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Archive 2014 · FUJI XF 18/2.0

  
 
jmraso
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


Hi all,

I just got me an X-T1 with the 35. 1.4 and now thinking about 18 2.0 but I have read mixed good and bad reviews about it !!!

Does it worth to get this 18 mm or it is not as good as the 14, 23, 35 ??

Thanks,

JAIME



Aug 25, 2014 at 05:20 PM
Jman13
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


If you prefer a 28mm equivalent and want a pancake it's a fine choice. It isn't as good as the other lenses you mention, though. The 14mm is simply stellar, and the 23mm f/1.4 is really an excellent lens. On the long end, the 56/1.2 is amazing too (one of the best fast lenses I've ever used). The 18/2 is a decent lens. It's better than a lot of people make out, but it's not exceptional, especially at the edges. The center is fine and it's very small, so it has that going for it, and the borders are good stopped down, but not great. The issue people have with the 18mm is that the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 is better at 18mm than the prime. The 18mm is much smaller, though. I've personally skipped the 18mm, but I prefer a bit wider for a wide angle prime. I have the 14, 23, 27, 35, 56 and 60, though.

Edited on Aug 25, 2014 at 06:15 PM · View previous versions



Aug 25, 2014 at 05:22 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


It's a good snapshot lens- even better if you only shoot jpegs or process with lens profiles turned on.


Aug 25, 2014 at 05:56 PM
mawz
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


During my 6 months shooting Fuji I shot mostly with the 18/2. It's a fine lens and a great choice if you like the focal length.

It does pale in comparison to the other Fuji primes, but that's due to how good the other lenses are, not how poor the Fuji is. I'd rate the Fuji best out of the 28mm-e equivalents I've tried for APS-C cameras, it's simply a very good lens in a lineup of outstanding lenses.



Aug 25, 2014 at 07:00 PM
newone757
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


Hate it or love it its one of my favorite Fuji lenses (wide aperture, small size, QUICK focus, good bokeh at or close to minimum focus distance, and IMO a great focal length). Of course its bot as sharp as the 60mm but I always brought that thing with me (small enough to pocket in most cases)

Usually it always lived on one of my bodies and at around 300 used it would be one of my first pickups personally (even over the 27mm at the $200 sale price)



Aug 25, 2014 at 09:31 PM
justruss
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


I've gone through a bit of an evolution in my thinking regarding the 18mm f/2. It used to frustrate me. Now, I love it.

The key is to think realistically about it. It's a fast, moderately wide lens that happens to be tiny. It's not designed for ultimate resolution across the frame; it's designed for unobtrusive, easy carry, good center resolution, fast AF. It's basically a photojournalism prime.

And it lives on my Fuji now. So much so that I'm considering selling my 35mm and 60mm, picking up a 12mm, and waiting for the fabled 90mm f/2. (This plan includes picking up an RX1 or X200-- if FF, to sate my 35mm equiv. love.)

To recap on the 18mm: It's sharp, but not world class, right from f/2 in the center. Shooting at f/2 and 28mm FOV equivalent is sweet. Resolution increases as you stop down. The edges are soft at f/2, and slowly get better by around f/5.6 to f/8. Above this and diffraction is definitely visible on Fuji's current sensor.

I recently spent a good deal of time shooting it alongside my 35L and 5D2 in Mongolia for a job that included a lot of landscape/environmental landscape images. The results were remarkably close to one another. Not the same. And the Canon had a resolution advantage. But damn good.

In a recent thread about the difference in "look" between various systems I posted a quick comparison. The images are only 720px tall, so you won't get the 100% pixel peep view. But it's all I have to show that gives any sense of where things fall: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1312158/1

If I could do it all over again-- I'd buy the 18mm first among the Fuji lenses. At $300 used-- and it's frequently available on this board at this price-- it's a steal.



Aug 26, 2014 at 03:33 AM
justruss
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


You might also check out the photozone.de reviews of a few lenses to give you an idea. On the sharpness scores it does admirably. Its lens distortion and CA are significant in RAW, but also one-click easy to fix.

18mm: http://www.photozone.de/fuji_x/745-fuji18f2?start=1
23mm: http://www.photozone.de/fuji_x/868-fuji23f14?start=1
Canon 35L: http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/336-canon-ef-35mm-f14-test-report--review?start=1

As mawz said, it's a really good lens that gets reviewed as mediocre mainly because the other lenses in the system are world-class excellent.



Aug 26, 2014 at 04:02 AM
benee
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


I just ordered one of these. I have been using the (excellent) 18-55 on my XE-1, but I want something lighter, and less obtrusive for everyday documentary work. Looking forward to the 18 2.0!


Aug 26, 2014 at 09:50 AM
jmraso
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · FUJI XF 18/2.0


thank you all for the answer !!! I think I am going to go for it !!!

JAIME RASO



Aug 27, 2014 at 02:19 AM





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