Photographers who shoot with interchangeable Fuji X series cameras will be thrilled to know that the Fujifilm lens road map is really beginning to unfold. Back in June, we saw the announcement of the fine Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens, while today we encountered every street photographer’s dream lens: the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 (35mm equivalent on a full frame camera).
35mm has long been a golden standard for street photography due to its extreme versatility and its closeness to the focal composition of the human eye. Moreover, as a focal length that forces you to get close to your subjects, it creates a feeling of direct involvement in the photo as opposed to the sensation of detachment which telephoto lenses can generate. This is why the Fuji X100s, with its Fujinon 23mm (35mm equivalent) F2 fixed focal length lens, was such a great success.
About the new Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4…
The new 23mm f/1.4 is the perfect focal length for day-to-day shooting, from portraiture to landscapes to macro. With its f/1.4 fast aperture, not only can you expect a beautiful bokeh, but you will also be able to shoot hand-held in low-light conditions without the fear of camera shake.
It has a seven blade diaphragm which increases the smoothless of the bokeh, and allows for a reasonable depth-of-field at a medium aperture. The autofocus of your camera should also improve thanks to the 23mm’s internal focusing system.
Finally, the purely optical correction of the lens results in less distortion than you’d find on a lens with optical and digital correction.
The lens is due for release on October 16th 2013.
Hark! What’s this about a Fuji X100 firmware update?
I have to say that Fuji X100 users are some of the most fervently devoted I know, so much that some even refuse to upgrade to the X100s. This is not for economic reasons but for the sheer love of the original camera, despite its many faults.
Thankfully, if you’re an X100 devotee, there is one heck of a firmware on its way that will hopefully breathe a bit of life into your aging camera. This firmware, dubbed 2.0 according to FujiRumors, will bring the following functions to your X100:
- improved autofocus with a 20% increase in speed
- minimum focusing distance reduced by 30%
- improved manual focusing with the addition of focus peaking
- will turn on more rapidly
- will no longer be necessary to hold down the AF button to choose a focus point
This is just another proof of how much Fujifilm cares about its users, both current and future. It also demonstrates Fujifilm’s firm belief that a camera’s value on the market isn’t limited to the 6-12 months following its release. Rather, they feel that by updating their cameras with valuable firmware, they can keep the value of older models as high as possible for as long as possible. This is why nearly two years after its release, we haven’t seen a new X-Pro2, but an important firmware update instead.
According to French website Focus-Numerique, the firmware update will be available on September 10th, but this date has not been confirmed by Fujifilm or any other source.
Will you be adding the new 23mm f/1.4 to your collection? Are you excited about the X100 firmware update? Be sure to chime in down in the comments section!
