This is my main work horse lens at weddings. Shoot about 50% of the wedding with this lens and the rest of the 50% is with the 3-4 other cameras. Great for quick grab shots when the pace of the day speeds up. Not too wide that it distorts yet wide enough to show context of the environment. Super close focus, very sharp at every aperture and great for low light. The loose aperture is perfect when shooting one handed. Change aperture with the middle finger on the hand that is holding the camera and shoot with the index finger. Means you can keep the left rock solid to keep the camera steady. If you change the aperture with the left hand means there is more chance of camera shake by the simple act of moving the hand.

I was checking the video series about you reviewing the XF18mm, XF23mm and XF33mm lenses since I'm getting info to know which lens fit better for the type of photography I'd like to do (I'm a beginner) and so far, this is the best t-shirt you have been wearing haha. I'm glad to have the opportunity to see them on stage this coming friday (03/17/2023) here in Guadalajara, Mexico. Thanks for the reviews and for sharing your experience. So far (saying this from my perspective), your videos are the most accurate and most unbiased that I've seen.

Thanks, Dylan. Your videos are always super helpful to understand how tools work for a working person. 👍

I got this lens about three months ago and love it! I can use it for architecture in the city & street photography scenes that encompass both. Love the close distance to subjects I can get 🖖

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

It's a fun focal length, yes?

Thanks Dylan a really good review to the point and interesting the photographs were great also a good range for the review I think this might be a lens I could use myself glad you explained about the 16mm against the 18mm helped me a lot cheers.......

Thanks Dylan for this review. I appreciate your “use cases” as it really helps me to think whether this really will be applicable or not (helps to stave off gas). I have the 18mm f/2 and have been contemplating an upgrade - so would be interested in your perspective.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, David. If you need the extra stop of light, I would absolutely say go for it on the new lens. However, for any other comparisons, I'll be trying to get a copy of the f/2 lens soon. Stay tuned!

your Katatonia shirt is amazing, great review.

I really like the way how you explain. I am on the way to buy xt4 and a wide field lens. Your considerations are very useful for me. 👍

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it. Thanks for watching!

Great review, thank you.

I can’t wait to add this lens to my arsenal for both personal and professional work, sadly I might have to sell my 10 to 24 but I think it’ll be worthwhile. Thank you for the thorough review! Your photos are fantastic and so is your approach to this channel.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Michael! I've very quickly fallen in love with this lens. If you don't need the extra width of the 10-24, this is a a phenomenal lens to take that role.

@mjfalcon007

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer I just purchased the 18mm this morning and have a family shoot tomorrow so I cant wait to put it to the test. I'm confident the 18mm will be an amazing lens to take the place to the 10-24, especially with the faster aperture. I am excited to hear your love for this lens :)

This channel is a gem

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Popsy. And, thank you for watching!

Thanks for the info. Still waiting for the 33mm f1.4 here in the Netherlands.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Our local Fujifilm office is out of everything now as well. They only have a few lenses left in stock from either GFX or X.

Great review and images, as always, Dylan. I’ve been using this lens for the past weeks and it’s phenomenal. One thing that surprised me, was that you said that sunstars do not get sharp and pronounced. “My” sunstars are very sharp and pointy, as from f/8.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! I've found those sunstars to be a bit soft and mushy, but I'm also comparing them to the razors that some of Laowa's lenses create. They're definitely not a soft mess by any measure, but still not particularly defined in my testing.

@ozuidema

Ай бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer it’s odd, really. The photo at 8:40 minutes shows, as you say, a huge sunstar, which is not very well defined. I’m consistently getting much smaller but well defined sunstars, very close to Laowa quality (although with Laowa, they kick in at much lower apertures, of course; more like my Voigtlander which produces sunstars as from f/3.2). With the Fuji, the sunstars become good at f8; at f11, they’re pretty much perfect. I’m a sunstar nut😀, so this is important to me. It’s a puzzle.

A variety of beautifully crafted shots to demonstrate the possibilities offered by this lens - thank you! You weren't wrong about the 18mm f/2 lens - it's Fuji's worst by far in my humble opinion and optically inferior to the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 at the widest setting on all common apertures.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

That's what I remember, as well. But, I have a couple of colleagues who swear otherwise. I'm really hoping to give these another side-by-side to see the differences.

♠️ACE REVIEW as always!

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

Just rented this lens to try it out …. Thanks for your video

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Hope you enjoy the lens! It's been one of my best purchases in a long time.

This is the only f1.4 I have. 28mm equivalent is such a versatile focal length. Even 35mm is often too narrow when shooting indoors. I wanted a lens that I can take anywhere, that works in the dark Finnish winter, and can be used to shoot kids even if there’s little light or we are indoors, where 1/125 is usually the slowest shutter speed you can use to have sharp images. But even outside and with plenty of light some of that f1.4 stuff renders a really cinematic feel to the images :)

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

It's definitely one of my favourite focal lengths, as well. Such a versatile lens. Have you noticed the AF issue I mentioned? I'm hoping it's a common thing and not a dud lens! :)

@SamiPaju

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer I haven't, but I also haven't paid any particular attention to it. Coming from x100f, pretty much anything is an improvement ;) That said, I just tested both AF-S and AF-C on static subjects and AF seemed snappy and consistent. The only thing I noticed was a very small delay between the picture already being in focus and the af-rectangle turning green.

Hey Dylan, great review,, curious if you use the new 18 1.4 , new 23 1.4 wr and new 56 wr for family sessions now? I'm still debating weather to upgrade the old 23,

Thanks Dylan, that's really helpful. I would also be interested in your thoughts on this lens vs the WCL converter for the X100V which I see you have experience of. EDIT: I have now read your reply to a previous comment along the same lines.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Paul, To give you a bit more detail... for general walk-around work, I wouldn't consider either to be a bad choice. However, if AF is a priority, definitely working with an interchangeable lens body is the better option. Optically, I haven't really compared the two, but might do so in a future video. Hope this helps a little.

Thanks for the review! With proper lighting have you noticed any “specialness” to the render of this 18, vs the 16-55 at similar focal length?

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Being able to focus close and use wide apertures brings a whole new set of possibilities over something like the 16-55 zoom. You've also got a deep vignette when working wide open. These are all things I really like when compared to the zooms. I'll actually be doing an extreme deep dive on these lenses for Fujilove's Gear Talk magazine coming up in February or March, so if you're interested in an "18mm showdown", that might be a good space to watch.

In regard to the 18mm f/2, there is a Mark I and Mark II version of it. The latter improves focus and I suspect maybe a bit better sharpness as well. I got a mint used copy of the Mark II for $260.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

So far as I know the mark ii lens never made it to reality. Where do you see mark ii on the body? We definitely don't have those here.

@yanniobkirk5744

Жыл бұрын

You are probably thinking of the XF 27mm.

Hey Dylan! Great review! Thanks! (also nice shirt) For a person that often shoots against a wall or on the floor (I often can't move backwards), do you think the 18mm could replace the 23mm? For getting interactions between people the 23mm is often too tight for me. (or I'm too slow :) )

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Jaap, thanks for watching. Can't pass up a good Katatonia shirt... Ha! As for replacing the 23mm, that's a hard thing to say. Of course, the 18mm exaggerates perspective quite a bit more than the 23mm and definitely fits a lot more in the frame. When you get close to subjects, you'll be dealing with a very different lens from the 23mm, though. Having said that, personally, I use the 18mm for a lot of things I used to use the 23mm for. I love the extra perspective distortion and also the better technical image quality I get from it. Hope that helps!

Those are wonderful shots sir 👏 🙌 🙏...Hello sir I'm from India and professionally a Pharmacologist but I'm in love with Streetphotography n for that I have bought a FUJIFILM XT30 II with XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens yesterday.... should I go on with it initially ? Or should I go for a Prime Lens ? Which one would be ideal for Streetphotography and daily shooting purpose ? I'm having very little knowledge about Lenses so I badly need your guidance 🙏

I have heard that on the latest Fuji bodies, there is a way to set a "Focus Range." In other words, if you know you'll be shooting a flower close up, you can set the range from Minimum focus distance to say 6 inches. In order to keep focus speedy with less hunting. Don't ask me how to do it. :-)

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

It does indeed exist, but you'd need to change that for everything you shoot and know what you'll be shooting in advance. Very useful for macro or with extremely long lenses like the 200 f/2. I'm not sure I explained the issue I've noticed well enough. Basically, as the lens begins to focus, it seems like there's not quite enough torque to get it going. If the distance is short, it's not too noticeable, but it crops up during portrait sessions quite a bit, so it's always best to pre-focus before creating any critical moments.

Nice video and pictures as usual. One negative thing that I heard about this lens is that the aperture ring is too loose. This also a problem with the 14mm f2.8 lens, which I own.

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

Жыл бұрын

Can't say I've had any issues with the aperture ring. It's been fine over the time I've had it.

@shy-guy5544

Жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer This is good to hear.

Hello, which one would you recommend for weddings. A second hand 16mm 1.4 or the new 18mm 1.4? Thank you

Please do a comparison. Love to hear your thoughts on this lens. I used to own the 18f2 and would love if you could do a comparison. Thanks /Robert

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Will see what I can do.

@Leondrian

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer thank you so much for trying.

@kenhosie4533

2 жыл бұрын

I still have the 18f2; I like the size of it and I'm a sucker for the rectangular hood but what I really do not like is the noise it make when focussing; I'm never sure if people close by can hear it but with it up against the eye it really sounds loud. A comparison video would be great.

@Leondrian

2 жыл бұрын

@@kenhosie4533 I agree that it makes some noises. Never ever noticed anyone paying any attention to that though. Not even when really close to people. I think it really is you as an photographer that hears that. That's just my experience. Could be totally different for someone else. But I stopped being bother with that noise when I noticed that none took any notice of that. I think the shutter usually make a more distinct noise that grabs peoples attention.

have always been a 23mm kinda guy. now maybe time for switching it up to the 18mm...

I would be very interested to learn how this lens compares to the X100V with WCL. I believe that combination is about 19mm, and I have never read a bad review of the WCL output. Is there any chance you would be able to compare them?

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely love my WCL as you can see in my video about the converters. Maybe I'll add that to the bag when it comes to comparing the f/2 and f/1.4. Thanks for the reminder to add that in.

@sshapiro63

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer I bought an X100V and WCL recently, in part because of your review, and I am very pleased with them. I appreciate the informative content you provide.

I’m having a hard time deciding between this 18mm and the new 23mm f1.4. Do you have any experience with that lens and do you have any thoughts on what I should consider. Thanks!

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

The only real difference here is the focal length. They're both excellent. I've actually (finally) got my review of the 23mm coming this Friday. Hope it will help.

@ghas4151

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer I look forward to watching it. I think a question I need to ask myself is whether 35mm equiv. is wide enough for what I need.

@i3lvlvvs

2 жыл бұрын

You will not be disappointed with the 18 1.4, it’s absolutely fantastic!

@s0041464

Жыл бұрын

What did you decide?

greetings, I'm trying to decide with this lens or 56mm 1.2 to add to my kit, I currently have the 33mm 1.4. I'm looking for a lens for street and landscape photography. any thoughts? Thanks for your time

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

Жыл бұрын

That's going to really depend on what you like to shoot. This isn't really and either/or choice. If you like getting in close with epic backgrounds, go wide. If you like intimate details or pulling things closer, go the 56mm. Hard for me to even say without seeing how you like to shoot.

Compare it with 18/2, please :)

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Seems like a lot of people are interested in this! I'll work on getting a copy of it.

How do you think which lens more convenient for street photography’s: this xf18 mm f1.4 or xf23 mm f1.4? (Or xf33)

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

Жыл бұрын

I can't really answer that question without knowing what you like to shoot and how you like it to look. All of the lenses you mentioned are great options. Just pick the focal length that suits what you want to shoot, buy it, and make pictures!

I got the 14 mm f2.8 - 23 mm f2 - 10-24 mm f4. I do landscape mostly. Should I get this ?

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

If you feel like you want to use f/1.4 and you find yourself working around 18mm frequently, I'd say it's a great option. If not, you've already covered that focal length and you're feeling G.A.S. My 2c. :)

@rzaerenbozkurt71

2 жыл бұрын

@@DylanGoldbyPhotographer thanks 😁👍

I have the 16 1.4 but itching my head if I trade it to get the 18! Based in many reviews it looks fantastic. I love mine but yeah many times I find it too wide. How would you compare both?

@DylanGoldbyPhotographer

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Roberto, Thanks for watching. The 18mm is definitely a more "all round" lens. It's not a huge difference, but it's enough that I prefer this focal length over the 16mm (which I parted ways with shortly after buying this). Hope that helps!

Just got this used for 700 dollars !