Interesting how some other RUclipsrs brush past the rather significant cons of these lenses and emphasizes the pros. They're more interested in their their relationships with manufacturers than offering honest and fair advice to end users who will spend their hard-earned cash on camera equipment.
Look, you did end up making the video after all. The lenses would have needed a lot of work before they hit the market. It's not quite nice when the paying user has to play the role of a beta tester. The CE mark right above the lens mount is also a completely new pinnacle of design. lol I hope Sirui doesn't jeopardize their good reputation with such lenses.
Thank you very much for your straight honest review! Since Sirui is doing a good job at anaphormic budget lenses, I was hoping for better performance wide open. Would you also rather recommend the Viltrox 1.4 lenses instead of these?
I got the first shipment of the commercial release and I can confirm that the 56mm I got grinds on my X-T3 when mounting. Sad to hear that they said that it would be addressed for the commercial release. Turns out it didn't.
Fewer! Otherwise I find it takes so long to move the point around with the joystick! I’d rather speed over perfect placement I also make the square smaller than default
Hey Goughie thanks for raising the issue about not being able to change aperture. I have the same issue on the x-t2. Another major issue that seems to also be related to the information being sent from the lens, is that IBIS does not operate at all with these lenses attached to Fuji bodies with IBIS. It’s so strange.
Ahhh! So I did have ibis issues it was really weird!! Everything was wobbly! But a firmware update has fixed that! And now seem to be okay on all 3 lenses!
@@ghostgums oh really! was about two weeks back I got it sent via email after I went back to them and said they weren’t even reviewable 😂 I think it’s version 1.0.5 from memory, I only had it effecting my 33mm and 56mm. I do worry about how different people are experiencing different amount of problems, hopefully not a sign of quality assurance issues
@@Goughie interesting. That’s the version that is out now and still no IBIS functionality. It works when you don’t connect the lens all the way because then it just thinks there’s no lens or a manual lens, then you can select the focal length like with any adapter
I mean, TBH, stick with Fuji lenses. As already mentioned in the comments, if something seems a little too good to be true, then it probably is (not always though)...Perhaps with refinement over the next 2 or 3 years, performance all-round will improve and Sirui will end up with some nice, usable, budget/affordable fast primes...However, same as you say, if performance/spec was to go up, then you would expect price to increase relatively. It will be interesting to see how these lenses develop though, and kudos to the manufacturer for trying to pitch at a more wallet friendly price. I only use Fuji lenses (X-mount), but I have heard some good reports on a couple of Viltrox lenses though.
The Viltrox f1.2 lenses both the 27mm and 75mm have been very good! Sirui also make some good manual focus lenses, just these currently aren’t up to scratch
@@Goughiethank you , just picked up an h2s!! With a 33mm 1.4 LM. Your video and photo quality is outstanding! And I’ve watched all the videos on the h2s, please make a video settings video. I want to know exactly how you get it so sharp. Thank you!
@@moustaphadiaw7101 in this video everything that isn’t at my desk is actually my iPhone 15 Pro. At my desk the reason it looks good is the lighting I use a huge softbox. Settings wise, talking head I use, 6.2k 24p, long gop 400MB, ibis off, eye detect on, flog2 graded in post
Shame about the mount issue, that is unforgiveable imo. What I will say is I think these lenses optical performance seems to be getting slated when in fact they ought to be celebrated. The shot at 4:27 (left) or 7:44 for example is actually gorgeous. Where else will you find vintage bokeh like this WITH autofocus?! I think we have been indoctrinated today to poopah any lens that doesn't meet a certain criteria such as 'being sharp' and 'have low CA'. The problem with this is people are missing out on a certain rendering that can often BEST a well scoring optic. Ask your partner how they feel about the portrait? Her skin looks soft, the bokeh puffy and romantic, I've followed your channel awhile now and those two soft portrait shots look like some of your best, at least when viewing full screen on my 32 inch 2k monitor. How sharp do we need them?? If the lenses CA its something to be aware of and not at all a problem if choosing to use for monochrome work. Lenses that CA also tend to render depth very well. I'm not saying CA is bad, but to combat it can come at quite a price, you'll lose some 'romance', the lens gets bigger and heavier and more expensive. So instead we need to be aware of it's occurrence, tackle it in post or choose to think of some lenses as mono only tools (just like they did in the film days when certain lenses were designed for the intention of black and white film only). The bottom line with optics is everything is a trade off. Just like you illustrate with your Conclusion segment at 8:30 it's hard to have all three items ticked. If we get sharp across frame wide open and low CA, its a behemoth lens with a steep price tag. If we have a slow lens its likely small etc. The problem here is no one is respecting the unique CHARACTER these lenses are producing WITH autofocus, and whilst yes there are a lot of flaws with such character it doesn't mean they wouldn't be the weapon of choice under certain situations. Name me ONE lens for Fuji X Mount that renders with a genuine vintage vibe with AF to boot?... We need to accept the differences in lenses more often and respect where they can excel rather than praising only sharp well performing lenses . Who said portraits needed to be sharp anyway? It's like a uber slim segment of the fashion sector where we need to see every pore. Most of our skin retouching exercises go about undoing the damage that sharp lenses cause! Again we as photographers have been brainwashed. I want sharp lenses with excellent edge and corner performance for architectural work but it is not necessary or even WANTED for portrait work.
Trying to work out if this is satire or not 😂 the image at 07:44 is actually horrendous it’s way beyond soft it’s comically bad when it comes to the skin I hear you about not always wanting sharp images and been an advocate of that on the channel, got a Leica lens review in the next couple weeks discussing that! but these aren’t what id call useably soft at all, You mentioning post work, softness is easily added in post, whereas softness is basically impossible to remove that 07:44 image is unfixabke FWIW she doesn’t like them either Loads of people praise the original f1.4 lenses for Fuji for their character (optical imperfections). If you actually want a vintage look the best way for that is to get a vintage lens surely not a modern optic, that’s optically bad
@@Goughie Well I guess we're all allowed to like what we like, that's what makes all of this fun. I just feel like the industry is hell bent on optically good scoring lens that it harms the art. For example we score a lens (favorably) if it has good sharpness, contrast etc in the corner, and the sooner (wide open) the better. But a lens that doesn't score well here doesn't mean it would make a WORSE image. The Takumar 50/1.4(8e) has very good sharpness wide open in the center but soft edges and corners, a portrait shot with this lens (in the right conditions) can produce (arguably) a better overall portrait image than a modern optic that scores well, because ultimately all these traits and differences add up and produce a different result. It's about degrees of differences, the original f1.4 fuji lenses are still relatively tame for character, unlike a lot of other lenses that exist. I see the SIRUI more extreme, yes they have 'flaws' but if your brief is x, y and z then these lenses might actually be the better tool for the job. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't use these for a lot of my jobs, its the wrong look. I can see an art student with a mono project loving these lenses (for example). But it's all irrelevant anyway because no way am I mounting poor machined lenses onto my bodies.
@Goughie Yeah and I thought ...given viltrox lenses success I thought these might be really good. If you ended up with one small piece of filing metal on your sensor .... Yeah and the sensor moves you could end up with a dirty scratch across your sensor... They seriously need to fix that!
Well done! a very good review. Unlike another "Reviewer" whose name rhymes with "Cost" who did not mention any of the Ugly features. TY Goughie
Interesting how some other RUclipsrs brush past the rather significant cons of these lenses and emphasizes the pros.
They're more interested in their their relationships with manufacturers than offering honest and fair advice to end users who will spend their hard-earned cash on camera equipment.
Look, you did end up making the video after all. The lenses would have needed a lot of work before they hit the market. It's not quite nice when the paying user has to play the role of a beta tester. The CE mark right above the lens mount is also a completely new pinnacle of design. lol I hope Sirui doesn't jeopardize their good reputation with such lenses.
Bizarre isn’t it! It’s pretty out of character for them… I do wonder if they have outsourced them
Thank you very much for your straight honest review! Since Sirui is doing a good job at anaphormic budget lenses, I was hoping for better performance wide open.
Would you also rather recommend the Viltrox 1.4 lenses instead of these?
I haven’t tried the Viltrox f1.4 lenses only the f1.2, and wide open the 27mm and 75mm are very good!
Thank you for the review. Yes, getting three out of three is a true quest 😎
I got the first shipment of the commercial release and I can confirm that the 56mm I got grinds on my X-T3 when mounting. Sad to hear that they said that it would be addressed for the commercial release. Turns out it didn't.
That’s so annoying! I’m annoyed for you! I’m glad I didn’t sell their empty promises
How's the old adage go, "Date the camera & marry the lens........"
This marriage would have ended with divorce 😂
Great video, Goughie. Too bad that these are definitely too good to be true - but thankful for you for letting everyone know!!!!
Thank younfor your honest review. I am sure SIRIU will improve.
Wow that's a lot of updates. Promising
thanks for the honest review
When you use single point AF, do you opt for all available points or fewer?
Fewer! Otherwise I find it takes so long to move the point around with the joystick! I’d rather speed over perfect placement
I also make the square smaller than default
Hey Goughie thanks for raising the issue about not being able to change aperture. I have the same issue on the x-t2.
Another major issue that seems to also be related to the information being sent from the lens, is that IBIS does not operate at all with these lenses attached to Fuji bodies with IBIS. It’s so strange.
Ahhh! So I did have ibis issues it was really weird!! Everything was wobbly! But a firmware update has fixed that! And now seem to be okay on all 3 lenses!
@@Goughie Wow! When did you update and what was the version? The latest update has not fixed it on the xh2s for me
@@ghostgums oh really! was about two weeks back I got it sent via email after I went back to them and said they weren’t even reviewable 😂
I think it’s version 1.0.5 from memory, I only had it effecting my 33mm and 56mm.
I do worry about how different people are experiencing different amount of problems, hopefully not a sign of quality assurance issues
@@Goughie interesting. That’s the version that is out now and still no IBIS functionality. It works when you don’t connect the lens all the way because then it just thinks there’s no lens or a manual lens, then you can select the focal length like with any adapter
@@ghostgums assuming you have a commercial release, did they fix the mount?
I mean, TBH, stick with Fuji lenses. As already mentioned in the comments, if something seems a little too good to be true, then it probably is (not always though)...Perhaps with refinement over the next 2 or 3 years, performance all-round will improve and Sirui will end up with some nice, usable, budget/affordable fast primes...However, same as you say, if performance/spec was to go up, then you would expect price to increase relatively. It will be interesting to see how these lenses develop though, and kudos to the manufacturer for trying to pitch at a more wallet friendly price.
I only use Fuji lenses (X-mount), but I have heard some good reports on a couple of Viltrox lenses though.
The Viltrox f1.2 lenses both the 27mm and 75mm have been very good! Sirui also make some good manual focus lenses, just these currently aren’t up to scratch
Are you shooting your RUclips videos on H2s?
Xh2s! I had an XH2 briefly on hire for this video
@@Goughiethank you , just picked up an h2s!! With a 33mm 1.4 LM. Your video and photo quality is outstanding! And I’ve watched all the videos on the h2s, please make a video settings video. I want to know exactly how you get it so sharp. Thank you!
@@moustaphadiaw7101 in this video everything that isn’t at my desk is actually my iPhone 15 Pro.
At my desk the reason it looks good is the lighting I use a huge softbox.
Settings wise, talking head I use, 6.2k 24p, long gop 400MB, ibis off, eye detect on, flog2 graded in post
@@Goughie thank you so much, what’s your recommendation on both in camera NR settings for video and photo
@@moustaphadiaw7101 importantly for RAW photos it doesn’t make a difference, video I leave it on 0 tbh! Most of my JPEG photos I set it to -4
Thank you for this honest review! Too good to be true, indeed…
Such a shame really! Was so hyped for them! And Sirui tend to make some great gear!
Since you won't use them anymore are you going to sell them? I would like to buy the 23mm to try it out
If you’re U.K. based hit me up on insta
Do you have a link on where to update the lens?
I had the firmware emailed to me! Actually it’s on their website! Just found it
Find the lens on their site and it’s on that page in the firmware tab
Shame about the mount issue, that is unforgiveable imo.
What I will say is I think these lenses optical performance seems to be getting slated when in fact they ought to be celebrated. The shot at 4:27 (left) or 7:44 for example is actually gorgeous. Where else will you find vintage bokeh like this WITH autofocus?!
I think we have been indoctrinated today to poopah any lens that doesn't meet a certain criteria such as 'being sharp' and 'have low CA'. The problem with this is people are missing out on a certain rendering that can often BEST a well scoring optic. Ask your partner how they feel about the portrait? Her skin looks soft, the bokeh puffy and romantic, I've followed your channel awhile now and those two soft portrait shots look like some of your best, at least when viewing full screen on my 32 inch 2k monitor. How sharp do we need them??
If the lenses CA its something to be aware of and not at all a problem if choosing to use for monochrome work. Lenses that CA also tend to render depth very well. I'm not saying CA is bad, but to combat it can come at quite a price, you'll lose some 'romance', the lens gets bigger and heavier and more expensive. So instead we need to be aware of it's occurrence, tackle it in post or choose to think of some lenses as mono only tools (just like they did in the film days when certain lenses were designed for the intention of black and white film only).
The bottom line with optics is everything is a trade off. Just like you illustrate with your Conclusion segment at 8:30 it's hard to have all three items ticked. If we get sharp across frame wide open and low CA, its a behemoth lens with a steep price tag. If we have a slow lens its likely small etc. The problem here is no one is respecting the unique CHARACTER these lenses are producing WITH autofocus, and whilst yes there are a lot of flaws with such character it doesn't mean they wouldn't be the weapon of choice under certain situations. Name me ONE lens for Fuji X Mount that renders with a genuine vintage vibe with AF to boot?... We need to accept the differences in lenses more often and respect where they can excel rather than praising only sharp well performing lenses . Who said portraits needed to be sharp anyway? It's like a uber slim segment of the fashion sector where we need to see every pore. Most of our skin retouching exercises go about undoing the damage that sharp lenses cause! Again we as photographers have been brainwashed. I want sharp lenses with excellent edge and corner performance for architectural work but it is not necessary or even WANTED for portrait work.
Trying to work out if this is satire or not 😂 the image at 07:44 is actually horrendous it’s way beyond soft it’s comically bad when it comes to the skin
I hear you about not always wanting sharp images and been an advocate of that on the channel, got a Leica lens review in the next couple weeks discussing that! but these aren’t what id call useably soft at all,
You mentioning post work, softness is easily added in post, whereas softness is basically impossible to remove that 07:44 image is unfixabke
FWIW she doesn’t like them either
Loads of people praise the original f1.4 lenses for Fuji for their character (optical imperfections). If you actually want a vintage look the best way for that is to get a vintage lens surely not a modern optic, that’s optically bad
@@Goughie Well I guess we're all allowed to like what we like, that's what makes all of this fun. I just feel like the industry is hell bent on optically good scoring lens that it harms the art. For example we score a lens (favorably) if it has good sharpness, contrast etc in the corner, and the sooner (wide open) the better. But a lens that doesn't score well here doesn't mean it would make a WORSE image. The Takumar 50/1.4(8e) has very good sharpness wide open in the center but soft edges and corners, a portrait shot with this lens (in the right conditions) can produce (arguably) a better overall portrait image than a modern optic that scores well, because ultimately all these traits and differences add up and produce a different result.
It's about degrees of differences, the original f1.4 fuji lenses are still relatively tame for character, unlike a lot of other lenses that exist. I see the SIRUI more extreme, yes they have 'flaws' but if your brief is x, y and z then these lenses might actually be the better tool for the job. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't use these for a lot of my jobs, its the wrong look. I can see an art student with a mono project loving these lenses (for example).
But it's all irrelevant anyway because no way am I mounting poor machined lenses onto my bodies.
Hmmm ... maybe they need to stick to tripods 😂😮...they make fabulous tripods
They make some really nice manual focus lenses too!
@Goughie Yeah and I thought ...given viltrox lenses success I thought these might be really good. If you ended up with one small piece of filing metal on your sensor .... Yeah and the sensor moves you could end up with a dirty scratch across your sensor... They seriously need to fix that!
DOA