Lens review specialized site SLRgear tested the new Fuji 56mm f/1.2 lens and writes:
Fujifilm is really knocking it out of the park with their X-mount prime lenses, and the Fujinon 56mm ƒ/1.2R is another triumph. Typically, an impressively bright ƒ/1.2 aperture brings with it some big sacrifices such as sharpness, vignetting and CA, but the Fuji 56mm avoids them all. With stunningly sharp images, even in the corners at ƒ/1.2 with extremely minimal CA, vignetting and distortion, Fuji shooters looking for the premiere portrait lens for the X-mount should look no further.
Amazing lens! And for what it delivers the price isn’t crazy high neither! You can get the lens now at Amazon or BHphoto.
11 Responses
> […] is another triumph.
I’m kind of tired of the triumphs bearing the 4 digits price tags.
It would have been a triumphs if it was for example $500.
Otherwise, it is just another exotic and exclusive lens.
Highly corrected super fast lens can hardly be expected to cost $500. These kind of lenses have complicated designs, tougher production specifications, more material. Do not get me wrong – I would love if such a lens could be had for $500, I am just not surprised that it is not.
F/1.2 lens can rightly be described as exotic and exclusive. Common, simple design lenses in this focal length would be f/2.8 or maybe f/2.0
f/2.8 or f/2.0? Not at all. I had some 50 mm lenses before going digital, all very cheap stuff in an aperture range f/1.4 to f/ 1.7. I still have my Minolta 50 mm f/1.7, a very good lens really small and inexpensive (and a lens covering 35 mm film size). These days you can get a Canon 50 mm f/1.8 for $125 or a f/1.4 for about $250. Also could buy a Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 for the same price and better optical quality than the Canon.
Most DSLRs and mirrorless lenses brighter than f/1.4 are way too high priced and I can´t find an objective reason for this, as the difference is only a third of a stop. This said, I really can´t find significative practical differences shooting with a f/1.4 lens or a f/1.2 lens.
You need to look at lenses with the same FOV – that is around 85mm. That what my analogy is based on. You are indeed right that FX 50mm lenses can be had for little, but these are f/1.8 or f/1.4 – look at how much Canon 50/1.2 costs – or even the 85/1.2 which is far from perfect wide open.
Whether f/1.2 is worth paying the premium for is a fair question, but since this is a portrait lens for APS-C you want it if you want some really thin DOF. For landscapes f/2.8 for maybe 40% the cost would be a better choice (there is no such a lens for Fuji at the moment indeed)
What is the price of the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 or the Canon 85mm f/1.2?
Please, read my post carefully. I don´t say the Fuji 56 mm f/1.2 lens is more expensive than Nikon or Canon 50 mm f/1.2 lenses. Anyway, a 50 mm lens is always a 50 mm lens, no matter what sensor size and so I compare with other 50 mm lenses for APSC. Comparison with 85 mm lenses is nonsense.
As I said before, most f/1.2 lenses are overpriced and in my experience I don´t get any significative advantage using f/1.2 over f/1.4.
You have to be kidding. First, the price is $999.00., close, but not a four digit price tag. Take a look at the price of a Canon f1.2L 85mm portrait lens. It is $2199.00!! I’v seen and used that lens. At f1.2 it is practically unusable due to sever vignetting, which the Fuji does not have. The price is amazingly low for this type of lens. Wait about 4-6 months and there will be a sale on the lens anyway.
But this lens was made for the very serious amateur, semi-pro and full on professional photographer. The casual shooter or hobbyist has no need for it. I shoot professionally and I don’t “need” it. The less expensive 60mm f2.4 Fujinon works great for me as a portrait lens.
Oh but there are sacrifices. Biggest might be the minimum focusing distance, which is only 70cm! That is just awful for a modern 50mm lens. For example Sony E-mount 50mm have 39cm MFD. As the short focusing distance is a important part in creation of nice bokeh, you kind of lose some of creative options with a 70cm MFD. Of course you get bright aperture, which compensates the situation, but it’s still pity that you can’t have all the good features in the same lens. Also as the Fuji wont offer higher than 16Mpix-sensors, we can’t really know how sharpness and CA behaves with higher Mpix-sensors. That remains to be seen.
The lens has macro focusing range from 0.3-0.7m – that is not bad at all! I suppose it requires some sort of switch to be activated, but it is there.
If you’re photographing a wedding with it, what does it matter?
It’s not exactly a general purpose lens, even if you want to use it that way.
The end results matter. The XT-1 PDAF-CDAF sensor works very well with the 56/1.2 – more accurate and decisive focus that any of the Canon 85/1.2s or 50/1.2s on any of the top pro Canon models.