18mm f2 would be just perfect. It was my favourite focal length of the original three, and it would definitely find a place in my bag if they reissued it ☺ Very watchable review as always Take.
14/2 WR! They could charge whatever they want, that'd be my dream travel / street lens. I could take just that and the X100 and be set for (travel) life!
I thought maybe sharing my experiences on the new 50mm f/2 here might help some folks. I'm not going to talk about technical aspects, just how I like it and where I feel it sits and maybe if it's worth it. I received my 50mm f/2 last Friday and had a chance to shoot with it over the weekend.. I like it a lot. It met my expectations of what the focal length could do for me. For usage, I found the 75mm equiv. field of view less restricting than an 85mm.. which is what the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 basically is. I was tempted to switch to my 23mm f/2 (a 35mm equiv.) at times, but I framed up my shot with the 50 and what I wanted to capture fit with a little room to spare. I don't expect this to be the case with everyone else, but for me, it's actually a very comfortable lens to work with. Quite a versatile little lens and better range of usage than some might originally believe it may not have. As for the image quality, I love it. Even with max aperture of f/2, it has a good amount of subject isolation with nice bokeh.. I am discovering I am really liking the quality of the depth of the images I was making with the 50mm f/2. Color rendition is about as good as any of the other nice Fujinon prime lenses. Will it replace or make me want to sell my 56mm f/1.2?... I don't think so.. I don't feel they are equivalent lenses to say one would or should directly replace one or the other. Is it worth $450? I think so. For native Fujinon prime lenses, it's actually one of the least expensive.. and you get a lot for the price.. accurate, fast & silent AF, compact & light, great build, WR.. works particularly great with an X-Pro2, as I have, due to minimal OVF obstruction.. and if you want a 50mm lens that works with the OVF (useful real-time framelines parallax adjustments), this is pretty much the only option. I was thinking about the lens again today and if this is any revelation, I feel this 50 works and fits comfortably somewhere in the middle between 2 more popular focal lengths, the 35mm (or 50mm-ish equiv. field of view) and 56mm (or 85mm-ish equiv. field of view). Not necessarily to be included as a trio with the 35 &56, but as a standalone lens.. let me explain.. I would say you have solid "bookend" focal lengths with just the 35 & 56, but this 50mm might be a surprisingly good all-arounder lens for that short-tele/long-standard to portrait focal length range all in 1 lens. I feel it works similarly how the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens fits between the standard lenses which are the 23mm & 35mm range. I think often quoted as being the "jack of all trades and a master of none" type of lens. Such is how I sort of am feeling about the 50mm f/2, but for the short tele range instead of the standard range. If you have either "bookend lenses" of a particular focal range, you probably don't necessarily need such a lens that sits in the middle. BUT, it certainly doesn't hurt and when you want to grab one lens to condense the general work of 2 lenses, it's certainly convenient and not a bad choice to have such a lens in your collection. I would say this 50mm f/2 would pair nicely with the 23mm f/2 if you only want to carry 2 lens options. Alternatively, if you feel your main lens is the 35mm (for an equiv. field of view of a 50mm), then either you want to keep on the wide to standard range and pair with the 18mm f/2. OR, if you prefer more reach, then I'd say pair the 35mm with the 56mm.... or, reach out more with the 90mm f2 as another partner for the 35mm. I mean the 50mm f/2 wouldn't be a bad pairing with the 35mm, actually, if you don't need or can't use the extended reach of say a 56mm or 90mm lens, which is a reason why I purchased the 50mm f/2, but I feel it makes a little more sense to pair the 50mm with a lens that can gather more environmental information such as the 23mm
Thanks for your concise review of the XF 50mm f/2. I too feel it's very different from the XF 56mm f/1.2, in terms of application. One is clearly a portrait style lens, while the XF 50mm f/2 is a compact and light travel short tele for daily use.
great video. another one from you I've been waiting for. yeah, I don't completely understand why some people are so weirded out by a 75mm focal length field of view? like you said, many adopters of digital cameras who bought APS-C adapted their 50 primes and I think happily shot with it and it would be a 75mm field of view. any rangefinder fans should also appreciate the 75mm field of view and familiar with it. and if you are coming from full frame, I think two of the most popular pro zoom lenses are the 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8. Sure 70mm is not exactly 75mm, but close enough, and you either have it on the long end of a standard zoom or at the beginning of a tele zoom. anyways... yes, a good way to consider this 50mm f2 lens as a long portrait or short tele... it's the same song, different tune. I think it's a great lightweight short tele that is fast enough and a good lens to keep around in a small prime lens kit along with the 35, 23 and probably the 18 as well. this 50mm f2 is no substitute for the 56mm f1.2.. a lot of people try to compare the two and think they should get one or the other.. but they are substantially different enough in building, performance and functionality. I own and really love using the 56mm f1.2 as my main portrait lens. Outside of portraits, I have also tried the 56 as a medium tele lens for some street and casual occasions, but I find it is more often than not just a bit too tight to use and keep a good composition without cutting out a bit more of a scene than I would have liked. really need some space to effectively use. in the above instances, I really believe the 50mm f2 could be of much benefit to fit more perfectly within these confining situations... not too long, but just enough added reach. In regards to possibly making more WR f/2 lenses.. yes, the 18mm f2 could use a revamp to make like these newer lenses. I actually wouldn't mind a 28mm f2 to get a 40mm equivalent field of view as that 1 lens standard that could possibly replace or substitute for both the 23mm & 35mm lenses. of course, a lot of folks also would like wider angle options such as the 16mm and 14mm.. too all of the above, I have no objections to have Fuji produce them in these WR f/2 format lenses. I did wish they could have kept the diameter the same as the 35 & 23.. that way you could use the same filter, and more important the same lens hood, especially the optional metal vented lens hood that bayonet mounts. I understand why they might have opted for a plain longer cylindrical lens hood because of the 75mm field of view, but I don't care for it. I'd probably replace it with a screw on shorter metal cylindrical lens hood or vented one. BTW, do you know if Fuji will make an optional metal lens hood for the bayonet mount on this lens? Vented or otherwise. I think this would look good with the "vacuum attachment" looking lens hood with the rectangle opening.. like the ones that came with the 35mm f1.4, 18mm f2, and the optional ones for the 16mm & 23mm f1.4's. I have a vintage Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.4 lens. But, I would still get this Fujinon 50mm f2 lens for my X-Pro2.. I can use an adapted lens with the EVF, but as a personal choice, I really like to stick to using the OVF and with manual focusing and you can only really do that with native Fujinon lensses. And if I needed to, I can engage AF easily. thanks again for your video reviews of Fuji products.
What stays on my Xpro1 80% of the time ...is my Nikon A1 35mm F2 with a Zhongyi Turbo 11 focal reducer. The image is sharp and it goes back to 35mm and that F2..because it gives you an extra stop of light ..is more of a 1.4....I did my research before I bought and the Zhongyi was way sharper than the Kipon and sharper than the video tests than the Megabones....It just does an amazing job, I would even go out on a limb here and state that I can't see any difference in sharpness between the lens on a regular adapter and the Zhongyi. I never use my other adapters anymore...These things are just amazing!
Even though filed of view changes to a 70mm doesnt distortion remain the same as a 50mm relative to ur distance to subject? Does compression remain 50mm also?
if you are specifically asking about the XF50mm f/2 R WR lens that's designed for the Fujifilm X Series cameras, the field of view in 35mm terms is that it has an equivalent field of view of a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera. If the distance between you and your subject does not change, the perspective is the same, although the depth of field is also affected by a factor of 1.5. This means a 50mm f/2 lens on a APS-C camera will have an equivalent field of view and depth of view of a 75mm f/3 on a 35mm camera. Compression is based on the distance between the subject, the foreground or background, and the distance to the photographer. As long as that remains consistent, it does not matter what format you are shooting or which lens you are using. As soon as any of those relational distances change, the compression changes.
thread dig..... I've got 35mm 1.4 and bought 90mm for my XE4 - but it is comically large. Got the 50mm, and it's what I am looking for in a portrait. But it's so close to the 35mm I am thinking of the pancake 27mm - but is that f2.8 a fail? Should I go 23mm? Size is important. I shoot 'family' pics
Both straps are from outside Canada. The black strap is by Y.B. Putro (@ybputro on IG) and the brown strap is by Juan of Child of Laborer (links in description)
Great first look. I hope we get a X-E3 with the same specs. I love the rangefinder style better. In the press release of the X-T20 it says "Weather and dust resistant; operates as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit \ 0 degrees Celsius". I can't find the information in the brochure and the website.
Thanks for watching. I'm just confirming this info now with Fujifilm. I was told specifically that it was not, and I also do not see the WR gasket and sealing technology around all the doors. However, I do have a pre-production model so this can change. If I've made a mistake, I will have to make a retraction on my videos. Thanks
I posted almost the same question on the fuji guys channel and I was told that this is a error in the press release. So the X-T20 is not weather and dust resistant.
family means group shots? The XF18 or XF23 is best for group shots or casual family shots.. The XF35, XF50 and XF56 are tighter images that isolate, better for portraits. If you're going to get one lens to do everything, I would recommend the XF23mm because it's right in the middle, leaning more towards wide.
Great to hear your opinion, as always agree with all your comments, what i would love to see next is a 70mm f1.4 IS, 35mm equivalence is around 105mm, I do a lot of head shots and sometimes prefer this perspective with some type of head shapes. Cross my fingers they develop one.
Do you think it will pair well with 16mm f1.4? Which pair do you reccomend: 50mm f2 x 16mm f1.4 or 56mm f1.2 x 23mm f2?? I have limited budget I would love to shot potrait, group shot, coffee shop/indoor, editorial style, and sometime streets Thanks!
I have just ordered the new x-s10. Looking to get a prime for portraits and really in doubt between the fuji 50mm f2, fuji 56mm 1.2 or Viltrox 56 f1.4. Which one would you recommend?
Marc Votion I was staring at that too. Is it really time for a new strap AGAIN? I thought I loved my camera strap. But now the seed of thought is planted...
How's the low light capability of the 50 f2? Is it fine for night time /night photography? I want to get this as a second lens with the 16 1.4. I wanted to get the 56 1.2 for that 1.2 but I don't know if my budget would allow it
Love the 56 1.2 but the f2 is so fast so quite and cute.. Used an f2 on an XE3 recently - wow- room for both I think. Hope the 56 1.2 mk 2 has the much better AF...
Taco, great video and information. I have x-t20 and I am planning to buy a lens but confused. If I have to buy only one, which one do you think is better for both street and portrait? 35mm f2 or 50mm f2? Thanks.
thanks. For both street and portrait, with a slight slant towards street, the XF35mm f/2 for sure. That is the standard lens that you can pretty much do anything with.
Is the 90 f2 worth considering in that kind of lineup? And also, there's the medium format pentax 75 2.8, although that's kind of in a different league (although pentax shooters are known for adapting medium format glass for digital use)
Thanks for another great video. For a portrait lens I'm considering the 50 or the 60mm macro. Any thoughts? I'll probably stay away from the 56 due the fact that personally I don't feel I need f1.2.... and it's expensive too. I currently shoot portraits on my Fuji with a voigtlander nokton 50mm 1.5 and am happy with the results. However..... at large apertures I don't always nail the manual focus, even with focus peaking and the focus assist view. It's consistent down to around f2.5 close up, however the hit rate drops the more I open the lens hence why I'm after an autofocus option... :)
with slightly more focal length and the ability to focus close, the 60 macro is a great option. The AF will be faster and more accurate on the 50, but if you're manually focusing anyway. It comes down to how the lens renders the shadow areas. How appealing is the macro lens on faces. I haven't tried it yet, but I like the look of the 50. On my film cameras, I use my 100mm f/2.8 Minolta AF macro lens as my portrait lens, and many film shooters of the past used their 100 macros for portrait work.
I agree, a 56f2 would've made more sense especially since the current 56 is so old and the AF is so slow. It seemed like they were updating existing focal lengths with faster focusing motors but it's weird that they would pick this focal length which isn't particularly great for portraits.
Hey - great videos. I’m trying to figure out the lenses for everyday shooting on a family trip to Italy. Trying to choose between the 18-55 or 18-135 as the main lens on an xt20 body and then having a prime 35mm f1.4 or 23 mm f2 orf1.4 for photographing inside the Vatican and churches in low light. I’ve so far been using the 18-55 and the 35 mm f1.4. Help
In very low light, the issue isn't the lens as much as the focus system of the camera. The more telephoto the lens, the more it will struggle to focus in low light. All things being equal, the XF 23mm will focus faster than the XF 35mm, and the XF 35 will focus faster than the XF 50 in low light. That's just the limitations of the lens as well as the focus sensors on the camera.
75mm isn't going to be really unfamiliar to many who have owned/shot/used a standard zoom lens. Most standard zoom lenses start at 24 or 28 and end up at 70, 75 or 80. The Tamron 28-75/2.8 was and still is, a very popular budget standard zoom for both Canon and Nikon.
yes that's true, but I was referring to prime lenses. Although the zoom will have that focal length, most zoom photographers aren't aware of the focal length they're shooting at. All they know is that it's the furthest that the lens will zoom or crop the image, or it's the widest it will go (75-300mm). It was not a popular focal length, hence none of the major lens manufacturers made that focal length except for Leica and other M-mount lens manufacturers.
Hi BHT, I already have the 35mm F2, but would like to buy an additional. Would you recommend the 23mm F2 or 50mm F2? I mostly take picture on my kids both indoor and outdoor. Kinda worry if the 50mm F2 will be too close to the subject.
Hi Kensi, instead of wanting to buy a lens, perhaps you should see it as what pictures are you missing because you don't have a particular lens. What shots aren't you getting because you're shooting with the XF35mm? If you find you're not close enough, then use the XF50mm. If you find you're too tight, then get the XF23mm.
Thanks for your time and research. With this f2 line Fuji have a 23mm a 35mm and this 50mm supposedly for portraits that doesn't really make sense... Until they come up with an 85 or 90mm on a full frame new camera 😉 What do you think?
Fujifilm has gone beyond full frame (35mm) and has jumped into digital medium format (33mm x 44mm sensor). They will not make a 35mm format camera system from what Fujifilm has said, and from what I can see. They don't need an APS-C, 35mm and digital medium format system. APS-C for compact and light, digital medium for resolution, micro contrast and dynamic range
bigheadtaco thanks for your answer. You're probably right and obviously everything is perfect this way. Still I remember Leica telling the same story a few years ago before the M9 came out. The medium format Fuji chose is a great idea but it takes big cameras and lenses to go with which will mainly be used in studio and for video purposes (and there's a great potential here) but just as Leica gave up dealing with video on their new M10 (getting a thinner and lighter camera) maybe the idea of Fuji coming up with a full frame camera dedicated to photography only is not so stupid after all?
Yes, that was my point - the Fuji 50 is equivalent in field of view to the Pentax 77, or the C-V and Leica 75mm lenses Take was talking about in the video.
ya I remember that lens. I thought it was weird when it was out and didn't sell very well, but a friend of mine had it and swore by it. I had my Minolta 85mm f/1.4 at the same time.... sold it. Optically sound but it was only useful as a portrait lens to me.
Thanks for the video, Take. I find the 75mm FOV (APS-C) perfect for portraits. I own a handful of 50mm lenses, including Carl Zeiss ZM (Planar 2/50 and Sonnar-C 1.5/50) and Olympus OM (1.2/50, 1.4/50, 1.8/50 and 3.5/50 Macro) lenses. For me, the XF 50mm f/2 WR was a highly anticipated lens and is already on pre-order. As we have discussed in the past and you also mentioned in the video that now we need an XF 14mm f/2 WR. With that, we will have a perfect XF f/2 WR lens lineup--21mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 120mm (f/2.8 Macro,) and 135mm in FF FOV. By the way, any news if a metal lens hood will be available for this lens? Looking forward to your full review. Cheers!
thanks for watching. yes I like the shorter tele for closer portraits, especially for the street. I too want an XF/14mm f/2 WR badly. No news on hoods or any accessories.
Wow, I thought I had no use for this focal length, but you have convinced me otherwise... This is your best clip, Taco ; great background info and content... thanks
it's not a bad focal length, but you have to give it a chance. I wouldn't have thought I would like it, but since I forced myself to test it (I was curious what it would look like) I proved myself wrong...
man i've got 23f2 35f2 and im so concerned with one to go next..... the 16f1.4 or the 50f2 help me... i cant let go the 23 and 35 because they are beasty street lens both i love both.... so 16 or 50..? im a 80street 20portait guy.. some help plz
I want to invest in a portrait lens, should I go for the 56mm f1.4, or the new 50mm f2? I really want an 85mm equivalent with shallow DOF and good Bokeh, but I really like what Fuji is doing with their f2 line. Thoughts anyone?
the 56mm f/1.2 is a superior portrait lens, but the AF isn't great. The XF 50mm is fine for portrait, but the key to this lens is light, compact, fast and accurate AF. Bokeh is decent, but nothing like the XF 56mm series.
Thank you for replying! So the 50mm f/2 is a better lens generally speaking, but the 56mm f/1.2 is better in the specific use case of portraiture? If that's the case my choice is made. 56! lol
Yes the XF 56mm f/1.2 and the XF 56mm f/1.2 APD are both designed to be portrait lenses. Big glass, big lens, big performance. The XF 50m f/2 WR can definitely be used to shoot portraits, but it's more a general purpose short telephoto lens with great AF speed and accuracy.
The 50mm lens may also be a nod towards the 50mm lens adapter that Fuji produces for the X100 series, a way of encouraging x100 fans to step up to the XPro2? Always love the videos BHT thanks
The TCL-X100 telephoto adapter for the X100 series converts the XF 23mm lens (35mm equivalent) closer to the XF 35mm lens (50mm equivalent). This current lens for the X system is 50mm, which is a 75mm equivalent, so the focal length is different. Many X-Pro shooters also have X100 cameras too, it's a natural match :-)
That lens looks so great, can't wait for the full review. Also really excited to try out the new M10 :) and hopefully getting into the M system next month :)
Re: everyone's comments on the 50mm vs. 56mm focal length. I tried the 50mm f2 against the 60mm f2.4 before buying. I was taking headshots in a camera shop where space was a little tight. Apart from the small size and the blazing autofocus speed, the other thing that swayed me was that with the 60mm I was backing-up into the lighting stands to get the framing I wanted. When I got the test images on my big screen at home, I thought the I.Q.s of the 50 & 60 were really close. I think I slightly preferred the colour of the 60mm jepgs straight out of camera - but they were very close and it didn't outweigh the other factors. I think the 50 is a very versatile portrait lens and its size means that it does not look too scary for people on the other end.
A lot of full-frame zooms also max out at 70mm, which is similar. And I imagine these zooms would often be used there. So zoom photographers may be familiar with the focal length.
awesome video bht! will you do a video comparing the new 50 and 56 comparison side by side ? I think that will help alot of Fuji users thinking to get their first 50 thanks!
I'm surprised you didn't mention the XF 90mm F2 WR. It was the first in the F2 line, no? Has that blazing fast AF and WR, setting the standard for the ones that followed. What if Fuji reversed Fujicroned it, and came out with a 90mm F1.2?! It would be HUGE! Great video Take. When I get my portrait business rolling I think I'll spring for the 50/F2 instead of the 56/F1.2. It would be better for weddings. It would also serve double time for shooting these multi-row panoramic landscapes I have been making lately.
although the XF 90mm f/2 R WR has the same specs as the other 'Fujicron' lenses, it's a different beast. It's not compact, light, or budget priced. It's a beautiful lens though. The XF 50mm f/2 R WR is a fantastic short tele lens as an option to the bigger and heavier XF 56mm
Something interesting has happened. I’m writing in Oct ‘18. I’ve had an X100T and an X100F purchased last year. I sold the F to get a T20 because I thought it was more versatile with a better EVF. Both true but I missed the F so I recently got another one along with paying 4X more for the Fuji lens hood because the color matched. Why else would anyone do this, right? I immediately noticed that the knobs on the new F didn’t match the body. “WHAT DA?’’ I also upgraded my T2 with a silver T3. Gee, what do you know, the knobs on the F did match the T3. I suspect they decided to have China made the knobs for both. They’re close but no banana. I needed another Fuji camera like a hole in my head and got it ONLY for the sexy aesthetics, so the sloppy knob mismatch ruined it for me and I sent it back. Fuji has several shades of silver now so it was only a matter of time before they started getting them mixed up. If they come out with a new silver X200 or X-Pro3 I hope they take a bit more care or I won’t consider it. Major peeve: Why don’t they include matching flash covers? I love Fuji camera and wouldn’t consider another brand, but how cheap is that? Since they charged and extra %200 they did provide an attempt at a matching flash cover for the silver/graphite T2 and it wasn’t close. (But don’t loose it. A replacement is $27.). Silver, silver/graphite, champaign silver, slightly darker silver on the T3, different silver on the f2 fujicrons. What is up with them? They couldn’t spend an additional $1 or two to paint the silver T3 flash cover? I don’t use flash much so actually use the cover. I had to buy a third party which doesn’t match but at least it’s not black which looks funky. If you buy a new F don’t waist the money matching the lens cover. Get a third party for $20. They matche the new knobs and sort of brings it together. Or just go black. I can buy a vintage Leitz summaron lens and it will match a brand new M10P. That’s how grownups do things and I guess it takes grownups to be able to sell 20 year old technology for $8000 a pop. If Fuji comes out with a slight large X200 with FF and a fixed 40mm F1.7 I hope they make a smart statement and not include video. NO ONE is going to buy a camera like that who gives a flip about video so why weigh it down with something no one will car about?
Uhm I watched this twice and didn't hear u say anything about the actual picture quality of the lens. Is it sharp, how's the micorcontrast? How's it compare to the summicrons picture wise other than size etc. what do the pictures look like?!
I posted images throughout the video, although I understand that embedded images in a TH-cam video is not a great way to showcase a lens. It's a good short tele lens. It's not the same as the XF 56mm lens, but acts basically like a slightly tele standard lens. Because I had a pre-production model, I was not allowed to comment on the specifics of the lens. I just received a full production copy so I will now start doing critical testing.
Ok thank you. I would love more info on various traits of the 50mm related to sharpness, microcontrast etc. thanks for the reply. And how these new f2 series lens can compare to the Summicron, u were referring to.
Great review! How about the LEICA 11178 APO-SUMMICRON-SL 75MM F/2 ASPH?? When copying Leica... they think it's oké 👍🏼😊 Leica moves from 75 to 90 in a lot of their lines. 85... not so much
As someone who loves to shoot large landscapes, my desire would be that Fujifilm develops a 14mmF2 WR or wider so I don't need to constantly wonder if I should purchase the large 10-24mm. Haha. It's a shame they can't retro weather-seal their lenses. They haven't updated their roadmap in quite a while. Seems the 80mm macro is all there is left.
Oh yes! Sorry for the confusion - wouldn't it be nice though if we could get to a stage where we we had one range of focal lengths rather than having to convert to equivalents!!
The only problem I found carrying a 50mm when you're out taking photos of your friends in small cafe and some tight places (eg HK or Japan), it's not ideal. Making it very difficult to carry around all the time. But it's definitely a must have 'fun' lens. It forces you to create more creative photographs! There are quite a number of street photographs refer the 50mm over the 23/35mm. (Great video btw, very informative review ;))
Ya it's a weird focal length isn't it? I did find myself enjoying it, but of course I was under pressure to create images for the review. I know tons of Leica photographers, and none of them own the 75mm.
Did'nt you basically say the 75mm FOV 50mm f2 Fuji-glass is an ~ "answer to a question nobody was asking" (which is what ive also said) Suuup Taco-head……. hugs man
ha ha, thanks man. Yes the 50mm lens was weird, I wasn't expecting it. I did have fun shooting with it because I approached it with an open mind. I did mention that a looked through all my catalogs going back 40 years of photography, and barely found a lens with this focal length. I also asked all my Leica buddies, and none of them own a 75mm.... so it's definitely an odd focal length. I did have fun shooting it as it was different than what I was use to. To me it feels like the most telephoto you would want to go on a rangefinder camera. I know you said you wouldn't give it a try and I get it. I never put my 50mm macro on my APS-C sensored DLSRs for that reason.
ohh of course i will (have to) give it a try for sure..... im waiting on that sexy 80mm macro :) I just saw a photog. at the washington inauguration today using a X100T amongst the sea of Canons
Coffee and film, an ideal combination from one outlet............pity I'm in the UK! You not only have a shop that sells coffee and film but it has trolley buses passing by, now that is cool really.
it's in the roughest neighbourhood in Canada, the DTES (Downtown East Side). It's a step away from Main and Hastings, the roughest part of the DTES. But it's good to see businesses trying to make it work down here. I hate seeing boarded up businesses. Lot's of rough looking people come in and grab a coffee from here. They are as kind and generous as anywhere else in the city.
Very informative review as always, bigheadtaco! As an X-Pro2 shooter with a few stellar XF lenses, I personally have no use for this 50, since I already use the XF23 f/2, XF35 f/2, XF90, and the XF16-55 f/2.8 WR Zoom. I do landscape and product, rather than street, so I never shoot wide open anyway, and frankly, the XF90 is the sharpest lens I've ever used, and thus my product photography lens of choice. That said, I am VERY interested in reviews of the upcoming XF80 f/2.8 Macro WR lens!! If it is "at least" as sharp as my XF90, (plus it does true 1:1 Macro), I'll be selling possibly my older XF60 and the XF90, since the new XF80 would replace both! Thanks again, sir!
Hi, just to clarify. Telephoto has nothing to do with focal length. Telephoto refers to an optical design where the physical length of the objective is shorter than its focal length (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens). Unfortunately, it seems that the term us being more and more misused. There is a specific word to refer to a long focal length lens, it's "teleobjective". By the way, there is also a optical design called reverse telephoto. Guess what, it refers to a optical design where the focal length is shorter than the back focal length (the distance form the last element to the focal plane) and is often used in wide angle lenses, especially for SLRs
Yes, thanks for the info. However, I use the term colloquially. Even focal length isn't the same as field of view or angle of view, because the film or sensor format as well as the flange distance changes what you actually get. Lenses should be labelled in angle of view, but it won't happen unless ISO steps in and creates a standard for all camera and lens manufacturers.
Totally agree with you. It was okay during the film era, when most of the consumer cameras were 35mm anyway. Now with so many coexisting sensor sizes, we are talking physical nonsense. In addition lens reviews get unnecessarily long since one have to repeat the focal length in 35mm equivalent. After all, the focal lengths for 35mm is all we know for ages. Even better than specifying the angle of view would be its tangent, since it directly relates to the field size.
And let's not talk about aspect ratios of various sensors. That's why I like the APS-C (C standing for classic ratio of 3:2) versus the other sensor formats that often use the ultra outdated 4:3 ratio, that of the older tube TVs and monitors.
I would like to see the 1.4 variants redone with faster focus. I'm starting to feel left out as I prefer lenses faster than f/2 on a crop sensor body. Instead of an 85 1.4 the 85 coming out is a 2.8. I feel as though I will have to buy 3rd party manual lenses because Fuji has forgotten some of us. I don't mind manually focusing but I need a good autofocus at times when my talent is not up to the task.
I really want Fujifilm to make fully mechanical lenses for their cameras. That way, without a motor to worry about, they can focus on optical design. Yes, although not a priority, I'm sure Fujifilm will update all their f/1.4 and f/1.2 lenses with WR and the latest motors for AF. I'm guessing later this year or early next?
Dang, I just bought the 35mm f2, think I'm gonna have to pick the 50 f2 also. I used to shoot with a 50 1.8 on a Nikon crop for years. I like the 75mm focal equiv length for a walk around / portrait lens.
it'll be a huge lens if they decide to keep it AF. My guess is the XF 14mm f/2.8 will remain 2.8 to keep it compact and the XF16 and XF18 will be the priority
Very nice overview. Can't agree about comment that Canon is still ahead in video. Not a single one of their consumer cameras can do 4K, and even the 5D mkIV implements 4K very poorly. The X-T2's video wipes the floor with the 80D's.
Thanks for commenting. Although Canon doesn't have 4K on most of their cameras, everything else is very nice. The AF on the Fujifilm is still not great for tracking. I've tried all the Fujifilm cameras with most of the lenses, and it still hunts way too much. As well, OIS is not designed for video on the Fujifilms, it's more for stills. Fujifilm needs to create a video-centric lens and improve video tracking. Saying all this, I love using Fujifilm for video. I love the film profiles. I just make sure I'm manually focused as I don't trust AF.
with regards to 23mm f2, i just recently notice a ticking sound when turning the focus ring in manual but didn't notice it while on video recording mode...is that normal?
Summicrons make sense and always made sense because of Full Frame. I would love to see improved f1.4s, or f1.2s instead of f2s. f1.4 on APSC is merely as good as a f2 in Full Frame..And usually f2 and f2.8s on Full Frame are light and as economical.
When you say 'as good' I guess you mean that you prefer a shallower depth of field? For me it's not about the bokeh, it's more about lens design and how an f/2 lens can be made significantly smaller and lighter versus it's f/1.2 or f/1.4 counterpart. For that reason alone I prefer the more compact design of the F/2 series for the Fujifilm's.
By good, yeah, I mean ability to separate subject from background, smoothness of the OOF areas, how they are rendered, quality of the bokeh etc. Because especially 35mm is very important for me as a walk around lens, to be able to take a landscape shot when I need or be able to shoot a portrait with a blurred background when necessary. For such all purpose FL, I think separation is important, when needed of course. Thus I can never consider a 23mm f2, despite I agree its small, it has WR, better AF etc..It will for sure work fine for many situations but it can't be my one do it all lens. If Fuji could put some new AF motor, and make f1.4 even 10 percent smaller and lighter with WR and put some OIS that would be delightful :) Somehow these f2 iterations do not excite me at all.
I'm sure they are planning to implement many of the new features of the f/2 WR line-up in the 1st gen f/1.4 lenses, but it's a matter of when, not if. I have spoken to Fujifilm and it is their goal to add WR to as many lenses as possible, and the XF23mm f/1.4, XF35mm f/1.4 and XF56mm f/1.2 all should be their priority, I agree. Then everyone has the choice of either line, but still get the advantage of WR and a quieter and faster motor. I still say the f/2 will focus faster because the lenses are smaller and lighter, but there is always room for improvement on the 1st generation lenses :-)
no because as you can see by the upcoming lens timeline, they've altered a bit from their original plans. I didn't think they realized how popular the f/2 WR lenses would be. They added the 23mm f/2 WR and 50mm f/2 WR quite late. I think they are sort of winging it right now, or at least they haven't shared with us what's next. I'll be meeting with some Fujifilm corporate people in the next couple of weeks. At that time I'll ask them and either produce another updated video or an article for my website or FujiLove magazine.
Yes again on a next new outstanding weatherproof Fuji 18 f/2 or faster of the same. In fact as far as I know not one of the major mirrorless suppliers, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, make a truly great "28" equivalent lens which is quite frankly confounding for such an important focal length. I'm still waiting.
+Rick S yes I'm with you. Only Leica produces a really high quality 28mm prime. Canon's 28mm f/2 isn't bad, and Minolta's 28mm f/2 A-mount was actually really nice. The Ricoh GR and Leica Q are also nice.
18mm f2 would be just perfect. It was my favourite focal length of the original three, and it would definitely find a place in my bag if they reissued it ☺
Very watchable review as always Take.
14 mm f/2, yes please
14/2 WR! They could charge whatever they want, that'd be my dream travel / street lens. I could take just that and the X100 and be set for (travel) life!
I thought maybe sharing my experiences on the new 50mm f/2 here might help some folks. I'm not going to talk about technical aspects, just how I like it and where I feel it sits and maybe if it's worth it.
I received my 50mm f/2 last Friday and had a chance to shoot with it over the weekend.. I like it a lot. It met my expectations of what the focal length could do for me.
For usage, I found the 75mm equiv. field of view less restricting than an 85mm.. which is what the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 basically is. I was tempted to switch to my 23mm f/2 (a 35mm equiv.) at times, but I framed up my shot with the 50 and what I wanted to capture fit with a little room to spare.
I don't expect this to be the case with everyone else, but for me, it's actually a very comfortable lens to work with. Quite a versatile little lens and better range of usage than some might originally believe it may not have.
As for the image quality, I love it. Even with max aperture of f/2, it has a good amount of subject isolation with nice bokeh.. I am discovering I am really liking the quality of the depth of the images I was making with the 50mm f/2.
Color rendition is about as good as any of the other nice Fujinon prime lenses.
Will it replace or make me want to sell my 56mm f/1.2?... I don't think so.. I don't feel they are equivalent lenses to say one would or should directly replace one or the other.
Is it worth $450? I think so. For native Fujinon prime lenses, it's actually one of the least expensive.. and you get a lot for the price.. accurate, fast & silent AF, compact & light, great build, WR.. works particularly great with an X-Pro2, as I have, due to minimal OVF obstruction.. and if you want a 50mm lens that works with the OVF (useful real-time framelines parallax adjustments), this is pretty much the only option.
I was thinking about the lens again today and if this is any revelation, I feel this 50 works and fits comfortably somewhere in the middle between 2 more popular focal lengths, the 35mm (or 50mm-ish equiv. field of view) and 56mm (or 85mm-ish equiv. field of view). Not necessarily to be included as a trio with the 35 &56, but as a standalone lens.. let me explain.. I would say you have solid "bookend" focal lengths with just the 35 & 56, but this 50mm might be a surprisingly good all-arounder lens for that short-tele/long-standard to portrait focal length range all in 1 lens.
I feel it works similarly how the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens fits between the standard lenses which are the 23mm & 35mm range. I think often quoted as being the "jack of all trades and a master of none" type of lens. Such is how I sort of am feeling about the 50mm f/2, but for the short tele range instead of the standard range.
If you have either "bookend lenses" of a particular focal range, you probably don't necessarily need such a lens that sits in the middle.
BUT, it certainly doesn't hurt and when you want to grab one lens to condense the general work of 2 lenses, it's certainly convenient and not a bad choice to have such a lens in your collection.
I would say this 50mm f/2 would pair nicely with the 23mm f/2 if you only want to carry 2 lens options.
Alternatively, if you feel your main lens is the 35mm (for an equiv. field of view of a 50mm), then either you want to keep on the wide to standard range and pair with the 18mm f/2.
OR, if you prefer more reach, then I'd say pair the 35mm with the 56mm.... or, reach out more with the 90mm f2 as another partner for the 35mm.
I mean the 50mm f/2 wouldn't be a bad pairing with the 35mm, actually, if you don't need or can't use the extended reach of say a 56mm or 90mm lens, which is a reason why I purchased the 50mm f/2, but I feel it makes a little more sense to pair the 50mm with a lens that can gather more environmental information such as the 23mm
Thanks for your concise review of the XF 50mm f/2. I too feel it's very different from the XF 56mm f/1.2, in terms of application. One is clearly a portrait style lens, while the XF 50mm f/2 is a compact and light travel short tele for daily use.
No problem.. well, it wasn't really meant to be a review, just sharing my thoughts after using it.
Anyways, looking forward to your next video
I don't understand why Fuji came out with a 50mm lens??? Hey Fuji, how about a larger 1:1 macro lens?
there's an 80mm 1:1 scheduled for this year
I'm loving the f2 lines design and size. Great review as always Take!
thanks!
great video. another one from you I've been waiting for.
yeah, I don't completely understand why some people are so weirded out by a 75mm focal length field of view?
like you said, many adopters of digital cameras who bought APS-C adapted their 50 primes and I think happily shot with it and it would be a 75mm field of view. any rangefinder fans should also appreciate the 75mm field of view and familiar with it.
and if you are coming from full frame, I think two of the most popular pro zoom lenses are the 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8. Sure 70mm is not exactly 75mm, but close enough, and you either have it on the long end of a standard zoom or at the beginning of a tele zoom. anyways...
yes, a good way to consider this 50mm f2 lens as a long portrait or short tele... it's the same song, different tune.
I think it's a great lightweight short tele that is fast enough and a good lens to keep around in a small prime lens kit along with the 35, 23 and probably the 18 as well.
this 50mm f2 is no substitute for the 56mm f1.2.. a lot of people try to compare the two and think they should get one or the other.. but they are substantially different enough in building, performance and functionality.
I own and really love using the 56mm f1.2 as my main portrait lens.
Outside of portraits, I have also tried the 56 as a medium tele lens for some street and casual occasions, but I find it is more often than not just a bit too tight to use and keep a good composition without cutting out a bit more of a scene than I would have liked. really need some space to effectively use.
in the above instances, I really believe the 50mm f2 could be of much benefit to fit more perfectly within these confining situations... not too long, but just enough added reach.
In regards to possibly making more WR f/2 lenses.. yes, the 18mm f2 could use a revamp to make like these newer lenses. I actually wouldn't mind a 28mm f2 to get a 40mm equivalent field of view as that 1 lens standard that could possibly replace or substitute for both the 23mm & 35mm lenses. of course, a lot of folks also would like wider angle options such as the 16mm and 14mm.. too all of the above, I have no objections to have Fuji produce them in these WR f/2 format lenses.
I did wish they could have kept the diameter the same as the 35 & 23.. that way you could use the same filter, and more important the same lens hood, especially the optional metal vented lens hood that bayonet mounts.
I understand why they might have opted for a plain longer cylindrical lens hood because of the 75mm field of view, but I don't care for it. I'd probably replace it with a screw on shorter metal cylindrical lens hood or vented one.
BTW, do you know if Fuji will make an optional metal lens hood for the bayonet mount on this lens? Vented or otherwise. I think this would look good with the "vacuum attachment" looking lens hood with the rectangle opening.. like the ones that came with the 35mm f1.4, 18mm f2, and the optional ones for the 16mm & 23mm f1.4's.
I have a vintage Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.4 lens. But, I would still get this Fujinon 50mm f2 lens for my X-Pro2.. I can use an adapted lens with the EVF, but as a personal choice, I really like to stick to using the OVF and with manual focusing and you can only really do that with native Fujinon lensses. And if I needed to, I can engage AF easily.
thanks again for your video reviews of Fuji products.
Wing Yip e
I would love to see your opinion of an old film era lens on a fuji with a Zhongyi focal reducer adapter.
I would love to try
What stays on my Xpro1 80% of the time ...is my Nikon A1 35mm F2 with a Zhongyi Turbo 11 focal reducer. The image is sharp and it goes back to 35mm and that F2..because it gives you an extra stop of light ..is more of a 1.4....I did my research before I bought and the Zhongyi was way sharper than the Kipon and sharper than the video tests than the Megabones....It just does an amazing job, I would even go out on a limb here and state that I can't see any difference in sharpness between the lens on a regular adapter and the Zhongyi. I never use my other adapters anymore...These things are just amazing!
Good video, Take.
Waiting for the upgrade of the XF18mm F2 WR.
As a 28mm eq. shooter I'm waiting for this lens.
Even though filed of view changes to a 70mm doesnt distortion remain the same as a 50mm relative to ur distance to subject? Does compression remain 50mm also?
if you are specifically asking about the XF50mm f/2 R WR lens that's designed for the Fujifilm X Series cameras, the field of view in 35mm terms is that it has an equivalent field of view of a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera. If the distance between you and your subject does not change, the perspective is the same, although the depth of field is also affected by a factor of 1.5. This means a 50mm f/2 lens on a APS-C camera will have an equivalent field of view and depth of view of a 75mm f/3 on a 35mm camera. Compression is based on the distance between the subject, the foreground or background, and the distance to the photographer. As long as that remains consistent, it does not matter what format you are shooting or which lens you are using. As soon as any of those relational distances change, the compression changes.
thread dig..... I've got 35mm 1.4 and bought 90mm for my XE4 - but it is comically large. Got the 50mm, and it's what I am looking for in a portrait. But it's so close to the 35mm I am thinking of the pancake 27mm - but is that f2.8 a fail? Should I go 23mm? Size is important. I shoot 'family' pics
As a company, fujifilm did a great move with the 50mm 2, if you want a 56 (85) pay the price for.
Take, what is the brand of that brown leather camera strap you’re holding?
where can I buy those camera strap in Vancouver? looks great.
Both straps are from outside Canada. The black strap is by Y.B. Putro (@ybputro on IG) and the brown strap is by Juan of Child of Laborer (links in description)
bigheadtaco hi
What is the strap on x-t20, looks very comfy?
Child of Laborer by Juan. Links in description above.
Great first look. I hope we get a X-E3 with the same specs. I love the rangefinder style better. In the press release of the X-T20 it says "Weather and dust resistant; operates as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit \ 0 degrees Celsius". I can't find the information in the brochure and the website.
Thanks for watching. I'm just confirming this info now with Fujifilm. I was told specifically that it was not, and I also do not see the WR gasket and sealing technology around all the doors. However, I do have a pre-production model so this can change. If I've made a mistake, I will have to make a retraction on my videos. Thanks
I posted almost the same question on the fuji guys channel and I was told that this is a error in the press release. So the X-T20 is not weather and dust resistant.
Great review...for family photo & portrait photo which lens should by on fuji ?...thanks in advance ....
family means group shots? The XF18 or XF23 is best for group shots or casual family shots.. The XF35, XF50 and XF56 are tighter images that isolate, better for portraits. If you're going to get one lens to do everything, I would recommend the XF23mm because it's right in the middle, leaning more towards wide.
Great to hear your opinion, as always agree with all your comments, what i would love to see next is a 70mm f1.4 IS, 35mm equivalence is around 105mm, I do a lot of head shots and sometimes prefer this perspective with some type of head shapes. Cross my fingers they develop one.
Do you think it will pair well with 16mm f1.4?
Which pair do you reccomend:
50mm f2 x 16mm f1.4
or
56mm f1.2 x 23mm f2??
I have limited budget
I would love to shot potrait, group shot, coffee shop/indoor, editorial style, and sometime streets
Thanks!
I have just ordered the new x-s10. Looking to get a prime for portraits and really in doubt between the fuji 50mm f2, fuji 56mm 1.2 or Viltrox 56 f1.4. Which one would you recommend?
Can someone tell me what kind of camera strap he has? Please and thank you :)
The 14mm f2.8 is sharp wide open and is relatively compact and light.
Hi and thanks for that!I was wondering what is the kind of strap you have on your camera... ;).Thanks!
Child of Laborer strap
Marc Votion I was staring at that too. Is it really time for a new strap AGAIN? I thought I loved my camera strap. But now the seed of thought is planted...
straps are fun accessories that won't break the bank and look great :-)
I am still waiting for the 33mm f/1 to be announced.
Remember when that guy said "nope never coming" lol
IT HAPPENED!!!!
Fuji ditched it, instead they went for 50mm f1.0
where did you get your shoulder neck strap?
The brown strap is made by Juan of Child of Laborer. You can find him on Instagram under @childoflaborer
Thanks alot
How's the low light capability of the 50 f2? Is it fine for night time /night photography? I want to get this as a second lens with the 16 1.4. I wanted to get the 56 1.2 for that 1.2 but I don't know if my budget would allow it
Love the 56 1.2 but the f2 is so fast so quite and cute.. Used an f2 on an XE3 recently - wow- room for both I think. Hope the 56 1.2 mk 2 has the much better AF...
Hi +bigheadtaco, this kind of a side question but I really like the strap you have on the XT20, can you let me know where did you get it? :)
I should probably put this in the notes. Juan of Child of Laborer. Cool guy. instagram.com/childoflaborer/
Taco, great video and information. I have x-t20 and I am planning to buy a lens but confused. If I have to buy only one, which one do you think is better for both street and portrait? 35mm f2 or 50mm f2? Thanks.
thanks. For both street and portrait, with a slight slant towards street, the XF35mm f/2 for sure. That is the standard lens that you can pretty much do anything with.
bigheadtaco thanks a lot for quick response. That answer made my life a lot easier.
Is the 90 f2 worth considering in that kind of lineup? And also, there's the medium format pentax 75 2.8, although that's kind of in a different league (although pentax shooters are known for adapting medium format glass for digital use)
the XF 90mm f/2 LM WR is an amazing lens but it's big, heavy and not really part of this light, compact and reasonably priced category.
I Love 💘 my 16mm xf 2.8. - love shooting wide to include lots of ambience and tell a story.
Thanks for another great video. For a portrait lens I'm considering the 50 or the 60mm macro. Any thoughts? I'll probably stay away from the 56 due the fact that personally I don't feel I need f1.2.... and it's expensive too. I currently shoot portraits on my Fuji with a voigtlander nokton 50mm 1.5 and am happy with the results. However..... at large apertures I don't always nail the manual focus, even with focus peaking and the focus assist view. It's consistent down to around f2.5 close up, however the hit rate drops the more I open the lens hence why I'm after an autofocus option... :)
with slightly more focal length and the ability to focus close, the 60 macro is a great option. The AF will be faster and more accurate on the 50, but if you're manually focusing anyway. It comes down to how the lens renders the shadow areas. How appealing is the macro lens on faces. I haven't tried it yet, but I like the look of the 50. On my film cameras, I use my 100mm f/2.8 Minolta AF macro lens as my portrait lens, and many film shooters of the past used their 100 macros for portrait work.
that strap looks comfortable and nice, what is it??
Hi, thanks for the video.
What is the name of that camera strap or where can I buy it?
Going to buy this lens
Thanks for watching. Child of Laborer: instagram.com/childoflaborer/
I agree, a 56f2 would've made more sense especially since the current 56 is so old and the AF is so slow. It seemed like they were updating existing focal lengths with faster focusing motors but it's weird that they would pick this focal length which isn't particularly great for portraits.
So wouldn't the 35mmf2 be the 50mm equivalent you want?
It's simple really; it's easier to create a 50mm lens. It is still a 50mm, remember; it's the crop factor that makes it a 75mm.
Pentax made a 77mm f/1.-something full=frame AF lens. It was part of their :beat of the best" series, aling with a 43mm AF pancake.
Hey - great videos. I’m trying to figure out the lenses for everyday shooting on a family trip to Italy. Trying to choose between the 18-55 or 18-135 as the main lens on an xt20 body and then having a prime 35mm f1.4 or 23 mm f2 orf1.4 for photographing inside the Vatican and churches in low light. I’ve so far been using the 18-55 and the 35 mm f1.4. Help
Nice strap, what brand is it?
It's in the description with links
strap
please, where I can buy this strap?????please
the brown strap is by Juan of Child of Laborer. He is on Instagram as @childoflaborer
thank you very much
Hi buddy, great video! How do you find the autofocus in low light, my 35mm f2 sometimes hunts in very low light? Cheers from a fellow Fuji Lover!!
In very low light, the issue isn't the lens as much as the focus system of the camera. The more telephoto the lens, the more it will struggle to focus in low light. All things being equal, the XF 23mm will focus faster than the XF 35mm, and the XF 35 will focus faster than the XF 50 in low light. That's just the limitations of the lens as well as the focus sensors on the camera.
Would you mind sharing your camera strap too? I'm looking for something similar for my xt4! Great review! Thank you!
75mm isn't going to be really unfamiliar to many who have owned/shot/used a standard zoom lens. Most standard zoom lenses start at 24 or 28 and end up at 70, 75 or 80. The Tamron 28-75/2.8 was and still is, a very popular budget standard zoom for both Canon and Nikon.
yes that's true, but I was referring to prime lenses. Although the zoom will have that focal length, most zoom photographers aren't aware of the focal length they're shooting at. All they know is that it's the furthest that the lens will zoom or crop the image, or it's the widest it will go (75-300mm). It was not a popular focal length, hence none of the major lens manufacturers made that focal length except for Leica and other M-mount lens manufacturers.
Hi BHT, I already have the 35mm F2, but would like to buy an additional. Would you recommend the 23mm F2 or 50mm F2? I mostly take picture on my kids both indoor and outdoor. Kinda worry if the 50mm F2 will be too close to the subject.
Hi Kensi, instead of wanting to buy a lens, perhaps you should see it as what pictures are you missing because you don't have a particular lens. What shots aren't you getting because you're shooting with the XF35mm? If you find you're not close enough, then use the XF50mm. If you find you're too tight, then get the XF23mm.
50-60mm on APS-C bodies is my favorite. I'm obsessed with that focal range.
Is 50mm also soft at short focus as 23mm f2? I will pass this since I use CZ 58mm f2 via adapter.
looks sharp up close, but I'll have to wait for a production copy before making a final review
Hi Take, how does this compare to the Touit 50mm F2,8? That one doubles as a macro innit?
+Borispmchan that would be a great comparison. If I can get a hold of the Zeiss, I would do the test.
That would be very much appreciated mate
Thanks for your time and research. With this f2 line Fuji have a 23mm a 35mm and this 50mm supposedly for portraits that doesn't really make sense... Until they come up with an 85 or 90mm on a full frame new camera 😉 What do you think?
Fujifilm has gone beyond full frame (35mm) and has jumped into digital medium format (33mm x 44mm sensor). They will not make a 35mm format camera system from what Fujifilm has said, and from what I can see. They don't need an APS-C, 35mm and digital medium format system. APS-C for compact and light, digital medium for resolution, micro contrast and dynamic range
bigheadtaco thanks for your answer. You're probably right and obviously everything is perfect this way. Still I remember Leica telling the same story a few years ago before the M9 came out. The medium format Fuji chose is a great idea but it takes big cameras and lenses to go with which will mainly be used in studio and for video purposes (and there's a great potential here) but just as Leica gave up dealing with video on their new M10 (getting a thinner and lighter camera) maybe the idea of Fuji coming up with a full frame camera dedicated to photography only is not so stupid after all?
There's also the Pentax 77mm f/1.8, by all accounts a really good lens.
But that would be a full frame 77mm, so on the Fuji it would be approx 115mm. Quite different results I'd expect.
Yes, that was my point - the Fuji 50 is equivalent in field of view to the Pentax 77, or the C-V and Leica 75mm lenses Take was talking about in the video.
Oh. I thought you were suggesting putting the Pentax 77mm on the Fuji as a manual focus alternative.
ya I remember that lens. I thought it was weird when it was out and didn't sell very well, but a friend of mine had it and swore by it. I had my Minolta 85mm f/1.4 at the same time.... sold it. Optically sound but it was only useful as a portrait lens to me.
Andy Farrell saving up for the 77.
Thanks for the video, Take. I find the 75mm FOV (APS-C) perfect for portraits. I own a handful of 50mm lenses, including Carl Zeiss ZM (Planar 2/50 and Sonnar-C 1.5/50) and Olympus OM (1.2/50, 1.4/50, 1.8/50 and 3.5/50 Macro) lenses. For me, the XF 50mm f/2 WR was a highly anticipated lens and is already on pre-order.
As we have discussed in the past and you also mentioned in the video that now we need an XF 14mm f/2 WR. With that, we will have a perfect XF f/2 WR lens lineup--21mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 120mm (f/2.8 Macro,) and 135mm in FF FOV.
By the way, any news if a metal lens hood will be available for this lens?
Looking forward to your full review. Cheers!
thanks for watching. yes I like the shorter tele for closer portraits, especially for the street. I too want an XF/14mm f/2 WR badly. No news on hoods or any accessories.
I agree with you about the 14 f2 wr.
thanks!
Nice detailed review! great works as always man.
thanks I appreciate you watching!
Wow, I thought I had no use for this focal length, but you have convinced me otherwise...
This is your best clip, Taco ; great background info and content... thanks
it's not a bad focal length, but you have to give it a chance. I wouldn't have thought I would like it, but since I forced myself to test it (I was curious what it would look like) I proved myself wrong...
Yes, i'd love a 14mm /2 as well. Even a 12mm F2.
me too...
Yes a wee 12mm f2 woukd be great from f2 to f22 would be awesome
When is the release date for the 50 f/2? :)
Should be February
Great info as always, but would like to see more pictures taken with whatever lens you are reviewing... Thanks
How is the bokeh? Is it good even though its a F2.0 lens?
I've written an article for Fujilove with images. You can check out and see what you think. I like it.
man i've got 23f2 35f2 and im so concerned with one to go next..... the 16f1.4 or the 50f2 help me... i cant let go the 23 and 35 because they are beasty street lens both i love both.... so 16 or 50..? im a 80street 20portait guy.. some help plz
Charlie Park go for the 16 1.4 since u mentioned 80 street...you can still take decent portrait with the 35 f2.
I have 23 1.4 and 50 f2 tho.
I want to invest in a portrait lens, should I go for the 56mm f1.4, or the new 50mm f2? I really want an 85mm equivalent with shallow DOF and good Bokeh, but I really like what Fuji is doing with their f2 line. Thoughts anyone?
the 56mm f/1.2 is a superior portrait lens, but the AF isn't great. The XF 50mm is fine for portrait, but the key to this lens is light, compact, fast and accurate AF. Bokeh is decent, but nothing like the XF 56mm series.
Thank you for replying!
So the 50mm f/2 is a better lens generally speaking, but the 56mm f/1.2 is better in the specific use case of portraiture? If that's the case my choice is made. 56! lol
Yes the XF 56mm f/1.2 and the XF 56mm f/1.2 APD are both designed to be portrait lenses. Big glass, big lens, big performance. The XF 50m f/2 WR can definitely be used to shoot portraits, but it's more a general purpose short telephoto lens with great AF speed and accuracy.
The 50mm lens may also be a nod towards the 50mm lens adapter that Fuji produces for the X100 series, a way of encouraging x100 fans to step up to the XPro2? Always love the videos BHT thanks
The TCL-X100 telephoto adapter for the X100 series converts the XF 23mm lens (35mm equivalent) closer to the XF 35mm lens (50mm equivalent). This current lens for the X system is 50mm, which is a 75mm equivalent, so the focal length is different. Many X-Pro shooters also have X100 cameras too, it's a natural match :-)
That lens looks so great, can't wait for the full review. Also really excited to try out the new M10 :) and hopefully getting into the M system next month :)
M10 looks fantastic. Can't wait to review it soon.
Coming back to this video and watching how pretty much all the good things you said about fuji have changed now is pretty sad😢
Re: everyone's comments on the 50mm vs. 56mm focal length. I tried the 50mm f2 against the 60mm f2.4 before buying. I was taking headshots in a camera shop where space was a little tight. Apart from the small size and the blazing autofocus speed, the other thing that swayed me was that with the 60mm I was backing-up into the lighting stands to get the framing I wanted. When I got the test images on my big screen at home, I thought the I.Q.s of the 50 & 60 were really close. I think I slightly preferred the colour of the 60mm jepgs straight out of camera - but they were very close and it didn't outweigh the other factors. I think the 50 is a very versatile portrait lens and its size means that it does not look too scary for people on the other end.
agree. we need ultra wide fujicron!
A lot of full-frame zooms also max out at 70mm, which is similar. And I imagine these zooms would often be used there. So zoom photographers may be familiar with the focal length.
awesome video bht! will you do a video comparing the new 50 and 56 comparison side by side ? I think that will help alot of Fuji users thinking to get their first 50 thanks!
Yes once I get my production sample I will compare the two
I'm surprised you didn't mention the XF 90mm F2 WR. It was the first in the F2 line, no? Has that blazing fast AF and WR, setting the standard for the ones that followed. What if Fuji reversed Fujicroned it, and came out with a 90mm F1.2?! It would be HUGE!
Great video Take. When I get my portrait business rolling I think I'll spring for the 50/F2 instead of the 56/F1.2. It would be better for weddings. It would also serve double time for shooting these multi-row panoramic landscapes I have been making lately.
although the XF 90mm f/2 R WR has the same specs as the other 'Fujicron' lenses, it's a different beast. It's not compact, light, or budget priced. It's a beautiful lens though. The XF 50mm f/2 R WR is a fantastic short tele lens as an option to the bigger and heavier XF 56mm
Would you take this over the 56mm 1.2?
If I was using it strictly for portraits, no. For an all round lens as a short tele, yes.
Well, yeah, it would mostly be used for portraits.. Twice the price is pretty daunting. Thanks.
Something interesting has happened. I’m writing in Oct ‘18. I’ve had an X100T and an X100F purchased last year. I sold the F to get a T20 because I thought it was more versatile with a better EVF. Both true but I missed the F so I recently got another one along with paying 4X more for the Fuji lens hood because the color matched. Why else would anyone do this, right? I immediately noticed that the knobs on the new F didn’t match the body. “WHAT DA?’’ I also upgraded my T2 with a silver T3. Gee, what do you know, the knobs on the F did match the T3. I suspect they decided to have China made the knobs for both. They’re close but no banana.
I needed another Fuji camera like a hole in my head and got it ONLY for the sexy aesthetics, so the sloppy knob mismatch ruined it for me and I sent it back. Fuji has several shades of silver now so it was only a matter of time before they started getting them mixed up. If they come out with a new silver X200 or X-Pro3 I hope they take a bit more care or I won’t consider it.
Major peeve: Why don’t they include matching flash covers? I love Fuji camera and wouldn’t consider another brand, but how cheap is that? Since they charged and extra %200 they did provide an attempt at a matching flash cover for the silver/graphite T2 and it wasn’t close. (But don’t loose it. A replacement is $27.). Silver, silver/graphite, champaign silver, slightly darker silver on the T3, different silver on the f2 fujicrons. What is up with them? They couldn’t spend an additional $1 or two to paint the silver T3 flash cover? I don’t use flash much so actually use the cover. I had to buy a third party which doesn’t match but at least it’s not black which looks funky.
If you buy a new F don’t waist the money matching the lens cover. Get a third party for $20. They matche the new knobs and sort of brings it together. Or just go black. I can buy a vintage Leitz summaron lens and it will match a brand new M10P. That’s how grownups do things and I guess it takes grownups to be able to sell 20 year old technology for $8000 a pop. If Fuji comes out with a slight large X200 with FF and a fixed 40mm F1.7 I hope they make a smart statement and not include video. NO ONE is going to buy a camera like that who gives a flip about video so why weigh it down with something no one will car about?
You're gonna hate me for this Take, but i have to ask: what strap is that on the X-T20? Many thanks in advance.
information in description with links
Uhm I watched this twice and didn't hear u say anything about the actual picture quality of the lens.
Is it sharp, how's the micorcontrast? How's it compare to the summicrons picture wise other than size etc. what do the pictures look like?!
I posted images throughout the video, although I understand that embedded images in a TH-cam video is not a great way to showcase a lens. It's a good short tele lens. It's not the same as the XF 56mm lens, but acts basically like a slightly tele standard lens. Because I had a pre-production model, I was not allowed to comment on the specifics of the lens. I just received a full production copy so I will now start doing critical testing.
Ok thank you. I would love more info on various traits of the 50mm related to sharpness, microcontrast etc. thanks for the reply. And how these new f2 series lens can compare to the Summicron, u were referring to.
Still waiting for that upgraded f1.4 lineup, mainly 35mm.
Yes the XF 35mm f/1.4 and XF 23mm f/1.4 should be updated, both the motor as well as adding WR
Great review! How about the LEICA 11178 APO-SUMMICRON-SL 75MM F/2 ASPH?? When copying Leica... they think it's oké 👍🏼😊
Leica moves from 75 to 90 in a lot of their lines. 85... not so much
this was an excellent relevant no nonsense review thanks so Much!
As someone who loves to shoot large landscapes, my desire would be that Fujifilm develops a 14mmF2 WR or wider so I don't need to constantly wonder if I should purchase the large 10-24mm. Haha. It's a shame they can't retro weather-seal their lenses. They haven't updated their roadmap in quite a while. Seems the 80mm macro is all there is left.
Yes I love the XF 10-24mm but it's big and heavy, and still not WR either!! The XF14mm f/2 WR would be my dream ultra wide lens. No need for a zoom.
Oh yes! Sorry for the confusion - wouldn't it be nice though if we could get to a stage where we we had one range of focal lengths rather than having to convert to equivalents!!
unfortunately since the 35mm format was around for 50-60 years before digital came around, those focal lengths have just stuck, for better or worse
I agree with the comments for a 70mm F/2.
Stan Obert 75mm would be nice!
Great review as always!
+Patricia Davidson thanks
The only problem I found carrying a 50mm when you're out taking photos of your friends in small cafe and some tight places (eg HK or Japan), it's not ideal. Making it very difficult to carry around all the time. But it's definitely a must have 'fun' lens. It forces you to create more creative photographs! There are quite a number of street photographs refer the 50mm over the 23/35mm. (Great video btw, very informative review ;))
Yes for a tight city like Hong Kong or Tokyo, even the XF 35mm f/2 feels like a telephoto.
Really great talk about the lens, thank you for the content :)
75mm is a short tele for me. The only 75mm I have is the Summarit-M which I never really got comfortable with.
Ya it's a weird focal length isn't it? I did find myself enjoying it, but of course I was under pressure to create images for the review. I know tons of Leica photographers, and none of them own the 75mm.
bigheadtaco I bought mine to try it out. I pretty much don't use it anymore, but it did cause me to buy the 90 ASPH.
Did'nt you basically say the 75mm FOV 50mm f2 Fuji-glass is an ~ "answer to a question nobody was asking" (which is what ive also said)
Suuup Taco-head……. hugs man
ha ha, thanks man. Yes the 50mm lens was weird, I wasn't expecting it. I did have fun shooting with it because I approached it with an open mind. I did mention that a looked through all my catalogs going back 40 years of photography, and barely found a lens with this focal length. I also asked all my Leica buddies, and none of them own a 75mm.... so it's definitely an odd focal length. I did have fun shooting it as it was different than what I was use to. To me it feels like the most telephoto you would want to go on a rangefinder camera. I know you said you wouldn't give it a try and I get it. I never put my 50mm macro on my APS-C sensored DLSRs for that reason.
ohh of course i will (have to) give it a try for sure..... im waiting on that sexy 80mm macro :)
I just saw a photog. at the washington inauguration today using a X100T amongst the sea of Canons
ha ha, nice. It's great to be different
Coffee and film, an ideal combination from one outlet............pity I'm in the UK! You not only have a shop that sells coffee and film but it has trolley buses passing by, now that is cool really.
it's in the roughest neighbourhood in Canada, the DTES (Downtown East Side). It's a step away from Main and Hastings, the roughest part of the DTES. But it's good to see businesses trying to make it work down here. I hate seeing boarded up businesses. Lot's of rough looking people come in and grab a coffee from here. They are as kind and generous as anywhere else in the city.
That's nice to hear regarding the local people. Around here they are called 'the salt of the earth'
Very informative review as always, bigheadtaco! As an X-Pro2 shooter with a few stellar XF lenses, I personally have no use for this 50, since I already use the XF23 f/2, XF35 f/2, XF90, and the XF16-55 f/2.8 WR Zoom. I do landscape and product, rather than street, so I never shoot wide open anyway, and frankly, the XF90 is the sharpest lens I've ever used, and thus my product photography lens of choice. That said, I am VERY interested in reviews of the upcoming XF80 f/2.8 Macro WR lens!! If it is "at least" as sharp as my XF90, (plus it does true 1:1 Macro), I'll be selling possibly my older XF60 and the XF90, since the new XF80 would replace both! Thanks again, sir!
thanks for watching. Yes the new XF80mm macro lens looks very promising.
Nice video. Good useful information. But the sound in this concrete hall is annoying.
Hi, just to clarify. Telephoto has nothing to do with focal length. Telephoto refers to an optical design where the physical length of the objective is shorter than its focal length (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens). Unfortunately, it seems that the term us being more and more misused. There is a specific word to refer to a long focal length lens, it's "teleobjective". By the way, there is also a optical design called reverse telephoto. Guess what, it refers to a optical design where the focal length is shorter than the back focal length (the distance form the last element to the focal plane) and is often used in wide angle lenses, especially for SLRs
Yes, thanks for the info. However, I use the term colloquially. Even focal length isn't the same as field of view or angle of view, because the film or sensor format as well as the flange distance changes what you actually get. Lenses should be labelled in angle of view, but it won't happen unless ISO steps in and creates a standard for all camera and lens manufacturers.
Totally agree with you. It was okay during the film era, when most of the consumer cameras were 35mm anyway. Now with so many coexisting sensor sizes, we are talking physical nonsense. In addition lens reviews get unnecessarily long since one have to repeat the focal length in 35mm equivalent. After all, the focal lengths for 35mm is all we know for ages. Even better than specifying the angle of view would be its tangent, since it directly relates to the field size.
...Except for fish eye lenses, where the angle of view is more meaningful.
And let's not talk about aspect ratios of various sensors. That's why I like the APS-C (C standing for classic ratio of 3:2) versus the other sensor formats that often use the ultra outdated 4:3 ratio, that of the older tube TVs and monitors.
I would like to see the 1.4 variants redone with faster focus. I'm starting to feel left out as I prefer lenses faster than f/2 on a crop sensor body. Instead of an 85 1.4 the 85 coming out is a 2.8. I feel as though I will have to buy 3rd party manual lenses because Fuji has forgotten some of us. I don't mind manually focusing but I need a good autofocus at times when my talent is not up to the task.
I really want Fujifilm to make fully mechanical lenses for their cameras. That way, without a motor to worry about, they can focus on optical design. Yes, although not a priority, I'm sure Fujifilm will update all their f/1.4 and f/1.2 lenses with WR and the latest motors for AF. I'm guessing later this year or early next?
bigheadtaco, I would love some summilux like lenses from Fuji.
Dang, I just bought the 35mm f2, think I'm gonna have to pick the 50 f2 also. I used to shoot with a 50 1.8 on a Nikon crop for years. I like the 75mm focal equiv length for a walk around / portrait lens.
ha ha, you're a rarity. I thought it an odd length coming from film, but it worked out better than I thought.
12mm F2 would be fantastic also!
it'll be a huge lens if they decide to keep it AF. My guess is the XF 14mm f/2.8 will remain 2.8 to keep it compact and the XF16 and XF18 will be the priority
Very nice overview. Can't agree about comment that Canon is still ahead in video. Not a single one of their consumer cameras can do 4K, and even the 5D mkIV implements 4K very poorly. The X-T2's video wipes the floor with the 80D's.
Thanks for commenting. Although Canon doesn't have 4K on most of their cameras, everything else is very nice. The AF on the Fujifilm is still not great for tracking. I've tried all the Fujifilm cameras with most of the lenses, and it still hunts way too much. As well, OIS is not designed for video on the Fujifilms, it's more for stills. Fujifilm needs to create a video-centric lens and improve video tracking. Saying all this, I love using Fujifilm for video. I love the film profiles. I just make sure I'm manually focused as I don't trust AF.
with regards to 23mm f2, i just recently notice a ticking sound when turning the focus ring in manual but didn't notice it while on video recording mode...is that normal?
I use my 85mm on my Nikons...Love that system
the 1.4 or the 1.8 ?
the 1.8
Thanks for this, great explanations!
Summicrons make sense and always made sense because of Full Frame. I would love to see improved f1.4s, or f1.2s instead of f2s. f1.4 on APSC is merely as good as a f2 in Full Frame..And usually f2 and f2.8s on Full Frame are light and as economical.
When you say 'as good' I guess you mean that you prefer a shallower depth of field? For me it's not about the bokeh, it's more about lens design and how an f/2 lens can be made significantly smaller and lighter versus it's f/1.2 or f/1.4 counterpart. For that reason alone I prefer the more compact design of the F/2 series for the Fujifilm's.
By good, yeah, I mean ability to separate subject from background, smoothness of the OOF areas, how they are rendered, quality of the bokeh etc. Because especially 35mm is very important for me as a walk around lens, to be able to take a landscape shot when I need or be able to shoot a portrait with a blurred background when necessary. For such all purpose FL, I think separation is important, when needed of course. Thus I can never consider a 23mm f2, despite I agree its small, it has WR, better AF etc..It will for sure work fine for many situations but it can't be my one do it all lens. If Fuji could put some new AF motor, and make f1.4 even 10 percent smaller and lighter with WR and put some OIS that would be delightful :) Somehow these f2 iterations do not excite me at all.
I'm sure they are planning to implement many of the new features of the f/2 WR line-up in the 1st gen f/1.4 lenses, but it's a matter of when, not if. I have spoken to Fujifilm and it is their goal to add WR to as many lenses as possible, and the XF23mm f/1.4, XF35mm f/1.4 and XF56mm f/1.2 all should be their priority, I agree. Then everyone has the choice of either line, but still get the advantage of WR and a quieter and faster motor. I still say the f/2 will focus faster because the lenses are smaller and lighter, but there is always room for improvement on the 1st generation lenses :-)
Didn't they say when more accurately by the chance ?
no because as you can see by the upcoming lens timeline, they've altered a bit from their original plans. I didn't think they realized how popular the f/2 WR lenses would be. They added the 23mm f/2 WR and 50mm f/2 WR quite late. I think they are sort of winging it right now, or at least they haven't shared with us what's next. I'll be meeting with some Fujifilm corporate people in the next couple of weeks. At that time I'll ask them and either produce another updated video or an article for my website or FujiLove magazine.
14 f/2 WR , 56 f/2 WR , 60 f/2 WR :)
The 50mm f2 is nice i have the 50mm 1.4 if i need f2 i ust set it on f2 no need for extra lens but if you have the f2 you cant use f1.4
A XF16 f/2 WR should definately be the next lens. Instant buy on my part.
Yes before it was announced, I was hoping it was f/2 instead of f/1.4.
Fab review and discussion. Thank you.
I got mine just a couple of hours ago! Wanted to watch something that would validate my decision! Hahahahaha! Thanks for this video! :)
I wish that Fuji would tone down the contrast in their lenses. I really prefer adapted lenses for their colour and contrast. So much less clinical.
Yes again on a next new outstanding weatherproof Fuji 18 f/2 or faster of the same. In fact as far as I know not one of the major mirrorless suppliers, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, make a truly great "28" equivalent lens which is quite frankly confounding for such an important focal length. I'm still waiting.
+Rick S yes I'm with you. Only Leica produces a really high quality 28mm prime. Canon's 28mm f/2 isn't bad, and Minolta's 28mm f/2 A-mount was actually really nice. The Ricoh GR and Leica Q are also nice.