Distortion likewise is corrected before we become involved, and hence measures a very low -0.16% barrelling, as near perfect as makes little difference. The hood for the Fujifilm XF 50mm F/2 is made of plastic, and like a lot of lens-hoods does not feel entirely durable. While it seems to attach securely, it tends to rattle when moving around.

Even with the rain downpouring, the camera and lens didn’t fail to get critical autofocus. If something is even slightly off it’s because at times it was easier and faster for me to focus and recompose. Of course, this is all with the Fujifilm X Pro 2. When using theFujifilm 50mm f2 R WR with the Fujifilm X Pro 1 (which I still to this day I think has better film simulation) the autofocus is noticeably slower. This goes for both the use of the EVF and the OVF; but time and time again the EVF will be ever so slightly faster with theFujifilm 50mm f2 R WR. Image Quality To find out I shot two compositions at dusk which included some bright, distant lights. First a view of The City of London from the South Bank. Here’s the full composition below and below that I’ve cropped and enlarged a portion from just below right of centre which featured the best-defined diffraction spikes. I shot both lenses at their minimum apertures of f16. As you can see, the XF 50mm f2 and XF 56mm f1.2 have delivered 18 and 14 spikes respectively as expected from their nine and seven aperture blades. But in the crop above it’s clear how much better-defined the spikes are from the XF 56mm f1.2. This is most likely down to the actual shape of the blades themselves, and when it comes to rendering blobs at different apertures, the XF 50mm f2 may be less geometrical. But when it comes to diffraction spikes, the XF 56mm f1.2 is clearly superior in my first example. With a rounded diaphragm at large apertures I can get 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light, but it takes some work and usually only at smaller apertures.Sharpness in the centre improves by stopping the lens down from f/2 to f/4, and there’s a very gradual improvement in corner sharpness from f/2 to where it peaks at f/8. To preserve optimum sharpness, users will ideally want to shoot between f/4-5.6 on this lens. The closest rival to the XF 50mm f2 in the X-range is arguably the XF 56mm f1.2, a lens with a slightly longer focal length and a comfortably larger aperture. Unlike the XF 50mm f2, it unsurprisingly grows in diameter as you move towards the front elements, starting at around 55mm at the lens mount and growing to 73mm around the manual focusing ring. The filter size is understandably wider at 62mm, and the barrel itself longer too at 70mm; the XF 56mm f1.2 is also double the weight at 405g vs 200g for the XF 50mm f2. Whereas the 50mm’s diminutive size makes it a good match for nearly any Fujifilm X series camera, including the smaller entry-level models, the 56mm handles somewhat better on larger bodies such as the X-T2 or X-Pro2. (There isn’t any physical limitation to using the 56mm on a smaller body; it just wouldn’t be quite as comfortable.) The 60mm sits in the middle and feels at home no matter which body you use. Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimise the problem, hence they usually cost more.

Distortion isn’t a cause for concern on this lens either, and users should be aware that Fujifilm delivers correction for raw files via lens-specific metadata. This is accessed automatically by the Raw converter you use to correct or mitigate common optical phenomena. It’s the reason you won’t find Fujifilm lenses listed under lens profiles in Camera Raw or Lightroom. Resolution It's almost all metal with engraved markings and made-in-Japan, just like a real lens. This isn't a plastic dog plop from China. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. So far, outlining on the blobs aside, a decisive lead for the XF 56mm f1.2 in terms of rendering and potential for blurring, but this isn’t the end of the story. As noted earlier, the XF 50mm f2 enjoys a comfortably closer minimum focusing distance compared to the XF 56mm f1.2 of 39cm vs 70cm – that’s almost twice as close, so even with the slightly shorter focal length, you can produce larger magnifications with the XF 50mm f2. In turn the closer focusing accentuates a shallow depth-of-field, so to illustrate this in practice I reshot the ornament at the closest focusing distance of each lens.For a second example, I photographed London’s Tower Bridge, again with both lenses from the same distance and closed to f16. Here’s the full view, followed again by crops of the best-defined spikes. The 50mm and 56mm utilise an internal focusing system, so their length remains the same even as you change the focus distance. The 60mm’s front element, by contrast, physically protrudes from the barrel as you approach the minimum focus distance. We tested theFujifilm 50mm f2 R WR with the Fujifilm X Pro 2, Fujifilm X Pro 1, and the Fujifilm X500 flash. Tech Specs The Fujifilm XF 50mm f/2 comes in at a lightweight 7.05oz (200g) and measures 2.36 x 2.34″. This lens is the same width of the XF 35mm, and only a little longer. Despite the added length, the XF 50mm balances perfectly on my X-T3 and is the most discreet telephoto lens I’ve ever used for street photography.

Use the excellent and inexpensive B+W 46mm 010 , or splurge on the multicoated B+W 010M or use a multicoated Hoya filter.

Summary

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software. The Fuji 50 2 has no visible distortion, at least as shot on Fujifilm's cameras which correct any that might be there. X-series users aren’t short of choice when it comes to buying a fast mid-telephoto prime, but this lens has some key advantages. It’s a convenient size for travelling and feels just as good on smaller X-series camera bodies such as the Fujifilm X-T20 as it does with the more advanced Fujifilm X-T2 and Fujifilm X-Pro2 models.

All in all, it is still one of the fastest and quietest on the Fujifilm X System. It is especially good when paired with a new X-Trans III body like the X-Pro2, X-T2, or the brand new X-T20. Fitting squarely between the 35mm and 56mm lenses for me in use, I have come to really love this lens. So far, I have used it at a corporate event, a couple of food shoots, a portrait session, and as a walk around. In all cases, it has been an adequate focal length for a good portion of my shooting. The manual focus ring is electronic, so it only works some of the time depending on how you have your camera set. When the XF 50mm F/2 is attached to any Fujifilm X Series camera body, it instantly feels at home. Fujifilm X Series camera bodies are neat and more compact than most camera brands. Placing a small lens like the XF 50mm F/2 on such a camera just makes sense. Using face detection, especially with the latest firmware updates, was pretty much faultless and hunting for focus just didn't happen.This is where this series of lenses really shines. The 23mm f/2 WR and and 35mm f/2 WR have both had some of the best autofocus performance on the Fuji X System, and the 50mm f/2 is on par, if not faster. In good light, you will see focusing that outperforms some DSLR lenses. Tested against my Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 on the D750, I couldn't notice any difference in focusing speed. If anything, the Fujifilm was a touch faster. You can see videos of those compared through the viewfinder in my article from last week. It's rare for me to shoot personal images on an XT2, or actually, an X-Pro2 as usually when I'm with my family, I just grab the X100F and go.