Check Your Lenses… and a Little Ode to My (and Your) Local Store

One of the reasons why I like to buy my gear at the local dealer (instead of ordering online), is that I can always inspect the gear before buying it.

So, when last month I bought the XF10-24 and XF27mm, my dealer opened the boxes, checked if there was any issue such as dust spots inside the lens, and he even checked if the latest firmware for the lenses was installed (it wasn’t, so he updated the lens firmware in store for me… AWESOME!)

So far, with ALL Fujinon lenses I have ever bought, I never had any dust spot issue. Actually I always perceived my lenses as excellently build. I mean, my XF35mmF1.4 still works perfectly, even though it was minutes completely under water, the day I destroyed my X-E2 in a river.

Anyway, I know things like dust spots in the lens happen, and I experienced them in the past when I used other systems. Since then, my habit is to visually check lenses, before buying them.

If small, then dust spots will have absolutely no influence on image quality.

However, when you pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a new lens, you do want it to be perfect out of the box, and personally I would change any new lens, even if it has the smallest dust inside it.

With that said… let’s talk about Fujifilm quality.

Fujifilm Prodcution Quality: Factory Video & Teardown

Fujinon XF80mm 1:1 Macro Reviews

Ok guys, let me put a bit of order in the XF80mmF2.8 1:1 macro reviews so far. I thought it’s useful to have an overview, before jumping into the latest review by ePHOTOzine… who ends up highly recommending Fuji’s latest macro lens.

Fujinon XF80mmF2.8 Macro

It’s not the first time, that we hear “complaints” about the XF80mmF2.8 Macro being too sharp for portraits. We reported about it already here.

Now also ZedProMedia shares the same opinion. I know, some say it’s better have an ultra-sharp lens, and eventually soften the image in post production. But another aspect that makes the lens not ideal for portraits, is that the bokeh tends to be swirly and have a cat eye form wide open at F2.8, which resembles the character of some old vintage lenses.

Here are a few considerations ZedProMedia made (full video at ZedProMedia Youtube):

• Sharpest lens I have ever used in my entire life
• Too sharp for portraits
• Swirly, cat eye looking bokeh at F2.8
  
• At 2.8 tons of vignetting, fixable in post. Less vignetting stopped down. No vignetting at F6.4
  
• Insanely sharp in corners, also at F2.8
• Fast AF, but not as fast as XF50-140
• At close ups not super-accurate AF. Manual focus better
• Probably the nicest Macro lens I have ever used

Shooting flowers with the XF80mm Macro at dcfever (translation)

Fujinon XF 80mmF2.8 Macro: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS, FocusCamera