Iceland. 2018
Panasonic G9.
Olympus 12-100mm.
I've really been enjoying the Fuji X-H1. I like the way the shutter sounds and I'm pretty impressed with how quiet it is. I'm not using it in the silent mode either; it's just quiet. I am very satisfied with the EVF too. But the one thing that was missing for me was a good portrait lens. The 55mm lenses are really close but just a little short for a traditionalist like me. The 55-200mm zoom is fine for most of the commercial portraits I'll do; in fact, it's actually a very good lens; not just sharp but also capable of creating images that are, for want of a better phrase, likable. It's just that I was missing that fast, prime 90mm-100mm equivalent focal length and it was important to me.
After a lot of reading, and a few times playing with lenses that my friends have for their Fuji cameras, I decided to buy the 60mm f2.4. Yes, it's not the fastest focusing lens in the system, and in poor light it can hunt just a bit, but my initial tests show the lens is capable of high resolution and sharpness, coupled with a high image likability quotient.
I took it out for a spin this afternoon and it rides nicely on the X-H1.
I've got the studio more or less organized now and I'm ready to start taking portraits on my home turf again so I'll have the opportunity to use the lens in a concentrated burst after next week.
A word to anyone considering this lens for their Fuji cameras: Huge. The lens hood is huge. But unlike some reviewers I see this as a distinct plus. It's metal, robust, and does a great job blocking all non-image forming light. If you think it's too indiscreet you can always........remove it. I'll keep mine on. Mostly for the theoretical increase in contrast but also because I think it looks cool.
More adventures with the 60mm to come.
