Gear comes and goes, but a few pieces end up shaping most of your best work. This video lays out five lenses he says he will not sell, then hints at a pattern between one specific lens and his strongest images.
Coming to you from Pit Haupert, this practical video starts with a blunt take: most lenses are temporary, so the ones that stay need a clear reason. Haupert gives a quick nod to the fixed-lens Fujifilm X100VI, mostly as a size-to-light-gathering reference point, not as a “pick this instead” detour. Then he moves straight to his favorite compact interchangeable option, the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR, and frames it as the lens you grab when you don’t want to overthink the day. It’s an everyday focal length on APS-C, it stays small, and it doesn’t force a “look” on everything you point it at. He also calls out the cheaper sibling, Fujinon XC 35mm f/2, and explains what you lose when you trade down, which is the kind of detail that saves money or prevents regret.
The middle of the list is where the tone shifts from “easy carry” to “optics first.” Haupert talks about the Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR as the lens that finally shows what a high-resolution body can actually do, especially on the Fujifilm X-T5. You get a real sense of how he judges “sharp” versus “pleasant,” because he isn’t only chasing crisp edges. He also talks about background blur in a way that’s more about cleanliness and control than drama, and he’s specific about what he doesn’t see, like color fringing. Then he admits the catch: the lens is expensive, and the focal length can feel too wide depending on how you see scenes, which is the part many reviews dodge.
After that, he pivots to the lens he says wins purely on blur and subject pop, the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Pro, and he doesn’t pretend it’s a universal choice. The look is intense at f/1.2, and he describes the hit rate and handling problems you run into when you’re standing far back trying to direct someone. He stacks it against familiar alternatives like the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR, the Fujinon XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR, and the Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR, but he doesn’t turn it into a spec war. His zoom pick is also more nuanced than “constant f/2.8 or nothing,” and the tradeoff lands on weather sealing and how the lens behaves in real use, with names like the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary and the Fujinon XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR coming up in a way that forces you to think about what you actually carry, not what you admire online. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Haupert.
No comments yet