The GF63mm is criminally underrated, and if you shoot GFX, you probably already own it.  It was the “normal” lens that was paired as the “kit” lens with the early GFX bodies.  The later bodies were paired with the GF35-70mm lens instead.

Actually the criminal here is me.  For the longest time, this is the lens I leave behind whenever I talk the camera out for a walk.  I’d take either the “kit zoom” or the 50mm.  But since selling the GF50mm, I have given the GF63mm another look and have fallen in love with it.

First, the specs:

• Focal length: 63mm (nifty fifty!)

• Aperture: f/2.8 – which is blazing fast for medium format

• Weight: 405g – a featherweight in the GFX world

• Sharpness: Tack-sharp wide open with beautiful rendering

• Price: Often the most affordable GF lens in the lineup

What the GF63mm gives you is honesty. It doesn’t distort. It doesn’t exaggerate. It just renders your subject beautifully, with clarity and restraint.

I’ve used it for portraits, street photography, travel work, and even product shots. Every time, it quietly delivers. The micro-contrast and color rendition are pure Fujifilm magic — crisp where it needs to be, gentle where it counts.

And the best part? It’s light enough to carry around all day, which is saying something when you’re lugging around a medium format body that feels as heavy as a rice cooker on your shoulders.

The GF63mm gets flak for a few things:

1. “Only” f/2.8 – But you’re already on medium format. Nailing focus on the correct eye at 2.8 is already incredibly hard.

2. No built-in image stabilization – True. But pair it with an IBIS-equipped body like my GFX 50S II, and you’re golden.

3. Not “special” enough – This one’s subjective, but I’d argue the opposite. Its neutrality is exactly what makes it so versatile and timeless.

You may not fall in love on day one. But give it time, and the GF63mm becomes your go-to — the lens you instinctively reach for because it just works.

It’s the lens that won’t let you down when everything else goes sideways. The lens you trust for serious portraiture and soulful travel moments. The one you eventually realize was the unsung hero in half your favorite shots.

If you’re building out your GFX kit, and you want something that delivers clean, expressive, medium format character without breaking your back or your bank account — the GF63mm deserves a spot in your bag.

Understated? Absolutely.
Underperforming? Not even close.
Underrated? You bet.