Today I bring you two cheap lenses for Fujifilm cameras. Why cheap? Although they are not the best, nor the most recommended, we believe that every objective has its audience. An amateur does not need to spend 1,000 euros on a lens.
Sometimes we forget priorities and unless you are a professional or an advanced amateur who has increased his level of demand to unsuspected limits, your best objective does not have to be the most expensive, but rather the one that you can afford and that offers you what you need.
the best target
Just as we say that there is no best camera but the one that best suits each one, we believe the same about lenses.
if you want a wide angle because you love landscapes (here more recommended lenses for landscapes), because you love capturing a night sky with stars, or you are passionate about architecture, to give a few examples, why would you deprive yourself for a matter of money? Better to focus on being able to acquire one and get the most out of it.
Perhaps these objectives are not the ones that offer the greatest sharpness on the market, or the ones that offer the best optical quality or speed of focus, however, it is possible that they are the ones that can give you the greatest gift, which is to enjoy photography. and all the possibilities it offers; May they be the ones that bring you hope beyond economic frustrations.
What is a wide angle?
Perhaps we should start by explaining what a wide angle is. Thus, if you have just landed and you are not sure what you are looking for, you can clarify your ideas a bit ;).
A wide angle It is a lens that covers a greater angle of view. Wide angles below 25mm focal length are generally considered. In the following graph you can check the difference between the different focal lengths.
compatibilities
Not all lenses of the same brand are suitable for all cameras. In the case of Fujifilm you have the X Series which are X Mount lenses and the GFX series which is compatible with GF lenses. Today we dedicate the article to the first ones, objectives for Mount X.
On the other hand, it does not necessarily have to be the same brand to be compatible. There are brands that manufacture compatible lenses and that offer much more affordable prices, as is the case with the two lenses that I present to you.
Inexpensive wide angle lenses
And now yes, as I promised you at the beginning of the article, I leave you with the two objectives:
Samyang 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS
This is one of those objectives that surprise in terms of value for money. While more than one disappointment can be expected from it, it is quite the opposite, it usually surprises everyone who buys it. It features a fixed focal length of 12mm (equivalent to 18mm taking into account the crop factor).
It is ideal for landscape photography, night photography and architecture.
specs
- Minimum focus distance: 0.2m
- Filter thread: 67mm
- Weight: 245g
- Aperture blades: 6. These create an almost perfect circle at maximum aperture, resulting in smoother bokeh.
Advantage
For the price it has, it offers surprising image quality and has little to envy other types of more expensive optics. The fact that it is a fixed lens helps in quality ;). Although at maximum aperture it is a bit noticeable in the corners, the sharpness it offers is quite remarkable.
Their building it is quite solid, despite being a rather light weight lens.
The distortion It is not excessive and easily corrected. And his Minimal distance Focusing is only 20 cm so you can get very close to foreground subjects.
drawbacks
The biggest drawback might be that you have to focus on manual, is what you have to sacrifice to find an optic of this focal length and so luminous. And you have this same problem with the other objective that I am going to talk to you about.
However, in the case of this focal length, this is not a major problem, but if you are new to manual focus, you will have to practice beforehand ;).
It does not feature a depth-of-field scale, which can make it difficult to focus at hyperfocal.
Images
The best thing is that you see with your eyes what it is capable of doing in this Flickr group.
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You save: €52.56 (14%)
10 new since €316.440 2nd hand
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
Meike MK 12mm f/2.8
With the same focal length as the previous one and also highly valued by users, you have the well-known Meike 12mm, also from manual focus, Although as I have already mentioned, it is not difficult to focus manually with these objectives if you already have some experience.
The difference with the previous one is that it is somewhat less luminous although it allows a shorter minimum focus distance.
specs
- Minimum focus distance: 0.1m
- Filter thread: 72mm
- Length: 66mm
- Weight: 360g
- Diaphragm blades: 9
Advantage
Compared to the Samyang, this lens does feature a depth-of-field scale and a hyperfocal mark.
Also noteworthy is the low distortion, its ability to focus at a minimum distance of 10 cm and its good construction.
And, best of all, the price. Its image quality does not seem to correspond to the price of this lens.
drawbacks
Its weakest points are its tendency to flare, unless it is something you look for creatively, its lack of sharpness at the edges and that it is difficult to focus on close subjects. Although it does have an adjustment for depth of field which can be very useful for street photography.
Gallery
To get to know it better, the ideal is to see what kind of images it is capable of capturing.
I also leave you with a video recorded by Guayafilms with this objective:
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You save: €5.00 (3%)
3 new since €174.990 2nd hand
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
Conclusions
These are two lenses that you cannot lose sight of, as their image quality is surprising compared to the price for which you can buy them.
As you will see, the biggest drawback of these lenses is that you have to focus manually, but if you take into account the type of photographs that you are generally going to take with this type of lens, it is not something that should be a problem. What’s more, on many of those occasions, an automatic focus would do you little (or nothing) 😉 .
Let nothing stop your desire to go out and capture the night, to photograph the impressive structures of your most admired architects or to take the most spectacular landscapes home without having to take a panorama. Here you have two opportunities (one slightly better and one somewhat cheaper) to turn your dreams into images.
If you found this article useful, please share it. Perhaps expand the angle of vision of one of your contacts and make them immensely happy. It’s worth it, right? Thanks and see you soon.