TGIFriday: How to set up the Fujifilm GFX on a Sinar for full movements

We sometimes use our Fujifilm GFX series cameras on our Sinar large format camera to take advantage of the generous movements offered by large format lenses. Here is how we do it.

TGIFriday: How to use the Fujifilm GFX on a Sinar for full movements

We tried out attaching our Fujifilm GFX 50S II digital camera to be used as the sensor on our Sinar X 4×5 large format camera. The main reason is for us to try to take advantage of generous movements afforded by the Sinar, much more than any tilt/shift lens can offer.

Brief discussion of image quality

We have some measure of success on photographing watches with this set up. The SEVENFRIDAY ME1/02, Christopher Ward Bel Canto Viola and the Rudis Sylva RS14 reviews were photographed with this contraption.

We find the Nikkor SW-90mm F4.5 lens to be quite remarkable. Distortion is minimal, and the lens has a magnificent colour rendition that is not often found in modern lenses. Detail resolution and sharpness is excellent and the lens renders contrast beautifully.

The fall off from the in-focus areas to the out of focus areas is very pleasing to the eye. We photographed these examples with quite a lot of movements, up to 20 degrees of tilt is applied, as well as some 8 to 10mm of shifts. At the edges, the lens does exhibit quite a bit of chromatic aberration, but we find this to make the 3 dimensional aspect pop even more.

The setup

The setup is based on the Sinar X. For this project, we removed the Sinar X’s rear standard and replaced it with an older Sinar P rear standard we had lying around. This allows us to quickly switch between the ground glass and film carrier of the X rear standard to the P’s rear standard which is now used to carry the digital system.

A special bag bellows system is used. This is was bought from a Chinese specialist in bellows. The front is fitted with a frame which slots directly on, and attaches to the rear of the Sinar X’s front frame holder, like any other bellows. But the back is attached to a ring which exactly the same as the rear of a standard GFX lens. This attaches directly to the camera’s lens mount. The fit is excellent. As there are no electronic contacts, indeed large format lenses do not record or transmit EXIF data, there is no communication between the lens and the camera. The GFX EXIF shows F0 and no lens information like the make, model number and focal length is displayed.

The combination of the Gitzo tripod and the Sinar Pan/Tilt head working with the Sinar X/P system is rock solid and easy to adjust. Shown below, the entire camera is tilted down, and tilt is applied to both standards. This allows the camera sensor to see a selected plane of sharp focus.

Control of movements are silky smooth. This is, of course due to the precision of the Sinar system. As discussed earlier in our Sinar article, the camera is a Swiss precision machine.

What also impressed us is that the lens is very capable. On the camera as shown in the pictures, is the Nikkor SW 90mm F4.5 lens. This is an exceptional lens designed for large formats. The image circle can cover a 5×7 film sensor with room for movements. On the 4×5 film back we typically mount on the Sinar X, this allows very generous movements. The lens is quite large, with a 82mm front element and uses Copal #0 shutter. The lens on its own, and weighs close to 800g.

And in the large format world, 90mm is considered as a wide lens, with a field of view of o 105°/106°, equivalent of about 24mm in full frame. The widest open aperture of f/4.5, it is also very wide. When used wide open on 4×5, the depth of field is tiny.

However, when we attach our minuscule 44mmx33mm sensor in the GFX to the system, the amount of movements the system is capable of is tremendous. For example, the GFX can be used to make a three panel stitches. If we make this in two rows, the resultant image will measure a whopping 24k pixels wide and 12k pixels high. This is 2:1 panorama image which is 300Mp. This will make massive prints.

We attach the GFX via an Arca Swiss clamp to a special bracket which is bolted to the rear frame holder of the Sinar.

In this configuration, the GFX acts exactly like a film or other digital sensor. The only thing to look out when setting up a system like this is that the GFX flange system is quite large. The G Mount has a mount diameter of 65mm with a flange back distance of 26.7mm and minimum back focus distance of 16.7mm. Typically, Fujifilm advises to only use lenses longer than 120mm, as images from wider lenses may cause a hard vignette due to the depth in which the sensor is set in. We found 90mm to have no issues, but on our Nikkor SW 65mm F4 lens, there is a vignette when shifted. A useful article on compatibility and use of the GFx system with technical cameras is found on Rob de Loë’s website.

Concluding thoughts

We think this is probably a superior system, in terms of image quality to make watch macro photographs.it is also superb for architecture and panoramas. The 3 dimensional pop of the images is quite rewarding to view. The images are not lacking any detail or resolution to modern lenses, but avoid the crunchy nature of digital photographs. They retain a more film-like character. The way contrasts, and detail is handled is aesthetically pleasing. In particular, tonal range seems to be very smooth, and focus fall off is well controlled and gentle. The images also have a glow that is not often found in digital images.

Will we be using this setup for all our photographs? No. Mostly because the setup is time consuming, and the entire camera system is very bulky and heavy. In the studio, when we have time, we will try and bring out this system. But on-location, in a watch show like Watches & Wonders, or even in local boutiques where we do a lot of shooting, this setup will be too cumbersome.

Photo Notes

All photographs, and the video on this article is taken with the Sony ZVE 10 II with the FEL24F14 lens. The video was recorded in SLog3 and processed in Davinci Resolve 19.