Best lens for couple photography

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R and Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR lenses for Fujifilm cameras with APS-C sensors: the law of pair cases

The Law of Paired Cases

• Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R and Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR lenses (this article)
• Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R lens (separate article)
• Fujinon XF 27mm F2.8 lens (separate article)
• Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR and Fujinon XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR lenses (separate article)

Every doctor who has practiced for at least a few years knows such an expression - the law of paired cases. It is not usually used in the official medical literature, but is often used in everyday life. This is the meaning of this law, which, in fact, is not a law at all, but an empirical rule: if in your practice you have encountered a rare and difficult case when the traditional approach to diagnosis or treatment turned out to be ineffective, then soon you should expect a repetition of such a case, and with a sufficient number of details. Understanding the law of paired cases in medical practice is more positive than negative, because it indicates that the experience gained in unraveling a difficult situation with a disease or injury will come in handy quite soon and will be used with success. Our case today is akin to this medical law. We will explore the possibilities of two optical devices that have more similarities than differences, and the method that we will use in the research process will also be paired: we will photograph the same scenes and plots at about the same time, alternately with two lenses, and then compare the results. nine0003

The Fifty Dollar Phenomenon

Fujifilm's X-mount cameras are equipped with APS-C (23. 6x15.6mm) sensors, so a 35mm lens produces an image on them that is approximately the size of a full-frame sensor ( 24×36 mm) lens with a focal length of 53 mm (35×1.5=52.5 mm).

Optics with a focal length of “50 mm and around” (in fact, 45-58 mm) have been considered universal since film times, designed for any subject, from reportage, portrait and landscape photography to product photography. This is dictated by the fact that the scale of the image it creates roughly corresponds to the one that our eyes “draw”. In addition, it is easier to design and produce high-quality lenses with such a focal length in large series than wide-angle lenses and telephoto lenses. Therefore, lenses "50 mm and around" are often called "standard" lenses (in fact, there is no standardization in this), and in photographic jargon they are called "fifty dollars". nine0003

Today we are going to talk about two such lenses for Fujifilm cameras with APS-C sensors: Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R and Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR.

Specifications

Here are the characteristics of the subjects according to Fujifilm and our measurements.

Lens (full name)	Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
Announcement date	January 9, 2012	October 21, 2015
Focal length	35 mm	35 mm
Equivalent focal length (for APS-C sensors)	53 mm	53 mm
Bayonet	Fujifilm X	Fujifilm X
Maximum aperture	F1.4
Minimum aperture	F16	F16
Number of aperture blades	7 (straight)	9 (rounded)
Items	8 (of which one is aspherical) in 6 groups	9 (of which two are aspherical) in 6 groups
AR coating	Super EBC*	Nano-GI**
Minimum focusing distance	0. 28 m	0.30 m
Viewing angle	44.2°	44.2°
Maximum magnification	0.17 times	0.135 times
Autofocus	with lens extension	internal
Auto focus motor	micromotor	stepper motor
Stabilization	no	no
Dust and moisture proof	no	yes
Filter thread	∅52 mm	∅43 mm
Dimensions (diameter x length)	∅65×54.9 mm	∅60×45.9 mm
Weight	187 g	170 g
Price	T-8253823	T-13045708

* EBC - Electron Beam Coating
** GI - Gradient Index

Before delving into the description of the similarities and differences between the heroes of our law of couples, we want to note one nice feature of most Fujinon lenses: they are equipped with traditionally designed front caps (with spring-loaded latches), but of an original design, thanks to which they can be easily and quickly removed, do not require adjustment when put on, do not fly off when accidentally touched by fingers. Compared to similar products from other manufacturers, Fujifilm's front covers are the most comfortable to use and the most reliable. It is with such covers that both of our “fifty kopecks” are completed. Of course, this is by no means the main advantage of optics in general and of our subjects in particular, but we simply could not fail to point to it. nine0003

Fujinon Lens Front Cap: Same principle of holding in the lens front ring as others, but more comfortable to put on and secure to hold

Similarities The F2 R WR is united not only by its focal length, but also by the general design plan, or layout, that is characteristic of Fujinon X-mount lenses in general. The bodies, flanges of the bayonet docking units, aperture and focus control rings are all-metal, they look very impressive and solid, causing a feeling of quality factor and high reliability during the initial inspection and further work. Wider focusing rings are located at the front lenses, and narrower aperture rings are located at the mount.

Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR (left) and Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R lens mounts

Focusing and iris in auto and manual modes are handled exclusively by the built-in electronics, although the corresponding rings are provided for manual control. However, there is no mechanical control of aperture and focus. Fortunately, focusing in manual mode is almost free from the inertia of the electronic-mechanical system, when the movement of the focusing lens group lags behind the ring rotated by the photographer. nine0003

It is impossible to focus on the distance scale using the depth of field, and there is no such scale on any of the lenses. In our opinion, this does not add convenience, but, at the same time, it will not become an obstacle when shooting in the vast majority of situations. The influence of the global trend is obvious: lenses were designed with the priority of focusing in automatic rather than manual mode.

Aperture control provided in 1/3-stop increments. It can be performed without visual control, completely without looking up from the viewfinder, since in each of the positions the aperture ring responds with a clear click, tangible and tactile, and aurally (the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R has a sharper sound than its "younger brother" ). nine0003

Lens controls: 1 - focusing ring, 2 - aperture ring

This is where the similarity of "fifty dollars" ends; everyone has their own game.

Differences

The most important and most noticeable of the differences among our subjects is, of course, aperture, the difference in which in favor of the "older" Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R is a whole exposure step (f / 1.4 vs. f / 2). This, of course, is a fundamental point that cannot be compensated for by any other advantages. However, in the Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR, which was released for 3 years and almost 9months later than its predecessor, we are captivated by high technical excellence, evolutionary novelty and a lower price.

Both lenses use multi-coated lenses. In Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR, it is called Electron Beam Coating, which implies traditional ion deposition under high vacuum using an electron beam and consists of eleven (!) Layers. The Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR uses a more advanced Nano Gradient Index Anti-Reflective Coating. It involves the deposition on the lens surface of special nanoelements that create gradient changes in the refraction of the optical system depending on the layer thickness and the density of the active particles. Such a coating makes it possible not to "absorb", as a traditional multilayer coating does, but rather to "cut off" spurious reflections due to the shape, size, and relative position of the nanoparticles. nine0003

Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR's Nano-GI Anti-Reflective Coating is more effective than traditional multi-coated lenses at reducing reflections from lens surfaces (Fujifilm original design)

Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR is slightly lighter, noticeably more compact and has a more advanced optical design, in which not one, like the "big brother", but two expensive aspherical design elements are used to improve image sharpness. Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R is also not without technological tricks, but they are still more modest than those of the follower. nine0003

It is also important that the "little brother" is protected from moisture and dust, as evidenced by the letters WR (Weather Resistance) in the name of the lens. The manufacturer guarantees its uninterrupted operation at ambient temperatures down to -10 degrees, and this is especially important given, firstly, the specific climate of our country, and secondly, the fact that the latest flagship cameras Fujifilm X-Pro2 and X-T2 have the same protection and frost resistance.

"little brother" aperture 9-, and not 7-blade, and these petals are rounded, which should improve the background blur pattern not only at maximum aperture, but also at aperture (up to f / 16).

Advanced transformations have affected the auto focus. The Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR is driven by a stepper motor that runs almost silently, very fast and extremely accurate. If the autofocus drive of the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R must pull the driven lens group at least a couple of times along with the front ring of the lens back and forth and cannot hide the resulting squealing, then the “younger” everything happens almost silently and without any elongation lens (the short name for this method is internal focusing). nine0003

Bench test

Let's take a look at the test results in our laboratory. The results are shown in the diagrams and photographs below.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R

In the center of the frame, even at large apertures (f/2-f/2.8), the lens exhibits high resolution. Moreover, it looks very enviable even in the circle of elite optics with a fixed focal length, and, probably, many "fifty kopecks" of other systems would give a lot for such indicators.

Sharpness at maximum aperture (f/1.4) is excellent; it is even unusual that this lens can be used without the traditional half-stop "cover". nine0003

The sharp drop in resolution at f/5.6 and below is not entirely clear. But this, perhaps, is the price for excellent performance at high apertures, or the features of a particular lens instance.

At the edges of the frame, the resolution is excellent in a fairly wide range of apertures (f/1.8-f/8), although it is noticeably inferior to the indicators in the center. With further aperture, as expected, it quickly decreases at the frame periphery due to the influence of diffraction.

Chromatic aberrations when shooting in laboratory conditions are almost imperceptible at any aperture, and this is very pleasing, since it is an intractable disease of any high-aperture optics. nine0003

Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR

The younger "fifty dollars" demonstrates a lower resolution than its more expensive predecessor, and it is especially inferior to its "big brother" at a critical wide aperture opening. Maximum resolution is reached in the center of the frame at f/4, and when fully expanded, it is almost the same as at f/10, when the influence of diffraction is strong.

At the periphery of the frame, the resolution of this lens behaves in much the same way; it remains at a good level only when apertured to f / 4-f / 8. nine0003

When compared with the resolution of the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R, we can conclude that the “big brother” is unconditionally superior, although the difference between the center and periphery of the frame is slightly less pronounced in the “younger” one.

Chromatic aberrations are not detected either at full aperture or at any of the stops.

Real world photography

Lens testing was done by taking paired photographs of the same scenes at approximately the same time, from the same angles, at the same distances, and under the same lighting conditions. A Fujifilm X-T1 camera was used with the following settings selected:

• Aperture priority (shutter speed and ISO in A positions),
• center-weighted exposure meter,
• single-frame autofocus,
• center focus,
• dynamic range 100%,
• Film Simulation - Provia (Standard),
• auto white balance,
• without additional adjustments for color, sharpness, tone of highlights and tone of shadows,
• Noise reduction disabled,
• mechanical + electronic shutter (according to the situational choice of the system).

Pictures were recorded in uncompressed RAW format (Fujifilm RAF) without pre-processing and then converted to JPG using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5 (Adobe Camera RAW) without adjustment or scaling.

Let's start, perhaps, with a plot that is usually very simple and quite common in the practice of an amateur photographer - with a landscape. For a certain complication of the task, we will choose early morning for shooting, when the lighting is very contrasting and the light from the sun shines almost tangentially to the surface of the earth, laying long thick shadows. nine0003

The pictures are almost identical in every way, except for the image shift in the frame caused by the fact that the shooting was carried out without a tripod and it was simply impossible to ensure accurate framing of the entire series when changing one lens to another. nine0003

Both lenses show excellent color reproduction, high sharpness, excellent detail and good contrast. True, the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R has a slightly more pronounced contrast, but it is very difficult to notice. Small details are well defined both in dense shadows and in bright highlights. The glare of the sun on the domes does not spread and does not spoil the picture.

The "Brothers" did a great job. High contrast, excellent detail, excellent sharpness throughout the field of frames. The reflections of the sun do not knock out the details of the image. The structure of reflections in water is well developed. Again, the difference is very hard to tell, and again limited to just slightly higher contrast in a photo taken with the Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R.

Even at an open (sic!) aperture, there is no noticeable difference between the lenses in picture, contrast and color reproduction. We are satisfied with almost everything here. In the photo taken by the Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR, the slightly sharper old man's beard is barely noticeable, but this is most likely caused by a shift in the focus point. In both photos there is excellent contrast, beautiful color (without unnecessary “flattery” to the indigo-blue morning sky) and a pleasant background blur, thanks to which even a very dark sculpture is well isolated from the background and, as it were, moves forward into the zone of our attention. nine0003

Photography theorists believe that landscapes should be shot at apertures as wide as f/8-f/11, as this will bring out as much detail as possible. But what if the details are not needed? Let's stop down to f/2, focus on the nearest bale of straw and see if we succeed. It seems that in our case with lenses of different ages, this was also possible. True, we again see identical results for both, and again we have no complaints about the pictures from the technical side. This time it is even impossible to point out at least something inconspicuous. nine0003

One can rather find fault with the lighting: scattered sunlight through dense clouds does not give the picture the desired liveliness and richness of colors. We can only speak with confidence about the adequate contrast of the forest in the background and the cloudy sky. Nevertheless, the detail in the sharpness zone is excellent, the color and midtones are reproduced quite adequately, and the background is blurred just to the right degree: not so much as to deprive the picture of information content, but enough so that the background does not argue about its importance with the foreground. nine0003

This is what background blur, or bokeh, looks like when shooting outdoors at full aperture for each subject. Of course, the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R has a whole stop of exposure margin, and this is clearly seen in the clearly shallower depth of field in the foreground colors. However, in this scene, this is not particularly useful for the picture and not very beneficial for perception, since the loss of more flowers from the sharpness zone confuses their generalized image. But in some other situations, just such an opportunity for a “big brother” can be a decisive success factor. nine0003

Color reproduction is very good, although morning sunlight often causes problems with its unusual color temperature: it is not even yellow, but rather orange.

Product photography at apertures as fast as f/2 allows you to highlight the desired objects by controlling the depth of field. In the first pair of shots, focus was made on the window of the house, located in the middle ground between the toothy souvenirs, and in the second, on the upper teeth of the jaw in the foreground.

The background blur quality is very high. In English-language reviews, such boke is sometimes referred to as "creamy" (that is, "creamy"). In our opinion, such a term is doubtful in essence and hardly adequately characterizes the specifics of blurring, but it contains a lot of emotionally positive things. The foreground blur is not so easy to assess, since there are too few objects in the blur zone, but so far it looks good. nine0003

Spots from light sources in the background are attractive in both the first and second pair of photos, that is, when focusing on the closest object and on the object located in the middle ground.

The color reproduction is excellent, and the lenses retain the well-known "golden mean" in white balance: there is no drift either in warm or cold tones, everything is rendered exactly as it should be.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R at maximum aperture (f/1.4)
Fujinon XF 35mm F1. 4 R at f/2	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR at maximum aperture (f/2)
Illumination. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. 1/850 c. ISO 200.

Focusing was done on the red lamp at the bottom. Attention is drawn to the characteristic change in the shape of spots from light sources in the background. At full aperture (f / 1.4 and f / 2, respectively), these spots have a flattened shape and do not look like circles, but like lentils. Aperture by one stop in the case of the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R allows you to correct this shortcoming and return the spots to the shape of a regular circle. nine0003

	Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
f/1.4
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
Gift shop. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. ISO 200.

Let's study the nature of boke formation in more detail. On a series of shots taken when opening the aperture from maximum to f / 4, we see the same change in the shape of the spots from the lamps, which we noticed in the previous series. This time, it is obvious that in the less fast Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR at maximum aperture, these spots take the form of lentils, and when the aperture is covered by one stop, they become more regular. It should be noted that this effect is characteristic of most fast lenses and, perhaps, this is the last of the negative effects of such optics, which both manufacturers and photographers strive to combat. Therefore, we will not blame the lenses for these same lentils on an open aperture. nine0003

Among the positive features of the tested optics, we note the equally good elaboration of the texture of the plaster surface of the figure of an angel, which the light hits in the back, clearly complicating the work of both the camera and the lenses. Nevertheless, tonal transitions are reproduced carefully and delicately. The blurring of the four brass candlesticks in the background is very well displayed and yellow spots are formed from the glare of light on them and their reflections.

Interior portrait taken in difficult lighting conditions. Let's describe the scene in a nutshell. Cloudy weather; daylight enters the room through a “light filter” in the form of a glass partition (on the left in the frame) and draws a reflection of the model on the inside of the glass facing us. To the right, behind the girl, there are incandescent ceiling lamps at some distance, adding about 15% more lighting to the scene. The light from these lamps falls on the left half of the face and mixes with daylight falling from the left. Despite everything, the white balance worked flawlessly. Color reproduction even on the right half of the model's face, which is entirely in the power of daylight, looks quite natural. This is all the more pleasant because photographers are aware of lenses from other manufacturers that take white to such a jungle, from where it is very difficult to return it, even adjusting the balance on a gray target in post-processing. nine0003

Focusing was carried out on the left eye of the model, so here, obviously, maximum sharpness and high detail are revealed, and even at the maximum aperture opening of the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R. Aperture to f / 2 and f / 2.8 adds only a little depth of field, but practically does not affect the detail in the focus area and the quality of background blur.

Shots taken with the Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR lens show barrel distortion, which also draws attention because it appears in perceptually significant areas of the scene. However, this drawback is easily corrected in post-processing or by activating the in-camera capabilities of Fujifilm cameras. nine0003

Portrait in an office interior with the only light source - the sun from the window. We note the most important thing: both "fifty kopecks" perfectly worked out the portrait scene at all aperture values. Looking back at the footage, we felt close to admiring - we loved both lenses' ability to capture the finest gradation of midtones in bright highlights and deep shadows, their excellent color reproduction without any (often misplaced) accents, and the excellent reproduction of detail - faces , hair and clothing fabric texture. nine0003

As for the comparative analysis of our two subjects, we note once again: in addition to the clearly smaller depth of field at full disclosure, the Fujinon XF 35mm F1,4 R (which is simply not given to the "younger brother" due to its design), neither we cannot specify otherwise.

Here are some more shots from the “pair” gallery:

nine0003

Fujinon XF 35mm F1. 4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
Reusable Angel. Moscow. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. f/2.8. 1/160 c. ISO 200.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
Goldfish set. Moscow. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. f/4. 1/220 c. ISO 200.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
Lights. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. f/2. 1/40 c. ISO 200.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR
Red dawn on Krasnaya Presnya. World Trade Center (Hammer Center). Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, Moscow. 5:50 am. Camera Fujifilm X-T1. f/8. 1/400 c. ISO 200.

Photographer Alexandra Manovtseva's opinion

Two very compact lenses with a full frame focal length of 53mm. I've been shooting the most this month with them.

The XF 35mm F1.4 R has a softer design and is slightly slower to focus than the XF 35mm F2 R WR. Given these properties, I shot more “calm” scenes with it, in which the softness and liveliness of the picture, a slight blur in white was in my favor. As, for example, in a frame with a window. nine0003

I've always liked 'shadow dips' and fading into white - it gives more integrity to the frame, this is how I worked when hand-printing frames shot on film. Digital photography can often be distinguished from film photography due to the “competent” study of all the smallest details in both highlights and shadows. This, of course, shows all the merits of the technical developments of the camera manufacturers, but attention is scattered on the details, often the holistic perception of the frame is lost.

I must say that the softness of the picture does not mean "blur". The shots are sharp and, combined with a slight soft effect in white, this gives an interesting picture. nine0003

Of the shortcomings - insufficiently fixed diaphragm travel. When shooting, she got lost several times. The

XF 35mm F2 R WR is a compact, reliable lens in all conditions. Pleased with dust and moisture protection. Autofocus is faster than the XF 35mm F1. 4 R. However, when changing the focus area quickly, the lens sometimes slowed down, unlike, for example, the Fujinon XF 16-55 / 2.8 R LM WR. During the fast, reportage shooting, there were several misses in sharpness. But with a clear aiming - the sharpness is “razor-sharp”. This is clearly noticeable when shooting close-ups and portraits at close range - everything rings, an excellent picture. nine0003

I was pleased with the absence of chromatic aberrations - it holds highlights and shadows well, in RAW format everything can be easily extended if desired.

Aperture travel is tighter than XF 35mm F1.4. But, for my taste, it could be made even clearer - like the Fujinon XF 16-55 / 2.8 R LM WR and Fujinon XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR.

Beautiful film-like color rendering and image plasticity. In my opinion, the lens is ideal for shooting close-ups, textures, portraits. nine0003

• Photo gallery

Total

We tend to classify both test subjects as high-end optics for excellent image quality. Both lenses:

• create images with great detail and high enough sharpness, conveying the finest light tonal nuances, do an excellent job of reproducing details in both bright highlights and deep shadows;
• unobtrusively emphasize the color contrast of the image in conditions of sufficiently bright lighting and modestly dim it in conditions of low light. This allows you to successfully highlight objects, figures and faces in the picture in accordance with the photographer's intent; nine0016
• have a neutral color rendition in lighting conditions close in spectral composition to the standard, but with a slightly emphasized "chill";
• in mixed lighting conditions (daylight and incandescent lamps) perfectly determines the "golden mean" of color, so that the white balance, as a rule, does not need additional adjustment;
• are distinguished by "calm" rendering of images without unnecessary accents in micro-contrast, tonal gradations and color, but at the same time, they allow you to use color contrast quite effectively to highlight objects.

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