REVIEW: 60 Minutes with the Fujinon XF 23mm f1.4R

-
While in Bahrain I also got to try out the new Fujinon 23mm f1.4 on the X-Pro1.  Because of my schedule during the FIA World Endurance Championship weekend in the Middle East I set myself a target of getting some test images using this lens in just 60 minutes, so I chose to use the 23mm during the Audi 'Meet the Team' media opportunity and around the paddock.
A 60-minute test of the XF 23mm f1.4 around the paddock in Bahrain
Out of the XF range of lenses this was the one that least interested me mainly because I have the 23mm 35mm equivalent) focal length on the Fujifilm X100 and my reasoning is I don't need two lenses the same.  The two main differences are the size of the XF lens, it is larger than the XF 14mm f2.8, and a maximum aperture of f1.4, compared to fixed f2 lens on the X100.

The lens feels perfectly balanced on the X-Pro1 and the construction is of the same high quality as the other XF lens range.  The AF is 'snappy' and the push-pull manual focus selector, which is the same as the 14mm, a joy to use.
The Fujinon XF 23mm f1.4R 
The results I got from the XP1 / 23mm f1.4 are impressive. I love using these lenses at near maximum apertures to throw the background out of focus and gives the same beautiful bokeh as the other fast Fujinons.  
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport, during an interview in the media centre
At £849 here in the UK this is the most expensive XF mount lens in the Fuji range so far (until the 56mm f1.2 hits the shelves in the Spring) but the quality of this lens is undeniable.  The 23mm focal length is perfect for street / travel photography and I really enjoyed my 60-minute challenge with this lens.  

 I would certainly recommend this lens to anyone with an X-Series camera and I would get one in a flash if money was no object. However I don't think I can justify paying for the XF version when I have the beautiful Fujinon 23mm f2 on the X100.

Once again Fujifilm have produced a winner to add to the ever growing XF line up of lenses for the X-Series.
The XF 23mm f1.4R  on the Fujifilm X-Pro1

Audi's 2012 World Champion Andre Lotterer

The media area at the Bahrain International Circuit

Palm Trees in the Middle East, who'd have thought!

An unusual place to hang your washing out to dry
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE GOOGLE ADVERTS
It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION
If you like what you see on this blog please visit our Facebook page and click 'like'

Comments

  1. Anonymous2 December 2013 at 11:00

    Nice review and some nice images from your 1 hour use

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: The New Fujinon 2x Converter

-
Image
Yesterday Fujifilm launched the latest edition to the Fujinon XF lens line up, the XF 2X TC WR teleconverter for use with the XF50-140mm f2.8 and XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 zoom lenses.  In April I was invited by Fujifilm to test the new converter and here are my thoughts on this new lens. Before I go into details I need to be upfront about something.  I've never been a fan of 2x converters because the optical quality of the lens is usually affected to a large degree.   I did have a 1.4x and 2x converter for my lenses when I was shooting with Nikon. While the 1.4x converter was regularly attached to my long f2.8 lenses, the 2x converter was probably used about three times in the 18 years I used Nikkor lenses.  I didn't like the results when using the converter so tended to not use it. Anyway back to the X-Series!  The 1.4x Fujinon converter was launched in 2015 and I have been a fan of this diminutive lens attachment on both the 50-140mm and 100-400mm.  The optical qu
Read more

REVIEW: Using Nikon Lenses on a Fuji X Camera

-
Image
I've been using the Fujifilm X-Pro1 for the past month and I haven't enjoyed my photography so much since I bought the Fuji X100 12 months earlier.  The only issue I have with the X-Pro1 is the lack of a long telephoto lens.  The longest lens I have is the 60mm f2.4, which is the equivalent of a 90mm telephoto; it's a great lens but I sometimes wish my Fuji system had a bit more pulling power.   Fuji have provided the X system with a telephoto zoom, the 55-200mm f3.5 / f4.8 R LM OIS and I will be testing this lens next week for three days. I will be showing the results on this blog. However my Nikon kit has one of the best short telephoto zooms in the world, the Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D.  I bought this lens brand new in 1996 for £1600.00 and it has been a faithful companion ever since. I've bought and sold plenty of SLRs / DSLRs in the past 18 years but I've never felt the need to upgrade the 80-200mm because it is still optically the best lens I own and it ha
Read more

Rode Wireless Go for the Fujifilm X-T4

-
Image
One of the things I learned very quickly when using video is the need for clear audio. It doesn't matter how good the video looks, if the audio is poor, then the video is not going to be well received. Over the years I have invested in good, portable microphones even invested in a radio mic system.  This worked really well but when working in a motorsport environment, a broad range of radio frequencies are used for various uses and radio microphone frequencies are strictly controlled.  in some countries you also need to buy a licence, which can cost hundreds of pounds, so I quickly reverted back to wired microphones. This brought its own problems as when interviewing drivers the surrounding environment can be noisy, so you need to get the microphone as close as possible.  Of course, the extra added complication in the last few months means the interviewer has to stand at least 1.5 metres, which means wires trailing across the floor, which isn't good. In March
Read more