great video! ive had this lens since it came out and this lens is top quality for street photography and portraits where you stop it down at around f4 to 5.6 where it produces fantastic results for high resolution!
I agree with you about WR oddity ! Advanced Fuji bodies have WR but their older 1.4 and 1.2 lenses do not. “Beginners” and smaller bodies don’t have WR but smaller f/2 lenses aimed at those bodies have WR. Fuji really needs to upgrade their advanced lenses with WR and better autofocus. My 23/2 came with a short clever lens hood !
If you think of the smaller primes being for street, travel and hiking, and the f1.4 lenses as more for studio and events then the WR in the smaller lenses makes sense.
@@DustinAbbottTWI haha exactly. Thanks for another great review. I'm also not really impressed by the bokeh, but we have to remember that this is just a 23mm @F2. It can't do much for the compression.
Although it's been a while since I looked at it, I know Fuji bodies like the X-T2 and later will offer you focus transition speeds that create smoother transitions. I think this lens would have performed better with better in body settings for focusing. And, I hope you got the latest "software" version of the lens. I've had killer results with this lens, and I own the 16mm 1.4 and the 90mm 2.0 to compare it to. It's my go to lens to photograph walls of graffiti or wear. Or the fire on the walls around the corner a while back. I don't use this lens when considering out of focus areas. I like to shoot it at f5.6 and f8.
I really enjoy these deep reviews into the lenses, thank you for keeping up with such a high quality content! I agree on the WR on the higher quality glass on Fuji, let’s hope the new lenses follow the new WR on the 50 f1.0.
I'm sure you're aware that the reason why the newer F2 lenses are the ones with WR, well, it's because they're newer. A lot of the F1.2 and F1.4 lenses are much older designs that lack the more modern features. Sadly, as much as I love Fuji, I own three of their cameras and several lenses. The truth is they're letting the side down a bit by not refreshing the older lenses with a Mk2 weather sealed update with faster, quieter motors. The 56mm F1.2 is crying out for an update. I'm just glad that my 16mm F1.4 and 16-55 F2.8 are WR. Come on Fuji, get with the times, discount and discontinue the old glass giving those that don't care a bargain. While giving those that do something new.
@@aceflibble That's an unwise move from Fuji. I think with times being hard, they are being extremely risk adverse and not giving the value they once did. Still love what they make but I can see a difference.
I have the X-T4 and the lens works well. I think doing a review on an old camera rather than a newer (and top of range) in September 2020 is kinda pointless and not giving perhaps the right information on it's performance.
Hi Paul, I'm somewhat at the whim of what Fuji sends me, though the camera I tested on is actually one of Fuji's newest. BTW - more people will be using the F2 lenses on the lower range cameras than those who purchase the top of the range cameras.
Very nice video, Ireally like your reviews. I'm thinking about selling my 23 f2 and 50 f2 for the sigma 18-50 2.8, I already see your review, in your opinion it can compete in quality with those primes? In your review the sigma look's to me pretty comparable, with the plus of versatility. Kind regards !
Hi Dustin, Great video as usual. You're talking about the size advantage of the f2 primes...it would be great if you could get the XF 27mm f2.8, I'm really curious to hear what you think about this lens. Thx for the great videos.
Good review, I currently own this, however it's use is pretty limited for street and general photography, on the other hand xf23f1.4 although expensive, bigger, slower, older is optically far more superior and a perfect all around lens for potraits, landscapes, street.. I've made up my mind to replace f2 with f1.4..correct me if I'm wrong.. thanks
Thanks for the review and the Northern ON "street photography" ! You should put out a book called "Dirt Roads and Empty Blacktop To The Horizon". Good stuff!
To me, the 23F2 performs weak. For some reason it misses focus a lot and produce lots of soft photos (well coming from film there’s nothing sharp in the world but you know what I mean). Great vid as always! I know this is a Fuji review but can you please review the Canon RF 800 F11?
I'm hoping to develop a better supply system for Canon. Here in Canada the loaner process has been, frankly, frustrating. I can't promise when I'll get to it.
There's an aperture ring on the lens to stop down if you want to use a 35mm equivalent for close-up shots, which I'm not sure why you want to do at the first place, just in case you have not seen it. It is there.
If you absolutely love the 35mm focal length but the IQ of this lens isn’t cutting it you should check out the X100V ... that is an absolutely killer tiny package.
Hi Tristan - that means that you lose what little ability the lens has to create out of focus backgrounds. There's a cost associated with stopping down, so the criticism is fair.
Dustin Abbott fair enough but this issue is over inflated on reviews whereas with other alternatives such as the Viltrox, you can’t even focus that close but nobody’s complaining about its lack of close focusing ability.
@@ShutterKnack Sorry for my late reply. I agree with you. The Fujifilm 23mm f/2 is an excellent lens and is well suited for street, travel, and landscape photography. It's not a macro lens; it's not a lens designed to produce jaw-dropping bokeh. Nowadays, there seems to be too much emphasis placed on out of focus image areas. Fujifilm has recently released lenses that will create good bokeh, but they are, in my opinion, too large for discrete street photography.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the performance of this lens. I didn't think that it held up well against the Tamron 35 1.8 VC (Yes, a full frame lens but similar in price) in terms of sharpness or aberration correction. The real killer of the lens for me was purple fringing. The only attractive part of the lens for me was the build quality and small size but I don't think it is worth the IQ trade off.
The Tamron is a strong lens optically, for sure. It’s also several times larger, so in some ways its a little hard to compare performance. But our point is well taken. I’ve definitely seen stronger performances at wider apertures, though the XF23mm is quite good at smaller apertures.
@@sclogse1 it means sharpening is a taste, de gustibus non disputandum est. And for me, there's simply a parameter i would keep down (minus 3 for video destination).... But good review in every case :)
great video! ive had this lens since it came out and this lens is top quality for street photography and portraits where you stop it down at around f4 to 5.6 where it produces fantastic results for high resolution!
That seems to me to be the best application.
I agree with you about WR oddity ! Advanced Fuji bodies have WR but their older 1.4 and 1.2 lenses do not.
“Beginners” and smaller bodies don’t have WR but smaller f/2 lenses aimed at those bodies have WR.
Fuji really needs to upgrade their advanced lenses with WR and better autofocus.
My 23/2 came with a short clever lens hood !
Its definitely true that a lot of Fuji lenses are due an update.
If you think of the smaller primes being for street, travel and hiking, and the f1.4 lenses as more for studio and events then the WR in the smaller lenses makes sense.
I literally just got myself this lens a few hours ago.. Now let's watch the review...
Good timing!
@@DustinAbbottTWI haha exactly. Thanks for another great review. I'm also not really impressed by the bokeh, but we have to remember that this is just a 23mm @F2. It can't do much for the compression.
I plan on getting the best out of this lens and nothing but. I think my recent T2 firmware and this will get along fine.
@@sclogse1 I really love the image quality of this lens.
Although it's been a while since I looked at it, I know Fuji bodies like the X-T2 and later will offer you focus transition speeds that create smoother transitions. I think this lens would have performed better with better in body settings for focusing. And, I hope you got the latest "software" version of the lens. I've had killer results with this lens, and I own the 16mm 1.4 and the 90mm 2.0 to compare it to. It's my go to lens to photograph walls of graffiti or wear. Or the fire on the walls around the corner a while back. I don't use this lens when considering out of focus areas. I like to shoot it at f5.6 and f8.
I did review this on a newer camera body, so I'm not sure that was the problem.
Dustin I really love you explanation! but if I may suggest, don't use this lens with non-flagship model because it hinders their capabilities
I don't own any Fuji bodies, so I'm stuck using whatever model Fujifilm sends me for the reviews.
Fuji is updating their 1.4 primes and I hope they will update the 2.0 soon.
Agreed
I am glad you made this video. Very reliable review!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoy these deep reviews into the lenses, thank you for keeping up with such a high quality content! I agree on the WR on the higher quality glass on Fuji, let’s hope the new lenses follow the new WR on the 50 f1.0.
Agreed. There's a lot of Fuji lenses that are due an update.
i realize Im kind of off topic but do anybody know of a good place to stream new tv shows online ?
@Elliott Blaine I use FlixZone. Just google for it =)
@Miles Colten yup, been watching on flixzone for years myself =)
@Miles Colten thank you, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D I really appreciate it !
I'm sure you're aware that the reason why the newer F2 lenses are the ones with WR, well, it's because they're newer. A lot of the F1.2 and F1.4 lenses are much older designs that lack the more modern features. Sadly, as much as I love Fuji, I own three of their cameras and several lenses. The truth is they're letting the side down a bit by not refreshing the older lenses with a Mk2 weather sealed update with faster, quieter motors. The 56mm F1.2 is crying out for an update. I'm just glad that my 16mm F1.4 and 16-55 F2.8 are WR. Come on Fuji, get with the times, discount and discontinue the old glass giving those that don't care a bargain. While giving those that do something new.
@@aceflibble That's an unwise move from Fuji. I think with times being hard, they are being extremely risk adverse and not giving the value they once did. Still love what they make but I can see a difference.
There's no question that a lot of their lenses feel a bit dated.
I have the X-T4 and the lens works well. I think doing a review on an old camera rather than a newer (and top of range) in September 2020 is kinda pointless and not giving perhaps the right information on it's performance.
Hi Paul, I'm somewhat at the whim of what Fuji sends me, though the camera I tested on is actually one of Fuji's newest. BTW - more people will be using the F2 lenses on the lower range cameras than those who purchase the top of the range cameras.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Hi, understood. Unfortunately I've not gotten around to buying more expensive lens yet lol
Hello Dustin, my xf 23mm f2 do came with the lenshood, as far as I know the f2 family (23,35,50) comes with it!
Maybe it is just the Fuji loaner that is missing one. I do know there is an optional slotted lens hood.
Enjoy your reviews. This is the first lens I have on the xpro2. For the price it can’t be beat. And a near perfect travel/ street lens.
Definitely a strong street lens.
I don't understand why Fuji released a niche F1.0 lens when so many of their lenses could use a refresh for better AF.
Sometimes lensmakers do lenses like a 50mm F1 as a statement lens...we CAN do it.
Yea, disappointing
Very nice video, Ireally like your reviews. I'm thinking about selling my 23 f2 and 50 f2 for the sigma 18-50 2.8, I already see your review, in your opinion it can compete in quality with those primes? In your review the sigma look's to me pretty comparable, with the plus of versatility. Kind regards !
That’s probably a safe move. The zoom is very slightly less sharp, but sharp enough that you probably won’t notice the difference
What is that large wooden structure in the background? Looks cool.
I own a barrel sauna...which I love! (Use it basically every day)
Hi Dustin,
Great video as usual. You're talking about the size advantage of the f2 primes...it would be great if you could get the XF 27mm f2.8, I'm really curious to hear what you think about this lens. Thx for the great videos.
Hi there. I'll keep an eye out for it. I'm doing some GFX reviews at the moment.
Would you say it's much better than the efm 22mm on the canon ?
Much better? No. It does have weather sealing, but it's not really better optically.
Can this lens be used on the Fujifilm XT 200? Please reply🙇🏻
Yes - with any X-mount camera.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you
Good review, I currently own this, however it's use is pretty limited for street and general photography, on the other hand xf23f1.4 although expensive, bigger, slower, older is optically far more superior and a perfect all around lens for potraits, landscapes, street.. I've made up my mind to replace f2 with f1.4..correct me if I'm wrong.. thanks
Hi Atul, I'm not quite sure why the F1.4 lens would be a better option for street, which often requires quicker autofocus.
Thanks for the review and the Northern ON "street photography" ! You should put out a book called "Dirt Roads and Empty Blacktop To The Horizon". Good stuff!
Sounds like a good idea.
To me, the 23F2 performs weak. For some reason it misses focus a lot and produce lots of soft photos (well coming from film there’s nothing sharp in the world but you know what I mean). Great vid as always! I know this is a Fuji review but can you please review the Canon RF 800 F11?
I'm hoping to develop a better supply system for Canon. Here in Canada the loaner process has been, frankly, frustrating. I can't promise when I'll get to it.
Dustin Abbott I’ll stay positive 🤗
i sold this one a few days ago, the IQ wide open from 1m to the closest distance is not acceptable.
It's definitely a weak point.
There's an aperture ring on the lens to stop down if you want to use a 35mm equivalent for close-up shots, which I'm not sure why you want to do at the first place, just in case you have not seen it. It is there.
@@ShutterKnacknail. On. Head. It's a damned good lens 👍
If you absolutely love the 35mm focal length but the IQ of this lens isn’t cutting it you should check out the X100V ... that is an absolutely killer tiny package.
I've got several great 35mm lenses in my kit...but not so much the tiny ones!
You should test it on a better body. I get top results with XT2.
Top results in what way? It's not going to optically improve - the X-T2 has the same sensor as the camera I tested it on.
@@DustinAbbottTWI In terms of auto focus
To people complaining about the close-up sharpness, just stop it down! Every lens has its weak points.
Hi Tristan - that means that you lose what little ability the lens has to create out of focus backgrounds. There's a cost associated with stopping down, so the criticism is fair.
Dustin Abbott fair enough but this issue is over inflated on reviews whereas with other alternatives such as the Viltrox, you can’t even focus that close but nobody’s complaining about its lack of close focusing ability.
I did.
@@ShutterKnack Sorry for my late reply. I agree with you. The Fujifilm 23mm f/2 is an excellent lens and is well suited for street, travel, and landscape photography. It's not a macro lens; it's not a lens designed to produce jaw-dropping bokeh. Nowadays, there seems to be too much emphasis placed on out of focus image areas. Fujifilm has recently released lenses that will create good bokeh, but they are, in my opinion, too large for discrete street photography.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the performance of this lens. I didn't think that it held up well against the Tamron 35 1.8 VC (Yes, a full frame lens but similar in price) in terms of sharpness or aberration correction. The real killer of the lens for me was purple fringing. The only attractive part of the lens for me was the build quality and small size but I don't think it is worth the IQ trade off.
The Tamron is a strong lens optically, for sure. It’s also several times larger, so in some ways its a little hard to compare performance. But our point is well taken. I’ve definitely seen stronger performances at wider apertures, though the XF23mm is quite good at smaller apertures.
HELLO DUSTIN IF I WANTED TO CHANGE SONY SYSTEM AND SWITCH TO A COMPACT PROFESSIONAL CAMERA WITH FIXED OPTICS, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND ME? WHICH MODEL ?
Caps lock!
I haven’t really tested any of the fixed lens cameras, so I don’t really have a great recommendation for you.
Fujifilm X100V it’s the best value for money with amazing IQ and it’s just fun to use ... but that’s if you love 35mm equiv focal length like me
I wish sigma would make there 35mm f2 mount for fuji. I find this lens disappointing and there primes in general for the street photographer.
I think some of those lenses may come to Fuji, though so far just those specifically designed for APS-C.
millimetres is not a unit of mass.
I'm not sure what you are referring to, but I assume there's some place in the video that I misspoke.
“It weighs in at 180 millimeters”..... you mean grams?
LOL - that may just be possible.
Maybe, for me, too much in-camera sharpening...
Hmmm, since almost everything shown in the review is RAW, that's certainly not the problem.
@@DustinAbbottTWI it's a taste, not a problem.
@@Nyky279 Explain.
@@sclogse1 it means sharpening is a taste, de gustibus non disputandum est. And for me, there's simply a parameter i would keep down (minus 3 for video destination).... But good review in every case :)
Bokeh contrast and business really bothers me with this lens, my least favorite of Fuji lenses. I use it cause it's acceptable and small.
That's fair.