Lens Review, Camera ReviewMorten ByskovJanuary 18, 2023Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Adapted to Fujifilm GFX, EF 85mm on GFX, Canon EF 85mm 1.8 on Fuji GFX, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 sample images on Fujifilm GFX, Adapting the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM to Fujifilm GFX, Fujifilm GFX 50R2 Comments

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Review - Adapted to Fujifilm GFX

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using a Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to the Fujifilm GFX 50R with a Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter

Adapting the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM to Fujifilm GFX With the Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter

Since I ventured into the Fujifilm GFX system back in September I still only have one native Fujifilm G mount lens, the GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR, and one other lens, the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, which I adapt to my GFX 50R using a Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter.

While I am waiting to learn more about the Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR which should be released later this year, I have been contemplating alternatives. Of course, we do not know the specs, size, and price of the GF 55mm f/1.7 but I am worried that it will be rather large and a challenge to my lens budget.

While looking at more affordable Canon EF lenses that can be used with my Fringer EF-GFX adapter I stumbled upon the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM on the list of lenses I could rent at Beau Photo here in Vancouver.

I found it to be a fun experiment and if the EF 85mm f/1.8 would check enough boxes perhaps I would pick up a used copy which is availably locally for around $300.00 or about 1/8 the cost of a new GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR.

I am no stranger to the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM as I have owned two copies. This lens has been around for what feels like forever. I got my first copy shortly after it was released back in 1993 before a big trip to Sydney, Australia. Yikes, that is thirty years ago.

A man takes a nap on a sunny January day at Second Beach in Vancouver. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter. — Second Beach, Vancouver, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/2.2, ISO 100, 1/950s, slightly cropped

I have to share a story that perhaps is irrelevant to this review but worth sharing nonetheless. Photographing the fireworks over the Sydney Opera House in 1993 I used two cameras. A Canon EOS 1 on a tripod and EOS 5 carelessly secured to the fence railing at the Sydney harbor on a monopod.

All of a sudden I heard this horrible screeching sound of my EOS 5 falling over the edge with my EF 85mm attached. It ended up in the harbor and was now bopping up and down in the waves below.

Much to my luck a friendly local guy came to my aid and said; No worries mate, I will fetch it for you. He climbed the fence, down to the rocks, and fished out the camera.

The camera was fried but the lens survived albeit with a few scars in the form of fungus and corrosion inside the lens. And the lens was forever stuck at f/1.8. Despite this, I managed to use it for years and have some of my most memorable photos of my kids taken with this “broken” lens.

The old lens was retired when I purchased a new copy around 2006 which later was sold for the amazing EF 85mm f/1.2 L II.

Handling

I enjoy the GFX format but also appreciate a compact setup which is a bit of an oxymoron. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 paired with the GFX 50R makes for a fairly compact setup and at 15 oz, 425 g, it is less than half the weight of its two 85mm siblings, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS and 85mm f/1.2 L II. In comparison, the Fujifilm GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR weighs 1.7 lb, 795 g.

The filter size is 58mm and coincidentally my Moment Diffusion Filter is 58mm so I put this on for the entire test as I have been striving for the film look in my files lately.

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM has an ultra-sonic autofocus motor and I was surprised at how fast it was. To this point, it is the fastest out of the three Canon lenses I have tried with the Fringer adapter.

Goran plays an Olympic White Nashguitars Nash S63. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — My friend Goran plays his Nashguitars S-63, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/2.5, ISO 1250, 1/250s, full sensor, no correction of vignetting

EF 85mm f/1.8 USM on Fujifilm GFX - Vignetting

Vignetting is contrary to other lenses I have adapted to Fujifilm GFX. It appears as you stop the lens down vignetting becomes more and more visible. With other lenses I have adapted the opposite is the case.

This is interesting if you primarily want to shoot the lens at lower f-stops for a shallow depth of field effect as the vignetting is easier to fix in post-processing. You can also leave it uncorrected if it is not too distracting depending on the scene and your artistic style.

On the other hand, vignetting is very distracting when the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 and beyond. In such cases, you will need to crop the images or perhaps shoot in the 35mm mode.

Please see the image below showing vignetting at different f-stops.

Please click to view a larger image.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM vignetting chart when adapted to Fujifilm GFX — Vignetting of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM on Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter. f/1.8-11.

Focal Length on GFX and 35mm Crop Mode

The full frame equivalent of the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM on GFX cameras is a 67mm f/1.4 lens. For portraits or for working with topics in a short to medium range I find this to be a wonderful focal length on the GFX.

Using the lens in 35mm mode you have a normal full-frame 85mm perspective and while this is a classic portrait focal length I found it a bit tight but only because I have been shooting with 50mm equivalent lenses for so long now on my APS-C cameras.

Having either 50 or 100 megapixels on your GFX camera allows great flexibility and the options crop to either a 4 x 5, 3 x 2, or 16 x 9 aspect ratio if you wish.

In the following two images, you can see the result from using the full sensor at f/5.6, and then cropping to the 3 x 2 aspect ratio.

A billboard in Vancouver. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/240s, full sensor, no correction of vignetting

A Quantum Leap Billboard in Vancouver. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/240s, cropped to 3 x 2 aspect ratio, 0.3+ correction of vignetting in Capture One

Image Quality

When put under scrutiny the EF 85mm f/1.8 is slightly disappointing but keep in mind, we are talking about a lens that was designed more than thirty years ago and we are trying to cover a larger sensor than this lens was made for. On the full-size 44 x 33mm sensor, the corners are visibly unsharp bordering on smearing.

Corner sharpness gets better by f/8 and looks decent at f/11 but at this point, vignetting is quite severe. Center sharpness is soft but useable at f/1.8 and gets better already by f/2.8 and is decent by f/5.6.

As I hope you can see from some of the sample images in this review the EF 85mm f/1.8 can, however, easily be used on a GFX camera. Much will depend on what you hope to capture and in certain scenes a bit of cropping and vignette correction will go a long way.

Bokeh is also half-decent but not as good as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II. Here I speak from my experience using it on full-frame cameras. I have yet to review this lens for GFX.

Check the sample images in this article which can be viewed up to 2500 pixels wide depending on the size of your monitor.

A portrait of Goran. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — My friend Goran, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/2.2, ISO 320, 1/125s, cropped slightly keeping the 4 x 3 aspect ratio

Conclusion

I am slightly torn on the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for Fujifilm GFX. I quite like some of the images I was able to create in a short period of time but when the lens was stopped down the vignetting was very pronounced limiting the use of it on GFX cameras when attempting to utilize the full sensor.

Corners were hard to get sharp and appeared almost smeared at lower f-stops and photos captured at further distances lost some appeal.

If you are happy to shoot in the 35mm mode many of these issues will disappear and for $300.00 you could have an affordable 85mm option in your bag. Autofocus speed with the Fringer adapter was pretty decent and with some time you would be able to find the sweet spot for this lens.

I was surprised to see that the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is still available brand new for $499.00. As mentioned above used prices hover around $300.00 in my part of the world. At the used price I do think it offers good value, especially if you already have an adapter. As long as you can live with some of the limitations.

Please see more sample images below.

A man stretches his leg along English Bay Beach in Vancouver. Sample image of a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM adapted to Fujifilm GFX using the Fringer EF-GFX Pro adapter — Beach Drive, Vancouver, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM @ f/2.5, ISO 100, 1/1700, cropped slightly to remove vignetting, 4 x 3 aspect ratio

Price / Availability

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Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - B&H Photo
Fringer EF-GFX Pro Adapter - B&H Photo

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Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Adapted to the Fujifilm GFX 50R - Sample Images

Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Capture One and I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos. Some of the images are cropped slightly.

Please click to view larger images.