WHY this lens is a stupid one?!?

[Crestedb]

Hi everyone.

Being a street photographer I'd like being able to move freely and to capture the 'decisive moment' also in the less favourable conditions.
Two days ago I've been to a Fuji presentation and I asked to the Fuji guy if there is a plan for a 

 

XF23mmF1.8 R OIS WR

 

I really like this focal length and having a lens able to face a urban humid night using exposures like 1/10 without adding camera shakes is something I'd really love.
Yes, 1.4 will be better for sure but I'd like also a smaller and lighter lens and I'm ready to trade a little of luminosity for a more compact design.

Using an X-T1 having a WR lens will give me the freedom to focus on the picture instead of worrying about the equipment.
The Fuji guy told me this is not a lens that they are thinking about since F1.4 is more than enough to face every challenge in street photography.

 

It looks no one is doing such a lens, so probably I am wrong.

Since I continue to like the idea of having such a lens, what am I missing?
 

 

Mauro, Ravenna, Italy

[Maurice]

Street as in buildings, or people ? Because OIS stabilizes your own movement of course, but not that of anyone or anything else.

[Marc G.]

Everybody has their own perfect lens to have that probably doesnt exist in any lens manufacturer's portfolio.

 

My dream XF is a high performance 18mm f/1.4.

 

But the idea of a high performance 28mm (equivalent) lens only seems to make sense for Leica.

 

The 35mm you're looking for exists as a 35mm f/2 IS Canon lens. It wouldnt make sense for Fuji, at this point, to produce a slower IS alternative. It would eat away sales from either X100 series or XF 23 1.4.

[deva]

I do plenty of on the street journalism and the 23 1.4 works pretty well at night on the X-T1 under ambient city light. The 23 on the X-T1 feels great in the hands. If you are going out specifically to do photography, a more compact lens is unlikely to have a handling advantage. The X-T1 and 23 combo is already light, balanced and easy to use for hours at a time. Whether climbing on newspaper boxes, fences, holding the camera overhead in crowds, running and so on. 

 

I would like faster and more sure in low light AF (which the upcoming firmware may provide).

[Begi Nabara]

 

.

[x-tc]

One word:

 

X100.

[Trenton Talbot]

Street as in buildings, or people?

 

"Street photography" is a popular name for the still image arthouse with all of the arthouse'ish consequences you could imagine – and then some. 

[Marc G.]

What's wrong with the current 18mm f2 ?

Pancake compromises.

 

No f/1.4

Resolution across the frame

Slow AF

Optical correction (5% distortion in a prime is a joke... one of the compromises of the pancake construction)

[Shashinka Ichiban]

Pancake compromises.

 

No f/1.4

Resolution across the frame

Slow AF

Optical correction (5% distortion in a prime is a joke... one of the compromises of the pancake construction)

 

Zone focus eliminates the whole slow focus issue with the 18. While, I'm sure there are many out there who do street with shallow DoF, the majority, I have ever known or work with prefer to go the other way with deep DoF.

[Marc G.]

Zone focus eliminates the whole slow focus issue with the 18. While, I'm sure there are many out there who do street with shallow DoF, the majority, I have ever known or work with prefer to go the other way with deep DoF.

I'm not a street shooter. My dream 18mm would be used for landscapes, architecture, travel but mainly for reportage/documentary and weddings. I need a fast and reliable AF for this purpose. The 18mm is a good lens, but it isn't good enough for what I'm used to with 16/23/56 primes.

[citral]

I don't see why a very fast AF is critical on a wide angle, it's not like you are shooting fast moving things with it?

[Trenton Talbot]

I don't see why a very fast AF is critical on a wide angle, it's not like you are shooting fast moving things with it?

 

Here's the thing. I've never seen a focus limiter on a wideangle lens, yet pretty much all of them nowadays are designed to be able to focus as close as physically possible (fisheye with a bokeh, anyone?). That means a lot of travel for AF system, so when a wideangle lens starts to hunt, it typically does so at a glacial pace. The wider, the slower. And that's why we need fast motors in these lenses.

[Marc G.]

I don't see why a very fast AF is critical on a wide angle, it's not like you are shooting fast moving things with it?

Fast especially in low light. It's necessary for quick acquisition of critical focus in order to capture fleeting moments. Sometimes under low light conditions.

 

Might not be needed by many but I do. 16 and 23 do fine for me in wide angle area. Still wish I had a 18mm.

[pluton]

Everybody has their own perfect lens to have that probably doesnt exist in any lens manufacturer's portfolio.

 

My dream XF is a high performance 18mm f/1.4.

 

But the idea of a high performance 28mm (equivalent) lens only seems to make sense for Leica.

I also wish for a non-distorted 18mm.  f/2 would be fine, however.  Helical manual focus would be the best.

[jorjitop]

The current 23mm f/1.4 is fine.  But I would not mind if it were weather resistant.

[Sidtw]

Lolwhut?

 

Slow AF?

 

You can blame the xf18mm for everything but not for slow AF. I'm the proud owner of 8 fujinon lenses and what I can tell you with absolutly no doubt is the xf18mm has the fastest AF compared to all other fujinon lenses I have, even on the xpro1.

[Dis]

To me the main drawback is too loose aperture ring. I wish it would be similar to 90/2. Otherwise the lens is great.