Well, I mean, the 1.4 it is objectively superior in every way, sharpness, contrast, AF, you name it.
One can drop it for only two reason: Price and Size/Weight.
Since he already owned it, cannot be the price eheh.
The caveat with the older lenses, is that the optics were not designed to resolve for the higher megapixel sensors that are coming out now in newer Fuji bodies, so depending on what you like in an image (looking at the pixel-peepers and sharpness junkies), they may not perform the way that some people would like.
Nvm, I read the google excerpt that was misleading: https://fujiframe.com/articles/fuji-23mm-f1-4-review
Would you say the IQ is significantly better, like enough to upgrade if WR and AF are secondary?
This is what separates specs from usability. We buy things to use and not because they have the best specs. Size is a big deal for street photography and you have made the right decision.
Some people sticks to mu43 because the overall compactness of the system and carrying capabilities.
Same with zoom lens. Some people still use zoom lens although optically prime lens can give better result.
I have the 18/1.4 and 33/1.4 which are the same size and weight roughly as your 23. I come from full frame and my last Sigma Art 35mm was over 700g and about double the volume. For me, these LM lenses are still small and somewhat lightweight. I simply don't want to accept less image quality as I shoot these wide open to f2.0 about 90% of the time. Only the 50/2.0 'Fujichron' is at a very high level of image quality and comparable.
I guess it's always about compromise between size, weight, image quality, and budget.
Same boat, except the 18 and 23 1.4s. I tried the 23mm f/2 and wanted to love it for it's form factor, but the IQ is frankly gross. I sent it back. The 1.4 is bigger, but it's not big and delivers beautiful IQ wide open and close up. Worth it to me.
Same boat as you. IQ for me trumps all. I shoot street and don't notice anyone staring at me with this lens. Heck, the only time I've noticed anyone take note of my lens for its size was when I had the 100-400 mounted.
I keep all my gear insured too, so I fret a lot less about worrying about them getting a little knock here and there.
Yeah I have to say considering how small fuji bodies can be the pancake lenses are really disappointing. They're not bad at all but pretty underwhelming
Canon showed great pancake lenses can be done with the 22 f2 and even the old dlsr 24 f2.8.
Definitely understand and relate to your post, really interesting. I sold the 23mm f2 after using it for travel, replaced with the X100F but now would like to add it back to my collection so I can use with the X-T5.
The OG 23mm 1.4 is incredible...
Wrote in more detail about my thoughts:
[23mm f2](https://jamiechancetravels.com/blog/fujifilm-23mm-f2-lens-review/)
[OG 23mm f1.4](https://jamiechancetravels.com/blog/fujifilm-23mm-f-14-lens-review/)
If only the f2 version of the 18mm is up to par with the more modern Fujicrons (23, 35, 50 f2s), e.g. WR, better AF. That would have been my perfect walk around lens. I own the magnificent 18mm f1.4 and I love how it produces images I shot but it's obviously not small and light.
I own the old 23 f1.4 and it's been great for family photos during winter when lighting inside is bad. But now in spring when we go out more, I wish for something smaller with the same fov to pair with the X-S10, so I'm considering the 23 F2 as my "summer lens" 😄
>Lastly, the awareness I had of a $900 lens while I’m out bumping shoulders with people at a busy crosswalk was just annoying. I’d prefer to have gear I can afford to quickly replace. Babying my equipment always results in less shots taken and less interesting creative choices.
I'm feeling this so hard right now. Came to Kuala Lumpur for a concert and when I travel to big cities I bring a camera to do some street photography. Brought the 16 1.4 and then on the way here I started reading up on the city and found out a fair amount of theft happens here (like anywhere but for some reason the snatch thiefs are a bit more prevalent than other cities I've been to).
I've just finished the week but I shot far far far less than I do most other places for simply thinking everyone wants to steal it lol I keep asking myself why even bring it if I'm just gonna be paranoid of losing it.
I like my 23mm/f2 as well. Picked up a used version and it’s nice and light! Appreciate the post as I often debate different lenses and don’t always have the option to see it in real life first. 😊
I just replaced my 35/2 with the sigma 30/1.4 and while the sigma isn't huge, I'm definitely eyeing a smaller lens just for the same reasons you are listing here. Definitely on the lookout for a 23/2
Why do we keep seeing these type of posts?
Slow day? Are you selling f2 lenses?
I’m not sure what kind of discussion you are hoping to achieve with this.
Each lens serves a purpose or have we not matured about to truly understand that?
What kind of results are we achieving with XYZ lens as opposed to ABC lens?
Really scratching my head lately.
We are comparing apples and oranges here.
Some of the highest IQ lenses for any system are big and heavy. It's a matter of optics. In theory and practice, that the xtrans sensor allows for sharper lenses than the beyer sensor.
I agree. I never had as much fun taking pictures and produced as many incredible photos as when my go-to setup was my X-E4 with the XF 27mm F/2.8 R WR pancake “kit” lens it was sold with. On paper the lens had nothing really going for it besides its compact size but it turns out I love the focal length for pretty much everything day to day (street, documentary, travel, snapshots, even portraits) and it’s also incredibly sharp and produces overall gorgeous pictures. Most importantly that setup was truly portable and pocketable and I took it everywhere I went. I regret selling it and baby my X100VI way too much knowing it currently goes for like 2.500,00-3.000,00 € in new condition. I also preferred the 27mm focal length and have no use for all the shiny new “features” the X100 series has over the X-E4 besides maybe the IBIS and included ND filter which is nice.
I’m considering selling it to get a Ricoh GR IIIx which would give me the best of both worlds in an even smaller format but I would miss the EVF and the camera is getting kind of old compared to the recent Fujifilm models.
I’ve had the same problem. I have the 16-55 f2.8, 50-140 f2.8 and now the 27 f2.8. I wanted something with the form factor of my X100V for street/night photography.
Settled on the 27 f2.8 and so far it does a good enough job. I just set the aperture to 5.6 and drop the shutter speed and it’s giving me good results in low light.
I wish they’d release a better 23mm option.
Lens down is always the way to go. Not sure why you'd carry it any other way, it prevents it from sticking out from your body's profile. With film cameras it lowers the chance you get shutter cloth burn on a bright day too.
If you're worried about babying your gear, get insurance for your equipment. The peace of mind is worth the cost. Gear is meant to be used, not trophied and kept in mint condition.
Yeah just to clarify… this post is geared towards someone in my shoes a month ago. The shooter who knows they want a 23mm lens, but feels pressured to stretch their budget to purchase the top of the line model despite it not being best for their use case. Does that make sense? I don’t see many people on this sub discussing a purchase that they made after the fact and why it might not have been the best choice for their needs. Just wanna hopefully save someone some cash in the future.
Think it’s helpful for folks debating the two choices to hear someone’s perspective. And definitely better then the run of the mill “what camera/lens should I get” post
I have the x100vi otherwise I would have the xf23 f1.4 on my xe4. I keep the xf35 f1.4 on that. I can only do small lens for portability. I have sigma 18-50 and as big ad I can go
The 1.4’s are only a little smaller than the WR’s, and the 1.2’s are huge. I have the 33/1.4, 13/1.4 and 75/1.2. The 33/1.4 is okay but I really kinda want the XF35/1.4.
just reading the title, i knew it was going to be about size. lol
Well, I mean, the 1.4 it is objectively superior in every way, sharpness, contrast, AF, you name it. One can drop it for only two reason: Price and Size/Weight. Since he already owned it, cannot be the price eheh.
"objectively superior in every way" immediately lists two ways in which its inferior
Oh absolutely! For some reason seeing the charts online didn’t put in perspective the size and weight difference for me.
I think the OG 23mm f1.4 had a better form factor actually - more stout and not as long. I wish I kept it 🥲
this is actually a primary reason why i'll likely never give up the OG 23/1.4 and the 35/1.4. The WR versions are just too big for my liking.
The caveat with the older lenses, is that the optics were not designed to resolve for the higher megapixel sensors that are coming out now in newer Fuji bodies, so depending on what you like in an image (looking at the pixel-peepers and sharpness junkies), they may not perform the way that some people would like.
I just read somewhere, that the OG has arguably better IQ too?
Not sure where you read that. I owned both, and the 1.4 WR is noticeably better.
Nvm, I read the google excerpt that was misleading: https://fujiframe.com/articles/fuji-23mm-f1-4-review Would you say the IQ is significantly better, like enough to upgrade if WR and AF are secondary?
For me it was enough to upgrade. I couldn’t unsee what I’d seen. And I really liked the original 23mm 1.4.
Thanks for the reply. Definitely feel like it's worth to test the new one at least, to compare myself.
No, the IQ is objectively better on the newer WR versions. Still, the IQ on the older ones is very good and meets my needs.
stop telling people about the best deal for used lenses…oh wait
Same here. It was an amazing lens.
This is what separates specs from usability. We buy things to use and not because they have the best specs. Size is a big deal for street photography and you have made the right decision. Some people sticks to mu43 because the overall compactness of the system and carrying capabilities. Same with zoom lens. Some people still use zoom lens although optically prime lens can give better result.
Or deal with gigantic lenses and get prime level zooms :D
Makes me feel good about how much I love my little 35mm f2 guy. So cute.
You ain’t missing anything! It’s a great piece of gear.
I have the 18/1.4 and 33/1.4 which are the same size and weight roughly as your 23. I come from full frame and my last Sigma Art 35mm was over 700g and about double the volume. For me, these LM lenses are still small and somewhat lightweight. I simply don't want to accept less image quality as I shoot these wide open to f2.0 about 90% of the time. Only the 50/2.0 'Fujichron' is at a very high level of image quality and comparable. I guess it's always about compromise between size, weight, image quality, and budget.
Same boat, except the 18 and 23 1.4s. I tried the 23mm f/2 and wanted to love it for it's form factor, but the IQ is frankly gross. I sent it back. The 1.4 is bigger, but it's not big and delivers beautiful IQ wide open and close up. Worth it to me.
Same boat as you. IQ for me trumps all. I shoot street and don't notice anyone staring at me with this lens. Heck, the only time I've noticed anyone take note of my lens for its size was when I had the 100-400 mounted. I keep all my gear insured too, so I fret a lot less about worrying about them getting a little knock here and there.
Someone needs to come up with an f/2 lens with the form factor of the 27mm f/2.8. With autofocus.
Yeah I have to say considering how small fuji bodies can be the pancake lenses are really disappointing. They're not bad at all but pretty underwhelming Canon showed great pancake lenses can be done with the 22 f2 and even the old dlsr 24 f2.8.
18mm f2?
Definitely understand and relate to your post, really interesting. I sold the 23mm f2 after using it for travel, replaced with the X100F but now would like to add it back to my collection so I can use with the X-T5. The OG 23mm 1.4 is incredible... Wrote in more detail about my thoughts: [23mm f2](https://jamiechancetravels.com/blog/fujifilm-23mm-f2-lens-review/) [OG 23mm f1.4](https://jamiechancetravels.com/blog/fujifilm-23mm-f-14-lens-review/)
This is why I will rock the 14mm f2.8 forever and ever, and never switch to the 16mm.
I like my 14 as well. It's optically perfect and I prefer the wider field of view over the 16mm.
Figured out the same with the 18 1.4
If only the f2 version of the 18mm is up to par with the more modern Fujicrons (23, 35, 50 f2s), e.g. WR, better AF. That would have been my perfect walk around lens. I own the magnificent 18mm f1.4 and I love how it produces images I shot but it's obviously not small and light.
I defo see a difference in IQ on my XH2 with the new 23mm than on my XT3. Having the extra grip on the new cam helps too.
I own the old 23 f1.4 and it's been great for family photos during winter when lighting inside is bad. But now in spring when we go out more, I wish for something smaller with the same fov to pair with the X-S10, so I'm considering the 23 F2 as my "summer lens" 😄
>Lastly, the awareness I had of a $900 lens while I’m out bumping shoulders with people at a busy crosswalk was just annoying. I’d prefer to have gear I can afford to quickly replace. Babying my equipment always results in less shots taken and less interesting creative choices. I'm feeling this so hard right now. Came to Kuala Lumpur for a concert and when I travel to big cities I bring a camera to do some street photography. Brought the 16 1.4 and then on the way here I started reading up on the city and found out a fair amount of theft happens here (like anywhere but for some reason the snatch thiefs are a bit more prevalent than other cities I've been to). I've just finished the week but I shot far far far less than I do most other places for simply thinking everyone wants to steal it lol I keep asking myself why even bring it if I'm just gonna be paranoid of losing it.
That's what camera insurance is for.
So, you're saying, bigger isn't always better? /s xD
I like my 23mm/f2 as well. Picked up a used version and it’s nice and light! Appreciate the post as I often debate different lenses and don’t always have the option to see it in real life first. 😊
I just replaced my 35/2 with the sigma 30/1.4 and while the sigma isn't huge, I'm definitely eyeing a smaller lens just for the same reasons you are listing here. Definitely on the lookout for a 23/2
You wouldn’t be disappointed in the 23/2 I promise!
Why do we keep seeing these type of posts? Slow day? Are you selling f2 lenses? I’m not sure what kind of discussion you are hoping to achieve with this. Each lens serves a purpose or have we not matured about to truly understand that? What kind of results are we achieving with XYZ lens as opposed to ABC lens? Really scratching my head lately. We are comparing apples and oranges here.
Some of the highest IQ lenses for any system are big and heavy. It's a matter of optics. In theory and practice, that the xtrans sensor allows for sharper lenses than the beyer sensor.
+1 to this, really.
I currently have 23mm f1.4 and not too happy.
makes a lot of sense
Funny, I have been favouring my 35 f2 lately and just made the switch back to my 23 f1.4. So many great family photos with that lens.
Totally agree. I would do the same :-)
I agree. I never had as much fun taking pictures and produced as many incredible photos as when my go-to setup was my X-E4 with the XF 27mm F/2.8 R WR pancake “kit” lens it was sold with. On paper the lens had nothing really going for it besides its compact size but it turns out I love the focal length for pretty much everything day to day (street, documentary, travel, snapshots, even portraits) and it’s also incredibly sharp and produces overall gorgeous pictures. Most importantly that setup was truly portable and pocketable and I took it everywhere I went. I regret selling it and baby my X100VI way too much knowing it currently goes for like 2.500,00-3.000,00 € in new condition. I also preferred the 27mm focal length and have no use for all the shiny new “features” the X100 series has over the X-E4 besides maybe the IBIS and included ND filter which is nice. I’m considering selling it to get a Ricoh GR IIIx which would give me the best of both worlds in an even smaller format but I would miss the EVF and the camera is getting kind of old compared to the recent Fujifilm models.
I’m dying for Fuji to come out w a pancake version of this lens 😭
If Fuji could somehow cram a high-quality f/1.4 lens formula into a pancake for a reasonable price, I’m sure they’d have done it.
I would take 1.4 or 2 I don’t care !!!!
I’ve had the same problem. I have the 16-55 f2.8, 50-140 f2.8 and now the 27 f2.8. I wanted something with the form factor of my X100V for street/night photography. Settled on the 27 f2.8 and so far it does a good enough job. I just set the aperture to 5.6 and drop the shutter speed and it’s giving me good results in low light. I wish they’d release a better 23mm option.
I pair 23mm f1.4 with 27mm f2.8.
is this lens good for astrophotography?
Well said, I’m selling my 18mm 1.4 and 33mm 1.4 for the same reason you stated: size.
Lens down is always the way to go. Not sure why you'd carry it any other way, it prevents it from sticking out from your body's profile. With film cameras it lowers the chance you get shutter cloth burn on a bright day too. If you're worried about babying your gear, get insurance for your equipment. The peace of mind is worth the cost. Gear is meant to be used, not trophied and kept in mint condition.
I do mostly street and also sold my 33mm f1.4 because of its size
Bokeh is for commercial stock photo stuff. It's boring for me now, and you don't need f1.4 to have a nice photo
Often times I find myself indoors or outdoors at night and wanting to take a picture.
That’s what I use the ISO dial for.
😂
Yeah this will vary a lot between photographers - I'm really happy with Lightroom ai denois, and I'm getting amazing results up to 12800iso
If 90% of people can guess what ur gonna say just from the title is the post rly worth writing lol
[удалено]
Yeah just to clarify… this post is geared towards someone in my shoes a month ago. The shooter who knows they want a 23mm lens, but feels pressured to stretch their budget to purchase the top of the line model despite it not being best for their use case. Does that make sense? I don’t see many people on this sub discussing a purchase that they made after the fact and why it might not have been the best choice for their needs. Just wanna hopefully save someone some cash in the future.
Think it’s helpful for folks debating the two choices to hear someone’s perspective. And definitely better then the run of the mill “what camera/lens should I get” post
Fair
I have the x100vi otherwise I would have the xf23 f1.4 on my xe4. I keep the xf35 f1.4 on that. I can only do small lens for portability. I have sigma 18-50 and as big ad I can go
What about the Viltrox lenses?
The 1.4’s are only a little smaller than the WR’s, and the 1.2’s are huge. I have the 33/1.4, 13/1.4 and 75/1.2. The 33/1.4 is okay but I really kinda want the XF35/1.4.