The Fuji X-T10 has a new sidekick: Checking out the svelte, weather resistant Fujinon 35mm f/2
posted Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 5:57 AM EDT
I know what you're thinking.... that the new Fujinon 35mm f/2 WR is a professional, weather-sealed lens that belongs on the flagship Fuji X-T1...! And, of course you're right, I can't argue with that.
But the 35mm f/2 is so small and lightweight that my first inclination was to pair it with the smaller and lighter X-T10 instead, and what a nice little pair they make! (And at just $399 this lens really does belong in the discussion with the X-T10.)
Of course, the overall combination isn't quite as small as the classic X100 series from Fuji, with the full-on retro vibe and their own 35mm f/2 fixed lenses. But that's a slightly different animal altogether, suiting a different type user or situation in many ways.
My first impression of the 35mm f/2 (after the obvious "Wow... it's so small and light!") is how precise of a photographic instrument it feels in the hands. The aperture ring has a nice, firm mechanical feel to it, very reassuring, and a pleasant focus ring as well. ('Small yet professional' suits the bill.) Having handled many Fujinon lenses, this didn't surprise me, but handling one for the first time never gets old to me.
Pop it onto the X-T10 and you have a great little package indeed. A good combination of svelte but still retro, almost as light as the X100T, but with ILC versatility and a mode dial to boot. I snuck it out of the lab for a weekend excursion, tried it indoors and out, overcast and full sun, to bring you some variety in this roughly 50mm eq. world (53mm eq. to be exact) while awaiting our full test lab results.
I shot mostly wide open, all handheld, though there is one shot stopped down to f/8 below for a different look. Click on any image to take you to the original image as delivered straight from the X-T10.
Not quite as shallow a depth of field as the Fuji 35mm f/1.4, but still quite shallow!
F2 Fujichrome Velvia film simulation mode - brightened a bit in post.
Classic Chrome film simulation mode can be a good option for portrait situations.
At 1/13s shutter speed I wasn't quite steady enough, and there is a touch of motion blur.
(Not the lens's fault of course!)
This was in very dim light, but f/2 still allowed for a 1/30s shutter speed at ISO 1250.
(Those crumpets are making me hungry!)
It's been one heck of a year to be a Fuji shooter. From the announcement of the Fuji X-T10 back in May to three new Fujinon primes (the 16mm f/1.4, 35mm f/2 & 90mm f/2), two of which are weather-resistant, the line-up just continues to become more powerful and versatile. Of course, as many of you know Fuji already has a 35mm f/1.4 in the line, an excellent lens that we use for lab testing, but the 35mm f/2 is lighter, weather-sealed and more affordable by several hundred dollars, so that one stop of exposure loss is the single biggest trade-off.
We'll have you our full lab results on this lens soon. A little bird from down there whispered into my ear that the results are incredibly good, but you didn't hear that from me! For more gallery images from this combination head to our Fuji X-T10 gallery page and scroll down until you see a batch with "35mm" in the filenames. (And if you've yet to see that gallery as a whole, there are a ton of great images shot with other lenses on the X-T10 by reviewer Jeremy Gray!)
[Want another cup of Caffeine Priority? Just click here!]
• • •
Caffeine Priority is a new series of short photo-tidbits to ease you into your day, and give us a chance to share a bit more of what life’s like here at IR. We're more like a group of friends testing and talking about cameras and lenses than the buttoned-down, big-corporation world that some of our photo-friends at other companies work in; hopefully these little snippets will share some of that. So... grab another coffee and join in the conversation with us down below!