Fujinon GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR

Is this Fujinon GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR zoom lens the perfect standard zoom for Fujifilm GFX medium-format users?

By Peter Fenech
published
Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4
(Image: © Fujifilm)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Medium format lenses are traditionally immense pieces of kit, not least in terms of size and weight. While the GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR is no small optic, it is impressively portable, considering it offers a 25.2mm - 50.6mm range and a constant maximum aperture of f/4. The handling is a delight, it is optically superb and it will extend the versatility of cameras like the GFX 50R, GFX 50S, GFX 100 and the upcoming GFX 100S. It's the ideal lens for everyday shooting, in addition to events, street photography and even environmental portraiture.

Pros

  • +

    Image sharpness

  • +

    Chromatic aberration control

  • +

    Low vignetting/distortion

  • +

    Build quality

Cons

  • -

    No stabilization

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Medium format cameras are more accessible than ever before, yet they remain a fairly niche area of the market. Any medium-format optic is going to be large when compared to the latest crop of APS-C mirrorless lenses or even full-frame models, due to the larger image circle. 

The Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR fits this description – it is not a small lens by any means. However, it’s still surprisingly lightweight when you pick it up – it almost feels hollow despite the quantity of glass inside, which is impressive. No construction compromises have been made, though, and it is incredibly solid, being perfectly balanced on a Fujifilm GFX 50R body. As expected there is a metal lens mount and tough metal barrel, which feels as if it can withstand the punishment of professional outdoor assignments.

The barrel does extend when zoomed, but focusing is internal. It essentially handles like any recent Fujinon X-series lens. All of the controls are comfortable to operate, with just enough resistance. The front filter thread is also of a manageable diameter, so many photographers' existing filters should be compatible. 

Specifications

Mount: Fujifilm GF

Compatible cameras: Fujifilm GFX 100, GFX 50S, GFX 50R, GFX 100S

Elements/construction: 14 elements in 11 groups

Autofocus: Yes

Image stabilization: No

Angle of view: 81°- 46.3°

Max aperture: f/4

Min aperture:   f/32

Min focus distance: 50cm   

Filter size: 77mm

Length: 116mm

Diameter: 93mm

Weight: 875g

Performance

The lens displays excellent contrast and colour rendition, yielding natural results, aided by the excellent Fujifilm white balance system (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

With a crop factor of 0.79x, the Fujifilm GFX 50R we used gave this lens an equivalent focal range of 25.2mm - 50.6mm. This makes an ideal MF standard zoom (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The lens shows very little vignetting and has pleasant background bokeh, making the most of the large sensor format. (Image credit: Future)

Fujinon GF 32-64 f/4

Corner to corner sharpness is exceptional, with high resolving power at all focal lengths and focussing distances. (Image credit: Future)

Images from the Fujinon GF 32-64 f/4 have strong contrast, with effectively reduced chromatic aberration. (Image credit: Future)

Even wide open this lens is razor-sharp at the center, revealing tremendous levels of detail, with superb contrast. There is a slight drop-off at the edges, but this is minimal and the results remain stellar. Medium-format optics need to perform well at small apertures too, and the 32-64mm does not disappoint. 

Wide open there is significant depth-of-field fall-off behind the subject, thanks to the larger sensor area, and bokeh is deliciously smooth. The lens doesn't focus particularly closely, only allowing a minimum focussing distance of 50cm, so it can be difficult to fill the frame with smaller subjects.  

Distortion is all but absent, and regular users may forget what chromatic aberration looks like. Even on high contrast edges, towards the periphery of the frame, there is not detectable coloured fringing in our sample images. Vignetting is barely visible at all f-stops too, while autofocus is smooth and quiet. The AF operation is particularly impressive considering the volume of glass that requires moving within the barrel.    

Verdict 

An excellent performer, this lens is designed to make the most of the high-resolution medium-format sensors of the Fujifilm GFX series. Importantly it's sharp throughout the aperture range, allowing tight depth-of-field control wide open and front to back sharpness at f/16-f/32, without excessive softening due to diffraction. A great overall performer which will make an ideal 'standard' lens for your GFX camera, especially the GFX 50R or GFX 50S, on which it is ideally balanced.  

Read more:
• Best medium format cameras
• Fujifilm GFX 100 review
• Fujifilm GFX 100S vs GFX 100
• Fujifilm GFX 50S review
• Fujifilm GFX 50R review
• Fujinon GF lens roadmap

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Peter Fenech
Peter Fenech

As the Editor for  Digital Photographer magazine, Peter is a specialist in camera tutorials and creative projects to help you get the most out of your camera, lens, tripod, filters, gimbal, lighting and other imaging equipment.


After cutting his teeth working in retail for camera specialists like Jessops, he has spent 11 years as a photography journalist and freelance writer – and he is a Getty Images-registered photographer, to boot.


No matter what you want to shoot, Peter can help you sharpen your skills and elevate your ability, whether it’s taking portraits, capturing landscapes, shooting architecture, creating macro and still life, photographing action… he can help you learn and improve.