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Compared: 63mm f/2.8 vs 32-64mm f/4 (GFX 50S, Pine Creek South Fork)
In terms of subject matter, this is not my preferred comparison of the three that were shot, but it is the one that offers the most clear-cut view of what is going on. Moreover a far distance scene is the most demanding of any test, mercilessly revealing all weaknesses.
This scene is at very far distance. so that a lens with strictly controlled field curvature should be able to render a sharp image across the field and corner to corner even wide open, with only minor deviations in sharpness. Alternately, a lens with field curvature and/or symmetry issues from build quality variances won’t be able to do deliver such results.
Of critical importance with such a scene, focus really has to be perfect. But as discussed in Autofocus and Manual Focus in the Field, the Fujifilm GFX offers no reliable way via autofocus or manual focus to guarantee optimal focus. What then? Two other comparisons were shot this day to independently verify whether the findings match—and they do, closely. Focus near center is as close to optimal as one might hope for, judging by the detail at center. Away from center—see the paragraph above about field curvature and symmetry.
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