New Fuji 56 1.2 Lens. An 84mm fast portrait prime!

January 6, 2014 First Looks, for sale, Fuji, Mirrorless, News 72

New Fuji 56 1.2 Lens. An 84mm fast portrait prime!

FUJI551.2

I have to hand it to Fuji..they sure do know what lenses we want and with the release of their recent 23 1.4 and now upcoming 56 1.2 it is making Fuji even more and more tempting. I am just waiting for the perfect X body before I ever commit to Fuji though they have gotten much better since the original X-Pro 1 was released. Now we have the faster X-E2 and with these new lenses the possibilities are delicious. In my opinion, Fuji has changed the game with their new lens offering, specifically the already mentioned 23 1.4 which will give a 35mm 1.4 equivalent and the new 56. Add in the existing 35 1.4 and you have a perfect set of 35, 50 and 85  – all fast primes that will deliver sharpness, shallow DOF and nice Bokeh.

Now c’mon Fuji..release an X-Pro 2 with a build and responsiveness that it deserves 🙂 

You can now pre-order the new 56 1.2 lens at B&H Photo HERE at $999. They also sell the 23 1.4 AT $899.

PopFlash.com sells Fuji now and the 23 1.4 is in stock HERE and the 56 1.2 pre-order is HERE as is the 10-24 pre-order.

PS – I will be doing a full review of the X-E2 and 23 1.4 soon and will review the 56 1.2 as soon as it is released. 

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72 Comments

  1. I bought one and purpose is going straight to F1.4 for narrow depth of field but… With sunny weather, at 1.4, closer time 1/4000, and 200ISO, pictures are definitely far overexposed!
    I propose un update for the body, authorizing a 25ISO, or something low like this. Rather than using a ND filter for 3 stops.. Has Fuji this in forecast.. ?..hoping for!

  2. Man, my Fuji X-E1 is my favorite camera…and the 35 is superb…but I HATE the focus by wire!!!! It works OK on my X100s but it just sucks on my 35. I would love to buy this 56 but I hate the idea of my lenses being obsolete in a few years…

    I so wish Fuji’s lenses were mechanical focus!

  3. Fuji been condemned because of so called slow AF and some quirks.

    LEICA m9 is definetly slower than fuji x pro, nowhere near in terms of high iso performance (even for Full Frame) and of course the price.

    but no one wouldnt say a thing about it just because its Leica.

    Sigh.

    • I did an experiment one day..X-Pro 1 vs Leica M – AF vs MF..bottom line.. I could focus an M quicker than the X-Pro 1 did in auto with a 100% hit rate for the M and about a 70% hit rate for the X-Pro. 😉

  4. Fuji lenses, Fuji manual controls and bodies, IBIS, fast AF, Foveon sensor inside = a system to wipe the floor with the rest. Just a dream, unfortunately. I love everything about the Fuji except the pixel level output of its sensor. The overall appearance and look of the files seems great at first glance, but does not hold up to FF and best in class aps-c output and certainly not to Foveon sensor results in PP.

    • No thanks…you can keep your Foveon sensors in the Sigma DP series….they hold no interest to me as image quality lacks above base iso. I have an XPro1 and the quality from prints rivals my 5D2….so not sure what your issue is with the sensor.

  6. The X Pro is now a very complete camera due to the firmware upgrades. Full frame is no better output wise except for those whose MAJOR need is a bit shallower depth of field. Bokeh is the quality of the out of focus areas, not how blurry they are. I can’t imagine a better system of lenses than it has. They are SPECTACULAR.

      • Hi ISO with Fuji X is among the best especially in real life shooting. If a camera can shoot 6400 without problems , I don’t thing in practice you need anything more.

        Also, for first time new software releases can capture the real resolution of the sensor working with RAW files, with amazing results and this is still a work in progress that say a lot for the future of the sensor. LR btw give still among the worst results here.

        Also, while not ideal for all M lenses , seems to have less problems than Sony A7 for example and with Fuji M mount you have software settings for any lens. The new manual focus methods are there.

        The new Fuji lenses are great additions too, with the new demosaic RAW algorithms they can show you sharpness compete with FF cameras

        Sure, no camera is perfect and Fuji definitely has done a long distance with the new X series cameras as a very serious tool.

        It deserves to try a Summilux 35mm /1.4 with some serious RAW conversions to realize what this sensor is capable of.

      • Having taken thousands of photos with both my Canon 5D and X Pro I would respectfully disagree.

        • The Canon 5D is quite an old FF camera so you might well be correct but I was referring to current entry level FF cameras like the D610 and Sony A7.

          FF still offers higher image quality but I do thing that the Fuji X can offer “enough” for some people

          • Yep, got an X-Pro1 the day it was released and used it until it failed 11 months later, had it fixed and sold it then got an X-E1, it’s a good system but I’ll probably sell it now I’ve the A7R

      • Have you tried the expandable dynamic range feature in the fuji cameras…it is excellent

  8. I have the 60mm F2.4 so I will use that lens. Real fast portrait lens have DOF problems for me. Eyes in focus, tips of noises not. BUT TO EACH THIER OWN! I would like the 23mm F1.3. The I would have the 14,23 and 60mms lens. I would also have 24,35 and 90 Leica lens. I would need little else.
    As far as the X-PRO 2, would rather have Fuji take a little more time and do it right. Maybe an other year. As far as FF, I do believe APS-C is the prefect size for mirror less cameras that have good balance. If lens are going to large, the camera may as well be in balance with the size.

  10. It doesn’t seem like the X-PRO2 is in the horizon so soon, but there will be soon the Fujica-styled Weather-Sealed one. I wonder if there will be anything really new to this camera or just improvements over the X-E2.

      • X-Pro2 wont come until at least Photokina. However, it is more likely that we’ll get a new weather sealed X-body together with the 16-55 f/2.8 at that time, rumored to be prices between the X-Pro1 and the X-E2. The Fuji CEO said in a Japanese interview that the X-Pro2 wont come until there is a major breakthrough. I.e. Organic sensor and in-body IS. Could be another year before the organic sensor is ready.

        • I think that they won’t be able to wait until the organic sensor be ready, maybe if they can get that Sony or Toshiba 24MP and make it X-Trans that should be it. They could also use Panasonic tech, the Micro Color Splitter or any other that increases the incidence of light but the basic part of the sensor should be one that already exist.

          • Fuji is never going to use another manufacturer’s sensor unless they co-developed it…especially not in their flagship camera. X-Trans is their invention and will almost certainly continue in their professional and prosumer cameras.

            As to the organic sensor, Fuji is co-developing that tech with Panasonic. Whether or not it can be melded with the X-Trans design or not is an open-ended question, but either way I think it will be a while before we see it.

            Don’t expect an X-Pro 2 this year…sadly.

  11. With the f/1.2 you may have better results shooting in MF with peaking. Not much room for error. I don’t have Fuji yet, I am waiting for the Xpro 2. Ultimately I would like to have the 10-24,16-55 f/2.8 and the 35mm f/1.4

  12. My 2 current systems: The Olympus E-M1 and Fuji XPro-1. I have all oly/pany lenses for m43rds and all X lenses for fuji. Is the fuji slower than the e-m1? yes. is the oly more ‘sophisticated’? yes. Sealed? yes. faster focusing? yes. image stabilization? yes. better high iso? yes. so, which one is my go to camera? the xpro-1. hands down. better iq. better sensor output. and i love the feel of the camera. i also love having an optical viewfinder. the fuji is my travel camera, my around the house camera. it is WAY faster than my old leica M8 :-))) Do I want an X-Pro2? sure. faster focusing. image stabilization. weather sealed. I’d even LOVE titanium build, and a slightly smaller body! Now, I love my oly – and use it for sports and some low light. and I love my 12mm, 25mm, and 75mm (and still playing with 12-40). but for street shooting, travel, etc., my preference is my xpro1 and either 23 or 35. The output out of that camera is the best I’ve ever gotten from any digital camera i’ve owned…

    • Does the E-M1 really have better high ISO performance than the X-Pro1? (Thats surprising to here)

      • I was going to ask the same thing about the high ISO performance. I was under the impression that the X-PRO1 is a stop or two above the E-M1.

    • Interesting that you find E-M1 better in high ISO than X-Pro1 – completely different findings than mine 😉

    • This is one of the most interesting posts I’ve ever read on a forum, thank you Jim. I too find my XE-1 files incredible and have started using it instead of my Nikon gear on some assignments. Also, after some fine tuning I am getting great files with no artifacts with ACR.

  13. I am waiting delivery of my end of libe clear-out fuji x-pro 1 £949 for body and 28 equiv f2 with a free offer from Fuji of one of the three original lenses so for me the macro 90 equiv f2.4 plus £100 cashback on the 50 f1.4 so all in under £1200 for the body and the three original lenses. Now anyone want to swap their 8 equiv f1.2 for my macro? …. Or even the 28 for the 35!

  14. I just bought the Fuji 23mm 1.4R last week….and all I have to say is wow…what an awesome lens….in my opinion well worth the $850

  15. Hey Steve, you should give the XPro 1 body a second review because its been improved a lot by firmware updates. I brought mine just before Christmas for 1150 in a local department store with the 35mm 1.4 included so to me that was the deal of the year because here where I live (Santiago, Chile) camera prices can be twice as much as in the US. The X Pro 1 is still rockin and Fuji have no plans for a replacement in the near future. Im very happy with it and exited about the new lenses that are coming. Just waiting for a fast zoom.

    Cheers

    • It would be nice to see how the X-Pro1 performs now with the 23mm 1.4 and the new 56mm 1.2
      Do you have any idea why the guys in DxO are not testing the Fuji bodies? Maybe they are afraid to admit such a good sensor and lenses that can compete agains the mighty FF Nikon and Sony… We’ll see…

      • I have heard DxO don’t review Fuji because they only review brands who wants to pay them, like Nikon and Canon. Not sure why Fuji wouldn’t pay them to get press though. Anyone who knows more?

        • I thought I remember seeing on dxo site that the x trans tech messes with their measurements… I could be wrong but pretty sure it says it some place.

          • Hmmmm… Just had a scoot around for a reference and couldn’t find it… Maybe I imagined the whole thing…

          • They did not have an equipment to measure a X-Trans sensor, and have no plan to purchase/customize the equipment to use only for the Fujifilm sensor. They said so some time ago.

    • Add me to chorus; take another look. The firmware updates have been amazing, fixing almost all of the complaints you read about in early reviews. Re-reviews rarely get done, but we as a community should really get behind the kind of post-purchase support Fuji has shown and encourage it. They’ve added features to discontinued cameras!

        • I totally agree. the xpro1 with v. 3.10 is not in the same league as the original when introduced…

          • Not the same league… true. It definitely has dropped in price a lot, from Premium priced to bargain (in some countries with all 3 first generation primes (cash back included) for about the body alone price original customers paid).
            As for AF speed, it is now what it should have been when it was released 2 years ago – and it should not have been released at that price with the issues it had then. It is still a few leagues behind what other 2013-2014 cameras offer, but has become acceptable in general conditions.
            Even if Fuji provides nearly monthly firmware updates : the point is they should not have released it at that moment, at that price, with these quirks and issues. It is a great camera with great lenses, when it works. But it has given me so much frustration that I find it hard to consider the v. 3.01 as good news.

    • Totally agree…while I am looking forward to an X-Pro 2, there is no other camera I would rather have right now.

    • +1

      Totally different camera now and a re-test would be completely in order. It’s a fantastic choice of not just camera but system now too.

  16. I currently shoot with an xpro-1 and an x100s. I have owned the 18-55, 35, and 60 lenses. Overall I have been very happy with the images that I have gotten out of this camera and am very much looking forward to purchasing the 56 f/1.2. This camera is not for everybody, but it is for me. I still find myself frustrated at times with the x-pro1’s processing speeds and think that the x-e2 would be a worthy upgrade for me. Still waiting to see what comes down the pipe in the coming weeks though. I think that it’s going to be a while before we see an X-Pro2.

    • Kelly – I, too, have been shooting with the X-Pro 1 (for over 18 months now) and if I were to sum up my experience succinctly, I would say that I love the camera’s design, size, weight, ergonomics, and OOC jpegs … but I grew to strongly dislike many other aspects of the camera. The overall lagginess has led to the frustration of many missed shots, and the lack of successful RAW conversion within the Adobe ecosystem (my preferred workflow) has become too annoying.

      Enough so that I’ve decided to dump the camera and instead move to the Olympus OM-D E-M1, which ― with the vertical grip attached ― may be the most responsive and best handling camera I’ve ever used. Bar none.

      Both systems have some wonderful glass, so I’m not concerned about that; we’re spoiled for choice.

      Anyway, I wrote about my experiences with the X-Pro 1 (along with some photos from it) here: http://www.falconercommunications.com/2014/01/06/18-months-shooting-with-the-fujifilm-x-pro-1/

      I’ll definitely miss it. Again, what I love about it, I really love, and when it nails a shot, boy the image quality is superb! But it’s not yet a “complete package”. Give Fuji another 2 years; it’ll get there, I’ve no doubt.

      And if anyone has any doubts that M4/3 image quality isn’t “good enough”, talk to Jay Dickman. He’s been using it to shoot for National Geographic for the past 10 years.

      • For the comment about lagness of the already firmware upgraded x Pro 1 is just exagerated.
        I came from super fast Nikon D700 and D3, and i can adapt really well when i bought the x pro 1 end of last year. Of course its not comparable to my nikons, but its if you really have the experience of shooting moving subjects, you can nail thatbtype of pictures with camera like X Pro 1.

        Master once taught me “master the Autofocus and never let urself be the slave. If you end up being a slave, even a Canon 1xD cannot save you from taken a blurry moving subjects”

  17. I agree these two lenses (23 and 56) are enough to tempt me to look at Fuji more seriously, but… still no stabilization? Life with the E-M 5 has convinced me that stabilization is a plus with every lens.

    While they’re at it: Now they need one more, longer, wide-aperture lens, one that would be roughly equivalent to a 135mm on 36x24mm “nostalgia format.” A 90/1.8 or 100/2 would be fabulous, and shouldn’t have to be too big or heavy. And this time with OIS, puh-LEEZ?!

    • Fuji have a new(for them) 5 axis stabilization in their new super zoom camera. I imagine it will make an appereance in the x-pro2 aswell.

          • That’s not true. Even shooting a 50mm or 35mm focal length will benefit from additional stabilization; particularly in low light if your shutter speed drops to 1/8th or 1/4 sec.

          • I have never needed it with a standard focal length lens, but I will take your word for it.

          • Why would U wanna shoot important pics at half a second without support like tripod i just dont understand. Even with an image stablizer lens, u will get more blurry shots with half a second exposure compare to percentage for sharper pics at that speed if u hand held. (UNLESS U HABE STEADY HANDS)

            I can shoot at 1/6 second exposure with X Pro 1 and got 80% sharp pics when OIS engaged on my 18-55 XF lens. With the superb high iso performance of x pro, i would rather bump up the iso, or find a support rather than shooting at half a second and just depends on OIS. Maybe Its just me, because i couldnt think of what situation i would want to shoot at that speed and wasting time at the same time knowing the percentage of blurry shots is higher because i dont use proper support.

          • Different strokes for different folktographers I guess. 🙂

            I, too, have never needed OIS for anything in the past 5 years:

            1. Birds and athletes tend to move fast, so with telephoto lenses no way would I have a slow shutter.

            2. If I am using a tele for a portrait for compressing, 90% of the time I am using off camera lighting and my sync speed is going to be as high as I can get it.

            3. For landscape it would be amateurish to hand hold for multiple bracketed shots, even with high FPS. I’m going to use a tripod here.

            4. For weddings the minimum I shoot at is 1/100 because my subjects can move and ruin the shot altogether. Yeah, maybe a very small % of the time I might shoot lower and OIS would be nice, but nowhere near necessary.

            5. ISO speeds are insanely high and new cameras handle them extremely well.

            There are two scenarios where OIS seems worth the money, obviously for superzooms that weigh an atrocious amount and even monopods have issues keeping steady, and for the kind of people that walk around with their family at night and ask them to hold really really still for a snapshot. Me, I don’t even worry about this anymore because I can shoot at ISO 6400 and get awesome results.

            I would not want to pay $20 extra for OIS in a lens. Seriously. But I can see other’s thinking I am insane. More power to them.

            Peace. 🙂

  18. I am using the Zeiss 55/1.8 on the A7R right now and it’s barely a decent focal length (I prefer 35). But when I put this lens on my NEX 5N (APS-C) then 55 becomes quite awkward. I suppose it could be a decent portrait lens, but if fuji is doing a portrait lens already then I don’t see much use for 56/1.2 (other than pure bokeh joy).

  20. The lenses do really look great! And the X-E1 does look awesome, too! Maybe I gotta switch from E to X-Mount when a good X-E2 is released.

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