FujiFilm GFX

Hands on: FujiFilm GF30mm f5.6 T/S Tilt Shift Lens

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Rory Shinners

A lens to be desired for the GFX system!

Sneak peek! FujiFilm GF30mm T/S

GXF users! Put away those Canon lens adaptors and Canon Tilt Shift lenses, FujiFilm have entered this space with a bang!

Introducing the FujiFilm GF30mm f5.6 Tilt Shift Lens. Ideal for Architecture, Landscape .... and product photography? (gasp!)

Sporting the well known and widely respected FUJINON optics, this is a lens that we really have been waiting for.

FujiFilm GF30mm f5.6 T/S Tilt Shift lens highlights

This lens is amazing! Not only will it be a go to lens for architectural and landscape photographers, but we found it rather amazing for a still life studio image.

Here are some key highlights:

Focal length equivalent to 24mm (35mm format)
85mm image circle for vignette free shifting
Tilting of ±8.5° and shifting of up to ±15mm control the focal plane and perspective of the subject.
Built-in sensor that detects the degree of shifting and revolving movements.
105mm front filter
Comes with a convenient tripod collar maintaining the lens position during shifting

The lens consists of 16 lens elements in 11 groups including three aspherical elements, two ED elements and one Super ED element. It uses a large aperture aspherical element as the front element as well as three ED elements providing advanced optical design that eliminates the need for electronically correcting distortion and lateral chromatic aberration.

Spherical aberration, chromatic aberration and field curvature are suppressed to the extreme extent to achieve edge-to-edge sharpness even during shifting.

The use of Fujifilm’s unique Nano GI Coating technology controls refractive index on the lens surface moderately to inhibit unnecessary light reflection and reduce ghosting and flare, which are typically seen in wide-angle lenses.

The challenges solved by Tilt (swing) and Shift

Historically, when creating an image where the main elements were not on the same focus plane, out came the trusty large format 4x5 (or 8x10) view camera (from Cambo, ARCA-SWISS, Sinar, Toyo and many others - including FujiFilm GX680), with a rail and bellows system that allowed for film planes and lens positions to be shifted and tilted. This allowed for perspective control and precise positioning of the subject in relation to it's environment.

Fast forward and there would be many photographers that may have never put hands on a large technical camera with movements. Their tools of trade may have become Tilt/Shift lenses on their 35mm camera of choice, or there may be some requiring more control when creating their images that may have jumped into attaching their 35mm or medium format digital back or camera to a compact view camera with rail and bellows, much like the Cambo ACTUS or ARCA-SWISS M-Line or F-Line.

The 30mm has ±15mm rise and fall, if you want to achieve shifting side to side, the lens has a switch to rotate the lens barrel 90°.

The same also goes for the ±8.5°Tilt, top to bottom. If you want to swing side to side, the lens is again rotated 90° to achieve swing left to right.

So the challenge is getting 2 items, each at a different focus depth, both in focus. Check out this scenario.

With the FujiFilm GF30mm T/S lens we were able to get both the knife, the orange and the sharpening stone in focus - pin sharp!

And by the way, this lens will create amazing possibilities when used with video as well.

Thank you Adrian Lander (still life [and other things] master) for helping us explore what this lens would not normally be used for!

To check out Adrian's amazing body of work, please visit https://www.adrianlander.com.au/ You can also follow him on Instagram

Here are a couple of variations!