This is a lens which is among the lighter and smaller lenses in the Fujifilm GF line up. Equipped with a moderate aperture of ƒ3.5 giving an equivalent perspective like that of a 24 mm wide angle lens (on a 24x36 fullframe camera).

I thought to add this lens into my arsenal of lenses, by buying it second hand from Finland, with an additional rebate, bringing down the total price into a realm of a good price (for being a native Fujifilm lens I mean, and compared to the new price of that lens, now being more affordable). I have been pretty lucky with my purchases of native Fujifilm lenses, because the original prices today, are pretty steep to say the least.

Especially on the (very wide) GF 23mm f 4 lens I was lucky, given that it today cost twice the price i had paid for second hand.

The rotating Vertex 6x7 Adapter method

Remember, the whole project of actually buying myself a digtial medium format camera, came totally out of the blue last year. I bought it primarily just for the rotating Vertex adapter method: where I use Pentax 6x7 lenses, and stich 4 images together into a huge image; which optically is exactly equivalent to that of having a 7x7 cm (!) digital sensor.

So, when you take 4 images, by rotating the camera by 90 degrees, the perspective though the 6x7 lens doesn't change, as you rotate the camera in line with the optical axis of a 6x7 lens large image circle). It is incredibly cool to say the least. Albeit it requires a tripod at ALL times in order to ensure exact alignment.

I never had in mind to take images with native Fujifilm lenses... Well, uhm yeah. Big words. So now here i am, still buying Fujifilm lenses. Nevertheless, the image quality is exquisit even when using the Fujifilm GFX camera in the way it was design for.

As of now, I have already several lenses for this digital medium format camera, which work excellent:

• Canon TS-E 17mm f 4 L (equiv. 12mm, ultra wide angle)
• Fujifilm GF 23/4 (18 mm; ultra wide angle)
• Fujifilm GF 30/3.5 (24 mm, wide angle)

• Tamron 45mm f 1.8 (35 mm, light wide angle)
• Mitakon 65/1.4 (50 mm, normal lens)
• Sigma ART 70/2.8 Macro (55 mm, only for Macro)

• Fujifilm GF 35-70/4.5-5.6 (Zoom equiv. 28-55 mm; moderately wide to normal perspective)

I can of course use a couple other lenses

albeit not so much on regular basis, but who are useful covering the longer ranges. I prefer these lenses over the Fujifilm offerings to be really honest. Albeit with the comment that the Canon EF 200/2 and the Sigma 105/1.4 ART are really big, heavy lenses, clearly heavier than Fujifilm offerings.

On the other hand, the Canon / Sigma offer unique bright apertures. The Canon EF 300 mm on the other hand is rather light and comfortable. I even had it with me to Sicily the other week.

• Sigma 105/1.4 ART (85 mm, portrait, light tele)
• Canon EF 200/2 L IS (160 mm, telephoto)
• Canon EF 300/4 L IS (240 mm, telephoto)

Alltogether that is quite a list of lenses for the Fujifilm GFX system. I am glad not having had to buy a lot more Fujifilm GF lenses, given their (pretty) high prices these days in 2024. Which is even much higher for the Hasselblad system, not to mention the cost lenses for the future Leica medium format system. They are supposedly coming out with a mirrorless medium format camera in 2025.

The Hasselblad / Fuji XPan legacy !

One thing is interesting with the Fujifilm GF 30mm ƒ 3.5 lens is that when you use it with the "FUJIFILM XPAN" framing, you get that exact equivalent field of view like that with the original Hasselblad XPan camera & 45mm ƒ4 lens !

Unique XPan panorama camera

Remember that the Hasselblad XPan was in essence a Fujifilm creation , while Swedish Hasselblad , was mainly a "batch" put on for all XPan cameras sold outside of Japan. But Fuji was the creator filed under the names of XT-1 and XT-2.

A truly unique hybrid 35mm panorama camera based on the principles of a Leica rangefinder. You used the common 135 film, and could switch, at any time in the middle of the filmroll: between using it with 24x36 mm framing, or as 24x65mm panoramic negatives. (I used it only as a panorama camera, and I am sure most photographers did).

My earlier Fujifilm lens i bought, the GF 23mm f 4 lens gives the same perspective like the legacy XPan 30 mm ƒ 5.6 aspherical lens (see images below). The original lens was sinful expensive around 3000 € in year 2001, and goes today up to 3500 to 5500 € (!) on eBay.

Going out making digital XPan Panorama images - just wow.

I love the FRAMING the way the Fujifilm GFX camera gives you in the viewfinder. It masks the surrounding (unused) image entirely, just giving you a view that of a panoramic Hasselblad XPan perspective. That is what love with the way they you see the image.

"Walk around lens"

I also think - at least this far in theory - that the upcoming Fujifilm GF 30/3.5 lens with its 24mm perspective will be a nice walk around lens. Both lenses, the 35-70mm f 4.5-5.6 zoom, are in that category of "walk around" lenses. They are "easy" to deal with.

The advantage of the GF 30/3.5 is that it has a slightly (1 stop) brighter aperture with ƒ3.5 instead of ƒ4.5, which I welcome. Nevertheless; medium format cameras benefit largely from stopping down your lenses to ƒ8 for optimal sharpness. Which requires good light, too. Kind of like a "Summer camera" (when i think of the dull, dark Scandinavian winters...). Or you simply resort to tripod photography, open your photography up to any type of light, no matter at what level.

When one is too wide... the other kicks in

Also; the GF 30mm is for all the wider perspective images, in which the GF 23mm f 4 (= 18 mm wide angle) is far too wide. Albeit due to the more boxy format of Fujifilm GFX images (as well Microfourthirds cameras) - those always look less wide compared to when you use a normal fullframe camera and its typical longer (more horizontal) proportions.

Or in other words; a 24mm wide angle on a MicroFourThird camera (12 mm) or with Fujifilm GFX camera (30mm), look less wide, compared to a 24mm lens mounted on a fullframe camera.