XF56mmF1.2 R vs XF56mmF1.2 R APD
The Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD is starting to get marked at discounted at stores in Japan as reported by Asobinet here.
This does not come surprising, and here is why.
When Fujifilm launched the original Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R (a lens I own too), one of the things that photographers pointed out, is that they would have loved an even smoother and creamier bokeh.
As an answer to this, Fujifilm launched the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD with an apodization filter for super smooth bokeh.
But while it delivered buttery smooth bokeh, it had also some shortcomings:
- reduced brightness between f/1.2 and f/5.6 (for example f/1.2 results in an effective lens speed of f/1.7)
- negative impact on autofocus
- more expensive
For a full comparison between the original XF56mmF1.2 R and the XF56mmF1.2 R APD check out this article.
The New XF56mmF1.2 R WR
There is a third 56mm lens from Fuji, the newer Fujinon XF 56mmF1.2 R WR.
Thanks to its new design, it delivers super smooth bokeh without the need of an APD filter, and hence avoids the shortcomings related to the use of an APD filter (reduced brightness, etc).
With the new XF56mmF1.2 R WR, there is no need anymore for Fujifilm to keep the XF56mmF1.2 R and its APD clone in production, so it does not come surprising that the APD version is slowly disappearing from stores (the non-APD version is starting to get marked as discontinued since January 2023 already).
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