mdude85 wrote:
You're right, I think the Fuji 27 would be a great option if it were f2 instead of f2.8.
Then it would be somewhat comparable to Sony's popular 40mm f2.5.
For me the Viltrox 25 is too close to Fuji's 23. And the Viltrox 27, as you noted, is too big. You may as well just go with a FF camera if you want that extra DOF control.
One option not mentioned so far is getting a 23mm lens, of which are there are more choices, and then cropping in to a 27mm focal length.
The V 25 leans, or at least feels to me, closer to a 27 than a 23. I don’t have the 27 anymore to compare them head to head. You could of course do a minuscule crop to get to 27 if you ever require it. (My sauce cans photo above is cropped about 20% FWIW.)
Compared to my copy of the 27, which was a non-WR version, the Viltrox is notably sharper and has more character. The V 25 renders a lot like the Fuji 35/1.4 in use if that helps. It is bigger than the Fuji pancake, but quite light and not noticeable on my XH2 body.
I stopped using aperture rings when cameras got command wheels, so don’t miss that at all and appreciate the added dust and moisture protection.
mdude85 wrote:
You're right, I think the Fuji 27 would be a great option if it were f2 instead of f2.8...
I wouldn't want a 27 f/2 over my 27 f/2.8 if it meant larger and heavier, which it would. I'd switch to a full frame camera if better light gathering and subject separation were critical to what I shoot.
highdesertmesa wrote:
I wouldn't want a 27 f/2 over my 27 f/2.8 if it meant larger and heavier, which it would. I'd switch to a full frame camera if better light gathering and subject separation were critical to what I shoot.
i had them all and only sold the Voigtländer cause the difference to the fujy 2.8 wr is to small.
the viltrox 1.2 is the best lens i ever had
the fujy wr 2,8 ist perfekt panny
and the 25 is nice in between.
perfect reasons to keep them all.
Since the aperture question has come up in this thread in regards to the Fujifilm f/2.8 lens, I thought I 'd share an example. While there's no question that an even larger maximum aperture can provide narrower DOF and a larger degree of out-of-focus quality in the background, the f/2.8 27mm can do this to a useful extent, as seen in this photograph at f/2.8. (Surprisingly, the little "bokeh balls" in the distance are actually pretty spherical.)
I don't have a lot as of yet since I've not owned the Viltrox 25 lens for very long, but here are images at f1.7 and f2.0. Not art per se since it was literally the first day I got the lens and just doing some quick initial tests, but I think these demonstrate the lens' OOF and DoF capabilities at the more open apertures pretty well. Second image I was actually testing for flare, FWIW. Oh, I should also mention these do NOT have any diffusion filter on the lens like the above images did.
The Voigtlander 27mm is an amazing lens if you are ok with manual focus. It’s sharp enough, handles beautifully and renders sunstars that no Fuji lens can match.
I had the original non-WR 27mm. You can probably find these for pretty cheap these days. I never felt inspired by that lens.
I'll add to the chorus in support of the Voigt 27/2. One empirical observation that surprised me: even though it's MF, I found that I got more keepers with it than with my Fuji 27/2.8, which often produced results that felt flat.
I don't generally read too much into MTF charts, but just qualitatively, the difference in the https://www.lenstip.com charts (Voigt top, Fuji bottom) really do seem born out in real-world performance.
jeffnesh wrote:
I've shot Fuji off and mostly on since the X-Pro1. I've dabbled in other mounts and formats, and recently came back heavy to Fuji after a year or so with Nikon ZF.
I never let go of my X-Pro3 and just added an X-T5. I've got back in the habit of the Pro3 for everyday, street and travel; the X-T5 so far has been some landscape and still life.
One thing the ZF reminded me of was how much I love the 40mm (in FF) length, and I particularly adored the Z 40mm SE. Lots of character, perfect size.
I'm looking for thoughts and impressions on the various X-mount 27mm lenses. Nothing seems to hit the sweet spot.
Fuji XF 27mm is small, but a little slow. Voigtlander's is manual focus, Viltrox is a giant beast. All have trade-offs.
If you've used one or more, what do you like?
(I have the XF 23mm f2 and 35mm f1.4... XF 33mm f1.4 is probably too close to 35?)...Show more →
Enjoyed the Fuji 27 for the little bit that I had it. But much like you, I enjoy the 40mm equivalent FL a lot, so I definitely wanted something faster to satiate that need. I would’ve held onto it, except I have compact options to go with my A7Cii already, which I prefer using with slower lenses.
The 27 I ultimately stuck with is the Viltrox 27/1.2. It’s my favorite lens I’ve had for the system since I started shooting Fuji over a decade ago. It’s huge, but it does everything I want it to so well. I’ve also mitigated its size a bit by switching to a Haoge hood.
If I were in your shoes, I’d consider dumping the 23 and just getting both the F27 and V27 just to have options depending on what shooting scenario you plan on being in for the day.
As a last note, if you just gel better with 27 vs 23 (considering how close they are in FL), I’d dump that 23 and get something wider at some point if you needed it. That new Sigma 12/1.4 is calling my name as we speak.
Regarding some of the above, sharpness isn't really an issue with any of these lenses. Here's a 300% magnification crop from a handheld shot (in poor light, unfortunately) using the Fujifilm 27mm f/2.8 on the XT5. (The noise is a function of some ISO and exposure issues related to the circumstances of the exposure.)
For anyone unsure what is meant by 300% crop, if you made a print at this level of magnification from this image it would be many feet tall. It is magnified enough that you can easily see pixelation.
Here is the full image from which the crop is taken. It was a cloudy day in Ghent, Belgium.
JohnDizzo15 wrote:
Enjoyed the Fuji 27 for the little bit that I had it. But much like you, I enjoy the 40mm equivalent FL a lot, so I definitely wanted something faster to satiate that need. I would’ve held onto it, except I have compact options to go with my A7Cii already, which I prefer using with slower lenses.
The 27 I ultimately stuck with is the Viltrox 27/1.2. It’s my favorite lens I’ve had for the system since I started shooting Fuji over a decade ago. It’s huge, but it does everything I want it to so well. I’ve also mitigated its size a bit by switching to a Haoge hood.
If I were in your shoes, I’d consider dumping the 23 and just getting both the F27 and V27 just to have options depending on what shooting scenario you plan on being in for the day.
As a last note, if you just gel better with 27 vs 23 (considering how close they are in FL), I’d dump that 23 and get something wider at some point if you needed it. That new Sigma 12/1.4 is calling my name as we speak. ...Show more →
Agree. I picked up both the Viltrox and the Voigtlander 27mm 1.2 & F2. Both are fantastic and fill different needs.
Lens sharpness is one thing, its character another. I like both where possible. Horses for courses. For me lens optical speed and lens size are a big tradeoff point; and you typically can’t have one without impairing the other. No free lunch. And why there’s as many different answers in this thread as there are users. 🤷🏼
