Why the 50-140mm f/2.8 lens was the one that made me switch systems
Back when I was a Canon guy, there was one single aspect that was stopping me from switching to Fuji: the Canon 70-200 F/2.8 IS.
This lens was my most used, most trusted workhorse of all time. I happily spent thousands for every new version that came out and I still look back through hundreds of weddings and portrait sessions and find that man of my best shots were with that red-ringed beauty. When I put the 70-200 on a 1D series body from Canon, it simply never missed focus, and if it did I took the blame as the photographer. Beyond this, the images were stunning.
That lens was the one reason that stopped me from switching completely to Fuji. At the time I had the X-T1 that I thought of it as my “fun” camera. I would take it with me on vacation or just walks with family. When someone paid me to take photos, however, I’d grab the Canon.
This is the first wedding I shot in entirety with the Fuji system, the 50-140 being my most-used of the day.
I had the same level of confidence as what I was used to with the Canon 70-200.
When a friend let me borrow the 50-140mm from Fuji for a weekend, I didn’t think I’d fall in love with it. I fully expected to stick with Canon for the majority of the work I did.
But the lens shocked me with how fast it focused, and when I got the X-T2, the level of confidence I had with the camera/lens combination multiplied. Suddenly I was getting shots just as good as I got with Canon and it was almost as reliable. This lens changed the way I looked at the entire Fuji system.
And that was before I examined the images on the computer. The image quality I was getting is what really stood out and sealed the deal. I’m not sure if I’d put it above a 1D series body and the 70-200 from Canon, but for me, it was at least equal.
So that was it. That was the moment I switched over and sold all my Canon gear and picked up a few more lenses with Fuji, the 50-140 being the main bread-and-butter lens that my old 70-200 was. It was the lens that made me confident every time I took it out and rendered outstanding looking images in a smaller and lighter body that’s more fun to shoot with. I was totally converted and can’t see myself ever going to another system.
What you see here are some shots with the 50-140, a lens that still inspires me with confidence in focusing (especially on the X-T4) and provides a lot of character in the image quality that I love.
The 50-140 is also great for back-yard shots of sledding!
“When people ask me where I get my inspiration from, I point to these amazing humans. They have taught me this truth: every story is worth telling. We just need to be brave enough to speak. I’ve been teaching for more than 17 years and I want my students to find their voice just as my family has helped me find mine. I’ve been photographing for just as long, and I believe my photos capture slivers of hope, joy and truth in this world.”
Martin Belmont Photography
August 6, 2023 @ 1:20 pm
Love the blog post. I am considering fuji system. Helped me a lot.
Martin Belmont photography