First Impression:
The lens is processed very valuable and it touches his very nice. According to the manufacturer, it is mainly made of metal and gives a great feel. The zoom ring is running full and very nice and soft with a pleasant, uniform rotational resistance. The focus also runs so soft! The aperture ring snaps vigorously and remain in position; accidental twisting is thus almost impossible. The bayonet is made of metal and pulls on the X-T1 very nice - not a game. Rubber linings are comfortable to hold. The front ring of the lens hood and filter if necessary be fixed, looks a bit awkward. It is somewhat larger than the rest of the lens diameter and therefore has not really form-fitting / harmony with the lens body.
The lens works just like my wertig comparable Nikon, weighs only felt significantly less (according to technical data also :-)
Operation on the X-T1:
short and sweet! The lens leaves no wish unfulfilled. AF is very fast, accurate and virtually silent! No truly meaningful difference to my Nikon lenses. One advantage of playing a central role for me is the silence. With my Nikon equipment is a silent work impossible (shutter sound, etc.). By combining X-T1 (electronic shutter) and this appearance is nothing to hear and recordings in classical concert halls alternatively possible in very quiet environments! An enormous advantage!
Fuji has dispensed with this lens on a stabilizer. One effect of the lack of OIS is absolute silence during operation of the lens. Compared the Fuji XF 50-140 has a stabilizer and generates a constant noise level, which is audible in very quiet environments.
Optical image quality:
I could detect no significant weaknesses in JPG images. The images are consistently sharp up to the edge of the picture at all focal lengths and the image look is at the end depending on the settings in the X-T1. Backlit subjects well within its capabilities and in low-light I could make no appreciable weaknesses.
Image error I could not visually also determining (printing up to A3) - met professional standards in its entirety.
Bokeh:
Here comes my view a central problem of this lens to wear. When shooting with a subject against a quiet background with no light or reflections influences the bokeh is considered to be very pleasant and nice.
If the background of the subject with lights and or Lichtflektionen provided, the lens is not convincing and has partially harsh! The light sources are mostly hard-rimmed and lack the soft bokeh of Nikon AF-S 24-70 lens clear. The comparison shots I made with 55mm Fuji and with 70mm Nikon, so the focal length is usually for the people images, torso, portrait, act, etc. for wear.
Who people photography as main theme, should test this lens carefully whether the Bokeh meets the personal requirements.
Conclusion:
A very well-made lens with excellent imaging performance.
Dust & splash proof with very good feel.
Absolute downside from my visual perception, the bokeh appearance is in troubled backgrounds!
Update 16.03.2015 / RAW vs. JPG:
For all those interested a personal impression in the light of whether or JPG RAF (RAW) a difference in bokeh can be seen, the answer is no.
A direct 1: 1 conversion of RAW image to JPG with the new RAW converter SilkyPix V4.x is provided by Fuji free of charge, results in no significant optical change of bokehs on RAW or JPG.
Only the concentrated machining changes the bokeh in RAW and due to the raw data can influence here to be taken if one wants that!
Out of interest I have converted regardless of the bokeh question a Fuji RAW in various converters:
- SilkyPix RAW converter 4.x (Fuji)
- Irridient Developer 3
- Lightroom 5
The best conversion I have succeeded with the Iridient Developer! In my short experience, he shows the greatest scope of possibilities for optimizing a Fuji RAF (RAW)
I compare the transformations of the Fuji RAW (X-T1 with 16-55) a recording a Nikon NEF (Nikon D3 with 24-70) from Capture NX2 (not NX-D) is the same, it seems to me the time has not yet come to be in a program exploits the great potential of the Fuji X-Trans sensor. With Nikon here a much finer and more precise handling in NEF is possible.
However, I stand by my statement that a Fuji JPG visibly better results compared to a Nikon D3 camera or D700! Maybe it's different in a D4 / D4s. Here I have no comparison.
Update 05/08/2015:
After an intensive period in which this objective has passed through several events and continuous shooting at me, I correct my rating up from 4 to 5 stars. The bokeh problems should be checked by a trained eye easily. It can be seen very quickly when the background has to be chosen differently to keep it soft.
The reliability and robustness as well as the constant excellent image quality even at maximum aperture is impressive.
Anyone looking for a real working tool in top quality is the right place!
To get the very last ounce out of the X-T1 with 16-55 to operate without much effort, I recommend a simple conversion of the RAF to JPEG with the RAW converter SilkyPix 4.x.
Simply the RAF in SilkyPix converter call and directly output as JPG without additional processing (feel the same as a batch). The quality is improved again in terms of focus and tones!
