Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 Review

The Fujifilm GF 45mm f2.8 lens was the first lens I purchased for my Fujifilm GFX camera, which I acquired during a small sale, making it slightly more affordable. Despite its price, this lens offers a unique combination of features that may suit certain types of photography while presenting challenges in others.

Build and Design

The Fujifilm GF 45mm f2.8 is relatively compact by GF lens standards, weighing 490g. The design prioritizes function over form, providing a practical, albeit bloated, aesthetic that is less about winning beauty contests and more about delivering performance. It almost looks like a Nikon APS-C 18-55mm kit lens from back in the day. In other words, it’s ugly.

Image Quality

The Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 delivers brutally sharp images across the frame and across its aperture range, from f2.8 to at least f16. While the sharpness is impressive and provides clinically sharp results, it could be considered overly sharp depending on your tastes, impacting the natural feel of the photos. I would often find myself dialing down the Lightroom clarity slider to -15 to try and get a more film-like look from images. The colour rendition is pleasant, the contrast is excellent, the bokeh is appealing, and the corner sharpness is remarkable. I didn't notice any barrel distortion or chromatic aberrations.

Aperture and Depth of Field

The maximum aperture of f2.8 translates to roughly f2.1 or f2.2 on a full-frame camera, which doesn't allow much light intake for a lens in this price range. This won’t satisfy photographers used to wider apertures, especially considering the lens's price point, but it’s enough to get some nice separation at close distances to your subject. Still, it could be a limiting factor for those accustomed to an f1.4 35mm lens, particularly when seeking significant background separation.

Autofocus and Usability 

The Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8’s autofocus system, powered by a DM motor, is not the fastest and might even be described as sluggish and a tad noisy. This limitation would be a dealbreaker for capturing quick movements or spontaneous street scenes, but it’s still perfectly usable for most types of photography.

Best Uses

As a lens, the Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 is suitable for controlled environments where precision and detail are paramount and for photographers who need the best image quality. It excels in studio portraits, fashion photography, and other forms of photography where subject movement is minimal. The fixed focal length and sharpness make it a strong candidate for documentary work or long-term photo projects.

Final Thoughts 

The Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 image quality is incredible. It stands out for its exceptional sharpness and reliable performance in a compact form. While it may not be the best choice for photographers who need fast autofocus (but this applies to all GFX lenses) or extensive depth of field control, its image quality, especially in sharpness and colour accuracy, makes it a must-own lens for Fujifilm GFX users. Its performance in specific photography types like studio and documentary work solidifies its position as a top-tier lens in the medium format realm.