This came as a surprise. As Fotodiox just released a new electronic adapter, which allows users to adapt Mamiya 6 lenses with the Fujifilm GFX camera system.

I have heard - earlier - that some people who were in possession of Mamiya 6 lenses - made irreversible changes to their lenses, in order to use them on the Fujifilm GFX medium format camera. With the price, having to remove the electronic controlled central shutter. Apparently, the Mamiya G lens are extremely sharp.

Now with the new adapter from Fotodiox, you can basically control these lenses for the first time - without having to destroy them. Albeit the mechanism is partially chemicals. The central shutter needs to be cooked (in order to keep it wide open), so you use the shutter in the Fujifilm GFX lens. Also; you need to make some settings, which once done, allows you to change the aperture on the Mamiya 6 lenses, getting reflected on the camera as well.

The adapter is pricey, with 499 $ - which corresponds together with shipping, 25% Swedish tax and import to around 7600 SEK. That is pretty expensive, to say the least.

Enthusiastic - yet with mixed feelings

While i do feel extremely enthusiastic - but at second thought, it feels to be a lot of money for rather little... As you never truly know what you get yourself into with adapters. It is often a matter of diminished return.

I have no doubt that the three lenses for the Mamiya 6 system will perform excellent.

• Mamiya G 50 mm ƒ4 L

• Mamiya G 75mm ƒ3.5 L

• Mamiya 150mm ƒ4.5 L

Users who did adapt them to the GFX system, where delighted from what i have read. Also Fotodiox Mamiya 7 adapter seem to work very well with Mamiya 7 lenses). The optical formula of Mamiya 6 lenses are symmetrical - yet the widest of them, the G 50 mm lens - seem to perform well without any color appearing in the corners.

Tricky Mamiya G 150mm f 4.5 L lens
(on Mamiya 6 cameras)

One lens, i find interesting - is the Mamiya G 150mm f 4.5 L lens. It is notoriously difficult to set sharp on the Mamiya 6 - especially on mine where i always had issues with the range finder... so i practically didn't use the lens other than a few times. Due to the difficulties to hit the point of sharpness where I wanted it to be. I think i have used it perhaps once or twice only.

It was dirt cheap, when i bought it from Malaysia back in 2015 for something like 110 SEK (85 €). It is optically very sharp as it is rather compact. That's why i think it could be a very interesting lens for the Fujifilm GFX system. Perfect portrait lens, albeit i don't know about the long min focus distance of 1.8 meter works on a portrait.

Today at eBay the G 150/4.5 L still goes for relatively affordable 200 - 350 € albeit you have to add tax and import. Is it worth it ? Well for a Mamiya 6 you really don't need this lens, and i doubt you even would use it or want it. It is too iffy to nail the focus correctly, to be honest. Who loves OOF images ? I don't.

So, there is that.

But since i have this lens - it makes sense wanting to use it with the Fujifilm GFX camera. Due to the compactness of the lens alone. The rays of this lens are more straight - which should translate to sharp quality, despite the very thick sensor stack (glas) on the Fujifilm GFX sensor.

How this works out for the wider lenses, I do not know. Those who adapted them, said they perform very good.

Longer min focus distances

One thing needs to be remembered; that the min focus distance with these lenses is not very close. They are range finder lenses - which usually have a more distant min focus. Think; like most Leica M lenses too have a longer min focus distance (except the very latest models).

• Mamiya G 150mm f 4.5 L turns into a 120 mm lens on the GFX, bokeh like ƒ 3.5 / min focus 1.8 m.
• Mamiya G 50/4 L equivalent to a 40 mm lens, with a bokeh like a ƒ 3.1 lens / min focus 1 m
• Mamiya G 75/3.5 L turns into a 60 mm lens, with a bokeh that of a ƒ 2.8 lens / min focus 1 m

All of them are rather compact lenses, and certainly more compact that adapted Pentax 6x7 lens equivalents.

While these lenses ain't exactly bright - but they are very sharp, which if that is truly the case, gives them an edge over other adapted lenses (where you often have to stop down 1-2 stops).