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Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 Lens Review

Released alongside the second-generation GFX 100S II on May 16, 2024, the Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens is the longest super telephoto lens for the GFX system. With a full-frame equivalent of 396mm, this lens extends sports, bird, and wildlife photography into the domain of high-end medium format photography.

Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Video Review | The GF Lens We've Been Waiting For

Our first look Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 Lens Review accompanies the Fujifilm GFX 100S II Camera Review, which explores key camera upgrades, including enhanced burst shooting and wider subject recognition AF, that capitalise on this lens’ super telephoto reach.

Continue reading to discover how this GF lens has the power to significantly influence the adoption of the GFX system for wildlife, sports and other telephoto subjects.

How much is the Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens?

Arriving as the longest option in the GF lens lineup, the Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR lens costs £3499.00, which mirrors the competitive pricing of the new GFX 100S II camera body. This makes for a medium format camera and super telephoto lens combination costing £8,500.00.

Naturally you can utilise the lens on any GFX body, including the flagship 102MP GFX 100 II and all of the preceding 50MP cameras to date.

Sample 01. Fujifilm GFX 100S II camera with GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens @500mm. Camera settings: 1/250 sec. f/5.6. ISO 800

What are the key GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens features?

Key features which the GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens introduces include:

• Compact and hand-holdable super telephoto prime weighing just 1,375g
• Full-frame equivalent 396mm
• Silent linear AF motor
• Impressive image stabilisation up to 6.0 stops
• 554mm equivalent reach with optional GF 1.4x teleconverter
• Focus limiter and memory functions
• Minimum focus distance 2.75m and maximum 0.2x magnification
• Weather resistant design
• 95mm filter thread
• Arca-Swiss compatible lens foot
• Rear weighting for easy panning

What is a 400mm equivalent lens good for?

With an equivalent full-frame focal length of 396mm, or 554mm when using the optional 1.4x GF teleconverter, the GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens is good for super telephoto subjects, where exquisite detail and crop-ability are icing on the cake. Subjects suited to these long focal ranges include:

• Indoor and outdoor sporting events
• Bird photography
• Wildlife photography
• Aircraft
• Motorsports
• Landscape photography

The ability to extend the 500mm lens reach to 700mm with the optional TC provides a useful advantage when shooting smaller or more distant subjects including small birds, birds in flight and distant sports or wildlife. Likewise the 0.2x maximum magnification lends itself to close-up style photography where details are nicely magnified in the frame, albeit not to macro levels.

The option to bring a lightweight lens of almost 400mm will also be a great bonus for landscape photographers who want to capture compressed details and distant subjects, which were all but impossible previously.

Lightweight super telephoto lens design

It's important to highlight the impressively lightweight design of the GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens, which weighs 1,375g. This is even lighter than the previously longest lens in the lineup, the GF 250mm F4 R LM OIS WR, which weighs 1,425g, despite offering only half the reach.

Handholding this lens is extremely manageable due to its rear-weighted design, which facilitates easier panning and overall great balance. Moreover, the inclusion of 6.0 stops of shake compensation enhances its suitability for handheld use, underlining the lens's lightweight mobility benefits for medium format photographers.

Sample 02. Fujifilm GFX 100S II camera with GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens @500mm. Camera settings: 1/500 sec. f/5.6. ISO 800

Fujifilm GF 500mm Lens image quality

An advanced optical formula includes 2 super ED and 5 ED elements within 21 lens elements, which are arranged in 14 groups. The special optics are responsible for rendering high resolution detail, keeping pace with the 102 megapixel sensor found in high-end GFX cameras.

ED and Super ED glass also reduces aberrations, colour fringing and other image artefacts. Fujifilm notes that the lens is so powerful it is able to “capture the sweat flying from athletes during decisive sports moments, the wrinkles on the skin of wild animals, and the individual feathers of birds, bringing out a level of realism and detail that cannot be perceived with the naked eye.”

This is easy to believe with the staggering levels of detail rendered by GFX cameras and GF lenses to date. The GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR is longer than previous lenses, however it brings similar optical qualities that the system demands.

Fujifilm GF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Specs

The table below highlights the lens’ key specs.

Is the GF 500mm Lens Autofocus good?

Yes, while maintaining high-resolution performance the lens features an inner focus system that uses a compact, lightweight focusing lens, driven by a linear motor. This achieves fast and quiet autofocus with a minimal delay of approximately 0.31 seconds. Particularly in super telephoto photography where precise focusing is crucial, this allows for fast and accurate subject capture, ensuring no critical moments are missed.

Focus acquisition can be further sped-up by utilising the 5m focus range limiter and Focus Preset functions, which help reduce hunting time when the subject is a given distance from the photographer.

Sample 03. Fujifilm GFX 100S II camera with GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens @500mm. Camera settings: 1/400 sec. f/7.1. ISO 3200

Best accessories

Thanks to the Arca-Swiss compatible foot you can mount the lens straight onto a tripod or monopod, without needing any additional tripod plates. There are numerous models to choose between depending on your subject matter, however Gitzo tripods are well known to offer premium quality, which complements the GFX system.

With a 95mm filter thread the GF 500mm Lens accepts readily available filters such as the premium ZEISS T* UV Filter 95mm, cost-effective Sigma 95mm WR Protector and B+W Basic Circular Polarising Filter MRC 95mm depending on your needs and subject.

It’s worth noting that when shooting with the optional Fujifilm GF 1.4x teleconverter a UV filter can help to reduce the natural effects of haze, which occur over long distances, especially in humid conditions.

Conclusion

The introduction of the GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens significantly enhances the Fujifilm GFX system, broadening its appeal, especially among photographers who specialise in sports, wildlife, and capturing distant subjects.

With an optional teleconverter, this lens achieves a full-frame equivalent reach of up to 554mm, yet it remains remarkably lightweight and includes 6.0 stops of image stabilisation. This combination creates a medium format super telephoto system capable of capturing images up to 102 megapixels, which can be handheld in low light and shot at speeds up to 8fps.

Sample 04. Fujifilm GFX 100S II camera with GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens @500mm. Camera settings: 1/400 sec. f/7.1. ISO 3200

This addition is sure to entice current GFX system users to expand their lens arsenal, while also attracting new photographers who are looking to leverage the exceptional crop-ability and peerless medium format image quality that this lens offers.

Order your own Fujifilm GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens today and head out to capture distant subjects like never before with the medium format system.

If you’re upgrading from a previous lens, or have other unwanted camera equipment, why not take the opportunity top get a free trade-in quote, and use the money made selling your camera to offset against the cost of the new super tele GF lens.

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By Nick Dautlich on 16/05/2024