|
I can straight away say, that the among of my still existing, vintage Canon FDn lenses - the Canon FD 85mm f 1.2 L was aa pleasant surprize. It only showed light corner shading on the 33x44mm larger Fujifilm sensor - and performed optically wonderfully.
So, that is my lens to write home about. The others are... either ok or mediocre. The other can work - but at the same time, I feel like i want to keep the real keeper lenses - which work well on the Fujifilm GFX 50s II camera. I mean it is all about getting some vintage lenses to work with that medium format sensor.
Everything else - can be used on normal 24x36mm fullframe cameras - with better result !! So, why bothering to use 35mm lenses with more or less mediocre results on a semi-professional digital medium format camera.
It is a keeper lens
But the Canon FD 85/1.2 L lens was a real keeper. Clearly. However, keep one thing in mind, when I utter my stuff about 35mm vintage lenses on a Fuji GFX camera: I use those mainly for BLACK & WHITE images at portrait distance. I use them neither for color images, nor at infinity !
Due to the larger sensor on the Fuji - this Canon FDn 85 mm focal length is now shorter. More like a 65 mm lens actually, which is less of a classic portrait focal length, compared to the nominal 85 mm lens.
It is funny that sometimes they sell the old, vintage, manual Canon FD 85/1.2 L for more money, than the electronic Canon EF 85/1.2 L II lens - which is a bit weird, if you ask me. I mean the old FD version is good, but not really better than the EF 85L I or II version, as the latter have better flare control and slightly better contrast when used wide open (albeit the EF versions have a lot of purple color fringing if used improperly)
Weird Canon FDn 20mm f 2.8 lens
This near ultra wide angle lens was at first sight promising - but showed that it had some serious oddities in optical performance with the Fujifilm GFX camera. the focal length now is even wider - something like 16-18 mm ultra-wide, dependent on if you crop the corners or not.
You CAN use this lens on the GFX camera, if you cut the corners a little bit - it is almost a requirement as it lifts the overall look in images. I personally, would only use it for Black & white images.
The borders show some wicked, optical distortions
(bending sstraight lines in a funny way). In color, the extreme borders show blue tint, and the sharpness drops into an abyss. but only in the most extreme corners. so i have seen worse, and this one was not it. But you have to cut off the corners - if you want to get anywhere with this lens.
If you stop down this lens, cut off the corners a bit - then it is actually a nice, very wide lens for Black & white with a Fuji GFX camera.
Fujifilm GFX 50s II + Canon FDn 20 mm f 2.8 (corners here a little bit cropped)
Fujifilm GFX 50s II + Canon FDn 20 mm f 2.8 (corners not cropped; notice the bend lines to the left )
Glowy & Soft wide open at ƒ2.8
- but gets quickly sharp when stopped down 1-3 stops. Already at ƒ4 details already get a lot more defined. (I used this lens sometimes on my [fullframe, 24x36mm] Sony A7s, where it does an excellent job when stopped down to let's say ƒ8 - being very sharp. She makes an excellent wide lens addition in combination with (for example) the Sony A7s !
When using this lens in color, on Fuji GFX at infinity - it looks pretty awful.
However, and like I pointed out many times before... if you use it for Black & White photography, crop the corners a little bit - many lenses can work pretty well on the Fuji GFX camera. If the effort is worth it - only you can decide for yourself.
The ego mind says yes - but in reality, i feel that too many so-so options, are too confusing and dilute the efford of good photography.
It is the content that matters, dummy !
It is more interesting to focus on what it actually is, you want to document in your photography - from the content. Then the lens takes the backseat in your mind - while the image content always should be No1 in photography.
Focus !!
Even I have to re-learn these tasks from time to time - because in all this testing with lenses and adapters I feel like "not seeing the forest because of all trees".
Because all this testing and "stuff".... the good, creative energy is gradually being cut into many pieces, getting lost - and the results of one's photography becomes.... boring and diluted. With the focus on "stuff" and "combinations", instead of content !
I have to seriously work on that chapter.
However, testing things - has a purpose, if you wheel that power without getting in your own way. To test means to be able to utilize your tools later on. Knowing what really works - and what is mainly a hassle an obstacle in your creations. Still - do the work. Get know your tools inside out - and THEN you can decide what works and what not. You can for the right reason you make good choices, based on experience.
My general aim now is, to focus on fewer lenses which give me very good results, e.g. for the work with portraits.
And skip the rest (of options, and so-so lenses etc) |
