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Archive 2014 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?

  
 
musingclouds
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n140910_04.html

Fuji is releasing a new 'version' of the 56mm 1.2 R, this time with an Apodization filter. This is only a few months after the standard release. It's supposed to have creamier bokeh and better contrast.

Is it worth the 1500$ price tag? I'm not seeing very many examples of shots yet.




Sep 19, 2014 at 08:59 PM
newone757
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


Not too many samples out. Heres the best one I saw

http://www.nathanelson.com/blog/the-fuji-56mm-apd/

Contrast may be a little better but the bokeh actually looked worse in my opinion. No comparison to Sony's 135mm STF effect IMO



Sep 20, 2014 at 08:43 AM
mawz
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


Definitely not comparable to the STF, but it's worth noting that the Fuji is neither designed around the APD element nor equipped with a high blade count truly circular secondary aperture, two aspects of the STF's design which contribute to its unique rendering.

As to the Fuji's performance, the higher contrast seems to be offsetting the bokeh smoothing. However I noted one aspect we've all been missing and which has significant impact on wide aperture shooting on the Fuji's with their limited low ISO range. The T-stop of the APD is about 1 stop slower than the regular version. This means that you can get the rendering and DoF of f1.2 in conditions where you'd be limited to f1.8 with the regular lens. Essentially if you shoot a lot of wide aperture stuff in good light the APD effectively has a built-in 1 stop ND filter and will let you get that shallow DoF shot that you'd be relying on betting on your highlight recovery room to get with the regular lens.

If you want f1.2 for the light gathering and/or need the AF speed, the normal lens is the choice you should make. If you need f1.2 for the DoF and shoot shallow aperture in good light I'd recommend looking strongly at the APD. If you just want a good fast tele in this range, save the money and get the normal version.



Sep 20, 2014 at 08:53 AM
musingclouds
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


Thanks for the insight mawz! I use my current 50mm 1.2 L (Canon) for mostly 1.2 shots in good light, so it looks like the APD may be a good purchase for me.


Sep 20, 2014 at 04:25 PM
ZoneV
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


I wonīt reccomend a lens with apodization elements for small DOF. The apodizing filter makes the DOF larger than without this filter.

The Fuji APD lens has a relative low effect apodizing filter. It does not take as much light away as the Sony, and when looking through the lens I nerly did not notice the apodizing effect.
They have a very different apodizing lens construction I learned on Photokina.



Sep 21, 2014 at 02:01 PM
mawz
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


ZoneV wrote:
I wonīt reccomend a lens with apodization elements for small DOF. The apodizing filter makes the DOF larger than without this filter.

The Fuji APD lens has a relative low effect apodizing filter. It does not take as much light away as the Sony, and when looking through the lens I nerly did not notice the apodizing effect.
They have a very different apodizing lens construction I learned on Photokina.


You sure about that? An apodizing element changes the T stop of the lens but should not affect DoF which is mostly controlled by physical aperture. The 135STF has the DoF you'd expect for a 135/2.8 when shot wide open.



Sep 21, 2014 at 09:20 PM
ZoneV
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


mawz wrote:
...
You sure about that? An apodizing element changes the T stop of the lens but should not affect DoF which is mostly controlled by physical aperture. The 135STF has the DoF you'd expect for a 135/2.8 when shot wide open.


Lets say the feeled DOF is bigger - and this is what counts for me, and I think most photographers as well.

As example: The outer circular aperture ring has 0.0001% light transmission - so with darker bokeh circles you donīt see this any more.

With dark exposed unsharp objects and a real camera with limited dynamic range you will not see for example the outer 2 mm circular ring of the aperture - and so bokeh will look like made with a slower lens.

With bokeh completely (!) overexposed DOF is the same with or without apodizing element.
But you need some bright highlights for that, cause the optical density of the apodizing filter needs some f-stops more till overexposure.
But then there is no more apodizing effect for these highlights.

You could see this on a comparison image at the bottom of this page:
http://www.nathanelson.com/blog/the-fuji-56mm-apd/

This is a misconception of the apodizing effect.
You get better bokeh in terms of smooth bokeh illumination. But the blur will get smaller, the DOF a bit bigger. So for the photographers who think "good bokeh" = "big blur" this lens could be disappointing.
There is no such thing like a free lunch.

I do not have the 135STF, and I do not know its real entrance aperture size. Probably the lens has a bigger entrance pupil like normal 135mm/2.8 lenses. Or there is no exact comparison made.

The less transmitted light from the outer area is additional the reason why the lens is regarded more contrastier than the normal version. In terms of blur size, DOF and sharpness / contrast is is more like a stopped down lens.

Edited on Sep 22, 2014 at 04:14 AM · View previous versions



Sep 22, 2014 at 01:48 AM
rattymouse
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


Easily THE least interesting lens I've seen from Fujifilm in a LOOOONG time.




Sep 22, 2014 at 02:01 AM
hauxon
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Fuji 56 1.2 APD thoughts?


ZoneV wrote:
Lets say the feeled DOF is bigger - and this is what counts for me, and I think most photographers as well.

As example: The outer circular aperture ring has 0.0001% light transmission - so with darker bokeh circles you donīt see this any more.

With dark exposed unsharp objects and a real camera with limited dynamic range you will not see for example the outer 2 mm circular ring of the aperture - and so bokeh will look like made with a slower lens.

With bokeh completely (!) overexposed DOF is the same with or without apodizing element.
But you need some bright
...Show more

Interesting read. I'd like to see a comparison with the original 56 set to f/1.4 or f/1.6 where DOF and contrast would be similar. That way we could more easily judge the bokeh quality.



Sep 22, 2014 at 04:52 AM





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