REVIEW: Fujinon XF18mm f2R 'V' X100 + Fujinon 23mm f2 + WCL-X100

-
Last Sunday I wrote about the Fujinon XF 18mm f2R lens which I felt was the underrated gem of the Fuji X-Series system.  

 Since I got my X-Pro1 and five lenses, including the 18mm f2, I have still used the Fujifilm X100 with its superb fixed Fujinon 23mm f2 lens but have rarely used the WCL-X100 adapter, which turns the 23mm f2 into a 19mm f2, over the past few months.  

 I decided to go out to Ravensheugh Sands with both the X-Pro1 + 18mm f2 and the X100 fitted with the WCL-X100 to do a direct comparison between the two set ups.

XF18mm f2R
23mm f2 with WCL-X100 adapter
Obviously there is a slight difference in focal lengths of 1mm but the reality is there is little difference in the field of view.  It is also easy to see that the quality of the WCL-X100 adapter is on a par with the 18mm f2 lens, I certainly don't have any complaints with the quality of the images from either camera / lens.


XF18mm f2R

23mm f2 with WCL-X100 adapter
The biggest difference is the added bulk on the X100 when the WCL-X100 is screwed to the front of the 23mm f2 Fujinon.  The profile is a little unbalanced than with the standard 23mm f2 lens setup but the X100 is still a joy to use with the adapter fitted or not.

 So why have I not really used the WCL-X100 adapter recently.  The reason is it is easier to use the X-Pro1 and 18mm lens than set up the adapter on the X100.  If I want to change the lens on the X-Pro1 I just press the lens release and twist the lens a quarter turn, remove and replace with another lens.  With the X100 the process is a lot longer.

 First you have to unscrew the filter holder on the 23mm lens.  You then have to screw on the WCL-X100 adapter, then go into the menu to tell the camera that the adapter is fitted to allow for lens distortion.  It's not a quick process.

 But I can recommend the adapter to anyone who has a Fujifilm X100 or X100S (the adapter works on both cameras), it is a useful asset to have, especially when traveling light.
XF18mm f2R

23mm f2 with WCL-X100 adapter
X100 with WCL-X100 adapter fitted making the 23mm f2 a 19mm f2 lens
Images taken on a Fujifilm X-Pro1 + 18mm and Fujifilm X100 and Fujinon 23mm f2 lens with WCL-X100 adapter

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. understanding2 June 2014 at 15:56

    Thank you very much for the very nice review. I just bought an X-100. I am thinking to switch to Fujifilm X in the future but I am current on the boat of Sony alpha DSLR with a few nice minolta lens. So I cannot decide whether I should buy this adapter.

    How do you think the overall image quality of X100+WCL-X100? Is it worse than XF 18 f2?

    By the way, the expose of the photos with shells look different. Is it due to the deferent of exposure time or post-processing?

    Chen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Macsport2 June 2014 at 17:34

      Chen, first of all thank you for reading the blog and I trust you are enjoying the X100? The WCL-X100 is a great addition and the quality is on a level with the 18mm f2. I use the Fujinon 18mm more because it is easier to fit to my X-T1 or X-Pro1 where as you have to screw the WCL-X100 onto the front of the camera. But quality wise it is perfect and I do still use the converter when I am out and about with the X100.

      Delete
  2. Jason Lau5 November 2014 at 14:37

    thanks jeff, good reference ! :)

    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