FUJIFILM XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR Reviews
Almost perfect
By Matt
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2023-01-09
Optically this lens is a stunner - razor sharp wide open at f/1.2 to f/11 or so. Images are sharp and contrasty - my 26mp sensor has never looked better. Gorgeous bokeh - even stopped down a few notches it is puffy and round. Focuses fairly closely (19 inches?), though I'd always prefer even closer (say, a foot or less like the kit lens). Images pop.
Autofocus-wise it is more mixed. Taking hundreds of shots the noisy motor doesn't bother me - I like the feedback, and it seems genuinely fast, punchy, and accurate in good light with some distance to the subject, but it can slow down/hunt quite a lot in lower light / lower contrast / closer to MFD, which is a bummer and really cripples it at times (its interesting to watch it take, say, three steps toward your target when going from near to far in low light). I use an XT3, which may be part of the problem, then again other lenses do quite a lot better than this one by a noticeable margin in similar conditions so I knock a star off for this performance. I've had better luck increasing the focus area, stopping down a little, and raising the shutter to at least 1/200, btw, so its not all bad news in this sense. But it does mean this low light lens makes you work harder/compromise more in low light shooting.
Notably I returned 2 of these to B&H for significant dust/debris in the barrel (and outside it!) like other reviewers, so perhaps the first/early batches have issues with that. Buyer beware. My third copy was much better/flawless so far as I could tell.
Handling is another low point IMO - the lens is attractively bulky looking and lightweight but makes some compromises for it. The aperture/manual rings are too close together IMO and easy to bump in fast shooting scenarios - I have to disable AF+MF to mitigate part of that potentiality. Not an issue on other lenses of similar size I use. Aperture ring has soft clicks and the useless lock which only works for locking it into auto. Lens hood clicks on/off great, but is too long - when stored backwards on the lens it makes for a cheap feeling and looking lampshade. I'd accept a longer barrel-shaped aesthetic to fix these issues (and make it fit my bag a little better).
Overall, none of these problems were total deal breakers, as I am confident this is still one of the best 56mm-ish lenses you can get for your Fuji. Mostly it was the optical quality that won me over. That said, $1,000 is a lot to ask for its shortcomings/QC issues, and given the strength of other newer primes, the AF in particular is a let down. Hopefully future bodies or firmware will improve on this however, because the potential seems to be there. If I wasn't such a fan of this particular focal length, I'd have waited for a good used copy to show up.
Love the pictures
By Carolyn
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-01
Wish it was the size of the 33mm lens. Wish it had a linear motor. But it's a focal length I like and I'm getting lovely, sharp images that I'm very happy with.
4 star lens, 1 star QC!
By Matt
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-26
I hate to be posting a negative review, but I ordered 2 of these and both had significant dust inside and outside the lens. Either I am unlucky or Fuji's producers dropped the ball on these first batches of lenses. The inside of one of the outer elements in particular seemed to be affected, and the dust spots were plainly visible in test shots taken to see if it was passable. No idea how these flaws were missed in QC since I found them in seconds with a cheap flashlight and a few quick test shots. For $1,000, this is frankly 100% unacceptable, and it hurts my image of Fuji which has been completely positive until now. Just no Fuji - no. Very bad.
For the record I've ordered several X lenses both new and used manufactured in China, Philippines, or Japan, and none have ever had the same sort of issues I'm seeing here. I'm concerned there is a bad batch or something since it is a new product. Buyer beware.
I'm also miffed to be out $20 and a week buying and returning lenses and tying up thousands of dollars for nothing. I'd rather have paid an employee $10 to confirm the glass was perfectly clean before they bothered to ship it. I am still grateful that B&H made the return process easy. So thanks for that B&H.
For the few moments I've spent with the lenses so far, I loved the size, weight, look, and feel. The autofocus seems pretty zippy, and the image quality looks pretty darn outstanding even wide open. I deduct a star from first impressions for a noisy focus motor that is also slower than it should be in 2022. Not a deal breaker at all (I think I love this lens), but for the price etc. it could have been better.
The hard part is apparently getting a clean new copy! Now that B&H is out of stock, I'll have to take my business elsewhere, to see if the third times a charm. If that lens is also bunk, I guess I'll have to wait this lens purchase out a while longer until the production issues get sorted out. I hope B&H can get these lenses serviced and clean or demand Fuji do it so the customers aren't getting burned.
The portrait standard
By Grant
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-21
Coming from the RF system, I know my standard for lenses is pretty high, and this one delivers. Great focus, sharp wide open, good bokeh, and nice close focus. Weather resistance gives confidence. I've been using this for portraits and loving it on the xh2s.
Brand new with internal debris but good otherwise
By Stephen
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-11
My copy came with a piece of debris on one of the internal elements so I'm a little disappointed but after vigorous testing, said debris does not show up in my images so it's ok. Fine build quality as expected of Fujifilm, as I used to own the older 56mm 1.2 R. Definitely sharper corner to corner than the old version, and quicker to focus also.
Review would've been a perfect 5/5 if it weren't for the particle inside, I wonder how this got past QC?
Couldn't ask for more from a prime lens
By Eric
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-09
I've been waiting years for the rumored update to Fuji's 56mm, and am thrilled with the product they created. Plenty of people will complain that it's not the product they would have made (things like "It's too big!" or "Autofocus should be faster!" or "Why no OIS?"), but they're missing the point of what Fuji created here. If you want flexibility, go use a kit zoom lens or make a better decision for your needs; there's plenty to choose from, including the previous version of this lens at a steep discount.
If you're buying this lens, you care about image quality and details that casual photographers ignore. You care that f/1.2 is creamier than f/2, and notice that difference. You want to shoot handheld in low light, to not worry about the rain sprinkling on your neck as you capture the shots while sane people are inside staying warm. You take pictures where bokeh is used like an airbrush on canvas, rather than a random byproduct that you notice after the fact. You probably think that if this lens is on your camera body, you'll be capable of getting that one shot that is just right; you're crazy enough to leave home with a prime lens to begin with. If these things aren't true, then save your money.
If those things ARE true, I can confirm this lens is indeed for you. Speaking as someone shooting an X-T4, here is what you'll get:
- The ability to shoot in near-darkness handheld, with 2 stops of headroom compared to f/2. This will really unlock handheld photography on a camera body with good high-ISO performance (tip: shoot in M or S size and that graininess won't matter so much. Or clean up in X-RAW studio after the fact)
- Closer-focus than you will expect! I can get arms length from a small subject and still get autofocus to work. Flowers, insects, pets, kids, portraits (not just headshots!) or slices of architecture-these are the things most flattering through this lens. Also, this is the standout feature for me, since it enables...
- Unrivaled quality of bokeh at a genuinely useful focal length. If you get as close as focus will go, then background colors fade to each other seamlessly-but stopping down to f/2 still yields superior quality to an f/2 lens wide-open. Fun things happen when you use a telephoto lens but use your feet to change the distance to your subject; this is the artistry and fun that I have at 56mm specifically!
What you won't get with this lens:
- Any image stabilization whatsoever. The wider aperture lets you keep the slowest shutter speed you can shoot handheld, while letting in more light. Subject blur is on you and your selection of shutter speed.
- ...that's about it. I don't find much lacking here, nor do I care that autofocus takes .89 seconds instead of .6 seconds. There's better options for those needs
Watching the engineers reveal the lens-they didn't make any mistakes. This product was designed with intent, and they succeeded. The lens is about the girth of a soda can but a bit shorter, and it raises up the front of my X-T4 so that it sits unevenly on the table (kind of how iPhones sit unevenly because of the camera bump). That's fine though, because I carry my camera in my hands, and the weight of this lens on the camera body is like holding a perfectly-balanced sword. Shooting on Fuji is about the joy of photography, not technical specifications, and I feel joy when I see the world through this lens. It feels like I'm able to get the bokeh of my 80mm prime, but actually use it for more than macro shots.
Finally, to debunk a myth: no, this lens does not take "soft photos," you just focused improperly or made a poor aperture decision. Shooting up close at f/1.2 is HARD, and autofocus probably won't get you the precise results you want. This thing is tack-sharp for whatever you actually do focus it on.
great service as always
By Brian
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-05
Everything went as per usual with B&H. Perfect, and organized. Quick, no muss, no fuss
Sharp. Well built. Recommended
By Carl
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-03
Imagine quality is excellent even on my older X-E3. Every photo is perfectly sharp in the center @ F1.2 I do not look at corners because I don't do landscape photography.
My only complaint is that there is a blemish/white spot on the front element. It doesn't come up in any photos I've tested but I'm not sure how it there.
