The biggest reason I love the 18mm/f2.0 is it is so short that it does not obstruct X-Pro2's (and X-Pro1's for that matter) ovf. It would be great if Fuji makes a newer version with improved corner IQ, WR and faster AF in the same compact package, but I'm not waiting with bated breath because they dumped the 18mm frame line in X-Pro3's ovf😞.
Really depends on what you are shooting. I moved to the Fuji system for a compact and light weight system so for my the 18mmF2 wins hands down but I will only use it for street photography, some portraiture to capture more of a story or to capture groups of people as the 18mmF2 is great at controlling any distortion with that said it suits my needs but If I was shooting proffessionaly like events or wedding etcs then the 18mm F1.4 would be the go. In general people people need to be real to themselves and identify what they’ll use the lens for as in real world terms the image quality is not a huge difference between the two but obviously shooting professional the noise and speed of the lens and the extra low light ability is worth the extra cost.
Nice review but I don’t consider it a new “version”. It’s a totally new and different lens. The comparison is the closer to the 16mm 1.4. I can see them updating the f2 at some point to be more comparable to the 23 and 35 f2s.
Tough choice indeed! I like both 16 and 18 but I did find the 16 1.4 very good and not THAT different (besides focusing that is better on the newer 18 but again - would be a deal breaker for me to keep the 16). If you are looking for something a little less wide the 18 is just perfect I think. Take care
Great explanation/comparison between the two! I'd like to see one (a video) comparing the 18mm f1.4 vs. the 23mm you mention in here, both indoor and outdoor shots.
Personally I shoot manually almost always,it feels better,it comes natural after using for quite a while contax IIIa.I am not a huge fan of pancake-like lenses (nor pancake lenses to be fair) and even though I like pocketable lenses, anything that reminds me pancake lenses needs to win my trust.But the 18mm f2.0 actually seems pretty competent compared to the f1.4, in terms of sharpness up to f4 the f2.0 looks sharper in the center (can't quite tell for edges with the samples given),in the right side of the camera it is clear somekind of hit mark the camera has ( 4:44 ) and the bokeh is sharper (which is not everyone's cup of tea understandably so).In f5.6 things start getting head to head and at f8 the f1.4 is much better,which for anyone doing studio work this is important. Also something that I found quite interesting was that at f16 the f2.0 seemed to handle the distortion better,not that anyone should go above f8.0 to begin with but it seemed weird to me.
I hear you Alex! It’s tricky to chose between the 16 and 18 sometimes - I’ve been there. Let’s see if your temptation takes over and you pull the trigger 😁😎 take care
I love the 18mm - LOVE it. That been said, the 35 is a very specific focal length that is very useful and versatile, so it really comes down to 1) do you need a wider length? And 2) is that extra stop necessary for bokeh/light? That should help 😊 take care Tyus
I'm still drawn to the 16mm f1.4. Would love to see a comparison between the 18 and 16. They seem so very close to each other that it begs the question 'what's the point of a new lens with only a 2mm difference'. Would love to know how they differ in a real world scenario.
To be honest with you, the 2mm difference is does not make such a big difference. The newer 18mm is faster for focusing (being more recent and having the latest and greatest) but that ain’t a deal breaker for me. Knowing me, if I take them both to a wedding to try comparing them, I’ll end up with the 16 and forget to swap them 😁 Cheers
All the magic happens in any lens below 2.0! A little frustrating not to see anything about barrel distortion. Is there any that isn't fixed in post? How does it compare to the f2.0?
Matter of preference. I really like the 16 1.4 as well as a bit wider and I personally don’t mind the slower autofocus AS LONG as it doesn’t tell people 100 meters away that you are trying to focus for how loud it is… Take care 😌
@@cris_photography I just love me some close up photography, the 16mm just does it better, can also be had for a good chunk less if you go used. I wouldn't say no to the 18 1.4 though! :D
Lmao. That's funny. You cannot use a lens once you tried the faster one? Nah. It's a matter of your skills with the camera and lens. Just coz the newer lens is faster, doesn't mean it's better. 35mm 1.4 is still one of the best lenses that Fujii has produced. Yea it's slow. But if you know what you're doing, then you'll get great results.
I was OBVIOUSLY talking about the 18mm first gen… not ALL the previous lenses produced by Fuji! I love the 35mm f1.4 and prefer it to the f2 version by far and for example my favorite lens is the 56mm f1.2 despite having a new 50 f1 released by Fuji years later. So basically your comment makes no sense!
@@cris_photography makes a lot of sense. As you were saying that the faster af lens 18mm 1.4 is miles and miles ahead of the f2. Which is true in terms of speed as well as the noise that your video provided. But if you know how to use it, then you wouldn't really call it unusable after you used the newer lens. Another example is the 16mm 1.4 vs the 16mm f2.8. Yea f2.8 is faster af, lightweight etc. But image quality on the 16mm 1.4 is unmatched. That's all I'm saying, all these older lenses from fuji has character. Not saying the newer ones don't. But it's a different type of character. Same with older x-trans sensors. 🤷♂️
@@tonygeronimojr.4863 totally. I know, I am in love with the rendering of older lenses. If u check my other videos (I tested every single lens of the lineup) You’ll see that besides this 18 I love the older (and usually faster lenses) better - don’t really care about the AF speed, etc. Take care
Would be nice if they re-made all their lenses with new quiet motors. I don't really care if it's a legendary lens (16, 35, 56), the screeching metal sounds are a deal breaker.
@@tonygeronimojr.4863 What? The 2/18mm was unusable by most peoples standards even before the 1.4/18mm came out. I mean, you can compare the 1.4/33m and 1.4/35mm lenses, and still buy the old lens today, there are pros and cons to each. But the 2/18 is, well, it's a dud. It's the worst lens in Fuji's line up. It isn't competent at anything. You can still get decent pictures off of it, if you absolutely have to, but it's a pain. You can crop an 18mm image off the 1.4/16mm lens and still have a much better image in every way. It was pointless to own the 2/18mm after the 16mm was available.
Gonna pick up the 1.4 version. If they remade the 18 f2 with LM and WR, I think I might pick it up too as an EDC
Cool 👍🏼 Makes sense
Think I will go for the F2, I like the noise it does.
👍🏼
The biggest reason I love the 18mm/f2.0 is it is so short that it does not obstruct X-Pro2's (and X-Pro1's for that matter) ovf. It would be great if Fuji makes a newer version with improved corner IQ, WR and faster AF in the same compact package, but I'm not waiting with bated breath because they dumped the 18mm frame line in X-Pro3's ovf😞.
I hear y’a on the Pro series! Very true 😩
Hope that’ll change in the future
Cheers
Beautiful samples. Do you use classic neg with increased contrast and colors?
Thanks mate! No those were edited with my own grading a few years back (don’t remember exactly how I edited them tho 😁) take care!
Really depends on what you are shooting. I moved to the Fuji system for a compact and light weight system so for my the 18mmF2 wins hands down but I will only use it for street photography, some portraiture to capture more of a story or to capture groups of people as the 18mmF2 is great at controlling any distortion with that said it suits my needs but If I was shooting proffessionaly like events or wedding etcs then the 18mm F1.4 would be the go. In general people people need to be real to themselves and identify what they’ll use the lens for as in real world terms the image quality is not a huge difference between the two but obviously shooting professional the noise and speed of the lens and the extra low light ability is worth the extra cost.
Very true 💯!
Nice review but I don’t consider it a new “version”. It’s a totally new and different lens. The comparison is the closer to the 16mm 1.4. I can see them updating the f2 at some point to be more comparable to the 23 and 35 f2s.
I can totally see your point 👌🏼
Weighing if I should sell my 16 1.4 to buy the new 18. 16 is just a little too wide for me to use on a regular basis. 18 seems just about right
Tough choice indeed! I like both 16 and 18 but I did find the 16 1.4 very good and not THAT different (besides focusing that is better on the newer 18 but again - would be a deal breaker for me to keep the 16). If you are looking for something a little less wide the 18 is just perfect I think.
Take care
Great explanation/comparison between the two! I'd like to see one (a video) comparing the 18mm f1.4 vs. the 23mm you mention in here, both indoor and outdoor shots.
Thanks for the feedback David, appreciated. I take note for a future video to compare these 2 lenses with sample shots. Take care!
@@cris_photography Thanks! Appreciate it!
Personally I shoot manually almost always,it feels better,it comes natural after using for quite a while contax IIIa.I am not a huge fan of pancake-like lenses (nor pancake lenses to be fair) and even though I like pocketable lenses, anything that reminds me pancake lenses needs to win my trust.But the 18mm f2.0 actually seems pretty competent compared to the f1.4, in terms of sharpness up to f4 the f2.0 looks sharper in the center (can't quite tell for edges with the samples given),in the right side of the camera it is clear somekind of hit mark the camera has ( 4:44 ) and the bokeh is sharper (which is not everyone's cup of tea understandably so).In f5.6 things start getting head to head and at f8 the f1.4 is much better,which for anyone doing studio work this is important.
Also something that I found quite interesting was that at f16 the f2.0 seemed to handle the distortion better,not that anyone should go above f8.0 to begin with but it seemed weird to me.
Great analysis of the Shots! Thanks for sharing and the points you bring up are quite interesting, thanks 😊
Take care
The 18mm 1.4 will be my next and main lens. Nice video!
I am waiting when you are going to use in one of your wedding events. Thanks
I did 😅 and made a video since (with the GFX100S). You can find it on my channel
Cheers
Great review! I enjoy my 16mm, but it's always just ever so slightly too wide for me. I'm tempted by this 18mm...
I hear you Alex! It’s tricky to chose between the 16 and 18 sometimes - I’ve been there. Let’s see if your temptation takes over and you pull the trigger 😁😎 take care
I have the 35mm f2. Is it advisable to get the 18mm f1.4?
I love the 18mm - LOVE it. That been said, the 35 is a very specific focal length that is very useful and versatile, so it really comes down to 1) do you need a wider length? And 2) is that extra stop necessary for bokeh/light? That should help 😊 take care Tyus
I'm still drawn to the 16mm f1.4. Would love to see a comparison between the 18 and 16. They seem so very close to each other that it begs the question 'what's the point of a new lens with only a 2mm difference'. Would love to know how they differ in a real world scenario.
To be honest with you, the 2mm difference is does not make such a big difference. The newer 18mm is faster for focusing (being more recent and having the latest and greatest) but that ain’t a deal breaker for me. Knowing me, if I take them both to a wedding to try comparing them, I’ll end up with the 16 and forget to swap them 😁
Cheers
All the magic happens in any lens below 2.0!
A little frustrating not to see anything about barrel distortion. Is there any that isn't fixed in post? How does it compare to the f2.0?
I haven’t noticed any major distortion compared to the first version (nothing that disturbed me for my purposes).
Made in Philippines instead of Japan?
Yup, but no noticeable difference in quality imo. Take care
The 16mm 1.4 is still better, everything about it is better bar AF speed and, who cares about that?
Matter of preference. I really like the 16 1.4 as well as a bit wider and I personally don’t mind the slower autofocus AS LONG as it doesn’t tell people 100 meters away that you are trying to focus for how loud it is…
Take care 😌
@@cris_photography I just love me some close up photography, the 16mm just does it better, can also be had for a good chunk less if you go used. I wouldn't say no to the 18 1.4 though! :D
Lmao. That's funny. You cannot use a lens once you tried the faster one? Nah. It's a matter of your skills with the camera and lens. Just coz the newer lens is faster, doesn't mean it's better. 35mm 1.4 is still one of the best lenses that Fujii has produced. Yea it's slow. But if you know what you're doing, then you'll get great results.
I was OBVIOUSLY talking about the 18mm first gen… not ALL the previous lenses produced by Fuji! I love the 35mm f1.4 and prefer it to the f2 version by far and for example my favorite lens is the 56mm f1.2 despite having a new 50 f1 released by Fuji years later. So basically your comment makes no sense!
@@cris_photography makes a lot of sense. As you were saying that the faster af lens 18mm 1.4 is miles and miles ahead of the f2. Which is true in terms of speed as well as the noise that your video provided. But if you know how to use it, then you wouldn't really call it unusable after you used the newer lens. Another example is the 16mm 1.4 vs the 16mm f2.8. Yea f2.8 is faster af, lightweight etc. But image quality on the 16mm 1.4 is unmatched. That's all I'm saying, all these older lenses from fuji has character. Not saying the newer ones don't. But it's a different type of character. Same with older x-trans sensors. 🤷♂️
@@tonygeronimojr.4863 totally. I know, I am in love with the rendering of older lenses. If u check my other videos (I tested every single lens of the lineup) You’ll see that besides this 18 I love the older (and usually faster lenses) better - don’t really care about the AF speed, etc. Take care
Would be nice if they re-made all their lenses with new quiet motors. I don't really care if it's a legendary lens (16, 35, 56), the screeching metal sounds are a deal breaker.
@@tonygeronimojr.4863 What? The 2/18mm was unusable by most peoples standards even before the 1.4/18mm came out. I mean, you can compare the 1.4/33m and 1.4/35mm lenses, and still buy the old lens today, there are pros and cons to each. But the 2/18 is, well, it's a dud. It's the worst lens in Fuji's line up. It isn't competent at anything. You can still get decent pictures off of it, if you absolutely have to, but it's a pain. You can crop an 18mm image off the 1.4/16mm lens and still have a much better image in every way. It was pointless to own the 2/18mm after the 16mm was available.