First came the Cheecar MF 50mmF1.2, and there was glow.

But the Lord of Chinese lenses spoke: be fruitful, and multiply.

So the Pergear MF 50mmF1.2 was born, and behold, it glowed too.

And on the third day, the Lord of Chinese lenses created the 7Artisans MF 50mmF1.2, and it, too, bore the glow.

On the fourth day, he rested. But he could not sleep, for all the glow had turned nights into days, and the glow became useless.

• 7Artisans MF 50mmF1.2
  BHphoto / 7Artisans
• Pergear MF 50mmF1.2
  Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon DE / Pergear

*Note to readers: I must admit, I’m a bit tired of reporting on Chinese brands endlessly rehashing the same lenses under different names. That’s why sometimes I skip these stories. Today, I almost did—until I realized I could have a little fun writing about it. And so this blog post was born. Enjoy it… or don’t. Either way: may the glow be with you!

XF23mmF2.8

• Fujifilm X-E5 – IN STOCK NOW
  BHphoto / Amazon US (black body/kit – silver body/kit) / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira / BestBuy/ Paul’s Photo
• XF23mmF2.8 R WR – IN STOCK NOW
  BHphoto / Amazon US (black – silver) / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira / BestBuy/ Paul’s Photo

When we covered the first reviews about the Fujinon XF23mmF2.8, it was right away clear that Fujifilm had created something very special.

And some reviewers like Luca Petralia had no doubt – this lens will become an instant classic!

Well, more reviews have dropped since then and they really seem to confirm that Fujifilm has nailed it!

Especially when coupled with smaller cameras like the Fujifilm X-E5, the XF23mmF2.8 is a wonderful performing lens in an overall very compact package.

ePhotoZine for example writes in their verdict and Pros and Cons here:

Pros

• Excellent sharpness levels
• Low distortion
• Low CA
• Fast, accurate AF
• Weather resistance
• Low flare
• Pleasant bokeh
• Excellent handling
• Excellent VFM

Cons

• Some vignetting
• Aperture ring lock only locks into A setting

Theri Verdict

Fujifilm optical quality plus compact pancake lens dimensions look like a real winning combination. We can trace back the compact pancake lens of around 35/40mm to almost every compact 35mm film camera of the 1960s onwards, although many were nowhere near as pancake like as this new Fujifilm offering and few if any approached the current levels of performance. Now we can enjoy the compact form factor but also the highest quality levels. The high standard from Fujifilm is there to be seen and the compact dimensions, especially when coupled to the compact X-E5, produce a package which is of compact camera dimensions but of full DSLR or mirrorless flagship quality.

All these sometimes elusive qualities come together in a fine lens, and one that can definitely be Highly Recommended.

• Fujifilm X-E5 – IN STOCK NOW
  BHphoto / Amazon US (black body/kit – silver body/kit) / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira / BestBuy/ Paul’s Photo
• XF23mmF2.8 R WR – IN STOCK NOW
  BHphoto / Amazon US (black – silver) / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira / BestBuy/ Paul’s Photo

More Reviews

• digitalcameraworld – Fujifilm 23mm f/2.8 R WR review:

CameraRawX

Camera RawX 2.1.0 has been released.

Camera Raw X is a little software that provides support for Quick Look and thumbnails generations for Fujifilm compressed RAW files in Finder that are not natively supported by macOS. Camera RawX is available at the Apple store here.

New Features — Release 2.1.0

• Added RawBridge™ support for Sony A7V (lossless compressed ARW only).
• Added RawBridge™ support for Fujifilm M-RAW (Multi-shot RAW format).

ApolloOne

Release 4.1.0 – apple store here

• NEW! Pick toggle under the Tools menu (compatible with Lightroom CC).
• NEW! Pick Filter (Filter menu and Inspector).
• NEW! Sharpen Displayed Image function under the View menu.
• NEW! Preview Actual Print Size function under the File menu.
• NEW! Improved Highlight and Shadow recovery algorithm.
• Added RawBridge™ support for Sony A7V (lossless compressed ARW only).
• Added folder move function via drag-and-drop in the Folder Browser.
• Added Import / Export functions for the Keywords Manager.
• Enhanced Toolbar search field supporting ? and * wildcards.
• Updated ExifTool to version v13.43.
• Enhancements and bug fixes.

The 7Artisans 6mmF2.0 fisheye lens has just been announced by 7Artisans.

Introducing the 7Artisans MF 6mm F2 — a bold diagonal fisheye built to bend reality, reshape space, and deliver a dramatic 220° perspective that challenges every convention.
Ready to push your creativity beyond the ordinary?

MF 6mm F2
Mounts: E / X / Z / M43 / R
Key Features: Manual focus, diagonal fisheye, 220° ultra-wide view — the widest APS-C fisheye we’ve ever built.

uia 7Artisans