You do not have 100000+ subscribers because your audio and everything else is always perfect, but because you are an extremely likeable guy, you never pretend to be perfect, you are honest, you produce vids that are as informative as entertaining and because YOU ARE YOU ! 👍

Dedication to re-film the video same day! He's working hard for us, ladies and gents! The effort is not lost on me! So I see you have an Islander in. I love what Marc is doing over there! Incredible value watches. As for the 23mm f/2, I've never used it, but I've been using the OG 23mm on the X100 series for 5 years now. It gets a lot of criticism for essentially the same things that the "fujicron" 23mm f/2 does. However, I absolutely love the OG X100 series lens (and that will forever be a hill I will die on). Haha.

The 23 f2 is a wonderful lens with a lovely filmic look to it's images. Way too much is made of its one weakness. If you also have the 35 f2 you got most bases covered. Great combo. Enjoy Omar!

Love how you set up the background color and PC's wallpaper. Hillarious video as always, your stuffs make my day everytime.

You are so funny when things happen around you (when mail attacks). Every video is just so fun to watch and always a surprise. Love the lighting in this video.

You know what's funny? I watched your lens review from few years back yesterday for fun and behold! The algorithm stars aligned ahaha

I do not care almost at all about shooting close up with a blurry background, but I love your lens reviews because you delve into the details of how the lens performs and we get to see some nice example photos.

Tqqqq omar for putting extraaaaa effort ❤️❤️❤️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I followed your advice and got the 35mm f/2 - definitely the best choice. It stays on the camera most of the time. When I want to go wider, I simply use the 18-55mm zoom lens. Certainly not as portable, but manageable.

Thank you for your video! I appreciate your honest video :D keep up the good work!

This was my first lens after debating between your advice and another youtuber, and I absolutely love it! Glad you’re giving it a second chance

Just watched this video for the second time today Omar, you convinced me to finally pull the trigger and buy this lens for my X-E3 for travel and street photography. Your videos are always very informative and I really appreciate your real world experience.

Congratulations!! 100k Great video.

Omar there hasn't been a single video you have posted that hasn't made me literally laugh out loud. thanks for always providing gear insight on just about every Fuji topic / gear question that's popped into my mind. Keep shining you silly bastard

Great vid as always !

You don't look stressed for someone who is re-recording everything again. Commitment to the cause Omar! 👏👏👏 The only choice I have to make is whether to get the 23 or 35 first...such a tough choice. It's gotta be the 70-300 though lol

Just noticed you have a 100k subs.. been following you since it was less than 10k. Congrats man, this is brilliant.

I got the xf 18mm f2 last week and i just love it. its so small, the bokeh looks nice and the minimum focus distance is also pretty good. I bought a xf 35mm 2f today for just 285€ and im pretty hyped to try it out, never shot with it but heard lots of good things. I also had the 23mm f2 and i loved it. Would buy it again for sure. You can't go wrong with any of the f2 lenses, cheap, small powerhouses.

All hail to the 23mmf2 with the little big flaw, the one lens to rule them all! 🙌🏽 Thanks for another great video!

Your videos are full of energy. 😍

Been watching Omar for ages and still not got my first Fuji camera. Love watching all the same.

Mad respect to you for redoing the video! The previous audio problem was kinda weird, the audio sounded offputting in stereo, and the audio disappeared completely in mono. It could be that the L and R channels are phase-flipped, causing them to cancel out when combined in mono speakers.

Omar always great to watch and hear your views making the fact I have a Fujifilm habit even more enjoyable. If you ever get the chance, time or interest I would love to hear your views on using Vintage lenses with your Fuji kit. It can save a lot of dollar and I've had some success. Thanks again and congrats with 101k subscribers. Malc.

The xf23f2 is somehow intended for compact street shooting rather than ‘close up shots’ which does have issues with sharpness. BS or no BS that’s how it is right now (maybe a mark II is on the way? Who knows). Based on my experience, you can get away with at least f4.0 for close up. All things considered, i have both the xf23f2 and the xf35f2 in my bag all the time to bridge those gap.

I love my 23mm f2. I don't want to exchange it or sell it. Welcome back to Fuji 23mm f2 lovers

Have bought and sold the 23 f2 twice myself for similar issues you mentioned. When I had the itch mid year last year, I went the X100V path and have been quite happy. :D. Not the best solution for pocketbook, but opened up a new world for me.

Convince BH to loan you a XF 16-55 I know apsc zoom but wow that lens is amazing!

My favorite lens. If fuji address that one issue of haziness, I won’t hesitate to upgrade

Please NEVER stop creating videos.

I also bought, sold, and re-bought the 23mm F2. I think this lens would have a much better reputation if Fuji had limited its minimum focus distance as bit; I think they let it focus closer than it really should at fast apertures. Stop it down and it is fine even really close. I had the Viltrox 23mm 1.4 and that has a significantly longer minimum focus distance. If Fuji had done the same with the 23mm F2 people wouldn't be so disappointed with its close performance when wide open. Having said that, I totally agree with Omar - if Fuji are going to let you focus that close then they really ought to make sure that it works properly!

I'm such a watch fan that as soon as I saw it - I immediately knew it was a long island watch skx! I love fuji and I love watches - so I think you have great taste 👌

Thanks Omar! Completely agree with you about the 23mm f2 and the "hazy-haze" at close focus @f2. It's definitely a flaw, I thank you for mentioning it in your reviews. I ended up selling that lens in favor of the x100v which performs significantly better in that situation. Neither though does as well as the 35mm f2 (when shooting close focus, wide open) which I know you highly recommend.

Love the purple background

I have my aperture set at f4 on my x100t. If I'm focusing close, I can use a bit of depth of field. My background is going to blur pretty easily at such a close distance. I will go to 5.6- 11 when I want more depth of field. At this moderate wide aperture, it doesn't feel that limiting. The 35 mm is great for environmental portraiture and, in a pinch, it can do close up work. Just great to walk around with.

That makes sense I was trying to watch the video earlier and keep getting a message that you had deleted it I was thinking it was just KZfaq issue lol glad to see the new video love your Fujifilm content!

Just gotta love this guy

Nice Video, I am looking for xf23mm f2, I am just waiting for the right time to come. I think it is a right time, thx Omar 😉👍

Excellent, thank you!🇨🇦

Hey Omar! Your audio problem most likely comes from a phase mismatch (opposition probably) between the left and right channel of your audio. It makes a weird “inner” sound in stereo and completely cancels itself in mono (that may explain why some people hear your sound one some aren’t) If so, the solution is to reverse the phase on one of the stereo channel OR the workaround is to use only one channel and pan it in the center on the audio mixer. Hope it helps and thanks for your fantastic videos!

that zonlai lens is amazing. gotta watch your review of that again. also, 27mm mk2 incoming. pls review once it's out. thanks!

nice ligths in ur studio!

Hi Omar...Love your Channel and your delivery / sense of humour...being watching you for years....congrats on the 100K subscribers! I previously owned the Fuji X100 & 100s and loved the 23 mm lens. Now that Fuji has updated the 23mm Mark ii on the X100V and has introduced a new version of the Pancake 27mm, do you think that Fuji might update the 23mm F2 (Fujicron) to give us a Pancake version 23mm F2 similar to what's on the X100V...sorry if this sounds a bit wordy...Keep up the good work!

You did confirm some of my feelings on that lens. I really think it comes down to that one lens. Slowly but surely, Fujifilm has been checking my boxes for me to start buying into the system. I'm very slow to get into a new system, it has to be all there for me to buy. I was absolutely impressed with the 16-80mm lens and I'm hearing there is a 70-300mm coming up which would be an excellent pairing. For primes I like the 56mm but both the 23mm and macro lenses needs improving although I can work with the macro lens. 16-55mm is beautiful and now the XT-4 has IBIS and that camera checks all my boxes. Likely I could get the XT-4 with the 16-80mm for a pretty darn good deal around black friday. I wish the XS-10 had weather sealing, bigger buffer and UHS-II card slot but that isn't as important if I use that camera as an everyday shooter.

Omar - I am a fan of the 23mm f2! I have always wanted the Fuji x100, and this lens on my X-T20 is the poor man’s combo! I only have the 23mm f2 WR and the kit 18-55mm. A great budget setup.

First of all: keep on the great videos. I will get to the 23mm, sometimes i feel like following the "Omar fuji lens roadmap". First the kit and 27mm, one year later (mid 2019) got the 35mm and this january the 16mm f2.8. Next will be the 50 f2 or the viltrox 56 1.4, and, maybe then the 23 f2 or an X100 camera.

I agree it's total BS when people say it's not for close up. I think the 23mm is a versatile focal length. Some people might use it for casual food photography and seeing their brunch food soft af won't look that appetising. Some like using it for their children portraits. Would love Fuji to come up with a refreshed 23mm f2 pancake lens that has the same optics as in Fuji X100V (so that I can control my GAS too 😂).

Love your channel, Omar! Got into it because I was considering Fuji; but ultimately I think I'm sticking with Nikon. Always tempting to switch every time I see your videos, though...

You were so uncertain about this lens that it was reflected in the 3 video title changes as you uploaded it 3 times 😂😂

I have this lens and it's great for street photography!

Perfect timing on this video. I have the 27mm pancake but am really missing the aperture ring and general feel of the Fujicrons. I'm venturing into street-style photography in some of the smaller towns in Western VA, with tight streets and old stone buildings from the 1700 and 1800's. I really think the 23mm at f4+ will be perfect for me. Great video as always!

Working on the street..... ooohhhh 🤣🤣 that was funny

This lens (23mm f/2) and the 16mm f/2.8 were the first two lenses I bought when I got into Fujifilm back in 2020 with the Xpro3. All I can say is, the 23mm f/2 is a joy to use. I was aware of the one flaw you mentioned in this video, however it never bothered me, as I rarely shoot at MFD with any lens. It’s an absolutely amazing lens for the price, size and weight. Stop down to f/5.6 and you can extract so much detail from this lens.

Street shooting focal lengths are all a preference. I used to shoot film with a 35mmf3.5 for street and loved that, so for me the X100 series or the 23mmf2 are great street focal lengths. But since I got the 50mmf2...well, if you think 35mm is too tight try shooting on a 75mm equivalent, but I love that focal length for street. The 50mm is glued to one of my XT1s now, the 23mm is on the other one.

I own two Islander watches and love them. I got the mini-turtle with the fully lumed dial. Last week I bought the red Monster and it is my favorite. I was worried that the Monster would not fit my small 6.5" wrist, but thankfully it fits. I use the Viltrox 23mm lens and it is great. The lens is much larger than the Fuji lens because it is f/1.4. The results are so good that I am willing to carry the extra weight. I also own the Viltrox 33mm and the Viltrox 56mm. I love my Viltrox lenses. Nothing will ever beat my Fuji 90mm lens.

a new 27mm 2.8 is supposed to have a refresh with a aperture ring without sacrificing size, is supposed to be announced on the 27th. So says fuji rumors. But the same lens formula. And maybe they'll fix the 23mm f2 since they fixed it in the x100v?

Поздравляю с 100К! From Russia with love :)

I've had the 23 f2 now for over 2.5 years as walk around lens. Made quite some great Fotos at f2 without problems. It's not a 16mm f1.4 style pseudo macro lens anyways, so really not sure why people are whining about that flaw so much?! Probably because posing oneself as critical creates an impression of intelligence :)

18mm f2 is a great storytelling lens...When I used to 23 I always wanted to go wider!

Hi Omar, i do *love* 23mm (35mm in 36x24mm terms) but my fave Fuji lens is the 23/1.4 R, it's faster, looks excellent, does render with character, does have a A/M clutch, and overall, it's a excellent lens. For my 35mm SLRs, i have other 35mm 2.8 manual focus lenses of course...also one with 35/1.4, though...

This is my most favorite lens. :) though I just got a 50mm f2 and I still had to try that out extensively. :)

I sold the 23mm f/2 2 times and bought it again few months back. I think this time will be a keeper. Since I got the 16mm f/1.4 for close up shot, I no longer need the 23mm f/2 to do that! I guess I just love the focal length alot and the f/2 fits great with my Xpro bodies. Totally, too much fanboys defending this lens and said it is sharp even at close focusing distance, I just replied "I guess You haven't seen a sharp lens!"

Excellent, thumbs up and happy shooting. Would love to see more on your Nikon Z experience in comparison with Fuji. I just changed the other way round from Nikon DSLR - after 30 years to Fuji. Why? Setting aside weight basically for two reasons: Firstly Nikon pissed me off since the autofocus of my AF-D lenses is not supported by the FTZ-adapter and Nikon confirmed to me that such development ist not a priority to them and secondly Fuji film simulations. So here I am, a Nikon hobby enthusiast with a D750 body and AF-D 2.8/20-35, 35-70 & 70-200, 1,8/50 & 1,8/85 which never really came out of its heavy bag since I got my X-E3, X-H1 with XF 4/10-24, 16-80 and the lovely Fujicron primes XF 2/23, 35, 50 all mainly from the used market at a fraction of what I would have had to spent on a new Nikon Z system with lenses. Bad luck Nikon and hopefully - when the Nikon community keeps pushing hard - they reconsider since they are still selling AF-D lenses new and Sony has shown with its LA-EA5 adapter that it is technically possible to support first gen screw drive AF-lenses to give them a new lease of life in todays mirrorless world. I don't mind buying a Z-lens but I as a Nikon enthusiast who has spent big bucks in the past I have got an expectation of some support by Nikon during the transition...

Hey Omar, great video... Question: do u like the 90f2? I almost have enough to get the xf90... I need to save a lil more. The only thing im worried about is having my iso and shutterspeed high for this lens most of the time on my xt3

I own it and it’s an amazing lens. Some CA and they’re difficult to correct with C1 Exppress otherwise it’s sharp and nice :)

Great video Omar !!!! I own the 16f2.8 and the 35f2 but I would like to know what do you think about the 27mm from Fuji. I know that you like it a lot, but my question is which one should I get between the 23mm and 27mm to complement the other two I own? Take care

Fuji knew you were going to post a video about the 23mm and using it the way it's not supposed to be used and they tried to stop you... I love my 23mm and keep it on my T2 and it travels to work with me every day. I do change it out for the Mitakon 35mm 0.95f which is a fun lens for me too

I use this lens for work video calls too, very versatile. People randomly dm me during a call how I get such a sharp picture. The lens is almost always at f2. A small distance and it’s sharp again luckily.

The XC 15-45 is great for street, cheap, image quality is great, its a versatile zoom and minimum focus distance is incredible. ok no aperture ring but if you're only using it at 5.6 who cares right!

I had this lens has great colour and contrast (possibly a little too much contrast) But like I really didn't enjoy is close focus abilities. BUT one feature I did really like about it of the 1.4 I now have was it sun start ability. When on holiday in NYC is visited times square and the car lights are just like little stars everywhere adds another dimension to the picture. I might add that the ghosting on my copy only happened at extreme close focusing and I think fuji could easily limited it with a firmware update to solve the issue

You should also consider the kamlan 21 1.8: almost the same as the zonlai, same price, about same foncal lens, but sharper and better build

Good talk

What do you need minimum focus for? Get the GFX100, stand back and crop.

There is a simple but pricey solution ... get the X100V ;)

Hey Omar, I wanted to ask you about the performance of the lens wide opened, but at longer distances. 1 meter and beyond. Is it still hazy? Love your videos

I just sold mine for me to have a reason to keep my 27mm, coz I found myself switching from the 23 to 27. And the 27 just looks much better with xpro body :) but maybe im gonna re-purchase th3 35mm f2. And I support you for this lens not being sharp at f2 ay close distance, I found my 21mm 7artisans does a better job.

Great review Omar. Do you recommend the xt1 for personal use with the 23 f2 & 35 f2 or better get xt2? I found xt1 in a really great price.. Thanks

Hi Omar, big fan from Costa Rica here. Woukd it make sense buying a 23 prime if you already have the kit lens? Regards

Now if you stick this lens to the X-pro3 you would have an interesting combo. Another old school photoshoot Omar?

I have observed the same issue with my 35mm f1.4 (probably my favorite 50mm) has lots of haze at f1.4

Omar! What were you doing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada!? Cool!

Im a canon R6 user. And have a ton of canon glass. But I want a XT3 as a second body. Hmmm decisions. Congrats on 100k!

This seems like the perfect focal length for the street and at 5.6 you can set a manual zone focus or use a zone setting in autofocus. I have the 35mm XC lens ($200) and I've found it is soft/hazy at f2. The big question is, at a 5.6 or higher F stop would I get better street photos with this lens or just use my kit lens (15-45) at 23mm. I like the compact size and aperture ring of the 23, but it seems like a lot of money to buy a lens that is not good wide open.

I have had 5 copies of the 23 f/2, every single one has the close focus issue. It can't be avoided unfortunately. I would love for Fuji to make a pancake 23 f2.8 that doesn't have this issue.

Well damn I watched you much. And at the end my fuji line evolved to 16mm f1.4, 56mm f1.2, 80mm f2.8 and 16-80mm f4. I didnt want to waste money on 23mm and 35mm I could cover them outside with 16-80 mm easily. 16-80 is sharp enough on 23mm and 35mm while f5.6. If I need shallow DOF I stick with 16 and 56mm. On 23 and 35 I need corner to corner sharpness and keep everything in focus. So for niw 16mm f1.4 and 56mm f1.2 give me what i am needing.

The first Fuji lens I purchased after getting my X-T20 was the 27mm pancake. Then I replaced it with the 23mm f2 because I really wanted the aperture ring. I then sold the 27mm pancake. After recently picking up an X-T2 body, I decided that I really liked the X-T20 & 27mm combo, and bought that lens once again.

I think I originally avoided this lens after your review of the close focus mushy haze, and to be honest idk why, since I don't really shoot macro wide open anyway. Although, I still might have bought it, if the x100v wasn't a thing. It's hard to pass up. ✌️

I changed from Canon to Fuji two years ago..because of my friend Omar here.. just missing this little 23 f2 from my line up!! 🇿🇦

The other issue I have with this lens are the chromatic aberrations in the high contrast out of focus areas.

Good luck with your work on the street Omar.... 😉😆😂🤭🤗😅🤣

how the heck do you get your photos to be THIS sharp? mine are never EVER this sharp. great video btw :))

Will you try the 27mm 2.8 V2 that's apparently about to be released.

I find that both my 16-80 and 10-24 zooms are sharper at 23mm than the 22mm f/2, especially at the edges. The 23mm is great for walking around with because of it's size, but primes are not always sharper.

Mainly use it for street and only go down to f2 in nightime, that haze efect is someway corrected in hight iso levels thanks to the noise. great thing. Anyway, needs a reissue, a real one not like the 27, shame on that new lens

I tried the 2.0...but switched to the 1.4 and LOVE it. It stays on the XT30...yes its big on that body but doesn't bother me. :-)

Why not opt for the 27mm pancake lens? That should also work as a compact and optically superior option for street photos. Maybe especially the new version coming up sporting aperture controls.

Stop with the watch thing: I subscribe to a ton of watch channels as well as camera channels, and love what Marc’s doing over at Long Island, but as the Ghostbusters advised, “Don’t cross the streams” or my tiny head will explode. Keep up the great work!!

Yeah, the X100V is really good now at minimum focus. Wonder if they could just make an XF-mount version of that 23mm to replace the XF23mmF2 (presumably without the leaf shutter :) )?

My 35/2 couldn't _do that_ either. That's why it went straight back. I like the idea of those Fujicrons, but they're just not growing on me (50/2 might be different, but I already have the 56/1.2) ...

The only thing I would change about this lens is form factor. I would love it even more if it was the size/form of the 27mm. I understand the size and form has to do with the components and is not as easy as saying it, but just saying if it looked physically like the 27mm, it would be the perfect street lens.

I would love to have seen you ‘loop’ your dialogue in the audio-problematic video, maybe even doing some on-purpose ‘karate movie’ style lack-of-sync 😂