The Fujifilm GFX system’s combination of colors and bokeh makes the line an alluring choice for portraits. But, a key factor in just how well the GFX system does at portraits is the lens paired with the camera. Some of the GFX lenses have narrower apertures that don’t create anything that full frame can’t already do. The best GFX lenses for portraits capitalize on both the medium format’s bokeh and color capabilities.
But, looking at the tech specs isn’t enough to judge a medium format lens by. Factors like light flare and autofocus speed aren’t conveyed in a chart of numbers and specs. To help you choose the best GFX lenses for portraits, we’ve scoured our library of in-depth, hands-on reviews to find our absolute favorites for photographing people on Fujifilm’s medium format system.
Here are the best portrait lenses for Fujifilm GFX shooters.
Table of Contents
How we Test and Choose the Best Fujifilm GFX Lenses for Portraits
- The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
- If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- When we test lenses, we’ve got various things in mind. First off, we consider who might want to buy the lens and what they might do with it. With that in mind, we try to tackle at least three genres of photography with that lens in a variety of situations. If the lens has weather resistance, then we’ll test it accordingly with a weather-resistant camera. We also test the autofocus of the lens in continuous mode, single mode, with exposure preview effects, without those effects, and then with all the major image quality parameters. These days, no one really makes a bad lens — but some are far better than others.
- In this specific roundup, we’re basing our findings on the reviews that we’ve done. We’re choosing a favorite, but we’re also giving photographers a bunch of others that they might like, depending on how they shoot.
Our Choice Among the Best Fujifilm GFX Lenses for Portraits: Fujifilm GF 55mm f1.7 R WR
As one of the brightest aperture lenses for the GFX system alongside the 80mm, the Fujifilm GF 55mm f1.7 R WR shows off the bokeh and colors that sway photographers into the medium format system in the first place. The 55mm focal length, roughly 44mm on full-frame, allows for a wide range of versatility, from environmental portraiture to close-up head-and-shoulders shots. The backgrounds at f1.7 fall off into a phenomenal bokeh soup. But, perhaps most importantly, this modern lens isn’t sterile and delivers some lovely lens flare.
In our review, we state:
“I love modern sharpness, but I want a lens that still delivers lovely flare. I want a mix of modern, gorgeous images with an homage to film colors and flare. That’s exactly what the Fujifilm GF 55mm f1.7 R WR does. The lens delivers eyelash-level sharpness mounted on the 102-megapixel GFX100 II. But direct the lens at the light and start geeking out over the Hollywood-level flare and ghosting. That mixes with a 44mm equivalent focal length that dabbles in just a bit of background compression with just a bit of perspective distortion for some really great character.”
TECH SPECS
LensRentals lists the following Fujifilm GF 55mm f1.7 R WR tech specs:
- Angle of View: 52.9°
- Autofocus: Autofocus
- Brand: Fuji
- Compatibility: Fuji G
- Filter Size: 77.0mm
- Focal Length: 55.0-55.0
- General Dimensions (ø x L): 3.7 × 3.9″ / 94.7 × 99.3mm
- Weight: 1.7 lb. / 780 g
- Hood Included: Yes
- Image Stabilization: No
- Item Type: Lens
- Max Aperture: 1.7
- Maximum Magnification: 0.17x
- Mfr. Model Number: 600023613
- Minimum Aperture: 22.0
- Minimum Focusing Distance: 1.6feet
- Mount: Fuji GF
- Groups/Elements: 10/14
- Diaphragm Blades: 11, Rounded
- Sensor Size: Medium Format
For Some Photographers, These Might be the Best Fujifilm GFX Lenses for Portraits
While the Fujifilm GF 55mm f1.7 R WR produces some lovely character, it’s far from the only excellent option for portraiture work, especially if you’re craving the background compression that comes from an even longer focal length.
Fujifilm GF 80mm f1.7 R WR
The Fujifilm GF 80mm f1.7 R WR brings the same f1.7 aperture of our top pick, but with a longer focal length for more compression and less distortion. It’s an incredibly sharp lens with backgrounds that melt away and iconic Fujifilm colors. However, the reason that it isn’t out top pick is that there’s some chromatic aberration to contend with, sometimes bad enough where it’s near impossible to edit out. That’s a challenge for high-contrast portrait scenarios.
In our review, we state:
“The Fujifilm GF 80mm f1.7 R WR is a fantastic prime lens for GFX camera owners. The lens is crazy sharp, produces bokeh that will rock your world, and the colors it renders are great. The lens does have its issues, though. Green and purple fringing rear their ugly heads, and the focus motors are loud. At $2,299.95, it’s decently priced for a Medium Format lens, and photographers will love what this lens can produce.”
Fujifilm 63mm f2.8 R WR
The Fujifilm 63mm f2.8 R WR is a lens so versatile, we’ve often said it’s one of the first to buy with a new GFX body. Since it’s launch, however, Fujifilm has released faster aperture lenses, so while it’s no longer out top pick, it’s still a versatile lens for portraiture. The focus is fast and the weather-sealing is great, though beware at times this lens can be a little too sharp, leading to more time spent editing skin in portraits.
In our review, we said:
“Fujifilm for years has made fantastic lenses, and the Fujifilm 63mm f2.8 R WR lens is really no exception. It’s sharp, in fact it’s probably too sharp for portraits. I really recommend it for landscape photographers. The lens also has nice bokeh, a great build quality, focuses quickly, and can have terrific colors. For the very digital photographer, this is a dream.”
Fujifilm GF 110mm f2 R WR
With the longer focal length, brightness aperture and medium format sensor, the Fujifilm GF 110mm f2 R WR makes it near impossible to make someone look bad on camera. While the lens has a longer focal length, that’s paired with closer focusing capabilities, so you can really squeeze out every ounce of bokeh. Beautiful colors seal the deal, though it’s a heavier lens that lacks image stabilization.
In our review, we said:
“Jeez, this lens is stupidly sharp. The Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R WR lens somehow or another delivers such sharp images but with just enough softness on skin to not make you want to pull your hair out when it comes to retouching. At least that’s the case when shooting wide open. When you stop down, you’re going to; 1. Need a lot of power from a flash, and 2. Get a whole lot more details. This lens is sharpest at F11 but even so it can be thoroughly enjoyed wide open.”
Using this guide to the Best Fujifilm GFX lenses for portraits
If you’re considering purchasing anything from this list, consider the following:
- All the product images and sample photos in these roundups are shot by our staff. In fact, we don’t talk about products at length in roundups like this unless we’ve done full reviews of them. But you can surely know that we’ve done all the research ourselves.
- We’d never recommend a product to you that we haven’t tested or that we really didn’t like. You can reference our linked reviews, for more information on this.
Tips on choosing the best Fujifilm GFX lenses for portraits
For those who only recently stepped up to medium format, some aspects of shopping for lenses will be similar, while others will be a little different.
- Keep in mind the conversion factor for medium format. These lenses will look a little wider than the same lens on a full-frame camera. Times the focal length by .79 to find the equivalent full frame focal length.
- Sharpness isn’t always a good thing. While we love sharp eyes and eyelashes in portraits, sharpness on the skin just means more obvious pores.
- Autofocus performance tends to drop in low light, and this is especially true for medium format. If you like to incorporate motion into your portraits, pay close attention to the autofocus section in our lens reviews.
- Character is subjective. Look through the sample galleries to see how each lens renders things like sun flare or how it handles distortion at the edges.
Picking the right Fujifilm GFX portrait lens for you
- What’s your budget?
- How will you use the product?
- What lighting situations are you in, and how will that affect what you’re doing? Our reviews hyperlinked in this article can help with that.
- Are you traveling a lot with it?
- Will you be using it in a situation that’s a bit rougher?
- Who else uses this product? How are they using it?
- What’s so appealing about this product that I can’t get from what I have already or something else?
- When will I really have time to use this product?
- Where will I bring this product?
- How will this product help bring me joy and joy in my photography?