x-mount – Page 5 – Alwin Kok

Meike 10mm f2 – The Widest Lens Yet

July 12, 2023July 11, 2023 Alwin Kok

This is Meike widest lens ever created, 10mm may not sound as wide as the recently launched XF8mm f3.5 but that does not mean this lens of Meike is not great. So when comes to the ultrawide lens, what are our expectations if we are getting one? Widest possible focal length? Brightest possible aperture? How about size, weight, and price play a part in the consideration? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. It is up to individuals to find the best suitable lens for their wants or needs. Having said that, the Meike 10mm f2 could be the lens some photographers might be looking for.

The good people in Meike have recently shared with me the 10mm f2. I thank them for their kindness and continuous support. Making another post possible. Having said that, I stay neutral and true to myself.

Intro

This lens was announced exactly back in 1 year ago in July 2022. It is still a pretty new lens in the market. As usual, it comes with various mounts too: Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, M43, and of course, the Fujifilm X mount.

Design and Build Quality

From my first impression, this is not the sexiest lens nor it is ugly either. It gives a unique overall design look. The most distinguishable one among other lenses is the wider front element which comes with a 77mm filter thread. If you take a closer look, the front lens is protruding, so I think this might be the factor why it obtains its unique lens look.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2.8 . 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

At 550 grams, the weight is dense when I hold it in my hand. You can imagine how many glass elements are inside this metal-built lens.

The aperture ring is de-click and smooth with very little friction, which means it benefits videographers. While it doesn’t harm much for my shoot, I do wish to see an option to click and de-click the aperture ring in their future lenses. Because with the clicky experience, I can roughly tell which aperture am I at. After all, this lens does not come with any electronic contact, hence, there is no information exchanged between the lens and the camera.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2.8. 1/4700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It comes with a cap-on style lens cap and if there is anyone concerned about its build material, it’s plastic. It may not feel as good as the lens body but I think it makes some sense to reduce the overall weight.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f5.6 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Image Quality

When comes to image quality, I think apart from how good the image quality it will be, other questions such as how good is distortion control is, how strong the vignetting is, and how heavy is the chromatic aberration. This ultrawide lens is no exception too.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

To answer them one by one. The image quality is great. The subject is sharp and contrast when I shoot wide open. I am surprised by how good the results are.

I am impressed with the distortion control from this lens. I cannot say it is 100% distortion free or zero distortion because if I nitpick with it, some very minor distortion at the edge of the photo can be observed.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/10″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f8. 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is unavoidable when shooting at f2 but is not as strong as other manual lenses. As for chromatic aberration, I am shocked by how well it is controlled. At least from the shots I have taken, I am not able to find one.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f5.6. 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Another thing that I like about this lens is its transition between the focused subject against the other. At least to me, it is very pleasing to my eyes.

If anyone is curious, the sun star result is pretty good and sharp.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f22. 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f5.6 . 1/2″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

When handling the focus ring, it has the same experience as the aperture ring: smooth with little friction. Apart from the ring designs and the width of the rings, I am expecting some levels of friction difference when handling both rings but I was wrong with this lens. In my opinion, I prefer to have a bit more friction handling differences to set the aperture ring and focus ring apart. Because there are a few times when I mistakenly change the aperture ring when I am supposed to rotate the focus ring to my desired focused point. Again, that could be me only.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*

Like other Meike lenses I have tested thus far, it shares the same similarity when comes to focusing. The other end of the MFD is not the true infinity, the right infinity shot is where the infinity symbol is.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD is 30 cm and I find it a pity as it is not as close as I expected. Probably due to engineering limitations or other technical issues, the Meike cannot make it shorter. For info, the Meike 7.5mm f2.8 fisheye lens is 15cm. But then, it is a fisheye lens and this is an ultrawide lens. Both lenses are designed differently.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

So if you are looking to have some very close-up shots, this lens may not be the right choice.

Price Point

Originally priced at 449 USD but now it is priced at 349.99 USD on the Meike website. It is not the cheapest price nor it is the most expensive one among all the manual lenses. It’s somewhere in between those price ranges.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative*

Just for some sense, the newly launched XF8mm f3.5 is selling at 799.95 USD, Viltrox AF 13mm f1.4 is 459 USD, Rokinon 12mm f2 is 248 USD, and TTArtisan 17mm 1.4 is 118 USD.

Others

Similar to other manual lenses tested, there is an obvious change in white balance whenever I change aperture values; for example f2 to f4. It does not have a real impact if you shoot in raw format. But if you are a straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) photographer, probably you might have to take note of it.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f4. 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

As for the current market, I think there is no other lens that offers this combination (15mm in full frame equivalent and f2). For landscapes, architecture, cityscapes, and astrography photographers, you can consider getting this lens as part of your arsenal.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Although it is a manual lens, getting the right focus is not that challenging. If you have the time to spare, take your time to nail the shots or snap a few more shots with a slight change in focus range.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

This lens is exceptionally good for its focal length. Although size and weight are the 2 drawbacks I have for this lens, it gives very usable f2 image quality shots that I cannot complain much about.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f4. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

With its latest pricing (as compared to the initial launched price), I think it is a very good investment if you can accept the 2 drawbacks. If Meike management or engineers are reading this article, if you are planning to create the successor, I hope you can improve on the 2 drawbacks and possibly on the front lens element as well. I believe it will be a popular one.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 10mm f2 @ 10mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Nonetheless, I am happy using this lens.

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 2023.
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

Meike 7.5mm f2.8 – In My Fisheye View

July 3, 2023July 2, 2023 Alwin Kok

As the title suggests, it’s a fisheye lens. In my opinion, the fisheye lens is a niche product and it is really up to the photographers’ creativity (pardon me I’m not the creative one) to showcase this unique point of view. Nonetheless, I try my best to share what I can do with this lens.

This is not my first time experiencing a fisheye lens. I got my very first fisheye lens from 7Artisans when I had my X-T2 not long ago and then I also tested the TTArtisan 7.5mm f2 2 years back. In other words, a fisheye lens is not something I am not that unfamiliar with. Oh yes, this is a diagonal fisheye lens and not a circular fisheye lens.

Intro

This Fisheye lens from Meike was announced quite some time ago, in May 2022, which translates to a year-ish from the time this post is live. But it is still worth trying out with the new 40 megapixels sensor from Fujifilm.

For a note: It comes with various APS-C mounts (namely Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Sony E mount camera systems) and Micro Four Thirds mount too. Meike also released a couple of fisheye lenses (both diagonal and circular type) but this 7.5mm is probably the sexiest one among them.

Before continuing, I would like to express my gratitude to Meike for sharing this lens with me. Without their support, this post will not be able to be here today.

Design and Build Quality

The first thing you will get to notice is how well the lens is constructed. Visually, it’s a very compact fisheye lens, not as compact as a pancake lens but still compact. Unfortunately, like other Fisheye lenses, it is not possible to place a filter in front of the protruding lens. Oh yes, it comes with a built-in lens hood like most other fisheye lenses do too.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f4 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

With its 260 grams, it doesn’t feel that heavy when I had it on hand. It feels a little bit dense but overall it does feel good on hand and is well-balanced.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f5.6 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

At 7.5mm, it is equivalent to 11.25mm in 35mm format. This focal length is also probably the widest focal length among all landscape-oriented lenses. In case someone wonders, its angle of view is 190° diagonal, 161.8° horizontal, and 106.5° vertical.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Rotating the aperture ring is a pleasure, its clicky ring gives me a gentle satisfying experience to me. And like all Meike lenses I have tested so far, it comes with a rear metal bayonet too.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

From my first impression, I am surprised by how sharp and contrasting it is at wide-open. And it is consistent at all focus ranges. However, the corners of the shots can be a little soft if ever one wonders. The fall-off between the subject and the foreground/background is smooth and blends quite well.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Although it has very mild vignetting, it also has good chromatic aberration control. I think I can ignore about doing post-processing because it is unnoticeable unless you are looking for it intentionally.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

Another good surprise is how well the lens resolves around the newly developed sensor. No complain here.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f4 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Lastly, it does render very good sun star with very sharp star edges. However, background blur/bokeh is not something majestic and jaw-dropping, but it does its job well on subject separation. Anyway, I don’t think this is something most photographers are looking for in a fisheye lens.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f16 . 1/3″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

Like most of the Meike lenses I have tested thus far, the manual focus ring on this lens is smooth with very gentle friction. Oh yes, it rotates approximately 50° from Minimum Focus Distance to Infinity. It seems a little shorter than other lenses but it just works well with the focus precision with this focal length.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

With an MFD of 15cm, I hope it can go a little closer like 10cm or so. Because I think there will give a more interesting and creative point of shot if it is able to shoot at a shorter MFD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/50″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Don’t get me wrong, 15cm is still impressive and it is a marvel achievement for a small and compact lens. The image results in retent the good sharpness and contrast at MFD. This is really stunning.

Price Point

Formally priced at USD 149, USD 139 is the new price it is going for on the Meike website. I think the price is pretty decent for the quality of this lens.

Others

Because it is an ultrawide lens and also such a compact lens. Depending on how you place your left index finger on the camera body, it can be within the field of view and will be part of the photo taken. At least this happens to my huge clumsy index finger saying hi to some of the photos taken.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

One thing I am a little disappointed about is the lens cap. Although I wish the lens cap is made out of metal, it turns out to be a plastic one. After a while, I think it is fine but the lens cap happened to be quite loose. I am not sure if this just happened to be my unit. Nonetheless, this is the case.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/28″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Like most manual lenses, it does suffer from white balance shifting from one aperture to the other. If you are doing in raw format, it is not much of a concern. If you are a Straight-Out-Of-Camera photographer, do take note.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f5.6 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

One last thing to note is that, although it comes with a built-in lens hood, it can still suffer with lens flare.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

With this focal length, it makes suitable for landscapes, cityscapes, and astrography. But I believe creative minds and photographers who want to explore the beauty of the fisheye lens are welcome. If you ask me if there is any particular genre that is good with this lens, my answer to you is that I think it can suit almost every genre. As long as you know what you are looking for.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f5.6 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

Conclusion

This lens is definitely one of the few primes lenses that I will bring for oversea travels. Not only it gives a whole new perspective to the places that I visit, it is also a good selfie/wefie lens.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 0.18″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Meike did a good job in creating such a beautifully crafted fisheye lens. Great image quality and compact size are one of the best selling points for this lens. Not forgetting that the price is reasonable and affordable for any photographer who wants to attempt to try out this lens. It is surely another good attempt from Meike in broadening its portfolio with this lens.

*Fuji X-T5 . Meike 7.5mm f2.8 @ 7.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Thank you for reading.

If you are interested to get this lens, Meike is running an offer at a 20% discount. Simply key in this code: 207528 at checkout.

Click the link to purchase.

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

Reviews

AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt – Tilting Around My World

June 13, 2023June 12, 2023 Alwin Kok

The good people of AstrHori send me their 50mm f1.4 Tilt lens for review. I thank them for their kind support. It does help our Fuji community to have one more opportunity to learn about this lens.

AstrHori was founded in 2018 and it is one of the few manufacturers who is producing accessories and lenses for full-frame mount and also GFX GF mount. But this is not the story for today.

Before proceeding further, I would like to clarify that the lens has tilt capability only and is not what the packaging or the box suggests, i.e., TS (Tilt Shift). One interesting fact about this lens is that it is a full-frame lens but it is available in X-mount.

Intro

We have limited options when it comes to tilt lens (and tilt-shift lens is literally non-existence for the native mount). As far as I am aware, there are not many manufacturers producing tilt lenses. The first one is from TTArtisan 50mm f1.4 tilt and then followed by AstrHori 50mm f.14 tilt.

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f4 . 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

AstrHori 50mm f1.4 tilt comes with various mounts such as RF mount, Z mount, E mount but it also comes in M43 and of course the X mount.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/6400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Design and Build Quality

The first thing you will notice about this lens is that it has a very unique lens design. This is unlike any other normal lens and also the tilt-shift lens you see in the market. Rather, it resembles much like the Lensbaby.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

It weighs 340 grams, I can feel it is quite dense and solid metal built when holding it in my hand. I can say it has very impressive built quality.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

It has two mechanisms to perform the tilt effect. There is a lock near the rear lens mount where we have to rotate clockwise to unlock and allow the ball to rotate freely. After adjusting the ball to the desired position, lock it back and start shooting. Sounds easy in principle, but we need to spend some time getting familiar with its mechanism. There is also a zero-return line where we can return the lens to this position for normal mode.

AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt – Zero-Return Line

When comes to the aperture ring, this 75mm (full frame equivalent) lens is smooth and clickless. Like other clickless aperture ring lenses, I miss the clicky one as it gives me a sense of satisfaction when changing the aperture value. But the texture on the aperture ring is comfortable to hold.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f4 . 1/75″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

Oh yes, it comes with a nice 46mm filter size. Very good size for filter lovers. And for the lens cap, it’s a screw-on cap. Not the most convenient but it’s nostalgic!

Image Quality

Since this is the tilt lens, I will discuss the image quality in two different modes, normal mode, and tilt mode.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

When comes to normal mode, the wide-open shots are usable but lacking of contrast. However, some softness, chromatic aberration, and glowing effects can be observed if shots are taken between 3 meters and the infinity focal range. Mild vignetting can be observed across all focal ranges at wide open. Of course, the image quality will improve when you choose an aperture value from f2.8 onwards.

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for tilt mode, the result is very shallow, soft, and lack of contrast at wide-open and that is beyond my level of usability. In my opinion, aperture f4 or f5.6 achieve more usable results. Similar to the normal mode, softness, and chromatic aberration have the same characteristics at the same focal range.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/9000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/170″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the sun star, it achieves a pretty good result.

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f16 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

The texture on the manual focus ring is the same as the aperture ring but it feels denier than the aperture ring when you rotate it. Having said that, it gives me a better-focusing control and also helps me to identify which ring am I. Also, it provides about 170° rotation from Minimum Focus Distance to Infinity.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/14000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative* – Tilt

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

Similar to most same focal length lenses, it comes with a 50cm MFD. Nothing to complain about because at least it is not more than 50cm.

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

For shots taken at MFD and wide-open, it still has some softness and chromatic aberration, but maintains a good amount of sharpness and contrast.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f4 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

Price Point

At 259 USD (199 USD on eBay), it belongs to the mid-tier price range one among the other manual lenses but given that it comes with 2 “types” of shooting experiences. I think it is still worth it.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative* – Tilt
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f4 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

Others

Like most modern manual lenses, you will get an off-focus shot at the infinity mark. With the help of focus-peaking, you can easily identify the right infinity shot.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

Definitely, it is a good recommendation for photographers who want to try and explore shift lenses. And not forgetting that this 75mm (in full-frame equivalent) lens can be used for many other genres as well, especially portraits.

*Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/30 0″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

Conclusion

The tilt lens is niche but it comes in handy if you need one. Although it comes with a learning curve to use and understand how this shift lens works, I am sure you will be fine after getting hold of it.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/1300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

And also, it is hard to come by to have a capable wide-open manual lens.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/70″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*
Center: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/20″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . AstrHori 50mm f1.4 Tilt @ 50mm . f1.4 . 1/52″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative* – Tilt

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 40mm f2.8 – A Macro Lens For Street

May 24, 2023May 23, 2023 Alwin Kok

I am lucky to have had the opportunity to test quite a fair amount of manual lenses but this is the second macro manual lens I have tested thus far. So testing a manual macro lens is still a new thing for me. Usually, I use a macro lens for 2 genres and that is product shots and portraits. It is because of the sharp optical glass and I am basically worry-free about the minimum focus distance limitation the lens has. Nonetheless, I am very excited to give this lens a spin.

Intro

On September 2021, TTArtisan announced its very first macro lens. It comes with various mounts such as L mount, m43, EOS-M, RF mount, Z mount, E mount, and X mount. At 60mm (in 35mm format equivalent), this is an uncommon focal length where we do not see many players in the market releasing something close, except for Fuji XF30mm f2.8.

Although this lens has been in the market for almost 20 months, I am glad that TTArtisan is willing to send me this lens for a hands-on. Without their support, this post will not become a reality.

In any case, this review is still my own opinion.

Design and Build Quality

From the lens design, we can see how it has taken inspiration from their TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 and inspired their TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 and TTArtisan 50mm f0.95. They shared a lot of similarities lens design elements and yet we get to notice that each category has its own design characteristics.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Having said that, this lens weighing 380 grams is good to hold. It has a very gentle clicky aperture ring and it also comes with an excellent damp but smooth manual focus ring. Some photographers might prefer a less damp, smoother manual focusing experience, but I think it is just fine as it also gives me a sense of better manual control for my shooting style.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The 52mm filter-size lens has a screw-in type lens cap like most TTArtisan lenses.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

From the side view, it looks like a normal lens. But when you view it from the top, it has a unique lens barrel design where the front lens element is deeply recessed into the lens barrel. I have no idea why TTArtisan has such a design but it definitely stands out from the rest.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

When the focus ring is at infinity, the lens is at its smallest compact look. But when we shoot at its Minimum Focus Distance, the lens is protruded approximately two third of its original length.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

Unlike many other TTArtisans lenses where you need to stop down the aperture values to at least 1-2 stops to achieve decent sharpness, contrast, and details of photos taken. It has been a long time since I tested out a prime lens that I can truly use the images at wide-open (except for TTArtisan 25mm f2 and TTArtisan 50mm f2.)

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

At f2.8, I am amazed by the image quality. In most parts of the image, it has a good level of sharpness at the center and it does preserve some level of contrast but has decent enough details (not the best and not the worse either). As compared to most manual lenses, I am also amazed that the chromatic aberration is in good control.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

But with all the praises, here comes the feedback. It has very strong vignetting and obvious softness at the corner. Of course, everything will be fine if you lower the aperture by 1 to 2 stops but that is not the point.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Another thing to note is that subject separation from the background is not as blurry as larger aperture values like f1.4 can do and most photographers know that. Also, it does not have a very seamless gentle fall-off between the main subject and others. Furthermore, depending on the background, the bokeh can be easily harsh.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

As for the sunny star, it is not the sharpest one but not that bad.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/6″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

The focusing from MFD to infinity is approximately 270 degrees and I think it gives a very good amount of “space” for nailing the shot but this amount of focus throw can be “troublesome” to some photographers who preferred to have a shorter focus throw.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Also similar to most manual lenses, it does not give a fully focused shot at infinity, we still need to rotate back a little to achieve the actual fully focused shot.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

Although 17 cm MFD is not the closest I have tested, it is pretty decent for a macro lens. It still gives a very close-up tight shot of the subject and typically can cast a shadow on the subject.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/160″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

This lens is selling at an attractive price point. At 99 USD (or 94 USD under promotion), it is one of the most affordable macro lenses out there in the market. For reference, Fuji XF30mm f2.8 is 599 USD, Meike 60mm f2.8 is 190 USD, 7Artisan 60mm f2.8 is 139 USD, and Voigtlander Macro APO-Ultron 35mm f2 at 629 USD.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative

Others

I notice that the white balance changed when I shot with different aperture values. But this could be a problem for lenses that do not come with electronic contact? Or this could be due to how the sensor “sees” from the lens and the processor changes according to the information given by the sensor? Anyway, I think this is less of a problem if the photographers are shooting in Raw. But if you are a straight-out-of-camera photographer, then do take note of it.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f5.6 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

There is also some strong lens flare if the lens is pointing directly to the strong light source. So do take note of it too.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/56″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Who is this for?

I don’t know how well is this lens for insect photographers to shoot but I can say that this lens is very comfortable for landscape, street, food, and product shoots. For portrait, journalist, and documentary photographers, I will leave it for you to decide as it’s a manual lens and its focus throw is huge. You might miss the shots by the time you nailed the focus.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f11 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f11 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Conclusion

This lens is compact and I am very comfortable using this lens for the street. While the protruding front lens element can be quite a disturbing factor to me and the image quality at wide open is not the best among the macro lens category, I can give in to the focal length, compactness, and price point. All in all, it is easily a good macro lens for photographers to own and attempt to do macro shots, especially for photographers who do not have a macro lens.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 @ 40mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

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

Meike 60mm f2.8 – Compactly Good

May 8, 2023May 10, 2023 Alwin Kok

Since my DSLR era, I have had a soft spot for macro lenses. Not because I love to shoot insects or flowers, but because I love to use them for product shoots. Till today, I am still using a macro lens for most of the product shoots in this blog.

Intro

The Meike 60mm f2.8 was announced in early March 2023. In case one wonders, this is Hong Kong-based manufacturer’s first-ever attempt to build a manual macro lens. So how well it works? Let’s find out.

Before I proceed, I would like to thank Meike for sending me this lens for review. Like other posts, the review of this lens is based on my true opinion.

Design and Build Quality

This 300 grams lens is nicely built with quality. But the first thing I notice with the lens is the lens design. It is greatly inspired by the design of Canon RF-S lenses (maybe there are other manufacturers with similar designs too, please let me know as I would like to know it too, thanks in advance). The focus ring has a similar texture design to the one found in the RF-S aperture ring and I quite love the texture when I touch it with my fingertips. The rotating of the focus ring is smooth with little dampness/friction.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The next thing I would like to talk about is the aperture ring. This 90mm (in full frame equitant) has a smooth, clickless ring, and I believe videographers will love it. I am okay with it but I do miss the clicky experience. It gives me some sense of which aperture I am at now (after all, the lens does not have any electronic contact to provide the metadata to the camera body).

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Oh yes, this 49mm filter-size lens feels great on hand.

Image Quality

When comes to macro lenses, I set my expectation a little higher than prime lenses. Typically, the results from the glass tend to produce much sharper, more contrasty, and more detailed images.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/1250 ″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

This lens does not disappoint me. Although the image quality level is slightly below the XF80mm and XF30mm, it still has very good sharpness and contrast at wide open. But I also notice that the sharpness isn’t that great at the extreme corners. In short, the image is totally usable.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative

Another surprise to me is that it has good chromatic aberration control but I do observe mild vignetting. At least there is one less thing to take care of in post-processing.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative

The background blur surprisingly renders quite well too. At least the fall-off between the subject and the foreground/background is comfortable to my eyes.

If there are some readers who wonder, the sunny star result is also a sharp one too.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f22 . 1/320″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

Similar to Meike 35mm f0.95, it also has the problem of having off-focus results when I shoot at the infinity mark. So the right infinity shot is somewhere the infinity symbol is.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

But there is something I observed for my test unit. If I shoot on a subject that is somewhere between 3 meters marking and infinity marking, I have a little hard time nailing the shot right. The focus on the subject is like either undershoot or overshoot. I have to rotate the focus ring really slowly to get it right. It could be my focus peaking issue or my technic is wrong.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/56″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Minimum Focus Distance (MOD)

At MOD of 17.5 cm, this lens delivers true 1:1 magnification. Having said that, it has various magnifications throughout its focusing distance.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/56″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f5.6 . 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/550″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Because there are various magnifications throughout its focusing distance, you might get the illusion that there is lens breathing or “zooming” going on.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

At 190 USD, I think it is a very good price point for photographers who want to attempt to get an experience of what a macro lens can do but do not mind having to do with manual focusing. And of course, it is a lot cheaper than the autofocus macro lenses.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Others

Something worth noting (but probably not for some readers): the lens is internal focusing, which means that the lens does not protrude or any movement when we rotate the focus ring back and forth.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Secondly, there is an obvious white balance change with the change in aperture value. This is similar to what I observed with the Meike 35mm f0.95. So again, it might be my camera setting. If you are shooting raw, then you have nothing much to worry about. You can always post-process it. If you are a Straight-Out-Of-Camera photographer, then you probably have to take note of it.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f5.6 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Who is this for?

As I mentioned earlier, I think the price of this lens is very well priced and it gives photographers a good chance to experience the macro lens and its macro capabilities.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative

But that does not mean that a macro lens is limited to only macro photography. I find the focal length is very suitable for street (depending on the kind of street photography you are in), portrait, product shoots, and possibly journalist photography.

Conclusion

Despite being the first macro lens from Meike, they have done a good job with this lens. To summarize my thoughts, the lens design is very modernized and beautiful. Besides that, the lens build quality and image quality is nothing to shout about.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/34″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

One last thing that I like about it is its size and weight. It is practically able to carry around more easily than the XF80mm. After all, the Meike 60mm is much shorter and weighs much lighter than the XF80mm (750 grams).

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 60mm f2.8 @ 60mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

All in all, I feel that this lens is a great attempt for Meike.

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.

Discussion

The Not So Serious Comparision: XF 18-55mm VS Sigma 18-50mm

April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 Alwin Kok

As the title suggests, please take this comparison with a pinch of salt. It’s just for fun and nothing too technical to share and discuss. This is something I did not try before but there is always a first time.

First thing first, why compare these 2 lenses? My reason is simple. They are approximately the same size and same price range (approximately 150 USD different) for brand new. Some might suggest why not compare the Sigma 18-50mm with the XF 16-55mm instead. In my opinion, they are not the same size and you can buy 2 of the Sigma 18-50mm lenses and have some cash left. To cut things short, they are in a different league.

Here we go.

Left: Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 @ f2.8. Right: XF 18-55mm f2.8 – 4 @ f2.8. Shoot at approximately 50 cm. Both at 18mm.

Left: Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 @ f2.8. Right: XF 18-55mm f2.8 – 4 @ f2.8. Shoot at 30 cm.
(XF 18-55mm minimim focus distance). Both at 18mm.

Sigma 18-50mm @ f2.8 @ 18mm . minimum focus distance @ 12.1 cm

Left: Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 @ f2.8 @ 50mm. Right: XF 18-55mm f2.8 – 4 @ f4 @ 55mm.
Shoot at approximately 100 cm.

Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 @ f2.8 @ 50mm. Shoot at approximately 100 cm.

Left: Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 @ f4 @ 50mm. Right: XF 18-55mm f2.8 – 4 @ f4 @ 55mm. Shoot at 40 cm.
(XF 18-55mm Minimim focus distance).

Sigma 18-50mm @ f2.8 @ 50mm . Minimum focus distance @ 30 cm

In conclusion: Despite having 5mm shorter than the Fuji, Sigma has more versatility. All thanks to the capability of shooting at a much closer Minimum focus distance at both wide and tele ends. As for image quality, I think they come in quite close together. What do you think? Are you willing to sacrifice the aperture ring and the metal build lens to opt for a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8?

Thank you for reading.

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

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

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

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

Reviews

Meike 35mm f0.95 – Another f0.95 Contender

April 15, 2023April 15, 2023 Alwin Kok

I can’t deny that 35mm (50mm in full-frame equivalent) is one of the favorite focal lengths among most photographers. And I see why the manufacturers are releasing this focal length at a higher priority and more frequently (with various aperture values) than any other focal length. Having said that, we, photographers, have so many options to choose from when it comes to this focal length.

As far as I know, 4 manufacturers are producing 35mm f0.95 to date. Namely TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Mitakon (Zhongyi), and of course, the main character of this post: Meike.

Intro

This is my first time working with Meike and I appreciate Meike for sending me this lens for review. Having said that, this review is not biased but rather based on my true opinion.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/10,500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

I did a short research on the company. The Hong Kong-based manufacturer was established in 2007 and they are specialized in many videography and photography tools and equipment. They have many cine lenses and still lenses (both auto and manual lenses) in their business portfolio. In order words, they are very experienced in this field.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

This lens was announced back in October 2022 and comes with massive 6 camera mounts: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Micro Four Thirds.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

Design and Build Quality

From the look of this lens, it has a very distinctive design. The manual focus ring has that unique pattern that not only helps the photographer to “identify” the which ring he/she is rotating. This design is inspired by Voigtlander lenses and some of the older Nikon manual lenses.

(Update 15 April 2023: Special thanks to a friend who pointed out that the Voigtlander and some of the Nikon lenses manual focus ring has the same design.)

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative

Speaking of the focus ring, I shall share my experience with both the manual and aperture rings together. Both have a different texture but they are very comfortable and grippy to hold. Rotating them is a pleasure. They have a good balance of friction and you do not need to apply too much force to rotate.

At 380 grams, it is not as heavy as it seems to be. The weight of the lens is very well distributed and balanced. Also, it has a relatively small filter size. Only 52mm. For context, XF35mm f1.4 and XF18mm f2 are the same filter size.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Oh yes, this lens comes with a metal build body with a cap-on lens cap, which I feel is a quicker removal option than the screw-in lens cap. But a little pity is that the lens cap is made of plastic. Something I am not expecting from a high-quality built lens.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/18000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

Maybe it is me, but it is a challenge to nail the shot well in wide-open with moving/motion subjects. At f0.95, the image quality has a certain level of softness, lacking some contrast, sharpness, and a very shallow depth of field. It also has some glowing effect on it which sometimes make me think I have taken an off-focused shot.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

I also do observe pretty obvious chromatic aberration and vignetting at f0.95. I think that’s acceptable or rather within my expectations for manual lenses with a large aperture. As for overall image quality, I find it is okay and actually much more usable than I thought. If you are picky or pixel-peeper, you will probably not be in favor of the results.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Nonetheless, I can also see better image quality improvement from f2 onwards. But that is not the main purpose of having an f0.95 lens if you want to stop it down to f2 right?

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

For sunny star result, it gives a much contrast and sharp star result as compared to some of the manual lenses. And also, it introduces some flares as well if facing directly toward the light source.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

For most of my other manual lens tests, I always observed that the result is always off-focus when I shoot at the infinity mark. I have to rotate the focus ring somewhere before the infinity mark to get the right infinity shot.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

This is also the case for the Meike lens. In order to shoot at actual infinity, rotate to where the printed infinity symbol printed is and not where it’s labeled position.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative

From MFD to infinity, the focus throw is approximately 90°. Like most manual lenses, this gives a good amount of “distance” for precise focusing. I do have not much of a comment for this department.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

0.39m is its MFD. Not the shortest MFD for its focal length but the image quality from this lens is pretty good. The MFD is very similar to the Ronkinon 35mm f1.2 but a few centimeters further than the average 0.35m from other lens manufacturers have for their lenses.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/170″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

For reference, the Mitakon 35mm f0.95 is selling at 399 USD. TTArtisan and 7artisan are priced at 199 USD and 229 USD respectively.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/420″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Compared with other f0.95 of the same focal length, this lens is priced at 259 USD. Do you think it is expensive? I think Meike priced it just right among the competitors and I think it is still a fair price to have that f0.95 aperture value.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/10,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Other

Something interesting to note: it may be due to my camera or its settings. There is an obvious white balance change whenever I changed from other aperture values to f0.95. It does not have a real impact on me since I can change it under In-Camera Raw Processing.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/25,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Side by side

I have the TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 with me to compare with this lens. As you can see, they have very different designs, sizes, and approaches. So, which one do you prefer?

Who is this for?

As a manual focus lens, it is targeted a very specific group of photographers who understand the pro and cons of owning this unique lens and knowing what they can achieve from this lens. Having said that, this is a focal length that is very suitable for many genres. And also, it is one of the focal lengths for new photographers to get adapt to easily, especially for first-timer prime lens photographers.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/3500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/500″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

As for professional photographers, unless you know what you want to do with this lens, then you can consider getting one.

Conclusion

There are many manual lenses out in the market and we are spoilt for choice. But if you are planning to get into the brightest and fastest manual lens in the market with a fair decent price. Given that the shots taken wide-open are pretty usable, I think this is one of the lenses for your consideration.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

This is my first time testing out this lens from Meike and it leaves me quite a positive impression. Although it shares quite a lot of similarities with other manual lenses in the market, it does stand out quite a bit from them too. Especially on the lens design and image quality at wide open.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Not forgetting that they have launched the first autofocus lens (85mm f1.8) for the Fujifilm community. I am excited to see more products released from them!

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

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

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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

Reviews

Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 – Fast & Compact

March 28, 2023March 27, 2023 Alwin Kok

Intro

When it comes to third-party zoom lenses, Fujifilm photographers do not have many options. If I remember correctly, Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary is the 3rd zoom lens (among the third-party lenses), and it is the first zoom lens from Sigma for Fuji available in the market.

Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 was announced way back in October 2021 but that was meant for L-mount and E-mount cameras. The X-mount version was only announced merely one year later.

When I think about a constant f2.8 zoom lens, my perception of the lens is that it should be a huge lens, a big filter size, and be heavy. Sigma did a wise choice by doing something different with this lens. It is totally the opposite of what I just mentioned. It is so compact and small. And I can’t help thinking this might be a perfect choice to bring for travel.

Before I share further, allow me to thank Mr. Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me the Sigma 18-55mm f2.8 Contemporary DC DN lens for review. I appreciate his support to make this review a reality.

Design and Build Quality

The overall design language of this lens shares a lot of similarities with Sigma 16mm f1.4, Sigma 30mm f1.4, and Sigma 56mm f1.4. It does not come with an aperture ring and the lens body is polycarbonate (also known as Thermally Stable Composite TSC) constructed.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 38.6mm . f2.8 . 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 45.6mm . f2.8 . 1/29000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Having said that, this 285 grams lens (it is just 5 grams heavier than the Sigma 56mm f1.4 and 10 grams heavier than the Sigma 30mm f1.4) is genuinely great to hold with and the built quality is very sturdy and it does not give out a sense of cheap feeling.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 46.5mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 34.9mm . f2.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

The 28-75mm (in full-frame equivalent) also comes with dust and splash resistant. This compact lens comes with a filter size of 55mm which is very decent and photographers who buy filters are delighted to know about it.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f4 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/7000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 35.9mm . f2.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

I have to say… The image quality coming out of this glass is great. The sharpness and contrast are great. At f2.8, the image is totally usable. The details are tremendous and resolve very well with my X-T5’s 40 megapixels sensor. This shows there are some quality and engineering works done with Sigma’s engineering team.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 24.9mm . f2.8 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Although I am more of a prime lens user, I get to use or test with some zoom lenses. To be fair, prime lenses are still on better image quality, much sharper, and have better contrast. So if I am to compare the Sigma 18-50mm with the other zoom lenses, I think I am really impressed with this lens’ optic quality.

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 47.5mm . f2.8 . 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 37.8mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

At wide open, the bokeh is very good with a very decent and gentle fall-off between the subject and background/foreground. I do observe very mild chromatic aberration and vignetting and I think it is within my acceptable range.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 28.3mm . f2.8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 33mm . f2.8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

As for the sunny star result, both 18mm and 50mm do produce acceptable results with some softness on the star.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f22 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative.
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f22 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

This lens comes with a stepper motor but, to be frank, the focusing performance surprises me. In good lighting conditions, it is really fast in focus locks onto the subject. Almost instantly. And I do not hear any sound produced by the focusing motor. It is silent.

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 45.6mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 33mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

In case someone wondering, tracking human eyes, animal eyes, and bird eyes works well here.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f11 . 0.47″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

However, I do occasionally experience slowing down and have the push-pull effect before it focuses on the subject. But it recovered quickly and the same behavior did not occur immediately.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

As for challenging lighting conditions, I do see it struggle a little more before focusing on the subject. I think this is normal since most lenses have very similar behavior.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

At 18mm, it has the shortest MFD of 12.1 cm. How close is that? You have to remove the lens hood to get that close. Otherwise, you will get the shadow of the lens hood in your shots.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative.
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

At 50mm, it too has the shortest MFD for the same focal length. I haven’t come across any 50mm lens to have 30 cm MFD. With such a close MFD, it is very impressive to give me a new point of view.

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

At MFD, the shots retent their sharpness and contrast pretty well with a little bit of softness.

Price Point

This is probably the most important part. It is selling at SRP 549 USD. It is probably the best price-to-performance and size ratio in the market. It is probably the most affordable constant f2.8 lens on the market.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 33mm . f2.8 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 34.9mm . f2.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Side By Side

I can’t help but to compare this little beast with my very first lens and also the first zoom lens from Fuji, XF 18-55 f2.8- 4.

XF18-55mm f2.8 – f4 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8

Physically, they are very close to each other with XF18-55mm being a tad bigger but you cannot tell the difference if you are not comparing them side by side.

Putting image quality and performance aside, if I were to choose between them, I will choose Sigma 18-50mm. The reason is simple: constant aperture. As I have an IBIS camera, I do not need an Optional Image Stabilizer lens.

Others

Unlike other third-party manufacturers, this lens does not come with a data-transfer port (i,e. USB-C) or docking station to update the firmware. It is simply downloading the lens firmware, transferring it to an SD card, and updating the firmware via the camera body. the same as how we do for Fuji lenses.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 35.9mm . f2.8 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 42.8mm . f2.8 . 1/30″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Who is this for

In general, if you want to use it for commercial works or shooting events, documentaries, etc, it is possible. The focal length is sufficient to cover most genres but I would like to suggest this lens to a specific group of photographers and that is travel photographers and budget photographers.

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 18mm . f5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Travel photographers who want to travel lightweight (especially avoiding strain on your shoulder on long hours) or want to pack as compactly as possible but do not want to sacrifice too much on image quality. I think you can consider this lens for your next trip.

This lens also comes with a very attractive price point which I think is a good starter lens for the photographer who has a budget to work on.

Conclusion

Although this lens does not come with the widest possible focal length (like 16mm), this lens no doubt has great versatility which covers our most frequently used focal lengths. As a Fuji fanboy, I do miss the aperture ring. But let’s not forget that it does produce decent image quality, compact size, and reliable autofocus speed. And most importantly, it is priced very well for a constant aperture lens. What can I ask for? A better-built quality like the I series. I hope to see the X-mount variant someday.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f5.6 . 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 1/30″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Sigma 18-50mm @ 50mm . f2.8 . 0.13″ . ISO 100 . Nostalgic Negative

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 is running on firmware 0.99. At the time of this blog release, firmware 1.10 was released, but I have not had the chance to upgrade and test it.
3. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing or Capture One.
4. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
5. 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

XF56mm f1.2 WR – Almost There. Almost Perfect

March 7, 2023March 16, 2023 Alwin Kok

TLDR

This is one of Fujifilm’s finest and best optical lenses that Fuji fanboys and fangirls should consider owning. Especially if you do not own any portrait lenses and plan to get one, you may consider this gem. I know it’s not a cheap lens, so save up the money and aim for this one. You will fall in love with it.

Intro

XF56mm f1.2 WR is one of the most anticipated lenses ever released. When it was announced at the X Summit NYC back in September 2022 together with the X-H2, I think I can hear many fans (including myself) of this 85mm (full frame equivalent) screaming to get one.

But lady luck is not with me. Somehow I did not manage to get one since it launched. It took me longer than expected and together with the help of my friend to get one.

Design and Build Quality

It comes with Fujifilm well-built, well-constructed, and well-weight lens. At 445 grams, it is actually not as heavy as it sounds. Fujifilm keeps the best clicky aperture ring and smooth manual focus ring (focus-by-wire) experience. They are still as satisfying as the other FujiFilm lenses.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

They also include the auto-aperture lock button too, which I think is pretty standard for Fujifilm’s new-generation lenses. Similarly, Fujifilm includes a plastic hood instead of a metal hood (like the good old days).

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

As the name suggested, it comes with weather resistance too. As I mentioned in another post, this is something a pro lens should have nowadays.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/30″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

The filter size is 67mm. This is considered a decent size for a mid-telephoto lens (and not too painful for photographers spending on filters).

Image Quality

What can I complain about this lens’ image quality? At wide-open, it is undeniable the clinically sharp image quality I have ever seen among the Fujifilm lenses (but personal opinion, XF80mm f2.8 is still the sharpest lens). I seldom use this word to express the image quality but it is definitely breathtaking.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

As for the background blur, I love how beautiful the fall-off between the focused subject and the other is. Unlikely some other lenses from third-party manufacturers where the bokeh are hard and harsh, the bokeh from this lens is rendered very smoothly and very pleasing to my eyes.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Speaking of chromatic aberration, there is no purple fringing to be seen. Again, this is a benchmark from Fujifilm. But for vignetting, there is a tiny vignetting at the corners at wide open. This is very impressive for an f1.2 lens. Of course, you can either remove the vignetting in post-edit or step up the aperture value.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The lens/focus breathing is good here. The focus distance did not change dramatically as you change the focus distance between the Minimum Focus Distance and infinity and vice versa. But I cannot say this lens will be a great lens for videographers (I will share more later).

Focusing

It may not be the fastest from Fujifilm but it is a quiet one. It focuses fast if the subject is slightly off-focus and under well-lit conditions. Otherwise, the lens might give some wobbly focusing experience and might take quite a while to focus lock onto the subject. I do experience being unable to focus on the subject and that is mainly under extremely low light or challenging conditions.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/200″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

If you are wondering how much better is the new one and the original XF56mm f1.2, I tested with the original one before and I can say that the newer one does focus much better and faster.

What contributes to the “not the fastest” focusing lens? I guess that it is missing the Linear Motor (LM) (as the name of the lens missing out the LM, suggested that there is no LM) which is designed to drive the focus lens group faster and quieter.

According to Fujifilm, they use the DC motor.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD is 50cm, which is remarkably short for a mid-telephoto lens and also a huge improvement from the original XF56mm f1.2 at 70cm.

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

The image quality taken at MFD is very impressive too. Some lenses do have some characteristics shown up at MFD such as a soft glowing effect and this lens does not have any.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

At 999 USD, it is definitely not the cheapest portrait lens out there in the market and the price of this lens set it far apart from its peers and competitors.

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f11 . 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Who are the competitors? We have Viltrox 75mm f1.2 in the market at almost half the price of the XF56mm f1.2 WR and Viltrox 56mm f1.4 at 299 USD. Not forgetting that we also have the Sigma 56mm f1.4 and the original XF56mm f1.2 is priced just a little more than the Viltrox.

Others

I kind of dislike the plastic hood it provided. When I keep the lens hood facing inwards, it blocks the aperture ring and I am unable to control it. So some possible solutions will be:

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Mount the lens hood facing outwards;
Remove the hood completely / not mounting the lens hood at all;
Set to Automatic Aperture control and then control via the front command dial to get my shots.

Don’t get me wrong, I always do mount the lens hood facing outwards for long-duration shots. I just find it cumbersome if I want to do some quick snapshots.

Who is this for?

Putting the price aside, this lens is easily my recommendation for professional portrait photographers. But as for street photographers, journalists, and documentary photographers, I will leave it to you for your consideration. The focal length might be too tight for some to get used to but it is a good focal length to complement other focal lengths such as 28mm/35mm (in full frame equivalent). Be it with your primary camera or dual camera setup.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

As for videographers, I think it is a great lens to use if you need the wide-open f1.2 aperture for your work. Also, the autofocus sometimes does have some jerking, so probably need to manually focus it or alternative external controls.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative

Conclusion

As my title said, this successor is almost perfect. What is the missing piece? For me, everything is perfect, the lens size, the weight, and the superior image quality. Only if Fujifilm could introduces the LM instead of using the DC motor, it will be a perfect lens. Of course, there might be many factors or reasons that stop them from using LM.

Fuji X-T5 . XF56mm f1.2 @ 56mm . f1.2 . 1/250″ . ISO 500 . 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 or 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_

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

Reviews

Viltrox 75mm f1.2 – The First Pro

February 21, 2023February 20, 2023 Alwin Kok

When I first saw the teaser post from Fuji rumors, my impression was that this is going to be hot selling one within the Fujifilm community if it is priced right. And the turn out to be quite true. At the price of 549 USD, Viltrox priced it so attractively and it sold out immediately on the Taobao platform and its online shop.

Intro

Viltrox is a name that we, Fujifilm photographers, are familiar with since the birth of its very first autofocus lens, 85mm f1.8 (MK I). Like many photographers, I am impressed by how the Viltrox engineers reverse engineered the X-mount design and work around it. To refresh everyone’s memory, Fujifilm did not open up their X-mount protocol to every third-party manufacturer and Viltrox make it!

Viltrox 75mm f1.2 is an uncommon focal length at 112.5mm (in full frame equivalent). But I believe photographers, who are using XF80mm and XF90mm, easily adapt to this new focal length.

Design and Build Quality

There are two things you will get to notice when you hold the lens: the weight, and the build quality.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/20,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

At 670 grams, I can feel the mass on my hand. It is definitely not light among most of the lenses. Every part of it is by no means cheap or cheap-built, you can feel that the build quality is belongs to the top tier.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/25″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

With that massive weight, the lens eventually comes with a huge 77mm filter size.

Furthermore, it also comes with waterproof and dust-proof protection. This is also what a Pro lens should equip these days.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The aperture ring is the clickable one (it does not have de-click option) and it has that satisfying clicking experience whenever you rotate the ring. It also comes with a “A” for automatic aperture choosing by the camera but what missing here is the aperture ring lock release that prevents accidental switch.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Unlike the metal lens hood with Viltrox 33mm f1.4, this 75mm lens comes with the plastic lens hood and it is kind of loose when it is face-inside the lens barrel. But it locked up quite well when it faces away from the lens barrel.

Image Quality

At f1.2, the image quality is really sharp. Probably one of the most clinical sharp lenses on the market out there. At wide open, the subject easily pops out from the background. The lens renders the bokeh well and quite smoothening. Even the fall-off is excellent too.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/340″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative

Is clinical sharp a bad thing or a good thing? In my opinion, it is not a good or bad thing. It is based on individual preference and I know some photographers end up de-sharpen in posts with the results from this lens. For me, this is how this lens performs and something, and it is better to have clinically sharp than characteristically soft because this is a pro-grade lens.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/3200″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative

As for me, certain shots happen to be over sharpen for my liking but still within my acceptable range. This doesn’t happen in every shot I take. Probably many factors like light and shadow play a part too.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative

The chromatic aberration is very well-controlled and I did not notice anything. However, there is a small amount of vignetting at wide-open but it can be resolved via increasing of aperture value or in post-processing.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative

The lens (or focus) breathing is surprisingly good here. The focus distance did not change dramatically as you change the focus distance from MOD to infinity and vice versa. This can be a great deal for videographer.

Focusing

How should I put it? If I try to focus from the Minimum Focus Distance to anywhere far, I will experience some sluggish focusing. It will take quite a while to focus on the subject I want.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

Secondly, the lens sometimes also gives wobbly focusing and that happens even during day time. It takes awhile for me to get use to this behavior.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/250″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative

I guess there might be 2 factors behind its focusing performance.

One: it might be due to heavy glass elements inside the lens chamber. Hence, the movement of glass elements affected the performance.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

Two: Stepper Motor (STM) might be another factor as it is not the faster-focusing motor that is equipped with a lens. But we have seen some other lenses perform quite well with STM too.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

If the focus distance and the subject are close to each other, it performs quite well. On the other hand, the eye-AF works quite well and behaves quite close to what the Fujifilm lenses can perform. (that is provided it does not encounter the sluggish focusing mentioned above.)

Minimum Focus Distance (MOD)

It has a MOD of 0.88m, which also means that it can’t really focus that close to the subject. If you are looking for a lens that can do a tight close-up shot, this lens is not designed for that.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/3800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/3800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

I have to reiterate again that 549 USD for a fast autofocus prime lens with the metal build quality is really a good deal. So far, there is no one lens that can price match with Viltrox in this aspect.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/125″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative

Others

Like other third-party manufacturers, there is always a kind of digital communication to support future firmware upgrades via SD card, dock, or USB port. In this case, there is a USB-C port located at the rear of the lens. I’m glad to see this than the micro-USB found in Viltrox 85mm f1.8 Mark II. Unfortunately, pardon the OCD, the design of the USB-C is not quite symmetrical to the red dot, I wish it is.

Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f11 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f11 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

As a pro lens, it comes with an AF/MF switch, and if you need to switch to manual mode, you need to switch it from the switch. The Focus mode selector on your Fuji camera bodies will not enable the lens to manual focus. This might be a little hassle for photographers who need it but do take note.

Who is this for?

This is a portrait lens and of course, I have to recommend it to portrait photographers and pre-wedding photographers. Although this lens is slow in focusing return, it will not fail you with the image quality it produces. For product shoot photographers, you can consider this lens too.

As for the rest of the genres, I cannot really recommend using them. I mean it is a great lens but here are some of the downsides that make it not as versatile as other lenses offered in the market.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/28″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 75mm f1.2 @ 75mm . f1.2 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative

First, this lens is not ideal for street, documentary, and the like photography genres because of its size and weight. It attracts attention easily, and the weight will weigh you down over time. Basically, it is not a suitable candidate for such genres. But if you insist (like me), you can do so. Because image quality will pay off your sweat and effort.

Second, it does not have short (or close) MOD. So for a photographer like me who love to shoot as close to the subject as possible, this is kind of a bumper. But it still renders the image very well at MOD.

Conclusion

This is Viltrox’s first-ever pro-grade lens. I think it nails almost everything and this lens simply outperforms its pricing with image quality. To date, there is no one lens able to match it equally. This is definitely a good start for Viltrox venturing into the Pro series and Viltrox has indeed set a high benchmark for every manufacturer to follow. I cannot wait to see what Viltrox’s next Pro lenses will be. I am really excited.

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.