Fujifilm Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD review

With its apodization filter, the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD’s key attraction is beautiful bokeh

Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD
(Image: © Fujifilm)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Compared with the standard edition of this lens, this more upmarket ‘APD’ version includes an apodization filter to further enhance the quality of bokeh. It’s pretty compact and lightweight for a super-fast f/1.2 prime, yet beautifully built and has excellent handling characteristics. Outright sharpness isn’t overly impressive and it’s quite pricey to buy but, overall, it’s the most desirable portrait prime for Fujifilm X-mount cameras.

Pros

  • +

    Smooth bokeh

  • +

    Good handling characteristics

  • +

    Solid build quality

Cons

  • -

    Not the sharpest tool in the box

  • -

    Pretty pricey to buy

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The Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD is based on the standard edition of the lens but adds an apodization filter to smooth the circumference of ‘bokeh discs’, generated by defocused bright spots and pinpricks of light. The ‘effective’ focal length of 85mm on Fujifilm’s APS-C format X-mount cameras is ideal for portraiture, while the f/1.2 aperture rating enables a tight depth of field as well as enabling you to maintain quick shutter speeds under low lighting conditions.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.