The Fujifilm XF50mm F2 - A Fantastic Addition to the F2 Lineup

morpheus777 wrote:

Fujifilm set the bar high with their 23mm F2 and 35mm F2. Both are fantastic. They're also small and light, sport a nice metal finish, and provide weather resistance. The Fujinon XF 50mm F2 R WR is right at home with its F2 siblings.

50mm on Fujifilm's APS-C cameras equates to approximately 76mm in full frame terms. It's an interesting focal length. I enjoy street photography, and this is a perfect focal length for casual portraits. It's long enough to provide a bit of compression, but short enough to work on the street, though, I wouldn't want to use anything longer. It's close enough to an 85mm equivalent to be a solid portrait lens. The F2 aperture provides plenty of subject isolation. It won't destroy the background like the 56mm f/1.2, but then again it's also approximately half the price.

Build

The XF50 feels like a well constructed piece of metal and glass. The aperture ring provides just enough resistance to remain securely in place, while at the same time offering a nice click when rotated. I found it a pleasure to use, and also easy to commit to muscle memory. Video shooters might not enjoy the audible click. Speaking of rings, the manual focus ring is buttery smooth.

I appreciate the added WR (weather resistance). While I still wouldn't trust it in torrential downpours, it's nice to know it can handle a little rain or dust.

Overall, I'd say it feels very solid without much to weigh you down. I like that combination.

Autofocus (With the X-T2)

Like the other lenses from the F2 line, this lens focuses very fast in good to adequate light. Minimal hunting, and it's generally very accurate. In dark conditions, it's prone to hunting, but I prefer to manual focus my lenses in low light, so this wasn't an issue for me. The manual focus ring provides for an enjoyable manual experience.

I've been a Fujifilm user since the XPro-1 days, and it's been incredible to see how much Fujifilm have improved autofocus. On the latest batch of cameras, this lens is one of the fastest autofocusing lenses I've used from any manufacturer. I rarely miss a photo due to AF with this lens, it's almost always user error.

Image Quality

Spectacular. No, really. I have nothing but good things to say about this little lens. Wide open it's very sharp in the center of the frame, and decently sharp at the corners. I can use it all day at f/2 and it delivers the goods, no worries about sharpness wide open. Of course it sharpens up as the aperture narrows. By f/5.6 it's a razor across the frame.

I've found the XF50 to be nice and contrasty. It really shines in black and white. Gorgeous rendering.

As I mentioned earlier, it won't destroy a background like the 56mm f/1.2 or even the 90mm f/2, but it provides nice subject isolation and the bokeh is pleasingly smooth.

Oh, and I wanted to mention one other thing. It focuses fairly close, 39cm. Not true macro close, but close enough to turn out some nice close ups. The XF35mm F2 loses some of its sharpness when close focusing wide open, but the XF50mm F2 is very sharp wide open and focusing at 39cm. That's a nice bonus in my book.

Whether you take street portraits, product photos, or studio portraits, I think you'll appreciate the image quality of this lens. It delivers the goods in the IQ department.

Conclusion

The XF50mm F2 renders beautiful images. It's sharp, contrasty, and sports creamy bokeh. It's small and light. It's a fantastic general purpose short telephoto or long standard, depending on how you want to use it. It excels at portraiture and black and white photography. The robust build quality tells me it's here to play, and it has certainly earned a spot in my bag.

Better than 56 1.2 IMO

Poor mans 56