Adapting GFX: Contributing Data

After posting this to Instagram and Twitter, I’ve gotten a few who’ve contributed their findings, though at a subjective glance.

I’d like to include your findings here to make it more comprehensive. As I’ve said before, this database will be limited to Sigma Art lenses with EF mount. The reason, in a nutshell, is due to wanting to lighten my load in both weight and bulk, when backpacking with the GFX for landscapes. 3 or 4 Sigma primes will be a bit less versatile but should be much less bulky and dense compared to the GF 23/4, 32-64/4, 100-200/5.6 and upcoming 45-100/4. Plus, the faster apertures will make them all capable of astrophotography.

If you’d like to contribute your findings, please include lens specifics (brand, focal length, maximum aperture, lens version, firmware version, and if it’s weather sealed or stabilized), adapter used, and camera used. Full sensor sample shots without the lens hood (JPEG, 2000×1500 pixel minimum) needs to be of a white or gray background at the widest aperture at both minimum and infinity focus, repeating this at ƒ/8 and at minimum aperture, be it ƒ/22 or ƒ/32.

The sample shots are critical for helping others determine if any vignetting that occurs will impact their needs.

You can submit your contribution directly to my email address, listed at the top of this page under “Contact.”

Now, why no detail samples to judge corner detail and sharpness? It’s simple: in general, 35mm “full frame” lenses will not resolve details well at the corners, especially if there’s significant vignetting. My goal is not to determine, or generally review, corner to corner sharpness adapted lenses on the GFX; it’s to help others determine if a certain lens will even work without significant cropping away of resolution when using the full sensor.

Why so limiting? The fact is that there’s a “35mm Format Mode” option on GFX that uses the center 3:2 area of the sensor for adapted lenses. With this, you can use any adapted full frame lens but you’ll sacrifice resolution in the process, going from 51.4MP to 31MP. Realistically, any adapted full frame lens will work but fewer of them will work across the full sensor. It’s that aspect I’m trying to nail down with this database.