I once bought the 50f2 and then traded it for 35f2 to find out that it was a big mistake. Just got the 50f2 back to my hand again. It delivers stunning images, crazy sharp and pop-up color. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a portrait lens with a budget (35f1.4 is a thump up also).
I own the 35mm f2 as well, really love that lens. It was my first prime and it made me fall in love with photography. The focal length is also very versatile and I often use it when shooting events.
Nice review. Very well spoken and coherent. I love my 50mm F2, especially for video work on a gimbal. Getting nice close up shots of people around me, it has a kind of intimacy to it. Especially love it during the golden hour when the light is just right and I can shoot F2 without a ND filter.
I'm really psyched to try it out on a gimbal. Was planning some outdoor bouldering footage, but it'll have to wait. And to be fair, I love pretty much everything during golden hour ;)
Very much agree about the focal length awkwardness. I bought it because I wanted to try one of the Fuji f2's and had other focal lengths covered. I saw others were getting great images with it, but there's seeing others' work and there's doing that yourself! I mostly do "walkaround" photography and I just had no idea what I was doing with the lens. I made plans to sell it two or three times but each time I'd "give it ONE MORE CHANCE" and lo and behold I'd find these great photos. I got a lot of satisfaction using it at an indoor event where my son was at a "camp" where the campers were in groups gathered around workstations across the room from where the parents were sitting. Great closeup, great skin tone, great separation, and I could hang back and not disrupt them as they worked on their project.
Nice vid, Kees. I have the 56mm 1.2 and it’s fantastic, but the 50mm 2.0 looks great too and probably would be a tad more versatile. Good sense tells me that I don’t need both lenses - but good sense often loses the battle. And thank God for that:). Btw, nice shots of Utrecht!
Man - I love you folks from the Netherlands. You speak English so beautifully, nobody would know that Dutch was your native language. Excellent review also!
I totally agree with everything you said in this video, I would also add that the small size and weight of this lens is good feature too, especially on the smaller Fujifilm cameras like the X-E3.
Absolutely! In fact, it's perfect for adventure photography. Combined with a weathersealed body like the X-T2 you have a fast focussing, bright aperture, weathersealed, small and lightweight package to bring along on even the most rugged adventures, which is totally awesome!
The X-E3 along with the Fuji 35f2 is my go to combination everywhere, even on multiple months of backpacking trips. Very compact, lightweight, and surprisingly weatherproof despite not being weathersealed.
Very good review. I enjoy the balanced take on this lens-sometimes people focus on things like sharpness that doesn’t give us the full story with a lens. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Stuart! And yeah, sharpness is definitely overrated. In fact, pretty much every modern lens has plenty of resolving power, but not every lens renders good looking colours or contrast.
I really wish Fuji had made it a 60mm f2 (90mm equivalent), though I don't know if there are lens design issues that would have made it too bulky/expensive. I can't work out if they went for 50mm because 75mm is a classic rangefinder focal length, or to avoid cannibalising sales from the 56mm f1.2 (perhaps both?). If you're looking for a short tele I'd also consider the 60mm f2.5 - it has a bit of a bad reputation for slow autofocus, but I've not had any problems with mine, I love the extra close focus range, and they can go very cheap second hand.
The 60mm f2.4 sounds like an interesting lens. The 50mm for me is enough though, I seldom feel the need to go tighter on a professional shoot. For my own work, I own the 55-200mm, so if I want to go tighter, I can.
This lens is on my XT-3 almost permanently and I agree with your conclusions. It's one of the best value for money options in their lineup. Excellent image quality, compact, sturdy and has fast and quiet autofocus. Looks nice too. I personally find the focal length very versatile. What's not to like. Btw. your sister seems cute.
I agree. The 50mm f2 is a work horse lens that's so easy to live with. There's almost no real downsides and I can rely on it to deliver great image quality in pretty much any circumstance!
I am just here to validate my decision after ordering 50mm f2 last night. I have been using 16-80 f4 and wanted a good prime for street photography and portrait. I think I made the right choice. 1 question though: do you use a polarizer for this lens? If so, which one do you use?
Hi AJ! Thanks for the comment, hope you enjoy your lens. As for polarizers: I don't even own one as for most circumstances I don't need it. And I hate to lug around to much stuff. Polarizers shine when it comes to cutting through reflections, darkening a blue summer sky and getting a softer look of off foliage (as foliage usually reflects light). For street some people might shoot throught glass but it's not my style as it feels like invading people's privacy.
@@batdroid2705 I own both the 35mm f2 and the 50mm f2 and I'd go with the 35 mm as it's a more alround focal length. I also have a high keeper rate with that lens and people in general really enjoy the photos I take with it. That being said, I love the 50mm and I use it a lot professionally as well (together with the 35mm).
Kees, Really good video. Level of detail in the content was just right for me. Good transitions. Balanced evaluation (not just some fan-boy). Your english accent is excellent. Nice photos of Utrecht as well. Great job!
Wow, thank you so much! Good to hear you enjoyed the video. I will definitely do more of this in the future, but first I want to do some more creative projects (otherwise I become one of those review channels, which I find too limiting). And yeah, Utrecht is a very pretty city :)
Yes, with me it's the same. Wasn't expecting much (I bought it second hand to just play around with for a few weeks then sell on) but was just blown away by the quality of this lens. Obviously, I kept it.
Kees Gort Kind of mixing apples with oranges. 75mm in FF is not exactly the same as 50mm in APS-C. There’s a slight compression. I think Leica came out with that lens to keep it small and their M mount cameras were intended mostly for documentary work. I agree and do like the angle of view and I think that’s what you’re emphasizing. I shoot Fuji crop sensor. But I like the 50mm because it renders a “normal” perspective. If I were using a FF sensor I’d use a 50mm for the same reason. To get a slightly wider field of view I do compromise with 35mm on crop sensors. Close enough. Since I do mostly street photography, I feel that a normal perspective is more honest, i.e., objects in the image are apparently in a similar relative position and size to the human eye’s rendition . I’m not attempting to alter the image for any artistic effect but wish to represent the scene as one might see it. In FF terms, I therefore prefer 50mm but will use no wider than a 35mm (23mm) or longer than a 75mm (50mm) to stay within perspective limits. For portraits I love Fuji’s 56mm and in that one case prefer it to an 85mm on a FF since it gives me a comfortable working distance to the model for head shots and also a normal perspective. The one time in my opinion where APS-C is superior to FF. With wider lenses in nature photography, since nature is fractal and scalable, the perspective issue is not as obvious. There is no frame of reference as in say, a street scene where objects are usually of a known size and distance so keeping their relationship close to the way our eye will see it is more critical if one is attempting to document. For me, best of both worlds would be a 50mm on a medium format like Fuji’s GFX-R where you’d get about the angle of view of a 40mm FF and still preserve the normal perspective. But they’re just too big.
I bought this one in a sale instead of the 56mm f1.2. It's cheaper, it's smaller, it's faster (in focusing) and it's actually the sharpest Fuji X-mount lens. I quite like it for black and white pictures where that sharpness gives it that edge (literally). It doesn't have the "character" that the 56mm (and the 35mm f1.4) has but that is mostly due to the fast aperture. But I compensate that with an old, manual Takumar 50mm F1.4 ;-) Great pictures by the way.
"Then your photography lacks character"... Mate, that hits hard on me. I'm going to repeat that every time I insist on looking for the 56 when I can only afford the 50. Great review and a few useful tips, too.
Trust me, I've gotten great results from the 50mm and I've made several clients very happy. It's usually about the quality of the light more than it is about expensive gear. Cheers and good luck with your photography!
Great video 👍 ive subscribed! I have both the 50 and 56! And with the 56 at 1.2 one eye is always not sharp so f1.8 is always used so i prefer the 50mm lens
Thank you so much, cool to hear you prefer the 50mm f2, you don't hear that often. People tend to forget the depth of field with f2 is already quite shallow. I'd find F1.2 soo hard to manage for portrait work! But if you own both, you could make a practical comparison between the two. I'd be especially curious to see some night shots with the f1.2, since that's where the bright aperture really shines!
I agree, the 56 at 1.2 is difficult to manage even with studio strobes. Does a whole lot of hunting in low light situations but, it has a unique place in outdoor daylight,. I'm on the XT3 and i'm looking towards the 50mm f/2 for its autofocus ability.
I find this FOV works very well on some architecture and street shooting, when I want to focus on details but also need to include some environment. Besides, it's much sharper than the other two F2 lens!
Hi Wang! I also came to love the POV and I use it alot for professional work as well now. As for the other f2 lenses: I also own the 35mm f2 and the 18mm f2. The 18mm is indeed far off (though still super useful for me) but my 35mm is razor sharp as well and I use it a lot for professional work. Maybe you just have bad copy?
@@KeesGortPhotography Yes I have the 35mm as well. No problem with this lens at all, just fell the 50mm is even better in terms of sharp and contrast :) both are very good lens
I'd love if Fuji continued what they started with the XC 35 f2, that is basically a XF 35 f2 but with no weather sealing, no metal body, and no aperture ring, for half the price. a 23 and a 50 with the same optical formula as their XF counter parts but with plastic builds and stuff would give a very strong lineup for anyone wanting to get into prime photography
Yeah I agree. Fujifilm would be a class apart for beginners with more of those primes. Personally I stick with the xf counterparts because I use them in demanding environments professionally so better build quality makes a lot of sense.
I actually shot my first wedding the other day and that 50mm is soooo good. Fast focus, weathersealing, plenty bokeh and incredible detail. It's definitely professional. The other lens I used is the 35mm f2, which is pretty much on par with this one.
Your comments about the contrast having more importance than sharpness are really enlightening, I have never really looked for that in lens reviews before, so I learnt something today! I also liked the way you demonstrated how contrast also affects saturation in real time. I hope you don't mind me saying this - I don't know if English is a first or a second language but your accent and your english are absolutely flawless. And because I was watching this early in the morning and I didn't want to wake anybody up, I had the sound down and you are also very easy to lipread (it helps a lot to have the inside of the mouth 'lit') - so maybe you learnt something new today too!
Thank you so much Ken! I'm actually a Dutch native but I like the British accent (and severely dislike the Dutch accent). Concerning sharpness: I still think it's quite important, but most lenses nowadays are plenty sharp and there's many other things (like contrast and highlight rolloff) that are usually not taken into account in most lens reviews. In the end, it's about finding a lens that suits your needs, not a lens that's really fancy. For example: another lens I own and reviewed is the 18mm f2. It's not as sharp as most Fuji glass, but I really like it because it's super small and portable which is great when I take it with me hiking. The f2 aperture also gives low light performance and a shallow depth of field, should I need it. By only looking at sharpness I might not have bought this lens. So far, it's been an absolute workhorse for me. Pretty much all of my GR20 video has been shot on it. And I'll keep the lighting this way then, for the lip readers :)
Kees Gort thanks for your reply, the 50mm f2 is great for many situations! Brides portraits, especially headshots, bride and groom walking shots, (Af continuous tracking so much better then the 56mm f1.2 for action) great in low light especially receptions, for example I shoot the bridal waltz with the 50mm and second body the 16mm f1.4, great combo, its basically great in low light especially the AF, for a low light small ceremony its great, if I am in a bigger space then i may use the 56mm and If i am in a bigger space with good light then i may even use the 50-140mm really depends on the space and light. For the main wedding group shots i use the 50mm and 90mm in combo with the GFX, I also take the 50mm to all my personal travel and family outings as its so light i take it together with the 10-24mm zoom. Both capture everything I need from landscapes to portraits its a perfect travel combo.
I absolutely love the sharp contrast, it really helps with my post production workflow! But tastes differ. Have you tried reducing contrast in post production?
@@KeesGortPhotography yes it's only one portrait len for me so i have to edit my photo every time . I'm thai and thai girl love to see a less contrast and cool skin tone so it's make me a little busy to edit skin tone every time i shot portrait but i still love this overall performance of this len even i'm waiting to see how viltrox 56/1.4 performance though.
It's more than just flare control though. The transition from highlights to shadows happens very smoothly in every photo. I tested this to the extreme by shooting against bright lights, but you can see it in all of the other images I showed as well.
I have to pull you up here. Putting “information “ on TH-cam should come with some responsibility. Making up a pseudo scientific terms such as “ highlight roll off “ might mean something to you but it is actually BS. Like art schoolers saying something is plastic or filmic. you are trying to validate something using your new language that doesn’t exist. If you have convinced yourself that it is so, demonstrate a “lack of smooth highlight rolloff”.
@@chrise1004 Yeah if you want a 50mm equivalent fov, you'd be better off with the 35mmf2. I own it and it's totally awesome (on par with this lens I'd say).
I have both lenses, and the 50mm tends to stays on my rig more often, whereas the “hunting” 56mm sits in my bag, unless needed. While the image quality of the 56, is top notch, however the lack of weather sealing (I live a wet climate) combined poor focusing capabilities, really hamper this lens so much so that I likely will be selling it very soon, after 5 years.
Yeah I agree. The 50mm f2 is just so easy to live with. If I ever need something faster, I live 2 minutes away from a gear rental so I'd go that route.
I am deciding b/t 50 and 56. But 56 1.2 is too expensive and worse auto focus than 50 f2. I heard the new 50mm 1.0 but it is going to be more expensive than 56 1.2....
Thank you! Did you know the X-H1 actually has a function where you can set the manual focus to linear? That'd solve the problem! It'd be great to have this option on the other cameras as well, especially when you pair your camera with a gimbal and a follow focus system.
Aan de naam te zien kon het of Nederlands of Zuid Afrikaans zijn. :) Leuk om een Nederlander te vinden op TH-cam. Zelf heb ik de 50mm f2 gehad, maar heb hem uiteindelijk verkocht en er een 50mm 1.2 van Samyang voor terug gekocht. Vond f2 net te krap voor mijn werk, maar de 56 1.2 veel te duur. Vandaar de stap naar Samyang. Verlies je echter wel de AF door.
Op en top Nederlands ;) Gelukkig is de focus highlight functie echt killer op Fuji, dat helpt. Voor de snelle momenten vind ik AF-trouwens wel echt een groot voordeel!
@@KeesGortPhotography Klopt. De focus peaking werkt heel goed (op 1.2 wordt het wel pittig kan ik je zeggen). Met de businesss events die ik fotografeer is AF inderdaad wel een must. De 50 pak ik er vooral bij als we tijdens de evenementen in rustiger vaarwater zitten (tijdens de borrels/koffie rondes etc.)
DanPip-Tology how’re you liking it? I’ve been killing myself trying to decide between the 23mm F2 and 50mm F2. I already have the 35mm F2, and I do street and portrait photography and I just have no idea which one to get!!!!
@@JeremyJ4K I'd buy one second hand. Don't like it? Sell it on for the same price. It's what I do (and end up keeping everything, damn it!). Also, what do you prefer? 23mm is kinda wide angle while 50mm is more of a tight angle for portraits and intimate shots. If you shoot in crowded places, the 23mm will be better but for less crowded scenes I feel like the 50mm will stand out more. Good luck with your decission!
For a portrait would you use this 50mm f/2 over the 50-140mm f/2.8? Just trying to use what I have on hand. Thanks for giving the 50mm f/2 some attention!
It really depends on how much compression you want. I don't own the 50-140 but I'd end up using the 50mm in most situations for the following reasons: - You can still remain relatively close to your subject, which allows you to guide them and establish a personal connection. - It's much smaller and thus much less intimidating. - At 140mm f2.8 your depth of field is probably too shallow so you'll have to stop down. I don't always have enough light to achieve a fast enough shutter speed. I'd love to experiment with the 50-140mm lens though, you could probably get some super nice perspectives once you find a willing and cooperative subject. Overall, it's a dreamlens for me to use for video work as well. Who knows one day...
Wow yeah kinda forgot about that lens. It's probably going to be quite large and expensive though, so I wouldn't see it as a direct competitor for the f2. Fact is, f1 is not something most people would need. The depth of field would become so shallow that only part of the iris would be in focus!
@@KeesGortPhotography I'm actually super excited for it - sold my 56, waiting for it, but I also have a use case for it. Between that and finally getting the 8-16 to complete the trinity (as well as the vilrox primes) i'm going to be a happy (but poorer) camper.
@@KeesGortPhotographymore photojournalistic/hybrid video and stills work for my job ... when there are events happening again. I think the lens (hopefully if it comes out soon enough) will be versatile for low light indoor with fast shutter speeds (which I need for fastish moving subjects), if the auto focus is faster that's just the cherry on top.
@@gotja It'd definitely excell at low light. Now let's hope there'll be some more events coming soon! I'd be very curious to see some test footage as well!
True that. But if you're in the market for a 50mm ish focal length, the 50mm f2 would be a great option to consider. This review is mostly for people who're doubting between 50mm and 56mm and wondering if the 50mm is good enough. Truthfully, most people don't need f1.2 and are better of keeping the extra money in their pocket.
Enjoyed your review. I have and love this lens and agree with everything that you said about it. As for the character thing.... the 56mm may be "special", but the 50mm is a tool that can be used in many situations. I find that it is nice to have a part of a pair. Lately, I've been teaming it up with the 16mm f/2.8 to extract details out of the overall scene.
I agree, f2 is plenty for most scenarios! And even though I love bokeh as a tool to help steer the viewers attention, it can also make you lazy as a photographer. It's better to also rely on composition to make good photos.
I enjoy your reviews and I'm happy to share. Keep up the good work!
I once bought the 50f2 and then traded it for 35f2 to find out that it was a big mistake. Just got the 50f2 back to my hand again. It delivers stunning images, crazy sharp and pop-up color. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a portrait lens with a budget (35f1.4 is a thump up also).
I own the 35mm f2 as well, really love that lens. It was my first prime and it made me fall in love with photography. The focal length is also very versatile and I often use it when shooting events.
Nice review. Very well spoken and coherent. I love my 50mm F2, especially for video work on a gimbal. Getting nice close up shots of people around me, it has a kind of intimacy to it. Especially love it during the golden hour when the light is just right and I can shoot F2 without a ND filter.
I'm really psyched to try it out on a gimbal. Was planning some outdoor bouldering footage, but it'll have to wait. And to be fair, I love pretty much everything during golden hour ;)
Very much agree about the focal length awkwardness. I bought it because I wanted to try one of the Fuji f2's and had other focal lengths covered. I saw others were getting great images with it, but there's seeing others' work and there's doing that yourself! I mostly do "walkaround" photography and I just had no idea what I was doing with the lens. I made plans to sell it two or three times but each time I'd "give it ONE MORE CHANCE" and lo and behold I'd find these great photos. I got a lot of satisfaction using it at an indoor event where my son was at a "camp" where the campers were in groups gathered around workstations across the room from where the parents were sitting. Great closeup, great skin tone, great separation, and I could hang back and not disrupt them as they worked on their project.
Exactly! Once you get used to it, it's a great focal length. I use it for sports, portrait and events and my clients are super happy with the results.
Nice vid, Kees. I have the 56mm 1.2 and it’s fantastic, but the 50mm 2.0 looks great too and probably would be a tad more versatile. Good sense tells me that I don’t need both lenses - but good sense often loses the battle. And thank God for that:). Btw, nice shots of Utrecht!
Man - I love you folks from the Netherlands. You speak English so beautifully, nobody would know that Dutch was your native language. Excellent review also!
That's high praise, coming from someone with such an English surname ;)
I totally agree with everything you said in this video, I would also add that the small size and weight of this lens is good feature too, especially on the smaller Fujifilm cameras like the X-E3.
Absolutely! In fact, it's perfect for adventure photography. Combined with a weathersealed body like the X-T2 you have a fast focussing, bright aperture, weathersealed, small and lightweight package to bring along on even the most rugged adventures, which is totally awesome!
The X-E3 along with the Fuji 35f2 is my go to combination everywhere, even on multiple months of backpacking trips. Very compact, lightweight, and surprisingly weatherproof despite not being weathersealed.
Very good review. I enjoy the balanced take on this lens-sometimes people focus on things like sharpness that doesn’t give us the full story with a lens. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Stuart! And yeah, sharpness is definitely overrated. In fact, pretty much every modern lens has plenty of resolving power, but not every lens renders good looking colours or contrast.
I really wish Fuji had made it a 60mm f2 (90mm equivalent), though I don't know if there are lens design issues that would have made it too bulky/expensive. I can't work out if they went for 50mm because 75mm is a classic rangefinder focal length, or to avoid cannibalising sales from the 56mm f1.2 (perhaps both?). If you're looking for a short tele I'd also consider the 60mm f2.5 - it has a bit of a bad reputation for slow autofocus, but I've not had any problems with mine, I love the extra close focus range, and they can go very cheap second hand.
The 60mm f2.4 sounds like an interesting lens. The 50mm for me is enough though, I seldom feel the need to go tighter on a professional shoot. For my own work, I own the 55-200mm, so if I want to go tighter, I can.
This lens is on my XT-3 almost permanently and I agree with your conclusions. It's one of the best value for money options in their lineup. Excellent image quality, compact, sturdy and has fast and quiet autofocus. Looks nice too. I personally find the focal length very versatile. What's not to like. Btw. your sister seems cute.
I agree. The 50mm f2 is a work horse lens that's so easy to live with. There's almost no real downsides and I can rely on it to deliver great image quality in pretty much any circumstance!
I am just here to validate my decision after ordering 50mm f2 last night. I have been using 16-80 f4 and wanted a good prime for street photography and portrait. I think I made the right choice.
1 question though: do you use a polarizer for this lens? If so, which one do you use?
I will also like to know
Hi AJ! Thanks for the comment, hope you enjoy your lens. As for polarizers: I don't even own one as for most circumstances I don't need it. And I hate to lug around to much stuff. Polarizers shine when it comes to cutting through reflections, darkening a blue summer sky and getting a softer look of off foliage (as foliage usually reflects light). For street some people might shoot throught glass but it's not my style as it feels like invading people's privacy.
AJ, did you ever consider the 35 f2? i am going back and forth between the 2 and will be interested to know why you settled on the 50. Thanks
@@batdroid2705 I own both the 35mm f2 and the 50mm f2 and I'd go with the 35 mm as it's a more alround focal length. I also have a high keeper rate with that lens and people in general really enjoy the photos I take with it. That being said, I love the 50mm and I use it a lot professionally as well (together with the 35mm).
@@KeesGortPhotography that's really good to know. That's for getting back to me
Kees, Really good video. Level of detail in the content was just right for me. Good transitions. Balanced evaluation (not just some fan-boy). Your english accent is excellent. Nice photos of Utrecht as well. Great job!
Wow, thank you so much! Good to hear you enjoyed the video. I will definitely do more of this in the future, but first I want to do some more creative projects (otherwise I become one of those review channels, which I find too limiting). And yeah, Utrecht is a very pretty city :)
Nice review. I understand that in addition to being very sharp, it also has a lot of micro contrast.
Own this lense and completely agree with you...for the price exceptional overall performance!
I had 50f2 for a while and i like it a lot!! Sharp, very fast and amazing bokeh.
Yes, with me it's the same. Wasn't expecting much (I bought it second hand to just play around with for a few weeks then sell on) but was just blown away by the quality of this lens. Obviously, I kept it.
I traded it for 35f1.4 (amazing lens too) but i miss 50f2 a lot. Will buy a new one when i save enough money.
Leica’s been making a 75mm for the M mount for a long time. I guess there’s a market.
And so there should be! It's a very handy focal length once you get used to it :)
Kees Gort Kind of mixing apples with oranges. 75mm in FF is not exactly the same as 50mm in APS-C. There’s a slight compression. I think Leica came out with that lens to keep it small and their M mount cameras were intended mostly for documentary work. I agree and do like the angle of view and I think that’s what you’re emphasizing.
I shoot Fuji crop sensor. But I like the 50mm because it renders a “normal” perspective. If I were using a FF sensor I’d use a 50mm for the same reason. To get a slightly wider field of view I do compromise with 35mm on crop sensors. Close enough. Since I do mostly street photography, I feel that a normal perspective is more honest, i.e., objects in the image are apparently in a similar relative position and size to the human eye’s rendition . I’m not attempting to alter the image for any artistic effect but wish to represent the scene as one might see it.
In FF terms, I therefore prefer 50mm but will use no wider than a 35mm (23mm) or longer than a 75mm (50mm) to stay within perspective limits. For portraits I love Fuji’s 56mm and in that one case prefer it to an 85mm on a FF since it gives me a comfortable working distance to the model for head shots and also a normal perspective. The one time in my opinion where APS-C is superior to FF.
With wider lenses in nature photography, since nature is fractal and scalable, the perspective issue is not as obvious. There is no frame of reference as in say, a street scene where objects are usually of a known size and distance so keeping their relationship close to the way our eye will see it is more critical if one is attempting to document.
For me, best of both worlds would be a 50mm on a medium format like Fuji’s GFX-R where you’d get about the angle of view of a 40mm FF and still preserve the normal perspective. But they’re just too big.
I bought this one in a sale instead of the 56mm f1.2. It's cheaper, it's smaller, it's faster (in focusing) and it's actually the sharpest Fuji X-mount lens. I quite like it for black and white pictures where that sharpness gives it that edge (literally). It doesn't have the "character" that the 56mm (and the 35mm f1.4) has but that is mostly due to the fast aperture. But I compensate that with an old, manual Takumar 50mm F1.4 ;-) Great pictures by the way.
I have also the 80mm f2.8 macro that is real a Sharp lens.........but i love my 50 mm f2 the most !! 😊
"Then your photography lacks character"... Mate, that hits hard on me. I'm going to repeat that every time I insist on looking for the 56 when I can only afford the 50. Great review and a few useful tips, too.
Trust me, I've gotten great results from the 50mm and I've made several clients very happy. It's usually about the quality of the light more than it is about expensive gear. Cheers and good luck with your photography!
@@KeesGortPhotography Many thanks!
From al mine 6 Fuji lenses the 50mm f2 is my favoriet by far, i just love it !! Also it is good at close focus range ! Groeten uit Nijmegen !
Great video 👍 ive subscribed! I have both the 50 and 56! And with the 56 at 1.2 one eye is always not sharp so f1.8 is always used so i prefer the 50mm lens
Thank you so much, cool to hear you prefer the 50mm f2, you don't hear that often. People tend to forget the depth of field with f2 is already quite shallow. I'd find F1.2 soo hard to manage for portrait work! But if you own both, you could make a practical comparison between the two. I'd be especially curious to see some night shots with the f1.2, since that's where the bright aperture really shines!
@@KeesGortPhotography i have every fuji lens and im doing alot of testing as to what i might sell and keep
I agree, the 56 at 1.2 is difficult to manage even with studio strobes. Does a whole lot of hunting in low light situations but, it has a unique place in outdoor daylight,. I'm on the XT3 and i'm looking towards the 50mm f/2 for its autofocus ability.
I find this FOV works very well on some architecture and street shooting, when I want to focus on details but also need to include some environment. Besides, it's much sharper than the other two F2 lens!
Hi Wang! I also came to love the POV and I use it alot for professional work as well now. As for the other f2 lenses: I also own the 35mm f2 and the 18mm f2. The 18mm is indeed far off (though still super useful for me) but my 35mm is razor sharp as well and I use it a lot for professional work. Maybe you just have bad copy?
@@KeesGortPhotography Yes I have the 35mm as well. No problem with this lens at all, just fell the 50mm is even better in terms of sharp and contrast :) both are very good lens
Good to see a Dutch photographer here on TH-cam, btw I am also living in the Netherlands and I use Fuji system as well.
Cool! Where are you based?
With the 90mm f2 these are great lenses!
This is the best review for Fuji 50mm F2 lens so far.
Thank you so much. Good to hear you find this review useful!
I'd love if Fuji continued what they started with the XC 35 f2, that is basically a XF 35 f2 but with no weather sealing, no metal body, and no aperture ring, for half the price.
a 23 and a 50 with the same optical formula as their XF counter parts but with plastic builds and stuff would give a very strong lineup for anyone wanting to get into prime photography
Yeah I agree. Fujifilm would be a class apart for beginners with more of those primes. Personally I stick with the xf counterparts because I use them in demanding environments professionally so better build quality makes a lot of sense.
Very nice review!! From a Fuji user from Holland
I think this is actually one of fuji's sexiest lenses. It has this Leica-esque quality due to the focal length. plus it has that fuji charm.
I actually shot my first wedding the other day and that 50mm is soooo good. Fast focus, weathersealing, plenty bokeh and incredible detail. It's definitely professional. The other lens I used is the 35mm f2, which is pretty much on par with this one.
Your comments about the contrast having more importance than sharpness are really enlightening, I have never really looked for that in lens reviews before, so I learnt something today! I also liked the way you demonstrated how contrast also affects saturation in real time. I hope you don't mind me saying this - I don't know if English is a first or a second language but your accent and your english are absolutely flawless. And because I was watching this early in the morning and I didn't want to wake anybody up, I had the sound down and you are also very easy to lipread (it helps a lot to have the inside of the mouth 'lit') - so maybe you learnt something new today too!
Thank you so much Ken! I'm actually a Dutch native but I like the British accent (and severely dislike the Dutch accent). Concerning sharpness: I still think it's quite important, but most lenses nowadays are plenty sharp and there's many other things (like contrast and highlight rolloff) that are usually not taken into account in most lens reviews. In the end, it's about finding a lens that suits your needs, not a lens that's really fancy. For example: another lens I own and reviewed is the 18mm f2. It's not as sharp as most Fuji glass, but I really like it because it's super small and portable which is great when I take it with me hiking. The f2 aperture also gives low light performance and a shallow depth of field, should I need it. By only looking at sharpness I might not have bought this lens. So far, it's been an absolute workhorse for me. Pretty much all of my GR20 video has been shot on it.
And I'll keep the lighting this way then, for the lip readers :)
Agree it’s an underrated lens, I use for my weddings in combination with the Xt3 and Gfx 50r with zoom 32-63mm f4. Great combo
That's great. Always cool to hear professionals operating Fuji gear :). What kind of shots do you use the 50mm f2 for, if I may ask?
Kees Gort thanks for your reply, the 50mm f2 is great for many situations! Brides portraits, especially headshots, bride and groom walking shots, (Af continuous tracking so much better then the 56mm f1.2 for action) great in low light especially receptions, for example I shoot the bridal waltz with the 50mm and second body the 16mm f1.4, great combo, its basically great in low light especially the AF, for a low light small ceremony its great, if I am in a bigger space then i may use the 56mm and If i am in a bigger space with good light then i may even use the 50-140mm really depends on the space and light. For the main wedding group shots i use the 50mm and 90mm in combo with the GFX, I also take the 50mm to all my personal travel and family outings as its so light i take it together with the 10-24mm zoom. Both capture everything I need from landscapes to portraits its a perfect travel combo.
@@eliaspap8708 Thank you for your detailed reply, I'm always very interested in what 'tools' other photographers use to get their shots!
nice review, rather than rolling of the specs you highlighted the way it affects the photo. well done.
Thank you! That's exactly what I aimed for! I hope the review was informative for you :)
I have this one and i love len optic too much. But i think it's produce a bit too contrast and warm skin tone for my taste.
I absolutely love the sharp contrast, it really helps with my post production workflow! But tastes differ. Have you tried reducing contrast in post production?
@@KeesGortPhotography yes it's only one portrait len for me so i have to edit my photo every time . I'm thai and thai girl love to see a less contrast and cool skin tone so it's make me a little busy to edit skin tone every time i shot portrait but i still love this overall performance of this len even i'm waiting to see how viltrox 56/1.4 performance though.
You just convince me to get the 50mm f2.
Awesome! Nice to see my video helped you out. Enjoy shooting, it's a great and very versatile lens :)
It is for Sure !!
Highlight rolloff? It's just control of flare = non image forming light. as real a term as micro contrast
It's more than just flare control though. The transition from highlights to shadows happens very smoothly in every photo. I tested this to the extreme by shooting against bright lights, but you can see it in all of the other images I showed as well.
I have to pull you up here. Putting “information “ on TH-cam should come with some responsibility. Making up a pseudo scientific terms such as “ highlight roll off “ might mean something to you but it is actually BS. Like art schoolers saying something is plastic or filmic. you are trying to validate something using your new language that doesn’t exist. If you have convinced yourself that it is so, demonstrate a “lack of smooth highlight rolloff”.
so this lens is really not a 50 mm perspective it’s unfortunate
DJ Anamaly I remember when I first learned about crop factor, aka that’s why they have the 35mm f2
@@chrise1004 Yeah if you want a 50mm equivalent fov, you'd be better off with the 35mmf2. I own it and it's totally awesome (on par with this lens I'd say).
I have both lenses, and the 50mm tends to stays on my rig more often, whereas the “hunting” 56mm sits in my bag, unless needed. While the image quality of the 56, is top notch, however the lack of weather sealing (I live a wet climate) combined poor focusing capabilities, really hamper this lens so much so that I likely will be selling it very soon, after 5 years.
Yeah I agree. The 50mm f2 is just so easy to live with. If I ever need something faster, I live 2 minutes away from a gear rental so I'd go that route.
I am deciding b/t 50 and 56. But 56 1.2 is too expensive and worse auto focus than 50 f2. I heard the new 50mm 1.0 but it is going to be more expensive than 56 1.2....
Good helpful review 👊
Wow, great review! I feel you on the fly by wire. Now, if only Fuji designs an AF lens with a MF functionality that's not fly-by-wire...
Thank you! Did you know the X-H1 actually has a function where you can set the manual focus to linear? That'd solve the problem! It'd be great to have this option on the other cameras as well, especially when you pair your camera with a gimbal and a follow focus system.
Aan de naam te zien kon het of Nederlands of Zuid Afrikaans zijn. :)
Leuk om een Nederlander te vinden op TH-cam.
Zelf heb ik de 50mm f2 gehad, maar heb hem uiteindelijk verkocht en er een 50mm 1.2 van Samyang voor terug gekocht. Vond f2 net te krap voor mijn werk, maar de 56 1.2 veel te duur. Vandaar de stap naar Samyang. Verlies je echter wel de AF door.
Op en top Nederlands ;) Gelukkig is de focus highlight functie echt killer op Fuji, dat helpt. Voor de snelle momenten vind ik AF-trouwens wel echt een groot voordeel!
@@KeesGortPhotography Klopt. De focus peaking werkt heel goed (op 1.2 wordt het wel pittig kan ik je zeggen). Met de businesss events die ik fotografeer is AF inderdaad wel een must. De 50 pak ik er vooral bij als we tijdens de evenementen in rustiger vaarwater zitten (tijdens de borrels/koffie rondes etc.)
Great video 👌🏾
Goed bezig! Groetjes uit Utrecht!
I got mine just a couple of hours ago! Wanted to watch something that would validate my decision! Hahahahaha! Thanks for this video! :)
DanPip-Tology how’re you liking it? I’ve been killing myself trying to decide between the 23mm F2 and 50mm F2. I already have the 35mm F2, and I do street and portrait photography and I just have no idea which one to get!!!!
@@JeremyJ4K I'd buy one second hand. Don't like it? Sell it on for the same price. It's what I do (and end up keeping everything, damn it!). Also, what do you prefer? 23mm is kinda wide angle while 50mm is more of a tight angle for portraits and intimate shots. If you shoot in crowded places, the 23mm will be better but for less crowded scenes I feel like the 50mm will stand out more. Good luck with your decission!
For a portrait would you use this 50mm f/2 over the 50-140mm f/2.8? Just trying to use what I have on hand. Thanks for giving the 50mm f/2 some attention!
It really depends on how much compression you want. I don't own the 50-140 but I'd end up using the 50mm in most situations for the following reasons:
- You can still remain relatively close to your subject, which allows you to guide them and establish a personal connection.
- It's much smaller and thus much less intimidating.
- At 140mm f2.8 your depth of field is probably too shallow so you'll have to stop down. I don't always have enough light to achieve a fast enough shutter speed.
I'd love to experiment with the 50-140mm lens though, you could probably get some super nice perspectives once you find a willing and cooperative subject. Overall, it's a dreamlens for me to use for video work as well. Who knows one day...
50 f1 soon maybe a bigger half brother
Wow yeah kinda forgot about that lens. It's probably going to be quite large and expensive though, so I wouldn't see it as a direct competitor for the f2. Fact is, f1 is not something most people would need. The depth of field would become so shallow that only part of the iris would be in focus!
@@KeesGortPhotography I'm actually super excited for it - sold my 56, waiting for it, but I also have a use case for it. Between that and finally getting the 8-16 to complete the trinity (as well as the vilrox primes) i'm going to be a happy (but poorer) camper.
@@gotja Wow, that's some serious glass you have! Out of curiousity: what are you going to use the 50mm f1 for? Some kind of night photography?
@@KeesGortPhotographymore photojournalistic/hybrid video and stills work for my job ... when there are events happening again. I think the lens (hopefully if it comes out soon enough) will be versatile for low light indoor with fast shutter speeds (which I need for fastish moving subjects), if the auto focus is faster that's just the cherry on top.
@@gotja It'd definitely excell at low light. Now let's hope there'll be some more events coming soon! I'd be very curious to see some test footage as well!
I would agree on this one but honestly if you have 56, 16, 35, 23 , 80 and or 90 then is this lens more like 5th wheel on a car.
True that. But if you're in the market for a 50mm ish focal length, the 50mm f2 would be a great option to consider. This review is mostly for people who're doubting between 50mm and 56mm and wondering if the 50mm is good enough. Truthfully, most people don't need f1.2 and are better of keeping the extra money in their pocket.
Also, if you have a situation where you need a smaller, lighter option than the 56 then this would do the trick. the 50 is so good. So is the 56.
Yes! Love the 50mm not that expensive and gives you excellent results!
Enjoyed your review. I have and love this lens and agree with everything that you said about it.
As for the character thing.... the 56mm may be "special", but the 50mm is a tool that can be used in many situations. I find that it is nice to have a part of a pair. Lately, I've been teaming it up with the 16mm f/2.8 to extract details out of the overall scene.
THE LICCC
Low F stops can be overrated! Just take great pictures!!! Bokeh doesn’t make you a good photographer. 50 f2 is plenty! And great lens!
I agree, f2 is plenty for most scenarios! And even though I love bokeh as a tool to help steer the viewers attention, it can also make you lazy as a photographer. It's better to also rely on composition to make good photos.
well done - you judge it well
my photography lacks character, thanks man. LOL
The xf56 is NOT one of the original XF lenses
I want to meet your sister