Why would I need the new Fuji 16mm f 1.4 lens??????

If you already own the Fuji 10-24 f 4 XF lens, or the Fuji 16-55 f 2.8 XF lens why would you invest in the new Fuji 16mm f 1.4 lens??!!  I just got a new production copy of the 16mm f 1.4 XF lens and I was wondering the same thing!!! So let’s give it a try in the field!

First let me dispel what many people believe about extreme wide angle lenses, that they are designed so we, as photographers, can view, and thus, get more stuff in the image. While true, that’s not the most effective way to use a wide angle lens though!  A very effective way to use a wide angle lens is to move in close to your main subject and make it the sharpest thing in the image, and then allow the background to either be equally sharp, by  stopping down to a very small aperture setting like f 11 – 16 or 22, or to make the background “very” out of focus, or by opening the lens to it’s largest aperture setting. There in lies the value of a f 1.4 wide angle lens, the depth-of-field is extremely shallow when shot wide open ( f 1.4 ) thus making the background a very dreamy out of focus!!!  What makes this lens even more special is that it focuses down to a minimum distance of just 15cm!!!  That makes it all the more effective in showing strong, sharp, subjects with wonderful Bokeh in the background!!!

An important part of the photographer’s bag of tricks is to use shallow depth-of -field effectively, to focus the viewers eye on a  main subject, letting the rest of the image go out of focus.  I went over to my neighbor’s garden and then down to a used car lot that had a very interesting 1949 Chevy wrecker I had been wanting to photograph.  All images were shot at f 1.4 to show the effectiveness of a shallow area of sharp focus.    

So how does the news Fuji 16mm f 1.4 XF lens do?  I will let you judge but at 100% on my computer screen, the in focus areas are Razor sharp.  The color quality of the new lens is outstanding and the build quality is rock solid.  The 16mm also has a clutch
focusing mechanism that allows smoother and deadly accurate manual focusing, however, the  autofocus is among the fastest and most accurate yet!

O.K. I already own the 10-24 and the 16-55, but this one is staying in my camera locker, for very special assignments that requires it’s lovely abilities!!! Besides the 24mm focal length has always been one of my favorite, going back to my photojournalism days!

Well done, Fuji another Five Star Winner!

Here are a few examples of what I described above, all images shot at f 1.4.

There is a serious problem with the newest Fuji lenses!  They just keep getting better and better! The problem?????  It’s impossible not to acquire each and everyone!!!!  But I love it, thanks Fuji for making such great glass1

Blessings,

the pilgrim