Conclusion

In the hand, the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens delivers in all areas. It's tough, weather-sealed, lightweight and compact, plus the focus ring and clicked aperture ring provide an intuitive response.

Being part of the Fujfilm GFX system it also has an advantage, jumping out the blocks with great speed and accuracy. Start-up, shutter response, autofocus acquisition - this is the fasting performing digital medium format system.

Other aspects that we appreciate are how manual focus handles, plus the choice for mechanical or silent shutter. Overall, the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR is a dream to use.

Image quality-wise, we can enjoy several benefits of the sizeable medium format sensor. From our tests using the 50MP GFX 50R, we have enjoyed tack sharp detail across the entire image area, with the aperture settings from f/3.5 to f/14 proving particularly sharp. Fujifilm claims the lens can realise the potential of the 100MP GFX100, too.

The Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens has a firm control over chromatic aberrations, vignetting and distortion. There is but the tiniest glimpse of mustache distortion. Only the eagle-eyed will spot it and only in the types of clinical images designed to check for distortions, not the real world stuff.

It's flare where the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens is let down somewhat, with moderate to severe ghosting and rainbow flare that is seen most clearly when the strong light source is in shot, in focus and the depth of field is great.

Of course any lens distributes flare when shooting directly towards the sun, but flare is quite strong here and enough to knock the image quality score down a peg. Elsewhere, bokeh is good without being lovely.

Already in the GF range is the more versatile Fujfilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR lens, offering a 25-50mm focal length range. So is there a place for the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR? Besides direct image quality comparisons, it is 30% cheaper, 1mm wider and 1/3EV faster, so price is the main differentiator.

Overall and in its own right, the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR lens with its 24mm focal length will serve image makers well, particularly landscape photographers and filmmakers and comes highly recommended.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4