Fujicron Update….

In the film photography era.  Leica had a wonderful series of lenses for their M series rangefinder cameras, maybe the most loved were the Sumicrons, and they were all equipped with a maximum aperture of f 2.  They were small, very well built and exceedingly sharp!

When the X PRO 1 was released many users wished for similiar series of lenses for this marvelous, updated rangefinder styled camera.  It took a while and in the meantime Fuji updated the original X PRO 1 with the much imporved X PRO 2.  Now we have three supurb f 2 lenses that are great focal lengths for the rangefinder type camera.  I’ve now had the chance to use all three and have some editorial comments on each.

XF23mm f 2 R WR   The 23mm (35mm full frame equivilent) is the most useful focal length.  The 35mm is a classic lens that can serve many purposes.  It is the perfect lens for travel, envirnonmental portraits, and general street photography. The Fujifilm  f 2 version is a spectaculalry sharp lens and it a joy to use.  For those of us that like to manually focus, the focusing ring, as it is, in all the rest of the Fujicrons, is silky smooth and joy to focus with.  The aperture ring has satisfying solid click stops.

XF35mm f 2 R WR   The 35mm (53mm full frame equivilent) is the second useful focal length.  The 53mm is what has often been called a normal lens.  I guess all lenses are normal, but that term referred to the normal perspectrive of the human eye, the area of visual concentation.  For that reason teh 50mm equivalent lenses give a very natural appearance to images.  Just as with the 23mm, this lens is super sharp, and the physical properties are the same, first class.  The big bonus for all of these lenses is theri very compact size, once again a perfect fit for the smaller Fujifilm bodies.

XF50mm f 2 R WR   The 50mm (75mm full frame equivilent) gives the shooter a moderate telephoto.   I would have much preferred a 60mm (90mm equiv. ) or a 70mm (105mm equivilent). Maybe that will come later!?  The 50mm is very useful when you want to move in closer, optically.  The images from this lens are bitingly sharp and once again the lens is such a great size.

What’s next:  If Fujifilm is listening, and I hope they are, let’s  complete this series with two more lenses!!??  How about a 16mm f 2  (24mm) and either the 60mm or 70mm.  That would give you 24mm to 90mm/105mm in five fast single focal length lenses.  Both 90mm and 105mm wpould ahve it’s benefitys, I think for the rangefinder X PRO 2, the 90mm might be beste, butr I would be thrilled with either one.

Here are a few images from these lenses!

50mm

50mm

23mm

23mm

35mm

35mm

35mm

If you have a Fuji body, especially the X PRO Series, this is a wonderful trio of Fujicrons!!  Life is so simple with small and compact gear like this.

Blessings,

the pilgrim