Fujinon XF 18mm F2 Reviews? Not so bad… at BHphoto
No Love for the Original XF18mmF2?
When Fujifilm started with the interchangeable X-series line (the X-Pro1), they launched 3 lenses: the much-loved and bestselling XF35mmF1.4, the often underestimated XF60mmF2.4, and the Fujinon XF 18mm F2… a lens, that IMO, should deserve a higher reputation than it currently has.
The original XF18mmF2 is a nice pancake solution for a wide variety of photographs. In fact, the XF18/2 was also Nate’s choice for his One Year, One Lens World Travel, where he shot street, landscape, architectures and even portraits with it (although he says that for portraits “I have to get right in peoples faces to do the portrait style I like – it’s not always a comfortable situation.”)
And there are more people out there, who like the XF 18mm F2. For example, peterpoete prefers it over the XF16mmF1.4 and it is also one of the top 2 lenses for everydaygetaway. Full stories linked below:
“This lens is a perfect companion for almost any type of documentary work. Since its purchase the XF18 was attached to my camera almost all the time and I have done a very wide variety of photographs with it. Many of the pictures I have taken with it simply were snapshots – some were more serious work, sometimes even very sad and heartbreaking like those for a short documentary about the memorial and museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. […]
This lens brought back the delight and joy to make pictures back in many of my days strolling around and searching for things worth to be seen – at least for me.”
Like most Fuji shooters I didn’t give much thought to the XF 18mm when I first got into Fuji. Most of the mainstream reviews had luke-warm to downright bad opinions about it, some even calling it Fuji’s worst lens.
Thankfully I listened to a few of the quieter voices out there and gave the 18mm a shot because I loved the 28mm FL on my 6D and a7S and I wanted something similar in size to the XF 27mm that I already had, but with an aperture ring… the extra stop of light was an added bonus.
So what is it about this lens that makes it rank in my top 2 favorite lenses for my kit? Well, let’s break it down…
The XF18mmF2 MK II Rumors
When we launched our monumental future X-Series Lens Poll, the Fujinon XF18mmF2 MK II was one of the most wanted lenses (currently #5 out of 30 lenses). Check out the results here.
In today’s “Behind the X-gear” episode we are going to meet Matteo Bastianelli, the Fujifilm X-shooter, whose work has been published also at National Geographic and CNN.
(Using X100T) The poetry of Rio’s ‘Suppressed Favelas at cnn.com
(Using X-Pro2) Inside a Flourishing—and Conflicted—Weed Industry at nationalgeographic
Interested to know more? Then check out the full interview below :-)
Tell us something about you
I am a freelance documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Rome, Italy. I am a member of Italy’s National Order of Journalists since 2009. Above all I work on long-term projects related to social, environmental and human rights issues, with a keen interest in consequences of wars and their effects on those who live through it, focusing on the theme of memory and identity.
I was a member of Reportage by Getty Images Emerging Talent till 2014. My images and videos have been published and commissioned by a number of media outlets, NGOs, national and international magazines, such as Al Jazeera, Burn, CNN, Der Spiegel, Discovery Channel Interactive, D- La Repubblica, El Pais, Il Corriere della Sera, International Committee of the Red Cross, Internazionale, International New York Times, Lens – The New York Times, L’Espresso, L’Europeo, L’Oeil de la Photographie, La Repubblica, La Stampa, MSNBC, National Geographic Photography (Australia, Netherlands, Usa), National Geographic Italia, Newsweek Japan, PDN, RTL News, Rhythms of Taipei, TIME Lightbox, Vanity Fair, among others.
My projects have been widely awarded and shown in Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, The Netherlands and USA.
Professional Photographer or Amateur or something in between?
My Bag Of Cameras at Zack Arias Youtube (includes X-Pro2 and X100T… but he might soon upgrade to X100F. And no, he still didn’t get the Fujifilm GFX. Why? Watch from minute 16:00 to find it out :) )
Matteo’s Trilogy
(Using X100T) The poetry of Rio’s ‘Suppressed Favelas at cnn.com
This brief article is to share my Fuji X-T2 settings for wedding photography and I hope you’ll find it useful.
I switched from Canon to Fuji for my wedding work because I was looking for a lighter, more portable alternative to my DSLR’s that wouldn’t wear me and my back out during the marathons that have become wedding shoots. Weight was becoming a serious issue for me with my Canons and thankfully this last generation Fuji APS-C X-Trans sensor seems to perform well enough in terms of resolution, noise (lack of), latitude and high ISO capabilities to output excellent results in a light and compact package: small sensor means small lenses and all that comes with it. Also, with this last iteration Fuji X cameras have gotten a lot better in terms of controls (exposure compensation dial and focus point selection joystick above all), features (double memory slot) and software and have become great tools suitable for professional use during weddings.
What happened then is, I switched for the size and weight and got hooked by the shooting experience. These Fujis are really fun to use and – once you get used to them – they are also practical and quite functional. These cameras are very versatile and offer a lot room for customization. Depending on your style of shooting and type of photography, there’s a lot to work on as far as setting up the cameras to get them to perform in a way that is suitable to you, your work flow and the results you’re after.
For the portrait session part of the day I was set up in the hallway outside the chambers so we could have easy access to the senators as they roamed the halls to and from meetings. I used a clamshell set up with a light on a boom, a reflector under for fill and a background light to brighten the background. The lights I used were Flashpoint 360ws Streaklights with Bowens adapters. The background light used a gridded hair light from LA softbox to avoid light spill. I used the Fujifilm X-T2 with the XF 50-140mm at f/8. This camera and lens combo is the sharpest I’ve ever shot with, its truly an amazing combo although I am falling in love with the XF 16mm f/1.4 macro.
Senate Chamber Group Panorama
This is my 3rd panorama and 2nd portrait session with the Indiana senate. The senate is all about business so making sure I was doing things quickly and efficiently is very important. I was able to get into the senate chamber 20 minutes before the scheduled group photo so I was able to get a plan worked out. There were several obstacles to overcome to biggest being where to take the photo. The further back I go the more of the front desk is in view (which means more photoshopping) but I get a better picture with less distortion. I tethered my Fujifilm X-T2 camera to my laptop so I could get a better idea of what the final composite would look like and decided the further back I go the better.
I recently went on a trip to Canada and really got to put the Fujifilm X-T2 through it’s paces. I’ve played around with the video before but I feel like this trip was my first, real, intensive test of my X-T2’s video capabilities. Prior to this, I had a Panasonic GH3 (that I used exclusively for video work. I used an X-T1 for my photography), which I had sold when I got the X-T2. The following is a collection of thoughts I had regarding using the Fujifilm X-T2 for video work:
Note that I did not record to an external recorder. So everything was shot in 4K 23.97 4:2:0 with the Fujifilm XF18-55 f2.8-4 IS and XF50-140 f2.8 WR IS lenses.
In my opinion, the video files look fantastic. Especially when viewing in 4k on a 4k display.
Nearly every gripe I had while shooting this video was fixed with the new firmware 2.0, such as:
The ability to use single point AF while recording
The ability to change ISO while recording
Using the EVF/LCD while recording
I thought I wanted a firmware that added F-LOG internal recording. Now I don’t care as much. Sometimes it’s nice not worrying about having to grade too much. And if you record in a log profile in 4:2:0 I feel like you wouldn’t be able to push the image too much before you started getting banding and the image falls apart. Of course if they added it it’d be a nice option to have, but I don’t think it’s really necessary. But I’m no colorist, so maybe someone can correct me here.
Speaking of color, I barely touched the color of any of these files. The most I did was adjusting the color temperature in a few shots and add a bit of sharpening. That’s about it. I used the PRO Neg Standard color profile/film simulation.
Most of these shots were handheld. I did add warp stabilizer to a few shots in post.
The X-T2 weather sealing, in my experience, is pretty rugged. Exhibit A (disclaimer – your individual mileage may vary!):
I tried using one Tiffen 77mm variable ND filter for both the XF18-55 and XF50-140 lenses, using adapter rings to fit the filter on the lenses. This was a mistake that led to missed shots. I’d try to swap lenses to get a certain shot, but then I’d have to unscrew the filter and put it on the other lens. By the time I had it ready, usually the opportunity was missed. I ended up buying another variable ND from The Camera Store in Calgary.
I would buy a Fuji XF18-55 f4 WR IS if they made it. The 16-55 2.8 WR looks great, but the IS is very nice to have when I don’t have a shoulder rig, which is most of the time. I take too many photos to usually ever want to use a shoulder rig. I generally tend to find it too cumbersome for me. I would even accept a larger/heavier lens if they could make a XF 16-55 f2.8 WR IS. Basically, I want the best of the XF18-55 and XF16-55 and turn it into one super lens. Is that too much to ask, Fuji?!
I’m actually not sure where the internal mic is on the X-T2. But it feels like I cover it up with my hands whenever I’m recording, as almost all my audio sounds muffled. Or the X-T2 internal mics are just that garbage. That’s also a possibility.
I wish the mic jack had it’s own, independent cover. I hated exposing all those plugs to the elements when all I wanted to do was plug in my Rode Videomic Pro. This led me to not use it very often. It kind of defeats the purpose of weather sealing in that regard.
Be wary of your command dial. I shot all my video in 4k 23.97 and used a shutter speed of 1/50. But sometimes I’d inadvertently hit my command dial, shifting my shutter speed a third of a stop.
The crop when shooting 4k was both a blessing and a curse. It was nice having a little extra crop when I was trying to record something far away. But it sucked trying to get a wide shot and not getting everything fit into the frame. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting.
I hate the fly by wire system of the Fuji lenses. It makes pulling focus/rack focus nearly impossible. Even the fly by wire focusing on my Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 seemed more bearable than this. I’ve heard the Fuji 23mm 1.4 and 16mm 1.4 both have pretty cool manual focus rings with hard stops (I don’t own these lenses, so I don’t know how well they work). That would be amazing if they could somehow incorporate it into all of their lenses. I know that likely won’t happen though.
Fuji shooters tend to naturally gravitate towards each other. A random guy walked up to me while in Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and asked if I was using a Fuji. Turns out he also had an X-T2 and we ended up talking shop for a few minutes. This would never happen when I had my Canon or even my Panasonic. Thinking back on it, I wish I got his name, seemed like a cool dude.
If anyone is wondering, the other cameras I used for this are the GoPro Hero 5 Black and DJI Mavic Pro. But probably 95% of the footage comes from my Fuji.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message! And if you’d like to check out my other work, you can visit me at www.albenosaki.com or @alben.osaki on Instagram!
Michael Schnabl: image was made on one of my “Fine Art Portrait” workshops …
shot with Fuji X-T2 and XF 56mm
ISO 200 / f/2.8 / 1/200
Photo: Michael Schnabl photography
Model: Federica Martinazzi — at Fotopraxis-Fotoworkshops
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NOTE :: HOW TO SEE THE IMAGES
To see, add and vote images click on “Photos” and then “See All“
Here are the most liked images of the Fujirumors facebook page… and keep it up, share and vote your absolute favorite X or G shot… and here is how to do it:
1) SHARE & DESCRIBE: go to the Fujirumors facebook timeline and submit your favorite X-shot (and a short description) in the timeline by selecting “Photo/Video” .
2) VOTE & COMMENT: All the images will be displayed at the Fujirumors facebook photo page (click “See All”). You can vote, share & comment the images there.
NOTE: The next selection will start from those images shared starting from April 3!
Since the launch of the X-T2 last year, we have all learned how good the 4K video on the X-T2 is. Now, I will not bore you again with cold video tests and comparisons. At this point it’s far more interesting to see what creative photographers and videographers can produce with it.
He shared his experience and the videos in his blog post: “Shooting video with the Fujifilm X-T2, Zhiyun Crane and Blackmagic Video Assist” at kjetilkvienmadsen
TransIII Vs. Bayer
Fujifilm X-Trans III vs. Bayer (X-T2 with Fujinon 56mm f1.2 APD against the Sony A7II with Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8) – Texture & Detail Comparison at thephotofundamentalist: “What I have personally concluded is that when a top quality 24MP Full-Frame sensor and the 24 MP APS-C X-Trans III are compared using vaguely comparable lenses, the results at low ISOs are very close indeed when using Adobe Lightroom CC.”
Fujifilm X-T1 WPJA Award
French wedding photographer Bogarte has been awarded by WPJA (wedding photojournalist association) with 2 pictures shot with his X-T1 and XF16mm 1.4. Here are the two pictures that you can view on the wpja website: Picture 1 and Picture 2. Last wedding season, he used 2 X-T1 (16mm and 56mm) and X100s then Sony A7s with 35 2.8
You can have a better view on his work at bogarte.fr
