A Beginner's Guide To Vintage Lenses on Fuji GFX

In this video I take you through a few different vintage lens systems and show you how I adapt them to the Fuji GFX system. We explore Canon EF, Minolta MD / MC as well as enormous 6X7 Mamiya RB67 lenses. If you ever wondered about what the images look like, you're in luck. There are literally dozens of examples of my work in this episode which can give you insight into the results you can get with vintage lenses. I will also show you the adapters that I used to achieve the shots I provided in this episode.
Special thanks to my crew for this episode:
Hair and Makeup: Katy Holland Beauty
Models: Hailey Machac, Lydia Sanchez, Sophia Bachand, Joel Rennie, Chie Endo, Elle Tanner, Jessica Webb
Anamorphic Videography: Chie Endo
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Check out the F/11 Photography Podcast!
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Here is a link to the Minolta MD / MC to GFX Adapter (This is NOT an affiliate link)
www.kentfaith.com/KF06.353_mi...
Here is a link to the Mamiya RB / RZ 67 to Fuji GFX Adapter (This is NOT an affiliate link)
fotodioxpro.com/products/rbrz...
Here is a link to the Combo Mamiya RB / RZ67 to Canon EOS EF to Fuji GFX Adapter (This is NOT an affiliate link)
fotodioxpro.com/products/rbrz...
Here's a link to my thoughts on what I'd like to see be improved upon on the next generation of Fuji GFX cameras
• My Fuji GFX100S MKII W...

[@KevinDeal]

What are your favorite lenses that you like to adapt to the GFX system? Tell us about it in the comments.

[@georgesealy4706]

Thanks for the video. The Minolta lenses deliver something special on the GFX. And they are not very expensive. I have most of the ones that are reviewed here. The other lens not mentioned in this video is the Rokkor 58mm F1.2. It is great too. I also use these lenses with my Fuji X-T4 with amazing results. I use Fotodiox adaptors.

[@KevinDeal]

I use these same lenses on my XH2. Love them! I need to look into the 58.

[@tonyfoulkes9289]

Very grateful for information. I'm looking at adapting both Olympus OM zuiko and Pentax 645 lenses to my Fujifilm XE1 and XT200. Just for fun shots and make me really think. Kaipara, New Zealand.

[@KevinDeal]

Glad I could help. I would love to see those results.

[@raveemahadevan]

Thank you! It helps... Just got one for my RZ lenses. The 50mm 4.5 Mamiya RB gives out some interesting results. I am waiting to try out the 65mm F4 RZ and your 50mm pictures just throws in the right amount of input as to how the pictures would approximately look.

[@KevinDeal]

Thanks for the kind words. Always happy to help!

[@raveemahadevan]

@@KevinDeal I understand that you have the Fotodiox adapter that takes even the Canon EF lenses. Am I reading it right, that it indicates, Canon EF lenses with manual diaphragm controls (the old ones) and not the newer ones where the camera sets the F number automatically? Thanks

[@KevinDeal]

@@raveemahadevan You can put any EF lens on the adapter. Including the newer ones. You just can't put the new RF mirrorless mount on because the flange distance is not a compatible depth. The key to using the more modern EF lenses is that if you turn off you Canon camera then try to put it on the adapter it will default to its widest aperture. So if you have an f/1.4 lens, the lens will always be at 1.4 when you attach it to the adapter. There is a trick around this if you want to be at a different aperture. Put your Canon camera in BULB mode. Go to the desired aperture you want (say f/8). Then turn off the camera and attach it to the adapter and it will now be at f/8. Not the easiest method to switch apertures, but that is the workaround.

[@raveemahadevan]

@@KevinDeal Thanks for that information.

[@agxiso]

great images. super sharp.

[@KevinDeal]

thank you

[@Pentax67]

My favourite lens on my GFX 100 and 50S is Mitakon 65mm 1.4. I think it’s the best lens for portrait overall. It has creamy smooth bokeh similar to 4x5/8x10 film, in comparison to super busy bokeh on adapted vintage glass which now isn’t for my taste anymore. Canon 85mm f1.2 FD and EF II USM are the holy grail as well for portaits. Same thing you get 4x5 or 8x10 look. Insane DOF. Sigma 105 f/1.4. I love canon 40mm 2.8 pancake , really so nice for making Instagram reels or shoot videos (corn 🌽 , clips , movies, interviews)

[@KevinDeal]

I have the 40mm pancake. Need to try it out. I have the adapter. Also, I have the Mitakon. Need to get around to posting my review of it. It's fantastic. Thanks for the watch!

[@Pentax67]

@@KevinDeal you will love pancake 40mm 2.8. Amazing lens. It’s wide enough and pretty fast. The downside is 2.8 is kind of dark for some environment but it’s fine. Thanks for the video , really liked it

[@doogieham]

Kevin, I really enjoyed your video. Just wondering if you have done any comparisons between the GFX100S and any of the GFX models with the 50mp sensor using vintage lenses? I’m interested in knowing if the two sensors render the images differently.

[@KevinDeal]

Thanks. I have not. I would imagine the differences wouldn’t be huge

[@karstenbirk5302]

Very good video, it helps me much ........ , I think i get a used 50r only for my vintage Lenses. Thank you.

[@KevinDeal]

The 50R is a solid camera. Enjoy!

[@robertadamlake]

Hi there. Have you ever tested the Rollei 6000 series lenses on the Fuji GFX system? I’m thinking to get a GFX and use my Rollei lenses on it.

[@KevinDeal]

I have not. I've never explored trying that out.

[@splootan]

Great video, quick question would yih recommend using a nikkor 50 1.8 kn the GFX !? Thaanks

[@KevinDeal]

Great question. And thanks. The key question with 35mm lenses is whether or not they fully cover the sensor. I don’t know enough about that lens. Typically the wider lenses have vignette. That’s a normal field of view in 35mm. Might need to do more research.

[@SD_Alias]

Can I enlarge the display on old manual lenses? So a kind of focus magnifier that I can quickly switch on and off? With the GF lenses this happens automatically when I focus them manually, because they communicate with the camera. With old lenses, I should be able to switch this on and off somehow at the touch of a button, shouldn't I?

[@KevinDeal]

I personally don't use this feature, but I would have to imagine that you could. I need to play around with that.

[@vitonash]

yes you can

[@Narsuitus]

I have an inventory of vintage Nikon F, Pentax M42, and Leica M full-frame lenses. Most are manual focus prime lenses. I also have an inventory of vintage Mamiya RB67 medium format manual focus prime lenses. I would like to get adapters to attach my vintage lenses to a Fuji medium format digital camera. Is there a significant difference in the way the different Fuji GFX medium format digital cameras will handle my vintage lenses? I am especially concerned on how well they will handle my widest wide-angle lens (14mm f/2.8 Nikkor D) and my most expensive Leica lens (21mm f/1.4 Summilux).

[@KevinDeal]

There's only one way to find out. Gotta try it out.

[@Narsuitus]

@@KevinDeal I cannot afford to get burned purchasing a Fuji GFX body and four or five adapters just to try it out. I was hoping to gain from the experience of those who have succeeded or failed at what I am trying to do.

[@KevinDeal]

Are you planning on buying the GFX body for the sole purpose of using vintage lenses and not the native lenses? Fotodiox has cheap adapters with a return policy. So you could always try one out. If you don't like the results, just return it. As far as how the GFX handles lenses, it's going to vary greatly. You probably don't own a single lens that's going to look as perfect as a native Fuji GFX lens. You're attaching lenses that were never meant to work with the GFX. You're going to get quirky results, as my video demonstrates. So if you're looking for perfection, don't buy vintage lenses for a GFX. If you're looking for something different, interesting etc, then give it a go.

[@Narsuitus]

@@KevinDeal In my film only days, I primarily used Nikon F 35mm SLR lenses and Leica M 35mm rangefinder lenses. I also used Mamiya RB67 medium format SLR lenses. In this digital era, I was hoping a Fuji GFX digital body would allow me to use my inventory of vintage lenses and help me avoid buying native Fuji GFX lenses. Based on the research I have done so far; I have learned that: 1. My Leica M lenses require an inexpensive adapter. 2. My Pentax M42 lenses require an inexpensive adapter. 3. My Nikon F manual focus lenses require an inexpensive adapter 4. My Nikon F auto focus D lenses require a more expensive adapter. 5. My Nikon F auto focus G lenses require an even more expensive adapter. 6. My RB67 lenses require two very expensive adapters; an RB67 to Canon adapter and a Canon to GFX adapter. 7. Some of my wide-angle full-frame lenses may have a significant problem with image vignetting on the medium format sensor. 8. Some GFX cameras have a 24x36mm image mode and some do not. 9. Some GFX cameras have a 65:24 XPan aspect ratio and some do not. Any additional information you can provide that would help me in my decision making would be greatly appreciated.

[@KevinDeal]

@@Narsuitus for the RB67, I personally use the Canon / RB combo because I am a Canon shooter. But Fotodiox does make another model of the adapter that is just straight RB to GFX. It's a few dollars less. It's still not going to be cheap. The big issue with most of those older lenses is that they are optimized to work on 35mm film (full frame). So most lenses if you pixel peep aren't going to resolve insanely sharp on the GFX. Medium format lenses have better results usually because they were designed for a larger format to begin with. Unfortunately a lot of this is a crapshoot.

[@eavilev]

I kept some of my old Minolta MD/MC lenses and often put them on my Sony A7RIV. You don't mention which adapter you use. I've been thinking of getting a GFX100S but I don't need the Fuji for street work. I'm more interesting in landscapes. As much as I love my Minolta lenses, I'm not sure they are the best for this type of photography. Comments?

[@KevinDeal]

I find Thai old vintage lenses song take advantage of the resolution enlighten for landscapes. I use Fotodiox and K&F adapters.

[@jmoss99]

Have you played around with Anamorphic lenses yet?

[@KevinDeal]

Not on GFX. It’s on my list to try. I’ve done it for Canon.

[@jmoss99]

You can use some of these adapters on many different cameras. Maybe you used full lenses. The prices are going down. Have you noticed? There are different squeeze ratios. I am not sure I actually like them. The flares really get old fast. The oval bokeh is weird. However, the compression is pretty cool.

[@KevinDeal]

@@jmoss99 the prices of a lot of used gear is started to feather down. I'm here for it!

[@jmoss99]

The prices of the old lenses and new better lenses. It should be intereresting.

[@jimmoss9584]

I am a little unclear on something here. I see where people equate a RB67 lens to some other 35mm lens. So, for example a 50mm RB67 to a 50mm RB lens to a 24mm 35mm lens. I am not sure how that is justified. Then others say, it is not a fact. Can you clear that up for me? Thanks.

[@KevinDeal]

Sure thing. A 50mm on a 6X7 lens presents an image that is roughly the same field of view as 24mm on FF / 35mm. But with with a 6X7 ratio instead of 2X3. The compression and depth of field characteristic will not be the same because it's medium format. The depth of field will be more shallow and the compression will be greater because of the longer focal length (50mm). I hope that helps.

[@KevinDeal]

I should also add that I am talking about how a 6X7 lens presents on a 6X7 body. In the example of this video I released, it's going on a camera with a sensor that is smaller than the size of 6X7 film, therefore there will be a crop. So a 50mm 6X7 lens on a Fuji GFX will actually present LONGER NOT WIDER. If it were to be put on a full frame camera, it would present longer than on the GFX. If it were to be put on an APSC it would present even longer than on Full frame,

[@jimmoss9584]

"A 50mm on a 6X7 lens presents an image that is roughly the same field of view as 24mm on FF / 35mm" How does this work? Is this with a speed booster or just a dumb adapter that has no glass in it. Is this because the image being shown to the sensor is 6x7 and the only part that is captured is the 35mm size area of this 6x7 total image? That would make sense. So if you used a speed booster would that force the image to be FF 35mm?

[@KevinDeal]

@@jimmoss9584 I can't explain it better than this article, but I hope it helps. photographybay.com/2016/02/06/understanding-medium-format-crop-factors/

[@jimmoss9584]

They do a good job on that page. So the answer to my question would be YES. You are filling the FF 35mm camera with a super large 6x7 image and only using the center 35mm portion. I would next want to know what happens to the image with all the extra image light bouncing around in the FF 35mm camera? I imagine that can change with the design of the camera. You don't have to answer that.

[@mrbigg2u]

Weird question... are you an American Tottenham Hotspur fan? On your top shelf to the left hand side there is a white plaque that looks like it has a Spurs logo top centre... 👍#coys

[@KevinDeal]

That is not a weird question to a Tottenham fan, which I am. COYS

[@mrbigg2u]

Nice one fella. Off to the home game on Saturday to see first home game of Ange-ball vs Man U... With a bit of luck, following wind and 65k very vocal fans chanting big time.... we might just smash it! :) PS. might leave the 100s at home but sneak in the X100f for a few snaps! :)

[@KevinDeal]

@@mrbigg2u Yes, the 100S might be a tad difficult to sneak in, The 100V is excellent, although not going to get much reach. lol. If we can beat Man U that would be fantastic.

[@mrbigg2u]

@@KevinDeal I have the sneaky 50mm screw on attachement... not that this will help much......... Ha!

[@KevinDeal]

@@mrbigg2u Sonny will still look like a tiny little ant from that distance, but you can get some candid shots of the fans. I am planning a trek to White Hart Lane either next summer or the following.

[@jeremygarretson5482]

Cringing when you out the camera on gravel

[@KevinDeal]

I was nervous during that shot. All's well that ends well.

[@PipeJaramillo]

Thanks for the info 13:57 🫶🏽

[@KevinDeal]

You bet!