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karingottschalk · 6 years ago

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With almost every new camera coming with a kit zoom lens and the popular image of newspaper photographers stalking the streets with three DSLRs and the usual wide, standard and telephoto zoom lens trio, prime lenses have taken a back seat and most lens makers seem to have forgotten some of the most useful, most classic prime lenses upon which documentary photographers and moviemakers once depended upon to earn their living.

I am referring to the 28mm and 40mm focal lengths with the former documentary photographer’s go-to wide angle lens and the latter a favourite focal length of many of the great Hollywood feature film cinematographers and directors.

While I remain hopeful that other camera and lens makers will soon release professional-quality 28mm and 40mm lenses for 35mm sensor cameras and their equivalents in other sensor formats, Sigma Corporation has led the way in creating the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art and Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lenses for 35mm sensor cameras.

Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lens for 35mm sensor cameras.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lens for 35mm sensor cameras.

In the Micro Four Thirds sensor format, their equivalents would be 14mm and 20mm, and in the APS-C sensor format they would be 18mm and 27mm.

While all of those focal lengths are catered for with pancake or near-pancake lenses in APS-C by Fujifilm and in M43 by Panasonic, none are suitable for the rigours of professional-level documentary photography and photojournalism, or feature film and documentary moviemaking.

The 28mm focal length, superb for documenting people in places without optical distortions detracting from the story

Photograph made by Karin Gottschalk with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 OIS kit zoom lens at 18mm setting, equivalent to 28mm in 35mm sensor format.

Prime lenses in 24mm equivalent focal lengths such as 16mm in APS-C and 12mm in M43 appear to be touted these days as the “replacement” for 28mm and its equivalents, but 24mm super wide angles lenses have inherent optical distortions and volume deformations that must be corrected in software in-camera and on-computer.

I rarely use 24mm, preferring instead 21mm for establishing shots and tiny-figure-in-landscape images as well as architecture, but when I am not carrying the wider lens and only have a zoom lens with 24mm at its widest find I must apply DxO ViewPoint after processing the raw file.

The other big difference between 28mm and 24mm?

Photographs made with the 28mm draw attention to the contents of the image itself whereas photographs made with the 24mm often draw attention to the lens that was applied.

I know which one I prefer for immersive documentary photography that respects the subject and enhances the story.

The most famous 40mm lenses were introduced with the Leica CL and Minolta CLE

Minolta Rokkor-M 40mm f/2.0 lens for Minolta CLE 35mm analog rangefinder camera, successor to the Leica CL.

Minolta CLE with 40mm f/2.0 perfect normal prime lens, photograph courtesy of Japan Camera Hunter

The 40mm focal length is often characterized as “perfect normal” as opposed to the “standard normal” of the 50mm focal length that was introduced as standard with the first Leica cameras in the early 20th century.

Stop press: Zeiss announces Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0 prime lens for Sony E-Mount cameras

As I was writing this article news arrived of Zeiss’ announcement at photokina 2018 of its new Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0 prime lens, characterized as “the versatile lens”.

Some 35mm DSLR and rangefinder camera and lens makers still produce 40mm lenses, including Canon and Voigtlaender while 40mm is also available in some high end cinema prime lens brands.

Leica and Minolta’s 40mm lenses were discontinued at the same time as the cameras for which they were designed.

Links

DxO – DxO ViewPoint

Sigma Corporation

Sigma Global – 28mm F1.4 DG HSM

Sigma Global – 40mm F1.4 DG HSM

Sigma Photo – 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art

Sigma Photo – 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art

Sigma USA

Wikipedia – Normal lens

Zeiss – The Most Versatile Lens in the ZEISS Batis Family, The ZEISS Batis 2/40 CF bridges the gap in the ZEISS Batis family lineup

Zeiss – Zeiss Batis 2/40 CF

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Sigma lenses – B&H

Sigma Fills the Gap with 28mm f/1.4 and 40mm f/1.4 Art Prime Lenses, Two of the Most Currently Neglected Focal Lengths With almost every new camera coming with a kit zoom lens and the popular image of newspaper photographers stalking the streets with three DSLRs and the usual wide, standard and telephoto zoom lens trio, prime lenses have taken a back seat and most lens makers seem to have forgotten some of the most useful, most classic prime lenses upon which documentary photographers and moviemakers once depended upon to earn their living.

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karingottschalk · 7 years ago

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One thing my partner learned from ten years working in Canon’s research and development division is that even photographic market leaders have hardware and firmware blindspots, and in that instance the blind spots were legion and persistent, and remain so to this day.

Fujifilm has its own persistent camera and lens hardware and firmware blind spots, which I have covered in other articles on this site, with one of its most recent hardware blind spots being the failure to issue a hand grip for the camera most in need of one, the Fujifilm X100F.

Fujifilm Finepix X100 camera with Fujifilm MHG-X100 hand grip and Peak Design original Cuff and CL-2 Clutch camera straps. I am waiting for Peak Design AL-3 Anchor Links to appear locally so I can replace the original AL and current AL-2 Anchor Links illustrated as they are too thick to permit easily opening the camera’s battery and card door.

When I managed to see an X100, I was impressed by Fujifilm’s achievement but dismayed by its minimal built-in grip and the slipperiness of its tiny body.

I ordered one and it arrived just before a trip to San Francisco where I carried it everywhere every day.

It helped me produce some terrific photographs but my ability to hold it comfortably and safely at all times was compromised by the lack of a hand grip, despite finding a reasonable wrist strap to attach the camera.

I eventually came across Fujifilm’s MHG-X100 hand grip and snapped it up, attaching it to the camera along with Peak Design’s Clutch and Cuff camera straps.

I was impressed by how Fujifilm had thought of everything, by designing a rectangular notch into the side of the hand grip to allow attaching camera straps like the first one I bought for it, from San Francisco’s DSPTCH travel company.

No Fujifilm hand grip for the X100F!

I was shocked to learn that Fujifilm had failed to produce an updated version of its MHG-X100 hand grip for the X100F, when I was kindly loaned an X100F.

Like the X100 and its two successors, the X100S and X100T, the X100F’s body is small and slippery, and its taller built-in slippery grip bump does little or nothing to aid in ensuring a good hand-hold of the camera.

I attached my usual Peak Design Clutch and Cuff via Peak Design’s Arca-Swiss compatible camera plate, as in the photographs above, but it was a compromise compared to my hand grip plus camera straps solution for the X100.

Compromise, too is the word I would apply to each third party camera grip design I have seen online so far, linked to in my list of links blow.

None of them appeal to me and I am wondering whether even Really Right Stuff’s L-Plate Set and Grip might be worth the investment given its size, weight and slippery surface, despite the potential usefulness of its optional L-Component for tripod-mounting in portrait format via an Arca-Swiss tripod head.

Really Right Stuff’s X100F solution has one really big downside besides slipperiness, size, expense and weight, and that is its lack of provision for attaching my two Peak Design camera straps.

Instead the company offers its Magpul Gen 2 MS4 Dual QD Sling for carrying the plated and gripped-up X100F rather than my smaller, safer, lighter and more elegant Clutch plus Cuff solution.

Even the Leica CL, Leitz Minolta CL and Minolta CLE had a hand grip

My first thought on first seeing preview images of the Fujifilm Finepix X100 online some years ago was that it might be the closest digital equivalent to a Leica CL, Leitz Minolta CL or a Minolta CLE.

The Leitz camera company, now Leica Camera AG, reportedly killed off the Leica CL as sales were eating into those of the Leica M5, and having seen and tried an M5 I can see why.

According to Ken Rockwell, “the CLE is a joy to carry, and a joy to shoot” and that it “could be photography’s messiah: the smallest, lightest possible solution for a complete advanced camera system” but as none of its versions appeared in my part of the world at the time I have never had the pleasure of using one.

It is remarkable how popular the Minolta CLE remains amongst those in the know to this day, including Take Kayo of Big Head Taco who reportedly has two of them.

Three lenses were created specially for these three cameras – The Minolta M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle, the M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.0 “perfect normal” and the M-Rokkor 90mm f/4.0 medium telephoto.

The Fujfilm X100F achieves a similar result with its 35mm-equivalent 23mm fixed lens and its optional TCL-X100 II Tele Conversion and WCL-X100 II Wide Conversion lenses providing the equivalent to the 28mm and 50mm focal lengths in 35mm sensor terms, making it close to a credible digital “complete advanced camera system” able to fit in a small waist bag or shoulder bag.

Now if Fujifilm could only release its own hand grip for the X100F, to make it complete.

Links

3 Legged Thing – QR11 L bracket

Fujifilm Global – Hand Grip

iShoot

J.B. – Fuji X100F Grip Options

LensMate – Fujifilm X100F Thumbrest Black by LensMate

Match Technical – Thumbs Up EP-2F for the Fuji 100F

Meike

Metro Case – Fuji X100F

Mike Mu – Fuji X100F Hand Grip by VKO, Carbon Edition – Quick Review

Mike Mu – My Fuji X100F Grip and L-Bracket | The Best Affordable L-Grip Combo

Mike Mu – My Fuji Film X100F Thumb Grip, Lensmate X100F Thumb Grip Review

Really Right Stuff – Magpul Gen 2 MS4 Dual QD Sling

Really Right Stuff – X100F Plates

Samuel L. Streetlife – GET THIS FOR YOUR FUJI X100F – JB Camera Designs

Sunrise Camera

VKO via Amazon – VKO Camera Metal Hand Grip & Carbon Fiber for Fujifilm X100F X100T X100S Digital Cameras Handgrip (Titanium Gray)

Image Credits

Header image concept and hack by Carmel D. Morris. Hero image of the Fujifilm X100 with hand grip photographed as 5-bracket HDR on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 with Panasonic Lumix 25mm f/1.7 Aspheric lens then processed with Skylum Aurora HDR 2018 and Luminar 2018.

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Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Fujifilm MHG-X100 Hand Grip for X100T, X100S and X100 Digital Cameras – B&H

Fujifilm X100F Digital Camera – B&H

Fujifilm TCL-X100 II Tele Conversion Lens – B&H

Fujifilm WCL-X100 II Wide Conversion Lens – B&H

Match Technical EP-2F Thumbs Up Grip for Fujifilm X100F – B&H

Peak Design Anchor Connectors for Peak Design Straps (4-Pack) – B&H

Peak Design AL-3 Anchor Links – B&H

Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap – B&H

Peak Design CL-2 Clutch Camera Hand-Strap – B&H

Peak Design Leash Camera Strap – B&H

Really Right Stuff Base Plate for Fujifilm X100F – B&H

Really Right Stuff Base Plate and Grip for Fujifilm X100F – B&H

Really Right StuffL-Component for BX100F Base Plate – B&H

Really Right Stuff L-Plate Set and Grip for Fujifilm X100F – B&H

Fujifilm, Damn It, Get a Grip! One thing my partner learned from ten years working in Canon's research and development division is that even photographic market leaders have hardware and firmware blindspots, and in that instance the blind spots were legion and persistent, and remain so to this day.

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