Thomas Menk flipped this story into MEDIUM FORMAT INSIDER•1505d
Like pretty much everyone else, I bit at the irresistible GF 50mm sale. I took it for a casual roam around Melrose today, testing near and far focus, subject separation, manual and auto performance...stuff like that. The files have been heavily reduced on the quality slider to get them in here at full Mp size, but they're pretty indicative of sharpness.
My impressions are that it's a very agile and very fast focusing lens on the 50s. Sharpness is good, but noticeably not on the same level as the 45mm or 63mm. It seems to be possible to focus within its stated minimum distance limits, thus producing soupy images with little sharp definition. Wide open, and with several feet between you and the subject, f/3.5 can be surprisingly good however. I like the bokeh, and subject separation is excellent.
The lens has a distinct presence of its own, both physically and in its rendering. That's almost always a good sign. Having shot with a very characterful little Leica CL 40mm f/2 for a few years, coming back to this focal length again has been fun. I'm still on the fence over the trade-offs in IQ, but I get where Fujifilm wants this lens sit.
Anyway, these images might provide some context before a purchase.