Fuji Real-World Review: A Month with the Fuji 23mm F1.4

[napilopez]

Hahah, that's awesome! My name is pretty unusual, so it's always a little cool to see it used somewhere =P

 

[Armanius]

Sold it to buy the Df. Then I didn't buy the Df and jumped back into Fuji with both feet. I figure that just comparing the XT1 and 23 to the RX1 (or to the Df and the 35 f2.0), the extra stop in the 23mm at f1.4 pretty much creates DOF and low light neutrality with the RX1's f2.0 and roughly one stop better sensor. At which point its down to the intangibles and the XT1 / 23mm has it's own really impressive set of intangibles, plus I have a few other focal lengths. I was initially kicking myself about the RX1 after I changed my mind on the Df, but I'm really enjoying the XT1 so much, with the 14, 18, and 23 with the 56 hopefully to come that I can't say I have any regrets at this point. Had my full frame experiment, determined I wasn't willing to buy or carry the full frame lenses that would really give full frame an advantage over APS or m43, so I backtracked, or came full circle, or something. And now I'm back to Fuji and m43, same as I was two years ago except that both systems have improved since then...

-Ray

Ray, if switching systems was like getting married and divorced, you'd be a polygamist with multiple divorces with a few lovers on the side! And I mean that in a good way -- being a kindred spirit!

 

[Ray Sachs]

Ray, if switching systems was like getting married and divorced, you'd be a polygamist with multiple divorces with a few lovers on the side! And I mean that in a good way -- being a kindred spirit!

If switching systems was even REMOTELY like getting married and divorced, I'd be broke and probably dead by now! Fortunately, it's nothing like that at all. But if it was, you have to give me credit for at least being back with my initial two wives, one of whom I've never left and the other of whom I only tossed out of the house for a few months. Yeah, there have been dalliances, and something from the Nikon A / Richoh GR family will probably always have a place. But I've come all the way around and I'm getting out of the gear testing bidness for the most part. Now that I've given full frame a real serious run (and liking much of what it had to offer, but not the right set of tradeoffs for me), I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of why I've ended up back where I've ended up. If it was good enough for me two years ago (the systems have grown up some since, but I'm using the same basic sensors I was using in April 2012), it's waaaay good enough for me now. And it'll get better. And it'll always lag behind full frame, but to get the most out of full frame you're always gonna have to use larger and faster lenses than I'm ever gonna be willing to buy or carry. If someone can break those laws of physics, I'll keep an eye on it, but I don't see it happening. Even the RX1, which was in some ways my favorite camera ever, doesn't bring all that much more to the table than an APS model with lenses that are a full stop faster. And it was too much to have a whole system worth of money tied up in a single fixed lens for the amount of benefit. I did love that camera though. Good thing the Fuji 23mm is so good - it's really a nice enough lens to make almost forget about the Zeiss in the RX1 - if not forget it, at least enough to quell any yearnings...

I'm sure m43 and Fuji will improve their sensors again someday, but after a couple of years of dramatic improvements in sensors, it seems the past year or two have seen sort of a plateau in that area, so the systems can just grow up around some pretty good technology. I'm comfortable where I am and I've had enough of testing everything that came along for some minor improvements here and there. I think my direction is set for a while. I'll add new bodies if they're real improvements and I still have one or two more Fuji lenses to buy to fill that out, but I don't think you'll see any more radical switches in systems anytime soon. I think I've sowed those wild oats, as they say. And I'm lucky to have two such forgiving and loving wives who've stuck with me!

-Ray

 

[Stephen S]

If switching systems was even REMOTELY like getting married and divorced, I'd be broke and probably dead by now! Fortunately, it's nothing like that at all. But if it was, you have to give me credit for at least being back with my initial two wives, one of whom I've never left and the other of whom I only tossed out of the house for a few months. Yeah, there have been dalliances, and something from the Nikon A / Richoh GR family will probably always have a place. But I've come all the way around and I'm getting out of the gear testing bidness for the most part. Now that I've given full frame a real serious run (and liking much of what it had to offer, but not the right set of tradeoffs for me), I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of why I've ended up back where I've ended up. If it was good enough for me two years ago (the systems have grown up some since, but I'm using the same basic sensors I was using in April 2012), it's waaaay good enough for me now. And it'll get better. And it'll always lag behind full frame, but to get the most out of full frame you're always gonna have to use larger and faster lenses than I'm ever gonna be willing to buy or carry. If someone can break those laws of physics, I'll keep an eye on it, but I don't see it happening. Even the RX1, which was in some ways my favorite camera ever, doesn't bring all that much more to the table than an APS model with lenses that are a full stop faster. And it was too much to have a whole system worth of money tied up in a single fixed lens for the amount of benefit. I did love that camera though. Good thing the Fuji 23mm is so good - it's really a nice enough lens to make almost forget about the Zeiss in the RX1 - if not forget it, at least enough to quell any yearnings...

I'm sure m43 and Fuji will improve their sensors again someday, but after a couple of years of dramatic improvements in sensors, it seems the past year or two have seen sort of a plateau in that area, so the systems can just grow up around some pretty good technology. I'm comfortable where I am and I've had enough of testing everything that came along for some minor improvements here and there. I think my direction is set for a while. I'll add new bodies if they're real improvements and I still have one or two more Fuji lenses to buy to fill that out, but I don't think you'll see any more radical switches in systems anytime soon. I think I've sowed those wild oats, as they say. And I'm lucky to have two such forgiving and loving wives who've stuck with me!

-Ray

I think the 23 is an extraordinary lens....one of the best I've ever shot with, and that includes the inimitable Canon 200/1.8!

 

[CapoDave]

It's the best I have had.