FS7: Does the Fujinon MK-18-55 live up to the hype/reviews?

[antcaladine]

I'm seriously looking at purchasing this lens as a replacement for canon 24-105 which I hate for focusing and was wondering out of fellow fs7 users here that have bought the fujinon, does it live up to the hype/reviews? Any downsides? How does it fair if using centre crop?

 

[see-mann]

And i might add: Did somebody use it in a Run/Gun environment? Lack of stabilizer and autofocus a problem? I know, there are more usefull optics out there for that, especially the 18-110 Sony. But let's stay with the topic, 18-55 Fuji.

 

[Donny 123]

Just a note.. you dont actually need auto focus and stabilization to shoot run and gun.. dp, s have been doing it for many years now... the high end lens actually never have either function as its presumed the highly paid DP can handle such dark arts..

 

[jasonbrooks]

I'm seriously looking at purchasing this lens as a replacement for canon 24-105 which I hate for focusing and was wondering out of fellow fs7 users here that have bought the fujinon, does it live up to the hype/reviews? Any downsides? How does it fair if using centre crop?

I was in a similar situation a month ago, when my go-to RnG lens (the Tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC) focus mechanics started to stick on the long end. I had an 8-day US shoot trip looming, and so was faced with the choice of either renting a lens and throwing money away (my fee was all-in using my own gear), OR what I ended up doing which was going to ProAV, trying the lens there for an hour, thinking hard, and then finally driving home with the lens in the boot. The most I've spent on a lens by £1000 (previously most expensive with the Canon 28-300 F3.5-5.6 L), and so I was hoping that it would be a tangible step up in more ways than one...

And i might add: Did somebody use it in a Run/Gun environment? Lack of stabilizer and autofocus a problem? I know, there are more usefull optics out there for that, especially the 18-110 Sony. But let's stay with the topic, 18-55 Fuji.

The shoot I was doing was 90% RnG, 7days shooting in all manner of handheld environments from the woods of Wisconsin to the night-time streets of Manhatten. Some of the time I used an easyrig for support, but most of it was regular HH shooting from the shoulder or 'cradled' with a strap for follow-shots. We also shot a couple of long locked off tripod-based scenes.

Just a note.. you dont actually need auto focus and stabilization to shoot run and gun.. dp, s have been doing it for many years now... the high end lens actually never have either function as its presumed the highly paid DP can handle such dark arts..

I've never used an autofocus lens for video, and so am not able to comment on that front, although I agree with Donny that this 'type' of lens was never intended to compete with AF-capable lenses. I HAVE used stabilisation, but I must say it was a bit of love/hate relationship. Without doubt IS can be useful to eradicate micro-jitters that I find tend to become intermittently visible at focal lengths greater than 50mm (FF equiv), especially during the afternoon/evening of long shoot days! However, I do particularly dislike when the action of IS becomes visible (i.e. when it cannot eliminate the movement, but rather only 'smooth' it, with effects not dissimilar to the various 'smoothcam' or post-stabilisation filters/effects.

Overall, re: the lack of IS, I'm going to embrace the shift from the Tamron, which probably means a few slightly shakier shots (at least until I improve my upper body condition, particularly stamina-wise). I also plan to acquire the scissor-support from Zacuto (I rather dislike how much of their kit I end up buying, but they DO come up with designs that other companies seem to simply miss!). I mention the support because whilst the Fujinon is no heavier than the Tamron, it IS significantly longer, with most of the weight towards the front end (obviously), and so although I don't personally think there's much danger of damaging the FS-7 (mk1) lens mount, I would imagine a support would reduce shake induced/exacerbated by flex of the lens in the mount.

SO, all that aside, the lens itself. I LOVE IT. :-D I've never owned a cine-zoom before, and whilst I've enjoyed the long focus throw on cine primes, I didn't even realise how accustomed I'd become to tiny micro-tweaking to keep critical focus on the Tamron. I won't miss that AT ALL. The smooth iris and zoom rings are also very quick to get to grips with and the lack of telescoping barrel is also a huge ergonomic improvement. The way they've implemented the macro mode is also very slick, because it's not actually a switch or mode you have to choose whether or not to have ON or OFF, but rather effectively an additional focus ring, which (excuse non-technical language) 'multiplies' the conventional focus ring. It's hard to explain, but suffice to say that you can actually use the macro slide-switch to pull focus from macro-range objects all the way out to infinity, or just use it to get really nice dedicated macro shots wide or long. The only caveat here is that the lens loses it parfocality when the macro slide is engaged, and a couple of times I was confused until I noticed it had been left engaged after finishing macro shooting.

Optically it is superb, a SIGNIFICANT step up from the Tamron (which was actually pretty good for a still lens, certainly compared to the 24-105, which is the only L-series Canon lens that I wouldn't touch with a barge pole [sorry - no offense meant - it's just that I'm extremely intolerant to chromatic aberration, which it seems to produce in abundance!]).

I will post a test video as soon as I have some down time, but if you have doubts on that front then read Matt Duclos review of the lens. He knows his glass. ;-)

Parfocality is a joy to experience again for the first time since my Z1/Z5 days. It's a small thing to have to check/adjust focus after a zoom for sure, but it happens so many times in a day's RnG that it adds up to a HUGE overall difference IMO. Also, esp. shooting 4K, it gives you so much more reassurance that you're sharps are where they should be on wide shots, without having to engage the FS-7's $h!tty, crunchy focus-mag mode.

Almost complete absence of focus breathing and no axial offset whilst zooming are the respective icing and cherry on the cake for me. Focus breathing was something that I had internalised so greatly that I almost didn't notice it anymore, but now that it's not there, I sure do like what I see!

Re: centre crop, it still needs a bit of post-sharpening IMO, but it's probably where the superior optics of the lens show themselves the most (or at least as much as in 4K). However, do be wary that shooting from the shoulder (or worse, from the hip) on an effective ~160mm lens without stabilisation, is unlikely to give you super-stable shots (I only did it from a perfectly balanced shoulder setup, from a comfy armchair, with elbows on knees). ;-)

Anyway, that's probably enough raving from me. I'll look forward to posting some clips and/or stills soon.

My advice would be that if you can spare the cash, you should buy one, you won't regret it. Even if it doesn't end up working for you, it should maintain value pretty well in the current climate.

Cheers,

jason

 

[antcaladine]

Thanks for your honest feedback. I'm 99% certain I want to get it. I'm hoping it'll help to go back to the old ways of working from b4 lens days when shooting with a standard and wide lens in conjunction with its big bro 50-135.

 

[Clermond]

I was thinking of it too but went for the Sony 18-110 because the Fujinon is too short at the long end for me to have it as a single r&g lens. If you buy the 50-135 you will spend twice the money and have to change a lens. I didn't regret my decision for a second.

 

[icarusfilm]

I think both options have relevancy- I went for the 18-55 mostly because the core work that I do is with my Otus primes and I needed a zoom for Handheld doc stuff that i also do occasionally. If I was shooting a lot of outdoor handheld work I would maybe get the 18-110. I don't see myself picking up the 50-135 its range isn't really usefull if it was 30-80 ish it would be a no brainer but not having a 28-35 in the range makes it too much of niche lens.

I was thinking of it too but went for the Sony 18-110 because the Fujinon is too short at the long end for me to have it as a single r&g lens. If you buy the 50-135 you will spend twice the money and have to change a lens. I didn't regret my decision for a second.

 

[Bern Caughey]

Was on a big budget multicam commercial where the ACs forgot to disengage the Macro Mode on the Cabrio 19-90, & buzzed the focus on the next setup. By the time the DITs caught the mistake we were already in the midst of a company move so it was too late to reshoot.

 

[Donny 123]

Was on a big budget multicam commercial where the ACs forgot to disengage the Macro Mode on the Cabrio 19-90, & buzzed the focus on the next setup. By the time the DITs caught the mistake we were already in the midst of a company move so it was too late to reshoot.

Its easily done.. have on my 17-120 more than once.. usually you notice straight way when you zoom any amount and its not par focal anymore !!

Handy if there was something that came up in the VF.. now I routinely check its off just by touching the button.. incase its been nudged or I forgot again !!