Fuji GFX 50s With Techart Adapter: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art Versus GF 110mm f/2

One of the really great things about the Fuji GFX 50s is the fact that it has a shutter built into the camera instead of it being in the lens. With a sync speed of only 1/125 of a second, on the surface, this may seem like a massive downside for the Fuji compared to the Hasselblad X1D which uses a leaf shutter mechanism. Instead, this one feature opens the GFX to a whole world of adaptable lenses and possibilities.

In my latest video, I demonstrate how the Techart EF-GFX adapter can deliver some incredible results. Comparing the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art lens on a Canon 5DSR to the Fuji GF 110mm f/2, it's clear to see how the 110mm is a better performer. However, once you adapt the Sigma to the GFX, you're able to achieve some very interesting and unique possibilities. The Techart adapter on the GFX allows full autofocus and aperture control with the ability to also use flash in your photography. This gives the Fuji a great advantage over the X1D because it allows you access to a huge range of lenses from the EF mount using autofocus, many of which can cover the Fuji's sensor entirely. The autofocus features do work well; however, due to the extremely shallow DOF on the Sigma/Fuji combination, it can be difficult to nail focus properly on the eye. The other aspect of being closer to the subject with the 85mm is that you're able to produce a more detailed image because the subject is larger in the frame and takes a larger portion of the available resolution. Check out the full video for the comparison. 

Usman Dawood's picture

Usman Dawood is a professional architectural photographer based in the UK.

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27 Comments

Hi! Does has the GFX "eye detection"?

not that I can recall. I had it switched on but I don't think it was working with the adapter as I was using a single point to focus.

I see. For me, in a portrait session, eye detection makes a great difference. My last session, for example, went on for like 2 hours because we were having fun, there were a lot of great energy and good communication, and I ended up shooting more than 600 photos, of which like 570 were in perfect focus. I couldn't imagine that results without eye detection.

Mirrorless MF I think is going to be the next great thing in photography and Fuji is going to give a lot to talk about if I'm not mistaken. I'm excited to see the evolution of that GFX50s and I'm going to start working with that beauty at the first opportunity my economy provide :D

Thanks a lot for your work, man!

Eye detection... yeah, maybe wait for the camera, that will do the composition too, instead of you. 😉 Slowly nobody needs skills to do photogrpahy. 😕

Eye detection allows you better control for composition, it doesn't and can't compose for you.

Having a tool that does what you want it to do is precisely what it should do.

Completely agree, Usman Dawood.

GFX does have Face and Eye detect. It is not as good as Sony though.

Thanks.

I was very reticent to use it in my Olympus but the results are extraordinary. Allows me to concentrate completely on the connection with the model/client and in the emotion, and I have a lot of more shots in perfect focus. Is a win-win for me in this particular workflow.

GFX is out of my price range right now, but perhaps in the studio with a strong model light can improve his performance? only a thought

To me, it doesn't look like the issue is Fuji's color science vs. Canon. It's the lenses. The Sigma gives better colors than the 110mm on both the Canon and the GFX.

That could be true but the Fuji produced similar issues with the 63mm too and so did the Pentax 645Z which has the same sensor.

The same sensor doesn't mean too much, there is a lot of things going on between the pixels and when they get recorded to the raw file. Pentax Fuji and the Hassy x1d all look different, especially in colour but all use the same sensor. I think canon simply white balances at a different temperature to fuji. I also found the fuji to be more accurate, the canon was a touch too warm, now that might be more pleasing to some, but I wouldn't use the term "accurate".
Keep in mind that things that are a dark grey (like the road should be a bit blue). Ever shoot someone in a studio wearing a black suit?
Shoot with a grey card and then turn the saturation to 100 and it becomes really obvious.

I was stating that both cameras produced similar results and then I mentioned how they have the same sensor. You are right in what you said about same sensor does not mean same results. I agree.

Something grey turning blue is an issue not a point in all fairness.

Although my comparison wasn’t perfectly scientific, so far in every comparison I’ve done the Canon was in fact more accurate. I wouldnt say it IS accurate but it is definitely closer than the Fuji and the Pentax. This was true for both AWB interpretations and also when st the same white balance. Even in a previous video over a number of different kinds of lighting scenarios the canon was more accurate. Once again not saying it is accurate but more so than the Fuji and Pentax.

Having said that it’s important to note that this is a minor point in the grand scheme of things because the Fuji is a significantly better camera. Colours profiles are relatively easy to create although Capture One don’t support the Fuji so Canon potentially has an advantage there for ICC profiles.

I'd take the cooler FUJI over the terrible green tint that canon has. Which is a pain to deal with. You can add the warmth back too the FUJI but removing green from canon not so much. Person becomes to magenta.

That magenta tint requires green to counter it. Skin tones can become too green if you just change the tint on Fuji. Also canon is more accurate SOOC it’s not even about tint it’s simple accuracy.

Fuji is a better camera don’t get me wrong, but, colour science is still much better on canon.

Yeah thats what I mean adding green tint there is more work for Canon. Just moving a little bit and you're subject is green. Its either green or magenta. Now it requires more work too get right. Where fuji just being colder but the skin tones are perfect. I'd take that any day.

I love the GFX. I do agree with you, Fuji needs to offer more faster glass for GFX. To me, the 45mm should have been f2. Same with 23mm being f2 at least.

Skin tones, I am not sure. I only have 5dmk3 to compare and using Fuji, Canon and even Son A7RII, they are pretty close to each other. Sigma lenses do have a little different color than Canon L series.

I think you're right about Sigma lenses having a different colour I've noticed that too. Maybe the reason I'm seeing better colours on the canon is down to the lens.

If Fuji makes some faster lenses, things will become pretty awesome on the medium format front. The 23mm, on the other hand, I think it's basically perfect, I'm almost in love with that lens but fully sold on the 110mm :).

Seems Fuji will come out with 80mm f1.4 for the GFX.

I always enjoy watching your videos. A perfect mix of nerdy pixel peeping and a genuinely different viewpoint on camera technology. Keep it up!

Thomas Starlit That is such a nice thing for you to say, man, I really appreciate that. Thank you :)

Usman Dawood is the Techart the adapter you are using for your Canon tilt-shift glass? I can't wait to see you demonstrate that. I've been trying to decide what my next camera body should be. Will probably end up with the A7r3 but who knows :)

That video is coming soon, I'm hoping to upload it either this week or early next as I have another video coming first.

I might do a comparison between the A7R III and the GFX both with adapters too, hopefully, that might help you decide.

I see comments all the time with people asking why manufaturers don't create f1.4 lenses for medium format. This is the reason why. If they made a full frame medium format 85mm f1.4 it would have to be huge! On my medium format the standard lens was 80mm f2.8, on full frame I loved 50mm f2, and only like f1.4 at 35mm on an apsc. The only reason I liked faster lenses back in the day was because they didn't get sharp until two stops away from wide open, so an f1.4 lens on a 35mm looked great at f2.8. Lenses are so much better then this now

I disagree, The Sigma 85mm f1.4 easily covers the smaller Medium format sensor and many other full frame lenses with wide apertures do too. Even the 85mm f1.2 covers that sensor size. Fuji just needs to stick to the smaller mf sensor and not bother with the larger. The larger requires a much bigger housing so it defeats many of the benefits the GFX has to offer.

Their APS-C lenses, for instance, are APS-C specific and they don't make any full frame cameras or lenses.

If they continue with their methodology they can comfortably make f1.4 lenses for their MF sensor without needing huge lenses. They only need to cover the smaller medium format variant.

So then, doesn't this meen you partially dissagree? There are smaller medium format sensors, that are only slightly bigger that a true sized medium format. I'm talking in regards to a full 645 type sensor size. I believe a f1.4 85mm lens would be too big, am I wrong?

I think we are asking for faster glass from Fuji for their cropped medium format GFX. I don't need f1.4 for full medium format as even f2.8 will give you shallower DoF that FF. But currently only Fuji 110mm f2 is the fastest lens and gives equivalent to f1.6 on FF. Fuji BTW is rumored to come out with 80mm f1.4 for the GFX.

Anybody has any experience with other adapter brands (personally EF to GF), like Fotodiox?