XF33mm F1.4 WR, First Impression.

There is only that many lenses one could own. Secretly, we all dream we could have them all. And that main reason is to help us eliminate our precious time of reading reviews after reviews. Am I right? I own both XF35mm F2 WR and the magical XF35mm F1.4. Now with the arrival of XF33mm F1.4 WR, where does this lens sits? 

The build quality of this lens is similar to relatively new XF18mm F1.4 WR lens. A very well constructed lens. It has a 58mm diameter. Which makes it bigger in size versus the 52mm diameter for XF35mm F1.4 and the much smaller XF35mm F2 WR which only has a diameter of 43mm. In regards to weight, XF33mm F1.4 is definitely the champion in this arena. Base on my wife’s green kitchen scale, it’s about 350 grams.

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Auto focus fast and quiet. It’s certainly faster than XF35mm F1.4. Is it faster than XF35mm F2? I don’t have any scientific testing on this; but when I compare them, I could feels that XF33mm is indeed faster and more certain. Image quality. This section is a lot easier and I will let the photos do the talking. All photos are taken on a tripod on the same spot. SOOC Jpeg files.

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So, what do I don’t like about the lens? Actually nothing much expect for 2 things. I personally don’t really like the size when I pair it with a X-Pro3. No issue with X-T4. I prefer how the original XF35mm F1.4 with it’s metal square hood. This paring works beautifully with X-pro3.. The look and ergonomics is perfect.

The other issue for me, is the XF33mm F1.4 WR is too clinical. Don’t get me wrong. This is a super sharp lens. For commercial work; I would certainly recommend this. There is nothing I could fault it. As for my own commercial work, my investment are with GFX system. Having said that, the XF33mm F1.4 WR is perfect for wedding photographers that needed a super sharp, WR and super fast AF, this lens is second to none. Except my love affair is still with the slow and magical XF35mm F1.4.

Lastly, this new XF33mm F1.4 WR is not a replacement lens for the XF35mm F1.4. Therefore its good to know it will have its place in the Fujifilm lens eco system. I would highly recommend this lens. Cheers and stay safe.

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