While I appreciate getting more third party lenses for X mount, I often criticized third parties because they do not offer something “unique”, but just regurgitate the same mainstream focal length over and over again.
Well, I certainly can’t moan about that today ;).
PolarPro has launched new ”nostalgic” lenses in 3 focal lengths, offered on the X mount. They come with an adjustable lightleak ring.
The lenses are:
PolarPro LightLeak 16mm f/11
PolarPro LightLeak 28mm f/11
PolarPro LightLeak 50mm f/11
These are the main features as according to PolarPro.
Lenses designed to capture that timeless, nostalgic look (in camera)
Adjustable LightLeak Ring allows you to leak light behind the lens
Available in Sony E, Canon RF, Fuji X, and Nikon Z mounts
3 Different focal lengths with WILD looks (16mm, 28mm, 50mm)
Aluminum Frame is durable, lightweight, and allows threaded filters
PolarPro also writes:
Get that timeless, nostalgic look straight in-camera with the PolarPro LightLeak lens. This lens brings back the timeless feel of analog photography, allowing you to instantly capture filmic-style images with your professional digital setup. It’s a useful alternative for shooting photography or videography in a unique and authentic way, providing that nostalgic feel and answering your creative calling. Each frame tells a story and will have a distinct, vintage look—characterized by rich colors, natural grain, and adjustable light leaks that digital cameras simply can’t replicate.
I have not tested these lenses (nor did I know they existed until a few minutes ago), so I can’t tell you more than what is written in the product page.
But certainly PolarPro is pushing strongly the vintage vibe of these lenses with words like “timeless feel”, “analog photography“, “filmic-style images“, “natural grain” and “nostalgic look”.
Where can you get them?
PolarPro products are sold also at Amazon here, although at this moment you don’t find the lenses there. If you want them, you have to order through the PolarPro store here.
Here are the details for each lens:
LightLeak 16mm
LENS MATERIAL: Optical Grade Polymer
APERTURE: Fixed at f11
LENS HOUSING MATERIAL: Anodized Aluminum
FILTER THREAD SIZES: Z Mount: 67mm | RF Mount: 67mm | E Mount: 58mm | X Mount: 58mm
FIXED FOCUS DISTANCE: 1M to Infinity
SOFT VIGNETTE: 1 to 1.5 stops (when lightleak closed), 0.75 to 1 stops (when lightleak open)
LightLeak 28mm
LENS MATERIAL: Optical Grade Polymer
APERTURE: Fixed at f11
LENS HOUSING MATERIAL: Anodized Aluminum
FILTER THREAD SIZE: Z Mount: 67mm | RF Mount: 67mm | E Mount: 58mm | X Mount: 58mm
FIXED FOCUS DISTANCE: 1M to Infinity
SOFT VIGNETTE: No Soft Vignette
LightLeak 50mm
LENS MATERIAL: Optical Grade Polymer
APERTURE: Fixed at f11
LENS HOUSING MATERIAL: Anodized Aluminum
FILTER THREAD SIZE: Z Mount: 67mm | RF Mount: 67mm | E Mount: 58mm | X Mount: 58mm
While I appreciate having more options and fast lenses for the Fujifilm X mount, and hence I welcome the new Sirui Sniper 16mm f/1.2 and Sirui Sniper 75mm f/1.2, I wonder why, for the most part, third parties are not jumping into filling the wholes in the Fujinon X mount lens lineup and expand the creative and photographic opportunities for Fujifilm X shooters.
At least they come also in fancy white, though, which is a rare thing in the X mount lineup, except for some of the limited edition Viltrox lenses.
CineD has reviewed the brand new Sirui Sniper f/1.2 series of lenses that can now be backed at Indiegogo, as we reported here.
In short we can say: it has its flaws (quite a few of them), such as lack of sharpness wide open, visible chromatic aberration, not ideal bokeh, jittery IBIS (communication problems with the camera) and what not.
So it is far from an optically perfect lens.
However, it has definitely its character and CineD liked working with it, because it has its peculiar identity (something we often don’t find in optically “perfect” lenses).
During a photography show in Shanghai, Venus Optics has displayed the Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5.0 APS-C lens for Fujifilm X mount. Some specs and images are now appearing at the Chinese social media micorblogging platform Weibo for example at 独立摄影师联合会 and 相机笔记et.
All images and specs available so far are shared in this article.
