comparison - Grant Corban Photography Sdn Bhd

7 November 2023

Fujifilm 56mm F1.2R vs 56mm F1.2 APD Bokeh Comparison at a Wedding

Now it’s time to go to a wedding with the final installment of this real world test. As weddings are incredibly fast moving there are limited opportunities to actually set up a tripod and play lens switching with a bride and groom waiting around for me. So this set of photos is strictly limited to while we were waiting at the dinner venue.

I DID shoot the bride and groom’s portraits with the 56mm F1.2 APD and at other times during the day but as this is a comparison I am not including the photos here. You can see the portraits in this post.

If you missed part one, the introduction and corporate shoot then click here. To see the model comparison, click here.

The “plain” 56mm F1.2R’s bokeh

56mm F1.2 APD. Note the difference to the left of the cake.

56mm F1.2R Control. Note the slightly “onion” bokeh

56mm F1.2 APD. Again the difference seems obvious.

Conclusion: I entered this test a wee bit skeptical. I had read other peoples reviews and they seemed to indicate that the difference between the two lenses was not that noticeable. The first few photos I took left me feeling similar but as I continued the differences became more apparent, perhaps because I knew what to look for. Would a paying client notice? Not likely. Would you as a photographer notice? Yes.

I fell in love with the lens and it did not take long for me to be leaving my “normal” 56mm 1.2R at home and using the APD version exclusively. When it came time to return the lens I tried to delay doing so as long as I could. But all good things come to an end. So there is my endorsement. If you can afford it, get it.

6 November 2023

Fujifilm 56mm F1.2R vs 56mm F1.2 APD Model Shoot Comparison

This model shoot was a really fun project. Having an experienced model really helps the shoot run smoothly. As before all photos taken at F1.2 in aperture priority on a tripod. Let’s see how the 56mm F1.2 APD stacks up against the R.

56mm F1.2R looks nice

56mm f1.2 APD – Subtle improvement over the standard 56mm.

56mm F1.2R again nice.

56mm f1.2 APD – Look at the detail/bokeh in the flowers behind the model.

56mm F1.2R looking good again

56mm f1.2 APD- Compare the yellow on the lanterns in the area to the left of the model.

56mm F1.2R

56mm f1.2 APD Subtle but noticeable difference in the lanterns at the top right.

56mm F1.2R. Again a pretty effect.

56mm f1.2 APD – again a nicer control in the out of focus bokeh.

End of part two. Lets move to part 3 where we get some wedding detail shots. Click here for Part 3

If you missed part one, the intro and corporate shoot, please Click here.

6 November 2023

Fujifilm 56mm F1.2R vs 56mm F1.2 APD Corporate Shoot Comparison

Fujifilm 55mm F1.2R and APD Comparison test

I had an opportunity recently to compare the Fujifilm 56mm F1.2R with the newer APD version. They are both currently in production so the Fuji user has a choice on which to purchase. The APD version is about 60-70% more expensive. That’s about USD600 which may or may not be a major factor in your decision to purchase the lens. It is designed for the portraitist with the goal of controlling bokeh. Some disclosure. I own the original 56mm F1.2R and like it a lot, so had high expectations.

Outwardly the lenses look nearly identical. The giveaway is the “APD” on the lens barrel and orange T-stop markings. T stops show the actual light transmission. The special APD lens element does two things. The first is a positive and the second not so much. Firstly and most importantly it makes the bokeh more pleasing to the eye and secondly it absorbs some of the light going through the lens. This means that shooting wide open at F1.2 you are only going to get the same amount of light transmission to the sensor as if you were shooting at F1.7 on the normal 56mm F1.2R. This is not an issue when shooting as todays sensors can simply bump the ISO a little. Please note that at F5.6 the effective T stop transmission is the same on both the lenses so the T stops markings cease at that point.

As shooting brick walls is not my thing I decided to take the lenses out on some actual photo shoots over a couple of weeks. My methodology was to shoot using a tripod so as to keep the subject and backgrounds similar while I changed lenses alternating between the R and APD versions. All photos were taken in aperture priority with the aperture set at F1.2 which is likely the most common scenario when using this lens.

Please also note that the differences appear more subtle on this web page than they do on a 24″ screen or in a print. The first four images below left me nonplussed. The differences were only obvious after very close scrutiny on a large screen. On the back of the camera I couldn’t see any differences so was feeling “ho-hum”. However when we started to shoot outside the difference in the background foliage was very apparent.

All photos taken with the Fujifilm X-T1.

56mm F1.2R Control Photo

56mm F1.2 APD. Note the subtle difference in the flowers and chairs.

56mm F1.2R. Nice enough.

56mm F1.2 APD. Again, very subtle difference.

56mm F1.2R Control Photo. I liked the painterly foliage…until…

56mm F1.2 APD. Very obvious quality difference in the foliage.

Part two will feature a model shoot. Click HERE for part 2