Fujifilm Fujinon GF30mm F5.6 T/S review
How does it handle?
Anyone familiar with the Canon 24mm TS-E F3.5L II will feel immediately at home. The shift feature adopts a large knob on the left-hand side with a smaller locking knob opposite on the righthand side. Provided the locking knob is undone this arrangement allows you to adjust up-or downward shift handheld, if need be. And it’s also used to lock in a dialled amount (again if need be).
My model didn’t move when it was unlocked (even though it’s a press loaner) but it’s still a relatively new lens. So I can’t say if it loosens up over time but that is to be expected.
The viewfinder shows a display of the amount of movement in mm, but even though that’s a nice touch, it’s easy to see exactly what the lens sees in the viewfinder – and a compelling enough reason for switching to mirrorless from a DSLR in itself. Combine that with WYSIWYG in the VF when using manual exposure and DSLRs seem positively anachronistic.
The tilt or swing feature, depending on how you’re using it, has a sliding lock to prevent accidental engagement. Without it, it’s easy to forget some tilt has been applied previously or even accidentally, which is a common cause of blur on one side (through misalignment). Many architecture photographers don’t use the tilt feature as it’s generally tricky to get everything in focus and is time-consuming as a result, so a lock is essential. A small locking knob is also positioned on the opposite side of the larger adjustment knob.
When tilt and shift (fall and rise) are required together in the same direction to extend the depth of field and correct perspective, the tilt mechanism can be rotated 90 degrees. A small locking lever needs to be disengaged and there are detents at every 30 degrees. When oriented 90 degrees, the two adjustment knobs sit a few mms side-by-side, but as one sits higher than the other, there’s still enough room to adjust them independently – one of the benefits of the lens being quite large.
In addition to the tilt mechanism’s rotation feature, another close to the mount allows the barrel with the tilt/shift mechanisms to rotate. It works similarly to the first, only it allows ±90 degrees of rotation. Both locking levers are easy to access with your right-hand forefinger.n
When on a tripod the controls are a lot easier to access, obviously, and the supplied tripod collar with foot is a crucial feature. Not only is it rock-solid with no play, but it also means the camera rather than the lens is moved meaning shift (and tilt) movements are made around the nodal point, making panos easier to align in post.
Sadly, there’s no Arca-style groove in the foot. It’s a somewhat missed opportunity and doubt it’s a licensing issue as the Arca-style plates aren’t of the same dimensions as the originals anyway (likely to avoid said licensing) and the reason why it’s best to buy screw-clamps rather than lever-style.
While the controls and operation are all very similar to rival lenses, one very nice addition is the recording of the shift and rotation amount (in mm and degrees) which is displayed in the viewfinder and recorded in the EXIF data. Unfortunately, the tilt data isn’t recorded and that’s a real shame (if only to know whether it was used inadvertently or not).
Lightroom doesn’t support the shift and rotation data currently, but it is in Capture One Pro 24. Although I didn’t have time to do it you could use Capture One’s LCC tool to remove the vignetting for your lens, see Capture One’s online User Guide for more details.
While it’s a bit of a process, requiring a diffuse perspex ‘filter’ (or something similarly diffuse at a push), it can be streamlined for generic use with a bit of thought and, when set up, it is a time saver when working commercially or otherwise.
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