Learning How To Love You

DSCF9716FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/125 sec, ISO200)

I don’t like 50mm lenses. I never did. A 50mm lens was the first prime I used on an all manual Eastern Germany SLR when I was young. A 50mm lens was the only lens I had on a Pentax ME I got from my father. A 50mm lens was the first prime I bought for my first SLR the Nikon F801 to compliment my 2 zooms ( 35-70 and 70-210 ) but not because I like the focal length so much, only because it was and still is the cheapest way to get a fast lens.

A 50mm lens is too narrow for almost everything and too wide for portraits. It’s seems that it’s a lens that never fits. I bought and sold a 1.4/50 for my Canon 5D too. I never used it a lot and stopped using it when I bought the 35L.

But it seems that many people manage to take fantastic shots with a 50mm lens so it must be me and not the lens.

DSCF9720FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/75 sec, ISO200)
DSCF9722FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/55 sec, ISO200)

When I got my second hand Fuji X-Pro1 just before Christmas 2012 it came with the 18mm lens but I also got a new 35mm lens because everybody seems to be enthusiastic about it. The other reason was that back in 2012 those two lenses plus the 60mm Macro lens were the only lenses available. The 60mm was unacceptable slow to focus, it’s only a f2.4 and it is simply not versatile enough. I prefer faster lenses for portraiture.

DSCF9725FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/100 sec, ISO200)

The first weeks I used mainly the 18mm lens but that changed after I got the 14mm. Now I take only the 14mm and the 35mm with me. I use the 14mm most of the time but every time a pull out the 35mm it impresses me and I love the look this lens creates especially if used wide open. It’s still too narrow for my shooting style.

The is no surprise because it acts like a 50mm on full frame but somehow I really love to shoot with it. I think one reason is that it can be used wide open without creating a “dreamy look”. This term is used be photo gear heads trying to protect their cheap 1.4/50mm lenses that are horrible when shot wide open. I know because I have been there. Where is the use in a f1.4 lens if it needs to be stopped down to f2.0 or even f2.8 to deliver acceptable results. Why not make it a smaller and lighter f2.8 lens in the first place?

DSCF9727FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/75 sec, ISO200)
DSCF9728FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/50 sec, ISO200)

That’s where the 1.4/35mm lens from Fuji is different. It can be used, no it should be used wide open. Why? Because if shot wide open it might loose a little sharpness but it creates a very nice and special look. Depth of field is shallow enough that backgrounds are rendered out of focus but you can still see the structures and details. It’s not the total blur you get with longer lenses. Because of that the 1.4/35 becomes one of my favorite lenses. I finally learned to love this focal length!

You can’t create such a look with a standard zoom lens. Not even if you use  a 2.8/24-70 lens on a full frame body. With Fuji’s own zoom the 18-55 you will get not even close. I have no doubt that the 18-55 lens is a very fine lens. It covers a certain range and it offers IS but it will not get you the look you can get with the 1.4/35 prime. Use both at f4 and you will get exactly the same result. There is no sharpness advantage that is big enough to justify to choose a prime over the versatility of a zoom if you use both lenses at slow apertures.

DSCF9733FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/50 sec, ISO320)
DSCF9734FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/50 sec, ISO320)

When Fuji brought out the X-Pro 1 they decided to start with a set of small, fast primes first instead of offering a kit zoom and a slow tele zoom like all the others. It’s clear that they targeted a different group of users.

The X-System offers a truly fantastic sensor with great out of camera pictures but the primes where the key to success. The look that can be created with sat lenses is unique. Finally that look is what sets system cameras apart from digital compacts and smart phones with their everything in focus look. I’m not saying that there must be shallow DOF in every image. Most of my Fuji images are shot with the 14mm lens where everything is more or less sharp even if I use f2.8. But it is great to have the choice and some images need that shallow DOF to separate the subject from an otherwise too busy background. Just take a look at picture number 4 and 5 to see what I’m talking about.

If you never use anything else but the kit zoom you limit the capabilities of those great system cameras from Fuji. Their primes are excellent but most of them are rather pricey so why not get that “cheap” 50mm? You won’t regret it!

I almost forgot: The beautiful Indian temple is located in Malacca, Malaysia and the title is referring to a song from John Hiatt.

DSCF9736FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/1.4, 1/75 sec, ISO200)
DSCF9737FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (35mm, f/2, 1/70 sec, ISO200)