Alwin Kok

First things first, I have never shared my thoughts and experiences about the camera bags and accessories I used. But I think there is always a first time in anything. So today I want to share my experience with the PGYTECH OneMo Sling camera bag with everyone.

I bought this bag from SLR Revolution, one of the reputable retailers in Singapore, for my holiday trip to Japan. It has been 6 weeks since my holiday trip and I also used it as my weekend bag. So I think what is good and bad about this bag should have surfaced.

How It’s Started

To clarify, it is more like my first encounter with this brand. When I first noticed PGYTECH, it was from one of the YouTubers and that was many years back. So I searched around locally but no one brought in this brand and because this is a Chinese brand, it is not difficult to find this brand in Taobao.

However, I am a person who prefers to see and touch the physical bag before making the purchase decision as I am not able to visualize the size of the bag by the given dimensions. So I didn’t click the button. Then years later, I came to notice that SLR Revolution carries this brand so I did the hands-on in the shop and made the purchase. (I have no idea if other retailers carry this brand, let me know if you know and I will update over here.)

At A Glance

The design of the bag is pretty sleek and modernized. It comes with a splash-proof PU-coated material.

OneMo Sling comes in 2 sizes, 7L and 11L, and 2 colors (Space black and Grey camo). Both bags can also expand to 9L and 13.5L respectively. More details can be referred to in the screenshot snap from the official website below.

My First Impression

From the appearance, both models look compact in their own category but I know that the 7L model is too small for my requirements. So I skipped it and looked at the 11L. By looking further, it comes with a top compartment, main sleeve, middle sleeve, and front sleeve.

From my first touch, the texture on the surface is smooth and comfortable. You can also tell that the bag is water-resistant based on the texture.

As for the bag top cover, it comes with a compartment on both sides. The outer zip comes with 2 big meshed pockets that can keep accessories like filters, lens wipes, and anything you can think of. Regarding the inner side, there are 4 slots, of which 3 come with battery indicators (a thoughtful gesture).

Top Cover Inner Compartment – 3 Battery Indicators

Upon unzipping up the YKK zipper of the main sleeve reveals one of the most customizable main sleeve, it comes with an iPad partition, 2 x OneMo Partition H, and 2 x OneMo Partition G. And yes, unlike most camera bags, the iPad partition is a partition pad and can be removed if not needed. As such, with all the given pads, it does give me more flexibility with the configurations that suit my needs for that particular moment. There is also a discreet Apple AirTag pocket and I only noticed it after my holiday trip. So you can see how discreet this pocket is.

The middle sleeve is pretty straightforward, it is meant for slotting a small tripod, handheld stabilizer, or probably jacket that is thin enough to slot in.

The front sleeve can store accessories like a blower, compact LED light, and anything in between you can think of.

At the bottom, it comes with an attachment strap meant for holding a tripod but I never like the idea of it.

The Experience

On this 14-day Japan trip, I bring a few lenses with me and the list is below. Of course, with this number of lenses, the OneMo camera sling-back is not able to bring all. So, I also bring a PGYTECH OneGo backpack along for the trip. (Courtesy of my amazing friend, Ivan Joshua Loh, for lending me his backpack.)

XF23mm f1.4 WR
XF30mm f2.8 WR
XF56mm f1.2 WR
XF70-300mm f4-5.6 WR
Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 DC DN
Meike 12mm f2.8
7Artisans 7.5mm f2.8 II
Fuji X-T5 x 2 (courtesy of my wonderful friend, Syen, for lending me her X-T5)

How things work for me is that I do not carry every lens with me. I will just bring what I deem to be necessary for the day then go back to the hotel and change to another set of lenses and reconfigure the main sleeve if needed.

Most days, I pack with 3 lenses and 2 camera bodies. One camera body will be mounted with Sigma 10-18mm while another one will be mounted with XF70-300mm and the Meike 12mm will be kept in the middle slot.

For nights, I will pack with 1 camera body with 2 lenses such as XF23mm or Sigma 10-18mm or Meike 12mm f2, and XF56mm.

I keep quite several things in the bag top cover and front sleeve. 3 x NP-W235 batteries, an SD card holder, my passport, a pack of coughing sweets, tissue packs, a small blower, a power bank, cables, a lens cleaning pen, microfibre cloth, an AirTag, and other miscellaneous things like tickets.

As for the middle sleeve, I used this compartment as my water bottle slot since I did not carry a tripod with me on this trip. It fits nicely with some adjustments from the straps.

Typically, carrying a packed camera bag for one day will cause my shoulder discomfort. I was surprised that this wasn’t the case. I can carry it for over 5-6 hours without any strain or discomfort on my shoulder. The shoulder padding should be the one that helps out the most.

Others

As mentioned earlier, the bag can be expanded to 13.5L. I only used it once and it is a lifesaver for me. With the expansion, it allows me to slot in some of the souvenirs. It does make the overall appearance look odd but it works.

PGYTECH OneMo Sling 11L – Extended to 13.5L

It comes with a luggage pass-through webbing which I always carry the bag using.

Comparing With My Other Bags

There is no perfect camera bag in the world. It is more of finding the one that best suits you at this time. In terms of practicality and functionality, OneMo Sling is the one that suits me the most.

Don’t get me wrong, I used PeakDesign Everyday Sling V2 10L and Moment rugged camera bag 10L. I love both bags but this current OneMo Sling suits my needs at this point in time. It seems to me that it combines the best of both PeakDesign Everyday Sling V2 10L and Moment rugged camera bag 10L.

Conclusion

It is a pleasure using this 11L bag for 14 days straight. Till today, it still looks close to new condition. Given that it has many possible configurations for the main sleeve (plus it can remove the iPad partition), durable, compact, and lightweight, I am unable to find a single thing I dislike about it just yet. Oh yes. the bag is selling at 163 SGD. I feel that this is a very reasonable price for a bag that exceeds my expectations.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Capture One.
3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

Reviews

Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 – Probably The Best Travel Companion Lens

January 12, 2024January 12, 2024 Alwin Kok

When Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 DC DN is revealed to the world, by just looking at the focal lengths and the constant f2.8 aperture value, it is a very straightforward indication that this is the lens that compliments and co-exists with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN. This is the latest lens joining the Sigma Contemporary series for APS-C cameras. No surprise here, this lens is available for the L-mount and E-mount beside the X-mount.

Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary
Left: @10mm, Right: @18mm

Intro

“Smallest” and “lightest” are the most common words on the headlines in most sites to describe this lens. From the press release images, it looks compact but I have no idea it is that compact until I get to hold one on my hand.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 11.5mm . f2.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

“Wow” is the first word that comes out of my mouth and I am impressed by the actual size and weight of this lens. An f2.8 constant aperture lens can be this small and light is something of an engineering marvel. I am truly impressed with the Sigma engineers and their dedication to making such an impressive lens. But how will the image quality and the autofocus system be in such a compact design? The only way to find out is to test it out.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/420″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f5.6 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Apart from the Meike 12mm f2, this is another lens I brought with me to my recent Japan holiday trip.

Before I proceed further, I would like to thank Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me this lens for review and Kai for making the arrangements. I appreciate their kind support in making this review a reality.

Design and Build Quality

The lens build is identical to its siblings like the Sigma 18-50mm & Sigma 56mm f1.4, etc. The same minimalistic look profile and also without the aperture ring. Yes. I do miss the aperture ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

The lens is made of “Thermally Stable Composite” (TSC) polycarbonate material, which gives a lightweight yet very high-quality and well-built lens body. Polycarbonate material is probably one of the best plastic materials on the market at this point in time.

When I held the lens for the first time, I noticed that the focal length starts at the tele end (@18mm) instead of at the widest focal length (@10mm). This is a similar approach to the Tamron 11-20mm f2.8, which practically makes sense as the tele-end will be the most used focal length most of the time. In this case, 18mm is a very usable focal length for street photography.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 11.9mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 11.7mm . f2.8 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/40″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

For a note, the lens is zoomed out by extending a little bit at 10mm. It does not bother me throughout my testing period.

The 15mm to 28mm (in full frame equivalent) comes with a filter size of 67mm and it is surprisingly small for the ultrawide lens. With the combination of 250 grams (other mounts have slightly different weights), this lens is really lightweight and very suitable to be a traveling lens.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 16.9mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

There are rubber sealings in this lens to provide dust and splash-resistant. Having said that, I am not the person who dares to push the boundary and fight against the weather with my camera gears. After all, this is a nice touch for Sigma to provide this for all the contemporary lenses for the X-mount.

Like other contemporary lenses, it has a metal rear mount bayonet. And also, it is made in Japan.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 14.6mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/20″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Image Quality

The image quality is exceptionally good for an ultrawide lens. At wide-open, the sharpness and contrast are great throughout the focal lengths. The images that I take are very usable and I have no complaints with the image quality department.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 16.9mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are picky, distortion at the widest end can be observed but is minimal (or maybe it is corrected by the camera). Chromatic aberration is pretty well-controlled or I should say I do not observe any during my shoots. At f2.8, vignetting is there but not as heavy as I thought. In my opinion, it is fairly well-controlled and it is pretty okay for my consumption.

As for the sun star, it forms pretty well with sharp edges but it also introduces flares as well. It seems more to me like the characteristic of the lens but others might think otherwise. Nevertheless, if you do not want to have flares, avoid facing the sun or a strong direct light source.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f22 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f22 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

When comes to focusing performance, it is not fair to compare with the new generation XF prime lenses like the XF23mm f1.4 WR, so I will just base it on my personal experiences.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 13.9mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/420″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, the lens’ focusing performance is pretty fast, silent, and snappy by today’s zoom lens standard. The stepping motor does a great job and I find that the focusing speed is very consistent even at night and pretty high accuracy rate too. But I do experience some misfocus but it is really rare. If I remember correctly, it’s just 2-3 times.

The lens breathing is also at its minimal for both 10mm and 18mm. This is great if videographers plan to use this for their work.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

When comes to MFD, oftentimes there are two MFD values for a zoom lens and this is no exception for this lens as well.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/4700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

At 10mm, it can go as close as 11.6cm. To put that into practicality, the front lens is basically close to touching the shooting subject. It is that close and I often cast a shadow on the subject that I wanted to shoot.

At 18mm, 19.1cm is the MFD and it is slightly better than the XF18mm f1.4 20cm MFD.

Overall, I am glad that the image quality still maintains quite well at both MFDs.

Price Point

This lens is selling at 599 USD. With this price point, it can easily become one of the lenses in consideration.

For comparison, XF10-24mm f4 WR is selling at 999 USD and Tamron 11-20mm 829 USD. How can one resist such a price point? I have to say it is a great price point and Sigma is really good at pricing their products well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negativ*e
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Others

One interesting thing about this lens is the lens hood. Sigma has a newly developed push-on petal-type lens hood. This new mechanism is so much more convenient and faster than the traditional lens hood mounting method.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 17.3mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

But one might wonder how durable is it as compared to the traditional one. For this, I also wish to know the answer but I also know I dare not try to do a lens drop test. Nonetheless, I hope to see more lenses using this approach to make easy for photographers.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 13.9mm . f2.8 . 1/30″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 16.1mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative*

One can’t help but compare Tamron 11-20mm and Sigma 10-18mm. Both have their pro and cons but end of the day, it depends on the photographer which one he/she prefers to use. I have my answer but I will keep it on my own.

Also, updating lens firmware is the same as how we update the firmware for Fujifilm. Download the firmware from Sigma’s official website, transfer it to the SD, and update the lens firmware.

Who is this for?

With this lens’ ultrawide zoom versatility, genres like landscape, cityscape, street, architecture, and astrography are the common ones. And not forgetting, the traveling genre too!

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f8 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f3.6 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/170″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

As a street photographer, I like this lens for having 18mm at its tele-end and it is a more commonly used focal length for street photography which does not make me lose out on most of my street shots. When I need to take some much wider shots, it gives me the flexibility to go wider than 18mm. This is something I appreciate when traveling overseas.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f5.6 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 17.3mm . f5.6 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 13.9mm . f5.6 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

With the current Sigma 10-18mm and Sigma 18-50mm, these 2 lenses make the best companion for travelers. With a combination of 15 to 75mm, both lenses covered most of my needs for travel. Not forgetting that compact and lightweight (a total of 535 grams for both lenses) play an important part in the overall travel experience.

I have been thinking Sigma has been planning to cover the tele zoom range as well, making a trinity f2.8 zoom lens covering most photographers needs. Plus, the recent rumors about Sigma planning to release the 50mm to 135mm (or 140mm), makes me strongly believe that this is going to happen.

Nevertheless, I really like this lens and I think I will get this lens for my own usage.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

Reviews

Meike 12mm f2 – Balance & Compact

January 5, 2024January 10, 2024 Alwin Kok

One fine day, Meike contacted me to ask if I was interested in reviewing this lens. Of course I do and I told them I was going on a trip in a week. And 2 days before my flight, it arrived at my doorstep.

Intro

I have reviewed the Meike 10mm f2 just less than 6 months ago. My verdict on that lens is that it has very usable wide-open image quality but the size and weight are the 2 drawbacks I have. Meike 12mm f2 addressed the 2 drawbacks but does it have the same usable wide-open image quality?

Let’s step back a little. This lens was announced in June 2022 and that makes this lens a year and a half years old now. Is this a real concern? Probably. Because this lens was made available before the release of the X-H2 and X-T5. The most common thing about these 2 cameras is that they house the X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HR 40 megapixels sensor. (I am not worried too much about the X-Trans 4 sensor 26 megapixels sensor and I am pretty sure they just work fine with this lens.) So another question to me is, can the lens able to resolve the new sensor?

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f8. 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f4. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Just for info, it comes with an E-mount and M43 mount too.

Before I begin, thank you Meike for contacting me and sending this lens over. I appreciate their tremendous support in making this review a reality.

Design and Build Quality

The Meike 12mm f2 has the same metal built quality as other Meike manual lenses I have tested thus far. But what strikes me is how compact the lens is and it is great to hold in hands. Although it is only 227 grams, I can feel the well-balanced weight of the lens, especially when I mounted it on the X-T5.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/3500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens shares many similarities with most of its siblings except for the Meike 10mm f2. The aperture ring is de-click which can be easily rotated by accident. Rotating the aperture ring is smooth with very little or gentle friction against your rotation direction. I think this might benefit the videographers.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f16. 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f16. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f16. 1/80 . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Both the aperture ring and the manual focus ring are smooth and also give different levels of friction feedback.

It comes with a 62mm filter thread. Pretty acceptable filter size for its size.

Image Quality

This lens gives an 18mm (in full frame equivalent) field of view which is indeed considerably wide. I could say the image quality at wide-open is similar to the Meike 10mm f2, and the results are very usable. Contrast and sharpness are good at the center and not so much at the corners.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/5″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/170″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

The chromatic aberration (CA) is considerably well-controlled but I do observe some mild CA if I blow up the shot. As for vignetting, it is broadly there. In my opinion, it seems to be heavier than the Meike 10mm f2 but it can get better when you step down the aperture value to f5.6.

The sun-star result is pretty sharp, but not that tad sharp. Please be aware that the flare can be introduced if you are trying to get the sun-star shots and direct facing any light-emitting object in your framing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/20″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/20″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

Barrel distortion seems to be pretty well-controlled. At least I did not notice any curve around the edge of the corners but typical ultrawide distortion is there. So try not to put any human at the corners when you are shooting at your waist level.

Focusing

The manual focus ring has a different level of rotation friction as compared to the aperture ring. It gives a more dampening feedback, and I like it. As for the focus throw, it depends on the photographers’ preferences, some prefer to have a shorter focus throw while some do otherwise.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2.8. 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Well, the focus throw of this lens is approximately 110°. It takes me a while to rotate from one end to the other. Depending on how we see it, this might benefit the videographers and help the photographers nail the shot precisely.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

This lens is capable of shooting as close as 20cm, which is pretty far for an ultrawide lens. You will get quite a lot of details apart from your subject. Nevertheless, it is a lens meant to be for landscape or other similar genres.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

But the image quality seems not to be at its best. At wide-open, you will get to see not-so-good sharp results at the corners. Vignetting seems to be slightly stronger as well.

Price Point

It was priced at 189 USD and now it is running a discount to 159.99 USD on Meike’s website. This is quite a good price point. For a note: Meike 10mm f2 is selling at 349.99 USD. There are not much of manual ultrawide lenses in the market. TTArtisan 17mm f1.4 is the only one that I am aware of (at this point of writing) and it is selling at 118 USD. For about a 40 USD difference, I think it is worth getting the Meike 12mm simply because it gives a 5mm wider field of view.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/1700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

Surprisingly, this lens comes with metal petal lens hood. This definitely gives a good gesture as not many manual lens manufacturers provides one. The look of the lens hood seems to be pretty fragile but when you hold it, you will know it is actually quite well made.

Like most manual lenses, the actual “infinity” is not at the end of the manual focus ring. It is somewhere where the “infinity” symbol is. One of the readers also informed me that it can be manually calibrated. I did not try it but I think it is possible.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/4000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, this lens has this phenomenon that color temperature changes between cool to warm) according to the aperture value set. If you are shooting in raw, not too much of a concern but if you are shooting purely in jpeg, maybe this is something you should take note of.

Who is this for?

This lens literally says it is meant for landscape, cityscape, astrography, and architecture genres but this is not limited to any other genres that I do not mention over here. The creativity with this lens is yours.

I can’t say much for professional photographers but I also not saying this lens is not suitable for professional photographers to commission their works. But this lens is very suitable for budget-oriented photographers looking for a decent alternative to Fujifilm’s ultrawide lens offering.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f5.6. 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/30″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f5.6. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

One small detail here. You might notice that the f2 is pretty much the farthest away from the other aperture values. I am not sure why is that so. Maybe it can benefit us somehow? If you know, please share it with me.

Conclusion

There is only one manufacturer ever made such a fast and compact lens beside Meike and that is Rokinon 12mm f2 and it has been in the market for years. I believe some manufacturers will catch up some days if this focal length and aperture value makes a hit.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f4. 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f2. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Although not the best, this lens optic does resolve fairly with the new X-Trans 5 HR sensor. At least I did not observe extreme softness in the image quality like I do in other lenses. Sharpness and contrast are there when I nail the shot totally.

This lens is very good for beginners or photographers who hardly use such an ultrawide lens. Firstly, it is not expensive to own one. Secondly, it is compact and easily kept in the bag or inside the dry cabinet.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 12mm f2 @ 12mm . f5.6. 1/75″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, it is very clear-cut for me to choose this lens over the Meike 10mm f2. Both have very comparable great image quality but the 12mm f2 wins on the size and the cost. (I know I have repeated many times but this lens is this worthy.)

I do not mind sacrificing a 2mm (3mm full frame equivalent) lesser field of view and size does matter, especially when bringing it on a holiday trip overseas. I would rather bring a smaller alternative lens to lighten my shoulder (yes, 227 grams versus 550 grams and every gram counts in order not to injure my shoulder).

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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Reviews

Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 – A Lens to Shine

December 6, 2023January 12, 2024 Alwin Kok

When comes to 35mm f0.95, we are not lacking of any choices in the market. To name a few: Mitakon ZhongYi 35mm f0.95, TTArtisan 35mm f0.95, 7artisans 35m f0.5 and Meike 35mm f0.95. And then, here comes the latest 35mm f0.95 competitor from Brightin Star. This was only announced in September 2023. Can it stand out from the rest?

Intro

Brigthin Star is a name that may not be familiar to everyone. In case someone ever wonders, the name “Brightin Star” is a direct translation of their Chinese brand name, 星曜. It is a strange and catchy English name but good enough to get my attention. I also tried to understand more about this company. Unfortunately, there is very little information about them. So based on my limited capability, this company started off in 2019 (at least from the news announcement they had made) and they did make several manual lenses (both full frame and APS-C) for various mounts like M-mount, E-mount, and M43 mount, etc.

Design and Build Quality

It has been a long time since I mentioned how much I like the design, the color, and the handling of the lens. Yes, this lens design pretty much resembles Leica lens design. Not a bad thing and pretty much other manufacturers did something similar as well. Nevertheless, the lens design from Brightin Star is aesthetically pleasing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/10,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/7000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The 50mm (in full frame equivalent) lens is about 370 grams. You can feel how dense the lens is and how well the built quality is when you hold it in your hands. You can imagine how many glasses are there in this lens. As expected, this lens is metal-constructed.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8. 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It comes with a 52mm filter-size thread. It’s a very good welcome for not burning a deep pocket for filter fans. One interesting detail here, the rear mount comes with black/grey coated. It gives a very premium feel to the overall viewing experience.

The aperture ring is great. It gives you very good clicky feedback when you rotate it. Ergonomic wise, you have no issue with changing the aperture as it has ample amount of space especially for those who have big fingers.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the lens cap, it is a capped-on metal lens cap. Unlike other capped-on lens caps, it has a kind of cushion and you can feel it is there. It gives me a kind of satisfaction whenever I remove and put on the lens cap.

Image Quality

The image quality is phenomenal. It is probably the best f0.95 lens I have tested thus far. The result is not perfect but better than some of the counterparts I have tested. Typically, shooting at f0.95 will present you glowing and soft effect, but this lens does not behave this way. I know some photographers prefer glowing and soft effects, but I personally prefer this.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/22,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you blow up the shot, you are still able to see the softness of the result. When comes to contrast and sharpness, it is also slightly better.

I have low expectations when comes to chromatic aberration and vignetting at wide open. Well, chromatic aberration seems to be present mildly in my tested shots but not that obvious. As for vignetting, it is present and considerably heavy as expected. Of course, the overall image quality improved from f2 onwards. And it looks the best at f2.8.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16. 1/50″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*

The fall-off between the focused subject and the foreground/background is a pleasure to view at. Not forgetting that shooting at f0.95, the focused subject is very pop out from the others and it should be expected to have this result.

As for the sun-star result, seems to be the same as the rest of the 35mm f0.95 lens. They are okay but not a tad sharp. Do bear in mind that flares will be introduced as well but I quite like how the flares are created.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16. 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

37cm MFD is fine. Not the shortest or as close to the one from TTArtisan (@ 35cm), but not the worst too. Nevertheless, it does not lose out too much for MFD per se.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the image quality, I think this is the weak point of this lens as it provides poor contrast and sharpness. Something to take note of.

Focusing

The focus ring is relatively smooth and there is nothing much to feedback about. It comes with minimal friction and it is comfortable enough to rotate the focus ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/40″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the MFD to infinity, the focus throw is approximately 100°. Also, pretty much the same as the other 35mm f0.95 lenses out there, and it also gives a fair amount of “traveling” for precise focusing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/160″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Similar to the rest of the manual lenses, the infinity is not directly opposite to the MFD. In order to have the true infinity, you have to rotate back a little to achieve it (somewhere the infinity symbol is).

Price Point

At 199 USD, it is priced the same as the TTArtisan and 7artisan variants and slightly cheaper than the Meike at 259 USD and even cheaper than Mitakon at 399 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

If you have noticed, this lens does not come with f5.6. It jumps from f4 to f8, skipping two full stops worth of light. It is a strange lens design and this is my first time encountering this. But does it really affect my day-to-day usage with this lens? Probably not. If I want to bring this lens out for a shoot, what’s more important for me is the usability of the shots taken at wide-open, in this case, f0.95, rather than the missing out of f5.6.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are the kind that is into unique details, this lens comes with a black/dark grey coated rear lens element. While it does nothing but aesthetics, at least this is something different from the other manufacturers.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

If you are new to manual lenses or you want to have an experience of what f0.95 is, this is one of the many manual lenses you can consider getting. With its focal length, this lens is pretty much suitable for many genres such as street, cityscape, portrait, documentary, and etc.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/100″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for professional photographers, I believe you know whether you will need this lens for your professional works or causal.

Conclusion

I genuinely love this lens. Despite its shortfall on the MFD and missing f5.6, it is a great f09.5 lens to own. It has been a long time that I have enjoyed shooting at wide-open. I have more shots taken at f0.95 than in any other aperture value because I feel it should be the way. Plus given its 199 USD price point, I think it is pretty worth it. It may seem biased but really, it’s not.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/20,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

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If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 – A New Bargainous Option

November 20, 2023November 21, 2023 Alwin Kok

TTArtisan has been very quiet about what is coming next in their product lineup. I also noticed a slowdown in the number of new lenses launched by the company. Also, after the launch of the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8, there was no teaser or hint of what was coming next in the autofocus lens lineup until recently in September 2023.

*Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with lens hood*
Right: *TTArtisan 35mm f1.8* *without lens hood*

Intro

This is TTArtisan’s second autofocus lens for the Fuji X-mount and it is released almost a year after the launch of the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8. The 27mm lens from the manufacturer was a big hit back then. Everywhere was literally out of stock and the manufacturer is trying to fulfill the backlog orders for weeks or even months. 35mm is a very focal length and I am excited to see how popular this lens can be.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Before I proceed further, I would like to thank TTArtisan for sending this lens over to me. I appreciate and thankful for their support. Having said that, the review is truly my own opinions and TTArtisan has no influence to it.

Design and Build Quality

From the lens appearance, it is minimalistic and clean. This also means the lens does not come with an aperture ring like the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8, just a smooth rotation focus ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It’s lightweight, at 199 grams. In case someone wonders, it weighs 224 grams with the lens hood and 238 grams inclusive of the rear “lens cap”. The metal-built quality is very similar to other TTArtisan manual lenses that I have tested thus far. I have to say it is a pretty decent-built lens. It comes with a metal rear mount and the overall handling of the lens is good too.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

One of the most exciting things, in my personal view, is the lens hood. This 50mm (in full frame equivalent) lens comes with a decent built square lens hood and the design of the lens hood is just simply beautiful. The hood complements the overall lens look and feel so well, I have had the hood permanently mounted onto the lens since then.

The filter size is pretty small, at 52mm only. Oh, by the way, it does not come with weather resistance.

Image Quality

Speaking of the image quality, I have to say it’s a huge improvement over my past experiences with the other TTArtisan lenses. Although it is not clinically sharp or corner-to-corner tad sharp, it is so much usable at wide-open. If you read some of my past opinions with the TTArtisan lenses, you will notice that I always find the usable aperture is usually 1-2 stops from the base aperture value. I am happy to use this lens at wide-open.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is there at f1.8 and it seems to be a bit heavier than other lenses but it is not much of my concern as we can either post-process it or step down to f2.8 onwards for improvement.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f7.1 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Chromatic aberration is surprisingly well-controlled here. At least it is not prominent in my shots.

The fall-off is fine but not the smoothest nor spectacular. The background blur is also just fine.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

With the help of the Stepper Motor (STM), the focus is pretty fast in most situations. The focusing speed is pretty good between MFD and infinity. Having said that, it is not as snappy as the XF33mm f1.4. To be fair, they are in different categories and focus groups.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

During low light situations and under harsh sunlight environments, I do experience focus pulling or being unable to focus correctly. But it recovers after I point to another subject and then to the one I want. I hope there will be future firmware upgrades to address this issue.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, focusing breathing is pretty far. I’m not sure if it impacts photographers but this likely impacts videographers.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD is 60cm and, this is probably the biggest drawback for this lens. I think I have been spoiled by the MFD offered by other lenses and it set up my expectations for what a 35mm lens’ MFD should be.

So I asked the engineers from the TTArtisan and try to understand what was the decision behind this. And this is the answer from them:

“Considering that the 35 lens is mainly for humanistic photography and portrait photography and there will be less close-up shooting, and also considering the focusing speed and lens size, the minimum focusing distance has been compromised.”

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Having said that, MFD at 60cm is totally fine for day-to-day casual street shots and even portrait shots. It only hinders me when I want to take a close-up food shot or a close-up shot of a small subject.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Price Point

I am informed by TTArtisan that the price will be 149 USD. That’s the same price at the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8! This is really a good price point.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

For comparison, the closest autofocus lens that I can think of is the XC 35mm f2. It is priced at 199 USD. While I am unsure if it has fully stopped production, I think if you can spend that extra 50 USD, then XC 35mm should be a better deal (but without the lens hood). After all, it is an XF 35mm f2 optic in a plastic body. On the other hand, 50 USD can get you some filters and accessories, or just save that 50 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

All in all, I have to say it depends on the individual photographer’s needs and wants.

Others

Speaking of firmware upgrades, this lens shares the same docking rear lens cap as the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8. It acts as both the lens cap and there is a USB-C port for future firmware updates. Similar to my suggestion on the 27mm, I will suggest photographer keep this unique rear lens cover at home.

LFuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

There are many 35mm lenses in the market and we are not lacking in it. But because it comes at a very attractive price, I think it is very competitive in the 35mm continent.

In my opinion, this lens is suitable for those who do not have this focal length or are new to photography, you can take this opportunity and give it a try. Besides the X-mount, it comes with the Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount too.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

In terms of genres, it’s a good street, portrait, cityscape, and landscape. Product shot is possible too but depending on the kind of product shot you are shooting, the limited MFD might be affecting you.

Also, this is probably another good gift option for any photographer friend that you want to give.

Conclusion

Although a little compromise on the MFD in return of the lens size and focusing speed, I was pretty satisfied with the overall performance such as the image quality and the focusing speed.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, TTArtisan launched the lens at the price of 149 USD. It is not easy to maintain the same starting selling price as the TTArtisan 27mm lens with the recent inflation around the world. Nonetheless, this lens is set to give young or budget photographers another option to choose from besides manual lenses but I will recommend everyone to give a try with this lens.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Now, TTArtisan also teases about another upcoming portrait lens, 56mm f1.8. Will it priced the same at 149 USD? I think if everything about this lens is great, could pricing it at 200 USD or 250 USD be a big hit? We shall wait for the good news to come.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Sigma 23mm f1.4 – The King of Street Lens from Sigma

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 Alwin Kok

23mm focal length (35mm in full frame equivalent) is one of my favorite prime lenses. If I can only bring one lens out, this is the focal length I will bring. No second thought. And now, Sigma has this amazing lens ready for the X-mount, L-mount, and E-mount.

Intro

Sigma 23mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary was released officially in September 2023, but it was announced way back in April 2023.

If I remember correctly, this is Sigma’s 4th prime lens. It may not sound a lot, but Sigma did cover basically the most commonly used focal lengths for street photographers.

Before I proceed further, I would like to thank Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me this lens for review and Kai for making the arrangements. I appreciate their support in making this review a reality.

Design and Build Quality

From the first look, this lens shares many similarities with the other Contemporary series like the Sigma 18-55mm, Sigma 56mm, etc. The lens gives a very minimalistic look, nothing fancy, just a low-profile lens design. The lens is made of “Thermally Stable Composite” (TSC) polycarbonate material, which gives a very high quality, well-built lens body.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/13000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

At 335 grams, this lens is very comfortable to hold, and it comes with a 52mm filter size (For your information, it is the same filter size as the Sigma 30mm f1.4). It also comes with a plastic lens hood.

In the same manner, this lens is also equipped with dust and splash-resistant sealing that helps to protect the lens from certain weather/environmental conditions. Last but not least, it does not come with an aperture ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/250″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

Oh yes, it is made in Japan.

Image Quality

I think this is probably the better image quality as compared to the other Sigma prime lenses. At wide open, the image is great, sharp, and contrasting. If I set XF23mm f1.4 WR as the benchmark, this Sigma lens is just one tier lower. This is very impressive in my opinion.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/15000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f8 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f7.1* . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The blur transition between the focused and non-focused object is not the best I have since but it is decent too. Not harsh or distracting.

Vignetting is there at wide-open. But again, not a critical concern to me. Chromatic aberration is nowhere to be found or at least I did not spot one during my course of testing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/250″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f16 . 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If anyone is concerned about the sun star result, it is okay, not the best but also the worst.

Focusing

With the help of the stepping motor, the lens performs very well. In most situations, the focus is quick (not the fastest) and accurate. So far, I have not experienced any miss-focused shots which I think is another great experience to have.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f4* . 1″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

But under challenging situations like a dim environment, it does pose a bit of a challenge to focus. This is pretty much the same behavior as most lenses in the market.

The focus ring is smooth as expected. Nothing to complain about. Also, Sigma did a good job at controlling the lens breathing. Not too much of a concern for photographers, but if you intend to use this lens for videography, I think it might be a good option.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

While 25cm MFD is not the shortest for this focal length, it is pretty usable. It is still allowing photographers to take close-up subject if he/she wants to. The image quality might seem to be a little softer at wide-open. Unless you do pixel peeping, it is barely noticeable.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

It is priced at 549 USD. For comparison, XF23mm f.14 WR is priced at 899 USD, Viltrox 23mm f1.4 is priced at 325 USD, Voigtlander Nokton 23mm f1.2 is priced at 599 USD (not quite a fair one but I just throw it in for price sensing purpose).

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6* . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

What do you think? Is it a fair price?

Others

The “metallic” surface of the lens is prone to fingerprint smudge but this is the same across all contemporary prime lenses thus far. But not too much of a worry as it can be removed easily with a cloth.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/26000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f4 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

If you are new to photography or want to own the first decent-quality prime lens but are on a budget, I will always recommend a 23mm prime lens as a start. Because as a prime lens, it is versatile for the street, cityscape/landscape, documentary, environmental portrait, astrophotography, editorial, and the list goes on.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/60″ . ISO 2000 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2.8* . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Hence, this Sigma 23mm f1.4 can be one of your considerations. There is not much of a 23mm focal length competition just yet. I know there is a brand or 2 that have the intention to enter this 23mm segment but I am totally not sure how good their lens and the image quality will be. But Sigma has been around since 1961 and has been accompanying many photographers in their photography lives. So the image quality is at a certain standard.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2* . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

As a third-party lens, Sigma 23mm f1.4 set a benchmark for many others to follow. Fantastic image quality, decent focus speed, and comfortable lens handling. As for the lens build, it may not be as good as what metal built quality is but it is definitely a premium polycarbonate build quality. Trust me, I experienced the not-so-good one.

Sigma may not seem to release lenses aggressively for Fujifilm. But if we look back, it is otherwise. In fact, Sigma had released lenses for Fujifilm at a good momentum throughout the years. Today, Sigma has released a good range of prime lenses for street photographers.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . *Sigma 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4* . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Finally, I have to say this is by far one of my favorite Sigma lenses and I hope Sigma will continue to support the Fujifilm X-mount and also probably the G-mount soon?

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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Discussion

The Not So Serious Comparision: 27mm VS 27mm VS 27mm

October 12, 2023October 12, 2023 Alwin Kok

This is the second of the above-mentioned series. I have recently tested the Viltrox 27mm and much earlier with the TTArtisan variant and the Fuji variant. So in the name of fun, I am trying to compare the image quality among the 3.

From left to right: XF27mm, Viltrox 27mm, TTArtisan 27mm

Of course, this comparison is not scientific, nothing technical or chart board to take reference and compare. Photos are taken in my house.

The comparison is simple. Shoot at the respective lens’ Minimum Focus Distance (MFSD), at approximately 50cm and 100cm. Apertures range from wide-open, f2 (only applies to Viltrox), f4, and f5.6.

For a note, the MFD for the lenses are as of below:
Viltrox 27mm – 28cm
XF27mm – 34cm
TTArtisan 27mm – 35cm

So do not take it seriously.

Shooting at Minimum Focus Distance

Left: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ f1.2
Right: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ f2

Left: XF27mm f2.8 @ f2.8
Center: TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 @ f2.8
Right: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ f2.8

Left: XF27mm f2.8 @ f4
Center: TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 @ f4
Right: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ f4

Left: XF27mm f2.8 @ f5.6
Center: TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 @ f5.6
Right: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ f5.6

Shooting at approximately 50cm.

Shooting at approximately 100cm.

In my opinion, Viltrox seems to be the better one in overall performance out of the 3 and it also has a very usable MFD. Of course, better image quality comes with some sacrifice: weight and price. It is selling at a retail price of 549 USD as compared to XF27mm at 399 USD and TTArtisan 27mm at 159 USD. So which one will you get? Image quality over everything? or
Striking a balance between image quality and weight? or
Getting the best value?

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. All shots are straight out of the camera.
3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Viltrox 27mm f1.2 Pro – The Ultimate 27mm Yet

October 3, 2023October 13, 2023 Alwin Kok

Viltrox started off with a very good strategy by introducing the first ever pro lens from the company, the Viltrox 75mm f1.2. It was a success, and many photographers who own it love it. Does this Viltrox 27mm f1.2 have the same mojo? Time will tell. But for now, Viltrox is busy fulfilling the orders. (Viltrox loves the Fujifilm community because both lenses are available for Fujifilm at the beginning.)

Left: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 with lens hood
Right: Viltrox 27mm f1.2 without lens hood

Intro

Viltrox has been teasing this lens as early as April 2023. While I am not sure if it gets the attention it intended for from the rest of the photographers, it did raise my eyebrows when I first aware of this teaser. A 27mm lens is going to be the next pro lens from Viltrox is going to be an interesting one.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/52″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/1250″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

They do away with the usual standard focal lengths like 23mm or 35mm and choose 27mm instead. But is that really a wise choice?

Putting that aside, there is a saying that 40mm (in full frame equivalent) is a sweet spot between 35mm and 50mm (in full frame equivalent). One step back, you can get 35mm. One step forward, you can get 50mm. But I think only if the surrounding allows us to do so.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, I have a “cast in stone” impression with the 27mm (or 40mm in full frame equivalent) lenses are tend to designed as compact as possible. Making it an everyday lens for every photographer. But Viltrox’s approach is totally different, giving us the best possible optic one ever desires for this focal length.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/500″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/450″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f5 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Design and Build Quality

Similar to the Viltrox 75mm f1.2 (I will just mention 75mm from now onwards), the metal-built quality is identical, solid, great build, and feels premium. So is the weight too (560 grams).

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f4 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The aperture ring is clicky and is a pleasure to use and the focus ring is smooth with minimum resistance.

Surprisingly, the filter size is only 67mm as opposed to the 75mm (72mm). Also, it is dust-proof and waterproof.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f8 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It also comes with a plastic lens hood. Although I feel that it should come with the metal hood to suit the “Pro” name, I guess this is to reduce the overall weight of this gigantic lens.

Image Quality

The image quality is fantastic, clinically sharp, and deep contrast. At wide-open, the subject is pop and clearly separate from the off-focus foreground/background beautifully. Just like the 75mm, the shots are totally usable.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

The question here again is whether clinical sharp is a bad thing or a good thing? The answer is subjective to individual photographers. For me, I’m okay with either sharp or not sharp, it’s the lens characteristics. If I want to bring it out for a shoot, it means I have my expectations for what the results coming out from the lens.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f16 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, it has zero cchromatic aberration but with little vignetting can be observed if one is nitpicking. Removing vignetting should be easy with post-processing software, so I am not so bothered by it.

The sun-star result is not the best but pretty decent with a nice shape.

*Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f16 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

This lens comes with an STM Stepping motor. It gives a fast and silent experience. It is very snappy and probably even better than the 75mm that I tested sometime back.

Also, there are times that the lens does not focus well which usually happens while shooting at MFD or a highly exposed area. But this don’t happen every single time so I believe this can be fixed in future software release.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 2000 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*

The lens/focus breathing is good here. The focus distance did not change dramatically as you change the focus distance from MFD to infinity and vice versa. In my opinion, this is a thoughtful engineering from the Viltrox engineers. Although this does not impact to photographer, this can be a great deal for a videographer. As far as I know, many cinematic videographers use this focal length for their shoots.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

28cm MFD may not sound like a big deal but in fact, it is impressive. For reference, it is much closer than XF27mm f2.8 WR (@34cm) and TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 (@35cm). With this close MFD, photographers can take the opportunity to get closer to the subject and give a stronger compression with the background.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/12000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

549 USD is the price. Is it expensive? For comparison, XF27mm f2.8 WR is selling at 399 USD at B&H, TTArtisan 27mm is 159 USD and lastly, Voigtlander 27mm f2 is 595 USD. So it is kind of hard to determine whether 549 USD is really expensive or worth buying. It’s all up to the individual.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/7000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

It also comes with a USB-C port right at the rear lens. This also means future firmware improvement to the lens is possible.

Viltrox 27mm f1.2 shares a lot of similarities with the 75mm counterpart. This also means things like missing aperture ring lock release that prevents accidental switches. But this is not a deal breaker.

Who is this for?

This lens is not a usual lens in terms of size and weight. Using this lens as a street lens is fine but not sure if one can sustain carrying it over time.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f2 . 1/3500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/1700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

From what I see, professional photographers should benefit from using this lens for their works. What genres will be quite dependent on what the photographers want to achieve with this lens? In general, it can cover typical genres that I always mentioned in other posts.

Conclusion

I think this is the right move from Viltrox where 27mm is indeed in a good spot in the overly crowded market space with 23mm and 50mm/56mm focal lengths. Also, let’s not forget that the price is really attractive if you are comparing it with other f1.2 and f1.4 range of lenses.

If you put size and weight aside, you will be rewarded with fantastic image quality and I couldn’t ask for more from it.

Viltrox has quite a number of lenses up its sleeve for the Fujifilm community. But for now, there is a leak with the Viltrox 20mm f2.8 and it is expected to be arrived in Q4 2023. Also, a LAB series that is meant to be superior to the Pro series? I think we will know the answer in the future.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

YN50mm F1.8X DA DSM Pro – A Good Start

September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 Alwin Kok

Yongnuo has been in the photographic industry for over 10 years and they are no stranger to making autofocus lenses. In fact, for 50mm focal length per se, they have about 10 different 50mm lenses for different mounts up in their online store and this Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 DA DSM Pro is the first for Fujifilm X-mount.

Intro

The first time I learned about this lens was on a rumor website in May 2023. My thought is that this might be a direct competitor to the XF50mm f2.

Fuji X-E3 with Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 DA DSM Pro

Fuji X-E3 with Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 DA DSM Pro and lens hood

And today, it’s right in my hand and let me give you my opinion after a short 2 weeks of day-to-day hands-on with the lens.

Special thanks to the nice people at Yongnuo for sending me this lens. Without their support, this blog will not be here.

Design and Build Quality

When I first unbox the package, the prominent OLED screen appears in front of my very eyes. This less than 2cm screen (in diagonal) reminds me of some of the Nikon Z-mount lenses. Obviously, it is meant to show some information.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/180″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/70″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/180″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

Picking up the lens the first impression that this lens gives me is a very clean and simple design. From the lens appearance, it lacks the physical aperture ring. So here is the interesting part. There is a function switch 1 and 2. Toggling to switch 1 gives you the capability to change the aperture while the other gives you focus ring control. Oh yes, the ring itself is very smooth. More about this later.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The metal-constructed lens (or so it seems) weighs about 378 grams. The rear mount is metal too. I can feel the weight when I hold it on my hand but it’s not as heavy as the number stated. Overall, I feel it has a very solid built quality.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The filter size is 58mm which is very decent and small. Also, it comes with a lens hood.

Image Quality

At wide-open, the shots are phenomenal or I should say it exceeds my expectations. The contrast and sharpness are pretty decent and I am not able to spot any softness in the photos. Vignetting and chromatic aberration are well-controlled too.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/180″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

At f1.8, it does not give a strong/heavy background blur like the one with f1.2 or f1.4 but good enough separation between the subject and the off-focused foreground/background. The blur result does not look very busy or harsh, which is comfortable in my opinion.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

The sun star gives a good soft star shape to the photo. If you are aware, there is a lens flare introduced as well. For photographers who do not like lens flare, please do note. Also, I have the lens hood mounted but somehow there is still a lens flare, it could be my handling problem.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f16 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f16 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

Thanks to the digital stepping motor, the focusing performance is fast but not as snappy as the new generation Fuji lenses (for example: XF23mm f1.4 WR and XF56mm f1.2 WR).

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/160″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

I have no complaints about the fast focusing performance, however, I do encounter some off-focused results when the focus box is green. Luckily, when I experience this issue, the off-focused preview is quite obvious. This happens when I aim at darker environments like under shadow or in a dim environment. The good thing is it happens rarely in my course of testing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

Although it is not as close as what XF50mm f2 offers (39cm), MFD at 45cm is still pretty decent. It still provides a good close-up result of the subject without losing details.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/60″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/8000″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

It is priced at 265 USD on the Yongnuo official site. As compared to XF50mm f2 (449 USD), I have to say it is a sweet price point and very competitive pricing among third-party manufacturers.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/3800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 does not have any direct competition of the same focal length and aperture value. But somewhat close will be Viltrox 56mm f1.4 (329 USD) and Sigma 56mm f1.4 (429 USD). Of course, I am comparing based on brand new units and not comparing with second-hand/pre-owned lenses of the above-mentioned lenses.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/320″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

There is a USB-C port on the lens for future firmware updates and it is positioned exposing on the outside of the lens, unlike other manufacturers that locate the USB-C port at the rear mount. It comes with a rubber to seal the port but I am afraid it could be potentially missing someday and leave the port exposed by accident.

Left: Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 USB-C port with rubber cover
Right: Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 USB-C without rubber cover

For a note: the terms DA and DSM are “Digital APS-C” and “Digital Stepping Motor”.

Feedback

Although this is a pro lens from Yongnuo, there is no weather resistance found in this lens. I think this can be a good improvement for their next-generation pro lenses.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens comes with a unique aperture ring and focus ring combination. Somehow this might be a problem here. After I set my aperture value and leave the function switch as “1”, there is a possibility that I might accidentally change the aperture value again without knowing. This does happen to me even if the lens comes with an independent aperture ring. So in order to prevent such a thing from happening, I will have to remember to toggle the function switch to “2”.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Following this, the screen only provides an aperture value. I hope to see more likable to see the focal range I am at when I am toggled to function switch 2.

I also noticed that I am unable to control the aperture value via the camera front control dial. I think this will be nice if the Yongnuo engineers can help to implement this. I also think that this would be nice if the photographers had the option to choose their preferred way of controlling the aperture value.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Lastly, the manual focus throw is long. It takes me quite a long while to focus from minimum distance to infinity. No matter how slow or fast I rotate the focus ring, the momentum is constant. As this is a digital focus throw, I hope that Yongnuo will improve on the manual focus throw to be dependent or react to how fast or slow I am focusing. Having said that, this is not the top priority.

Who is this for?

In my opinion, this lens is great for photographers who want a small lens that covers mainly the portrait genre. Of course, this lens is also capable of covering landscape, street, product, and documentary photography.

*Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

The way I see it, this lens is all out to directly compete with the XF50mm f2. I think it’s a good competition. This not only gives Fujifilm a second thought about refreshing its F2 lens lineup, but it also gives photographers more options to pick. As much as I give a number of feedbacks, I do feel this is a very solid lens in terms of optical quality, performance, built quality, and of course, attractive price point.

*uji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f5 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As I stated in my title, Yongnuo has a good start with launching this lens. I hope the future lenses coming out from Yongnuo will be even better or at least should maintain this benchmark.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

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If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Fujifilm X-S20 – I Can Hold This Whole Day

August 30, 2023September 7, 2023 Alwin Kok

I can still remember the Fuji X-S10 surprised the world when it was announced back in 2020. The SLR-style mirrorless camera not only surprised the Fuji community but also gained unexpected popularity from outside the Fuji community. It was a successful product. 3 years later, Fujifilm introduced the successor, X-S20, to the world. Is it attractive for the community again?

Fujifilm takes a good approach to introduce its new camera in the X-Summit Bangkok and I think it is a good move. Bangkok is one of the most popular cities for tourism and this is probably one of the best Fuji cameras for travel they are possibly the best match to showcase everything.

I also take the opportunity to bring the review unit to Bangkok and try to experience the X-S20 the same way Yuji Igarashi San and Mr. Ekkarat Punyatara have in the X-Summit (sort of).

Before I continue further, I would like to thank Ms. Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for arranging and loaning the X-S20 for review. By the time this post is online, the camera unit had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore.

Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/280″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Over here, I am sharing my opinion from a photographer’s point of view. That’s because I am not a videographer and I have limited knowledge about videography. Pardon me.

Design, Build Quality, Handling & The Shutter…

The overall design of the X-S20 is almost identical to the X-S10 with just a little change in length (127mm against 126mm), and a deeper hand grip. But what changes the most is the internal parts. First thing, it has upgraded the X-Processor to the 5th generation while keeping the X-Trans 4 sensor. Secondly, the battery has been upgraded to NP-W235. It is a great move because there was quite a lot of feedback about the NP-W126 battery life. Lastly, improvements on the ports and buttons.

Fuji X-S20 . Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 @ 20mm . f5 . 1/100″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . Meike 85mm f1.8 @ 85mm . f1.8 . 1/550″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

The build quality gives a premium feel and does not feel like a polycarbonate-built camera, which I think is great. Unfortunately, it does not come with weather-sealed. I guess we can look forward to its successor. At 491 grams (including battery and memory card), this camera is light to carry (but also subject to what lenses you are mounting it with).

Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/105″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/100″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.4 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/100″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

I have a big hand and my little pinky is left out with this camera but I love holding this X-S20 handgrip. I remember that mounting big lenses on the X-S10 may leave very little room space for the finger to hold the grip. With the new slightly longer and slightly slimmer grip than the X-S10, this X-S20 is more comfortable and better with the big lenses.

As for the shutter, it does not have the same satisfying mechanical shutter feedback as the X-T5 but it is just fine. Nothing to shout about.

Fuji X-S20 . Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 @ 11mm . f5.6 . 1/550″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/2700″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . Meike 85mm f1.8 @ 85mm . f6.4 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Oh yes, the ISO & the Q buttons are now bigger than the predecessor. In my opinion, it is much better to press too.

Fuji X-S20 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f2 . 1/420″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/240″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Do note that the X-S20 is not a weather-sealed/resistance camera, if you come across heavy rain, snow, etc., do protect your camera.

Sensor and Processor

Is it a disappointment to have the old X-Trans 4 sensor? Not for me. This is a very capable sensor and it does not show its “age” just yet. I love the 26 megapixels resolution as it is a very good sweet spot for me. Yes, I do have the X-T5 and I thought 40 megapixels would make my photography life a happier one. Not quite meaningful for me after all as I don’t have a cropping habit, I do not print, and lastly, 40 megapixels resolution is quite taxing to my hard disk space.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f5.6 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/320″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f4 . 1/320″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Having a new processor, X-Processor 5, co-exist with the sensor is a good move. It actually helps to lower power consumption, improve battery life, and also helps to improve overall performance like auto-focus speed and tracking algorithm. I think it is a win-win situation.

For a note: since it is using the X-Trans 4 sensor, the base ISO is ISO 160 and not the ISO 125 like the one found in the X-Trans 5 HR sensor.

Image Quality

The pros and cons of the X-Trans 4 remain the same in this X-S20. While the image quality is much dependent on the glass we put in front of the sensor, I have no complaints about it if I used a premium Fuji prime lens.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/420″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Personally, I love the color produced by this sensor. I have no idea why but the film simulations such as the Classic Chrome and the Classic Negative seem to be better than the one found in X-Trans 5. Again it’s a personal feeling towards it.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 @ 20mm . f2.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 @ 11mm . f5.6 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Performance

The performance of the camera is associated with the lens it is paired with. In my course of testing, the camera works just fine and performs decently well. The camera has no issue with the third-party autofocus lenses I have on hand. (Anyway I am not expecting something weird.)

*Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2 . 1/100″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f4 . 1/220″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/100″ . ISO 2000 . Nostalgic Negative*

When comes to autofocus tracking, I can feel that it is more sticky to the subject than I had with the X-S10 and the autofocus tracking is also capable of tracking an object pretty far away. My guess is that the new processor provides a good improvement over here.

IBIS

With the rating at 7.0 stops, I have no scientific way to prove if the IBIS is 7 stops effective. It is also 1 stop improvement over the predecessor’s 6 stops. In layman’s testing, I am about to handheld with my XF23mm f1.4 WR at approximately 1 second.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f8 . 0.9″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Of course, I do have hits and misses due to my shaky hands but I think IBIS helps to reduce the motion blur caused by shaky hands and the camera shakes when I do the shutter press. If you have a more steady pair of hands, I think it will perform even better. Do note that a high shutter speed will not automatically activate the IBIS function.

Battery Life

Yuji Igarashi San took up the challenge to take over 1000 shots with the X-S20 in the X-Summit Bangkok. 1000 shots is a high benchmark for Fujifilm and I am not doubting Yuji San’s challenge will fail. At the end of the X-Summit, he shared that he had taken 1033 shots with 1 bar of battery left.

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/2400″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

So I am very curious over here how many more shots can I take with 1 full bar of battery? So in my Bangkok trip, it took me about 2.5 days to use up one NP-W235 battery and I have a total of 1394 shots. That’s a whopping 40% more than what Fujifilm has claimed in the X-Summit.

Left: 1340 shots with 1% battery left.
Right: A total of 1394 shots taken with one NP-W235 battery (shot was taken after the battery replaced)

In case someone wonders, my usage behavior is that I will turn off the camera after each use and on again. The term “use” is usually about 1-3 shots. I also use the X-app to transfer approximately 50 shots over a span of a 2.5-day period. While I believe not everyone has the same behavior as me, I suggest you consider changing to another fully charged battery when you hit between 900-1000 shots. Unless you are as adventurous as me, I think this is a safer benchmark for everyone to use.

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 70mm . f4 . 1/56″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF16.80mm f4 @ 42.9mm . f4 . 1/100″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Feedback

While there is not much “fault” that I can find with this camera throughout the test, there is one thing that I wish that Fuji would consider implementing a focus mode button like the one found in X-H2 and X-H2S (the fn3 button default setting). I know there is a “Q” function for quick access, but having the focus mode button at the bottom right corner would allow the photographer to access the focus mode even faster.

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF16-80mm f4 @ 80mm . f4 . 1/100″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Another thing I wish to feedback on is the joystick. Since the X-S20 does not have the directional buttons like the X-T5, I hope the successor will come with a bigger joystick for navigation.

Others

The Electronic View Finder remains the same as its predecessor at 0.62x magnification and 2.36 million dot resolution. It is good enough to use but we always hope to have something bigger and better.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/320″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/180″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Like the X-S10, it comes with a built-in flash which is a nice gesture and good to have for “just in case” situations when one needs it.

In case you are a film simulation lover like me, X-S20 has the latest Nostalgic Negative film simulation. It’s a nice touch to have the newest (but not so new) film simulation integrated into this camera.

*Fuji X-S20 . Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 @ 11mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/100″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . Meike 85mm f1.8 @ 85mm . f1.8 . 1/420″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my testing, I did encounter a high temperature warning just once and that was under the 11 a.m. sun. I understand that such a thing might happen for a camera that compacts. Anyway, there is a FAN-001 accessories that is meant for videography purposes for X-H2S and X-H2, it works on X-S20 as well.

Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/100″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5 . 1/100″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/100″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Lastly, there is a compact charging brick included in the package, along with the typical accessories like a camera strap and USB-C cable. I do know that the packages vary across countries and regions. So the one that you received might not have the charging brick.

Who is this for?

If you are a new photographer or attempting to switch to a new system or get a second camera system, I think this is one of the best cameras for photographers to enter into Fujifilm and access their rich lens choices (including a lot of third-party lenses). But this upgrade might not be sufficient enough for the X-S10 photographers to upgrade.

*Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/1100″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2.8 . 1/60″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2.8 . 1/60″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my own words

X-S20 is lightweight and capable camera. The upgrade in X-S20 is positive and considerably huge. They introduce quite a fair bit of improvement for the camera, but what I love the most is the NP-W235 battery and the brand new X-Processor 5 plus X-Trans 4 sensor. This is a new combination and this also shows how capable the combination of the processor and the battery can be. 1000+ shots are just incredible.

*Left: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/100″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-S20 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/100″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

With the right lens, holding the X-S20 is a joy. It does not strain my waist after one whole day of holding it around. Nothing is more important than traveling comfortably with a powerful compact camera like it.

With the success of this X-S20, I hope that the X-T30II and X-E4 successor will continue with this combination.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support, you can buy me a coffee here.

Author: Alwin Kok

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