Picked up a Rokinon 300mm 1:6.3 (fixed aperture) mirror lens from Amazon Warehouse deals for $178 + tax. Supposedly it's "Used - Very Good" condition and there's some small visible flaw, if so I can't find it. Anyway, seemed like a good opportunity to try out one of the few native X-mount telephoto options available at the moment at an entry-level price.
First impression: this "long" lens is shockingly SMALL and LIGHT. It's virtually identical in all dimensions to the 18-55 Fuji "kit" zoom. The fixed 1:6.3 aperture on a lens of this focal length results in a razor-thin DOF, and there's no adjusting it, no matter how much light you have to play with. The X-E2 reports the aperture is "0" and the "Shoot Without Lens" setting (shooting menu 3) has to be set to ON or the shutter won't trip. Focus peaking works to assist with the very smooth manual-only focus, but it needs good contrast to be effective. In addition to testing the lens in this first shot, I had the X-E2 in flash commander mode and I was firing a Yongnuo YN560-III remotely at 1/2 power bounced off the ceiling. Note the slight intrusion of the shutter into the bottom of the frame due to the 1/250 shutter. I wanted to see if I could hand hold this lens, and I could, but 1/180 was not as sharp. I was approximately 8-10 feet away from the bottle, but this lens will focus as close as 3 feet (0.9 meters) from the subject.
I can't wait for the temperature to move back into positive numbers so I can use this interesting lens to make photos of hungry birds with snowy trees for bokeh.
Click here for the full size shot, totally unedited, SOOC.
EXIF should be intact, but it's ISO 400, 1/250, f/6.3, DR200, Sharpness +1, Highlight +1, Shadow +1, NR -2
First impression: this "long" lens is shockingly SMALL and LIGHT. It's virtually identical in all dimensions to the 18-55 Fuji "kit" zoom. The fixed 1:6.3 aperture on a lens of this focal length results in a razor-thin DOF, and there's no adjusting it, no matter how much light you have to play with. The X-E2 reports the aperture is "0" and the "Shoot Without Lens" setting (shooting menu 3) has to be set to ON or the shutter won't trip. Focus peaking works to assist with the very smooth manual-only focus, but it needs good contrast to be effective. In addition to testing the lens in this first shot, I had the X-E2 in flash commander mode and I was firing a Yongnuo YN560-III remotely at 1/2 power bounced off the ceiling. Note the slight intrusion of the shutter into the bottom of the frame due to the 1/250 shutter. I wanted to see if I could hand hold this lens, and I could, but 1/180 was not as sharp. I was approximately 8-10 feet away from the bottle, but this lens will focus as close as 3 feet (0.9 meters) from the subject.
I can't wait for the temperature to move back into positive numbers so I can use this interesting lens to make photos of hungry birds with snowy trees for bokeh.
Click here for the full size shot, totally unedited, SOOC.
EXIF should be intact, but it's ISO 400, 1/250, f/6.3, DR200, Sharpness +1, Highlight +1, Shadow +1, NR -2
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
