In summary
The smooth bokeh produced by the XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens will attract photographers interested in portraiture.
Medium prime lenses with f/1.2 maximum apertures are designed for use at their widest aperture settings in order to separate subjects from their backgrounds. And the APD filter delivers smooth bokeh with reduced outlining, compared to the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens.
The main feature missing is weatherproof sealing, which should be a given at this price point. Aside from that, it’s a pretty fine lens for its type.
Full review
The XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens is a follow-up to the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R, which was announced in early January 2014. The difference between the new lens (which was announced nine months later) is the apodisation (APD) filter, which is used to smooth away bokeh outlines when wide apertures are used. According to Fujifilm, the filter has no effect on image sharpness and the resulting ‘combination of image sharpness and beautiful bokeh delivers portraits with a three-dimensional feel‘.
Side view of the XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens, shown without lens hood and end caps. (Source: Fujifilm.)
Offering a focal length equivalent to 84mm in 35mm format, this lens is ideal for portraiture and, as a result has been designed for use at its widest aperture setting ““ or up to one stop down. This enables photographers to separate subjects from their backgrounds by blurring areas outside the plane of focus. The APD filter will provide a more attractive background blur from the new lens than its predecessor could render.
Apodisation filters don’t work well with phase-detection AF systems but since Fujifilm’s X-series CSCs include contrast detection AF the XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens can take advantage of it. Aside from the APD filter, the optical design in the new lens is the same as in the earlier model, with 11 elements in eight groups, among them one aspherical element and two extra-low dispersion lenses. Three lens elements are cemented together to further reduce chromatic aberrations.
The diagram above shows the positions of the various elements in the XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens. (Source: Fujifilm.)
Fujifilm’s proprietary HT-EBC (High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating) has been applied to all lens surfaces to minimise ghosting and flare. The lens also makes the most of the low pass filter-free Fujifilm X-Trans CMOS sensor and Lens Modulation Optimizer (LMO) technology in the latest camera bodies.
Who’s it For?
At an RRP of nearly AU$1800, most potential buyers will think twice before ponying up for this lens. But for photographers interested in portraiture, the smoother bokeh could justify the investment.
Medium prime lenses with f/1.2 maximum apertures are designed for use at their widest aperture settings in order to separate subjects from their backgrounds. And the APD filter delivers smooth bokeh with reduced outlining, compared to the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens.
The main feature missing is weatherproof sealing, which should be a given at this price point. Aside from that, it’s a pretty fine lens for its type.
Build and Ergonomics
Build quality is in line with other Fujifilm lenses and, as usual, there’s a high percentage of metal in the overall construction. The metal barrel is attached to a solid metal mount and the low-gloss black finish adds a ‘quality’ impression.
Not unexpectedly the front element is very large, with a diameter of roughly 45 mm. It’s close to the front of the lens but has a relatively flat outer face. A shallow threading for a 62 mm surrounds the front element. The supplied lens cap has a pinch-clip that attaches to the filter threading, while the cylindrical lens hood, which is 50 mm long, attaches to the outer edge via a bayonet mounting.
The focusing ring is located just back from the front of the lens. It’s approximately 50 mm wide, with the leading 23 mm finely ridges. This ring turns smoothly through a full circle, providing scope for fine adjustments.
Behind the focusing ring is the aperture ring, which is about 11 mm wide and carries a double set of numbers. In white are the normal f/stops, starting with f/1.2 and then ranging in one-stop increments from f/1.4 to f/16. Behind them in red are the T-stops, which show the light transmission values and indicates the amount of light reduction caused by the APD filter. The only aperture at which no light is lost is f/5.6.
The aperture ring is coarsely ribbed on either side of the T-stops, to provide a secure grip. A red ‘A’ just beyond the f/16 setting on the aperture ring, shifts the lens into auto-aperture mode.
Behind the aperture ring the lens steps inwards to the mounting plate. It’s not stabilised and there’s no switch for swapping between auto and manual focusing since manual focus override is available by default.
Autofocusing is handled by a built-in micro-motor, which is fast and virtually silent in operation. Manual focusing works ‘by wire’ using the AF motor. There’s not much tactile feedback and focusing can be tricky with large apertures due to a very shallow depth of field.
A large cylindrical lens hood, made of rigid plastic is supplied with the lens, along with a pinch-type lens cap. The hood is easy to fit, thanks to a reference dot, which is aligned with a mark on the lens. Unfortunately, the lens cap is a looser fit and is easily detached inadvertently.
There is no distance scale on the lens barrel but this information is displayed in the camera’s viewfinder and on the LCD and remains visible when you switch between them. According to the user manual supplied with the lens, a ND8 filter and cloth wrap should be included in the package, but neither was provided with the lens we received.
Performance
The review lens showed itself to be a stellar performer in our Imatest tests carried out with the Fujifilm X-T10 camera body. The highest resolution was measured at f/4 and this aperture setting also marked the point at which edge and corner softening became insignificant.
Central resolution rose steadily from the maximum aperture of f/1.2 to f/4, after which there was a relatively steep decline to f/16, the minimum aperture setting. Not unexpectedly, Imatest showed significant levels of edge and corner softening at the widest aperture settings. But sharpness in these areas improved steadily as the lens was stopped down, as illustrated in the graph of our Imatest results below.
Lateral chromatic aberration was extremely well controlled and effectively negligible in both JPEG and raw files. The graph below shows the result of our tests with the red line marking the border between ‘negligible’ and ‘low’ CA.
Since vignetting is auto-corrected in Fujifilm cameras, we had to check raw files to see its effects. We found noticeable corner darkening in shots taken with the f/1.2 aperture but this declines as the lens was stopped down and became negligible by f/2.2. Distortion was negligible in both auto-corrected JPEGs and uncorrected raw files.
Because of its wide maximum aperture, the quality of out-of-focus blurring is an important criterion in assessing this lens. In general, bokeh was very smooth and attractive, particularly when backgrounds were evenly lit. Close-up capabilities are limited by the minimum focusing distance of 70 cm.
The review lens could be forced to flare when a bright light (the sun) was included within the frame. However, when it was just outside the frame the normal tonal range in the subject was recorded.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, prime lenses with fast maximum apertures and specialised optics aren’t cheap to produce. The price of the new lens is between AU$500 and $650 more than its ancestor, the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R, which was itself a fairly expensive lens. Both lenses have been on sale for more than six months, so savings can be had by shopping around. Although some local re-sellers have both lenses priced well above the US re-sellers’ prices, there are several non-grey-market re-sellers in Australia offering both lenses at prices that match or slightly better the US figures, so it’s not worth shopping off-shore.
Both lenses provide superior build quality and similar features and performance. Individual photographers must decide whether it’s worth paying more for the smoother bokeh from the APD lens.
SPECS
Picture angle: 28.5 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/16
Lens construction: 11 elements in 8 groups (including one aspherical element, two extra-low dispersion lenses and apodisation filter)
Lens mounts: Fujifilm XF
Diaphragm Blades: 7 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: Micromotor
Stabilisation: No
Minimum focus: 70 cm
Maximum magnification: 0.09x
Filter size: 62 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 73.2 x 69.7 mm
Weight: 405 grams
Standard Accessories: Front and end caps, cylindrical lens hood, wrapping cloth
TESTS
Based on JPEG files from the Fujifilm X-T10 camera.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at f/1.2.
Rectilinear distortion.
1/4000 second at f/2, ISO 200.
1/1700 second at f/1.2, ISO 200.
1/1400 second at f/1.8, ISO 200.
1/640 second at f/2.8, ISO 200.
1/110 second at f/6.4, ISO 200.
Strong backlighting; 1/200 second at f/13, ISO 200.
Flare; 1/500 second at f/11, ISO 200.
1/240 second at f/11, ISO 200.
Crop from the above image at 100% magnification confirming the absence of coloured fringing.
1/200 second at f/16, ISO 200.
1/300 second at f/5.6, ISO 200.
1/140 second at f/2.8, ISO 400.
1/320 second at f/4, ISO 400.
1/800 second at f/5.6, ISO 200.
1/75 second at f/8, ISO 400.
Additional image samples can be found with our review of the Fujifilm X-T10 camera.
Rating
RRP: AU$1799.95; US$1499
- Build: 8.8
- Handling: 8.8
- Image quality: 9.0
- Versatility: 8.5