I have been a photographer for over 40 years, and this is one of my all time favorite lenses. It's exactly as you say: compact, lightweight, and very well made. I have an even higher opinion of the optics than you do. As a stills-only shooter I can tell you that I'm never disappointed with the focus, having only very rare misses, and I put those down to user error. I'm puzzled over complaints about the lens hood. What is it that people don't like about it? Thanks for another excellent video!
I've had this lens since 2018 and agree with most everything that you said. This lens is fantastic in every way mechanically and optically. For me, with 50-plus years of shooting, prime lenses are not about the individual lens, but how the lens fits into a set of other lenses. If I'm using a 35mm on my Fuji, then I usually won't carry the 50mm. I need to be rewarded with a truly different look and angle of view for the effort of changing lenses. Like you, I really like the 16mm as a companion for the 50mm. This two-lens set is very versatile and can give both sweeping deep focus shots as well as tight selective focus images. I have both the f/1.4 and f/2.8 16mm lenses and if I know I'll be outside in good light, the f/2.8 is my choice because of the size and weight. The 50mm also teams up nicely with the 18mm f/2 for a small but capable kit. FWIW, if I am using a 23mm, the 50mm seems like too close, so I go to the 60mm macro, for a classic 35mm/90mm kit (equivalent) like I used for decades on my Leica M cameras. The 60mm is what allowed me to skip the 56mm, offering image quality and compactness at less than half the price.
AGREED! I'm using my 50mm f2.0 over the chubby and ungainly f1.2 most times. Frankly I wish Fuji came out with a 50mm f1.4 or even f1.6 LM WR. It seems Fuji designers have prioritized wide aperture chubby lenses over reasonable aperture but mobile-friendly ones.
Your crisp diction makes me imagine I'm in a restaurant and you're the waiter. After I order, you tell me why I don't want that and why, and after an evaluation, you tell me exactly what I should get. Then I go and buy an interest in the restaurant.
Andrei the lens hood is my fav. I despise tulip lens hoods. This one fits the 50/2 perfectly. I also don't like to use filters, so this hood also gives me extra protection. This focal length on a cropped sensor also seems to be the most frequent and consistent of the majority of my fav photos that I have taken. Thanks for the video. Enjoyed seeing your images.
After finding your channel your reviews are becoming my favorite. You experience and knowledge shows in the level of detail and information you include in your reviews. I love this fov in apsc and full frame. To me its much more versatile than the 56mm or 85mm. I wish full frame would come out with a small 75mm f2 or 2.8 lens.
This was my second Fujifilm lens after the XC 15-45 one. It was such a joy to use a prime lens of such good quality! While the XC 15-45 isnt bad, the XF 50mm is just a different league. Quite the underrated lens, but the size, WR, build quality and images it Producers are just lovely features. Put a Macro ring between your camera and this lens and you got yourself a good and cheap macro lens! I bought the cheap JJC 11mm and 16mm rings and they work fine. Awesome video, bratan :)
I’ve been using this lens on the X-T4 for the past year and I agree with you on every aspect, I have most (or all) f/2 Fuji primes and my favorites for street photography are this one (XF50 f/2) and the XF23 f/2 which I mostly shoot between f/5.6 and f/11.
Andrei, you read my mind! I'm getting this lens at the end of next month 😊 After debating in my head what to get to compliment my 23mm f2 I decided this was the one.
@@AndreiDimaReviewsI also wonder about the IQ of the sigma 56 vs the Fuji 50. I own the 50mm F2 and love it but I am debating whether I should sell it for the sigma.
I lately got this lens for all the reasons you gave and it delivers. Autofocus is fast and reliable, quality is top notch, it's very very compact, aperture ring is tight, but I found that it lacks sharpness on distant objects when used as a short telephoto. I was adapting my Pentax 50mm 1.7 on my Xpro3 and xt4, it's fun, cheaper, allows me to use manual focus that I love doing but honestly the manual experience on Fuji and especially the xpro3 is bad, even worse when wearing glasses and losing sight (40 45 years old hellooooo). I looked for alternatives but went for the "no compromises" path that this Fuji 50mm is offering: excellent optical quality, weather sealing, lovely construction and compactness. No other brand is offering those top specs in such a tiny package. Do not hesitate, this lens is a bomb.
Could you elaborate on why manual on Fuji is bad? It's my first brand, recently sold the x100v and now have X-E4 with 33mm 1.4 and a Helios 44m-4 I shoot manual with. Currently looking to pick up another vintage lens as well
@@AdamAhmedPihlgren when I say it's bad it's my experience of course, it's possible to make it work but it's not as smooth experience as can be a manual film camera. So first thing is that Fuji lenses have an electronic focus ring, when you turn it there's an internal motor or drive that's gonna move the elements. It's not precise and you can't really rely on muscle memory to focus like on a manual mechanical lens on which the focus ring will move the elements always in the same manner. Second thing is the the focus peaking (red yellow or green) that is not precise. As vintage lenses are not always ultra sharp, this method tends to highlight the wrong "focused zones" and you don't see it unless you're on a big screen. You'd better use the zoom function where the Fuji cameras are going to digitally zoom in your focus zone so you see if it's in focus. It's better but not perfect. It takes a longer time especially if it's a vintage lens because you gonna have to call this function by clicking on a button. On a Fuji lens it can be automated. Third is my experience on the xpro3 that has both optical and electronic viewfinder. When only in optical viewfinder, you just can't manual focus unless you zone focus (knowing your lenses printed ranges are going to be offset). It's a good method to fast focus in the streets but you need to first do extended tests to know exactly your distances. I use this method for vintage lenses and new Fuji ones that have manual focus clutch. Also on the xpro 3, whether you use vintage lenses or manual lenses made specifically for it, the optical viewfinder is not mechanically coupled with the lens, meaning there's no "zooming/adapting" of what you see through it, you'll just have guessed overlayed framelines that will never show you your real frame. And on this xpro3 when you constantly want to focus you'll have to use either of the electronic viewfinders and electronic methods. It works most of the times if you check and recheck but then the battery drains way faster. So yeah, manual focus on Fuji is not a smooth experience, it's better on cameras with electronic viewfinders but it's far from being a joy to a point I regretted buying a Mitakon 35mm 0.95, a Leica M adapter and my Pentax adapter. I would have preferred to buy a real Fuji len's and have fun on my Mamiya 645pro or films cameras if I ever want to play with manual focus.
Couldn't agree more! I sold my 56/1.2 and pocketed the cash as I didn't see the need for such a clunky and expensive chunk of glass when this one functions faster and safer too.
Its a great lens, it is my go to lens for cityscapes and landscapes. I even got the finalist prize in the Viltrox photography contest with the 13mm f1.4.
It's my most favourite lens and I agree with all you said, but I don't agree that it's the Most Underrated Fujifilm Lens as I think that many Fuji photographers love it.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been a photographer for over 40 years, and this is one of my all time favorite lenses. It's exactly as you say: compact, lightweight, and very well made. I have an even higher opinion of the optics than you do. As a stills-only shooter I can tell you that I'm never disappointed with the focus, having only very rare misses, and I put those down to user error. I'm puzzled over complaints about the lens hood. What is it that people don't like about it? Thanks for another excellent video!
Thank you! It is now one of my favorite Fuji lenses.
I've had this lens since 2018 and agree with most everything that you said. This lens is fantastic in every way mechanically and optically.
For me, with 50-plus years of shooting, prime lenses are not about the individual lens, but how the lens fits into a set of other lenses. If I'm using a 35mm on my Fuji, then I usually won't carry the 50mm. I need to be rewarded with a truly different look and angle of view for the effort of changing lenses. Like you, I really like the 16mm as a companion for the 50mm. This two-lens set is very versatile and can give both sweeping deep focus shots as well as tight selective focus images. I have both the f/1.4 and f/2.8 16mm lenses and if I know I'll be outside in good light, the f/2.8 is my choice because of the size and weight.
The 50mm also teams up nicely with the 18mm f/2 for a small but capable kit.
FWIW, if I am using a 23mm, the 50mm seems like too close, so I go to the 60mm macro, for a classic 35mm/90mm kit (equivalent) like I used for decades on my Leica M cameras. The 60mm is what allowed me to skip the 56mm, offering image quality and compactness at less than half the price.
Thank you for sharing! I never tried the 60mm macro but if I find one for a good price I will give it a try.
AGREED! I'm using my 50mm f2.0 over the chubby and ungainly f1.2 most times. Frankly I wish Fuji came out with a 50mm f1.4 or even f1.6 LM WR. It seems Fuji designers have prioritized wide aperture chubby lenses over reasonable aperture but mobile-friendly ones.
Your crisp diction makes me imagine I'm in a restaurant and you're the waiter. After I order, you tell me why I don't want that and why, and after an evaluation, you tell me exactly what I should get. Then I go and buy an interest in the restaurant.
Andrei the lens hood is my fav. I despise tulip lens hoods. This one fits the 50/2 perfectly. I also don't like to use filters, so this hood also gives me extra protection. This focal length on a cropped sensor also seems to be the most frequent and consistent of the majority of my fav photos that I have taken. Thanks for the video. Enjoyed seeing your images.
Thank you for sharing!
After finding your channel your reviews are becoming my favorite. You experience and knowledge shows in the level of detail and information you include in your reviews. I love this fov in apsc and full frame. To me its much more versatile than the 56mm or 85mm. I wish full frame would come out with a small 75mm f2 or 2.8 lens.
Glad you like them!
This was my second Fujifilm lens after the XC 15-45 one. It was such a joy to use a prime lens of such good quality! While the XC 15-45 isnt bad, the XF 50mm is just a different league. Quite the underrated lens, but the size, WR, build quality and images it Producers are just lovely features. Put a Macro ring between your camera and this lens and you got yourself a good and cheap macro lens! I bought the cheap JJC 11mm and 16mm rings and they work fine. Awesome video, bratan :)
Thank you!
I’ve been using this lens on the X-T4 for the past year and I agree with you on every aspect, I have most (or all) f/2 Fuji primes and my favorites for street photography are this one (XF50 f/2) and the XF23 f/2 which I mostly shoot between f/5.6 and f/11.
Thank you for sharing!
I really like your underrated Fujifilm lens, great video Andrei 😉
Thanks! 😀
Andrei, you read my mind! I'm getting this lens at the end of next month 😊 After debating in my head what to get to compliment my 23mm f2 I decided this was the one.
Good choice!
Thank you for your thought on this lens. Would you pick this lens over the sigma 56mm f1.4? Thank you😊
Yes, absolutely! It has better AF.
@@AndreiDimaReviews which has better IQ in your opinion?
@@AndreiDimaReviewsI also wonder about the IQ of the sigma 56 vs the Fuji 50. I own the 50mm F2 and love it but I am debating whether I should sell it for the sigma.
I think that the most underrated Fuji lens is the 14mm f2.8. Despite that it is somewhat old it is very sharp and its autofocus is fast and quiet.
You may be right, I forgot about that lens, thank you for reminding me.
Lo consiglio ottimo obbiettivo peccato non tropicalizzato . Sono un fotoamatore 👋👋.@@AndreiDimaReviews
I lately got this lens for all the reasons you gave and it delivers.
Autofocus is fast and reliable, quality is top notch, it's very very compact, aperture ring is tight, but I found that it lacks sharpness on distant objects when used as a short telephoto.
I was adapting my Pentax 50mm 1.7 on my Xpro3 and xt4, it's fun, cheaper, allows me to use manual focus that I love doing but honestly the manual experience on Fuji and especially the xpro3 is bad, even worse when wearing glasses and losing sight (40 45 years old hellooooo). I looked for alternatives but went for the "no compromises" path that this Fuji 50mm is offering: excellent optical quality, weather sealing, lovely construction and compactness. No other brand is offering those top specs in such a tiny package.
Do not hesitate, this lens is a bomb.
Could you elaborate on why manual on Fuji is bad? It's my first brand, recently sold the x100v and now have X-E4 with 33mm 1.4 and a Helios 44m-4 I shoot manual with. Currently looking to pick up another vintage lens as well
Its one of my favorite lenses now.
@@AdamAhmedPihlgren when I say it's bad it's my experience of course, it's possible to make it work but it's not as smooth experience as can be a manual film camera.
So first thing is that Fuji lenses have an electronic focus ring, when you turn it there's an internal motor or drive that's gonna move the elements. It's not precise and you can't really rely on muscle memory to focus like on a manual mechanical lens on which the focus ring will move the elements always in the same manner.
Second thing is the the focus peaking (red yellow or green) that is not precise.
As vintage lenses are not always ultra sharp, this method tends to highlight the wrong "focused zones" and you don't see it unless you're on a big screen. You'd better use the zoom function where the Fuji cameras are going to digitally zoom in your focus zone so you see if it's in focus. It's better but not perfect. It takes a longer time especially if it's a vintage lens because you gonna have to call this function by clicking on a button. On a Fuji lens it can be automated.
Third is my experience on the xpro3 that has both optical and electronic viewfinder. When only in optical viewfinder, you just can't manual focus unless you zone focus (knowing your lenses printed ranges are going to be offset). It's a good method to fast focus in the streets but you need to first do extended tests to know exactly your distances. I use this method for vintage lenses and new Fuji ones that have manual focus clutch.
Also on the xpro 3, whether you use vintage lenses or manual lenses made specifically for it, the optical viewfinder is not mechanically coupled with the lens, meaning there's no "zooming/adapting" of what you see through it, you'll just have guessed overlayed framelines that will never show you your real frame.
And on this xpro3 when you constantly want to focus you'll have to use either of the electronic viewfinders and electronic methods. It works most of the times if you check and recheck but then the battery drains way faster.
So yeah, manual focus on Fuji is not a smooth experience, it's better on cameras with electronic viewfinders but it's far from being a joy to a point I regretted buying a Mitakon 35mm 0.95, a Leica M adapter and my Pentax adapter. I would have preferred to buy a real Fuji len's and have fun on my Mamiya 645pro or films cameras if I ever want to play with manual focus.
thank you dear friend for this explanatory video The photos are beautiful have a great day
Thank you! You too!
Couldn't agree more! I sold my 56/1.2 and pocketed the cash as I didn't see the need for such a clunky and expensive chunk of glass when this one functions faster and safer too.
I love my 50mmf2 but the 18mmf2 is the most underrated
I need to give the 18mm a try.
How about noise? It is ok for the audio part of a video or noisy motor? Thanx
The motor is a bit noisy.
@@AndreiDimaReviews Uh... thanx.
Okay, seeing the 13mm f1.4 in the review of the 50 f2, now that's a sign. I'm gonna go get one...
Its a great lens, it is my go to lens for cityscapes and landscapes. I even got the finalist prize in the Viltrox photography contest with the 13mm f1.4.
Hello! Please tell me, is there a significant difference between 35 and 50 f2? I can't choose my first fixed lens among them
The 50mm f2 has better AF and better image quality.
@@AndreiDimaReviews thank you!
@@faina20 anytime!
It's my most favourite lens and I agree with all you said, but I don't agree that it's the Most Underrated Fujifilm Lens as I think that many Fuji photographers love it.
Cool gear.
Thanks!
Nah, the most underrated Fujinon X lens is the XF 18/2. Great little lens with fantastic character!
@kermitage f16 is the SWEETSPOT!
How to fix ? i have issue from my camera xt2 ‘turn off and turn in on again’