Zhong Yi Optics Unveils Pittura 30mm f/2.4: A Fast, Wide Medium Format Lens
Zhong Yi Optics has revealed its newest photographic offering, the Pittura 30mm f/2.4 lens. This manual focus prime lens is specifically engineered for photographers utilizing Hasselblad XCD and Fujifilm GFX camera platforms, providing a distinctive blend of a broad field of view and a luminous aperture.
The Pittura 30mm f/2.4 stands out in the medium format lens market due to its notably fast aperture, surpassing the typical f/3.5 limitation often seen in native wide-angle options. This allows for significantly greater light capture, an advantage particularly appealing to Fujifilm GFX users who typically rely on lenses like the GF 30mm f/3.5. While Hasselblad XCD photographers have alternatives such as the 25mm f/2.5 and 38mm f/2.5, the Pittura offers a compelling, more budget-friendly choice, though it lacks the leaf shutter found in some XCD lenses.
With a focal length equivalent to 24mm on a full-frame sensor, the Pittura 30mm f/2.4 provides an 84.5-degree angle of view, making it an unconventional yet versatile tool for contemporary medium format digital photography. Its f/2.4 aperture facilitates faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings in challenging light conditions, preserving dynamic range and micro-contrast. Zhong Yi emphasizes the lens's ability to create a painterly depth of field, rendering background elements into soft, appealing bokeh while maintaining sharp focus on subjects, even when paired with 100-megapixel sensors.
Another distinguishing characteristic of the Pittura is its unusually short minimum focus distance of 0.2 meters (7.8 inches). This feature, when combined with its wide-angle perspective, enables photographers to achieve dramatic subject isolation, adding a unique dimension to their compositions. The lens's construction comprises 13 elements arranged in 12 groups, and it features an 11-bladed diaphragm for smooth aperture adjustments, ranging from f/2.4 to f/22 via a tactile, clicked manual ring. It accommodates a 58mm front filter and has a compact build, weighing 550 grams, making it both robust and practical for daily use.
Although the Pittura 30mm f/2.4 offers impressive specifications in terms of size, performance, speed, and field of view, its manual focus operation and some minor observable distortion in sample images are points to consider. Despite these aspects, the lens presents a strong value proposition, making advanced medium format photography more accessible. Priced at $499, it is available directly from Zhong Yi Optics for both Hasselblad XCD and Fujifilm GF mounts.