Fuji photographers using the brand’s X-mount cameras, such as the X-T1 or X-E4, now have a new lens to add to their kit bags after Samyang pulled the covers off the AF12mm F2 X – the brand’s first-ever autofocus lens for the Fuji X-mount.
Pairing up with the Fuji APS-C X-trans, which deliver a 1.5x crop factor, the lens offers an effective focal length of 18mm, making the lens suitable for landscape and architecture photography. The ultra-fast maximum aperture of f/2 ensure the lens will not only create an incredibly shallow depth of field, but will also maintain fast shutter speeds in low light conditions, reducing the risk of camera shake and blurry frames.
Built around a ‘12 elements in 10 groups’ design, the AF12mm features three extra-low-dispersion lenses (ED) and two high-refractive lenses (H-ASP and ASP) in the construction to achieve a high level of image quality. What’s more, Samyang explains that also present is a special 14-layer Ultra-Multi-Coating (UMC) is used to suppress backlight, which in turn is assisted by the included lens hood.
The AF 12mm F2 X uses Samyang’s Linear STM (Stepping Motor), which delivers a quiet autofocus operation, making the lens also suitable for Fuji users who also shoot video alongside stills. Better still, because the lens measures just 59.2mm in length and tips the scales at just 212g, it will be perfect for using on a gimbal, when videographers want to keep payload weight down.
Other features of the AF12mm include micro-patterned rubber focus ring, which will come in useful when the photographer chooses to switch to manual focus and there is also weather sealing present, meaning the lens should stand up to use in poor weather. Amazingly, the minimum focusing distance of the AF12mm is just 20cm, meaning users can take advantage of foreground interest in the scene – partially important with wide-angle lenses and landscape scenes.
Lastly, a seven-bladed aperture design aims to produce smooth and natural bokeh, while perhaps the coolest thing about the AF12mm F2 X is the price, which the lens expected to cost just over £400 when it starts shipping in early November, which will surely peak the interest of Fuji shooters who wish to upgrade their wide-angle optic without breaking the bank.
