Fujinon GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Review. Fujifilm’s Portrait Lens for GFX

Thanks to Gord Webster from Fujifilm Canada for making the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR available to me for my review. I was able to test it in the days leading up to a four and half months of travel.

The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR would be one of the first lenses GFX portraits photographers would gravitate toward. At 110mm, or roughly 85mm full-frame equivalent focal length, we are looking at a first choice for classic portrait photography.

Introduction

One of my all-time favorite telephoto lenses, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, was my go-to option for a number of years alongside a Canon EF 135mm f/2L. I would use these two gems for just about everything you can think of and not just portraits.

Currently, my telephoto choice is an XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR, which I use with my Fujifilm X-Pro2. I was curious to see how the main portrait option from Fujifilm would perform on the GFX larger than full-frame Fujifilm GFX 50R.

When I reviewed the GFX 50R in October and had to pick a few lenses, I chose the GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR, GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR, and the GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR. This selection would give me a moderately wide, standard, and short telephoto option.

As for the focal length, the GF 110mm sits squarely in the middle of my former 85mm and 135mm lenses. The field of view will, however, yield a wider-looking image on a larger than full-frame sensor, closer to that of an 85mm lens on a full-frame sensor.

Specs, Handling, and Built Quality

The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR is a good-looking lens that feels rock-solid in the hand. The aperture ring is smooth and well-placed on the barrel. Impressively the lens has four extra-low dispersion elements and a total of 14 elements in 9 groups. The minimum focusing distance is 2.95' / 90 cm.

Further to this, the GF 110mm f/2 has internal focusing, is weather-resistant, WR, has fast and silent autofocus, LM, and has a rounded nine-blade diaphragm promising great-looking bokeh. The filter diameter is a manageable 77mm.

The lens hood is a straightforward plastic design, is rather large, and makes the lens look much bigger than it is. It had been a while since I handled a lens weighing more than 2 lb. and admit it felt huge in comparison to the XF lenses I now use for my X-Pro2.

The weight, however, is very similar to my old Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II. The GF 110mm f/2 weighs 2.22 lb / 1010 g, and the EF 85mm 1.2L II at 1025 g / 2.26 lb. It is worth noting that Canon’s new RF 85mm 1.2L is even heavier at 1195 g / 2.63 lb.

In Action

The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR feels like a tool made for a working professional photographer. Everything works the way you would expect and nothing gives you the impression of low quality or corners being cut.

Autofocus speed and accuracy were okay when using the Fujifilm GFX 50R but did not impress me. I missed a few shots trying to capture a street performer and a BMX biker.

I would usually have nailed these types of photos with my Fujifilm X-Pro2 and XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR combination. I did, however, come away with a few usable photos but the keeper rate was lower than what I am used to.

For static portraits I found the autofocus to be accurate and fast enough. The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR may not be a fault here and could very well perform better on future GFX cameras.

Update:

In the Fujifilm GFX 50R firmware version 2:00, released after my review, Fujifilm now promises improved autofocus performance.

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR - Image Quality

With a retail price of $2,799.00, I would expect nothing other than stellar results. I shot the lens over a few days and did not do any direct comparisons to other lenses. When zooming to 100% you can see that the GF 110mm will deliver great results.

Overall I was happy with the shots captured and, especially, my tripod-mounted shots yielded perfect results. In a controlled environment or when using strobes, I would expect the lens to perform very well.

The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR perhaps did not wow me as much as I thought it would. I am sometimes astounded by the quality I get from my XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR, a lens you can pick up for $949.00 and sometimes on sale for less.

Keep in mind that I have used the XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR for a number of years and with time the GF 110mm f/2 could certainly prove its worth. I suspect it would be similar to my time with the Canon EF 85mm 1.2L II, a lens I found constantly delivered stunning results.

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Conclusion

I have been shooting shorter focal lengths in recent years and found the GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR to be a bit too long for an intimate look in the photos. This, of course, is completely a matter of taste and preference and should not take away from the fact the GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR is a great lens.

The GF 110mm is certainly aimed at portrait photographers but is not limited to this genre. I could easily see myself using it for general travel photography, landscapes, or street photography as I did in this review.

Pros

Rock solid construction
Internal Focusing
LM - linear motor for silent and fast autofocus
Beautiful bokeh and a very sharp lens

Cons

Heavy
Costly

Update: January 2021

Fujifilm has now released a strong contender to the GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR, a lens that is very close to what I had wished for in my GFX 50R review. I am talking about the GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR, $2,299.00, announced in January 2021. The GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR promises similar quality in a smaller body with a lower weight.

The GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR will yield a 63mm field of view in full-frame terms. Options are of course endless if you look at all brands and manual focus lenses but Fujifilm now has a pretty solid duo in the short telephoto segment with the GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR and GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR.

Update: April 2021

I have now had a chance to review the GF 80mm f/1.7. You can read the review here:

Fujifilm GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR - Review

Update: September 2022

I have now had a chance to try the GF 110mm f/2 with the latest firmware 2.14 for the Fujifilm GFX 50R. I used it for a portrait session and general photography outside.

Autofocus performance has indeed been improved and I found it to be accurate and plenty fast for my needs. I have added a few new sample images below.

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so, at no additional cost, by using the affiliate link below. A small commission goes to us and helps us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.

Check the current price at B&H Photo

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR - B&H Photo

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