Heckuva Lens Hood On A Heckuva Lens

If this month's selection of items to review seems a little biased toward Fujifilm equipment you must understand that the selection process for the weblog column is a precise one. I run through the storeroom with a hessian bag and a big stick one step ahead of the warehouse staff. As I go I bang the shelves with the stick and scoop up whatever falls off in the bag - then run for it. This is what gets investigated. Occasionally a box topples slowly and hits the storeroom staff chasing me instead of falling into the bag. Kinetic science is still a new thing...

Well as I rounded the far turn today the Fujifilm XF23mm f:1.4 R lens came down and I got it in one. This is a timely catch as there is going to be a new Fujifilm 23mm lens along later in the month and I would like to have some images from this one to compare.

Note that the new one is going to be more compact but is one stop slower than this lens. It also misses out on an important focusing feature...more on that as we go.

The 23mm lens approximates the same field of view for the Fujifilm X series of cameras that a 35mm lens would have done for a full-frame film camera of the twentieth century. It is a comfortable focal length and gives a relaxed view of the world - not too tight and not too wide. You can still accept it as a normal sort of view in the viewfinder or computer.

It is echoed at present by the 23mm f:2 lens fitted to the X-100 series of cameras. I have always found this to be excellent for tourism and general shooting and is the preferred focal length for shooting party events. It accords brilliantly with the flash power of the Fujifilm EF 42 speed light. It can be a little tight at hot rod shows if they park the vehicles too close together, but if you wish to settle for a front or back 3/4 shot it is very good. there does not seem to be distortion in the shots at this focal length.

Okay, we've got the angle of view - what about the aperture. A true f:1.4 to f:16 in very precise clicks. A setting as well for who you need to go programmed.

The focus is the stunner - it will go down to 28 cm either by AF or by hand...and we do mean hand. You pop the focus ring back from the AF position and you have full mechanical manual focus. Not a computer command. This is precisely the same sort of focus that the Fujinon XF 14mm f:2.8 lens has and it is magnificently reassuring to use. You do not hunt back and forth with it.

I would risk saying that people who might be used to using the manual rangefinder focus of L---- cameras with their lenses would very much warm to this Fujinon lens. I know during my test shots I kept it in the MF mode all the time and made use of the focus-peaking feature of the Fujifilm X-pro1 to nail it every time.

But we have neglected the lens hood...When I first saw it I thought it was a fantasy prop from Lord Of The Rings...it had that gothic-castle look about it. The deep cutbacks are to see sideways, but the extended top and bottom are really quite bizarre. Still, lens hoods are the unsung heroes of the optical chain so we should not laugh - just bayonet it on and ignore the raised eyebrows.

So...which 23 are you going to get - the new lightweight 23mm f:2 WR, the tiny 23mm f:2 on the X -series camera, or this low light 23mm f:1.4? Any way you go, you'll get a good standard wide.

See the Camera Electronic Fujifilm online store here: http://www.cameraelectronic.com.au/fujifilm