Very rarely am I so moved by a first-party camera lens. However, the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro has managed to do some wonderful things that make me want to always use it. In fact, this is far better than any of the cameras that Fujifilm has put out recently. And I’m also sad to be returning it. Lenses like this are truly made for photographers to be able to make better photos in-camera. So if you consider yourself a true photographer, you’re going to love this.
Declaration of Journalistic Intent
The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:
- At the time of publishing this review, Fujifilm is not an advertiser with the Phoblographer. Regardless, this has nothing to do with our reviews and brands understand that our reviews will always be transparent. In the past few years, we’ve had to reteach brands that journalists shouldn’t be treated the same as YouTubers.
- Our initial review was done with a pre-production unit. Later on, we got a full production unit for testing.
- Note that our reviews are constantly works in progress. This review will be updated later on if we manage to get the unit back in.
- None of the reviews on the Phoblographer are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
- Fujifilm loaned the lens, camera, and accessories to the Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between Fujifilm and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Fujifilm and several other manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
- Fujifilm knows that they cannot influence the site’s reviews. If we don’t like something or if we have issues with it, we’ll let folks know. When I penned my recent article about being done with Fujifilm X series, I received many emails and messages commending me for my bravery on what I said. The future of photography for Fujifilm is with GFX.
- Fujifilm sent the product to Phoblographer in NYC to loan the camera to us. Our home office is based in New York.
- The Phoblographer’s standards for reviewing products have become much stricter. After having the world’s largest database of real-world lens reviews, we choose not to review anything we don’t find innovative or unique, and in many cases, products that lack weather resistance. We’ve also steered away from Micro Four Thirds and APS-C as they’re dying formats. This is a conclusion that even the other members of TIPA agree on. Unless something is very unique, we probably won’t touch it.
- In recent years, brands have withheld NDA information from us or stopped working with us because they feel they cannot control our coverage. These days, many brands will not give products to the press unless they get favorable coverage. In other situations, we’ve stopped working with several brands for ethical issues. Either way, we report as honestly and rawly as humanity allows.
- At the time of publishing, the Phoblographer is the only photography publication that is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative. We champion human-made art and are frank with our audience. We are also the only photography publication that labels when an image is edited or not.
- Nothing in our review writing process is done using Generative AI. It’s all done by humans who sometimes use assistive AI like Grammarly to copy-edit.
More can be found on our Disclaimers page.
The Big Picture: Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro Review Conclusions
These days, cameras aren’t doing much to surprise me. But lenses surely are. The Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro is a refreshing option for all the photographers who need to be significantly more creative in-camera. To that end, I’m not expecting the enthusiasts or the content creators to reach for this lens. And that’s because it’s not really meant for them. Instead, it’s meant to do slow work that requires a photographer to take their time, be intentional, and have a deeper connection between their artistic and technical sides.
A lens like this takes the idea of “fix it in post-production” and tells it to slow its role down. Lenses like this are what I’ve been asking for for years.
As incredible as the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro is, I only wish that it were weather resistant and got closer like a real macro lens. Still, it deserves a lot of credit as an incredible optic.
In a very rare situation, we’re giving the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro five out of five stars because it’s so unique. It also gets an Editor’s Choice award. Want one? Check them out on Amazon.
Pros
- Stunning image quality
- Excellent ergonomic controls
- Nice metal build to the lens body
Cons
- I wish it offered weather resistance
- Not a real macro
Who Should Buy the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro?
Photographers who already own a GFX series camera and who need to do more studio product photography work should aim to get the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro. While it’s not a true macro lens, it’s still insanely capable and can deliver beautiful images.
Innovations
the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro is one of the few tilt-shift lenses available for medium format mirrorless cameras on the market right now. It’s also really one of the only ones that offers a macro claim too. However, I don’t really think of this lens as a true macro.
Hardware
Right off the bat, I’ll say this: the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro isn’t weather resistant. So that means that you’re not going to take it out into the wild and if you do, then expect your lens and camera sensor to get dirty. But for the most part, this lens is supposed to be used in the studio.
What you’ll realize is that the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro has no aperture control on it. However, it has a focusing ring, various shift switches, and various tilt knobs that can turn the various parts of the lens. These are all insanely well built and feel very nice despite the lack of weather resistance.
Protect Your Camera Gear
Even though the Fujifilm GF 500mm f5.6 boasts weather resistance, your warranty won’t cover problems that may occur with it from wear and tear. This is why we have the Photography Care Plan.
For years, here at The Phoblographer we’ve done tests on cameras, lenses, bags, computers, lights, and more. And we know that your warranty doesn’t always cover the damage. Plus, accidents can happen on set.
This is why we’ve created a Photography Care Program in partnership with Full-Frame Insurance. Now, photographers across the United States looking for extra security can get various protections to cover their craft. The Photography Care Program provides peace of mind; now you’ll know you can bounce back from a photoshoot gone awry, on-site or inside. We’re making it super easy to get it done, too! Better yet, there is coverage outside of the US and Canada when the photographer is traveling for short periods of time for business.
We’re able to do this through our partnership with Full-Frame Insurance, a company specializing in Small Business Insurance. Are you a Freelance Photographer? We’ll cover you. What about a freelance multi-media journalist? We’ve got you. The Photography Care Program will protect you.
Ease of Use
To be completely honest, the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro is a pretty difficult lens to use even for me. You really have to stand there and work with it to get the image that you want. This requires experimenting, using the focusing magnification, and manipulating the apertures. But even though it’s tedious to use, it’s always worth it because with enough work, you’re going to get the shot that you really want.
Focusing
This lens is an all manual focus optic. That’s surely going to annoy some. But if you really are a slow and intentional photographer, it’ll be just fine for you.
Image Quality
There’s very little to complain about here. Use the Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro with the Velvia or Provide film simulations and you’ll get photographs that you’re going to fall in love with. When it can deliver bokeh, I’m not too amazed by it. This lens, to recap, isn’t a real 1:1 macro offering. So that means that the depth of field can’t become insanely shallow and the bokeh shouldn’t be why you buy it.
If you want bokeh, then go for Fujifilm’s excellent 110mm f2 that we reviewed a while back.
Let’s Talk Art
In this section, the Phoblographer’s review team talks about how they did artwork with the products that they’re testing. It’s designed to appeal more to those who care more about practicality than those who just want to talk about the tech.
A friend got me a roll-on perfume from Sana Jardine. And so I used the tilt-shift capabilities along with a few Lensbaby Prisms to make these images. They’re all done straight in-camera and I used window lighting, the shadows from my plants, and a Profoto B10 to make these photos. These haven’t had any editing done to them except for being resized for the web. I had so much fun with this.
Extra Image Samples
The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience since day one. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, many folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So, we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can decide for yourself.
Unedited
Edited
Fujifilm GF 110mm f5.6 T/S Macro Tech Specs
These specs are taken from the Lensrentals listing:
| Angle of View | 27.9° |
| Brand | Fuji |
| Category | Photo |
| Compatibility | Fuji G |
| Focal Length | 110.0-110.0 |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus Only |
| General | Dimensions (ø x L)3.7 × 5.9″ / 95 × 149mm2.78 lb. / 1.26 kgWeight |
| Item Type | Lens, Tilt & Shift Lens, and Standard Lens |
| Lens Format | Full Frame |
| Lens Mount | Fuji G |
| Lens Type | Tilt Shift |
| Macro Reproduction Ratio | 1:2 |
| Max Aperture | 5.6 |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.5x |
| Mfr. Model Number | 600023620 |
| Min Aperture | 32.0 |
| Mount | Fuji |
| Optical Design | Groups/Elements9/11129, RoundedAspherical ElementsExtra-Low Dispersion ElementsDiaphragm Blades |
| Prime/Zoom | Prime |
| Sensor Size | Medium Format |
| Stabilization | No |
| Tilt/Shift | Tilt+ / – 10mm+ / – 15mmShift |