The Rise of Chinese Lenses and Top 7 Chinese Fujifilm X Mount Lenses

The Rise of Chinese Lenses

In the last few weeks, we covered a couple of new Chinese Fujifilm X mount lenses here on FujiRumors, such as the brand new 7Artisans 60mm F2.8 1:1 Macro and the Kamlan 50mm f/1.1 MK II.

In 2019, a lot of buzz has been created also by the first third-party reverse-engineered autofocus X mount lens, the Chinese Viltrox 85mmF1.8, whereas in 2018 the Lawoa 9mm f/2.8 was the very best seller here on FujiRumors (yep, it sold better than ANY Fujinon XF lens amongst FR-readers).

Chinese lenses: the price is (mostly) low, the quality goes up and the sales explode!

Here are the best selling ones.

  1. Meike 35mm f/1.7
  2. Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 AF
  3. Neewer 25mm f/1.8
  4. 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2
  5. Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 MKII
  6. Meike MK 25mm F1.8
  7. Meike MK-35mm F/1.4

It looks like the lable “made in China” is no longer something photographers are too skeptical of.

Today I’d like to ask you if you own any of these lenses, and if you want, you can share your feedback in the comments down below. Your feedback might be helpful for the rest of the Fujifilm community.

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TESTED: Fujifilm X Mount Kamlan 21mm f/1.8 and Kamlan 50mm f/1.1, Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 AF, 7artisans 35mm f/1.2 and More

Fujifilm X Third Party Lenses

There is such a vast choice of native Fujifilm X mount lenses out there, that here on FujiRumors we have to dedicate them an apposite roundup.

In most cases we are talking of manual focus lenses, but also autofocus options are hitting the market.

The Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 is the first AF lens for Fujifilm (and FujiRumors delivered the worldwide first autofocus test about it). And we already reported in this article, that Viltrox is considering to launch 3 more AF lenses for Fujifilm soon. For all the details (focal length/aperture) about the upcoming Viltrox AF lenses for Fuji X, check out this article.

Since its launch, the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 is the best selling third party lens here on FujiRumors.

Today’s roundup includes also a review about the brand new Kamlan 21mm f/1.8, which comes with a gentle price tag, and seems to perform remarkably for what it costs.

Other lenses included in todays roundup are the 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro, Kamlan 50mm f/1.1, a couple of Mitakon X mount lenses and much more.

Kamlan

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Top Articles for June: Unloved Fujifilm X-H1, Tilting Fujifilm X-Pro3, Lovely Fujifilm Colors Vs Sony, Future Proof GFX and More

These are the top 10 most read articles on FujiRumors for June. In case you missed them, catch up now and (hopefully) enjoy them.

  1. Fujifilm X-H1: an Unloved Child, FujiRumors’ New Temptation… and WOW!
  2. Fujifilm X-Pro3 Registered Online and Coming Fall 2019
  3. Fujifilm X-Pro3 Coming with Tilt Screen
  4. Fujifilm X-T30 Charcoal In Stock and AmazonUS honoring Their Crazy Mistake X-T30 Deal
  5. Fujifilm X-Pro3 Announcement Within October
  6. FUJIFILM vs SONY Colors Compared: “If You don’t Want to Spent Time Color Grading, Fujifilm is Great”
  7. Why Fujifilm GFX Medium Format System is Future Proof and Tony Northrup’s GFX Pessimism is Unjustified
  8. Japanese Camera Market Share: The Rise of Sony, The Decline of All Others and Fujifilm Saved by Instax
  9. Fujifilm X100V/X200 Coming in… The Answer in This FujiRumors Article!
  10. Value Angle of Mirrorless Cameras Explained and Compared

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Kai Wong Fujifilm GFX100 Hands On Review: “You Do Get Quite a Bit for Your Money”

Fujifilm GFX100

Kai Wong went hands on with the Fujifilm GFX100. Here is what he thinks about it:

  • medium format is ment for tripod still subject shooting, but not with a body like the Fujifilm GFX100
  • feels good in the hands
  • like a Canon 1DXII in terms of size and weight, but the GFX100 has a much bigger sensor inside [and I’d also IBIS]
  • it functions like an oversized Fujifilm X, at least almost. No D-Pad, no retro dials
  • skin smoothing effect smooths out ever imperfection. Works only for the JPEGs
  • autofocus is pretty damn good. Same AF algorithm of X-T3, but lenses have bigger glass to shift, hence not as fast AF as X-T3
  • Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30 eye-AF is right up there with Sony
  • Kai’s GFX100 struggled to detect faces, but on other GFX100 samples face and eye detection worked well
  • Eye AF is accurate and fast enough, although feels a little bit slower than on Fujifilm X-T3
  • the GFX100 sensor is 4 times bigger than the sensor on the X-T3
  • tracking mostly does a good job, although, understandably, sometimes it doesn’t shift the glass in time when the subject is moving at decent pace towards you
  • EVF is sooo good
  • shutter really well dampened (shock absorber), and you need it, with medium format 102 MP
  • nice soft shutter button, like on Fujifilm X-H1
  • using IBIS, works easily down to 1/125
  • no fancy dials, and Kai missed them, since turning a dial is easier and quicker than pressing a button and looking at the LCD
  • not too many negatives
  • electronic shutter means bad rolling shutter, but no surprise with a big sensor like that, and probably you are not going to use electronic shutter on the GFX100
  • works well enough on the streets, but not the obvious choice for street photography
  • a camera for landscapers, who need more resolution and more details
  • you can push it 4 stops and still get nice clean, crisp images
  • nobody buys the GFX100 for video, but it deserves credit since Fujifilm has done video well on the GFX100
  • uses 4K with no crop. Footage looks great. AF works great. Rolling shutter contained and video is still usable
  • IBIS works superbly to shoot stable video
  • You do get quite a bit for your money
  • Props to Fujifilm and well done to all those lucky buggers that can afford one

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Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

The GFX Community

Dear Fujifilm X APS-C Shooters, I didn’t Forget About You (despite GFX100) and Here is a Fujinon XF Lens Roundup

It’s the same old story:

New camera comes, FujiRumors covers its launch, people not interested in that particular camera complain that FR covers that camera.

That’s why, back at the GFX50 launch, I wrote the article, “Dear FR-readers, we have to talk“.

The article was extremely effective, since, using hardcore numbers, it showed how readers perception can be so different from the truth.

But writing that article cost me a lot of time. And I just returned from an 8 hour drive from my holiday in Croatia, and I am exhausted, also because I was on holiday with the SonyAlphaRumors guy, which lead to some epic fanboy fights discussions and photowalks.

So I’ll just say this:

  • FujiRumors is free
  • I write over 1,000 articles a year
  • FujiRumors is a hobby I run in my spare time from my teaching job (and it’s not always easy). Maybe next year I will vlog about a day in FR-life. Bring you inside my teacher day life, so you might understand better how it is to run FR

But who cares. I mean who cares about how much time and effort I put into this. It’s not your business.

Blogging on FR is my passion since 8 years now, and I do it with the joy to share the Fuji passion with all of you.

I ask you just one thing: please, just do not complain, when, in coincidence with the launch of a massive camera like the Fujifilm GFX100, I share a bit more GFX news than usual.

You don’t like it? Just skip the news.

With all that said, of course I do not forget about Fuji’s APS-C system.

And so I thought to dedicated this roundup to the most important part of our beloved APS-C system: the XF lenses.

If you want, down below are about 30 links and videos covering all kind of XF lenses.

XF Lens Roundup

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Fujifilm GFX100 Development Story with GF Lenses Autofocus Speed Ranking

Fujifilm GFX100

Fujifilm has published a first Fujifilm GFX100 development story article.

They start with discussing the definition of the sensor, medium format or large format.

There is not much point in having a discussion as to how to call the format of 44 x 33mm. We tend to seek for the historical ground from the days of silver halide film; 6 x 4.5 is medium format, and 4 x 5 inch or larger is large format, but the explanation does not have any suggestion other than historical legitimacy.

in terms of resolution, the current 44 x 33mm format surpasses that of the 6 x 4.5 and even the 8 x 10. There still is the unique color reproduction of the silver halide films, but if the medium and the large format is designed for large prints, then there is no point in seeking historical ground to call what format GFX is. Because with the GFX100, we can have the prints even larger.

The core part of the article is the comparison between Fujifilm GFX100 and GFX50 in terms of AF speed.

The major change from X-Pro1 to X-Pro2 was the installation of phase detection AF. The same goes for the GFX100 when compared to the change from GFX 50S / 50R. Furthermore, the AF algorithm of the GFX100 is same as that of the X-T3, meaning not only is it fast, but is now also tougher against in low light conditions, high frequency subjects and low contrast subjects.

To put simply, the GFX100 has the agility like the X-T3 and achieves the descriptive power like the 8×10. There have never been a system like this before. This is a whole new experience.

The lenses, that have the biggest benefit in terms of AF speed thanks to the phase detection AF pixels on the GFX100 are the GF63mm and GF45mm.

GF lenses autofocus speed on GFX100 (with latest GF lens firmware udpate):

  • GF 23mmF4 R LM WR – 0,140 sec
  • GF 45mmF2.8 R WR – 0,183 sec
  • GF 63mmF2.8 R WR – 0,186 sec
  • GF 110mmF2 R LM WR – 0,208 sec
  • GF 120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro – 0,181 sec
  • GF 250mmF4 R LM OIS WR – 0,212 sec
  • GF 32-64mmF4 R LM WR – 0,168 sec

Read the whole story at fujifilm-x.

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Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

The GFX Community

 

Why Fujifilm GFX Medium Format System is Future Proof and Tony Northrup’s GFX Pessimism is Unjustified

The Future of GFX

And then it became clear to me: Fujifilm medium format has a glorious future ahead. :)

Just two thing before we start:

  • Tony Northrup shared a video (see below), where he didn’t sound very confident about the GFX future. I thought about it, and the result is the article below
  • This article is based on the assumption, that in future only higher end cameras are 100% safe from the smartphone attack, since professional photographers won’t ever switch to smartphones for their Pro work

2 minutes reading time (or just 15 seconds if you jump directly to the conclusions ;) )

  • Fujifilm 2016 – The Statment

In 2016, Fujifilm Managers Makoto Oishi and Fuji Guy Billy said in this interesting interview:

When the global shutter sensor comes to be, it will be a big change just to the whole camera industry, taking away all the limitations of current electronic shutters. […]

If the GFX has global shutter, so we can imagine something new. A smaller body.

So let’s talk about it.

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Fujinon GF Lens Firmware 1.10 Released for Fujifilm GFX100 Phase Detection AF Support

Fujifilm has released a firmware update for all Fujinon GF lenses, to support phase detection autofocus on Fujifilm GFX100.

Compatibility with Phase detection AF function is added.
Currently, this upgrade is for GFX100 with the Phase detection AF function.

Download Firmware 1.10 for:

Also, Fujifilm has released Fujifilm X-T30 firmware 1.10.

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Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera

The GFX Community

GF Lens Deals

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Fujifilm GFX100 First Look: “Medium Format is Boss. All GF Lenses Need Firmware Update for Phase Detection AF Support”

Fujifilm GFX100

BHphoto went hands on with the Fujifilm GFX100. You can see their full video here.

  • no dials, feels like a camera of 2019
  • extreme cropping capability
  • autofocus feels like X-T3. Not that super fast, since it the AF motor has to move more glass inside GF lenses, but very very fast
  • all GF lenses need a firmware update to support phase detection AF
  • bigger glass is just a completely different look compared to full frame
  • vertical grip too sleek. Should be more rubberized and ergonomic
  • aimed at professionals and enthusiasts
  • for sports and wildlife there are higher frame rates options. But the GFX100 goes at 5fps
  • they tested the 5fps, and it hit every frame
  • video is a huge leap over what Fujifilm GFX50S and GFX50R can do
  • Medium Format is Boss! It’s ridiculous to compare it to full frame

Check out the full BHphoto GFX100 video here.

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera