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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
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:
Before all else, I would like to thank Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm for providing the loan for X-E4 and XF33mm F1.4. The units were loaned from Fujifilm Asia Pacific and had returned back to them.
Fujifilm XF33mm F1.4Fujifilm XF33mm F1.4
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. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
XF35mm F1.4 is one of the “epic” lenses that Fujifilm ever created. On paper, it is not the perfect lens but to many photographers, it is much more than just perfect. I am one of them. XF33mm F1.4 is by no means to replace the magical characteristic of XF35mm F1.4. But I believe it will be the magical lens for the next decade.
Fujifilm X-E4 with XF33mm F1.4Fujifilm X-E4 with XF33mm F1.4
In this review, I will discuss less technical and more on my personal experience with the lens itself. At the same time, as much as possible, I will try not to compare the XF33mm F1.4 with the XF35mm F1.4. It is not a fair comparison by any means. So I hope I can achieve a more independent review of this new lens.
One last thing before I start my review, here is my suggestion to all the X-E4 users. If you are interested to buy this lens after reading this review, I will recommend you to use an additional grip to have better overall balance when you equip this lens with your X-E4.
For a start, it is made in Philippines. But we should dismiss that the product is poorly produce if the product is made in other countries other than Japan. To be honest, this metal- built lens is fantastic and I can feel it is a great quality lens when I hold it in my hand. The manual focus ring has a gentle smooth rotation. The aperture ring has that same nice and gentle clicky feedback when you are rotating it. Like the newer lenses, it has also come with the “A” (Auto) position lock which locks the aperture ring and prevents any accidental movement. Also, it comes with a plastic hood instead of the metal square hood that XF35mm F1.4 has.
It comes with a 58mm filter size. The weight distribution throughout the lens is good and I can’t really tell it actually weighs 360 grams when I am holding it. There are some 3rd party lenses that are slightly lighter than this lens feel heavier.
Weather Resistant
Like all the new XF lenses, the XF33mm F1.4 also equips itself with the weather-resistant. This is a good direction from Fujifilm because it does help the photographer to have one thing to less worry about.
Fast, accurate, and silent are the 3 keywords that best describe this gem. It is probably one of the lenses that nail the subject so fast that I sometimes wonder if I have half-press the shutter. Even under dim light conditions, I did not notice the focusing speed slowing down at all.
I even test this lens with an X-E3 which has the previous generation X-Trans sensor. The lens performs is exactly the same as the one with X-E4. At least, I am not able to notice the difference in terms of speed.
The image quality coming out from this lens is absolutely stunning! The results coming out of this lens is incredibly crisp and sharp. Basically, I did not notice any flaw with these mind-blowing images.
The foreground and background blur fall off very smoothly, creamy, and gently. This is one of the nicest bokeh that I can recommend photographers to use this lens to shoot wide open. Besides that, I also hardly notice any distortion, vignetting, and obvious chromatic aberration.
This is one of my favorite parts because this is one of the features when I am looking for a lens. Its minimum focus distance (MFD) is 30 cm which is pretty impressive. I love to shoot close up for certain subjects and understanding the MFD of this lens will allow me to visualize what result I can achieve.
On photos, the XF 33mm F1.4 may look bigger than XF 35mm F1.4 but please do not deceive by its size. It is actually relatively small and compact when you look at it on its own. Nevertheless, the lens hood indeed makes the lens looks much taller than it is.
Fujifilm XF33mm F1.4 and Fujifilm XF35mm F1.4Fujifilm XF33mm F1.4 and Fujifilm XF35mm F1.4
Apart from that, XF35mm F1.4 is noisier, slower (depends on which camera body you are mounting with), and more retro style to me.
Who is this for?
XF35mm F1.4 is here to stay and will continue selling side by side with the XF33mm F1.4. Both lenses are fantastic and have their pro and con. As a wise photographer, you know what works best for you and your budget.
From my standpoint, if you do not own the XF35mm F1.4 and you are into street, documentary, and/or portrait photography, then the XF33mm F1.4 is a wiser choice to have. Its accuracy, fast focusing speed, and fantastic image quality are something that I think you will love it. Yes. it is more expensive but I think it is worth to be part of your arsenal.
If you own the XF35mm F1.4, it is really up to you if you want to sell it away and purchase this lens. Personally, I will keep my XF35mm F1.4 a little longer with me.
Conclusion
XF33mm F1.4 is really excellent and I am undoubtedly impressed by its optical and focusing performance. This lens also show how much effort are the engineers in Fujifilm had put in and raises the bar of what flagship APS-C lenses can be. If I have to point out the disadvantage of this lens, it will be the price of this lens. Like Mr Shinichiro Udono said in the X Summit, the XF33mm F1.4 should become Fujifilm new “epic” lens.
Circuit Breaker Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) started on 16 May 2021 and lasted for a month. As we are now moving into Phase 2 of re-opening, we started out with a small group of gangs for a small photowalk in the morning at the Kebun Baru Birdsinging club and the neighbourhood around it.
I also take this opportunity to play with my XF27mm WR lens, XF 70-300mm with an X-Pro3. I have to thanks my neighbor (Mr. Ivan Loh) for lending me this wonderful and sexy camera body.
Fuji X-Pro 3 . Fuji 27mm F2.8 R WR @27mm . f2.8 . 1/320” . ISO 160 . Classic Negative Fuji X-Pro 3 . Fuji 27mm F2.8 R WR @27mm . f2.8 . 1/280” . ISO 160 . Classic Negative Fuji X-Pro 3 . Fuji 27mm F2.8 R WR @27mm . f2.8 . 1/300” . ISO 160 . Classic Negative
A new friend who is using Olympus at the moment. Planning to jump over to Fujifilm.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here were shot by me. 2. I reserve ownerships to these images, if you wish to use my images for whatever reasons, please notify me and we can see how to works thing out.
X100 was announced back in Photokina 2010. Lots of praise from the media and online reviewers. Fujifilm nailed the design of the retro-style enthusiast rangefinder camera with traditional analogue control dials. It was a great hit and instantly built up a large pool of fans base. I am one of them but… Here’s the “but”… As a student, the price tag scared me off.
One year later, they announced the X10, a younger brother of X100, and it fulfilled my dream of having my first Fujifilm camera. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, it was a fun camera and I love the film simulations. Despite that, it did not spark much joy for me.
Occasionally, I went to the retailer stores to play with the X100. I love the build quality, it was good to hold it in my hands and I was blown away by the hybrid viewfinder. On the other hand, the focusing system was not snappy enough, the shooting menu was not as good as what it is today and the images seem to be soft at F2. For the price tag, I have to give it a miss.
Almost 3 years later, X100S had arrived at the shore and I still had not made the purchase. In fact, I wasn’t shooting a lot during those years and I still can count how much time I had actually brought my camera out for a click. It was my low point, it had become a hassle to bring the camera out and slowly I lost my passion for shooting.I still read up the reviews, tested it with a few clicks at the retail stores and nothing more beyond these two points.
Another 3 years later, X-T2 caught my attention unknowingly. I knew there was a X-T1 but it was X-T2 that captured my interest. It sounds crazy but it really ignited my passion towards photography again. I even placed a pre-order for it and I got my first Fuji prime lens, XF 23mm F2, to go with it. From that day forward, I had been using the 23mm on most occasions. The versatility of 23mm is just great for street, travel and documentary, isn’t it?
In 2019, when I got my XF 35mm F1.4, things had changed a little in my path. I became obsessed with this lens as it gave me some sort of characteristic feel in my images. It boosted my passion for shooting even more. To be honest, I have left out the XF 23mm since then. The 35mm lens made me keen to bring my camera even on my working days. However, due to my working environment, I have to carry my heavy loaded bag for meetings almost everywhere in Singapore. The overall size of the camera and lens may be compact but it is not that small when I want to put it inside the office bag. This is where I started to miss the Fujifilm compact camera series. the X100, X70 and XF10.
So, what compact camera does Fujifilm have to offer?
XF10, X70 and X100.
First of all, X70 had stopped production without a successor, not many retailers were selling it and even those retailers that were still selling it, would not recommend me to get it. XF10 was a “cut-down” version of X70, I tried and I was disappointed with the poor autofocusing and laggy interface, so I skipped. With this elimination method, that’s left with X100F. But it was 2019 already and X100F was in its third year cycle, which also meant that it may have a new successor in the pipeline. No one but Fujifilm knows when it will be announced. Since I am not an impatient person, I waited.
After two months of waiting, the successor had finally said hello to the world. I happened to have the opportunity to try out the successor and I must say I love it. It’s that kind of first love. Beauteous, aesthetic, elegant, ravishing…. This is what I am waiting for. This is not two months of waiting but a good 10 years. This is the sexy camera that I have been waiting for since 2010!
To tell everyone how much I love this X100V, I immediately brought it out to shoot with the packaging hand carried along. The photos presented over here are my virgin shots with it.
Sidetrack 1: This successor, which is the fifth X100 series, is also my fifth Fujifilm camera. Not sure it is coincidently or fate. Since there are lots of reviews on the web, I will not discuss the technical term or review this X100V in this blog.
Sidetrack 2: This X100V is initially planned to be my weekday camera, I was happy to have it with me and snap some interesting shots while I commute to my destinations. But now it has become more than just a weekday camera, it’s my everyday camera.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here were shot by me. 2. I reserve ownerships to these images, if you wish to use my images for whatever reasons, please notify me and we can see how to works thing out.
[…] will continue refining this lens through future revisions, just as they successfully did with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II. If…
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Before I shared about my encounter with X-E3, X-E2 was the first that caught my attention in the X-E lineup. From the official images, it was a very sleek, beautifully designed retro style rangefinder camera. I thought it was as big as X-Pro series and without an OVF. Until I saw the online reviews, then I started to realise how compact it was. The compactness of the camera made me get more and more interested in it and eventually I did a few hands-on sessions with the product at the retail outlets. My conclusion every single time: I love the design but it was a “good to have” camera and I have a X10 as my secondary fun camera. I was still a canon user and never thought of getting a Fuji camera as a secondary system back then.
Fast forward to 2019, it was a family trip to Hong Kong in April. We visited a shopping mall where most shops sell pre-owned cameras of all brands. I was roaming around without any intention in mind. Spotted some Fuji cameras on the shelves but I did not ask for the price.
The first click.More clicks.
But before leaving the mall, I spotted a shop at the corner of the second floor and went in. A quick glance on the display window and I spotted a pre-owned X-E3. Out of curiosity, I asked the shop owner the price. As per normal, I did some currency conversion and was shocked with the price. Asked the shop owner again to confirm the numbers. I did not hear it wrongly. The next thing the shop owner did was he grabbed the camera out and showed it to me.
As a pre-owned unit, some scratches around the body were expected but not terrible. However, I hesitated. At this point of time, I had 2 interchangeable X-mount cameras on my hands. I keep asking myself, do I need another one? While I am struggling with the decision in my mind, my wife stepped into the shop. She asked me a few non-technical questions until she asked the golden question: “how much does it cost”, I answered and then she said: “Maybe you should stop considering, just get it.”
Mobile Softee.Waiting at traffic light.
That evening, I was thrilled holding it on my hands. Paired it with XF 35mm F1.4 for some night street shots. Along the way, I experienced some hiccups but quickly got over it, thanks to Fujifilm for the simplified menu!
I love the combination of X-E3 with XF 35mm F1.4. It is probably the best combo that I have, lightweight and easy to carry around. I do not own an XF 27mm pancake lens, XF 14mm nor the XM-FL. I mounted the XF23mm F2 and tried a few times on different occasions before. It did not have that magical feel in me when I shot with this combination… Strange, isn’t it?
Asking for direction.Outside supermarket.Traffic in Mong Kok.Coffee beans.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here were shot by me. 2. I reserve ownerships to these images, if you wish to use my images for whatever reasons, please notify me and we can see how to works thing out.
[…] will continue refining this lens through future revisions, just as they successfully did with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II. If…
[…] very first lens review was the TTArtisan 17mm f1.4, a lovely little manual focus lens back in 2021. At that…
[…] That said… I’m still patiently waiting for their next autofocus lens since their last release. […]
[…] smallest fisheye Brightin Star has ever made; that title still belongs to the incredibly compact Brightin Star 10mm f5.6, but…
[…] in the hand without feeling front-heavy. I could immediately notice the difference after using the TTArtisan 7.5mm f2, which weighs…
[…] will continue refining this lens through future revisions, just as they successfully did with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II. If…