ZY Optics (Zhongyi) 45mm f 1.4 for GFX

Company ZY Optics (Zhongyi)

is developing two native lenses for the mediumformat Fujifilm GFX. (albeit they also mentions the Pentax 645 camera... which is strange, because it is a mediumformat DSLR camera, e.g. has a mirror inside, and therefore requires a lens with a much longer flange distance). Perhaps the mentioning of Pentax 645 was an error ? Or did they design two versions ? They also mention that the lenses are compatible with other systems like digital backs á lá Sinar etc.

Mitakon 30/2.4 on Fujifilm GFX 50R

Mitakon 30mm ƒ 2.4

One lens is the 30mm ƒ2.4 lens (equivalent to 24mm fullframe) - which covers the larger 33x44mm sensor in the Fujifilm GFX camera system. The price should be around 4900 SEK + tax.

For me personally that is of no interest what so ever - because I already have the (much beloved) Fujinon GF 30mm ƒ3.5 lens - which is my super favorite lens on the Fujifilm GFX

Mitakon 45mm ƒ1.4

This one seems interesting - because it is an 35mm ƒ1.1 (!) equivalent lens for the Fujifilm GFX camera system.

It is like all Mitakoms for GFX, a manual lens - but at the same time affordable with around 4500 to 5000 SEK + tax. As it is covering the larger sensor natively it will not induce extra cignetting like fullframe lenses tend to do (sometimes in the most harsh unusable ways). Oh top, it has an exceptionally bright aperture, ensuring lovely background blur.... But we know nothing about the performance yet.

However.

Alternative:

I do have the (fullframe) Tamron SP 45mm ƒ1.8 lens (Canon EF mount) - which together with the Finger EF-GFX adapter - shows that this is a great as well unusual flexible Lens. One of the FEW which actually cover the larger Fujifilm GFX sensor.

What makes it so flexible is it unusual close-up focus. Having a bright aperture of ƒ1.8 is already more than enough. It is overall a formidable, high performance lens that works very well with my Fujifilm GFX 50s II camera. It does exhibit a bit of color fringing (the red/purple type). So again, most likely, i stick to my existing Tamron SP 45/1.8 instead.

Fujifilm has its own GFX equivalent; the Fujinon 45mm ƒ2.8 - which you can't go wrong with, being a native GFX lens.

Nevertheless - it is always interesting to see new lenses being developed for the GFX mediumformat system. Even Sigma spoke about their interest in developing lenses for the GFX. Now that speaks for very high quality lenses, I am sure.

So far - we have not seen any Sigma GFX lenses yet.

It should be noted

That super bright apertures in mediumformat - isn't always the "holy grail". It can complicate things more than not. In order to have a good balanced sharpness, some stopping down of the aperture is often better in the final images, than using wide open apertures.

They already made 2 medium format lenses

Since we are talking about ZY company - who already developed two mediumformat lenses; the Mitakon 60mm ƒ1.4 and the Mitakon 80mm ƒ1.6

I've got the first one - which is a whopper of 1 kilo. And very, very difficult to set sharp manually - almost impossible, I find. But when it hits the right spot - its an intruiging lens (albeit soft when used between ƒ1.4 and ƒ2 - then it starts to sharpen up consierably).

It emulates EXACTLY the feeling and rendering, as if using the Pentax 67 Takumar 105mm ƒ2.4 lens on a Pentax 67 film camera ! A unique kind of image rendering style.

Once you stop down the Mitakon 60/1.4 - it becomes sharp. Vinjetting is almost non existent and very gentle, beautifully executed. (same goes for the Tamron SP 45/1.8 lens)

The advantage of the Mitakon 80/1.6 is that it focuses much closer compared to the 60/1.4

Paola at the beach of Vulcano
(main photo above)

It was second week of October 2024 - and the sky was dry-hazy - showing a rather pale color palette, and the sky was barely blue - but more like a milky type of sky. Very different colors compared to how Vulcano looks like early May, with often clear blue skies and stronger colors overall.

• At the Fossa Crater rim of Vulcano, May 2019