I avoided this lens for years due to several creators I follow calling it Fuji's "worst lens." Was offered a copy dirt cheap, and I love 28mm, so I figured why not, I could sell it for more than I was paying if it sucked. Sucked? Its been my most used Fuji lens for the past 2 years and stays glued to my X-M1. I love it.
@@WoodenAxle mine is pristine (eBay purchase from Japan.) I would never use it for fast paced shooting but its great for photo walks. Files convert to the type of B&W I personally enjoy beautifully.
I sold the 18 f/2 a few months ago when I picked up the 18 f/1.4. And while the 1.4 is an absolutely incredible lens in all respects, I miss the compactness of the f/2. And yea, I even sort of miss the quaint “crunchy” autofocus. So it looks like I’ll be picking up another copy of it soon … thanks!
Traded in some Nikon stuff for a used XT4 and had just enough left over for a used 18mm and I love it. Great walking around lens! It takes a bad rap but the picture quality is just fine for my purposes!
Yeah, I avoided this one for a bit, but once I got it I've used it more than my favorite lens, the XF 35mm f2. I find it renders similarly to my 23mm f1.4 or the 35mm f1.4. I can't for the life of me understand why people hate this lens. I find it sharp and the fall off is smooth.
I bought the lens because it's small and light. I used it on my X-pro1, X-Pro2 and X-T4 and with all cameras the focus was very unreliable don't know if I had a bad copy but wasn't happy with its focus accuracy.
I just use single point AF and haven't noticed an issue aside from it being a little slow. Haven't tried it on CAF as I just don't use it much in general.
That's a pretty fair review in under three minutes! I wanted to love this lens but the noisy and, sometimes, haphazard AF drove me to distraction eventually (so I sold it). I'm now more settled with the very smooth and quiet 16mm f2.8.
@@WoodenAxle I used to use that in conjunction with an X-E4 and an X-Pro3. I’d set auto minimum shutter speed at 1/15 and auto maximum ISO at 6400 and just use the exposure compensation wheel to adjust the light. I’d make my subjects look towards a light source and just make sure I had their faces well lit in comparison to the rest of the frame and then make sure everything not lit is almost completely black and you get these really classic black and white portraits this way. It’s a beautiful lens and totally underrated. It feels sloppily made when compared to newer lens, but especially when fitted on a black X-E4 with the included square hood, it’s like you have a mini Leica Q2 at 25% of the cost and something like 70-80% of the benefits. Oh and for focusing, make sure your focus area isn’t too small and it won’t hunt as much. You won’t get perfect sharpness everytime, but as soon as you start disregarding that and start looking for how the light wraps around your subjects and try to capture that instead, you and anybody else won’t worry about sharpness
I find the Fuji 18mm f2 image pretty bland looking, for whatever reason. I shot with one for a couple months to see if I could find a groove with it, and just couldn’t. While I love the smaller pancake size and the 28mm focal length, it just wasn’t producing the image I wanted from it. Eventually I felt I had to sell it. Would much rather shoot with the 16mm 1.4 or 23 1.4
Fuji 18mm f2 > RAW > ACR > Enhance. Do not use AI but adjust exposure in ACR. Turn off all sharpening in ACR. Sharpen in PS as the last step. Sharpness? Compares more than favourably with my Zeiss 24mm plus Sony a99V. End of sermon...
I avoided this lens for years due to several creators I follow calling it Fuji's "worst lens." Was offered a copy dirt cheap, and I love 28mm, so I figured why not, I could sell it for more than I was paying if it sucked. Sucked? Its been my most used Fuji lens for the past 2 years and stays glued to my X-M1. I love it.
Dang! That’s cool. How’s the M1 holding up?
@@WoodenAxle mine is pristine (eBay purchase from Japan.) I would never use it for fast paced shooting but its great for photo walks. Files convert to the type of B&W I personally enjoy beautifully.
Nice images man! I just bought this lens for the third time. This and the original 35mm are still my favorite Fuji lenses all these years later.
I sold the 18 f/2 a few months ago when I picked up the 18 f/1.4. And while the 1.4 is an absolutely incredible lens in all respects, I miss the compactness of the f/2. And yea, I even sort of miss the quaint “crunchy” autofocus.
So it looks like I’ll be picking up another copy of it soon … thanks!
Traded in some Nikon stuff for a used XT4 and had just enough left over for a used 18mm and I love it. Great walking around lens! It takes a bad rap but the picture quality is just fine for my purposes!
Yes it is. My “blah” fist take is changing with every frame I take with this lens!
Yeah, I avoided this one for a bit, but once I got it I've used it more than my favorite lens, the XF 35mm f2. I find it renders similarly to my 23mm f1.4 or the 35mm f1.4. I can't for the life of me understand why people hate this lens. I find it sharp and the fall off is smooth.
Yeah, that 35mm f1.4 is such a lovely lens.
I bought the lens because it's small and light. I used it on my X-pro1, X-Pro2 and X-T4 and with all cameras the focus was very unreliable don't know if I had a bad copy but wasn't happy with its focus accuracy.
I just use single point AF and haven't noticed an issue aside from it being a little slow. Haven't tried it on CAF as I just don't use it much in general.
Absolutely agree
I have 2 of these lenses, 1 of which is permanently attached to my XE2 and the other drifts between my XT2 and 3. A super little all-rounder IMO.
That's a pretty fair review in under three minutes! I wanted to love this lens but the noisy and, sometimes, haphazard AF drove me to distraction eventually (so I sold it). I'm now more settled with the very smooth and quiet 16mm f2.8.
That’s where I’m now finding myself. That 16mm looks like a suitable replacement.
character beats everything. love the rendering and i do not photograph sport with this lens. Get all my jobs done
@@WoodenAxle You will loose so much character :(
Try it for party photos in low light and use the acros black and white!
Excellent idea!!!!
@@WoodenAxle I used to use that in conjunction with an X-E4 and an X-Pro3. I’d set auto minimum shutter speed at 1/15 and auto maximum ISO at 6400 and just use the exposure compensation wheel to adjust the light. I’d make my subjects look towards a light source and just make sure I had their faces well lit in comparison to the rest of the frame and then make sure everything not lit is almost completely black and you get these really classic black and white portraits this way. It’s a beautiful lens and totally underrated. It feels sloppily made when compared to newer lens, but especially when fitted on a black X-E4 with the included square hood, it’s like you have a mini Leica Q2 at 25% of the cost and something like 70-80% of the benefits. Oh and for focusing, make sure your focus area isn’t too small and it won’t hunt as much. You won’t get perfect sharpness everytime, but as soon as you start disregarding that and start looking for how the light wraps around your subjects and try to capture that instead, you and anybody else won’t worry about sharpness
I find the Fuji 18mm f2 image pretty bland looking, for whatever reason. I shot with one for a couple months to see if I could find a groove with it, and just couldn’t. While I love the smaller pancake size and the 28mm focal length, it just wasn’t producing the image I wanted from it. Eventually I felt I had to sell it. Would much rather shoot with the 16mm 1.4 or 23 1.4
I have the same camera/clever supply strap and live in Louisville. Small world! Mostly use mine for pics of my kiddos and hiking in the area.
Howdy neighbor! I bet this lens would be great for kids, definitely for hiking.
Awesome. Need to check something out a bit wider like this lens.
Hey! That wriststrap. What’s that?
Clever Supply Co! cleversupply.co
Please Drop the song in this video it’s epic!
Thanks! Ok, I’ll dig it up and put it out. It’s been a minute since I’ve listened to it myself!
Fuji 18mm f2 > RAW > ACR > Enhance.
Do not use AI but adjust exposure in ACR. Turn off all sharpening in ACR. Sharpen in PS as the last step.
Sharpness? Compares more than favourably with my Zeiss 24mm plus Sony a99V. End of sermon...
Thanks!
nice are the photo still just straight out of camera
Slight boost in contrast. I’ll bring it next Tuesday for you.
If it only was weather proof...
Cracker lens
Mine came with my camera.Others on social media shit canned this but it's a nice lens.
Nothing but really nothing wrong with this lens
The music louder than your voice
Thanks