Fujifilm has recently announced the new and highly anticipated XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR. This lens is an update to the popular 56mm f/1.2 R lens, which has been a favorite of Fujifilm X users since it was announced in early 2014. But how much improvement can we see? Have the criticisms of the original lens been addressed? This fantastic video gives real-world insight.
Coming to you from Kevin Mullins, a wedding photographer and Fujifilm guru based in the UK, this video looks at some real-world images made using the newly released XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR lens. The 56mm f/1.2 lens has, for a long time, been a staple in the camera bags of Fujifilm users everywhere. Kevin has addressed any long-standing groans that some users had with the original 56mm lens and lets us know if it's worth the upgrade (spoiler alert: I'll be replacing my trusty 56mm with the new version as soon as I can).
Until recently, and right through the rise of the X mount, Kevin has been a Fujifilm ambassador. He has influenced many wedding photographers to switch to the brand, so if anybody can give us an opinion worthy of our time, it's him.
Kevin talks more about how he has used the lens in his work recently, but if you want to see the technical specifications of the new lens, here they are.
- 56mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 85mm)
- Max aperture f/1.2
- 11 diaphragm blades for a nearly perfectly circular aperture for particularly clean edges along highlights with minimal aberrations and particularly nice bokeh
- 13 elements in 8 groups
- Two aspherical elements and one ED element
- High-refractive technology
- Minimum focusing distance of 50 cm
- Dust- and moisture-sealing
- Fluorine coating
All I worry about is the AF speed.
Other 3 gen2 lenses used Linear Motors, and their AF are blazing fast and silent.
The new 56 will be my workhorse, I hope it will not let me down.
As an original 56 owner, I contemplated getting the 50mm f1.0, but it seemed too large to really enjoy - more of a strict professional lens than the 56 which is perfectly comfortable in a casual shoot or a wedding. The new 56 seems better in every respect, in every use case, with almost no compromises compared to the original. It will be a barn burner, along with the X-H2.