First impressions of the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8 lens -- now available in stores

The newly announced Fijinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens is now becoming available in camera stores world wide. This is a very popular focal length zoom range with many pro photographers as it covers a wide range of shooting scenes from the wide-angle 24mm equivalent suitable for landscape photography, to the medium-telephoto 84mm equivalent, ideal for portraiture and lifestyle shooting -- and it does so with a semi-fast fixed aperture of f/2.8.

Let's get this out of the way up front, as it has been of large concern to many photographers who have been anticipating this lens: It doesn't have OIS.  My equivalent Nikon zoom, the 24-70mm f/2.8, doesn't have VR either. I've never found this to be a problem. Image stabilization is not as important on shorter focal lengths as it is on longer lenses. Reason is that image magnification also magnifies motion. An old photographers rule of thumb is that it takes a shutter speed approximately equal to the focal length to be able to hand-hold a lens. With that dictum in mind, it would only take 1/25 second to safely hand hold a 24mm lens, but about 1/250 second to have the same hand-held control over a 200mm lens.

I think what has happened is that we have become spoiled with the ease of using of use modern IS lenses have given us. I don't know about you, but I find myself getting a bit sloppy in my shooting techniques by relying too heavily on the new lens stabilization technology. Truth is, there is still no artificial substitute for the quality gain of putting a camera on a tripod whenever possible.

It is a good idea to turn off IS when mounting a camera on tripod. Not only is it unnecessary, the lens may display erratic behavior if it cannot detect that it is in a stable mode. Many newer stabilization lenses can disable IS automatically by auto-detecting that they are tripod-mounted due to the very low vibration readings. The newer Nikon lenses can do this. I do not know if the Fuji lenses can auto-detect a tripod mounted camera, but I have noticed aberrations in random Fuji images that can only be explained by erratic behavior of an IS system.

Let's move on to some of the more serious aspects of this lens.

Its MTF charts are incredible. If past Fuji lenses can be used as a guide to future expectations, then this lens has every indication of being exceptionally sharp and free from aberrations for a lens of its class.

SPECIFICATIONS:

This is another addition to Fujifilm's weather-resistant lenses with weather-sealing at 14 locations, dust-resistance, and an operational range extending to a low -10°C.

As with many pro lenses of this type, the AF+MF function enables seamless manual focusing. After pressing the shutter to autofocus on the subject, fine adjustments can then be made using the manual focus ring.

It is heavy. Something that comes with the territory, I suppose, and probably one of two reasons why Fuji decided not to include OIS in the 16-55mm lens -- the other reason being increased consumer cost. Its weight does seem to obviate one of the main things most of us like about the Fuji mirrorless X-camera series, namely its convenient portability. But Fuji decided this camera system should be able to play ball in the major leagues, and that means a trio of fast aperture, f/2.8, high optical quality zooms. What is nice is that we still have the original 18-55 variable aperture to play with, and it is no no optical slouch despite its convenient portability. And let's not forget the exceptional, do-it-all, highly stabilized 18-135mm variable aperture. So there are apples and oranges. Take your pick, or, if you can afford it, have both, each for a different occasion.

Price of the new lens?  $1,198.95 -- not cheap, but keeping with the price level of this lens category, and still much less than the equivalent lens for a DSLR.

Personally, I am not sure if I will be adding the 16-55mm zoom lens to my already bulging arsenal of Fuji XF lenses. I use the Fuji X-T1 primarily in situations where this lens is not generally a requirement. For walk-around travel I prefer the lighter variable apertures, and for lifestyle I prefer the fast aperture primes.  If I were a wedding photographer relying on fast optics for dimly lit, rapidly changing situations, then I would consider a lens like the 16-55 f/2.8 to be a must.

I will begin testing this lens on a trip I am making this week and hope to have a full hands-on review of it next week.

If you are planning on buying this lens, you can help support this site at no extra cost to you by clicking the link and purchasing from one of our affiliate sellers listed below -- and thanks for your support.

The Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens can be ordered from:  BH-Photo  Adorama  Amazon

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens for Nikon FX cameras -- some first thoughts

I'm old enough enough to remember when the idea of using off-brand lenses on a Nikon camera was considered anathema to photographer. Technology improves over time, and today many of the same companies are making auxiliary lenses to very high quality standards. Not too long ago Sigma introduced its Art series of lenses as a  high build quality but less expensive alternative for the top camera brand cameras.  I have had the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 in Nikon mount ever since it came out and use it all the time with great success. You can read my hands-on review comparing it to the Nikon version here.

Sigma has announced its latest addition to the Art line, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 lens DG HSM. The initial reports and information on this lens make it seem like a real contender in this wide angle category, especially considering its low price of $849.  That is almost half the cost of the Nikon version of the equivalent lens.

SPECIFICATIONS:

This lens takes advantage of the Sigma USB docking mount for connecting the lens to a computer to update the firmware. I already found this device to come in handy to update my 35mm Sigma lens to be compatible with the new Nikon D750 and D810 cameras.  Read my blog post on updating Sigma lenses with the USB dock here.

I will be doing a full hands-on blog review of this lens once it is available.  

The Sigma 24 f/1.4 lens is available on March 20th for Canon mount, April 20th for Nikon mount, and Availability for the Nikon version of this lens is expected to be April 20th, Canon version on March 20th. 

If you are planning on buying this lens, you can help support this site at no extra cost to you by clicking the link and pre-ordering it from one of our affiliate sellers listed below -- and thanks for your support.

Pre-order the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 lens now from:  B&H    Adorama 

St. Patrick's Cathedral - a monochrome study of light

This afternoon I paid a visit to MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art) to see a photography show, "Object:Photo - Modern Photographs 1909-1949, the Thomas Walther Collection".  The show "...represents the innovative vision of the 1920's and '30s, a transformative period of modern photography and the foundation of our photo-based world." I felt a personal kinship to many of the photographs in the exhibit, particularly those avante garde images my artists who began pushing the limits of the photographic process that had finally matured to a point where it became portable and spontaneous after the advent of the 35mm Leica in 1925.

After the show, I turned down Fifth Avenue attracted by the afternoon light as it played on the surface of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's newly cleaned facade was white in the low afternoon sun, and the reflections of the sun from neighboring office building windows also cast dancing light patterns over parts of the cathedral. It is interesting to me how different photos of the same scene can be when you concentrate on capturing the effects of light instead of the physical subject.

Fortunately, I had my ubiquitous Fuji X-T1 and 18-135mm lens with me and was able to take advantage of the light to capture the images of St. Patricks's Cathedral below.

Photographing against the sunset for a more dramatic image

My favorite way to photograph sunset scenes is not pointing the camera into the setting sun, but rather to have the sun at my back reflecting off the scene in the opposite direction. Photographing with the sunlight falling on the scene means that there is detail in the scene instead of it being a silhouette. Of course you have to be lucky enough to have everything work out. A good cloud pattern reflecting the colors of the setting sun definitely helps. The right ingredients came together tonight for this view facing north in Manhattan and lighting both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, and, obviously, the clouds cooperated to set the scene. As an added bonus, all the office lights were on in the Empire State Building because sunset is so early this time of year.

An opportunity like this is very fleeting, much shorter than when shooting into the setting sun. I had less than five minutes to set up and shoot. Since I always keep my Fuji X-T1 ready with the 18-55mm lens on it and two other zooms nearby, I was prepared. I ended up switching to the 10-24mm zoom to reach high into the sky and also include the full scene from the west on the left to the east on the right. Even with such a wide lens, I still needed two shots to get a full panoramic of the scene.

A first look at Fujifilm's latest roadmap of lenses for the X-cameras

Fuji has added several new lenses to its projected optical lineup for the X-series of cameras. Among them are the following:

XF120mm f/2.8 R Macro 1:1 Macro, telephoto lens. This is Fuji's second lens in its macro line. The longer focal length will allow photographers to increase the working distance from their subjects -- something many of us have been waiting for.

XF35mm f/2 R compact and lightweight standard focal length lens. This lens is being touted as "much anticipated" and a "lighter weight" alternative to the current 35mm f/1.4. Personally, I'm not sure about the need for a lens like this -- the current f/1.4 model already being quite small and convenient -- but I suppose the good folks over at Fuji have some information I don't know about, or perhaps the intent is to use this lens on some of the smaller cameras where it might make a difference. 

1.4x Teleconverter for XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR, XF120mmF2.8 R Macro, XF100-400mm. This teleconverter will be especially useful with the faster 50-140mm f/2.8 zoom as it will extend the effective focal length to almost 200mm with only a stop loss in exposure to f/4, still quite fast for the equivalent of a 300mm lens. The teleconverter will also work with the new 120mm macro and the extreme tele XF100-400mm zoom, where it will deliver a 560mm focal length that is a equivalent toan impressive 840mm on a full frame lens. 

This teleconverter alone will considerably expand the practical focal length range of the Fuji optical lineup, and, whereas most full frame cameras also include 1.7x and 2x converters, the 1.4x alone should be enough to gain all the practical needs of an APS optical system.

Read the entire Fuji press release here. 

A Film Noir session with my Fuji X-T1

Last night the city was covered in part by a very thin haze that soaked up some of the early evening lights. Because it was Sunday only a few forgotten lights here and there burned in building windows. The city had an old Film Noir look about it.

I was on Fifth Avenue walking home near the Flatiron Building and had my Fuji X-T1 with and 18-135mm lens with me. With the camera set to an ISO of 1600, black & white, and my favorite 1:1 crop mode, I began recording some of the scenes I passed.  I relied on the 5-stop OIS to hand-hold camera for all of these slow exposures. I don't like using the Fuji beyond an ISO of 1600 so I let the shutter speed drop instead and took several bursts of each scene to guarantee that at least one exposure would be sharp.

I am not sure what process I will use to print these images, but I am thinking they might look good as gum bichromate prints.

One lone office light burned in window on top of the Flatiron Building.  It and the lights from the tower of the Met Life Building bled into the misty sky.

Rather than avoid the flare from street lamps, I incorporated it into many of the photos to enhance the "Film Noir" effect.

Three lights burned in offices of the Flatiron Building. 

The top of the Empire State Building was almost fully covered by the mist and the steeple from Marble Collegiate Church stood out in a stark silhouette next to it.

Dawn of another beautiful winter morning with the Fuji XF long zoom

I love crisp winter sunrises with their clear skies, There is plenty of opportunity for dramatic sky images before and just after the sun appears above the horizon. When the sky is very clear, as it is on many winter mornings, the exposure for the sun relative to the sky is often too extreme. I find it best to capture these mornings are dawn or just as the sun first appears on the horizon.

This morning I wanted to do some long telephoto shots so I mounted the Fuji 55-200mm zoom on an X-T1 and began shooting away. It always amazes me how many variations are available in such a short span of time when the sun first comes up. Below are some samples from this morning's shoot.

The compact package of the Fuji X-T1 coupled with the Fuji XF 55-200mm zoom made a comfortable package to easily grab these shots without a tripod.

I think it's going to be a good day.

Two different treatments of the dawn sky: This one cropped to include the wispy clouds against the blue part of the upper sky, and the one below a combination of three horizontal images assembled in Photoshop to make one large panorama.

These nearby, humble branches made an interesting silhouette against the pre-dawn colors. A scene is what you make it.

The high sky offers more of a pastel look as the sun reflects off the clouds from below the horizon. 

Steam from smoke stacks billow into clouds above an industrial landscape, as the hot steam meets the cold morning air.

By the time the sun gets to this point, the sky begins losing its drama and the scene melts into a rather ordinary sunrise. Time to pack up the cameras and go home.