x-mount – Page 3 – Alwin Kok

The XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 is undeniably one of the most standout lenses in Fujifilm’s X-mount lineup. Even Chris and Jordan of Petapixel agreed too. It is also my very first lens with my very first X-Mount camera.

So Fujifilm has given us it’s successor: XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 R LM WR. Do you think it is a worthy one?

Intro

The long-waited premium kit lens was announced together with the X-T50 at the X-Summit Sydney 2024. The focal lengths (in full frame equivalent) is 24mm to 75mm and it is no stranger to us. This focal length was first ever introduce to us in 2013 in a form of XC16-5mm f3.5-5.6 OIS (version II was updated in 2015).

As stated in the name of this lens, the aperture value is variable throughout the lens. This means it’s maximum aperture is f2.8 at 16mm and f4.8 at 50mm.

Before I dive in further, I want to extend my thanks to Ms. Carmen, Marketing Manager at Fujifilm Singapore, for lending the XF16-50mm for review. As of the publication of this review, the lens unit has been returned to Fujifilm Singapore.

Design and Build Quality

When I first saw this lens at the launch event, I was impressed by its size. Visually, it is very similar to the XF18-55mm in size. In terms of built quality, it is the same as the new generation XF lenses. Solid and well-built.

At 240 grams, it feels light on the hand, and due to its compact size, it is easy to hold too. Here comes the first thing that I like about the lens. It is internal zoom, which means it does not protrude when I zoom in and also does not feel “lost balance” when I use the lens at tele. Fujifilm has developed several internal zoom lenses, such as the XF8-16mm f2.8, XF18-120mm f4, and XF150-600mm f5.6-8. Another benefit of having internal zoom is for videographers but I am not about the small aperture value at 50mm.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 16mm . f5 . 1/250″ . ISO 250 . Classic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 16mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 2000 . Reala Ace*

It comes with an Aperture Mode Switch, which allows the photographer to choose if he/she wants to control the aperture by himself/herself or leave it to the camera to decide for you.

A little bit more about the aperture ring. Unlike Fujifilm prime lenses, it does not have aperture values labeled on the ring. It is simply a “controller” that continues to rotate regardless of whether it has reached its maximum or minimum aperture value, in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise). The aperture ring is clicky and less stiff than the one on the prime lenses. Anyway, you need to take note of the aperture value before you shoot as you might accidentally rotate the aperture ring without noticing.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 43.2mm . f4.5 . 1/850″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

*Left: Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 40.8mm . f4.3 . 1/140″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Reala Ace*

So yes… Did I mention it’s a 58mm filter size?

Image Quality

This lens is designed to resolve the X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HR and I think Fujifilm keep their promise.

As a zoom lens, the image quality from this lens is pretty great. It has good sharpness and contrast across all focal lengths. Vignetting is well-controlled and chromatic aberration is nowhere to be seen. This is what I have expected from Fujifilm.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 32.3mm . f5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 16mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 2500 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

However, the rendering of the background/off focus blur varies as you zoom. That’s because it is a variable apertures lens. But it is still able to give a good amount of separation between the off-focus and subject. This is normal for a variable zoom lens as oppose to prime lens.

As for sun star, it is there if you need it in your shot but the result is not the finest one out there in the market.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f22 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace*

Focusing

Since it comes with a Linear Motor, I am not expecting a poor autofocus performance from this. I was not disappointed. Although it is not as instantaneously focused and locked onto the subject as fast as the prime lenses, it is still pretty decent for a zoom lens. The autofocus is snappy across all focal lengths. Even when it is under a low-light situation, it’s performance is slightly poor but still very good for day-to-day use.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 35.3mm . f3.9 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 16mm . f5 . 1/210″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

What I like about this lens is the MFD. It comes with a fixed 24cm. Meaning the MFD does not change when you change your focal length. This also means that this lens is capable of shooting at a close-up of an object. It is even closer than Sigma 18-50mm at 50mm (which is at 30cm).

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/300″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

*Left: Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 16mm . f2.8 . 1/300″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Reala Ace*

However, the lens optics do exhibit some loss in image quality, leading to softer and less contrasty results. But it looks fine if you don’t pixel-peeping.

Price Point

It is priced the same as the XF18-55mm (currently not in stock in B&H) at 699 USD. Do you think the price is steep? I think it is a little steep for a kit lens but on second thought, it is a premium one. That’s probably explain why.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 18.5mm . f5 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 40.8mm . f4.3 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 33.3mm . f3.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

As of this point in time, the lens is only available as a kit lens (at least in Singapore).

Others

Like most new generation Fujifilm lenses, it does come with weather-resistant.

Another point to note is that this lens does not come with an Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Is it important? Yes and no.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 34.3mm . f3.9 . 1/835000″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 36.3mm . f4 . 1/640″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

Yes if your camera is not equipped with In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). Unless you are fine with higher ISO under low-light situations, you might struggle to take steady shots at 50mm due to low shutter speed.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/1000″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 27.9mm . f3.6 . 1/1250″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 35.3mm . f3.9 . 1/400″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*

No, if your camera is already equipped with the IBIS like the X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, etc., then the IBIS will help out for steady shots at low shutter speed.

Who is this for?

This is a good lens for a beginner to pick up and it is a very versatile lens that covers most genres. It’s also beneficial for photographers to identify their most frequently used focal length before delving into more specific options.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 18.5mm . f3 . 1/100″ . ISO 640 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 23.4mm . f4 . 1/600″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 0.8″ . ISO 800 . Reala Ace*

Also, it is good for travelers who prefer to keep their setup as light as possible and as minimal as possible; like pairing up with the new camera, X-T50.

Conclusion

It is a small and also an all-propose lens. During my testing period, it is delightful to use together with the X-T50. However, is it timed correctly for its launch? I’m uncertain. Nowadays, there are plenty of third-party lenses available, such as the Sigma 18-50mm and Tamron 17-70mm. The XF16-50mm might face tough competition in winning over photographers’ favor.

*Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f4.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Reala Ace*

Left: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 32.3mm . f3.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace*
Right: *Fuji X-T50 . XF16-50mm f2.8-4.8 @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Reala Ace*

Having said that, I am not saying it is a bad lens to pick up. I would advise photographers who are interested to visit a camera store and try it out before deciding which lens suits them best. The XF16-50mm is a good replacement for the XF18-55mm but it doesn’t hold the same place in my affection that the XF18-55mm does.

Thank you for reading.

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

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

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Reviews

Fujifilm X-T50 – Small Camera With A Big Gut

July 15, 2024July 14, 2024 Alwin Kok

Many are aware that the X-T30II, released in 2021, is not a true successor to the 2019 X-T30, and there have been no indications of a potential upgrade in this mid-range category during these years. At one juncture, I even considered the possibility of this series being discontinued.

Now, the much-anticipated X-T50 has finally arrived. Does it represent a significant improvement over the X-T30?

Intro

X-T50 is the fifth iteration of the X-T double-digit series. It was announced at the X Summit Sydney 2024 in May.

X-T(xx) series has always been the little brother of the X-T(x) series. They share something similar, but also something different to set them apart. This is no different for this generation. But the gap is sort of getting closer.

Fuji X-T50 . XF30mm f2.8 WR @ 30mm . f2.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Rokinon 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Meike 55mm f1.4 @ 55mm . f1.4 . 1/3000″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Before continuing, I want to extend my thanks to Ms. Carmen, Marketing Manager at Fujifilm Singapore, for lending the X-T50 for review. As of the publication of this review, the camera unit has been returned to Fujifilm Singapore.

Design, Build Quality, Handling & The Shutter…

X-T50 still gives a nostalgic feel like its predecessors but takes a different camera design approach. The camera is more rounded now and has a deeper hand grip design. Some photographers might dislike it, but I love this design.

Fuji X-T50 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/4700″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/4000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative

With the deeper hand grip design, the ergonomic handling is way better than its predecessors. I remember I felt that I always needed an additional hand grip to make myself feel more secure in those days. Just to let you know, my little pinky still hanging out but the handling now feels more secure with this X-T50.

Having said that, mounting bigger lenses like XF70-300mm or XF56mm f1.2 WR still has the common problem of heavier lenses over the camera body which makes the balancing of the camera handling experience off. I suggest getting an additional hand grip for better balancing. If you are using compact lightweight lenses, it handles perfectly fine.

Fuji X-T50 . X27mm f2.8 WR @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 400 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . XF30mm f2.8 @ 30mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Meike 55mm f1.4 @ 55mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

It has a 2-way tilt screen (like the X100V/VI) with 1.84 million dot resolution and a 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). A little disappointed with the EVF as it still uses the same resolution as the X-T30II but is still usable. On the bright side, it has improved 3-inch screen resolution from 1.04 million dot resolution.

(In comparison to X-T5, it is 3-way tilt 3-inch screen with 1.84 million dot resolution and 3.69 million dot resolution EVF.)

Fuji X-T50 . XF27mm f2.8 @ 27mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 2000 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Rokinon 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/2500″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . XF30mm f2.8 @ 30mm . f3.2 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace

As compared to X-T5, the mechanical shutter seems to be “heavier” in the X-T50. Probably due to the size of the camera body, I can feel the shutter movement more than the X-T5. It is not a deal breaker for me but just my observation.

Sensor and Processor

The X-T50 comes with the X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HR and the X-Processor 5, which shares similarities with X-H2, X-T5, and X100VI. I think I do not need to explain how good is it with this combination.

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/3500″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 300mm . f7.1 . 1/2000″ . ISO 640 . Reala Ace

Image Quality

While the image quality is subjective to the lenses I have mounted on, it is the same as what I have expected from the X-Trans CMOS sensor 5 HR and the X-Processor 5.

Fuji X-T50 . TTArtisan 56 f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/170″ . ISO 320 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . TTArtisan 25mm f2 @ 25mm . f2 . 1/850″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/6000″ . ISO 250 . Classic Negative

The image quality is exceptionally great if you pair up with the new generation of Fuji lenses. In short, you will not be disappointed with the results.

Performance

In general, the performance is pretty close to its elder sibling. The tracking system behaved the same. I have no issue with eye-AF tracking, train tracking, and bike training during my test. They pick up and lock up as they should be.

Fuji X-T50 . Rokinon 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/420″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Meike 55mm f1.4 @ 55mm . f5.6 . 1/750″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 55mm . f4 . 1/160″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

IBIS

Not surprised that Fujifilm implemented the IBIS but what surprised me is that Fujifilm did not skim down on the IBIS compensation. The IBIS in the X-T50 shares the same 7-stops of compensation like the latest X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5 and X-S20.

Fuji X-T50 . XF23mm f1.4 WR@ 23mm . f1.4 . 1/15″ . ISO 500 . Reala Ace

In layman’s terms, the IBIS works very well. If you read about it in my other reviews. It can achieve similar results with a similar lens setup. In my daily life, I do not encounter any blurred results unless it is intended.

Battery Life

While it still uses the NP-W126S battery instead of the bigger NP-W235 battery, I managed to squeeze about 550 shots on average. (In my test, I switch on the camera to shoot, switch off when not in use, and transfer about 50 photos.) According to CIPA, it is about 305 shots.

Left: Fuji X-T50 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 48.4mm . f4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/200″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

I understand that it is not an impressive number based on today’s standards. But battery is always not an issue in my opinion. The batteries are not bulky or difficult to keep inside my camera bag so I always bring 3 – 4 batteries everywhere I go.

Feedback

40 megapixels provides ample resolution, especially for RAW files, which is substantial. Looking ahead, I hope Fujifilm considers offering photographers the option to choose between small, medium, and large resolution settings for RAW files, similar to what they currently offer for JPEGs.

Fuji X-T50 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Reala Ace

Price Point

At $1399 USD, it competes in a price range where other brands offer cameras with larger sensors, which is worth considering.

However, I always advise photographers to thoroughly research their purchase because they’re investing in a system, not just a brand. Consider not only the initial camera cost but also the investment in lenses and their availability. It’s important to focus on what lenses are currently available from both the manufacturer and third-party suppliers, rather than relying on future promises or aspirations.

Right: Fuji X-T50 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/90″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/220″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 @ 50mm . f1.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

The X mount system has evolved significantly, offering a wide range of lens options today, including a variety of third-party offerings.

Others

There are a few more things that set the X-T50 and X-T5 apart and here are some of them. The first one is a single SD card slot against dual. The second one is X-T50 comes with a pop-up flash while X-T5 doesn’t has one. The last one is the mechanical shutter, where X-T50 can only go as fast as 1/4000s whereas 1/8000s on X-T5.

Mic-in port, USB-C port and mini-HDMI port

There is one very bold change that I did not mention earlier and it is the Drive mode dial. It has been replaced by the new Film Simulation dial. While I am not sure if everyone loves this new change, I enjoy using it. It gives me an instantaneous switch of film simulations at ease.

I know we can switch film simulations via the “Q” function, but switching the film simulations via the dial is an enjoyable process.

The dial also has three additional custom/programmable FS positions, allowing you to assign to Pro Negative, Eterna, standard Monochrome, and Sepia film simulations. For “C” function, basically allows you to control the film simulations via the “Q” function and also allows you to use your customized film simulations.

Fuji X-T50 . XF70-300mm f4-5.6 @ 300mm . f5.6 . 1/900″ . ISO 320 . Reala Ace

One small feature that further endears me to the camera is its design: the “play” button is noticeably more prominent than the “delete” button. This not only makes it easier to distinguish between the two but also enhances the satisfaction of pressing the buttons.

Lastly, it does not come with the 4 ways selector buttons.

Who is this for?

It is a good mid-range camera. If you are holding on to the first three generations of this series (X-T10, X-T20 and X-T30), I think X-T50 is a good upgrade. No doubt it is priced higher than the predecessors, but I think it is a good investment for years to come. Oh yes, you can continue to use the same NP-W126S battery.

Fuji X-T50 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/3200″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Left: Fuji X-T50 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 18mm . f4 . 1/1100″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace
Right: Fuji X-T50 . XF18-55mm f2.8-4 @ 55mm . f4 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Reala Ace

If you are new to photography and want to use Fujifilm as your camera, the X-T50 is a good camera to allow you to explore. Although the X-T30II is still in the available in the market, I believe that the X-T50 is a better investment to choose from.

Conclusion

I initially believed it might share the same configuration as the X-S20, but that assumption proved incorrect. Fujifilm has not compromised on the internals; instead, they’ve maximized the potential of this sensor and processor, offering more photographers the opportunity to experience it.

Right: Fuji X-T50 . Viltrox 27mm f1.2 @ 27mm . f1.2 . 1/800″ . ISO 250 . Reala Ace

Fuji X-T50 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/210″ . ISO 250 . Classic Chrome

In my view, the X-T50 stands out as a capable mid-range camera for photography. Its compact size and only weighs slightly over 440 grams makes it ideally suited for use with compact to mid-size lenses, which, in my opinion, generally fulfills the needs of most photographers.

Thank you for reading.

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

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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 will be 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 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

Sirui 56mm f1.2 – The First Attempt (III)

July 1, 2024June 30, 2024 Alwin Kok

This is the last of the Sniper lenses I have with me. By now, if you have read the first two lenses, I guess you should know my opinion of this series. Anyway, I still need to finish sharing my opinion of this focal length.

Intro

This is the third lens introduced by Sirui together with the 23mm f1.2 and 33mm f1.2. In summary, they started with crowdfunding from one of the popular platforms and this Sniper series succeeded.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/250″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

Design and Build Quality

For some reasons, the “white ceramic coating” or simply white plastic seems to be the worse built quality among the three colors. Having said that, it still far better than the Meike 85mm f1.8. That’s my opinion. As part of the Sniper family, it shares many similarities such as filter size (58mm), no aperture ring and no weather resistant. Also they share the same length as well. This is beneficial to videographers who need to mount on a gimbal.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f5.6. 1/55″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/160″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

At 419 grams, the weight of this lens feels okay. Although it may seem heavy, it is evenly distributed. Like its siblings, it comes with a lens hood. The difference is that it comes with a round lens hood instead of a petal-shaped lens hood.

Image Quality

Optically, it shares a lot of similarities with the Sniper family. At f1.2, the image is soft and lacks contrast. Coupled with it are the mild vignetting and strong chromatic aberration. Of course, everything gets better when stopping down. For my acceptance, f2 is the minimum f-stop for sharpness and contrast.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

The rendering of the background blur is not as smooth as I expected. Somehow it looks kind of hard and unpleasant. Or maybe it is something that I don’t appreciate?

Focusing

It comes with a Stepper Motor (STM). The focus is okay. It is not as snappy as the XF56mm f1.2 WR (just using it as a benchmark). Probably quite average among the rest of the 56mm focal length.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/240″ . ISO 125. Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

On average, I do encounter some pull-push effect before focus is locked on my subject. Not every time, but encounter it quite often. Hard to catch the behavior here but fail to do so. I hope the future firmware provides some remedies.

Also, the manual ring is different from the typical manual ring, this one can do a 360° rotation angle electronic focus ring. For photography per SE, I think it might help with precision focusing but I believe this benefits videography more.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

For a typical 85mm (in full frame equivalent), what is your expectation for a MFD for this focal length?

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

To share some examples of what other 56mm lenses MFD are: TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 is 50cm, XF56mm f1.2 WR is 50cm, Meike 55mm f1.4 is 60cm and Sigma 56mm f1.4 is 50cm.

Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The MFD of this lens is 60cm. Not quite on par with the average one but not any worse. The image quality, fortunately, isn’t degraded any worse too.

Price Point

At 279 USD (discount from the usual price at $349 USD from it’s official store), it is a good price point for a f1.2 autofocus lens. Or 799 USD for the 3 lenses.

For a quick comparison, XF56Mm f1.2 WR is priced at 999 USD, Meike 55mm f1.4 is priced at 199.9 USD, Sigma 56mm f1.4 is priced at 479 USD, and Viltrox 56mm f1.4 is priced at 299 USD. Is the price attractive?

Others

Like all other Sniper lenses, it comes with an USB-C port for future firmware update.

Also, it comes with a circular lens hood but mounting and dismounting it gives a quirky noise that always makes me think that I am breaking it anytime with a little pressure. Probably I have a bad copy of the lens hood?

Lastly, it has a thin lens cap (similar to its siblings) which gives me some problems when removing the lens cap from the lens. That’s because the pinch-to-release area is too narrow for big fingers (like mine) to pinch and remove the cap without any level of struggling.

Who is this for?

This 85mm (in full frame equivalent) focal length is suitable for the portrait genre. But not only that, this lens is also suitable for product shots, street, documentary, etc.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/4000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2. 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are a new photographer and have a limited budget, this lens together with its siblings forms good trinity lenses for a starter. Only if you are acceptable with its not-so-perfect image quality.

Conclusion

We do not lack any third-party autofocus lenses for Fujifilm. If you are looking for a “complete set” of third-party lenses, there are a few brands that I can think of at the moment; Sigma and Viltrox.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f10. 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Considering the price point, I find this lens acceptable, especially since it’s an f1.2 prime rather than the typical f1.4. However, I may have overestimated its capabilities. Nevertheless, I’m eagerly anticipating the release of their “Mark II” Sniper lenses, hoping for significant improvements in this series.

Oh yes, Sirui has launched another 2 new Sniper lenses, the 16mm f1.2, and the 75mm f1.2.

Thank you for reading.

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

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Reviews

Sirui 23mm f1.2 – The First Attempt (II)

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024 Alwin Kok

I have recently shared my opinion about the Sirui 33mm f1.2 and this is the second lens from the Sirui Sniper series.

Intro

To keep things short, this series was first introduced via a crowdfunding platform and, they were successfully funded as expected.

Design and Build Quality

The aluminum alloy or silver color (in my opinion) option seems to be less fancy than the white and black/carbon fiber one. The color is also duller and less reflective than the silver XF lenses.

It is plastic-made build quality. Not the worst one but it’s also not the best plastic build either. However, the 380-gram lens is well-balanced on hand but I can feel the weight. This lens also shared the same 58mm filter size as the Sirui 33mm f1.2.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/1700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/90″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

And yes, it comes with a petal-shaped lens hood and metal rear mount.

Since it comes from the Sniper family, missing the aperture ring is one of them. (There are more similarities later.) It comes with an electronic manual ring, which means it comes with a 360° smooth rotation angle.

Image Quality

At f1.2, softness and weak contrast are pretty obvious. In my opinion, sometimes I am unsure if I have nailed the shots with such an image quality. While there are photographers who might like this level of softness, I can’t accept it. I would probably close one eye if this lens were to be released a few years back. For my personal acceptance, f2 is the base with f2.8 for better results.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2.8. 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting at the corners is acceptable but the chromatic aberration is obvious for wide-open shots.

The foreground/background blur rendering is not my favorite. It seems to be “hard” or I should say the transition is not as smooth as I am expecting it to be.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

Focusing performance is fast and silent due to the Stepper Motor equipped with this lens. The performance seems to be better than the 33mm version. If compared with the XF23mm f1.4 WR, it is not that snappy fast and locks the subject fast. I do not experience a lot of push-pull focusing issues.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2 . 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

For a 35mm (full-frame equivalent) lens, the MFD is 30cm. For a quick comparison, XF23mm f1.4 WR is 20cm, Sigma 23mm f1.4 is 25cm and the classic XF23mm f1.4 R is 28cm.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you don’t really need to care about shooting as close to the subject as possible, then this lens is fine. The good thing is that the image quality won’t get worse, even at wide-open.

Price Point

279 USD (from B&H) is considerably a good price point for a f1.2. For reference, XF23mm f1.4 WR is about 810 USD, Viltrox 23mm f1.4 mk II is at 299 USD, and, Sigma 23mm f1.4 is priced at 550 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/8″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are buying as a bundle with the other 2 Sniper lenses in the Sirui official store, the deal might be even better if there are promotions.

Others

I am glad to see the USB-C port made available for future firmware updates.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2.8. 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

This 35mm (in full frame equivalent) shares some similarities with the other Sniper lenses. For example, the lens hood gives a very clicky feel that deems the hood can be broken easily when mounting it front-facing. Another example is it comes with a very thin lens cap with very narrow pinch-to-release space. This gives a good challenge for big fingers to pinch the lens cap.

Lastly, it is not weather-resistance.

Who is this for?

This is my favorite focal length. I would say it’s a very versatile focal length for environment portraits, street, documentaries, journalism, and many others.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 200Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2. 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic NegativeRight: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative . Nostalgic Negative

If you are a new photographer or you are unsure if this focal length suits your shooting habit or on a tight budget, you can consider this lens as a stepping stone.

Conclusion

This lens together with the other Sniper lenses is a good attempt from Sirui. Compared with the other manufacturers’ lenses I have reviewed, I am a little disappointed with the optical quality Sirui provides with this series.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f10. 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 23mm f1.2 @ 23mm . f10 . 1/125″ . ISO 125. Nostalgic Negative*

There is a lot of potential in this series. Unfortunately, it is not what I expected for a fast lens. Having said that, I hope to see more improved versions of this series in the future.

Thank you for reading.

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

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

Sirui 33mm f1.2 – The First Attempt (Part I)

May 23, 2024May 28, 2024 Alwin Kok

Sirui made a big move by launching the trinity prime lenses with 3 different color options for photographers, black, silver, and white. And what an even smarter move is to launch them via a crowdfunding platform. They call them the Sniper series.

Intro

Sirui has been in the photography industry since 2001. That’s a long established brand for over 2 decades. I came to know about this brand when I have searching for a tripod, what about you?

Although Sirui has been here for quite a long time, when it comes to photography lenses, they are still at the “young”/”early” stage. If I remember correctly, they launched their first lens, the 50mm f1.8 1.33x anamorphic lens, in 2019. So how does the Sirui 33mm actually perform?

Design and Build Quality

The plastic-constructed lens is considerably well-built. The black carbon fiber design is pretty nice looking too. At 400 grams, I can feel the weight when I hold it in my hands but lucky it is not bulky, otherwise, it will not be a pleasant experience.

As you can tell, this 58mm filter size lens does not come with any aperture ring. However, those who love to use the focus ring will be very happy because it has a very big surface area for the focus ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/12000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2 . 1/17000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, unlike a typical manual ring, this one comes with a 360° rotation angle. As this is an electronic focus ring, I believe this benefits videographer.

The 50mm (in full frame equivalent) comes with a metal rear mount.

Image Quality

Somehow, I am a little disappointed with the optic. At f1.2, the image quality is soft, lacking some contrast and sharpness. Maybe it is the characteristic softness that some photographers love, but this is not my preference. Nonetheless, this experience is similar to those I tested with the typically manual focus lenses but slightly better.

For low-light and indoor situations, it is slightly better with shots taken at wide-open. But you still can see that softness if you pixel-peeped.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f4. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/9000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f5.6 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, f2 is the sweet spot. The image quality definitely gets better from f2 onwards. Sharpness and contrast are great and better photos usability.

Chromatic aberration is pretty obvious at wide open but on the bright side, the vignetting is mild.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2. 1/100″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

I seldom share about background/foreground blur as the beauty of it is very subjective and personal. The same for bokeh. However, I feel that the blur rendering is somehow not as smooth as I expected from a f1.2. It seems to be forcefully rendered or at least not to my pleasing.

Focusing

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2. 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/11000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens comes with a Stepper Motor (STM), which is silent and pretty fast when there is sufficient contrast. However, be it during the day or under low-light situations, I sometimes experience some focus-pulling, and it takes a few times to get it focused. Also, shooting at wide-open sometimes does have focus pulling. Sometimes it will eventually focus-locked successfully, sometimes it will fail. I think this can be resolved with future firmware updates.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

The focusing speed between MFD and infinity is okay, and you can feel the difference when you compare it with the XF33mm f1.4.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

At 40cm, this lens does not have the best MFD in my opinion. It is even worse than the Rokinon 35mm f1.2 (@38cm). For your information, XF35mm f1.4 is holding the record of 28cm. Luckily, the image quality doesn’t get any worse at wide-open at its MFD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

It is selling at 456.50 USD on the Sirui website. But if you are getting from B&H, it is 331.55 USD. If you are looking at 3 lens kit, it will be 1304.88 USD and 949.05 USD respectively.

Others

Like most manufacturers, the lens comes with a USB-C port for future firmware upgrades. At least it is not the micro USB found in Meike 85mm f1.8.

Another good point to note is that it comes with a lens hood. The bad point is that the lens hood gives some sort of unpleasant sound that seems like it will break when I try to mount it front-facing. Keeping the lens hood is fine. Strange phenomenal.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2.8. 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/6400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2 . 1/30″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, the lens cap is thin, making it probably the worst experience I have had with any lenses tested this far. The pinch-to-release area is too narrow for big fingers to pinch and remove the cap without any some level of struggling.

Lastly, this lens does not come with any weather resistance or sealing. I do encounter some drizzling during my shoot, luckily it still works fine.

Who is this for?

This 50mm (in full frame equivalent) lens is a nice focal length that generally covers a lot of genres. Street and portraits are easily some of them.

If you have not owned this focal length before or want to give this focal length a try but do not wish to spend more money, then you may consider getting this lens. If you want a good Trinity lens setup to start your photography journey, this sniper series might be a good choice to kickstart with.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/3800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2. 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

This Sniper series is Sirui’s first attempt in the APS-C world and this series really gets a lot of attention and successfully gets the lenses funded in the crowdfunding platform.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f2. 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, this lens is considerably affordable as it comes with a fast but not-so-favorable f1.2 and pretty decent focusing performance. As I mentioned earlier, I think treating this lens as an f2 lens instead of an f1.2 lens will make me feel better. Then f1.2 is a “bonus” when I really need that big aperture, then it is there for me to use it.

*Fuji X-T5 . Sirui 33mm f1.2 @ 33mm . f8. 30″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* . Crop: 65:24

There is room for improvement with this series, and I hope to see better image quality at wide-open, comes with an aperture ring and probably some form of weather protection.

And yes, this is the first of the 3 Sirui lenses I have reviewed. 2 more to go.

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 – A Nod to Nostalgic Again

May 7, 2024May 6, 2024 Alwin Kok

ArtraLab isn’t stopped at just releasing their 24mm f1.7 in Septemeber 2023. Just exacting one month later, they released another new lens in October 2023; the ArtaLab NONIKKOR-MC 35mm F1.4.

Intro

This is the second lens I have tested from the company. Besides the X-mount, this lens comes with E-mount, Z-mount, and L-mount. A little interesting fact about this lens is that it is a full-frame lens. Does this mean that the optical quality of the APS-C sensor should be better than those lenses designed specifically for APS-C?

Design and Build Quality

If I am correct, this lens comes with two designs. Basically, the difference between the two is the change of the focus ring. The first one has very identical design language to their 24mm f1.7 variant, which seems like just an upsize of it. The second one (the one I am reviewing), has a bit more distinguished design language. The focus ring is more of a “blocky rectangular tile-like” shape design.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/4700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Nonetheless, this lens is also heavily inspired by the 80’s Nikon lens design language. The 285-gram lens has the same good metal-built quality. Still has the attractive colorful aperture values that I love and it also comes with the same pleasant clicky aperture ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens comes with a 52mm filter size, which also shares the same filter size as the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7. Nice.

In case one wonders, the lens is designed in Hong Kong and assembled in China.

Image Quality

I previously shared my positive thoughts on the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7, but unfortunately, my experience was not the same this time around. Firstly, the chromatic aberration coupled with softness was quite disturbing when using the lens at a wide open. It reminded me of the image quality issues that were prevalent 4-5 years ago.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Although sharpness isn’t there at wide open, contrast isn’t that bad. The contrast is fair enough in my opinion. Image quality does improve from f2.8. For some reason, The glowing/blooming effect found in the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7 can be found with this lens but I feel it isn’t as strong as the one with 24mm. I thought it would be nice to share the same characteristic charm.

Anyway, to be fair, the optic of this lens is designed to be the same as the one found in the 80s. So I think this is why it behaves this way.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/30″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is there but it is not that obvious. The sun star, surprisingly, is nice and the lines are well-defined.

Sunstar is pretty surprisingly good in my opinion. The lines are well-defined but it does come with ghosting as well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f16. 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f16. 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

The focus ring is smooth and gentle but slightly heavier to rotate with my pinky finger (I managed to do it with the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7).

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/4800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The rotation is approximately 180° from end to end. Personally, I prefer “long travel distance” as this will allow me to have better precision in manual focusing on the subject. This also greatly improves in nailing the shots at a higher success rate.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

35cm MFD is pretty standard nowadays for this focal length. Nothing spectacular but the soft image is expected at f1.4.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

The price point is 527 USD. Is it expensive?

Here is a small table for some price sense,

TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 – 73 USD
7artisans Photoelectric 35mm f1.2 – 139 USD
Rokinon 35mm f1.2 – 379 USD
XF35mm f1.4 R – 599 USD
Voigtlander 35mm f/2 macro – 599 USD

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/10500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

For the price point, I can top up a bit more to have the legendary XF35mm f1.4. But if you are someone who really loves the 80’s Nikon design, the price is not important.

Others

Sadly, it does not come with any lens hood like most other manual lenses. I wish ArtraLab was willing to provide a metal lens hood to compliment the lens. Giving the photographer his/her choice. Also, weather resistance is not covered as well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f5.6. 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f4. 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Speaking of lens breathing, this lens has pretty minimum lens breathing. I believe this benefits for videographers. Oh yes, the lens protrudes a little at the MFD, which is pretty normal for most of the manual lenses I have tested.

Left: Artralab 35mm f1.4 at MFD
Right: Artlab 35mm f1.4 at infinity

Who is this for?

This lens is definitely aimed at photographers who love retrospective lenses, this one should not be missed if you are accepting in the image quality. As for Genres, it can do the usual ones, especially street, and portraits.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

I love the nostalgic lens design but not the image quality. Given the price point, I cannot accept to have this optical glass quality. But I am not stopping photographers who loves the 80s nostalgic charm from getting it.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/2400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Nonetheless, if I am to decide to have a lens from ArtraLab, the 27mm f1.7 will be my preferred one.

Left: ArtraLab 35mm f1.4
Right: ArtraLab 24mm f1.7

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

ArtraLab 24mm f1.7 – A Nod to Nostalgic

April 26, 2024 Alwin Kok

Artralab Nonikkor-MC 24MM F1.7 is probably one of the best-looking retro-designed lenses in recent years and pairs very well with the Fujifilm range of retro-designed cameras. It was announced sometime in September 2023 and gained much traction from manual lens lovers and enthusiasts. So how does it live up to?

Intro

I was only aware of this company when they teased the internet about this lens last year. I had never heard about the company before, so I googled a bit about them. Here is some high-level information about the company: ArtraLab (Art Random Adventure), a Hong Kong-based company, was founded in 2018 by a group of passionate photographers, architects, fashion designers, and product designers.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f4. 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/10,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/3800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Oh yes, this lens comes with an E-mount and Z-mount.

Design and Build Quality

At first look, I am attracted by the colorful print of the aperture and manual focus rings. The lens design takes a lot of inspiration from the 1980s Nikon lens designs. I love it.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f2.8. 1/550″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

When I hold the 210-gram lens, I can feel that the aluminum-constructed lens is very well-built and I did not feel any loose parts. Oh yes, it is made in China if someone ever wonders. I love the colorful aperture values on the aperture ring. Rotating the aperture ring is one of my most pleasing experiences because I love that satisfying clicky feedback. The focus is another pleasure to use (more on this later).

This compact lens comes with a small filter size of 52mm and comes with a typical plastic pinch-to-unlock lens cap.

Image Quality

The image quality coming out from this 36mm (in full frame equivalent) is pretty decent at wide-open but has a kind of characteristic softness. This softness is not totally soft and not to the extent that I am not acceptable. In fact, I like the charm of this softness.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f2. 1/3500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Oh yes, it is not clinically sharp if you pixel-peep but it has good contrast and it is still acceptable for my day-to-day use.

Also, I get to see the glowing/blooming effect (very similar to the CineBloom filter from Moment) at wide-open but this effect will wear off from f2.8 onwards.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/10,500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Chromatic aberration is surprisingly in decent control as I did not observe any during my shoot. As for vignetting, it does have them at wide-open but not as heavy as I have expected.

Sun star is pretty pleasing in my opinion. The lines are fine but not clinically sharp. Also, ghosting can be observed as well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f16. 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f16. 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

The sensitivity of this manual focus ring is probably one of my favorite ones to use. It rotates effortlessly like a breeze and I can even use my pinky finger to glide clockwise and anti-clockwise without any problem.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/38,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*

The rotation is approximately 180° from Minimum Focus Distance to Infinity. While it may seem “far” or “long travel distance”, in my opinion, this gives a very good amount of travel distance to have better precision on the focusing.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD 23cm is nothing to shout about as it has the same MFD as most 23mm focal length lenses have.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

But having said that, unlike some manual lenses that suffer from image quality breakdown, the image quality is well-maintained at wide-open at MFD. At least, the sharpness isn’t any softer.

Price Point

At 386 USD, it is very close to the autofocus lens price points. For example Viltrox 23mm f1.4 at 299 USD, Sirui 23mm f1.2 at 330 USD and spend a bit more for XF23mm f2 at 449 USD. As for manual lenses, we have TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 is 99 USD, and 7Artisan 24mm f1.4 is 109 USD.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f2. 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

After sharing the price point, if you really like this lens, I guess the price is not a concern here.

Others

Like most manual lenses, it does not come with weather sealing or resistance, and the lens barrel will protrude a little when you are at the MFD. Also, it does not come with a lens hood which I feel is a little disappointing, given the premium that the photographer has spent.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Acros*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 160. Nostalgic Negative*

This lens does have very minimal lens breathing, so videographers should be less worried if they want to use this lens for their videography work.

Lastly, do take note of the change of white balance when you change the apertures. This is very common for most of the manual lenses that I have tested thus far.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f4. 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f5.6. 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

Unless you love the retrospective design of this lens, I won’t encourage anyone to get this lens at this price or at least I feel that paying a little more to get an autofocus lens is more worth it.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Having said that, there are quite several genres that can be covered with this focal length such as landscape/cityscape, street, environmental portrait, documentary, editorial, etc. It is a very versatile focal length

Conclusion

As my title suggests, this lens is all about being nostalgic and I am sure it gives a lot of reliving memories for all the 80s Nikon photographers. In my opinion, the company did well in launching this lens and I am glad that they did it. This gives 1 more option for the photographers to choose from.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 27mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, as this lens is very close to 23mm, it is a very versatile focal length for me. For image quality, it has that charming blooming at wide-open. Rotating the manual ring is really a pleasure for me. Smooth and giving me a sense of satisfaction.

I like everything about the lens except for the price. Maybe someone finds it worth the value but I shall wait for a better deal.

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 – A Worthy Budget Portrait Lens

April 19, 2024April 14, 2024 Alwin Kok

The TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 is my most anticipated lens since it is in the land of rumors. Why? Because TTArtisan is good at keeping very competitive pricing for their autofocus lenses without sacrificing much on the image quality. And this lens could be one that can give XF50mm f2 a run for its money.

Intro

Both TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 and TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 are announced in 2022 and 2023 respectively. And today in 2024, it is TTArtisan’s first autofocus lens announcement and the third autofocus lens in the company’s portfolio.

I have been testing this gem for close to a month now and it is probably one of the longest times I have spent time testing.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

To be honest, it has been a long time since I am so excited about testing a lens.

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

Design and Build Quality

First off, the TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 shares a lot of similarities with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8. It has the same design language, the same good metal built quality, and the same filter size (@ 52mm) too.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Since it’s the same design language, this also means that it only comes with a manual focus ring and lacks one of my favorite elements of a lens: an aperture ring. The manual focus ring comes with a smooth rotating experience and doesn’t feel any small “friction” for precision control.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . 5.6. 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

It weighs 237 grams, 258 grams with it’s square hood and 275 grams with it’s squarehood and docking lens cap. Yes, it does come with a square hood! Sweet gesture!

Image Quality

I feel that the image quality set a higher benchmark for what we usually expect for this price point (later on this). At wide-open, it is not the sharpest, a little soft (depending on the photographer’s preference), and does not have the best contrast, but it is very usable. Or at least, it exceeds my expectations in this department.

Vignetting is there but not as heavy as I thought it could be compared with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8. Chromatic aberration is barely noticeable in my eyes. That’s to say, you still can see it if you pixel peep. Nevertheless, I think the engineers in the TTArtisan do well in engineering this.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for sun star effect, it is okay but it does come with some characteristic flares. Please be mindful if you do not like the characteristics of lens flares.

At f1.8, I do not expect to have a great separation between the subject with background/foreground but decent enough to blur the unwanted subject. Bokeh balls are fine as I do not see any onion or cat eye like bokeh. I seldom talk about bokeh but this one seems to be very pleasing to my eyes so I thought I should share it with every reader.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f16. 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

It comes with a Stepper Motor (STM) which performs pretty snappy in most situations. I do experience some back-focusing or off-focus shots. But that happens very rarely and it might happen due to my error.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

The focusing speed between MFD and infinity is considerably fast under good lightning conditions but it isn’t really slow or struggling under low light conditions either. I could say it is not disappointing.

When comes to lens breathing, it is pretty far. While it does not affect me but I think it might likely impacts videographers.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD is 50cm and I think it isn’t as close as other mid-range lenses like the XF50mm f2 (at 39cm) and Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 (at 45cm). But the MFD is the same as the XF56mm f1.2 WR.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/30″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f2.8. 1/320″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

TTArtisan is famous for its affordability and strikes a perfect balance between price and image quality. This 56mm f1.8 is the same too. At 158 USD, this is probably one of the cheapest autofocus portrait lens one can ask for.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/55″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

Similar to TTArtisan’s other autofocus lenses, this 56mm comes with a dock for future firmware updates and it does function as a rear lens cap as well.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f4 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/90″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, this lens does not come with any form of weather and dust resistance.

Who is this for?

TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 is obviously targeting a certain genre of photographers and that is portrait photographers. To be more specific, beginners or photographers who are unsure if they want to shoot portraits with this focal length but do not want to break their piggy banks. And it can be a good gift to your photography friends.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f5.6. 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

But I would like to extend this lens to other street photographers, journalists, documentary and travel photographers.

If you are using the XF50mm f2, I will suggest keeping what you have and continuing to use it. A small difference in the aperture value does not make a huge difference in the shooting experience and the end results.

Conclusion

TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 is by far one of my favorite budget autofocus lenses I have tested thus far. It is lightweight, has decent image quality and acceptable autofocus speed. Plus with this attractive price point, I can’t find any reason not to own it.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 @ 56mm . f1.8. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are fine without the aperture ring and lack of weather resistance, I highly recommend owning this lens first if you are interested in looking for a portrait lens.

TTArtisan has released two f1.8 lenses to complement each other. I wonder if will there be a “23mm f1.8” or similar focal length lens to complete the Trinity lenses in the affordable price range?

Oh yes. According to TTArtisan, this lens will be made available from 19 April 2024, 6pm (UTC/GMT +8).

TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 and TTArtisan 35mm f1.8

Thank you for reading.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

Viltrox 13mm f1.4 – Viltrox’s First Ultrawide Lens for APS-C

April 8, 2024April 8, 2024 Alwin Kok

Viltrox 13mm f1.4 was announced back in January 2022. The lens is well received with many positive feedbacks from many photographers. I also do remember it was a challenge to snap one for my use and eventually, I gave up on getting one during that period. Of course, I eventually managed to buy one from an online platform.

Intro

Viltrox is the first brand that Fujifilm photographers are exposed to the third-party autofocus lens and the rest is history. Today, Fujifilm photographers have always been their first customers. For example, Viltrox 75mm f1.2 Pro and Viltrox 27mm f1.2 Pro were launched in X-mount first before any other mounts.

Left: Viltrox 13mm f1.4 without the lens hood
Right: Viltrox 13mm f1.4 with the lens hood

Viltrox positions its first ultrawide lens uniquely. They are not aiming to be the widest autofocus lens but strike a good balance between “wide” and “fast”. 13mm (19.5mm in full frame equivalent) is not the widest ultrawide lens (XF8mm f3.5 is the widest prime lens in the market ) but it is definitely the fastest one yet (same aperture as XF16mm f1.4).

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

I seldom set expectations for a China-made lens, but given the Viltrox improving records, I had a lot of expectations for this lens before getting one for myself. I hope it will fulfill the expectations I set for it.

At this point of writing, this lens comes with an X-mount and an E-mount.

Design and Build Quality

The metal-constructed lens body is great. In my opinion, it is as close as the pro lineup. It comes with a good clicky aperture ring but is not as tactile as the aperture ring found in the pro lineup.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/90″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

When holding it on hand, the 420 grams feel lighter as compared to the Viltrox 27mm (560 grams) and Viltrox 75mm (670 grams). I also appreciate that the filter size is 67mm which allows photographers to access various filters without having to pay for more expensive ones.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Image Quality

Image quality is surprisingly great for an ultrawide lens. The results are pretty usable at wide-open. The contrast is good. Corner-to-corner sharpness is fine and the distortion is within my bearable range. As for overall sharpness, it does not give blazer sharpness as compared to the pro lineup but is not too far behind.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/170″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/500″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is visible at wide-open but acceptable in my opinion. It is not as heavy as I have expected. Chromatic aberration is pretty well-controlled in this lens.

Flares and ghosting are obviously visible from direct sunlight. So beware if you want to avoid these.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

From the Viltrox online store, it mentioned that the focusing system is Stepper Motor (STM) + Lead Screw. I have very shallow knowledge and probably it is my first time hearing of “Lead Screw”. So I do some Google study.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.6 . 1/9000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f2.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As far as I can find, there are two types of STM, Lead Screw type and Gear type. The lead screw is bulkier as compared to the gear type but faster and quieter. Gear type is usually found in compact lenses. However, both STMs produce smooth and quiet focusing movement which benefits the videographer.

I guess this is one of the reasons why this lens is big?

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f11 . 1/7″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focus breathing is surprisingly very minimal. A good one for videographers who plan to use this lens for their work.

Focusing performance is great, I have only encountered very few focus-hunting throughout my trip to Japan. The focus speed from MFD to infinity and vice versa is pretty decent for an ultrawide lens. I have no complaint in this.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/420″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

This lens comes with an MFD of 22cm. While there isn’t any benchmark of the exact same focal length from other manufacturers. So I extract what other ultrawide lenses’ MFDs are:

XF16mm f1.4 – 15cm

XF8mm f3.5 – 18cm

Sigma 16mm f1.4 – 25cm

Meike 12mm f2 – 20cm

Meike 10mm f2 – 30cm

TTArtisan 10mm f2 – 25cm

Given some references I have picked up over here, I could say the MFD of the Viltrox 13mm is somewhat average. The good things is that the image quality at MFD still maintain a good quality and not experience some image breakdown like some other lenses.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

In Viltrox online store, it is priced at 630 USD while it is priced at 459 USD in B&H. I think there aren’t any much prime lens competitors. There is only one I can recall and that’s Samyang 12mm f2 and it is priced at about 395 USD. Meanwhile, XF8mm f3.5 is priced at 799 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

Like the other Viltrox AF lenses, it comes with a USB port for future firmware updates. In this case, it is a USB-C port.

There is also one thing that sets this lens apart from the pro lineup and that is the lens hood. It comes with plastic quality instead of metal. If this is something you are looking forward to, you might be disappointed.

Who is this for?

Although I always choose prime over zoom lens for street lenses, I prefer a more zoom versatility for ultrawide lenses, for example, Sigma 10-18 f2.8 or Tamron 11-20 f2.8. The reason is that ultrawide focal length is a lot less used in my type of photo genre.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Putting my own preferences aside, this lens is suitable for architecture, astrography, cityscape, and landscape. Besides all these genres, this lens is up to your creativity to create.

Oh yes, it can be a good lens for vloggers too.

Conclusion

Although it is not part of the Viltrox “Pro” series category, in my opinion, it is quite on par with the “Pro” series lenses, especially in the image quality and overall performance.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f1.4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you own both the Viltrox 27mm f1.2 and Viltrox 75mm f1.2 and you do not have an ultrawide lens, I think this lens is a good complement to form the “trinity” lenses from Viltrox. If you are just searching for a great ultrawide prime lens, then this could be it. Because this lens is worth considering.

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f5.6 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 .Viltrox 13mm f1.4 @ 13mm . f8 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Lightroom.
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.
5. Some readers might have noticed that I shoot more at f5.6 and that is because I have never thought of sharing my opinion initially. Since it is my holiday, so I should shoot something that I am more comfortable with.

Reviews

TTArtisan 10mm f2 – The First Ultrawide Lens From TTArtisan

April 1, 2024April 8, 2024 Alwin Kok

There are several manual ultrawide lenses in the market, 1 autofocus one from Viltrox and Samyang, and Fujifilm has 3 ultrawide in their lens lineup. Having said that, Fujifilm photographers do not lack any ultrawide lens options, and then TTArtisan added another lens to this category. But can it stand out from the others?

Intro

TTArtisan has been around in the market for quite some time. If you are a fan of TTArtisan, you will realize that TTArtisan has not tapped into the world of ultrawide focal length. The widest focal length they have for the APS-C world is TTArtisan 17mm f1.4 (excludes the TTArtisan 7.5mm f2 fisheye lens). With this 10mm (15mm in full-frame equivalent), they are now officially on this bandwagon.

This is the second lens of the same focal length I have tested. The first one is Meike 10mm f2. But I will not compare them in detail here. More on this later.

Before I proceed with the review, I would like to thank TTArtisan for sending this lens over and giving me ample amount of time to test this lens. Having said that, TTArtisan has no influence over my opinion. They read the review on the same day as all the readers.

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, it looks pretty compact for a f2 ultrawide lens. It also comes with TTArtisan manual lens design language. That’s to say, it is very recognizable. It weighs 332 grams and the weight is within my expectations for a manual, fully well-built metal-constructed lens. But I do agree that it seems to be heavy but I feel fine on hand.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f8 . 1/4″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/125″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

As usual, it comes with a clicky aperture ring, which is very similar to most TTArtisan manual lenses. But it comes with a narrow aperture ring which is a little tricky for me to rotate with my big fingers.