Don't Make The Same Mistake! - Fujifilm 23mm F2 Initial Review & First Impressions.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- Hi all, and welcome back to the channel.
Today's video is about my first two weeks with the Fujifilm 23mm F2 lens, my first impressions, thoughts, and how not to make the same mistakes I made.
Let me know your thoughts below, and share your thoughts on this lens and this video.
Thanks as always, and I'll see you in the next one.
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Nice video. I’ve taken my 23 2.0 off my camera 2 times. Once to move from my X-T3 to X-T4 and once to my X-T5.
Quel est le rendu du 23 sur 40mp ?
Beautiful photos.. You sold me on the lens!
Awesome video! I've been debating about between this and the old 23mm f1.4 but I may just aim for this after seeing this.
I’d love to give the older lens a go, but this won’t steer you wrong. Still can’t stop using it.
This was my gateway into the fuji system.
I have a 23mm f1.4.
I'm old school in that I'm one of those old people who only speaks up to complain about something. I simply don't have anything to say about it. It lives in my xpro1 and xpro2
I’d argue that the f/2 lenses from Fuji are among the best lenses on the market. The 23 is on my XPro3 90% of the time with the 35mm f/2 being used when a more “portrait” look is my goal. But for most of what I do, the 23 is just an incredible lens, especially for the price.
They’re really taken for granted I feel of late with introduction of newer/faster primes - I’ve never shot the 35 f2 but would love to do so some time!
@@ronanduff841 I think the 23 is the better of the two lenses for general work, but the 35 f2 has really great contrast and sharpness. It's a joy to use. Some folks compare it to Zeiss in it's rendering and micro-contrast. I'm not smart enough to know if that's true or not, but it's plenty sharp for me. I wish you were stateside, I'd loan you mine for a few weeks. Definitely give it a shot if the ~50mm FOV is something you're interested in!
My 23mm is (hopefully) arriving tomorrow! Loved the chill and loving vibe of this video.
You’ll enjoy it I’m sure, it’s a great piece of kit. Really glad you enjoyed the video.
I was the same, got it about 2 weeks ago and love it, great lens 👌🏼👍🏼
I like your final shots, do you use any recipe or preset in Lightroom?
Amazing work! Really nice colors and compositions.
Ah thank you very much, appreciate the kind words :))
I can feel your passion about the lens.! Thank you! Liked and subscribed.! :)
Ah thanks you very much for subscribing, Sylvia. It’s really appreciated!
Thanks very much for the kind words Paul. I’ll keep an eye going forward on my audio, it’s all a big learning process for far with this video thing. The 18-55 was actually my first lens with the XT4 and I do love it a lot, an incredible zoom lens for the price/size/weight.
Great video! I own the 23, 35 and 50 f2. All are so good! Small and fast. I've used the 23 not often, because my style has changed to tbe longer distances...but it's the perfect everyday lens, like on the x100.
Great video! I bought the 23mm about two weeks ago for my xpro3 and had a similar experience to you. Just felt perfect. I added the square lens hood and it looks awesome too. I’m now thinking of getting the 50mm f2 and just keeping a two lens kit. All the best!
Cheers Devlin, that’s kind of you to say. The square lens is something I’ll be looking into for sure, although I might hold off just for the ease of putting an ND on and off. I’ve tried the 50mm f2 in the past but didn’t quite gel with it, maybe I’ll have to give that another go!
Same here, also did not click with the 50mm f2, I might try the 35mm one day though, for now I will with the 23 f2 and 16 f2.8 as my two lens setup
Great video. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this lens. Cheers mate.
Thats very kind of you to say mate, thanks for watching!
I get the whole, try for 2 weeks thing. I always do that. Great video aswell.
Glad to see a fellow Irish Fuji enthusiast!
I not too long ago bought the 35 mm sister of this lens because I had my first wedding to shoot and figured "well, maybe I should have something to take proper candids and portraits" - which wasn't exactly my focus until that time. Landscapes, that's what I love. Nothing particularly for a 35 fixed lens. But boy, did it take my heart by storm!
It's on my camera ridiculously often, I love it for the small size, the aperture, the weather sealing, for pretty much everything it is!
Apart from when I put it on. It's so small there's not much to hold onto to to screw it on so I usually end up twisting all the rings in the process until it finally clicks into the bayonett.
But hey - that really is something I can live with! Fantastic lens!
Well produced video. Thanks! Gonna go buy it now 😅
Thanks man! Watching gear reviews of TH-cam is always a risky game 😂
A lens that just works. Thank you.
It’s a great lens - hardly ever leaves my xpro-3 - you will enjoy it! You have a great show and a great eye. Looking forward to more from you!
Thanks for the kinds words Mark, glad you’ve enjoyed this video :))
I own this lens for about 9 months now. Really enjoy the focal length and like taking it out on walks with my dog. It gives good environmental portraiture and love the rendering it produces.
It is a lovely lens for environmental portraiture, you’re right! I’ve been very impressed by it so far, glad you’re enjoying it too!
Thanks for sharing. Some great work. Shot with the 23mm this past weekend with my XE-3. Still love how it renders images with a film like quality. I have this the 35mm f2, 50mm f2 and 16mm f2.8.
That’s a great collection of lenses right there! Thanks for the lovely words too, Pedro :)
The shot at 8:18 is absolutely incredibly, it looks like a painting almost. Outstanding shots of Ireland!
Ah that’s very lovely of you to say, thanks very much for watching :))
Awesome video. Love from America. I still have mine that I use with my xt5 and it’s amazing. It never leaves my camera or I will switch between the 16-55 but I really want the 55-140 next.
I absolutely love the look of these photos! Can you do a video of your camera settings and/or how you edit your photos? I recently bought a Fujifilm camera but have no idea how to get the look I want.
Hi Emma, thanks so much for watching and I’ll look into doing something like this for sure! I’ve just got to figure out how that would work.. it’s tough trying to get that look we want - for jpegs, Fuji X Weekly have some great film recipes on their website and for RAW editing I use Capture One and use the different film simulations as a base and go from there. Hope that helps a bit!
Yeah - it is the lens that keeps going back on my x-t5 for both photography and videography. It just makes me want to take my camera out more and shoot - it is such a pleasing package to take out, and the results never disappoint me. Your comment saying it captures what you saw actually encapsulates it all. Nice video 😄
As I read this it’s sat on my XT30ii - glad to see somebody else is the same! Thanks for taking the time to watch Colin and comment, it’s really appreciated:))
Supernice video. Inspiring. Thanks.
That’s very nice of you to say, thanks so much for taking the time to watch it.
It's the first lens I bought for my X-T20. It lives on my camera most of the time. My kit is pretty limited so far since I switched to Fuji just a few months ago. I have the kit XC 16-50mm the 23mm f/2 and a Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 . The 23mm is the lens that stays on my camera the most so far. Everything else seems to stay in the bag unless I need something very wide or need more reach than I can get from getting closer.
It is always in my EDC camera bag for when I want to crop in a bit. Next to my 18 which, pretty much stays on my X-E4. I love all the small Fuji primes.
I’d love an XE4 to pair with this lens, that’d be a very nice EDC kit. How do you find the 18mm as a lens? I’ve got the 16mm 2.8 for wider shots and I love it.
Great video and wonderful images Ronan. I actually gave up the 23mm f1.4 R Lm WR for the f2 version. The 1.4 was too big and too heavy for the XT-5. I'm enjoying the lightweight feel, the image quality, and aesthetic are perfect. I haven't had the XT-5 long, but I have a case of full-frame Sony's that are showing signs of jealousy.
Thanks very much, Victor. I’d love to try the 1.4 copy but like that, I’d probably just need up reaching the 2.0 for the size/weight.
Im sure the Sonys will be back out again soon enough, glad to hear you’re enjoying the XT5 and 23mm combo! Thanks for watching.
Daylight at f5.6 it produced the best edge to edge sharpness of any Fuji prime I have, including the 16mm 1.4 And that was shooting subjects about 4 feet away..
This lens is glue on my camera. I share a lot of your thoughts in your review. By the way good pictures. Nice colors and the bnw
Cheers man, that’s very kind of you to say. It’s such a great lens.
Hi! Thanks for this video, I really liked the footage and the pictures you took to show how good this lens is. I own it myself in two different versions (one is the same as yours and the other is the one mounted on the X100V). Never been disappointed about it, and I share quite the same feeling. A bit boring in a sense but so close to what our eyes see. Maybe these two statements are kind of the same by the way. What strikes us usually is the unfamiliar and the unusual as compared to our sense of vision... so that might be the explanation. My thought about the video in itself: to me the introduction was a bit too long and you spoke a bit too rapidly for me, poor French man 😂 I understood what you were talking about but as I said, a bit on the lengthy side. And not a big fan of unboxing and asmr as well. But on the whole and the introduction put aside, I found this was a very good video.
Thanks for the thoughts and taking the time to watch it, it’s much appreciated.
This is the first lens I ever bought with my first camera I ever bought. much hate online for it because of close focussing problems, but that's not where it's made for. It's versatile, sharp, fast autofocus (used it many times in extreme sports photography) and the rendering looks just beautiful. I created many of my favorite pictures with this lens. in landscape, action sports, travel/adventure. I would never sell this little gem. even when there is the newer and better 23mm f1.4wr. the 23mmf2 just does the job for what I do :)
You’re right! People giving it lots of hate for its close up abilities but it’s it a macro lens, and doesn’t claim to be either. I would love to try the 23/1.4 all the same..
I’ve owned the 35/2 since my XT-1, picked up the 23/2 last year and it performs just as well imo. Versatile, sharp, compact, good street lens and for travel. Note, its not as compact as the 35/2. I also own various new XF 1.4’s.
I didn’t retaliate the 35/2 was that but more compact! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it mate.
I have the same lens and had an absolute blast when I visited Tokyo this past Spring. It's perfect for an all day outing fitted on my X-T4 in terms of weight and versatility of shooting both indoor, outdoor, and at night. Wide enough for urban street photography and has the ability to crop when necessary. It also kind of forced me to go up close with certain portrait shots.
It’s really a great all around! I’d love to visit Tokyo too to shoot, I’m very jealous.
@@ronanduff841 One of the best cities to shoot street and architecture due to its well executed urban planning (IMO). Two other cities that I feel have great vibes in Asia are Hong Kong and Bangkok (based on the limited travels that I've had). Also, this is not a plug, but I've recently picked up a manual semi-pancake lens, Voigtlander ULTRON 27mm F2. It's a blast shooting around town also due to its size for low key and all day outing. Great video and look forward to your future posts.
What a coincidence, I'm visiting in a couple weeks and this will be my set up haha
@@josephlai1078sir can you send me some of your beautiful photos that you took?
I go back and forth on wanting this lens… I use the 35/f2 and really love it, but sometimes a bit wider would be nice. I saw that wide open close up can be hazy, but don’t know how often that would be an issue, really…
Similar issue here - my favourite lens is my 33/1.4, but again sometimes it’s just too tight. I don’t see the close up softness as an issue if I’m honest, but others might!
A real lovely video. You have a really personable on camera prescence. You got yourself a subscriber!
Cheers Ray, that’s really nice of you to say. Thanks for the subscribe!
what is the tracking sen and speed do you recommend for video. my is very snappy thanks,
Do you ever feel like 35 is a little too tight for street photography in London? I've never been and would love to go someday, but my impression of London and European cities in general is that the city streets tend to be a bit tight. I'm in New York and like to stay back from my subjects, but still like capturing the whole scene. With the wide avenues I tend to shoot anywhere from 28mm-55mm and am still pretty happy with the results.
This was the first lens I bought when I switched over to the fuji world and it’s such a great little piece of glass
It’s definitely a great lens to start with and grow with I think - knowing that now, I’d have probably made this my first Fuji lens if I could tell my younger self!
I did the same, and loved it. Even after we bought the 18-55, I always ended up zooming to 23mm, not because of what I was used to, but because it just looks right. So I now use exclusively the 23 and 50mm f2, and take for granted the incredible quality/size/weight/image/value these little lenses are.
Hi :) i used these lens for filmmaking and i have to say i has own, very cinematic character it is also "cheap" and has reliable AF motor which performs very well
Hi Michael, glad you’re enjoying the lens as much as me! It’s definitely got a cinematic quality to it for sure, and so cheap comparatively to other lenses out there. Thanks so much for watching!
what is tracking sensitivity and speed do you set for this len.? my is very responsive and snappy. tks
I used to have the 23mm f1.4 which was my main lens for a long time, but a few weeks ago I decided to switch to the f2, since it’s smaller and I rarely use the f1.4 and I don’t regret the decision at all. This lens also fits the look of my x pro 2 soo much better then the f1.4 did and it’s overall more fun to take the camera with me everywhere
I can imagine it looks very much at home on an xpro 2! Happy to hear it’s working out well !
For some reason, I never got on with the 23/2, and ultimately sold it. I’ve taken a much greater liking to the 27/2.8 and the 18/1.4.
I just recieved mine today, the grey one for my new x-t5 cause I don’t like zoom lenses so far I’m loving it!! You make great videos but 5 minutes to the content is to me a bit too much.
Wondering which film simulation recipe are you using? They are beautiful.
Thanks very much Edwin, all the photos are RAW images edited in Capture One. the B&W sims are Acros and the colour are Astia or Classic Chrome.
I feel privileged to come across a channel at just 133 subscribers. One note, I couldn't hear the last word in your punch line, as your incidental sound effect overlayed it -- bad timing. I didn't know what you said even going back for a replay. I just let it played, and figured you said the word "flat". The 23mmF2 (silver) was the first lens I owned for X-mount. It's the only Fuji lens I haven't taken a shine to, but it is solid and quiet. Maybe one day it will speak to me as it does for you. For beginners, I'd recommend the nifty 18-55 "kit" zoom to learn their favourite focal lengths. It is rumoured to be getting an update.
A 23mm f/2 lens came with a Fuji X-Pro2 graphite mirrorless that I purchased. Since I already had a Fuji 23mm f/1.4, I planned on selling the f/2 as soon as possible. However, I decided to try it before I sold it. Big mistake because I fell in love with the little lens. I now own and use both 23mm Fuji lenses. I primarily use the f/1.4 for photojournalism, documentary, low-light, and weddings. I primarily use the f/2 for street, landscapes, and vacation/travel. I use both for infrared photography.
what filters and settings do you use for IR?
are you using film sims for your Ir photography SOOC or are you postprocessing it?
@@georgeniculescu
I prefer shooting B&W infrared straight out of the camera. However, I have included some infrared color settings.
Lenses suitable for infrared:
23mm f/2 Fujinon
23mm f/1.4 Fujinon
16mm f/1.4 Fujinon (hot spots under certain lighting conditions) (may hot spot at apertures smaller than f/4)
12mm f/2.8 Zeiss Touit (No hot spots wide open through f/8, very subtle hot spot at f/11)
50-140mm f/2.8 Fujinon (have not fully tested this lens for hot spots)
My filters for infrared images:
52mm (950nm)
52mm Hoya R72 (720nm)
62mm Hoya R72 (720nm)
62mm infrared (950nm)
62mm Zomei (950nm)
72mm Green.L IR720 (720nm)
For my Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 lens, I usually use the Hoya R72.
For my Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens, I use a 43-52 step-up ring to mount the 52mm Hoya R72.
I avoid bargain infrared filters because they tend to pass too much visible light.
My settings for X-Pro2:
200 Dynamic Range
Set White Balance to 2500 Kelvin and -9 red for color infrared
Set film simulation to Monochrome+R
-4 Noise Reduction
+2 Highlight Tones
+4 Shadow Tones
0 Color
-4 Sharpness
Grain Effect: off
Manual Exposure Mode:
Exposure in bright sun with 720nm infrared filter (+12 f/stops):
ISO 800; f/8; 1 sec (Fuji X)
Exposure in bright sun with 950nm infrared filter (+15 f/stops):
ISO 1600; f/8; 30 sec (Fuji X)
Note: higher ISO degrades image too much for my taste
@@Narsuitus thank you very much! i do have a r72 filter but i was underwhelmed withe results (it may be the filter though, as it was a fairly cheap one), I can't wait to give your settings a try.
@@georgeniculescu
Please let me know how well my settings worked for you.
Good luck!
What a great lens to partner a great camera, such a good match! I’d love to get my hands on the 1.4 copy of this lens, but like you, I’d fear I might like it too much and want to keep it! Also I’ve never even thought of IR photography, do you share your work anywhere??
How is it for video on the xh2, does anyone know?
Very nice! What kind of Film Simulation did you use :)? Thanks and best regards from germany
Sorry for the late reply here! I used Classic Chrome/Astia for colour and Acros for B&W images.
The first lens I bought to my Fujifilm XT2 but also the first one I sold.
I can't decide in between this lens and the 27mm but the more I hear about the 23mm the more I want to buy!
The 27mm is something I’d love to try! Or even the new Voigtlander option too, both very interesting options for sure
I'd recommend getting the nifty XF18-55 zoom lens, until you know what focal length you gravitate to. With the zoom you also get wide to 18mm at F2.8, 23/27mm goes to F3.2, and you also get a short zoom. Its quality is fine. (The 23mmF2 doesn't do much for me optically, the 27mm although an adorable size and optically surprising in good light, has clumsy focus sound.) Unlike the other two lenses, the zoom also has OIS which is great if your camera has no IBIS & is good for video. Note, it has just been rumoured to be getting an update, but that may be an impatient wait. I own all three, with the zoom being the last recent acquirement. It should have been my first lens, I didn't know that this kit lens was actually of good quality and not like a kit lens at all! Its negative is that it has an unmarked variable aperture ring -- just keep your eye on the screen value instead.
Год назад я купил x-e2 и 27мм 2.8. Его угол обзора показался мне узким, единственное достоинство 27 - его маленький размер. Неделю назад я продал его, а сейчас заказал 23mm f2
what is the intro song?
Nice stills!
Thanks man!
what's the intro drum and bass because it's incredible
It’s not bad, isn’t it! I’ll have to go find that out for you..
@@ronanduff841 that'd be great, thanks!
can you make a video on the film sims you use?
Hi Joseph, I can definitely look at doing that in the future - sounds like a good video idea!
@@ronanduff841yeah i love the look of the photos youve taken
Sono un fotoamatore uso Fuji XH1 . Mi manca il 23 uso il 35 F2 , sono indeciso tra il 23 e il 27 F2.8 . Ho il 16-55 come tutto fare ottimo il 50 f 2 e 90 f2 ottimo e il 14 f2.8 altra ottima lente peccato non tropicalizzato 👋👋.
I sold it once and regretted it and had to buy an another one :)
Probably one of the most boring lens I own but it captures the beauty I see with my eyes the best
That’s truly something I love about this lens, how “normal” it makes everything look. It makes you work on your compositions so much more and I’m really enjoying that aspect of it
I bought this and kind of wished I had just gone straight to the 35mm f/1.4 because that is what is now on my camera 90% of the time.
The 35 1.4 seems to be a great lens from all accounts!
Hi.. what recipe did you use ?
Hi! For B&W images it’s the Acros film sim, and for colour its either Classic Neg or Astia. All my images are shot in RAW and then edited using the film sims in Capture One - hope that helps!
I owned the 23mm f2 from 2017.. 7 years later still can’t justify selling it.
Don’t think I’ll get rid of mine now, glad to see it’s still going strong!
Hi Ronan, were these images JPEG or RAW ?
Hi mate, these were all RAW images edited in CaptureOne - I do shoot Jpegs as well, and especially for B&W images I try to get as close to those in editing as I can!
I love / hate this lense.
Love because it’s a great lense, for contrast, sharpness and colour rendition (and weight )
Hate it because it’s just ugly on my xpro-3. They could have made it a bit nicer like the 18mm.
Switched to the new Ultron 27mm f/2 from voigtlander. One might argue it’s a manual focus, but still it does tick all the boxes for me
You're right, unfortunately it isn't blessed with the best of looks this lens! The lens hood especially isn't great... The Voigtlander does look great I have to say!
Yes you’re stupid 😂 luckily you did have the lens on your old address 😅😅
Well yesterday I got my first Fuji camera the XT5 and it came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I switched from Nikon to Fujifilm 😊
I saw that some people at the bottom of the reactions that are not very kind…
Well I enjoyed your video and was surprised what stunning stills you made !
I found you really talented !
I like also very much the film stimulation and wonders which it was ?
I think it’s a great lens because the size and like you said it’s weather sealed and that for a lens that’s a occasion, so well done you probably paid a good price and I see it was worth the investment 👌🏼 👍🏼
Grtzz Nicky from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Hi Nicky, thanks so much for watching! I have the 18-55 myself and it’s such a great lens. I still use it to this day, great quality for a “kit” lens.
Thanks very much for the kinds words, I hope you get lots of use and enjoyment out the XT5!
And in terms of a film simulation, I usually edit in CaptureOne and start with something like Astia/Classic Chrome for colour or Acros for Black and White images.
definitely right... 1.5 moths i bought it and in istanbul it was amazing and fuck... i came to russia now, this lens is now garbage cant use in anywhere...
@@oguzaltay5262 sorry to hear you can’t use it now in Russia, why is that?
I didn't come here to watch you tell a story, badly, about online shopping or a package, or whatever. I tuned out 20 seconds in, and haven't heard anything related to the title for 3 minutes. If you're going to ramble, make the title appropriate.
I own the XE4 and only want to own 1 lens instead of a collection of lenses since I already have a few Nikkor lenses and a D700 and Nikkon FM2 body.
That single lens turned out to be Fuji’s superb value for money 35mm f2. But for my kind of shooting style, its usefulness was limited. Also, the closest focusing distance was not close enough for my food shots while seated down at the table. I needed a wider view and the 23mm f2 was superb👍
The 23mm f2 is also great for close-in food shots which I do a lot. Been using it for 1yr and its superb value for money.
The minimum focusing distance is a great point, it’s really handy - and the extra width for occasions with family and friends is very important!