I was looking forward to using the pre-production copy of this new lens. When it arrived, I was immediately impressed by how light and good it felt in the hand. My first impression was it was designed for sports, wildlife, and bird photography. The 500mm reach is perfect for subjects at a distance and has the option of a FUJINON GF1.4X TC WR teleconverter. This provides enough length when photographing smaller birds and wildlife.
The lens has well-designed buttons on the side to allow easy access when photographing. For this review, the GF500mmF5.6 lens paired with the GFX100 II was used to photograph wildlife and birds.
The lens has a tripod collar, which can be loosened via a knob and easily rotated. The tripod foot is Arca-Swiss compatible and slides on the tripod head easily without worrying about a plate to attach. Not having to attach a plate to the foot makes it easier to set up quickly in the field with a tripod and I prefer this design on the foot.
It was comfortable handholding the camera and lens and I enjoyed walking around looking for the birds/wildlife. The weight of the GF500mmF5.6 lens comes in at no more than 1.4kg. The lightweight design is an advantage when handholding the lens to get low and/or crawl closer without disturbing birds to photograph natural behaviour. The lens seems well made, durable and stands up well in the field when I am lying down on dirt, mud or shallow water. I continued photographing in light rain showers knowing it was weather-resistant.
Because of the size and portability, this lens is ideal for travelling and packs easily into a regular camera bag for carry-on when flying, meeting weight restrictions.
I favour a prime lens for bird photography as I like the soft bokeh you achieve with a prime lens and this has lived up to my expectations in that area. The bokeh was smooth and very pleasing to look at, which also helped to isolate the bird in the environment. The depth and separation of the subject from the background were excellent.
The Aperture ring is smooth and easy to operate on the lens, a feature I have grown to like.
Additionally, the lens features impressive Optical Image Stabilisation, and you have the option to turn it off, which is useful if required. I did not need to turn it off during my time with this lens. The stabilisation allows the photographer to capture sharp and steady shots even in challenging shooting conditions, such as low light. I found the stabilisation helped when shooting the smaller birds. With a lens like this handholding is my preferred option, particularly when shooting the small birds as they dart about feeding. Handholding and tracking birds in flight was very good. Image stabilisation allowed me to use low shutter speeds, which gives the option to capture images in difficult conditions such as photographing in dark overcast light.
When in the field photographing, it was pleasing to obtain images of the smaller birds such as robins. The length and the 1.4 tele converter give you the option to obtain images of very small birds, which Australia has plenty. They are colourful and bright and dart about and with this lens, I was able to track and obtain images.
Wide open at F5.6 the images are sharp (something I expect with prime lens) which is perfect when photographing in low light. I pushed this to the extreme with high ISO and was delighted with the images I captured. I often photographed in good light with a shutter speed between 1/1000 and 1/3200 which is good for fast birds in flight, particularly small birds for example swallows.
When obtaining focus the lens is not super-fast at F5.6 as compared to F2 or F4 but is very acceptable. I was able to get good images and once tracking a bird, it locked on and I was able to get some wonderful images. The tracking feature of the GFX100 II was fantastic and the focus locked onto the head of the bird focusing on the eye, when the bird turned away, the focus stayed on the head, and as the bird turned back towards the camera, it locked back on the eye again.
When photographing in quality light the sharpness and detail were remarkable. Coupled with the GFX100 II Camera it brings out the details on the birds. Birds have fine intricate feather markings and detail and the GF500mmF5.6 lens is perfect for showcasing the beauty and stunning features of our wildlife.
One issue I encountered was the rolling shutter when using the electronic shutter. Because of the short time I had the lens, I switched to a mechanical shutter at 8 fps and this compromise enabled me to get the images required. Overall, this lens proves to be a versatile and reliable option for photographers looking to capture stunning wildlife and bird images. I was impressed with the overall performance of the GF 500 lens when in the field shooting a variety of birds in quality light and also difficult conditions.
