Fujifilm GF 55mm F 1 7 R WR Review | 54 Data compared

The Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is a highly versatile, weather-sealed medium format prime lens designed for Fujifilm’s GFX camera system, offering a natural 52.9-degree viewing angle equivalent to a 44mm lens on a full-frame sensor. Tested on the 102-megapixel GFX100 II, the lens delivers spectacular, surgical sharpness across the entire frame—even when shot wide-open at f/1.7—alongside exceptionally smooth, dreamy bokeh generated by its 11-blade aperture diaphragm. Its internal focusing system is driven by a fast, near-silent DC motor, and the optical construction includes two aspherical and two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements to effectively minimize chromatic aberrations. The lens boasts several notable strengths, including a highly versatile perspective mimicking the human eye, razor-sharp edge-to-edge optical performance, superb handling with a physical aperture control ring, and robust, freeze-proof weather sealing. However, it does carry a few drawbacks, such as a modest 0.17x maximum magnification ratio and a high, though justified, retail price of around $2,353. Additionally, videographers may find the lack of a de-click switch on the aperture ring less than ideal for making silent exposure adjustments on hybrid bodies...

The Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR is a fast prime lens that delivers superlative image quality, characterized by incredible corner-to-corner sharpness even when shot wide open at f/1.7. Evaluated by Morten Byskov on a first-generation GFX 50R, the lens provides a standard focal length (44mm full-frame equivalent) that leaves a unique visual signature on medium-format sensors. Its robust, rock-solid physical construction includes weather sealing and a highly tactile aperture ring that transitions smoothly between stops. Key strengths highlighted in the review include its fast f-stop, exceptional image quality with beautiful, soft bokeh driven by an 11-blade rounded diaphragm, solid build quality, and weather resistance. However, the lens comes with notable real-world trade-offs in size and performance. It is bulky and heavy for daily carry, weighing 1.7 lbs (780 g), which can feel poorly balanced on smaller rangefinder-style bodies like the GFX 50R compared to larger bodies with more substantial grips. The most critical drawback noted is its troubled autofocus performance on first-generation GFX cameras. Using older contrast-detect systems, the lens frequently hunts, fails to lock onto faces during portrait...

The Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is a highly versatile premium prime lens designed for Fujifilm’s medium format GFX system, offering a "normal" full-frame focal length equivalent of 44mm. It features an optical design of 14 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical and two ED elements, which successfully balances high resolution with a smooth quality of rendering. The lens delivers remarkable sharpness and contrast across the entire frame, even when shooting wide open at F1.7 on a demanding 102MP sensor, outperforming the older GF 80mm F1.7 in the corners. Additional strengths include professional-grade weather sealing (WR), an 11-blade aperture diaphragm for round bokeh highlights, excellent control over longitudinal chromatic aberrations, strong flare resistance, and beautiful color rendition. Despite its optical excellence, the lens suffers from notable autofocus and optical drawbacks. Instead of a modern linear focus motor, Fujifilm implemented an older DC motor, which results in audibly scratchy noise during autofocus changes that built-in microphones easily pick up during video capture. Video autofocus is further hindered by occasional hunting, pulsing, and a lack of confidence in locking focus...

The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR lens earns a 3.5 out of 5 rating from PCMag for delivering exceptional, razor-sharp picture quality on GFX medium-format cameras, despite some noticeable mechanical drawbacks. Weighing 1.7 pounds and measuring 3.9 by 3.7 inches, this rugged, metal-barrel lens features a weather-sealed design suitable for outdoor use and an 11-blade aperture that generates gorgeous, smooth background blur and high-quality bokeh rendition. Optically, it excels in lab tests, achieving excellent marks of 6,500 lines wide open from f/1.7 to f/4 and jumping to 7,000–7,300 lines between f/5.6 and f/11 for edge-to-edge sharpness. Additional pros include an integrated, physical on-lens aperture control ring and strong flare resistance when shooting toward the sun. However, the lens is heavily held back by its slow, noisy, and uneven DC autofocus motor, which takes nearly a second to drive focus and frequently hunts before locking onto a subject. The manual focus experience is equally disappointing due to a stuttering focus motor response. These physical focus limitations, combined with a loud acoustic signature and significant focus breathing, make the lens...

The Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR is a highly well-built, weather-resistant medium format lens that offers a unique 43mm full-frame equivalent focal length, serving as a "new standard" for GFX system cameras. Its optical performance is outstanding, producing razor-sharp images even wide open at f/1.7 on demanding 102-megapixel sensors. The lens delivers exceptionally smooth, creamy bokeh due to its 11 rounded aperture blades and showcases stellar correction of lateral and axial chromatic aberrations, rivaling premium lenses like the Zeiss Otus. Vignetting and barrel distortion are minor and easily correctable in post-processing, making it a transparent tool that does not impose unwanted optical artifacts. However, the lens falls short regarding autofocus speed and audio output due to its reliance on a DC motor rather than a linear motor. The autofocus mechanism is noticeably loud and prone to hunting or racking back and forth in low-light environments or during fast-action tracking. Additionally, flare resistance is a notable drawback, as strong light sources inside or just outside the frame can introduce colorful ghosting and veiling flare. Finally, some videographers may be disappointed...

The Fujinon GF55 F1.7 R WR is a highly anticipated medium-format lens equivalent to a 40mm F1.3 lens on a full-frame sensor, striking a balance between wide-angle perspective and shallow depth of field. Architecturally, it mirrors the GF80 with its superb, weather-sealed hybrid metal/rubber build and lightweight, travel-friendly footprint weighing just 780g. Performance-wise, the lens delivers spectacular center sharpness and contrast straight from wide-open at F1.7, hitting peak edge-to-edge sharpness around F4 to F5.6. It is highly praised for rendering gorgeous, creamy bokeh with a razor-sharp focal transition that produces a striking 3-dimensional illusion. The author also notes that the lens's field of view seamlessly replaces the GF63 for street, travel, and environmental portraiture. Despite its optical strengths, the review highlights several compromises made to keep the lens compact. The primary drawback is its noticeable tangential astigmatism at the corners between F1.7 and F2.8, which deforms point light sources into wing-like shapes and complicates wide-open night landscape photography. There is also mild barrel distortion, though this is easily corrected using software manufacturing profiles. Furthermore, the autofocus performance is a mixed...

The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is a bright, weather-sealed prime lens designed for the GFX medium format system that delivers exceptional, razor-sharp picture quality. Priced at $2,299.95, this heavy, 1.7-pound lens features an impressive 14-element optical formula and an 11-blade aperture that beautifully blurs backgrounds, rendering gorgeous bokeh without false textures or distracting artifacts. Testing shows outstanding lab performance, achieving high resolution at wider apertures and edge-to-edge sharpness when stopped down to f/5.6-11. It handles lens flare well and includes convenient physical features like a ribbed manual focus ring and an integrated aperture ring with third-stop clicks and a push-to-turn lock. However, the lens is held back by an uneven, loud, and slow DC autofocus motor that takes nearly a second to drive focus and often hunts before locking onto a subject. The audible motor noise, combined with visible focus breathing and a stuttering manual focus response, makes it highly disappointing for video production and rack focusing shots. Additional drawbacks include its bulky footprint (3.9 by 3.7 inches), a lack of built-in optical stabilization, and poor sunstar...

The Fujinon GF55mm F/1.7R WR is a highly capable medium-format prime lens that delivers outstanding optical quality tailored for 100-megapixel sensors. Its 55mm focal length offers a highly natural 45mm full-frame equivalent perspective, pairing a wide 52° field-of-view with an ultra-bright F/1.7 aperture. Key advantages of this lens include its exceptional sharpness across the entire aperture range, natural color rendition, strong micro-contrast, and total freedom from optical distortion and chromatic aberrations. Additionally, the lens features a robust, weatherproof, and freezeproof all-metal internal design, alongside highly precise manual focus adjustments and a locking aperture control ring. On the downside, its large glass elements result in a heavy 780g footprint that measures 9.5cm wide and 10cm long, demanding a tripod for steady shooting. The razor-thin depth-of-field at F/1.7 can easily cause a subject to slip out of focus with any minor physical shift. It also displays a minute amount of vignetting at its maximum aperture, and users may notice a very slight softness in extreme corners when magnifying 100-megapixel files to 1:1 scale. Despite these handling challenges, it remains a fantastic option...

The Fujifilm GF55mm f/1.7 R WR is a highly capable medium format lens referred to as the "New Standard" because its 55mm construction matches the GFX sensor's diagonal length. This design creates a very natural angle of view—equivalent to a 44mm lens on a 35mm camera—meaning that what the photographer sees with the naked eye is closely replicated in the frame. Reviewer Jason Halayko highlights several prominent advantages, including the outstanding low-light capability and subject separation offered by the bright f/1.7 aperture, which made hand-held night photography in Shibuya possible at a fast 1/160 shutter speed and low ISO 320. Additionally, the lens features 11 rounded diaphragm blades that generate exceptionally smooth, clean, and non-distracting background bokeh. Performance is further elevated when paired with the Fujifilm GFX100 II, utilizing its upgraded autofocus algorithm to deliver flawless eye-tracking results that captured quick action like freezes and jumps without missing focus. However, the review also notes a few clear drawbacks to consider before purchasing. Structurally, the lens is significantly larger and heavier than its predecessor, the 50mm GFX lens, tipping the scales...

The Photo Review assessment of the Fujinon GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR lens awards a 9.0/10 rating, highlighting its outstanding optical performance, robust weather-sealed construction, and smooth bokeh from an 11-blade diaphragm. Pros include a relatively compact form factor for its class, a mechanical aperture ring, and reliable, high-contrast imagery, making it suitable for versatile shooting. Cons, however, feature a high AU$3,899 price point and a slightly audible, slower DC motor for autofocus compared to linear alternatives. Minor optical limitations include slight vignetting and distortion at the maximum f/1.7 aperture, which are easily corrected in post-processing.

The Fujifilm Fujinon GF 55mm F1.7 R WR is a bright, weather-sealed prime lens designed for the GFX medium format system, retailing at an MSRP of $2,299.95. Evaluated using a 102MP GFX100 II, the lens delivers exceptional image quality and stunning background blur, achieving excellent sharpness from f/1.7 to f/4 and maximizing performance between f/5.6 and f/11. Its robust metal barrel is fully weather-sealed for outdoor shooting, and it features a useful on-lens aperture control ring. However, its bulky and heavy design—measuring 3.9 by 3.7 inches and weighing 1.7 pounds—is an inherent byproduct of medium format optics. The primary drawback of the lens is its disappointing focus performance. The autofocus motor is slow, noisy, and frequently hesitates or hunts before locking onto a subject. Additionally, manual focusing suffers from an uneven, stuttering response, and the lens exhibits noticeable focus breathing, making it a poor choice for video work. Ultimately, PCMag awards the lens a "Good" 3.5-star rating, concluding that while professionals seeking high-end bokeh may overlook the autofocus flaws, enthusiasts should consider the more compact and affordable GF 50mm F3.5...