INITIAL NOTE
Please don’t mix up DOF with bokeh. This rumor is not about a super fast lens with a crazy shallow DOF (like the IBELUX 40mm f/0.85 – see my review here), but it’s about a lens that produces extremely pleasing bokeh.
THE RUMOR
A new source told me that Fuji is working on a dual aperture lens, similar to the Sony/Minolta’s STF (Smooth Transition Focus). The Sony/Minolta is a 135mm prime with 2 sets of aperture blades and specialized optics (apodization filter) to …
… well, I’ll let you google the technical stuff by yourself. Let’s get to the heart of the matter: this lens will make the out of focus areas super-smooth and pleasing… a lens, basically, built for bokeh!
But which lens will it be? The 90mm f/2 in the roadmap? Or will there be a new lens still not listed in the roadmap? Or maybe an update of an already existing XF lens? These are all plausible options, but still without an answer… anyone out there who knows the answer? Then feel free to contact me, also 100% anonymously via rumor box (and in this case you can use a nick-name if you want, so that I can eventually recognize you in future).
FINAL NOTE
Please take it with a grain of salt… but… if true, my friends, the ultimate bokeh lens is coming!
cheers,
facebook, google+, RSS-feed and twitter
P.S.: Feel free to share this rumor wherever you want… just make the little courtesy to quote the original source 😉 .
81 Responses
Wow that was unexpected !
So it’s like the Nikkor AF-D 105mm F2 DC and 135mm F2 DC,
with the amazingly inaccurately named Defocus Control .. ?
Though i think those shift a lens element, not any ‘dual Aperture’.
Maybe not as inaccurately named as it may seem as the idea is to control de out of focus effect in some areas of the image, but the doubt is: if Fujifilm comes with a lens like this or the Sony’s will it intended to take some plans out of focus or to control the bokeh, namely at the lower levels of “adjustment”?
Once upon a time I used to own them both, a DC Nikkor and Minolta STF. They are very different lenses built for very different jobs.
Glad that Fuji is going the STF way, as I’ve never liked a DC “look”.
This will surely be the killer feature of the upcoming X100t 😉
still waiting for a 23/2 pancake..
You’re gonna wait forever then buddy.
I got my 23/2 pancake a long time ago, came with a free Hybrid Viewfinder and camera body fixed on the back of it.
I would settle for any new f2 pancake between 16mm to 35mm, I would even go as far as suggest combining the focus and aperture rings in one, with a switch or Fn button ( kind of like Olympus ZX2 ) to save space. and weather sealing would be great. I would use it instead of a lens cap all the time.
Pancakes are yummy. Cameras on other hand don’t taste so good if you put in mouth desu.
Oh wow, I was dreaming of Nikon 135 or 105 DC for years, but they are too big and heavy on any of the Fuji bodies, even with metabone speedboster. but a neat Fuji Bokeh lens will be awesome, 56mm 1.2 is creamy enough, anything more is just… “heavy breathing” ….
Does anyone know how much the Fujinon 50-140 2.8 will cost and when it will actually be available for purchase?
Since it hasn’t been formally announced and no one has any real knowledge of it… I’ll make a guess. It’ll be announced in December and cost $1499.
Sorry, I think this is an epic fail. I need a super sharp lens that will cut thru paper like butter. Who needs super smooth bokeh? I think this is just another fuji marketing ploy to make us part with our money. They think that we are not smart and have totally missed what we need again!
Unless this is weather sealed, premium metal construction, weight less than an ounce and priced at $50. I won’t buy it! Dammit, I can buy a sony lens any day! Sony is the best! Yo!
Maybe I will just wait 3 months from release and the price will drop at $25! Guaranteed!
Oh wait, what!?
Are you high?
Disease of the colon terminus.
No, but if you didn’t notice the sarcasm aimed at habitual whiners every time fuji releases a new product… Well then now you know.
Fuji is best in hype. I remember X-E2 marketing statements with “fastest AF in the world” but AF performance it’s far behind Olympus, Panasonic or Sony. Actually I find Fujinon lenses bokeh quite boring, it’s creamy but boring, like waxy images of High Iso JPEGs. I prefer bokeh with a bit of character, Fujinon lenses lack it.
So you prefer a company like Olympus that is still dealing with the impact of their far-reaching fraud? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/criminal-charges-to-be-filed-in-olympus-scandal-7542533.html
It would be better if the 16-55 2.8 Standard pro zoom will have OIS as the bread & butter lens…..totally unacceptable and not understandable what is your logic fuji kaizen??? The wide angle zoom (no pro so no WR though sadly) has and the tele pro lens 40-150 2 will have OIS……but only the standard zoom which is used the most as a general purpose lens/FL range not…..weird weird weird doesnt make any sense at all…..;) sorry just the truth….
forget to mention i think it will be the 90 /f2 lens (135 f3 ff equiv.)..offering this dual blades /similar to nikons defocus control feature…..just my guess….so maybe dual/defocus feature indtead of macro 1:1 function of the 90/2 which was also sometimes rumored/speculated……..so we are waiting on a true 1:1 fuji af macro lens and on a tilt and shift lens as well as on new WR pancake lens with better optics (update of 18/2 and new FL….)
Hope so, would be a very nice special feature.
The Zeiss 50mm 1:1 is the true Fuji AF macro lens. It may not be what you want but I’m pretty sure that’s how Fuji looks at it. And for true macro you don’t generally care about AF anyway and there’s a world of adapted lenses out there.
We don’t truly know if the 16-55 has stabilization or not. So a bit premature to be ranting about it at this time.
I think it’s funny that you upvote your own posts. At least you believe in yourself.
How about Fuji gives me a leaf shutter mid tele and we’ll call it even.
I don’t give a single f*k about “super-smooth bokeh”, and probably wouldn’t enjoy hanging with anyone who does.
Unfortunately for you there’s a world of people who do care about it. And it’s incredibly unlikely for them to put a leaf shutter on the interchangeable X camera system lenses. You don’t exactly see that type of design floating around out there in the mainstream camera market.
You see it in the X100/X100s, the recently discontinued GF670, and most of Fuji’s MF rangefinders. So Fuji certainly knows how to make LS lenses. And doing so gives the X system a distinct advantage over almost any other small format system, and addresses a lot of complaints about the flash system. Which IMO is more practical than making lenses for people that jack off to the OOF area in images.
Notice that I said interchangeable lenses…
Pentax Q has interchangeable lenses . And by the way leaf shutter lenses are available for P1 , Leica S systems . And strobists like david hobby use fuji system and love leaf shutter in X100/s . So maybe fuji has got this request from some pros and working on it. If they pull it off it will be truly unique
All of the cameras you listed are either fixed lens or cameras without fixed shutters. What you are asking for is not possible because all interchangeable lens fuji x cameras already have built in shutters. You cant have two shutters.
Except that’s completely wrong. The Fuji 690 had LS interchangeable lenses. There’s all kinds of ILC MF SLR systems with in-body shutters, that offer LS lenses. You disable the in-body shutter when you mount a lens with a shutter. The X mount being electronic, it would be a no-brianer; mount an LS lens, it selects the appropriate shutter based on shutter speed. Disable the in body shutter below the max shutter speed of the leaf shutter, above it, the LS becomes simple aperture control and the in body shutter becomes the primary.
How many 35mm and below formats have this dual shutter featured?
Can’t think of any, but that doesn’t matter. It’s not new technology. Fuji can do it, and they will get pros jumping on Fuji X when people hear about the benefits of leaf shutters.
There are also limitations with leaf shutters. Lack of it hasn’t hurt Canon or Nikon. There may also be technical reasons why 135 format and smaller aren’t suitable for a dual shutter system.
Pentax Q has leaf shutters in lens.
Like having your flashes work at full power while you sync at 1/2000th? Think of the number of sports and wedding guys that would kill to be able to overpower sunlight with small flashes, no ND filters.
This is a strange discussion.
The problem with the fuji flash system is not the lack of leaf shutters. It’s the freaking flash system itself. They haven’t even produced a simple TTL cable, flash triggering that works in all drive modes, a decent flash that can accept a battery pack, etc. And now you think a leaf shutter lens is needed?
Any Canon TTL cable works. The flash triggering in continuous drive is a firmware fix, and you can buy flashes that take a battery pack and work with Fuji, albeit in manual mode.
There’s also the utter lack of wireless TTL, the lack of any ability to manually control system flashes remotely or to do zones/groups.
Yeah, aware of the deficiencies of the system.
All of those things are either non-issues, can be worked around, or are readily fixable on the existing bodies. The sync speed and the utter lack lack of HHS aren’t without throwing watt seconds at the problem, which kind defeats the point of a compact system. LS lenses fix those issues, and adds a unique and marketable feature.
Why does that matter? It’s objectively demonstrable to do. But since you ask: The Contaflex series after the II, the Kowa SET -R, the Bessamatic series, the Pentax Auto 110.
LS lenses are niche. But so is Fuji. LS lens have never been super popular because they were hard/expensive to make since the internal shutter/film door had to be synced mechanically to the lens shutter, and the top speed of the LS was limited. Modern electronics solve most of those problems. You don’t have to be as careful with exposing the media, and your coupling can take place via sync signals.
And the thing is, I’m not the only one thinking this:
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2012/12/call-me-crazy-ls-lens-dslr-adapter-tube.html
You DO realize that when you use insulting invectives (look it up) that it causes people to not take anything you say seriously right?
Just a tip for next time you try and converse with other humans…a bit of common sense and courtesy goes a long way.
And you DO understand the word sarcasm, correct? How about hyperbole?
People will always find something to be offended over. People who are delicate little flowers that need every utterance to be sugar coated also fall into the category people I probably wouldn’t enjoy hanging out with.
When I read your sarcastic words, they sound like a douche. No sarcasm or hyperbole intended. Your words sound exactly the same to me as the rushing noise of a douche.
Yet you’re spending time and energy writing and interacting with me. So what does that make you? If you don’t like it, go on with your life. Run through fields of flowers, pet a puppy, look at blur. I couldn’t care less, honestly.
I forgot to mention: I like hanging out with douches.
No, but there is such thing as good manners when talking to people, online or IRL. I don’t know if is internet hiding behind computer thing, or just how westerners talk to each other. No surprise people in west shoot each other over such trivial matters. People have no manners anymore. Makes you sound like uneducated person.
Je-Zuz. I didn’t realize this was the Old Ladies Tearoom.
So to recap:
1. I made a general statement of opinion, directed at no one in particular
2. People chose to make it about them, and reply with insults – I have directly and personally been called a “douche” and a “tool”
3. I responded in kind.
4. I’m the bad guy.
I have insulted no one directly who didn’t direct a personal pejorative at me first. Even then, I’ve responded with the lightest possible jabs. OMG, I said people obsess about blur. Really, that’s what qualifies as an insult? After “tool” and “douche”?
Yeah, okay, so apparently the Ladies Tearoom rules of decorum are you can fling poo, and then cry to your friends when poo comes back.
And now you come in, panties pre-bunched, on your high horse complaining about insults… by insulting all Westerners. Seriously, do you read what you type? But seriously, if it’ll make you feel better I promise to only do one drive-by shooting tonight, after I rope some cattle, and build a car with poor reliability. Did I leave out any of the other stereotypes you wanted to hit?
It’s okay; I don’t want to hang with you either.
Glad we’re in agreement. Now back to your obsessing over the ‘creaminess’, ‘frothiness’, ‘crunchiness’ or whatever other adjectives you guys use in bokeh analysis.
Please stop stereotyping. I’m not a hipster and I don’t use those words.
tool….
Witty. Now back to your obsessing about blur.
Indeed how dare he/she have an opinion that differs from yours.
Where exactly did I deny him/her their right to an opinion? But apparently I’m not allowed my own.
Uh maybe you need to re-read your own comments, if you will talk down to people who like stuff you don’t, that’s the impression you give.
well I hope they make a 35 f1 or f1.2 with a T1.8~2.8 . Seriously “apodization” does magic to the image.
Are there any rumors about the new 35mm. I’d like to buy this lens but if they’ll announce the updated one (with better and silent autofocus) at photokina I better wait.
Don’t expect it for at least 18 months.
Alllright! Any rumours? Anyway, I will wait till Photokina to be supersure 😉
the 35 updated lens was, almost for sure, in Fuji’s plans a few months ago… but one thing I’ve learned dealing with Fuji: what was sure a few months ago, could be obsolete today. So maybe it’s still in their plans, maybe not. This is what I try to find out.
Ha! That’s true and always a bit tricky when you’re dealing with rumours and planning to buy something. Thanks for the hard work!
It’s a niche lens and I for one would welcome the creative potential. But it would also perhaps persuade some to resist the FF pull of Canikon – so a good business decision too.
Question – would this mean 2 different Fuji 90mm lenses? Or would it be possible to have this feature in the 90/2 and select degrees of softening?
Sounds like the Defocous lens of Nikon’s 135. I wouldn’t run to Fuji due to this lens.
Hoping this will be the 90 f2, it should be possible to make an f2 lens really smooth without the kind of fringing you tend to get on the super fast f1.xs Also shouldn’t that headline read “built for bokeh”? it reads strangely to me at the moment.
Sorry… English is not my native tongue
No need to apologise, keep up the good work 🙂
Your English better than mine. Where do you hail from, Patrick? I always though Brittan?
no UK citizen… in fact I speak 3 other languages better than English. So apologize for the errors, which must be a lot.
But hey, the important thing is, that you understand me 🙂
Ja, ik begrijp je helemaal Patrick, bedankt !
Vreemd, in mijn hoofd las ik dat met een Belgisch accent en een vrouwen stem .. ^.^
Wow…I HOPE it will be the 90/2…that would be awesome…my new portrait lens.
Ive read about that dual aperture blade lens before and it would be a really unique lens for Fuji X.
BUT… where is the ~100mm tele macro 1:1 lens with weather seals?! Cmon Fuji, XT1 could be a great field macro camera with such a lens.
A+++
🙂
Maybe they could update the kit 18-55mm, which is a very nice lens. That would be a good move if they release an X-T1 Mark II kit.
too soon for x-t1 markII but i think it has been previously mentioned that Fuji will soon release 2nd versions of some older lenses.
For what reason to update 18-55?
Wouldn’t a built- in apodization filter make the lens much slower (decreased transmittance by at least one stop) ?
A filter slot and various filters to make the bokeh smoother or busier (bokeh can be used to show rather than to hide) would be better.
But I think I’d rather have a spherical aberration control as on Nikon DC, which allows changing the aspect of in focus (depth or field) and out of focus (bokeh) areas.
Anyway, this “bokeh control” rumor is very exciting…as long as it doesn’t make the lens significantly bulkier or heavier.
But if you look at the Nikon 135mm DC and 85mm AFD, they are closely related and italien would have been easy to make the later a DC lens. So DC and compactness are probably compatible.
They definitely wouldn’t do anything to degrade the image quality, they’ve made their vision for this system clear, we can do that ourselves with a greased up filter. But something with the aperture can most definitely change the OOF redering without affecting what’s in focus. While something like Nikon’s DC changes the whole image including overall sharpness, but of course you wouldn’t have to use it and don’t lose any stops either way. I’m not familiar with the Minolta. Probably not something that would take up much weight i’d think.
Nikon DC doesn’t produce a simple blur, it can’t be simulated with a greased filter. DC does not only give a smoother bokeh, it increases DOF at the same time. It is ideal for portraits. But indeed this is at the cost of sharpness, if it matters to you.
I understand your point, for sharpness an apodisation filter is better. Then it must be removable, because it eats a lot of light. When you buy an f/2 lens, you don’t expect it to be permanently T3.2.
The Nikon 105DC, and the fact that the exposure reading point does not follow the focus point when moved from the central position, is the reason I still have my Nikon outfit and not replaced my D700 with an X-T1.
I can see this going on the zoom lenses. I really hope they keep with the same design as the 56 f1.2.
Most “bokeh” fanboys probably never knew what bokeh really meant. This will puzzle them even more.
A+
🙂