Fujifilm GF120mm Macro Review: Pointless or Perfect?
Why Did I Buy the Lens?
I bought the Fujifilm GF 120mm Macro in 2024 because I wanted to get closer to my woodland subjects. My direction in photography had shifted and matured—from chasing the wide, obvious scenes that rely heavily on atmosphere and light, to being drawn instead toward the smaller, more intimate details that don’t depend so much on mood to stand out.
Previously, I owned the GF 100–200mm lens which, between you and me, is pretty terrible (but that’s a story for another blog). It has a minimum focusing distance of 40cm at 100mm (around 80mm full-frame equivalent). For me, that simply wasn’t close enough when I was working with leaves and small subjects only 5cm across.
Why Not Just Crop?
Yes, with the GFX 100 II I’ve got 100MP to play with. But I found myself cropping far too often, and my feeling is this: one day, when you capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot, you’ll want all the megapixels.
On top of that, I found the GF 100–200 to be extremely soft and inconsistent. Mine was even returned for servicing, but it came back no better. To be fair, perhaps I just had a bad copy.
Initial Thoughts
The GF 120mm Macro is undoubtedly sharp. At 1,044g it isn’t particularly heavy for a medium format lens, though at £2,500 you’d expect it to deliver.
My main gripe is that its closest focusing distance only gives 0.5x magnification. To achieve true 1:1 macro reproduction, I had to add the Fujifilm GF 45mm extension tube—another £289 and 300g in weight, plus 5cm of extra length taking up more space in the bag.
After searching online, I didn’t find much honest user information about this setup—mostly just sponsored YouTubers I trust about as much as a British politician. Hence, this blog.
Current Setup
Fujifilm GFX 100 II
GF 20–35mm
GF 45–100mm
GF 120mm Macro
GF 18mm Extension Tube
GF 45mm Extension Tube
This is my landscape kit. Yes, I know I’m missing a proper telephoto, but that’s a story for another day.
The Question
Do I really need the GF 120mm Macro? Or could the superb, razor-sharp GF 45–100mm with extension tubes achieve the same results—saving weight, money, and space in the bag?
The Plan
I decided to geek out and run a simple home test, comparing the GF 45–100mm with extension tubes against the GF 120mm Macro. My test subject: a British £2 coin (28mm diameter).
The following images are straight JPEGs, purely to show framing at each setup, so you can decide for yourself whether this might be a viable option for you.
Overlays of comparable results
A series of images to show you more clearly the results and help you come to the right decision for your needs
GF 45-100mm at 100mm with 18g Extension tube vs GF 120mm Macro with 18g Extension tube
GF 45-100mm at 100mm with 45g Extension tube vs GF 120mm Macro with 45g Extension tube
My Conclusions
Let me preface this by saying I’m very much a less gear is better kind of guy. I’ve worked hard to streamline my kit so I don’t have unnecessary overlaps. I even put off adding a drone for the last five years simply because I didn’t want to carry the extra gear. It’s not really about weight—after all, the GFX system was never designed for the weight-conscious. Let’s leave that to the toy Sony shooters or the micro four-thirds crowd (just kidding… well, not about the Sony bit 🤪).
At this stage, I’m leaning toward removing the 120mm Macro from my lineup. The 45–100mm paired with the 45mm extension tube gets me close enough for my needs and allows me to drop two items from my bag.
With that setup, a subject around 6–7cm wide fills the frame—and for me, that’s plenty. If absolutely necessary, I could even crop just a smidge.
The 120mm Macro, while excellent, is large, heavy, and expensive. Add the 18mm extension tube, and suddenly I’m carrying bulk and cost that could just as easily stay in the bank—ready for the day Fujifilm finally releases my dream lens.
The GF 150–400mm.
Well… we can all dream, can’t we?
Come on Fujifilm, give us a long telephoto. I’m not about to carry both a 250mm and a 500mm prime up a mountain.
If you’ve got feedback or advice, I’d love to hear it—that’s how we learn and improve.
Feel free to get in touch via Instagram or elsewhere if you have any questions.
Adrian