Fujinon XF56mmF1.2 R

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I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer. I shoot both traditional, posed portraits and candid, photojournalistic-style shots. Ive shot Canon digital for the last 10 years, using everything from the 10D to the 6D and a whole bunch of full-frame and APS-C and APS-H models in between. Of course, through all those bodies, the glass is the biggest reason I stuck with Canon, eventually narrowing my main focal lengths to a few primes and a couple of key zooms. 85mm (full frame) is my favorite focal length, along with 35mm for the wider end. I began with the classic, seemingly best-bang-for-your-buck Canon 85mm 1.8. It was reasonably sharp at 1.8 (usually) and sharpening up nicely by 2.8. The only thing was, it had horrendous chromatic aberrations (purple fringing) that made post-processing that much longer and more tedious. Enter the Sigma 85mm 1.4 at @ 2.5 time the cost of the Canon. A much better lens in terms of sharpness and color/contrast, as at 1.6, it was as good as anything out there, BUT I had to go through 4 copies to get one that didnt mis-focus (even with AF adjustment) or have some other mechanical issue. In a nutshell, not reliable enough for wedding work. So, I eventually caved and dropped the big bucks on the venerable Canon 85mm 1.2L II, otherwise known as the king of kings in the dreamy, bokeh-laden land of fast lenses. Now, the word "fast," as youve likely heard, merely describes its light-gathering ability, because when defining its focusing speed, this is an entirely ironic word. Its dog slow, it hunts. When you nail it, its superb, but between the fact that it costs as much as a new 6D body AND a 85mm 1.8 and the fact that it weighs a lot (a detail that initially seems sexy, until you have to carry it around mounted on a 1DS MK III for 10 hours,) it gets old fast. A couple of years back, I bought a Fuji X10, for a few reasons. I love the retro styling with so much manual control and I began to see some very nice tones from the camera, and I loved the direction the company was going in with the X100, but I couldnt justify the price for a fixed lens camera at the time, as I was still a full-time Canon shooter who had $10,000 invested in equipment and it didnt leave much flexibility for play money. Of course, the X10 was also a point and shoot with a tiny sensor, but the whole Fuji model is so well-thought-out and consistent, I was able to get an idea of the direction they were going in. Last year, I finally got my hands on an X100. I loved it, to a degree. It was wonderful to hold, to shoot with. It was unobtrusive and didnt scare anyone. But the lens was only good, not great. 35mm is my bread and butter length and Id grown quite accustomed to the insanely gorgeous, sharp at 1.4 images my Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART lens had been giving me, and in the end, the Fuji, limited in its single focal length attached to what looked to be a very promising sensor, wasnt going to take the place of that lens. So, it went back up for sale. Then, I got a hold of an X-E1 with the 18-55, which as many have attested, is a fantastic kit lens, BUT the AF was slow and hunting in low light. I still began to see the promise of the system and loved the images I was getting with this one, but it was before the firmware updates. Then, I got an X-Pro 1 with a 35mm 1.4 and it really started to become a contender, the whole system that is. The lens was nice, the images were nice, the AF was still slow, but as I looked at the Fuji lens roadmap and saw what was coming, I began to think, "I may eventually be able to move from Canon," which is a thought I did not have lightly. Still, I went through all of last season with my full Canon gear, shooting a few shots at one wedding with the X-E1 and few at another with an Olympus OM-D EM-1 (which was quickly discarded as the glass to sensor size is never going to work for my style.) As this season approached, I began to dread two details- 1) Having to hunt with the heavy 85mm 1.2 and 2) Having to not only lug around all that heavy Canon gear, but also try to get close, candid shots without someone recoiling at the sight of a gigantic camera near them. So, I began to voraciously read up on the XT-1 and the 56mm 1.2 and the 23mm 1.4, as well as the firmware updates of the XE-1. It all began to really look good, as in really good. I rented and XT-1 and a 23mm 1.4. I am not lying when I say that within a few hours, I was taking pictures of my 5D MK II, my 6D and my Canon glass and putting it on Ebay. Rash? Perhaps, but as soon as I dumped those 23mm 1.4 shots into Lightroom and saw that they were tack-sharp and the dynamic range was insane, that did it. I had read enough reviews from enough trusted sources to know that the 56mm 1.2 would be the 23mms equivalent, and, to now make a very long story short and hopefully relevant, I can say I know as the truth that this is indeed the case. I have been using the XT-1 with the 23mm and 56mm and the XE-1 with the 14mm 2.8 and 55-200mm for the better part of a month now and after having just shot an engagement shoot with ALL FUJI gear for my first time ever, I am here to say that I have 100% faith in this system. Not only that, but I prefer the images I am getting from this system vs. the Canon. The 56 is what the 85mm 1.8 would be if it were sharp wide open and without chromatic issues. That may not seem to you that its worth a thousand dollars, but to me, it is. I rarely shot the 85MM 1.2 at 1.2, though when I did, I loved it, and so I cannot lie that I will miss that in the tiniest way, BUT the way that the RAF files come from this camera (not to mention the jpegs and did I really just say that?) is one thing that Canon cannot do. The 56 is solid, its fast, its built as beautifully as any lens Ive ever owned. Its small and non-threatening. It has a close focusing distance as well, so if you really want that up close portrait where everything but the eyes or the lips is thrown into a dreamy background, this will deliver that in spades. This lens (along with the 23mm 1.4) made it possible for me to switch, confidently, to an entirely new system with a smaller sensor, so while the price may intimidate some people, for me, its a bargain.

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This is my second favorite Fuji lens. First favorite is the 16mm. The only reasons this isnt the first: * Not WR. * Long minimum focusing distance (16mm is practically a macro) * .... uhhhh thats it. Weve all seen how perfect this is at portraits and model shoots. Want some next level magic? Slap a 3x ND filter on the business end and try some street photography with it. I know! The purists will tell you that there is no such thing as street photography with a lens this long. But just open that aperture all the way up, use an ND filter, and *try it*. Game changer.

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WOW!! This lens makes the FUJI Xt-2! I cant say enough good things about this lens. The images it creates are absolutely drop dead stunning. For build quality its got a nice balanced weight to it but still easy enough to hand hold. To me the motor is almost silent, and the focus and aperture rings are smooth as silk. Im not going into pixel peeping specifics as thats what other pro sites are for. That being said: In my own personal opinion If I could only have once lens this would be it without a doubt. Yes its costly but worth every penny (and normally I would never say that about a camera lens) Others have said it hunts for focus but that was not my experience at all. I easily nailed 95 percent of the first 1250 photos taken ( which involved 4 year olds playing soccer and my daughter flying on a swing set. For photo reference see my previous first impressions on the Xt-2 both photos are straight out of the camera totally unedited and in JPEG

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everyone knows the lens is sharp. I will just go over the cons. this lens is not very light but still balances well with xe2. nobody mentions about the focus speed on this lens. its not as fast as the 35mm f2 lens. it will hunt a little but but speed is still ok if you are not shooting baby or toddler who doesnt follow instructions yet. why do u I still give a 5 star? the image render from the lens is outstanding. super razor sharp and it pops. if you can work with the limitation of the lens, well worth the money.

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I have owned this lens before and loved it but I sold it when I moved to Sony for a couple of years. Now Im back using Fujifilm cameras so I immediately re-purchased the 56mm f/1.2. One thing to note: the lens I received had been used. As you can see from the photos, there was dust all over it. This is not something you would expect from a new lens or even one that had just been taken out of the box for inspection. Doubly troubling is the fact that the lens was "shipped and sold" by Amazon itself and not a third party. I expected more QC from them. Make sure that you check for issues when you receive your copy.

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The announcement of the FUJINON 56mm f/1.2 really strengthened my desire for the X-T1 camera (and to step out from my DSLRs to a compact system), so I preordered the body, the vertical grip, and this lens--my first and so far only Fuji glass for the x-series Fuji compact camera system. I shoot a lot of PORTRAITURE. Headshots, environmentals, bridals, fashion, journalism. The 85-90mm focal length is one of my favorites. Tight if you move in close, yet loose enough to get just enough background and sense of place when you back up some. And the size of the glass is not too big or heavy for easy carry and quick use. I also like a small prime as it forces you to move around and find the best angles (rather than zoom in and out)—I find that I generally shoot better when using primes because I work harder for the better composition. This lens has extraordinary BUILD QUALITY, just leaps above the plasticky (yet pricey) offerings of other major brands. Im not knocking the quality of the glass of competitors, but the general sense of build and aesthetics doesnt usually come close to this. The Fuji just feels like it was built in another time period, when mechanical engineering and quality components was important. The MANUAL FOCUS RING is honestly one of the best i have ever felt. Damped with just the right amount of resistance with silky smooth turning...and a good amount of range for intricate focus feel. You almost wonder if its at the expense of a faster AF though. The autofocus does work well, it is smooth and generally locks on target quickly and accurately. It does have a bit of noise however, more than i would like, especially for video use, but the MF is so nice that it would be more useful in focus pulling for video anyway. The glass is SHARP as a tack, detailed, highly-resolving--even on the razor-thin edge of wide-open. Like all lenses its even sharper stopped down a bit, especially to the corners, but the crispness is there, even across the entire focus plane at f/ 1.2. The BOKEH is sublime, dreamy, creamy, soft and snugly for the backgrounds. Im a bokeh hunter. I look at my backgrounds as much as my subject. I create lighting effects just for bokeh. So i had to have this lens, and it does not disappoint. COLOR and CONTRAST are excellent, and DISTORTION is very well controlled. My only wish would be the MFD be a bit closer (it’s 70cm = 27.5” or 2.3 feet), but its not a macro lens and as such the ratio is only 0.09x (a bit less even than the 35mm f/1.4). Just think it could be a little more useful overall if it could focus just a bit tighter to fill the frame with the smaller objects (such as hands/rings portrait for wedding). It is SOLID, mostly metal, with a superb FEEL in the hand, and in use on the camera it balances very well with the X-T1/vertical grip combo. Might be a bit bulky and heavy matched to the smaller bodies though. The filter thread is 62mm, and it comes with a plastic hood. The included hood seems quite long and large for the lens, and although i am sure it will do its intended job, Ive adapted a step-up ring with a quality UV filter and a much shorter metal hood to mine (62-67mm) just because i want the lens to stay on my camera and fit in a bag easily with no cumbersome hoods, caps, etc. in the way of quick shooting. The larger plastic hood would probably be more effective for flare (I just use my hand when I need to) and possibly for protection in case of drops. The front element/filter does not turn, which is useful for polarizers and other sFX filters. The focusing mechanics are completely internal which keeps the lens at a consistent length. The f/stops (on the lens) have softly-indented mechanical clicks--23 clicks between f/1.2 and f/16--with the "A" click setting to the far left. I love using a lens-equipped aperture ring, as I did in film days. Makes a quick transition between apertures easy and more intuitive while using your left hand and being able to keep your right finger on the shutter release. I absolutely love very FAST PRIME lenses. I shoot in all types of environments, and lighting is not always so good-- a fast lens can be very useful for low light and to separate the subject from the background well. I also frequently use a short telephoto range for action/sports such as basketball. A poorly lit gym can make things hard, but a very speedy lens can help you to get the needed shutter speeds to stop fast motion (without having to use ultra-high ISOs). This lens will be useful for many subjects, and is actually worth the high cost for a lens with a maximum f-stop of 1.2. Of course it is not the same as having a full-frame sensor with a comparable full frame glass, but you certainly have the useful light-gathering ability of the fast f-stop regardless of DOF comparisons. There is really not much to fault with this lens. Its a beauty, and it creates beautiful images. It makes it easy to work with and inspires my fingers to want to caress it into compositions. It is a glass jewel that works perfectly with the the X-T1 camera (and I am sure with all x-series Fuji’s), a marriage made in FujiFilm-land.

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What can I say that hasnt been said? An excellent lens. I hesitated buying this for so long because I own an excellent 85 mm F1 .4 Nikon lens for my full frame Nikon camera, but now that I own seven Fuji lenses and three bodies, I really hated having to lug that camera and lens around just for the one focal length. Yes, this has the shallow depth of field of a full frame 85 mm F1 .8 lens, which Nikon sells $500, BUT it has the low light capability of Canons $2000 F1.2 lens. More importantly, is it is super sharp corner to corner, even at F1 .2, something the other lenses arent t. Your clients will never see the difference. I did look at the APD version, but even on sale its $400 more, and most of the limited reviewers here, while they liked the lens, returned it and bought the standard one. This lens also allows phase detection autofocus in addition to contrast detection, which the APD doesnt permit, and you dont lose almost one stop of light wide open.

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This is one of my favorite lenses in the Fuji X system. Its on my camera about 50-60% of the time. The other lens I use is the 35mm. What more can I say about this lens that hasnt been said? I love the sharpness, even wide open. I love the bokeh. I even love the weight. Yes, its a huge beast. But its not that huge. I think it balances well on my Fuji X-T1. It focuses fast and it gives one of the best IQ Ive seen on a fuji system. I just wished the focusing distance was closer. But its okay. I have the slow 60mm for that.

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As many people have already testified, this is simply one of the best lenses available for any camera. It takes remarkably sharp pictures with a nice bokeh when it is opened wide. It is an 85 mm equivalent and very well suited for taking portraits. It is limited to focusing on objects no closer than about 3 feet from the lens. This came as a surprise when I took out the camera and tried to take a picture of my food and the camera refused to focus even when stopped down to f/16. The autofocussing is also a bit slow. I am using it on a Fuji XT-1 with the autofocus set on single rather than continuous. This way, you have to partly depress the shutter button to focus. It takes about a second or 2. Almost all the time, the focus is good, because the camera recognizes faces and will lock onto them. If you set the camera on continuous autofocus, it is constantly adjusting the focus and this can be distracting. In fact, if I am taking a series of pictures of a subject at a particular distance, I turn the autofocus to manual and simply turn the lens ring to adjust the focus. Note that you have to turn the ring a fair amount to change the focus. Once you get use to it, however, it works fine.

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This lens offers a great image quality that remembers me of film. It doesn’t have that excessive sharpness that gives away you’re looking a digital file. If your use this lens and do a good color grading, you can think that the image was taken with a film camera. The focusing is appropiate to the end of this lens, that is, portrait. Highly recommended

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