The Fujifilm 56mm Lens Review

There’s no questioning the quality of Fujinon lenses. Each lens has its own character and personality, consistently delivering stunningly sharp images without compromise. Everyone has a favourite that one lens that seems to fit perfectly into a photographer’s workflow. In my experience, anyone who tries the Fujifilm 56mm for the first time falls in love with it almost instantly.

As many of you will know, when I’m not chasing landscapes I’m usually shooting with a shallow depth of field, creating images filled with soft, pleasing bokeh. The 56mm delivers on every front: pin-sharp results, beautiful bokeh, and excellent performance in low-light conditions (see gallery below).

I recently had the pleasure of attending a BIPPNI event hosted by Trevor Yerbury, where a recurring topic of conversation was the performance of the Fujifilm 56mm among photographers using the X-Pro1 and X-T1. The admiration for this lens was unanimous.

The 56mm is a substantial lens not DSLR-big, but certainly larger than most other Fujinon primes. That said, context matters. I moved to mirrorless specifically to avoid carrying heavy gear all day, and even with the 56mm attached, the X-T1 remains a comfortable, well-balanced setup for everyday and all-day shooting.

I recently took the X-T1 and 56mm along on a family day out to the excellent Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh. The park offers a fantastic educational experience, and the staff provide remarkable insight into the region’s history. Northern Ireland’s museums are an outstanding resource and always make for a great day out.

Fujifilm 56mm – Shooting Shallow

Shooting wide open can be challenging, and at f/1.2 the depth of field is extremely narrow. In full-frame terms, this equates roughly to 84mm at f/1.8, making it ideal for portrait photography. A combination of the 23mm and 56mmwould be a superb two-lens setup for family, documentary, and wedding photography. Check out the Shooting Shallow eBook.

The “Nifty Fifty”… Almost

Perhaps “nifty fifty-six” is more accurate, but the 50mm focal length has long been a favourite thanks to its pleasing perspective and bokeh. Browse any of the popular 50mm Flickr groups and you’ll notice something interesting: many of the most enthusiastic users are shooting on cropped sensors.

In much the same way, the Fujifilm 56mm delivers that classic 50mm bokeh experience on APS-C, with an extra stop of light and a slightly more flattering focal length. The result is images with beautiful subject separation and a natural, flattering perspective.

The 56mm is very much a people lens. It excels at isolating subjects from their surroundings while maintaining accurate and pleasing proportions. I believe this is why photographers fall for it so quickly it’s simply easy to use. Shooting wide open isn’t straightforward, especially with moving subjects, yet the Fujifilm 56mm focuses with impressive accuracy and consistency. The 56mm proved fast, reliable, and more than capable of keeping up with a moving subject.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a lens that delivers exceptional sharpness paired with stunning bokeh, the Fujinon 56mm is hard to beat. As the perfect companion to the 23mm, it’s easily one of the finest lenses I’ve used in terms of both performance and image quality.

The 56mm is a true bokeh machine, ideally suited to people photography. It’s a joy to use and will remain a firm favourite on my X-T1 for a long time to come.

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