Tag: Fuji

Reviews

X-H2 – The best of what APS-C can be (Part II)

Alwin Kok

4 months later, here comes the second flagship camera from Fujifilm, the X-H2. Every camera manufacturer usually releases one flagship camera to showcase the state-of-the-art technologies that they offer. But this is not the case for Fujifilm, they have a different approach, instead of releasing one flagship camera, they release two flagship cameras.

X-H2
X-H2

Come to think of this, we have this conception that the flagship camera has to be the one and only one on the top of the lineup. But it is totally common in the mobile phone industry, many manufacturers announced dual, trio or quartet flagship models. Think Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. I have nothing against this strategy. Instead, I feel that this is a good move to allow photographers to choose the right option for their needs (speed, resolution, or both) and budgets for their investments.

Fuji X-H2 . XF27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/40″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2 . XF27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/58″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2 . XF27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Before I continue with the review, I would like to thank Ms Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for arranging and loaning the X-H2 for review. By the time this review is online, the camera unit had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore.

Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

In this hands-on review, I will do the same approach as I did with the X-H2S; to use various lenses to see how the lenses perform with this new 40 megapixels camera.

Here is the list of lenses I used:

1. XF 16mm f1.4
2. XF 18mm f1.4
3. XF 23mm f2
4. XF 23mm f1.4 WR
5. XF 27mm f2.8 WR
6. XF 35mm f1.4
7. XF 50mm f1
8. XF 50mm f2
9. XF 18-55mm f2.8 – f4
10. XF 70-300mm f4 – f5.6
11. TTArtisan 23mm f1.4
12. TTArtisan 50mm f2
13. TTArtisan 50mm f0.95

To note: As I am not a videography expert, I will not highlight any videography-related content in this post.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f2 WR @ 27mm . f2 . 1/320″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f2 WR @ 27mm . f2 . 1/350″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

Design, Build Quality, Handling & The Shutter…

Everything about its design, build quality, handling, shutter, and EVF are exactly the same as the X-H2S. Since it is totally the same experience so I will not repeat them over here. If you are interested, you can read it in my X-H2S post.

Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Sensor and Processor

Over here, Fujifilm uses the X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HR (not the HS, and since the Resolution is the key thing and hence the “R”). The X-Processor 5 is the same as the one equipped with the X-H2S. Similarly, it has the Nostalgic Negative film simulation too, the second APS-C camera to come with this film simulation. Again, I just want to highlight it because I like this film simulation.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . TTArtisan 50mm f2 @ 50mm . f2 . 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Not everything is exactly identical to the X-H2S. Fujifilm has something up its sleeve with this camera. In fact, there are 2 exciting improvements over the X-H2S (at least in my opinion).

The first exciting improvement is that it has the lowest base ISO since X-T3 was introduced with base ISO 160. It is now at ISO 125, which technically speaking will gives a cleaner and higher quality photo.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The second one is even more attention-grabbing, it has a maximum electronic shutter speed of 1/180,000, an increase of approximately 2.5 stops compared to other X-Series cameras (maximum at 1/32,000). In practical usage, I can shoot wide open without the help of using a Neutral-density filter. But I have no idea when I will need this blazing fast shutter speed but it is always good to have this functionality ready.

Image Quality

When rumours are flying around the internet sharing about 40 megapixels sensors, I am sure everyone who reads it is excited but what worried the most to the majority of the photographers including myself is whether the older lenses cannot resolve the sensor well. I am also sure that I am not the only pessimistic person here.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/480″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Cropped

According to the Fujifilm website, they have listed what lenses at wide open can achieve edge-to-edge, high-resolution performance, allowing the photographers to fully experience the 40 megapixels sensor has to offer. They also highlight that lenses that are not listed will allow photographers to experience improved resolution performance of 40 megapixels.

Extract from  https://fujifilm-x.com/global/products/cameras/x-h2/

Okay… Although the message here seems to be a little bit grey area but it sounds not too bad or so it seems to be. It still makes me wonder how good can the old lenses (and 3rd party manual lenses) resolve this high-resolution megapixels?

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/75″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f4 . 0.35″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Truth be told, the images from those lenses turn out to be just fine or slightly better (depending on the individual perspective). They are not as bad as I thought they would be. My personal conclusion is that the old lenses and other manual lenses can resolve newer sensors. But the clarity level might not be as great as the newer lenses or the lenses that Fujifilm listed out there.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/52″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/52″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Undoubtedly, the number “40” is a new achievement in the APS-C camera category. The previous largest resolution I know is 33 megapixels from Canon. Although getting larger megapixels is always a good thing to have, retaining a decent amount of quality details is more important in my opinion. I’m glad X-H2 delivered it quite well.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5.6 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

There are 2 ways to make full use of the 40 megapixels. The first one is to print out at a whopping 8 meters x 6 meters print but unfortunately, not everyone has the space to hang it. So we talk about the second way and that is having the luxury to crop. While it cannot compare against the GFX cameras that come with 50 megapixels or 100 megapixels, it still has quite a good resolution to crop. Having said that, I am not a person who loves to crop photos. But with this amount of resolution, it does help to do some slight adjustments or creative crop to the photos for me.

Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f5 . 2″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
One of my favourite crop ratio – 65:24

Performance

The autofocus performance for this camera is blazing fast with newer lenses. As for older lenses (especially without Linear Motor), the camera is still able to perform faster and snappier than equipping them on my X-T3. So I can say that the X-H2’s AF performance is kind of subject to what lenses you are using but the experience is not too far off.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/34″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/34″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative

What about comparing both X-H2S and X-H2? Well, the X-H2S indeed performs faster but just narrowly faster. You can only tell the difference when you test both cameras side by side.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/34″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f2 WR @ 23mm . f2 . 1/45″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Under decent street light situations, the AF performance is decently fast. That said, it is also depending on what lenses you are using to shoot as some older lenses might affect the AF performance by a little.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF18mm f1.4 WR @ 18mm . f1.4 . 1/11000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f2 WR @ 50mm . f2 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The eye-AF performance is sufficiently better than the previous generation processor and image sensor. It is much stickier than before and can detect the eye even if the person is putting on a mask. Similar to X-H2S, if there is more than one person in the frame, you may experience the eye-AF jumping back and forth.

IBIS

Consistent with X-H2S, the X-H2 also achieve up to 7 stops compensation with some lenses up to 5 stops. I test with the legendary XF 35mm f1.4 and with some luck, I can manage to snap 0.7-second exposure handheld. For XF18-55mm, I am able to accomplish a 1/2 second result at a higher success rate with my shaky hands.

Fuji X-H2 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 19.6mm . f4 . 0.7″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 55mm . f4 . 0.5″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f5 . 0.77″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Battery life

For my usage in the past 2 weeks, I took about 700 shots in one of the days and it is left with approximately 25%. So 1 battery can definitely last me for a day. If I going to overseas travelling, I think bringing 2 extra batteries is more than enough. I probably will not even need to change the battery as often as I did with my X-T3 (which I need to change every half day).

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/52″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f4 . 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

To my surprise, according to CIPA standards, the battery life is rated as 680 shots. So I think they might have tested the battery with maximum performance while I using the normal performance.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Feedback

40 Megapixels is a lot and I believe not every photographer wants to have that full resolution, especially in RAW. At least a friend of mine who is a full-time photographer told me that. He explains that the nature of his work does not require such a big resolution as it will take up more of his processing time.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f2 WR @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/450″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative

He hopes to see Fujifilm will take into consideration updating the firmware and implement the option to select the RAW size (i.e. M size RAW and S size RAW). The current setting only allows having M size JPEG and S size JPEG while keeping full resolution RAW.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF18mm f1.4 WR @ 18mm . f5.6 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Cropped

In my own words

After my 2 weeks of testing, I believe the X-H2 will be the popular option among the dual flagships. Putting the price aside, both cameras’ performances are very identical. Given that the X-H2 has more functionalities improvements like lower base ISO, faster electronic shutter speed and 8K video, I do see why it is more popular than the X-H2S.

Fuji X-H2 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 122.5mm . f5 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 132mm . f5 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2 . XF23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Now, what excited me is the X-T5. While no one knows when it will be announced and arrive on our shores, but what X-H2 has internally might shed some light on how X-T5 might have. I hope it will keep most functionalities minus the 8K video and some of the videography functions. Sorry, I wish the X-T5 to be a photographer’s camera again and not a hybrid camera like the X-T4.

Who is this for?

This is a great, heavy-duty workhorse camera and I highly recommend it to professionals and pro-consumers who can take advantage of the high resolution it has to offer. If you are struggling between the dual flagships, head down to the camera store and try it out and compare both of them. However, if the photographer wants to own both the speed and resolution, buy both and you can have the best of both worlds.

Left: Fuji X-H2 . TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 WR @ 50mm . f2 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Cropped

Left: Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Cropped

As for me, it is not for me. As I mentioned before, I am still waiting for the X-T5 arrival and I hope it will have the X-T3 flip and tilt screen. My piggy bank is waiting to get smashed.

Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f1 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-H2 . XF50mm f1 WR @ 50mm . f2 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
65:24 Cropped

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. All of the shots are straight out of the camera with some edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. The photos are resized to 30% of the original size except for cropped ones. If you wish to see the original file, contact me and I am happy to share it with you.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
5. The camera firmware is 1.00.
6. 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.

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

Reviews

Laowa 10mm f4 Cookie – The Modestly Priced Compact Ultra-wide lens

Alwin Kok

Usually, for the same focal length, there are basically 2 paths for making it. The first one is to make with better optic, faster, brighter and premium price tagged lens. The second one is to make a smaller, compact and wisely priced lens. And this Laowa 10mm f4 is the later one. Laowa Lenses (also known as Venus Optics) has been in this optic industry for almost 10 years. They have created many unique innovative lenses such as 24mm T14 2x PeriProbe, 4mm f2.8 fisheye and fast f0.95 Argus series of lenses. And this 10mm f4 is their newest creation.

Laowa 10mm f4 Cookie

I am glad that I have a few days of opportunity to try this lens before it was sent back to its headquarters in China.

Fuji X-E4 with Laowa 10mm f4 Cookie

On a side note: this lens comes with various mounts too (i.e. RF, Z, E and L mounts).

Laowa 10mm f4 Cookie

Design and Build Quality

The lens is compact, hence, the name “Cookie”. Probably Laowa is trying to come up with a new term rather than using “pancake”. Nonetheless, I can’t help to compare it with the XF27mm f2.8 WR and the overall size is somewhere close to each other. Laowa 10mm is about Ø59.8mm X 25mm while XF27mm is Ø62mm x 23mm. However, the weight of the Laowa 10mm is heavier (130 grams against 84 grams).

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f5.6 . 1/110″ . ISO 160 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/75″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative

This 15mm (in full-frame equivalent) lens comes with solid and good-built quality. Everything in this lens body makes of metal, including the rear bayonet. This Ø37mm filter threaded lens comes with a clickable aperture ring and a smooth focus ring. Anyway, it does not come with a lens hood.

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/75″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative

The lens cap is of the traditional “squeeze to release” type. Nothing special to shout about. Not forgetting that this lens comes in 2 colours, black and silver.

Image Quality

This cookie lens offers an impressive 109.3° angle of view. But I have to say that it is not the best image quality I have ever seen. I mean when I first know of this product and its price tag, I set my expectation lower

Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Negative

At wide open, you will be greeted by a very heavy vignetting result. You can correct it in post-edit or set it to a lower aperture like f5.6 or f8. Also, I felt that the image is better and sharper if you step down the aperture to f5.6 or f8. At f4, the image seems to be softer and with less contrast.

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/38″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/40″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative

Distortion is also noticeable at the corners and this is an expected result for such an ultra-wide angle. Hence, I can only suggest you take note of the distortion unless it is intended that way.

Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/52″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative
Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f8 . 1/200″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

The flare is totally noticeable if you shoot directly toward the sun’s direction. That said, the sunny star is sharp at f22.

Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f22 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Minimum Focus Distance

Another remarkable thing about this lens is its minimum focus distance, 10cm. Basically, I am shooting very close to the subject and the shadow of the lens is probably in the photo as well (if you shoot facing downward).

Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/680″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Left: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/640″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Something to take note of

This lens is a manual lens. That said, it does not come with any electronic contact and hence no aperture data is recorded in the EXIF.

Left: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/350″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/2700″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

If you shoot at infinity, the result is actually not sharp at the infinity marking. You have to rotate the focus zoom slightly backwards to get the right infinity shot. I can’t tell you how exactly backwards it is as I am afraid that the lens I am tested with may have a different “right” infinity spot than the copy you have. But you can also explore it yourself and you will get it.

Left: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/18″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f5.6 . 1/170″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

Another thing to note is the thin focus ring and aperture ring. I have a pair of huge hands and fingers which is a little challenging for me to rotate the rings. My personal uneducated guess is that to achieve a compact size, making the width of both rings thinner might be a decision made by the company.

Left: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f22 . 1/200″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-E3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f16 . 1/550″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

Who is this for?

A new photographer who does not wish to spend a fortune and does not mind having a manual lens to have an ultra-wide angle shooting experience.

Conclusion

During my test, I do miss quite a fair bit of shots and it is likely due to my incapability to nail the focus well. Nevertheless, I have mixed feelings about this lens. The photos sometimes turn out to be better than I have expected but sometimes it turns out to be soft.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/1700″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Left: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/1100″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Classic Chrome

At f4, it is not the brightest ultra-wide lens I have ever used and it is obviously meant for outdoor day use, such as architecture, landscape, creativity, abstract, and maybe a little bit of street. You can do some indoor/night shots if there is sufficient strong light to accompany you.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Laowa 10mm f4 @ 10mm . f8 . 1/7500″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

This cookie lens has a few competitors (Rokinon 10mm f2.8 and Samyang 12mm f2.0) in this price bucket. If you like something compact and do not mind the slower aperture, then this should be your choice. Because none of them beat the compactness of this cookie lens. Alternatively, Laowa also offers a more premium ultra-wide lens, Laowa 9mm f2.8, with 200 USD more.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. The lens is from Laowa Optic and I have returned it by the time this article is available online.
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. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 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 like my content and you want to show some support, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

X-H2S – The best of what APS-C can be

Alwin Kok

Before all else, I would like to thank Ms Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for loaning the X-H2S for review. By the time this review is online, the camera unit had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore.

X-H2S

Get started

After months of waiting and numerous rumours flying over the internet, the X-H2S was finally announced in X-Summit OMIYA 2022, together with XF150-160mm and XF18-120mm. Fujifilm categorised it as a flagship model, which means the best of the best technologies Fujifilm can offer is in this camera body (or maybe together with the upcoming X-H2). If I remember correctly, The “H” in X-H stands for “Heavy-duty”.

X-H2S
X-H2S

If you have watched the X-summit, you will know this flagship model addresses three groups of categories: sports photography, wildlife photography and videography.

X-H2S

While I do not belong to any of the three categories and I do street photography most of the time, my perspective of using this camera will be more on people on the streets and things revolving around the streets.

Fuji X-H2S . XF27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/5400″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2S . XF27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Also in this hands-on sharing, it is based on a photographer’s point of view as I am not a videographer trained. To test with people on the streets, I have also used various lenses of mine to see how well this camera can perform.

Here is the list of lenses I used:

  1. XF 16mm f1.4
  2. XF 23mm f2
  3. XF 23mm f1.4 WR
  4. XF 27mm f2.8 WR
  5. XF 35mm f1.4
  6. XF 50mm f2
  7. XF 80mm f2.8
  8. XF 18-55mm f2.8 – f4
  9. XF 70-300mm f4 – f5.6

Let’s begin…

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f2 WR @ 23mm . f2 . 1/2500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f2 WR @ 23mm . f4 . 1/2500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f2 WR @ 23mm . f4 . 1/600″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative

Sensor and Processor

Fujifilm has come thus far when comes to image sensors and processors. Now, Fujifilm has come out with its first-ever Stacked-Back Side Illuminated (BSI) X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HS and X-Processor 5. With this new processor, Fujifilm has also introduced Nostalgic Negative film simulation to the APS-C camera. Nostalgic Negative was only made available to GFX (first with GFX 100S) series only. I know not many people actually talk about this film simulation but I just want to highlight how much I like this film simulation after I tested out the GFX 50S II.

Fuji X-H2S . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative
Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

More on the Image quality and performance below.

Design & Build Quality 

When I first saw the camera, it was resemblant very much to the GFX100S/50S II. It is also a totally different design from its predecessor, X-H1. This is a good way to distinguish between models. The new X-H2S can be distinguished easily at a glance too, especially since there is a label “S” on the front of the camera body.

Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative

The magnesium build camera is sturdy, durable and solid to hold. Something I am expecting from a flagship camera. The weight of the camera is 660 grams but personally, I do not feel it is heavy to hold and I think that because the weight is well distributed across the camera body.

For a note, it is just 53 grams heavier than X-T4 and 13 grams lighter than X-H1.

Handling

X-H2S has an ergonomic handgrip design but some photographers might think it is too large to hold, particularly photographers who have smaller hands. As for me, probably because I have large hands, it is very comfortable to grip. The feeling reminds me much of the good grip I had with my DSLRs back in those days.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/550″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 118mm . f5 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Overall buttons are comfortable to press with good tactile feedback. The Focus stick is large and good to navigate focus points and between menus. Nothing to complain about here.

The Shutter

The newly developed shutter button is very sensitive and I have to learn to adapt to it. For most Fuji cameras, I depress half the shutter button for focus and then depress it fully for taking the shots. But then, the shutter button of the X-H2S is probably set it up higher than the other Fuji cameras. I basically snap the shot when I depress “half” the shutter button. It took me a few shots to find the sweet spot. Sometimes I do forget and history repeats itself. It is not something difficult to familiar with, it just takes a while for my muscle memory to familiarise itself.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 55mm . f4 . 1/250″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 55mm . f4 . 1/1600″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

On a side note, I love the shutter sound. A gentle and very satisfying “tid” sound.

The Viewfinder, The LCD Screen & the Sub-Display

I have to say the viewfinder is really a pleasure to use. The 5.76M dot OLED with a 120fps refresh rate is one of the best improvements Fujifilm has made. It makes the viewing experience so smooth as if I am shooting through an optical viewfinder. (Remember to set to EVF frame rate priority to enjoy the 120fps, otherwise, it is default at 60fps.)

Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 18mm . f5 . 1/1600″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/120″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

However, the LCD screen keeps the same 1.62M dot resolution as the X-T4 but is still better than my X-T3. The display is indeed sharper and it is a good screen to meet my needs.

The “always-on” sub-display reminds me of the DSLR’s sub-display but better. As a sub-display, it provides all the necessary current settings and information to allow one to have a quick view.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/200″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 278.4mm . f5.6 . 1/800″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

The image quality is great and that is across all ISO ranges that I used in this test. Honest speaking, I cannot find anything to fault it. Personally, I feel that the image quality has some improvement at the high ISO range, especially on the ISO 3200. Not a dramatically huge difference but you can tell. Other than that, it is hard to tell the difference between X-H2s and X-T3.

Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/20″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 101.6mm . f4.5 . 1/17″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/160″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Performance

The autofocus performance of the camera is kind of limited by the lenses. Because the performance of this X-H2S is really fast, it does push the limit of the older lenses to work faster. If the lens is on the slower side (for example a lens without Linear Motor), you can feel that it works slightly slower and also missing out on some focus tracking (but it picks up pretty fast). That said, the newer lenses (such as XF 23mm f1.4 WR) are really designed to optimise with X-H2S than the older ones. All in all, the autofocus is really snappy and accurate. The older lenses do feel snappier too than having them on my X-T3.

Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

The focus tracking is a real improvement here. The eye-AF together with the Subject Detection such as “Animal”, “Bird”, “Automobile”, etc does pick up well and is quite sticky to the respective subject, especially a moving one. But if there is more than one subject in the frame, then that is another story altogether.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/220″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/600″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

IBIS

On paper, it states that it can achieve up to 7 stops of compensation with some lenses can only go up to 5 stops. In the real world, how stable is it with my shaky hands is more matters to me. The results show everything. I have tested with 4 lenses and it turns out that the IBIS is impressive. Whether it is combined with an OIS lens or not, my handheld results are pretty consistent and terrific.

Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 30.2mm . f7.1 . 0.5882″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF50mm f2 @ 50mm . f8 . 1/6″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF50mm f2 @ 50mm . f8 . 0.2222″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/12″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f5 . 1.3″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Battery life

I notice there are some people who commented about the battery life that does not last for the whole day. But in my 2 weeks of testing, it lasts me for the whole day with 35% remaining the least, that is about 500 shots taken.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/10″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF70-300mm @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/1300″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Based on the CIPA standard, the battery life is rated as 720 shots. And based on my calculation, it is about there. So I think the rating from CIPA is quite consistent with my experience.

Although battery consumption is subjective to individual usage and many other external factors to be considered, all I can say is that this NP-W235 battery is definitely better than the NP-W126S on my X-T3. If your photography consumes more battery power, then just bring another one. If bringing two batteries is insufficient, then make it three.

Fuji X-H2S . XF18-55mm @ 30.2mm . f4 . 1/550″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

PASM Dial

PASM dial is something I familiar with for a long time, especially since I used DSLR before. I do not hate it nor I am happy to see it. It just reminded me of how I should operate the camera differs from the one with Fuji-style dials.

Fuji X-H2S . XF16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/85″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

I do miss the Fuji-style dials with this X-H2S but handling the PASM dial is not a show stopper for me.

Something else…

The focus mode selector switch has been replaced by the “fn3” button in X-H2S. By default, fn3 is set as the “focus mode selector” function. If you are a person who switches various modes a lot, this might be a little ignoring to you as it takes you to a screen to select the focus mode with your D-pad and the “OK” button to enter instead of instantaneously switching with the switch.

Fuji X-H2S . XF50mm f2 @ 50mm . f2 . 1/150″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Another thing that I do not mention is the memory card. It comes with 2 slots, one for CFexpress Type B card and another for UHS-II. Because I do not have a CFexpress Type B card which unable to verify the capability of read/write speed of the camera when shooting at 40 fps.

Probably some photographers might notice this. The front dial is now not clickable.

One last interesting thing to share, X-H2S is the first Fuji camera that comes with a variable shutter speed. It calls “Flickerless S.S. Setting”. You have to enable “Flicker Reduction” first before you can set the “Flickerless S.S. Setting” on. This helps to eliminate flickering lighting from indoor LED lighting, bulb and monitor screen, etc. Only Manual and Shutter priority modes can enjoy this functionality.

Feedback

For the next generation of X-H series, I hope that the position of the Focus stick to be a little lower, probably beside the AEL button will be a better option. Whenever I want to change the focus point, I need to shift my thumb much higher to reach for the Focus stick and by doing so, I have to reorientate my hand placement on the handgrip.

Fuji X-H2S . XF80mm f2.8 @ 80mm . f2.8 . 1/680″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Another thing I hope Fujifilm can do is on the focus mode selector. Instead of the cumbersome control, you may consider making the fn3 button to toggle between the modes. I believe it will be easier for photographers who need to toggle often. Probably it can be added in a firmware update.

Left: Fuji X-H2S . XF80mm f2.8 @ 80mm . f2.8 . 1/680″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f14 . 1/90″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Above are some of the little feedback or more like my personal preference.

In my own words

The grip, the sub-display and the overall size of the camera pretty much reminded me of the good old DSLR era. Oftentimes it also reminded me of how far technology has come.

After 2 weeks of use, I believe Fujifilm has delivered the flagship model very well and beyond my expectation of what a flagship camera can be: a hybrid, heavy-duty camera for both worlds.

Fuji X-H2S . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/280″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

For Fuji enthusiastic (who like dials, dials and dials) like me, I will not get it for my personal causal shooting. Yes, the stacked BSI sensor is very attractive to me. The focusing speed and the AF tracking are something my current X-T3 cannot do with. What I can hope is that the future X-T5 has most of what X-H2S or X-H2 has to offer together with the X-T3 flip and tilt screen and I will be ready to smash my piggy bank.

Who is this for?

This is a flagship camera and also a workhorse that is designed with professional photographers (and professional videographers) in mind. It has the best performance Fujifilm has to offer to date. But that does not mean non-professional photographers should not get it. If camera size is not a factor, this X-H2S will be a camera you can consider as it is the pinnacle of Fujifilm for years to come.

Fuji X-H2S . XF23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f8 . 1/900″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Also, Fujifilm also confirmed they will be releasing X-H2 which comes with 40 megapixels in the X-Trans 5 HR. X-H2S focus on speed while X-H2 focus on fine details. Only the photographers themselves will know which camera can meet their demands in photography and the photography genres they are shooting.

Fujifilm just laid out them for you to choose from.

Fuji X-H2S . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. All of the shots are straight out of the camera with some edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
4. The camera firmware is 1.01.
5. 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.

Event

Fujifilm X-H2S Launch Event – Singapore

Alwin Kok

Today is the official launch event for Fuji X-H2S in Singapore and I am lucky enough to get invited for attending this event. This event comes with some outdoor activities and then a lunch session to end it. I feel that this is a very unique way to launch a product. To keep things simple, I just brought my X100V with me.

Menu for the day
Some starters
The starter that caught my attention
X-H2S Launch Opening
Interaction moments
The view from my table
Portraits
Photographers in actions
Birds in action
The models
The foods
Imagine one day we have a camera with phone functionality
The wines…
Last but least, X-H2S

Thank you for reading.

Reviews

XF18-120mm -A Good Zoom Lens for Photographers?

Alwin Kok

First of all, I would like to thank Ms Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for loaning the XF18-120mm and X-S10. By the time this review is online, the units had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore.

Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR
Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR
Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR
Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR

In this hands-on experience, I used this lens for photography only and nothing related to videography. Because I do not know about videography, I shall leave it to the experts to review from the videographers’ point of view.

Conclusion (TL;DR)

I am doing something different and decided to push up my conclusion so that you guys can decide to skip or continue to check out this lens.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/210″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 55.1mm . f4 . 1/640″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Over the course of 2 weeks, as a prime lens user, I enjoy every single moment of using it. It brings me back to the fun of using a zoom lens without sacrificing image quality. As for the power zoom functionality, it took me about half a day to get used to it. After all, I started learning photography in the “power zoom” era.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f5 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f5 . 1/125″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

This is a constant f4 lens and it may not have a large aperture like f2 or f2.8 and might not please some potential videographers. But every lens created has its purpose and every lens does come with pros and cons. Just how we weigh them before getting the lens, it’s up to the individual.

Of course, if you are looking for a faster lens than this and they are already existed in the market, the red badge and the MK lenses.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f5.6 . 1/640″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Personally, this lens is a great lens that has great versatility. Fujifilm strikes a good balance between compactness and image quality, is lightweight and has very useful focal lengths. From a photographer’s perspective, this lens is on my recommendation list.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @33.9mm . f4 . 1/1500″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Intro

Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR was first teased in X Summit PRIME 2021 and finally announced in X Summit OMIYA 2022. And now, it should starts shipping in September 2022. This lens has a focal length that is equivalent to 27mm – 183mm in the 35mm film format which gives whopping 6.7x times zoom. It is probably the most versatile constant aperture zoom lens from Fujifilm yet.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 73.8mm . f5.6 . 1/900″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 30.7mm . f5 . 1/900″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

During the X Summit OMIYA, Fujifilm emphasised that this lens is designed for videographers in mind and based on the expertise Fujifilm has in the broadcast industry. But can photographers use this lens for general photography purposes?

Design & Build Quality & Something more…

For a start, this lens is tall but a tad shorter than XF70-300mm. It comes with a 72mm filter size and internal zoom (yeah!). From the appearance, it gives an impression that this is a heavy lens but the 460 grams on this lens do not feel that way. The lens body is built out of polycarbonate material but I believe these are some of the reasons to explain why. (These are my guesses and not from any official Fujifilm statement.)

Fujifilm XF18-120mm f4 LM PZ WR and Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM OIS WR

First, it helps to reduce the overall weight. The lens is designed for portability so that videographers who wish to pair it with any cameras can balance it well and can use it handheld for long hours without stressing the arms.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 18mm . f9 . 1/450″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f9 . 1/500″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Second, it might help bring down some costs and allow more potential videographers to reach out for this lens.

On a side note, when the lens and camera are mounted on a gimbal, the videographer does not need to recalibrate the gimbal when changing to any focal length.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 103.7mm . f5 . 1/120″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 94.1mm . f7.1 . 1/3500″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Overall, the built quality is great and does not feel cheap at all. For forgetting that it comes with weather-resistant too!

If you have noticed, this lens does not come with an aperture ring. But it comes with 3 ways of zoom functionalities (zoom ring, zoom/focus control ring and zoom button) and a manual focus ring. It also comes with a button named Z/F (Zoom/Focus). This is also the first lens I have ever seen having 3 options to choose from. How do these 3 zoom functions work? Let me try to explain it.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 29.3mm . f4 . 1/480″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 29.3mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Classic Neg

Zoom ring – It works like what it is intended but with a little twist. The focal length actually changes “electronically”. The experience is different from what the usual manual zoom ring has, it does not have that “instant” zoomed focal length. What it gives is a steady zoom in and out. However, I will not recommend photographers to use this zoom ring to change the focal length from 18mm to 120mm and vice versa. The throw is approximately 360° from 18mm to 120mm which takes me 4 times to complete. (Update: the production unit takes approximately 90° from 18mm to 120mm) What I do is to use it as a compliment to the next zoom functionality. For example, some small fine-tuning to the focal length which I feel is easier than using the zoom/focus control ring.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/800″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Zoom/focus control ring – When I use this control ring, it kind of reminded me of my first camcorder. Clockwise for telephoto-zoom and anti-clockwise for wide-zoom. It is that simple. Sometimes, I overshoot the desired focal length, and I come to have a habit of using the zoom ring to adjust. At least it works for me. Of course, you still can use the zoom control ring to adjust to the desired focal length.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/680″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Zoom button – there are 2 buttons, the “up” button for telephoto zoom and the “down” button for wide-zoom. Basically, you press once and it will zoom in or out all the way. Press the button again to stop zooming. I did not use these buttons after exploring how it works and I believe this is more useful for videographers.

Image Quality

Usually, when comes to a zoom lens, especially having such a long zoom, I have this mindset indicating that the image quality is probably somewhere sub-par or slight above sub-par image quality.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f7.1 . 1/280″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Well. I think I have to change my way of thinking. The image quality is great. Sharp and have a good level of contrast. I enjoy the results coming out from this lens. The optical is really great even at wide-open.

It may not have the most bokehlicious result but it does render pretty smooth for a zoom lens. It does not give harsh and hard bokeh at all. As for the sunny star, this lens doesn’t seem to give a sharp one, even at its smallest aperture.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 18mm . f22 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

From my observation, chromatic aberration and vignetting are nowhere to be seen or at least very mild. This is something I am not surprised about as Fujifilm has controlled well in this aspect, especially for all the recent newer lenses.

Focusing

When comes to focusing, I have this repute that the focusing speed for a zoom lens is generally slower than a prime lens. Again, I was wrong but not completely wrong. Under the sun, focusing is pretty fast across all focal lengths. Though it is not blazing fast like the new generation prime lenses like XF23mm f1.4, it is just a tad slower. But when comes to low light situations, the wide to mid-tele focal lengths are still considerably fast. You will know that it is not as fast as the day but it is still within my acceptable range. At 120mm, the little struggle comes in. But I still manage to lock my focus after a few tries. For all that, I think it is expected behaviour for a long focal length like other lenses.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 103.7mm . f4 . 1/34″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Neg
Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 81.3mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 45.4mm . f4 . 1/25″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Neg

One thing to note is that this lens is capable of optically parfocal, which means my subject is able to stay in focus throughout the entire focal length. But I think it is more useful for videography than photography?

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/40″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Neg

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

I also do observe some soft characteristics in the out-of-focus area. I pretty much like this kind of rendering.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/950″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 18mm . f4 . 1/800″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

The MFD is 60cm. At 18mm, I am not able to get close up, rather, I am pretty far from my subject. When you shoot at 120mm, it appears to be fairly close to the subject. Yet far from what a macro lens can achieve.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/300″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/15010″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Something to note.

If you power off your camera, the focal length will be where you left off. Say if you shoot at 50mm and then power it off and on again after some time, it will remain at 50mm. That’s also applied even if you swap lenses and then swap back.

If you want to use this lens to shoot streets, you can but this lens is not as discreet as compact prime lenses. Some strangers might even notice you first before you shoot them.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/480″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Side by Side

This range of focal length is always very competitive and Fujifilm has quite a few zoom lenses somewhat close to one another in the market. Namely, XF16-80mm, XF18-135mm, and the most underrated XF18-55mm. Not forgetting about the recently announced Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 and upcoming Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 too. Having said that, the most direct competition, for now, is the XF16-80mm.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 52.5mm . f4 . 1/15″ . ISO 640 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 30.7mm . f4 . 1/25″ . ISO 640 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 57.9mm . f4 . 1/85″ . ISO 640 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 52.5mm . f4 . 1/20″ . ISO 1000 . Classic Neg

Both are constant f4 lenses. The typical advantages between both lenses are pretty noticeable. One wider, one has more reach, OIS versus non-OIS. While I do not test the XF16-80mm fully, I understand from some photographers that the lens is soft at wide open. And I may be biased, but the X18-120mm seems to have better image quality. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, both lenses serve different groups of photographers.

Who is this for?

For travelling photographers who might want to go as light as possible, this lens is also a good option to choose from. As this is an f4 lens, which also means that it might be a little struggling for night street shoots, I will suggest pairing it up with an In-Body Image Stabilization camera or an ultra-fast prime lens to go along with it.

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/160″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Because it has such great versatility, it can be used for almost anything from streets, editorial, documentaries, landscapes, cityscapes, product shots, and even portraits.

Left: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/90″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Right: Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 98.8mm . f4 . 1/240″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 32.3mm . f4 . 1/105″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18-120mm @ 120mm . f4 . 1/600″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

For photographers who do videography occasionally, I also think this is a good piece of glass to have.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Some of the shots are straight out of the camera while others are 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 like my content and you want to show some support, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 – Hello To The Premium Manual Lens

Alwin Kok

Thanks to my friend Ivan Wong for giving me the opportunity to play with his latest lens, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2, for a week. Unfortunately due to my unforeseen workload, I only get to try this lens for 4 days before I have to return the lens to him. So this is a pretty short hands-on experience compared to the usual one.

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2
Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2
Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2

Voigtländer has been a long time manufacturer in the market, they have been manufacturing beautifully crafted lenses for M mount, E mount, Z-mount and m43 mount. Now they have extended their portfolio to craft lenses for the X-mount. Their first lens in the X-mount portfolio is nothing but one of the popular focal lengths among the photographers, 35mm (50mm in full frame equivalent).

Design & Build Quality

We do see some manufacturers having the same lens design but different mount. However, Voigtländer completely designs a new lens design for Fujifilm X-mount. Some might say it’s a pity that it does not have similar design elements like other Voigtländer lenses or missing out on the design language that Voigtländer has. Personally, I think it is okay. After all, the design is still beautifully designed.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/200″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

This 196 grams lens has a solid metal constructed body and I can actually feel how dense the weight of this lens is when I hold it in my hand for the first time. The aperture ring clicks give me very satisfying feedback and the manual ring rotates smoothly with a bit of friction without much force needed.

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/600″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/170″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

It comes with a pretty small 46mm filter size and comes with a metal screw-in hood. But I believe that, for a reason, the photographers who purchase this lens do not wish to put on the lens hood.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/850″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

By the way, in case you wonder, the lens is not weather resistant.

Focusing

Well, unfortunately, the speed of focusing depends on the accuracy of your eyes and the speed of your fingers. Because it’s manual focusing.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 400 . Classic Negative

Image Quality

At wide open, this lens gives you a kind of glowing and soft look where the blur falls off quite beautifully and is comfy to my eyes. It also provides a characteristic flare if you face the sun or strong light directly. Unfortunately, I fails to create one that is as beautiful as I saw on the web.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/680″ . ISO 160 . Classic Negative
Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/14000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/5400″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

If you want to have a decent sharpness in the image, I recommend shooting from f2 onwards. The results are pretty good and usable at f2. Besides sharpness, contrast is decent too.

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 640 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/160″ . ISO 400 . Classic Negative

I have a high expectation (later on this) with this lens when it comes to chromatic aberration and vignetting. Luckily, I am not disappointed. They are very well controlled as I did not observe them from my shots.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/160″ . ISO 1250 . Classic Negative

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD) 

This lens comes with a 30 cm MFD which is the same as the XF33mm f1.4 and Sigma 30mm f1.4. At this distance, you can get stronger glowing and softer results. Not forgetting that the depth of field is very shallow when you shoot wide open.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/680″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/3200″ . ISO 160 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/550″ . ISO 160 . Classic Negative

Price Point

I mentioned about me having high expectations about this lens. Allow me tell you why. According to the official suggested retail price, it costs USD 649. It is rather expensive for a manual lens. For reference, XF33mm is selling at USD 799 and Sigma 30mm f1.4 is at USD 339. If you want to justify the high price, what I can think of is the brand itself, fast aperture, compact, made in Japan and unlike other manual lens manufacturers, it does equip with electronic contact. I think it should suffice to justify, I guess?

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Negative
Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 250 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/420″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

Who is this for?

If you are a photographer who wishes to gain some experience with pure manual lenses and you do not mind not knowing your aperture setting, there are many other manual lenses for your consideration. The price between Voigtländer and other manufacturers is a huge gap. From a money perspective, I personally do not recommend you to buy this lens unless you know what you are doing.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/240″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/140″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f5 . 1/9950″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

Assuming you want to buy this lens, but you have no idea what genres is it suitable for. I think you do not need to worry about this. Because this focal length is very versatile and it covers generally most genres such as documentary, journalism, street and portrait.

Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

Conclusion

Thanks to the electronic contact, this lens gives me a very good manual lens experience. It allows me to know what is my aperture setting like the other autofocus lenses. But the price of this lens position itself clearly from the rest of the manual lens manufacturers. The image quality is indeed better than the other manual lens manufacturers but the result isn’t too far off by a mile.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 800 . Classic Negative
Left: Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/210″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji XE4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/640″ . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

Having said that, I am still glad that Voigtländer is joining the Fujifilm community and not forgetting that the 23mm f1.2 is launching soon. All in all, I hope to see more lenses from them and benefit the photographers.

Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/160″ . ISO 1000 . Classic Negative
Fuji X-E4 . Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.6 . 1/160″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Negative

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. The lens is from a friend of mine and I have returned it to him by the time this article is available online.
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. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 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 like my content and you want to show some support, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Sigma 16mm f1.4 – A Good Alternative to XF16mm f1.4?

Alwin Kok

First and foremost, I would like to thank and appreciate Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me the Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN lens for making this review possible.

Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN

Intro

Similar to Sigma 30mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN, I refer to Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN as “Sigma 16mm f1.4” in short. Unlike the Sigma 30mm f1.4, it was announced back in October 2017 but was only available for EF-M, E-mount, L-mount and Micro Four Thirds back then. Now it is available in X-mount too.

Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN
Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN

Being a 24mm full-frame equivalent ultra-wide lens, the first thing that I can’t help noticing how huge the lens is. It is almost identical to the size of the Fuji XF16mm f1.4 and it is merely taller. Speaking of comparison, I will not compare both lenses directly as I believe every lens has its own reasons to be here and hence giving it a fair chance to shine.

Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN

Price Point

I decided to shift this section to the front because Sigma 16mm f1.4 comes at a very interesting and competitive price point. In Singapore, it is priced at SGD648/USD449 (*SRP). It is just $50 more than the XF 16mm f2.8 (SGD599/USD399 SRP) and it is far cheaper than XF 16mm f1.4 (SGD1599/USD999 SRP). With such a competitive price, are you tempted to get Sigma instead of Fuji?

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/640″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/105″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

At this price point, lets me share with you what are the things you will be getting from this lens and what are the thing you will miss.

*SRP – Suggested Retail Price

Design & Build Quality

Sigma 16mm f1.4 has the same built element and design language as its brothers. It is a low profile lens that does not shout out loud, especially on the front glass. It is minimalistic on its own by labelling the wordings in black.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/1300″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/850″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Although the body of the lens is made of “Thermally Stable Composite” (TSC) polycarbonate material, it feels well-constructed and comfortable to hold. But it does attract some fingerprints on the glossy material of the lens. Even so, it can be removed easily with a piece of cloth.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5 . 1/900″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

This huge lens weighs 405 grams and it is the heaviest one among the trio of Sigma lenses. I think there is quite a huge amount of heavy glass elements inside this lens, which explains the weighty weight. For readers who are looking to equip the lens with filters, it comes with a filter size of 67mm. It also comes with dust and splash resistant sealing that helps to protect the lens from certain conditions.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/350″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited

Similarly to the Sigma 30mm f1.4, it does not have an aperture ring too. So you have to control your aperture via the front dial of your camera. It’s a very similar approach to what Fujifilm has for XC lenses.

Image Quality

At f1.4, the image is usable. It retains the sharpness, contrast and details of the image very well. But for some shots especially shooting at infinity, the results tend to be soft at wide-open.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/450″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/85″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Although some vignetting can be observed, this can be easily resolved in post-processing or shot at a smaller aperture to reduce it. In my opinion, this can be forgiving and unavoidable because it is an ultra-wide lens after all.

There is also some slight chromatic aberration observed in some of my shots, but it is still within my acceptance level. Again, it can be removed easily with post-processing.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

On the subject of the sunny star result, I prefer the shot taken at f16 as the “star” looks sharper than the one at f8. As for the lens flare, it did control very well too.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f16 . 4″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f8 . 1″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

One thing to note, I never expect how good the control of the lens distortion for this ultra-wide lens. Probably thanks to the camera auto-correction? But nonetheless, the output is good.

Focusing

This lens is silent and fast. This is something that I have expected after using Sigma 30mm f1.4 as I believe they are using the same stepping motor. The sound of the focusing experience that I have is close to complete silence. Please bear in mind that this lens has lots of heavy glass inside it and yet it can achieve something like this is totally remarkable.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Post-edited
Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f2.8 . 1/90″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5.6 . 1/850″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Regarding the focusing accuracy, unfortunately, it also inherits the same issue as the Sigma 30mm f1.4 as well. Similar off-focused results when I shoot with the little green box lit up but it hardly happens. But not too worry about it, understand from Sigma that they are constantly improving their lenses’ focusing quality and accuracy via updates.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f4 . 1/210″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5.6 . 1/180″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD of this lens is 25cm. By comparison, the XF16mm F1.4 is 15cm. Does it really matter? Not really matter as the general purpose of this lens is for landscape or similar genres.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/420″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/350″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

But it does matter if the photographer could love to use the lens for other creative purposes. Because the closer the MFD you have, the more possibilities you can create with.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/2200″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Conclusion

Sigma 16mm f1.4 does have its shortfall but it strikes a good balance between price and overall experience. For a lens optic design that has been around for 5 years, the image renders very remarkably sharp, especially at wide open. I have to appraise that Sigma did not compromise on the image quality and I think Sigma did the right thing here as I believe this is more important than anything else for every photographer.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/450″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

Overall, I can accept what this lens has to offer. Likewise, how is it compared to XF16mm f1.4? All I can say is that both lenses are good at their price points and there are reasons to be at their price points. They supply different demands to different groups of photographers. In my opinion, there is no end to making comparisons between lenses.

Who is this for?

This lens is suitable for photographers who are just starting to learn photography or tipping their toes in the world of prime lenses but with a limited budget on hand or wish to have their money well spent. But who are these photographers?

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f5.6 . 1/900″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f8 . 1/320″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome . Post-edited

Photographers who are landscape, environmental and architecture lovers, you may consider getting this lens in your arsenal. If you do not mind about its build quality, etc, the price of this lens can actually save you some money and maybe you can use that money to invest in other lenses or accessories.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 2000 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Post-edited

For street photographers, this ultra-wide lens is harder to isolate your subject unless you get closer to it. If you know what you intend to do with this lens, otherwise I will not recommend you to use this lens.

Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/180″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 160 . Post-edited
Left: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Post-edited
Right: Fuji X-T3 . Sigma 16mm f1.4 @ 16mm . f1.4 . 1/250″ . ISO 800 . Post-edited

To answer my question in the title, it is indeed a good alternative to XF16mm f1.4.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. The lens is a loan unit from Mr. Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore). By the time this review is online, the lens had returned back to Sigma Marketing (Singapore).
2. The lens firmware that I am using is version 1.00.
3. Some of the shots are straight out of the camera while others are edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Adobe Lightroom Classic & Capture One.
4. 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.
5. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 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 like my content and you want to show some support, you can buy me a coffee here.

Discussion

X-E4: Minimalism = Limitation?

Alwin Kok
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

Is minimalism equal to limitation? In a way, yes. Minimalism is by keeping things as simple as possible, limited yet still functioning as what it suppose to be. In this case, X-E4 has done it and did it right. It has the most minimalistic design Fujifilm has ever created. The design is a bold move. Fujifilm removes some of the hardware functions but still allows photographers to access them when needed via the “Q” menu, setting up the “My Menu” or mapping it to other buttons or dials. While I am not sure by removing the grip from the camera body is a wise choice but honestly speaking, the camera is aesthetically beautiful.

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

X-E4 is not designed in such a way that it will please everyone but rather, it does attract a niche group of people who adore simplicity. In other words, this camera is what represents the life of how the photographer live in. At least I am.

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

A little bit of history here. X-E4 was announced on 27 January 2021 and released a month later. And my first ever review post was actually about this camera together with the XF27mm f2.8. (The review can be found here.)

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

I love all the camera designs from Fujifilm, especially the X-Pro series but the X-E series still has a special place in my heart. I cannot explain specifically why I love this series so much. But I think a combination of aesthetic, compact and retro-style designs are probably the reasons.

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

Another short history here. I pick up my first X-E series (X-E3) back in 2019. It is a preloved unit but the overall condition is not heavily abused. It’s a simple camera that somehow I love using for my street shutter therapy more than my X-T3. It’s light, compact and less prominent among other camera designs. It does not look like a professional camera but in its gut, it is capable to meet my needs. X-E4, in my opinion, improves way better than its predecessor in many ways.

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

Back to X-E4. So how do I overcome the limitations of this camera? Well, I just simply preset the desired ISO auto setting (maximum ISO sensitivity and minimum shutter speed) and that’s all. Most of the functions that I need is actually available in the “Q” menu. Honestly, I rarely touch anything else besides the aperture value, exposure compensation value and of course the shutter button.

Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8 WR

So who is this camera suitable for?

Left: Fuji X-E4 . XF33mm f1.4
Right: Fuji X-E4 . Laowa 9mm f2.8

Besides people who love simplicity, in my opinion, this camera is very suitable for someone who is a retro-style enthusiastic, an everyday camera for casual photographers and of course a good pickup camera for amateurs. Why so? Firstly, it is not as expensive as its other brothers (i.e. X-Pro and X-T series). Secondly, it is equipped with the X-Trans IV sensor, which is a very capable sensor and also not forgetting that this sensor is also equipped in all its other brothers as well. Thirdly, it has a lot of compact lenses to pair up with (both Fujifilm and third parties manual lenses).

Fuji X-E4 . XF33mm f1.4

To end this, I have been using this camera for months. In these few months of using it, I get to understand what this camera design philosophy is. In my interpretation, the answer is very straightforward. Fujifilm wants to let the photographer concentrate on shooting, enjoy the process of shooting and leave everything else to the camera to handle it. I am glad that Fujifilm dares to design something different from its current line-up of cameras. And I hope this X-E4 will encourage more photographers to bring it out and capture the moments in them. After all, it’s a beauty to hang out with.

Fuji X-E4 . XF33mm f1.4
Fuji X-E4 . XF27mm f2.8

Disclaimer:
1. The camera is a loan unit from Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm Asia Pacific. By the time this review is online, the units had returned back to Fujifilm Asia Pacific.
2. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
3. Some of the shots are straight out of the camera while others are edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Adobe Lightroom Classic.
4. 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.
5. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.

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

Reviews

XF23mm f1.4 WR: The King of Street Lens

Alwin Kok

First and foremost, I appreciate Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm Asia Pacific, for his generosity in providing the loan for the XF23mm f1.4 R LM WR and Fuji X-S10. By the time this review is online, the units had returned back to Fujifilm Asia Pacific.

On a side note

XF23mm f1.4 WR (I remove the R LM to shorten the wording in this article) is announced during the Fujifilm X-summit in September 2021. It is priced at USD 899 and it is supposed to launch on 30 November 2021. But due to the global chip shortage, the original shipping date has been pushed to sometime in February 2022.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 R LM WR
XF 23mm f1.4 R LM WR
XF 23mm f1.4 R LM WR

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Some of the shots are straight out of the camera while others are edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Adobe Lightroom Classic.
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.

Intro

Fujicron XF23mm f2 WR is the first prime lens I have with Fujifilm. I love almost everything about it except for the softness in image quality at wide-open and that’s probably due to my personal preference. Years later, I have my first ever X100 series, the X100V. Love it to bits. It has become my daily weapon of choice wherever I go.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/1100″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/30″ . ISO 400 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/30″ . ISO 400 . Classic Neg

At 23mm (35mm in full-frame equivalent), the focal length is one of the most versatile lenses out there in the market. For greenhorn, it is easy to pick up and enjoy the fun experience with a fixed focal length.

Also, I have previously shared my staycation with this lens. You can have a look over here.

Design & Build Quality

The design language of this lens follows the same as its two new brothers, XF18mm f1.4 WR and XF33mm f1.4 WR. The build is a premium one too. Full metal-built and the weight is well balanced across the lens. The aperture ring is clicky, gentle, and not too loose like its predecessor. It is an enjoyable experience to rotate and change the aperture.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f5 . 1/420″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/1900″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/160″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg

According to my wife’s kitchen scale, it weighs 375 grams & 402 grams with the lens hood on. The weight is also merely heavier as compared to XF18mm f1.4 (@370 grams) and XF33mm f1.4 (@360 grams) but I am not able to tell the difference in weight by holding them on my hand. With similar sizes and weights, my guess is that it will benefit videographers from saving time for recalibrating their gimbals when swapping among these 3 lenses.

Image Quality

The glass optic of this lens is similar (or even the same optic formula) to the XF18mm f1.4 and XF33mm f1.4 and the image quality is very sharp at wide open. Maybe I should use the term called “clinically sharp” to best describe this lens. I know some people prefer more characteristic results than “clinically sharp” ones. But personally, I accept it and have zero picky reasons to point out any flaw with the image quality.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/4000″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/450″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-T3 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/5800″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

The bokeh produced by this piece of glass renders very beautifully and the fall-off is seamless. This is kind of in my expectation since I have tested the XF18mm f1.4 and XF33mm f1.4 before. I mean the standard should be at least on-par and should not be worse than its brothers. How about the shallow depth field of view? Is it too shallow or just nice or love it? Share with me your opinion.

How good is the sunny star shot taken with this lens? I think the result is pretty decent. Nothing to complain about over here. At f16, the star shape is sharper but I prefer the result at f8. Besides that, the lens flare is well-controlled. A decent amount of flares is acceptable for me and it does create some mood to the photos.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f8 . 1/210″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f16 . 1/40″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg

As for chromatic aberration, not really obvious in my opinion. At least I do not observe any in my test.

Autofocus

What can I complain about the autofocus speed? Absolutely nothing. The focus speed is very fast, very silent, and very accurate. Sometimes, the lens focus locked is so fast that I thought I did not half-press the shutter button. You should probably try it out and you will understand.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f7.1 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f8 . 1/640″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/5000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/45″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg

For dim light situations, the focus performance can be slightly slower but the accuracy remains the same top performance and the lens focusing still remains silent.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD) 

According to the internet, the MFD is 20cm and it is the same MFD as what XF18mm f1.4 WR is offering. The close-up result is breathtaking and it does not render soft images like some of the old lenses do. Fujifilm really works hard on improving the optic!

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/26001″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f10 . 0.5″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Side by Side

I do not own an XF23mm f1.4 but I have the opportunity to try it out from a friend who has it. Visually, the new XF23mm is taller and slimmer than the old XF23mm. And the new XF23mm also missing the clutch mechanism that the old XF23mm has.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/5000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/180″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f2.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

Although the older generation is 70 grams lighter, I cannot really tell the difference in weight when I hold both of them together. Like I mentioned earlier, the aperture ring of the old XF23mm is much looser than the new one.

As for the autofocusing performance, the old XF23mm is slower and noisier. At wide-open, the sharpness is not as sharp as the newer one and again, this is a personal preference. Also, let’s not forget that it does not equip with Weather Resistant as well.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/1900″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/110″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg

Who is this for?

In my humble opinion, this lens is really suitable for most photographers out there, be it professional or casual photographers. The focal length is really versatile in that it can use in most genres; streets, editorial, documentary, landscape, cityscape, environmental portraits, astrophotography, and the list goes on. With its sharp IQ at wide-open and easy to adapt focal length, this lens is suitable to bring on any occasion, including taking night streets photography or low light situation.

Fuji X-T3 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/3500″ . ISO 160 . Post-edit
Fuji X-T3 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/5400″ . ISO 160 . Post-edit
Fuji X-T3 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/850″ . ISO 160 . Post-edit
Fuji X-T3 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/9000″ . ISO 160 . Post-edit

Conclusion

If you are looking for your first-ever prime lens, maybe you should give this lens a try. I will recommend you try it out in your local camera store or try renting it for a week or so. I think you will like this lens a lot. While the price might be a little steep to some, I think it will be a good photography investment for years (or decades) to come.

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f9 . 1/300″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/170″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg
Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm f1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/1700″ . ISO 160 . Classic Neg

If you are the existing owner of the XF23mm f1.4 R and you do not mind missing out push/pull clutch mechanism, you may consider upgrading to this successor. Considering it is a decent update, I think you will love this lens a lot more.

As for me, I love this lens, it really grew on me during this period of testing. I can see this lens will replace my f2 variant eventually. And honestly, it is a nice upgrade from the f2 variant with improved IQ and AF accuracy. Yes. The new lens weighs almost 2 times the f2 variant but I am acceptable with the weight because nothing beats the results coming out of f1.4

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

Discussion

My Top 12 Most Favorite Photos in 2021

Alwin Kok

2021 comes and goes. In this pandemic year, I have gained quite fruitful experiences. In this year, I have a total of 22 posts, 11 of them are reviews of camera gears and lenses. All thanks to the opportunities given by Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm, and Cles Distribution of Tamron Singapore and Sony, Singapore. Without them, I won’t be able to share my opinions and having these opportunities to wander around Singapore to capture some of the photos that have become to be my favorite. And these are my 12 most favorite photos in 2021. (They are not listed in order.)

#12

Fuji X-S10 . Fuji XF18mm F1.4 R LM WR @27mm . f1.4 . 1/60” . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome

#11

Fuji X-T3 . XF70-300mm @ 127.1mm . F5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 500 . Post-edit

#10

Fuji X-T3 . Fuji XF50mm F1 R WR @50mm . f1 . 1/550” . ISO 160 . Pos-edit.

#9

Fuji X-E4 . Fuji XF70-300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS WR @300mm . f6.4 . 1/500” . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

#8

Fuji X-Pro 1 . XF70-300mm F4-5.6 @300mm . f5.6 . 1/3200” . ISO 200 . Post-edit

#7

GFX 50SII . GF 32-64mm F4 @32mm . f8 . 1/100” . ISO 100

#6

GFX 50S II . GF 80mm F1.7 @ 80mm . f1.7 . 1/160″ . ISO 800 . Post-edit

#5

Fuji X-T3 . Tamron 18-300mm @ 34.5mm . f4 . 1/160″ . ISO 2500 . Classic Chrome

#4

Fuji X-Pro3 . Fuji 27mm F2.8 WR @27mm . f5.6 . 1/200” . ISO 320 . Classic Negative

#3

Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/5400 . ISO 160 . Post-edit

#2

Fuji X-T3 . Tamron 18-300mm @ 300mm . f6.3 . 1/75″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome

#1

Fuji X-S10 . XF 23mm F1.4 WR @ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/160″ . ISO 320 . Classic Neg

Is there any that you like? Let me know if you have one.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Some of the shots are slightly edited in Lightroom Classic to my preferences. Otherwise, the 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

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