFX 100RF is an amazing camera - a 102 megapixel, medium-format sensor crammed in a (relatively) compact rangefinder-style body weighing just 735g. If there is a downside (apart from the $5600 price tag), it's that the lens is fixed at 35mm (28mm full-frame equivalent). You can zoom in to 80mm using sensor cropping, providing you accept a drop in image resolution to 20MP, but what if you want to go wider than the native 35mm focal length?

Fujifilm GFX 100RF full review

This Converts the Fujifilm GFX100RF to a 21mm Wide-Angle Beast! - YouTube This Converts the Fujifilm GFX100RF to a 21mm Wide-Angle Beast! - YouTube
Watch On

Until now, that's just been a dream for GFX 100RF owners. Well, not any more. Jason Friend (YouTube Jason Friend Photography) has discovered that it's possible to mount Ricoh's GW-4 wide-angle converter lens straight to the 100RF's lens - no adaptors or messing about - it simply screws into the 100RF's filter thread! The result is a 21mm-equivalent focal length - 7mm wider than standard.

Ricoh GW-4 wide conversion lens

(Image credit: Jason Friend / YouTube)

The GW-4 converter lens is actually designed for Ricoh GR III-series cameras. These are APS-C cameras far smaller in size than the GFX 100RF, so it's surprising that the GW-4 is able to mount straight to the Fujifilm camera. But even more amazing is that there seems to be barely any reduction in optical quality with the adapter fitted. Friend reports in his video that sharpness is almost as good as without the adaptor, even in the corners of frame. The same is true of contrast, and distortion is similarly minimal. It'd also be reasonable to expect some vignetting with such a deep extra lens fitted, but this is also said to be negligible.

Ricoh GW-4 wide conversion lens

Focal length comparison (Image credit: Jason Friend / YouTube)

So there you have it: for just $247/£224, you can shoot a whole new perspective with a GFX 100RF, opening up fresh possibilities for capturing expansive landscapes and wide interiors.

Story credit: Jason Friend Photography

Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.