DPReview New vs Old XF 56mm f/1.2 Studio Test – Not Sufficient Difference to Justify Switch to New 56 for Lab Test

When DPReview published their studio lab test of the Fujifilm X-H2, they used the old Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R for their test.

But as Fujifilm has openly said, the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R is not capable of taking full advantage of all the 40MP edge to edge also at maximum aperture. Fujifilm writes:

The list specifies our selection of lenses that have high resolution performance from edge to edge at maximum aperture, allowing you to fully experience all that the 40MP sensor has to offer. Lenses not listed will also allow you to experience the improved resolution performance of the 40MP sensor.”

To be clear: all Fujinon lenses will experience a sharpness boost. But not all will be able to resolve all the 40MP even wide open across the entire frame.

Many rightfully asked DPR to re-test the studio lab scene using the new Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R WR, and so they did. Their conclusion:

Our interpretation is that there is a slight contrast benefit to the use of the new 56mm F1.2R WR vs. the non-WR lens; in the widget above we’ve tried to highlight the area of greatest difference. In our judgment the difference is not sufficient, at the aperture value the test scene is shot at, to justify breaking consistency with previous Fujifilm models tested in our setup.

This isn’t a comment on the new lens: we’d expect to see greater differences at wider apertures, and we’ve found the autofocus performance to be improved over the older version. But neither of these are pertinent to the selection of our standard Fujifilm test lens, so we’ll stick with the original 56mm F1.2R for now, to maintain perfect continuity in the studio comparison feature our site provides.

It shall be noted at this point that DPR used the lenses at f/5.6 on Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-H2.

I find it a pity that they won’t change the lens. At f/5.6 the performance might be similar in the center, but as you can see from the screenshots I have shared above (or here and here), in RAW I see an sensible advantage for the new Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R WR. I think they could just simply use the new lens for testing going forward.

But we appreciate DPR going the extra mile and testing it on the new XF56mmF1.2 R WR. If you don’t shoot wide open a lot and don’t mind slightly softer corners, then the original Fujinon XF56mmF1.2 R is still a great option (especially now that it is super discounted).

You can access the DPR comparison studio lab test here.

The Big Third Party Autofocus Lenses Roundup: Viltrox 75mmF1.2 and 13mmF1.4, Tamron, Sigma and TTartisan

Until just a few years ago, I’d have never thought I would ever be able to make a roundup dedicated only to third party autofocus lenses for Fujifilm X mount.

But luckily Fujifilm understood its error in 2021 and fixed it, so here we are, in 2023, with lots to cover!

The autofocus lenses we will cover below are:

The Third Party AF Lens Roundup

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Watch Out, Sony: Fujifilm X-H2s Firmware 3.0 Tracking Tests Show 95% Hit Rate in Tough Conditions

Watch Out, Sony ;)

Watch out Sony and Canon, as it really looks like Fujifilm is now right up there with you in terms of autofocus tracking… but with one potential advantage left for Fujifilm.

While Canon, Sony and Nikon’s very best cameras can’t shoot more than 20/30 fps (full RAW), the Fujifilm X-H2s can go up to 40fps. So, if accuracy is also increased at the highest 40fps frame rate, then the Fujifilm X-H2s could give significantly more sharp images per second than any other brand, which for some photographers might be a big deal.

And let’s just skip the fact that in order to get comparabable AF performance in full frame you have to spend at least two or three time as much as for the X-H2s (one can buy lots of nice lenses with the money saved)

So why this intro? What happened?

Let’s go with order.

What Happened

Fujifilm has very recently released a major firmware update for the Fujifilm X-H2s, which promises to drastically improve the autofocus performance.

First tests we have shared here show that indeed the Fujifilm X-H2s is now getting to a point, where you can call it at least on the same level of the other top performing stacked sensor cameras (all of which cost massively more than the X-H2s).

Now we have a few more tests.

You can see all the videos below as well as read a summary in case you are in a hurry.

The Tests

Test 1 – Birds

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Fujifilm X-H2s New Autofocus Firmware Tested (Huge Improvement)

Fujifilm has just released a bunch of firmware updates, including a rather substantial one for the Fujifilm X-H2s.

It promises to drastically improved autofocus tracking in a variety of situations as well as additional subject trackings. You can read all the details and download the firmware in this article.

Well, the first tests of this firmware are out. You can find them down below.

If you own the X-H2s, feel free to share your impressions in the comments, but it seems to be on the level of the very best you can find from other brands out there (and that cost several thousands of dollars more than the X-H2s.).

Especially the first video linked below shows the X-H2s performing brilliantly in backlight, with far away subjects and other very challenging conditions.

We remind you that Fujifilm also announced the next Fujifilm X Summit for April 2023.

X-H2s Firmware Tested

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Tricky Numbers, or How 61% AF Accuracy on Fujifilm X-H2s are Better than 85% Accuracy on Sony A9

I posted an X-H2s autofocus test made by a German guy specialised in Wildlife photography, and translated it for you here.

The particular thing about his test: he set up a dedicated “bird tracking test track“, which basically allows him to compare the various cameras for bird tracking under comparable conditions.

On his test track, he got the following results for the Fujifilm X-H2s.

  • 30 out of 49 = 61% tack sharp images
  • 33 out of 47 = 70% tack sharp images

Some people were disappointed by those numbers, especially when compared to the 85-90% hit rate of stacked Sony cameras.

But percentage alone is not the whole story. You have to factor in the frames per second into the equation.

So let’s do just that (taking the worst results he got with X-H2s – 61%)

  • Fuji X-H2s: 61% of 40 images per second = 24 sharp images per second
  • Sony A9: 85% of 20 images per second = 17 sharp images per second
  • Sony A1: 90% of 30 images per second = 27 sharp images per second
  • Sony A7IV: 50% of 10 images per second = 5 sharp images

Conclusion:

In his test, when every camera is shot at its maximum burst, the X-H2s will give you more sharp images than any other camera, except for the Sony A1.

If you want to get 3 additional sharp images per second (27 instead of 24), then you have to spend $4,000 more and get the very expensive Sony A1.

My take:

I want Fujifilm to beat any other brand in terms of sharp images per second. So I am not happy with the result of the X-H2s. I want a hit rate of 80%+ at 40fps.

And I also want an even smarter autofocus and the camera to match in terms of AF smartness in this case is the new Sony A7rV.

That’s why I am not completely satisfied and I want firmware, Fujifilm… more firmware in 2023!