{"id":18866,"date":"2017-02-24T14:25:33","date_gmt":"2017-02-24T14:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=18866"},"modified":"2017-02-24T15:23:02","modified_gmt":"2017-02-24T15:23:02","slug":"lens-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=18866","title":{"rendered":"Lens Questions……"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Let me start by thanking you guys for making the new Fujifilm Guide to the X-Series so successful! \u00a0In the first five weeks you’ve purchased over 140 books! \u00a0Even better, I’ve gotten a \u00a0numbner of nice emails from people expressing their delight with\u00a0the contents, so, thanks again! \u00a0It seems of all the questions I’ve gotten, the most are asking me to elaborate on the page below, and then answer some of the most frequently asked questions about lenses in the X-Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question for Nick T. in Seattle. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>I see that\u00a0you had both the 18-55 and the 16-55 at one time and now it appears you don’t have either. \u00a0Why?<\/span><\/p>\n

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The 18-55 was the kit lens with my first X-Series interchangeable lens body the X-E1, \u00a0For a long time it was my most used lens and some of the very best images I’ve made with the Fujifilm System have been with that lens. \u00a0It was light, well built, had great OIS and was tack sharp. \u00a0On a trip to Acadia a student and friend, Mike Roberts, introduced me to the 18-135! \u00a0Dang him, I bought one and it is, by far, my most used lens now, basically replacing the 18-55, which\u00a0I gave to my grand daughter along with a 55-200 and a X-E2 when she got intereted in photography. I feel it is every bit as good as the 18-55 and more versatile covering 27mm-207mm vs the 18-55’s – \u00a027mm to 82mm, \u00a0When the 16-55 f 2.8 came out I just thought it would be a duplicate of the 18-135 range, but with some nudging form my teaching partner Jack Graham and Austin based photo buddy Dudley Hawethore, I bought a 16-55. \u00a0It is very sharp, likely a little sharper than any of the others, but \u00a0honkin’ big, I mean beer barrel big, for a Fuji lens. \u00a0Just never fell in love with\u00a0it, \u00a0so I sold it, simple as that!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question from Linda\u00a0H. in Birmingham.<\/span> \u00a0I don’t see the 14mm f 2.8 in any of your lens packages, do you not hold it in high regard, you seem to say great things about it in the Guide Book II? \u00a0I have that lens and really love it, just curious!?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Linda, I love that lens and everytime a reach for it I grab the 10-24 because it is a little wider and as a zoom, more versatile. \u00a0Quality wise, it is one of the very best wide angles ever made by anyone and surely in the top three or four of Fuji’s XF lenses. \u00a0It is especially great for star and night sky work. I find it’s great for travel because it is small and light, I am committed to use it more, because everytime I do it rewards me with stellar images!!! \u00a0A lot of people never experience it’s magic because it is pretty expensive, but worth every penny! \u00a0You made a great decsion to buy it!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question from Brad C. from Denver.<\/span> \u00a0I see you own almost all the fast single focal length lenses. \u00a0Do you use them very much? \u00a0Second question please, You (according to the lens map), own both the 23mm f 2 and the 23mm f 1.4 and the 35mm f 1.4 and the 35mm f 2, which do think is best in each pair? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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That’s a tough one Brad, but here goes; \u00a0First, no I don’t use the single focal length lens as much as my zooms. \u00a0Most of my work is nature, landscape, Americana and travel and in all those fields the zooms are hard to beat \u00a0You often find yourself not able to backuop or move forward enough and the zoom solves that problem. \u00a0Even though they get used less they do get used a lot. \u00a0The single focal length lenses are superlatively sharp and when working in very low light the fast apertures are a real blessing for focusing and when you want to get deliberate shallow depth of field. \u00a0As to the two new compact f 2 lenses, I love then for their size, build quality and focusing speed, both of which beat the two fast primes pretty handily!! \u00a0In terms of absolute optical performance I’d give the 23mm f 1.4 a small edge over the F 2 version and the 35mm f 2 a slight edge over the 35mm f 1.4, but honestely it’s very close in both cases! \u00a0None of them can match the optical performance of the 16mm f 1.4, it’s down right scary sharp!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question from Jim K. in Hartford. \u00a0<\/span>I see from your road map that you no longer have the 50-140, though I remember you had it a workshop last year. \u00a0What’s up with that???!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Very observent Jim! \u00a0Actually the 50-140 was another victim of the 18-135, it was big and heavy and even though a fantastic lens, I just didn’t want to carry it anymore. \u00a0I used it very little when when It was in the bag. \u00a0Then the 100-400 came along and I fell madly in love with it because of it’s enormous range of focal lengths, it was even bigger and I knew it would go with me on the road, and I coudn’t see carrying both, so the 50-140 found a new home! \u00a0The 50-140 is a great great lens, but so is the 100-400 and I knew I wouldn’t carry both!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question from Olivia P. in Los Vegas. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>You stated in your book and when I’ve seen you speak that switched from Nikon to Fuji to save weight. \u00a0With all the gear you now own, have you really saved much weight, and do you ever miss your Nikons?<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0Olivia, the Nikon gear I owned weighed about twice what the Fuji gear does and I have approx. the same number of lenses and bodies. \u00a0I don’t carry all of it though. \u00a0I travel by car and airplane with\u00a0a big rolling bag that holds two bodies and up to 10 lenses. \u00a0When I get on location I pull just a couple or three\u00a0lenses and a body out for each shooting location, going back to the car for changes if I need something different, That way I have everything with me, and still carry a much lighter load in the field. \u00a0I use a Domke vest and it is far easier than the backpack days of the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Do I miss my Nikons? \u00a0After 43 years as a dedicated Nikon guy it’s still in my blood, but for what I do now the Fujifilm X-Series is a much better fit and I am producing the best work of my life, so I guess I would have to say, no, not so much!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question from Diane W. in Salt Lake City. \u00a0<\/span>Since you are an X-Photographer, do you know what is coming in the way of lenses and what \u00a0you’re personally hoping for?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Diane, I don’t know anything \u00a0more than what we all read on Fuji Rumors \u00a0and other sites on the web. \u00a0I did have prior knowledge of some lenses we have now, earlier and the GFX a year before we heard anything about that, but of course was sworn to keep it secret. \u00a0As to what I “hope” to see? \u00a0Can’t wait for the already mentioned 80mm Micro f 2.8. \u00a0Sad the 120mm Macro f 2.8 was cancelled!!! \u00a0Would love to see a 200mm f 2 that worked great with the current 1.4 and 2X converters. \u00a0The rumored 8mm- 16mm wide angle zoom would be something I would love. \u00a0Still want a long Macro 120mm or 140mm , that would be great. \u00a0Maybe a shift tilt lens and a 8mm fisheye. \u00a0I really want a 60mm f 2 like the other compacts, but since\u00a0a 50mm is coming, I doubt we will see that since a a50mm is already out. \u00a0How about a 70mm f 2 \u00a0that would be a 105mm that\u00a0be sweet\u00a0and perfect for portraits!!!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thanks for the questions and please keep them coming!\u00a0\u00a0I know you were expecting images from the Bone Yard this weekend, but I cancelled the trip to stay close by while Wes goes through more tests, prayers are still needed!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Blessings,<\/span><\/p>\n

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the pilgrim<\/span><\/p>\n

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My current Think Tank Airport Advantage loaded and ready!<\/span><\/p>\n

P.S. for Linda \u00a0I moved my batteries around and added the 14mm f 2.8!!!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

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  Let me start by thanking you guys for making the new Fujifilm Guide to the X-Series so successful! \u00a0In the first five weeks you’ve purchased over 140 books! \u00a0Even better, I’ve gotten a \u00a0numbner of nice emails from people expressing their delight with\u00a0the contents, so, thanks again! \u00a0It seems of all the questions I’ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18866"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18877,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18866\/revisions\/18877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}