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Archive 2016 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

millsart
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p.2 #1 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

I certainly don't disagree with what Dan wrote, however, I will say that for me, the Xpro2 (which certainly does hold some significant improvements over the Xpro 1, and that is a camera I have previously owned) works pretty well for all around photography.

I don't really do "street" photography myself, interested more in landscapes, shots of family both in more of a documentary/enviromental portraiture style as well as traditional portraits, and general travel photography.

I will say that a XT1/2 style camera (of which I also own) is my preference for true landscape shooting on a tripod, mainly due to the flip up LCD, the Xpro1/2 design just feels "right" to me.

Even when using the EVF most of the time, I just like the finder on the upper left instead of in the middle. The shutter, the EC dial, the button, everything just falls into where my brain expects to find them.

The slightly "chunky" and boxy shape just fits into my hand perfectly, and as silly as it sounds, the overall look of the camera just appeals to me. Its a camera you see sitting there that makes you want to pick it up and shoot with it.

Again, cameras like the XT1 and especially XT2 are very well laid out and work great, not knocking them as a choice, or anyone who prefers them, but there is a certain unique character to the XPro series that you just don't find in what the rest of the market offers.

I've owned the Olympus OMD's, Sony A7 series cameras, lots of DSLR's of various brands et al., and they all work, all can produce nice images, and all feel quite similar in use. Its that time tested and proven SLR evolved to DSLR style. Popular and so common because it does work well.

The Xpro1/2 though, bit of a difference in not just handling, but the overall shooting experience. Its not a Leica, nor is it really even a true RF camera, but its different enough from a DSLR that I feel it makes me shoot differently. When I would take my 4x5 Toyo field camera out for landscape shooting, I worked and thought totally different than how I approached things with my DSLR. I think in some instances that is a good thing, keeps photogrpahy fresh, fun and exciting.

I'm certainly glad to have both camera options, XT2 and XPro2, and think they do excel at different things, but no way would I want to replace an Xpro2 with a second XT2, just would miss too much about the XPro.

At the current prices, I think the Xpro is a great buy for a bunch of different photographers, again, just to keep things kind of fresh and interesting and fun.

As I said, its a camera that just makes you want to pick it up and go shoot with it. Might not be ideal for a given style, but its just enjoyable to use and puts a bit of fun back into photography.

I view my XT2 simply as a tool, it works well, and helps me product an end product. The XPro 2 on the other hand is a tool yes, and can produce a nice final file as well, but its the body I reach for when I'm just going out for the sake of shooting.

Nov 26, 2016 at 11:51 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.2 #2 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Sounds like the two of us may have provided some interesting food for thought. I have to say (agree?) that this isn't a clear cut "one right answer" kind of thing, and that my feelings are arguably subjective.

Good luck with your decision! They are both good cameras!

Dan

Nov 26, 2016 at 11:56 AM

Waki
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p.2 #3 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

I use my X-Pro1 with the 27mm. I have the X-Pro2 and x-T2....but my black and whites out of the x-pro1 are lovely. The 27 is pretty much married to it.

Nov 26, 2016 at 11:59 AM

James R
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p.2 #4 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Let me add a lens to this thread, the Fuji 23 1.4 R. I've always loved 35mm framing for street photography. I like to pare this lens up with the 90 f2.

Nov 26, 2016 at 05:01 PM

esanchez
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p.2 #5 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Same here. I try to rotate different lenses on it, but the 27mm always makes it's way back. Small and light.

Waki wrote:
I use my X-Pro1 with the 27mm. I have the X-Pro2 and x-T2....but my black and whites out of the x-pro1 are lovely. The 27 is pretty much married to it.

Nov 28, 2016 at 10:27 AM

John Wolf
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p.2 #6 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

That's a hard question to answer without knowing how you work on the street. But I'd say look at the 27. It's small and at 40mm will allow you to work hyperfocally, if you want (f8 and 7.5' to infinity, according to DOFMaster). The downside is no aperture dial.

If you're planning to use mainly AF and like a little more distance, I agree the 35 f2 is the one. It focuses pretty quickly on the X-Pro1, renders very nicely, and looks great on the camera. BTW, I find the framelines for 35mm a much nicer size than those for the 27mm.

I'm not a fan of zooms for street shooting. Things happen too fast and it's another variable to slow you down.

There are also some legacy choices. I often use the Voigtlander 25mm Snapshot with zone focusing and really enjoy it. But for your only lens, I'd stick with native Fuji.

John

Nov 28, 2016 at 01:17 PM

charles.K
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p.2 #7 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Yes it is tough to relate to your needs here. It sounds like your preference is towards 50mm FF, so the 35/1.4 is an excellent lens. The only downside it is one of the original designs and has slower AF. The 35/2 is fast, WR but having had both, I really prefer the 35/1.4 for the rendering of people, events and landscapes. The caveat is that I have only tested on the XPro2/XT2 and maybe the XPro1 will be substantially slower, and maybe the 35/2 is a better choice

Nov 28, 2016 at 04:36 PM

millsart
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p.2 #8 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

charles.K wrote:
Yes it is tough to relate to your needs here. It sounds like your preference is towards 50mm FF, so the 35/1.4 is an excellent lens. The only downside it is one of the original designs and has slower AF. The 35/2 is fast, WR but having had both, I really prefer the 35/1.4 for the rendering of people, events and landscapes. The caveat is that I have only tested on the XPro2/XT2 and maybe the XPro1 will be substantially slower, and maybe the 35/2 is a better choice

Strongly agree. The 35/2 is far quicker to focus, but the 35/1.4 isn't really too bad. Its faster than my 56/1.2 at any rate, though slower than lens like the 18-55.

What the 35/1.4 brings to the table though is a very lovely way of rendering a scene. Sharp (in the middle of the frame) even at f1.4, but not too sharp, if that makes sense lol. It also has a rather different way of rendering the background, a bit softer and more diffuse, even at equivalent aperture.

The 35/2 WR can do a decent shallow DoF, but it always looked a bit "modern" for lack of a better word. There is some background blur, but the images just look a bit like any other modern lens on an APS-C sensor.

The 35/1.4 in contrast has a bit of a more classical way of rendering with its sharp yet soft style, that gives a little more subject isolation and pleasing result.

Sadly don't have a 35/2 WR to post equivilent images, but here is a 35/1.4 shot that nicely illustrates the sharp yet soft look

Nov 28, 2016 at 07:41 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.2 #9 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

So... I had both the 35mm f/1.4 and the 35mm f/2 for a few weeks ��the latter because I got it at a discount when I purchased my XPro2 and the former because I got in four years or more ago when I got my first x-trans camera.

I had heard about the improved AF capabilities of the 35mm f/2, along with some other potential advantages of the lens, so I thought I'd try it out and then decide which 35mm lens to keep. (I was passing the old camera on to someone else and figured I would let the recipient have whichever 35mm lens I decided to not keep.)

The 35mm f/2 is a very nice lens. I like the smaller size quite a bit, especially on the XPro2 where the issue of the lens intruding into the framed area in the viewfinder is real, especially with the hood on the lens. (The intrusion isn't great, but it is there.) The image quality of the f/2 lens was quite good, though I felt that I could see a bit more softness in the far corners of the frame. The softness isn't a major issue, but the lens was not an optical improvement over the f/1.4 because of this.

I do think that the 35mm f/2 may AF slightly better and more confidently. However, at least on my XPro2, the difference was far from night and day, and small enough that this, by itself, wasn't enough to overwhelm other issues, some of which might have been personal to my photography. If fact, in the great majority of shooting cases, I couldn't really see any difference.

Against the positives of smaller size*, weather resistance, and slightly better AF... for me were the downsides of the f/2 maximum aperture and slightly less image quality. The aperture might make a much smaller difference to some photographers, but since I use this system for handheld night street photography I did not want to give up the f/1.4 aperture.

Once again, we have two good choices here, with somewhat different strengths and weaknesses. For me the f/1.4 lens turned out to be more compelling after I used both. Those who really want the smaller size, who think they see a significant difference in AF in their photography, who don't need the extra stop, and who don't regard the slight corner softness as an issue will likely love the f/2 lens.

Dan

* Note: the issue of lens intrusion into the framed area of the OVF would likely be more significant when comparing the 23mm f/1.4 and its f/2 cousin since that f/1.4 lens is a lot larger.

Nov 28, 2016 at 08:18 PM

Squinty
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p.2 #10 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

rabmag wrote:
Thanks Millsart for the really in depth opinion! I've decided to go with the 18-55 to play around and then invest in some higher quality primes if it tickles my fancy.

Thanks so much again everyone!

Welcome to Fuji!

If you do find that Fuji tickles your fancy, I'd invest next in a used Fuji X-E2 or X-T1 rather than lenses (the 18-55 would have been my recommendation and it covers lots of bases). Fuji camera bodies have moved on some since the X-Pro1 and they newer models are definitely worth exploring.

You might even join the hordes of old Luddites like me and become a convert to the joys of the EVF, which is quite primitive in the XP, but so sensational in later models that I no longer use optical... and I never thought I'd say that.

Nov 29, 2016 at 12:48 PM

millsart
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p.2 #11 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Squinty wrote:
Welcome to Fuji!

If you do find that Fuji tickles your fancy, I'd invest next in a used Fuji X-E2 or X-T1 rather than lenses (the 18-55 would have been my recommendation and it covers lots of bases). Fuji camera bodies have moved on some since the X-Pro1 and they newer models are definitely worth exploring.

You might even join the hordes of old Luddites like me and become a convert to the joys of the EVF, which is quite primitive in the XP, but so sensational in later models that I no longer use optical... and I never thought I'd...Show more →

I'd recommend putting money into lenses, because as new bodies come and go, the utility of a lens remains, as does its resale value.

My 35mm f1.4 for example is selling used today for the same as it was when I bought it 5 or more years ago. Lens hold value pretty well

Bodies on the other hand, not so much. I actually bought a Xpro1 when it came out new, I think it was like $1700 back then, and look at what they go for now ?

Certainly the XE2 and XT1 are nice cameras and can be had at pretty nice prices, but they don't really offer image quality that is different than the XPro1, its more of a lateral move than anything.

I'd enjoy the Xpro1, build up a kit of lenses as deals come along, and at some point when a great deal on a Xpro2 or maybe XT2 comes along, jump on that. Then you'll have a more substantial improvement in resolution and handling, and those lens you've been buying will still be just as useful

Nov 29, 2016 at 07:48 PM

tonewheelz
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p.2 #12 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

millsart wrote:
I'd recommend putting money into lenses, because as new bodies come and go, the utility of a lens remains, as does its resale value.

My 35mm f1.4 for example is selling used today for the same as it was when I bought it 5 or more years ago. Lens hold value pretty well

Bodies on the other hand, not so much. I actually bought a Xpro1 when it came out new, I think it was like $1700 back then, and look at what they go for now ?

Certainly the XE2 and XT1 are nice cameras and can be had at pretty nice...Show more →

This is exactly what I'm doing. So far I've purchased the 18-55,35 f/2 (the 1.4 focusing is pretty slow on xp1), and the Rokinon 12mm f/2. I'm also going to go for a silver X-T1. My thinking is that the 18-55 will go nicely on the X-T1, and the primes on the XP1. This should give me an idea of OVF vs EVF and what Fuji offers in these two types of bodies.

Lenses I'm planning on getting are the 27mm and the 90mm. Needless to say...I'm super excited.

P.S., I got the X-Pro1 in hand now, but the lenses won't be here until Friday.

P.S.S, I also bought a Canon 7 rangefinder (uses M39 leica mount) lol. My understanding is, any LTM primes on the XP1 will need to use the EVF in order to manual focus, correct? (with a Leica adapter of course lol)

Nov 29, 2016 at 08:36 PM

Sr.Cordeiro
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p.2 #13 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Now that's an investment!

If you end up liking the OVF experience with the X-Pro1 I can already see you selling the X-Pro1 and X-T1 to get a X-Pro2

rabmag wrote:
This is exactly what I'm doing. So far I've purchased the 18-55,35 f/2 (the 1.4 focusing is pretty slow on xp1), and the Rokinon 12mm f/2. I'm also going to go for a silver X-T1. My thinking is that the 18-55 will go nicely on the X-T1, and the primes on the XP1. This should give me an idea of OVF vs EVF and what Fuji offers in these two types of bodies.

Lenses I'm planning on getting are the 27mm and the 90mm. Needless to say...I'm super excited.

P.S., I got the X-Pro1 in hand now, but the lenses won't...Show more →

Dec 04, 2016 at 05:03 AM

tonewheelz
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p.2 #14 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

I've only got the 18-55, so I haven't had much time to really try putting it to use, but I did get a chance to snap a photo of my snake Escobar.

First impressions are positive. The lens does intrude a bit on t he OVF, but overall I'm loving it. Another thing I've noticed is that the ISO sensitivity doesn't seem to match that of my Canon, meaning that although this was shot at about 2500 ISO, it seems to equal approximately the same speed as ISO 1600 or so on my 20D. Anyone notice anything like this

55mm, f5.6, 1/40th, 2500 ISO


	https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5524/31277730852_3285ef2221_b.jpg

Dec 04, 2016 at 05:44 PM

brian_f2.8
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p.2 #15 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

I noticed the difference in ISO when I sold my Nikon gear(D4). I think Fuji will catch up over time(the x-pro 1 is a few years old), however the FX sensor will always be cleaner than a crop sensor.

Dec 06, 2016 at 11:51 AM

Sr.Cordeiro
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p.2 #16 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

rabmag wrote:
I've only got the 18-55, so I haven't had much time to really try putting it to use, but I did get a chance to snap a photo of my snake Escobar.

First impressions are positive. The lens does intrude a bit on t he OVF, but overall I'm loving it. Another thing I've noticed is that the ISO sensitivity doesn't seem to match that of my Canon, meaning that although this was shot at about 2500 ISO, it seems to equal approximately the same speed as ISO 1600 or so on my 20D. Anyone notice anything like this

55mm, f5.6, 1/40th,...Show more →

[treading carefully to not open a can of worms here] The different ISO values on Fuji cameras is something widely debated on the net, often with heated discussions (search for something in the lines of "Fuji ISO cheating"). It may be the second or third most discussed "Fuji problem" after the "foliage effect" and the "waxy skin".

But taking aside all the over-dramtization on this, it shouldn't be a big deal, the difference is less or equal to 1/2 stop, which is what you're experiencing. The ISO performance of the X-Trans sensor make up for this IMO.
The new X-Trans III sensors (X-Pro2 and X-T2) are better at this, I get faster shutter speeds with the same settings with my X-Pro2 compared to the X-E2.

Dec 08, 2016 at 07:32 AM

tonewheelz
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p.2 #17 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Sr.Cordeiro wrote:
[treading carefully to not open a can of worms here] The different ISO values on Fuji cameras is something widely debated on the net, often with heated discussions (search for something in the lines of "Fuji ISO cheating"). It may be the second or third most discussed "Fuji problem" after the "foliage effect" and the "waxy skin".

But taking aside all the over-dramtization on this, it shouldn't be a big deal, the difference is less or equal to 1/2 stop, which is what you're experiencing. The ISO performance of the X-Trans sensor make up for this IMO.
The new X-Trans III sensors...Show more →

Thank you! Because of the clarity and how clean higher ISO's are, it doesn't really bother me too much. I do wonder how this would work with an external light meter, however lol

Dec 08, 2016 at 06:03 PM

paparazzinick
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p.2 #18 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

The best 1st lens to put on an xpro 1 is any lens. You will be addicted!!!! I would recommend getting some older manual glass and some adapters. I have a Nikon, Canon and Leica adapter I use with some old manual lenses. I also love the Fuji glass too. My favorite right now is the new 35/2 and 56/1.2

Dec 09, 2016 at 11:13 AM

dtolios
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p.2 #19 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

For me, the Fuji X is my "small kit", so I intentionally stuck with primes.
Had the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS for a couple of weeks but I think it clearly beats my purpose - albeit being a pretty good zoom.

My fav. XF lenses out of what I've used, are easily the XF 27 2.8 and the XF 35 1.4. Tried the XF 35 f/2 WR and I liked the AF over the 1.4, but the IQ is not as special, and it is not really smaller than the 35 1.4...its little brother, the 23 f/2 is at least notably smaller than the 23 1.4, so I could see size being a selling point for the 23.

I bet the longer glass like the 56 f/1.2 and the 90 f/2 are great, much like the 2.8 zooms, I think those are not what I want the X to do for me. If I can hog around a bigger XF kit with these bad boys, I can do my Canon FF too.

Dec 09, 2016 at 01:41 PM

tonewheelz
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p.2 #20 · Best 1st Lens for X-Pro1?

Still haven't gotten around to any serious shooting as it has been raining, but have been taking practice shots around the house. The 18-55 feels a bit too beastly on the X-Pro1, especially when using the OVF. The 27mm and 35mm f2 are amazing. Ya'll are making me jelly of the 1.4. Slow AF was an issue for me with videos I've seen of it on the X-Pro1, but I'll see how the f2 works out in actual shooting.

Dec 09, 2016 at 02:00 PM

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