The FujiFilm X Summit 2024 took place on May 16 in Sydney, and saw the Japanese company introduce two new lenses to the Australian market, the Fujinon Lens GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, and the Fujinon Lens XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR. It was not specified if these devices would also be released globally.
The Fujinon Lens GF500mm is an interchangeable lens for the GFX System of FujiFilm mirrorless digital cameras, which are equipped with a large format sensor that is approximately 1.7x that of a 35mm full-frame sensor.
The GF500mm is a super telephoto prime lens, able to capture images up to 500mm. This makes it the longest in the Fujinon GF lenses lineup.
When the lens is combined with the Fujinon Teleconverter GF1.4X TC WR, the focal length is extended, achieving a maximum focal length of 700mm. It also weighs approximately 1.3kg.
The telephoto performance and high resolution work together seamlessly to capture precise, fine details of a subject.
The super telephoto lens can be miniaturised, achieving high-speed and high-accuracy autofocus.
It also has improved image stabilisation sensing accuracy and optimal mechanical design, achieving a powerful image stabilisation mechanism with up to 6.0 stops of vibration compensation.
This is also the longest telephoto prime lens in the GF Lens lineup, and adopts a state-of-the-art lens construction of 14 groups and 21 elements, including two Super ED lenses and five ED lenses, suppressing chromatic aberration.
The lens adopts a weather resistant and -10-degrees Celsius low temperature resistant structure, complete with sealing at 18 points in the lens barrel.
The front element has been coated with fluorine for water repellent and anti-smudge capabilities.
There’s an inner focus system that incorporates a smaller, lighter focus lens, driving the focus group via a linear motor.
This allows for a fast, silent autofocus with a minimum delay of approximately 0.31 seconds.
The Focus Preset function can be shifted to a location pre-defined with the button, reducing operation workload.
Additionally, it has a Focus Limiter, which allows the user to restrict the AF (autofocus) range, as well as a Focus Control button, which is placed at the front edge of the barrel. Pressing this will instantly recall a function assigned with the Focus Selector.
The Fujinon Lens GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR will be released in Australia on June 17, and will retail for A$6,099 from the official FujiFilm website.
Moving on to the Fujinon Lens XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR, a new lens joining the lineup of interchangeable XF lenses, designed specifically for the X series mirrorless digital cameras.
It is a standard zoom lens which can cover a focal length range from wide-angle 16mm to medium telephoto 50mm.
It combines high resolution performance compatible with the 40.2 million pixels X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor throughout the whole zoom range, and is the lightest lens, weighing approximately 240g.
It also offers high-speed and high-precision autofocus, magnification of 0.3x at the telephoto end, and a weather resistant -10-degrees Celsius low-temperature resistant construction.
In addition to the high-resolution performance, it also has a close-up capability and can be constantly attached to the camera, serving as a single lens supplying the roles of multiple lenses.
Along with this release, FujiFilm are expected to announce lens kits with the Fujifilm X-T50, Fujifilm X-T5, and Fujifilm X-S20, complete with In Body Image Stabilisation.
The lens adopts a configuration of 9 groups and 11 elements, including 3 aspherical lenses and 3 ED lenses suppresses chromatic aberration, and can achieve a maximum shooting macro magnification of 0.3x at the telephoto end.
The lens also adopts the inner focus method, which drives a compact and lightweight group of focus lenses with a linear motor, and the high-speed and high-precision autofocus system is achieved through the miniaturisation of the focus lens group.
The weather resistant and low temperature design comes with weather sealing applied to 13 areas of the lens barrel.
The Fujinon Lens XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR will be available in Australia from June 17, and will retail for A$1,299 from the official FujiFilm website.
