The original intent of creating this page and testing EFC lenses was to compare the image quality out of these fixed focal length minilab lenses (as opposed to the zoom type minilab lenses) to known high performance minilab lenses like the E36 series, see this link for an E36 lens test: https://www.closeuphotography.com/tominon-e36-lens . Unfortunately this is not the case, image quality is not at the level of an E36 lens.

Testing the EFC lenses I’ve owned I was never able to find good image quality forwards or backwards setup for magnification, or reduction. Even in a stacked configuration these lenses produced a surprisingly low contrast, low resolution image. In my tests image sharpness does not hold up in anything but the smallest image sizes. The main problem is diffraction, the lens maximum aperture is so slow that sharpness loss to diffraction is a major problem. Another issue is chromatic aberration control, these lenses do not seem to well corrected for CAs and LoCAs for some reason. Later model minilab equipment had CAs removed automatically in image processing I’m sure but these are analog minilab lenses.

This information on EFC lenses, like all the content on my site, is completely independent and free from industry influence. I will not benefit from what you buy. Most photo sites in the web today are run by corporations for profit. I do not show ads, use any affiliate links, track your web history, sell products or take money from anyone in the photo industry. I create content for this site for fun in my free time. Instead of making a few dollars from this site, I'm far more concerned about teaching people to learn to use what they already have, rather than waste time and money buying the wrong equipment.

The Fujinon EFC lens Line

Fujinon EFC lens were made in Japan by Fuji Photo Optical Company in the 1990s for use in the One-Hour minilab machine print processor units. I was told some of my lenses were sourced from an FA-Compact series printer processor unit. The EFC lenses were made to cover originals from the Disc format, with a 13mm image circle, up to 120 roll film, that needs a 87mm image circle. EFC lenses appear on used market quite a bit.

The market for these lenses is extremely small to nonexistent and the selling prices reflect that, expect to pay around $10-30 USD online. I’ve seen an entire Fuji FA-Compact minilab offered for $0, or free complete with a set of lenses, the buyer has to remove the lab from the seller’s location of curse. So don’t pay high eBay asking prices for an EFC lens.

Fujinon EFC lens Types

So far I have owned at least 4 types of Fuji EFC lenses. The small type with preset iris seems to be the most common, EFC II being the hardest to find.

Small EFC with preset aperture
Large EFC with preset aperture
Large EFC with iris
Large EFC II with iris

Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/35: large iris housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/41.0 small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/43.3 small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/49,9: large iris housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/55: small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:4/57.7 small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC II 1:5.6/64.5: large iris housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/65: small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/72: small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/81: small preset housing and large iris housing types
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/85: small preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6.3/98 large preset housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/108 large iris housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/140 large iris housing
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/180 large preset housing

EFC notes:
Most likely there is a small EFC II with a preset aperture out there, I’ve just never seen one.

The most common iris housing is the f/5.6 - f/11 version but I have also seen a f/6 - f/16 type.

Some lenses like the 81mm EFC lens have been used in both small preset types and the larger iris housing versions.

It would make sense if the housings were swappable, that the lenses all shared a common mount like a shutter mount with medium format lenses, but this is not the case since the center sections are different lengths. That’s a shame, being able to swap center housings from preset to iris type would have been very useful.

The Fujinon-EFC lens list

Fujinon EFC lenses are found in both pre-set and iris housing versions. These are the EFC lenses that I know of and is probably not a complete list

Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/35
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/41.0
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/43.3
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/49,9
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/55
Fujinon-EFC 1:4/57.7
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/65
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/72
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/81
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/85
Fujinon-EFC 1:6.3/98
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/108
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/140
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/180

These printing machines used EFC lenses in various focal lengths for various sized negatives for various sized prints. This type of fixed focal length lens were later replaced with zoom lenses making the EFC lenses obsolete. These newer minilab zoom lenses featured computer control of all neg, paper, and lens placement and were then replaced with laser minilab printing machine units around 2000, that are still used today.

Lens, Film format and print size, magnification ratio and image circle

Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/49.9
Film and print size: 110DF > 3R.BL - 3.5 x 5
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.20x - 4.99x
Image circle: 31mm

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/55
Film and print size: 135SF > 4R.BL - 4 x 6
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.23x - 4.26x
Image circle: 43mm

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/65
Film and print size: 135DF > 130x178.BL - 5 x 7
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.28x - 3.56x
Image circle: 60mm
Note: with + 1.00 D Fuji Attach Lens

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/72
Film and print size: 135DF > 4R.BL 102x152 - 4 x 6
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.33x - 3.05x
Image circle: 60mm

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/81
Film and print size: 135SF > 3R.BL 89x127, 89x130 (compact) - 3.5 x 5
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.27x - 3.66x
Image circle: 43mm
Note: with + 0.38 D Fuji Attach Lens

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/85
Film and print size: 126 < > B (B = unknown reference)
Image circle: 40mm

Fujinon-EFC 1:6.3/98
Film and print size: 6x4.5 > 4R.BL - 4 x 6
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.38x - 2.63x
Film and print size: 6x7 > 3R.BL - 3.5 x 5
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.56x - 1.78x
Film and print size: 6x7 - 5R.BL > 5 x 7
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.40x - 2.50x
Image circle: 87mm

Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/108
Film and print size: 6x7 - 3R.BL > 3.5 x 5
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.56x - 1.78x
Film and print size: 6x7 - 4R.BL > 4 x 6
Magnification ratio, forward and reverse: 0.47x - 2.09x
Image circle: 87mm

The Fujinon-EFC II lens

There seems to be some EFC II lenses floating around and I will update this list as I see more.

Fujinon- EFC II 1:5.6/64.5

Fujinon EFC: Iris Mount types

The design of the EFC lens features two cells that thread onto a mount on a center housing. There seems to be two types of center housings, pre-set aperture, and iris mount type. Two center housings for all the EFC lenses that I have come across, from 35mm to 108mm. That’s important since this means that it’s a 2 minute swap from preset to iris type. Even better you can swap and f/6 preset housing for an f/4 iris mount. They are all interchange.

Fujinon EFC: proprietary Mounts

EFC lenses are most commonly found on the used market in two types of proprietary mounts, the bayonet type on the left, and the carrier type on the right below. With both, the lens is easily removable in a couple of seconds after loosening the set screw right below the lens. The lens and the bayonet mount on the left are extremely well finished for an industrial product.

Fuji Attach Lens Diopter
Some EFC lenses are supplied with supplementary close-up lenses, called Fuji Attach Lenses, mounted to the rear 32mm filter threads of the lenses (there are no front filter threads on EFC lenses). The purpose of the Fuji Attach Lens is to allow the lenses to focus closer by using different diopters. This changes the magnification as needed. The Fuji Attach Lens should be removed when using the lenses in a stacked configuration since close focus is not needed since the lenses are focused at infinity. The Fuji Attach Lenses seem to be of very high quality.

Some examples of the Fuji Attach Lenses that I’ve seen:

Fujinon-EFC 1:6/65 + 1.00 D Fuji Attach Lens
Fujinon-EFC 1:6/81 + 0.38 D Fuji Attach Lens
Fujinon-EFC 1:6.3/98 + 0.50 D Fuji Attach Lens
Fujinon-EFC 1:5.6/108 + 0.63 D Fuji Attach Lens

How do you mount an EFC lens?
The EFC lens uses proprietary mounting threads (39.5mm max major diameter) but thankfully the RafCamera V38 to M42 adapter slips tightly right over the front lens cell barrel. If you don’t have the right part from RafCamera, they will make you a custom adapter.

Fujinon-EFC 6/85 on the left and the EFC 6/81 on the right.

These two new-old-stock Fujinon-EFC lenses below, the 6/72 and 6/65, were picked up in July 2020.

Whats a Fuji Minilab?

The Fuji Minilab is a One-Hour type analog, pre-digital, compact photo developing and printing system used in small stores, as opposed to large centralized photo developing labs. The two lenses above were sold as spares for the Fuji Minilab FA-Compact machine consisting of a Film Processor FP230B, a Printer Processor PP401B, and a Processor CP-40F. The Fuji Minilab FA-Compact machine printer processor PP401B covered Disc, 110, 126, 135DF (double frame), 135SF (single frame), and 120 format film with 2-4mm overlap/cut-off of the neg/print. Note: Since 135 film is 35mm wide, each being 36x24 mm in the most common full-frame 35mm format sometimes called "double-frame" for its relationship to the "single frame" 35mm movie format which is 24x18mm.

The Fujinon-EFC Fuji Photo Optical Lens Co. Minilab Lens