Review: Fujinon XF 23 f/1.4R

Review: Fujinon XF 23 f/1.4R

XF23mm

 

Last Friday I received a package from one of my friends at Fujifilm Malaysia. They were kind enough to send me a pre-production Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4R for a week to run it through its paces. I gotta tell you this is a great piece of glass. The XF 23mm on the Xpro-1‘s cropped sensor is the full frame equivalent of a 35mm lens. The most frustrating thing about this lens has nothing to do with its technical features. It is simply that I rarely use this focal length and so it became a stretch for me. I gravitate to much wider focal lengths in my work. As readers here will know, my go-to-lens is a 16-35mm. When I do shoot this lens it is almost always at the 16mm focal length. That’s not to say I can’t use and appreciate a 35 mm focal length lens.

 

f/7.1, 30 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1

f/7.1, 30 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1Processed in Lightroom 5 & Silver Efex Pro 2.

 

The first thing that strikes you about this lens is the weight and feel. At 10.6 oz (301 g) it is not light– mainly because it’s made of 11 glass elements and a metal body. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t heavy like the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 at 22.93 oz (650 g) or even the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 at 1.28 lb (58 g). It just feels significant, like it is made to last. The metal housing gives it a feel of quality and substance you don’t get in many other lenses.

The lens is pretty straightforward–like all the other XF lenses. It has an R after its name meaning it has an aperture ring. This aperture ring is something that got lost in the digital world. Aperture control has always been digitally controlled in the camera, or with a dial. But the XF lens brought all that back. The aperture ranges from f/1.4 to f/16. The f/1.4 gives the photographer a really nice milky bouquet–not as nice as the Fujinon 35mm f/1.4, but close. The aperture is controlled by a 7-blade rounded diaphragm.

This lens is sharp. Maybe even as sharp of the XF 35mm f/1.4 and that lens is crazy sharp. Without shooting some high tech scale, this lens seems sharp all through the aperture range. And yes, even at f/1.4! You can see the sharpness in this series of images of a hotel on the beach behind my house.

 

f/16, 1/25 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1

f/16, 1/25 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1 (untouched 16:9 JPEG)

 

Above is a JPEG right out of the camera with no post production of any kind. I say that, not because I think it is a great image, but because it is sharp. I took a series of these shots and created a mash-up of sorts (below) all cropped at 100% to show you the varying sharpness of each f-stop. You can plainly see that f/16 and f/8 are by far the sharpest. Even f/2.8 is crazy sharp. f/1.4 does start to get soft, but this still isn’t bad. Remember – this is a pre-production lens, to be fair we really need to do this with a lens that is off the production line.

 

A comparison of aperture sharpness.  - all unprocessed JPEGs at 100% of the Fujunon XF 23mm f1.4 R

A comparison of aperture sharpness.  – all unprocessed JPEGs at 100%

 

Like its cousin the XF 14mm f/2.8,  this lens has the same manual focus option of the push-pull focus ring. You pull it back to enter into manual focus. This action allows you to by-pass the need to flip the focus selector switch on the camera body. When you pull the focus ring back to enter manual focus, a zone depth of field scale is revealed complete with aperture numbers and a distance scale.

I posted a photo of the lens on my Facebook account the day I received it. One of the first comments was, “What a huge lens hood!” It is embarrassingly huge! Why on earth did the designers at Fuji feel the need for such a monster tulip lens hood? I don’t know.

 

f/2, 1/60 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1

f/2, 1/60 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 (Shot as a 16:9 JPEG)

 

f/14, 3/5 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom using a Replichrome Kodachrome preset.

f/14, 3/5 sec, at 23mm, 100 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 (Shot as a 16:9 JPEG)

 

f/5, 1/30 sec, at 23mm, 3200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome Kodachrome preset.

f/5, 1/30 sec, at 23mm, 3200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/16, 1/160 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 no Perspective correction  using a Replichrome Kodachrome preset.

f/16, 1/160 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 no perspective correction using a Replichrome preset.

 

The pre-production has some lens distortion as you can see above. I don’t think it’s any more than you would find in any other 23 mm lens, Given Fujifilm’s history, once this lens is released and the firmware is upgraded this should be reduced significantly. But as it is now, it is nothing that perspective correction in Lightroom 5 can not compensate for.

 

    f/16, 1/160 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 with Perspective correction using a Replichrome Kodachrome preset.

f/16, 1/160 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 with perspective correction using a Replichrome preset.

 

In conclusion, when it is all said and done the question remaining is would I spend the $900 USD for this lens that B&H Photo and others are asking, or would I pass? The value for this quality of a lens at $900 is fair, maybe even good. No question this is a great lens, but it is not a priority for me. My next purchase will be either the Fujinon XF 10- 24 mm f/4 (15-36 mm in a 35mm) or the XF 56mm f/1.2 (84mm in a 35mm), both promised later this year or early next. Once I get these lenses in my gadget bag then maybe I’ll look to the XF 23mm. But if the 35mm focal length is your thing and you shoot a X-system camera, then you are crazy not to buy this lens once it comes available.

 

f/2.5, 1/1900 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1

Manual focus, f/2.5, 1/1900 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5

 

f/2.8, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 1600 ISO, on a X-Pro1

Manual focus, f/2.8, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 1600 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.t.

 

f/7.1, 1/210 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1

f/7.1, 1/210 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed in Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

Manual focus, f/8, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 500 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 no Perspective correction  using a Replichrome Kodachrome preset.

Manual focus, f/8, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 500 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome  preset.

 

f/4, 1/55 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

f/4, 1/55 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/1.4, 1/150 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

f/1.4, 1/150 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/1.4, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

f/1.4, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

 

f/1.4, 1/4000 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1Processed with Lightroom 5  using a Replichrome preset.

f/1.4, 1/4000 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/1.4, 1/80 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

f/1.4, 1/80 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

 

f/7.1, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 1250 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

f/7.1, 1/35 sec, at 23mm, 1250 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5

 

f/1.4, 1/60 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5  using a Replichrome preset.

f/1.4, 1/60 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/2.8, 1/640 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5  using a Replichrome preset.

f/2.8, 1/640 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5  using a Replichrome preset.

f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5 using a Replichrome preset.

 

f/1.4, 1/1250 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

f/1.4, 1/1250 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

 

f/1.4, 1/110 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

f/1.4, 1/110 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

 

f/1.4, 1/1800 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

f/1.4, 1/1800 sec, at 23mm, 200 ISO, on a X-Pro1 Processed with Lightroom 5.

 

About The Author

Matt Brandon

Matt is a Malaysia based assignment photographer. Well known as a photographer and international workshop instructor, Matt’s images have been used by business and organizations around the globe. Matt is also a Fujifilm Malaysia brand ambassador. Matt is a contributor to National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller and other major publications.

1 Comment

  1. Andrew Koe

    Wonderfully said Matt. I just got myself the xt1 and the 23mm f/1.4 . I must tell you I love the colors and sharpness to bit! It’s a truly amazing camera and lens. I’m still using the canon 6d with lotsa lens for working purposes (wedding ) … There is something about this fuji system tht makes me wanna sell of the canons completely . What’s your thoughts? Thanks

    Reply

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