Back in May, we published out Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 lens review. And today, we’re announcing an update to it. You can find the full review here at this link. There’s a lot to love about this lens, but there’s also a major problem that holds it back in nearly every single regard. That has to do with the autofocus performance. Below, you can find our review conclusions, which have been updated from our original review. But if you want to see the rest, we recommend that you dive into the full review. Truly, Fujifilm has to get its act together when it comes to autofocus performance.
The Big Picture: Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 Review Conclusions
This lens is beautiful. But it and the GFX 100S II can only really focus on slow-moving animals or very still ones. The problem with trying to photograph birds is that they’re so frenetic. At times, Fujifilm’s autofocus will tell you that it detects a bird, but it’s really actually detecting something like a leaf. It’s even worse when it’s in the continuous autofocus mode, and it does this.
But in the minuscule chance that it nails the focus, it’s absolutely glorious.
This is a long way to say that the Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 lens is capable of producing some of the most beautiful photos of wildlife and birds that I’ve ever seen. It wipes the floor with some of the stuff that I’ve seen from Canon, Nikon, and Sony. This is partially because of how beautiful this lens renders images and the processor that applies Fujifilm’s great film simulations.
What holds it back so much is Fujifilm’s archaic autofocus system. I understand that Fujifilm sometimes wants us to slow down with taking images and shoot fewer great images. But if you’re tailoring this for birding, you need to have the autofocus system that’s ready for it. Otherwise, why even bother? Fujifilm could’ve instead been making more f1.7 lenses that everyone wanted anyway.
I don’t think that the GFX 100s II or the lens is ready for being able to photograph wildlife. Instagram seems to agree with me, because if I try to search for images shot with this lens, I can’t find very many.
The Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 receives 3/5 stars. It’s a phenomenal attempt and effort but it’s falling flat on its face like a bride tripping over her wedding dress.
Interested? You can buy one on Amazon or Adorama.
Pros
- Very lightweight for what it is
- Weather resistance
- Sharp, but also at times, soft image quality
- Wonderful color rendition
- The bokeh makes images look like a dream
Cons
- Autofocus speed is what I expect from a lens made for a DSLR. In fact, those were faster at times.