So another weekend came and went, and with finding the time to clean my lenses I had the strong urge to Marie Kondo my current glass line-up. Well I know she calls her process another thing, but it's my blog, so...
Anyway so I was looking at the glasses in my dry box, and my gaze fell to my 4th purchase for my Fuji line-up. The Fujinon XF 50-140mm f2.8 is an excellent piece of glass, part of the red badge trinity of professional lenses by Fuji. Pros and hobbyists alike swear by it, and the images it can help you produce.
I bought it with very high expectations, for portraits and travel, getting shots of the ladylove while she is surfing and general photography using a medium telephoto lens. It was awesome to behold out of the box, a cold metal behemoth, similar to the 70-200mm that Pros carry as their workhorse portrait lens. I felt like even with the weight and size it would be ok to carry it, never mind the bad balance on my camera at the time (Fujifilm X-T100).
Then COVID-19 happened, and while my great country happily chugs along the longest lockdown in the entire world, there has been very little chance to do any sort of photography at all. I have been able to shoot photos of things mundane and near my general area, but that's it.
What surprised me about the whole thing is that during this time, I have sold and bought a Fujinon XF 50mm f2 WR, a Fujinon XF 56mm f1.2 R, and a Fujinon XF 90 f2 WR. Exif data shows I carry even the 90mm more even if I got it last, on December 2020.
So what happened?
The 50-140 is still an awesome lens, but the thing is, all Fujinon lenses are great for their intended use. The 50-140's strength in my opinion is its flexibility as a zoom, where one doesn't need to keep changing lenses. For use during events, gathering and even during travel - despite the weight penalty it is a stellar glass that I'm willing to carry.
Under physical distancing, and with all the items we are required to bring or produce to just go out and walk in a park (Mask, Face Shield, Alcohol, Disinfectant wipes) the lens turns into a cumbersome appendage, difficult to wield and a pain to bring in and out of the bag. A two body and a 16/56 or 16/50 or even a 56/90 combo is much easier to shoot with, rather than the 16/50-140, 23/50-140 or 35/50-140 I saw myself carrying on a regular basis. I even ended up carrying the 18/50f2 combo a lot of the times because it was so light.
I can't make myself put the lens on the market yet, because it is a really great lens. But of all the Fujinon lenses I own, it is the nearest one to that decision because I don't find a use for it anymore. Right now the 50-230 seems to be a good proposition if I just need the extra reach. I won't be shooting a surfing wife at f2.8 anyway.
From January - February 2020
From May - June 2020
From December 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment