Ever since I got the 'Fujifilm X100' camera with its fix 23mm F2 lens, I found that you can actually live with a camera with a fix focal length... So when I got the 'Xpro-1' I wanted to recreate the feeling of using a rangefinder style camera with a prime lens attach to it... I do owned prime lenses before but I rarely use it unless for potraiture...
The first lens that I got for my 'Xpro-1' is the 'Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8'... I'm a big fans of 'Zeiss'... I think they made incredible lenses... So when I found out that 'Zeiss' made lenses for 'Fuji X-Mount', I started my search for it... Reading and watching video online trying to make my purchase easier... But after tons of reading and watching, I came to a conclusion that the lens is not that special... Still I decided to give it a try... The blue 'Zeiss' logo is hard for me to resist...
The lens is damn sharp even wide open... But the bokeh produce is not very pleasing to my eyes... I find it too nervous and distracting... The bokeh is definitely not creamy and I just can't live with how the lens look... Call me vain and I will admit... Pairing the 'Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8' to 'Fujifilm Xpro-1' is like asking a model wearing a glamorous dress with a 'Fipper' slipper!!! Is that bad... Although I really like the sharpness and contrast produce by the lens, I decided to get rid of it...
Make no mistake as this is by no means a bad lens... Just that I don't like the way it look (especially the hood)... But the lens is built like a tank... The lens is made from metal and it is really solid without feeling hollow like the 'Fujinon 35mm F1.4'... The manual focus ring is buttery smooth and turning it will give you the satisfaction that you can't get from the 'Fujinon' lens I mention earlier... Too bad no matter how smooth the manual focus ring is, there's no point using manual focus on 'Fujifilm X-mount' system as their focus by wire manual system sucks BIG time...
Sample images from the 'Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8'
The next 35mm lens that I get after getting rid of the 'Zeiss Touit' is the new 'Fujinon 35mm F2' lens from Fujifilm... I really like the design of this lens as it really complement the retro look portray by the 'Xpro-1'... I got the silver version in order to make it look like 'Leica M' rangefinder... This is more to personal taste and it has nothing to do with picture quality...
The new 'Fujinon 35mm F2' is an incredible small lens... It focuses super fast and quiet... It even came with weather resistant... The build quality is top notch as well... The aperture ring is tight and clicky and the whole lens is built from metal... The only complaint that I have is they shipped the lens with a tiny screw on plastic hood... Thankfully that is something easily rectified...
So how do these two lenses
compare??? I find this lens less contrasty if compare to the 'Touit 32mm F1.8'... However I find the bokeh so much
smoother although this is a F2 lens (frankly speaking there is not much
difference comparing a F1.8 to a F2 lens)... I'm a sucker for bokeh so this is
a big deal for me... The 'Fujinon 35mm F2' also focuses much faster and quieter...
It will lock on to focus more accurately as well and definitely the better lens
for me... This speaks a lot for 'Fujifilm' as they can produce good lenses at
an affordable price... The 'Fujinon 35mm F2' will cost much lesser brand new
compare to the 'Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8'... So this lens is a no brainer but still I got rid of it... Getting rid of this
lens is a tough choice as this is a very good lens... But as I mention earlier
I'm a sucker for bokeh so the though of a Fujifilm 35mm F1.4 lens keeps popping
up in my mind...
Sample images from the 'Fujinon 35mm F2'
So here comes the last 35mm lens for the Fujifilm X-Mount mirrorless system... The oldest among the three (one of the first 3 lenses by Fujifilm for their X-Mount mirrorless camera) but definitely not to be forgotten... The best among the three in terms of picture quality... There is something special about the way it render pictures and it is super sharp... A truly amazing lens... Yes, the autofocus of this lens is nothing to shout about and it is very noisy when focussing... It doesn't comes with weather resistant as well... Feels really old skool comparing to the latest offering from Fujifilm... If you can get pass these issue then I will highly recommend this lens... This lens came with a nice and unique metal hood... Some people hated it but I'm really attracted to it...
This lens is very well made as well... Fully metal including the unique looking hood... But as I mention earlier it can feel hollow... Although made from metal, the lens feels really light making it less solid feeling comparing to the 'Zeiss Touit'... If low light photography is important for you then this is the lens to get as it is one stop faster comparing to the new 'Fujinon' lens...
Sample images from the 'Fujinon 35mm F1.4'
After going through three different 35mm lens (32mm for the Zeiss Touit), I believe I found what is best for me... The 'Fujinon 35mm F1.4' is truly a keeper and nothing will make me part with this little gem...
*I'm not a professional photographer nor a lens reviewer... Everything I've written here are based on my own opinion*
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