Fujifilm XF 50mm f1 R WR Lens First Impressions

Fujifilm XF 50mm f1 R WR Lens First Impressions:

If you love photos where the depth of field is ultra shallow, you might want to take a look at something Fujifilm has released: the XF 50mm f1 R WR lens.  In addition to a blurred out background, the large maximum aperture is great for low light photography as well.  I received one recently on loan to review, and I’ve been giving it a try here, and there when the temperature isn’t as hot in New York City.  Here are my first impressions of it.

Let’s start off with the build, which is fantastic.  The XF 50mm f1 R WR lens feels very solid in the hands thanks in part to its metal barrel.  The aperture ring clicks smoothly in third stops as you rotate it.  The focus ring is very smooth as well although I’ll be honest, I don’t use manual focus much with this lens at all.  The beauty of this 50mm f1 lens is it’s actually autofocus, so I’ve been taking advantage of it :).  Lastly, the XF 50mm f1 is also dust and weather sealed as with pretty much every other new Fujifilm lens.

↑ Fujifilm X-T3 with the XF 50mm f1 R WR lens.

Let’s talk about the ergonomics now.  I’m sure all of you can tell that this is not a compact lens, which makes sense, since this is an autofocus 50mm with a max aperture of f1.  It’s given that this won’t be a small lens like the XF 50mm f2, and this is no fault of Fujifilm, of course.  It’s physics.  With that said, you will notice the size of it even on pro bodies like the X-T3 and X-T4.  I’ve had it in my hands for a couple of weeks now, and it still takes some time getting used to it.  I’ve handled larger lenses but I almost feel like the Fujifilm bodies are a little too light for a lens this large and heavy (that’s not a long telephoto) but hey, this is a specialty lens.  If I’m going to buy a lens like this, it’s for a particular look that I’m after.  It might even be for work, and if that’s the case, I’ll get the lens that is right for the job regardless of size or weight.  Speaking of the specs are 3.43 x 4.07″ / 87 x 103.5 mm and 1.86 lb / 845 g.  It also uses a 77mm filter.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f1 using 160 ISO.

↑ This was taken with 500 ISO using f5.6.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f1 using 160 ISO.

The XF 50mm f1 R WR lens is a statement lens by Fujifilm; it’s one of those lenses where a manufacturer goes all out to basically show what they can accomplish, so I imagine Fujifilm put a lot into this, which can often result in a larger lens.  Think of the 50mm f1 kind of like a lens where no compromises or at least very few compromises were taken when designing it and building it.  So, shrinking it down or cutting off some of the weight were probably not priorities.

↑ This was taken with f1 using 160 ISO.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f11 using 500 ISO.

↑ Here’s another photo taken at f11 using 200 ISO.

So, let’s talk a bit about the autofocus of the XF 50mm f1 R WR lens.  It’s definitely great to have autofocus in an f1 50mm lens, and for the most part it works nice.  It’s not lightening quick, which is understandable.  This is a lens with heavy glass, and I imagine if there’s a larger motor, the lens would be even bigger.  The focusing is good but it really depends on your subject.  For instance, it’s good for portraits, which I imagine many will use this lens for.  It’s quick enough for a session with a model or client.  However, I did get the occasional miss on the street.  Also, I think if you were to use this lens for something like sports, you would have a few misses as well.

↑ This was taken using f1 and 160 ISO.

↑ Here’s another example taken at f1 and 160 ISO.

↑ Here’s one more taken with 160 ISO and f1.  This was taken from a distance this time around to show you how f1 looks further away.

As for image quality, the XF 50mm f1 R WR lens has been performing quite well.  It’s better than I expected.  I actually really love the look that this lens produces.  I wasn’t sure what to expect at f1 but so far, I am finding it to be quite sharp.  Of course, as you stop down, sharpness definitely improves.  You have to remember that the depth of field for a 50mm at f1 is very thin.  So, even with autofocus, the slightest movement on the photographer’s part will yield images that aren’t tack sharp.  Also, depending on your subject, sometimes the depth of field is so thin that the autofocus mistakenly focuses on a petal of a flower instead of the center, for instance.

↑ This last shot was taken using f8 and 160 ISO.

As for other traits of this lens, I also haven’t had much issue with flaring.  There is some vignetting at f1 but that’s a given.  The bokeh is probably the biggest draw of this lens, and I have to say, it is really beautiful.  It’s so smooth and dreamy looking.  It makes me want to shoot everything at f1.  If you wanted a full frame 85mm f1.4 lens look for your Fuji, the XF 50mm f1 is probably your best bet although I feel you can also get similar results with the XF 56mm f1.2 as well.

Overall, I think this lens is actually pretty special, and it’s not just because of the look it produces at f1.  I’ve actually been stopping this lens down quite a bit, and I love the results.  I honestly wasn’t expecting to like this lens so much but as of now, it’s one of my favorites in the Fujifilm catalogue.  So, expect my full review soon.  I have a model shoot scheduled this weekend to test my new studio set up.  I’m primarily using my Leica SL2 but I’m also taking this lens along with me to see if I can get a few shots :).  Stay tuned, and thanks for stopping by!

For those interested in purchasing the Fujifilm XF 50mm f1, you can check out the link below:

XF 50mm f1 R WR lens at B&H Photo

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