{"id":3004,"date":"2014-01-28T22:29:34","date_gmt":"2014-01-29T03:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=3004"},"modified":"2014-02-08T07:30:42","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T12:30:42","slug":"zeiss-touit-32mm-f1-8-planar-vs-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-35mm-f1-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/zeiss-touit-32mm-f1-8-planar-vs-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-35mm-f1-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Zeiss Touit 32mm f\/1.8 Planar vs. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f\/1.4 R"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since Carl Zeiss AG first released their line of Touit lenses for Sony NEX and Fuji X-mount, there has been much debate, especially among Fuji owners, as to whether the pricey Zeiss lenses are worth their premium over the excellent options from the OEMs. \u00a0Last year, I did a faceoff between the Fuji XF 14mm f\/2.8 and the Zeiss Touit 12mm f\/2.8<\/a>. \u00a0Today’s battle? \u00a0Zeiss Touit 32mm f\/1.8 Planar<\/a> vs. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f\/1.4.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss Touit 32mm f\/1.8 vs. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f\/1.4 R<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both of these lenses have been praised as outstanding normal lenses for the APS-C Fuji X-System. \u00a0The 35mm f\/1.4 is one of the original lenses for Fuji X-Mount, while the Zeiss comes in promising that legendary Zeiss character and sharpness.<\/p>\n

Both lenses are extremely well-built, with bodies constructed of metal. \u00a0The lenses are almost exactly the same size as well. \u00a0The Fuji lens has the added advantage of a faster f\/1.4 aperture…a full 2\/3 stop faster than the Touit 32mm. \u00a0The Zeiss name comes with a cost: $1,000 for the Touit 32mm. the Fuji comes in a whopping $400 less, at $600. \u00a0Let’s find out if the 32mm is worth nearly double the cost.<\/p>\n

Thanks to LensRentals.com<\/a> for providing the Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 for this test and my upcoming review. \u00a0Head over there if you need a lens or camera for a special event or just to try out.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Test<\/h3>\n

Today’s test looks at the lenses in an interior type setting, which allows us to evaluate center and edge sharpness as well as the rendition of out of focus areas, or bokeh. \u00a0The setup involved a flat book box stood up to evaluate sharpness. \u00a0Behind this was placed a crystal decanter, which provides a wealth of specular highlights, as well as a vase filled with wooden spiral sticks, which can show how the lenses render busier backgrounds. \u00a0Every shot was taken tripod mounted, square to the target book box, approximately 1m away. \u00a0Self timer was used in order to eliminate any residual camera shake from the shutter actuation. \u00a0The 35mm shots were framed first, and then the tripod was moved slightly closer to make the target box the same size in the frame for the slightly wider 32mm lens. \u00a0Focus was made in the center of the frame, directly on the upper left corner of the book box. \u00a0 Crops from the same aperture and lens are all taken from the same image.<\/p>\n

Shots were taken wide open, then with both lenses at f\/1.8, f\/2.8, f\/4 and f\/5.6.<\/p>\n

First, let’s look at the whole scene, and look at how the lenses render this scene when each lens is shot at maximum aperture. \u00a0This will also give you an idea of the degree of extra subject separation the Fuji’s 2\/3 stop speed advantage confers.<\/p>\n

As with all images in this comparison, click to enlarge the image.<\/p>\n

\"Full<\/a>
Full Scene, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f\/1.4 @ f\/1.4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss Touit 32mm f\/1.8 Planar @ f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Center Sharpness<\/h3>\n

What follows are 100% crops from the RAW images, processed in Lightroom 5.3. \u00a0Each shot was processed with identical settings. \u00a0Click on each image to enlarge to full size.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Center Crops @ Maximum Aperture (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wide open, there is very similar sharpness in the center of the frame. \u00a0The Zeiss might have ever so slightly higher contrast and be ever so slightly sharper, but they are very close. \u00a0Remember the Fuji is much faster here as well.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Center Crops @ f\/1.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both lenses at f\/1.8, center sharpness is essentially a wash. \u00a0Both lenses produce extremely sharp results in the image center at large apertures.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Center Crops @ f\/2.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Center Crops @ f\/4 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Center Crops @ f\/5.6 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the images are stopped down further, the lenses remain extremely close to each other in the image center. \u00a0The Zeiss might be a hair sharper at f\/2.8, while the Fuji might be a hair sharper at f\/4 and f\/5.6. \u00a0In any case, this one’s close enough to be considered a wash.<\/p>\n

Continue: Edge and Corner Sharpness<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Edge Sharpness<\/h3>\n

Now let’s see how these lenses fare further away from the frame. \u00a0This is from the right edge of the frame:<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Edge Crops @ Maximum Aperture(click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When both lenses are wide open, the Zeiss has a very clear upper hand in edge resolution. \u00a0The Touit 32mm maintains decent sharpness on the edge right from wide open. \u00a0While not blisteringly sharp here, it’s far better than the Fuji 35mm, which displays notable softness on the edge wide open.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Edge Crops @ f\/1.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both lenses at f\/1.8, the Fuji still lags behind by quite a bit. \u00a0This continues even at f\/2.8, as seen below:<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Edge Crops @ f\/2.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Fuji has definitely closed the gap here, though the Zeiss is still slightly sharper. \u00a0Interestingly enough, the Zeiss is showing little improvement as things get stopped down, and as you’ll see below, the Fuji comes back strong by f\/4:<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Edge Crops @ f\/4 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By f\/4, the Fuji has not only caught up to the Zeiss, but has leapfrogged it. \u00a0The Touit 32mm shows essentially zero improvement on stopping down, while the Fuji continues to get sharper and sharper. \u00a0At f\/4, the Fuji is very sharp on the edge, and handily surpasses the Zeiss.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Edge Crops @ f\/5.6 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both lenses at f\/5.6, the Fuji 35mm f\/1.4 is again the clear winner. \u00a0The Zeiss has finally showed some improvement, but the Fuji shows even more improvement, with tack sharp edges by f\/5.6.<\/p>\n

The winner here? \u00a0Again, the lenses somewhat tie. \u00a0The Zeiss is significantly sharper on the edge at wider apertures, while the Fuji is notably sharper on the edge stopped down. \u00a0Which one is more important to you will depend a lot on how you shoot, though for me, I’d rather have the Fuji’s characteristics here if I had to choose…the soft edges wide open aren’t much of a concern, as most of my wide open shooting with a lens like this wouldn’t require edge sharpness, while stopped down, I do want the images to remain sharp all the way to the corners. \u00a0However, your needs may be different.<\/p>\n

Speaking of those corners, let’s look at how each lens fares in the extreme corners.<\/p>\n

Corner Sharpness<\/h3>\n
\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Corner Crops @ Maximum Aperture (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you’d expect after seeing the edge comparisons, the Zeiss handily kicks the Fuji’s rear end in corner sharpness wide open. \u00a0The Zeiss certainly isn’t tack sharp here, but there’s good definition and some detail, though also a fair bit of lateral chromatic aberration. \u00a0The Fuji shows no visible CA, but it also shows no visible detail with the corners at f\/1.4 turning essentially to mush.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Corner Crops @ f\/1.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At f\/1.8, the situation doesn’t improve much for the Fuji. \u00a0The Zeiss is still massively sharper, though that CA shows no signs of abating.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Corner Crops @ f\/2.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By f\/2.8, the Fuji 35mm is showing signs of improvement, with some detail able to be discerned, though the Touit 32mm is still handily outresolving its less expensive competition. \u00a0CA is still an issue, though.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Corner Crops @ f\/4 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As with the edge crops, the Fuji makes major strides by f\/4, showing what appears to be similar levels of detail to the Zeiss. \u00a0However, neither lens is tack sharp at this point, with the CA from the Zeiss having a detrimental effect and the Fuji still showing what almost appears to be a nervous jitter to the detail. \u00a0All things considered, though, I prefer the Fuji corner at f\/4.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Corner Crops @ f\/5.6 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And by f\/5.6 again the Fuji 35mm f\/1.4 has surpassed the Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8. \u00a0While not razor sharp, the corners here show a lot of detail in the Fuji shot, and absolutely zero chromatic aberration. \u00a0The Zeiss on the other hand still shows a little softness and a lot of CA.<\/p>\n

As could be expected, the corners are similar to the edges: \u00a0The Zeiss is clearly superior at wide apertures while the Fuji is superior at the smaller apertures. \u00a0While not shown here, I did, for my own interest, correct the CA of the Zeiss lens for the f\/4 and f\/5.6 shots. \u00a0To my eye, when corrected for CA, the corners are essentially identical between the two at f\/4, while the Fuji still has a clear resolution advantage at f\/5.6.<\/p>\n

Finally, let’s look at bokeh.<\/p>\n

Continue: Bokeh<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Bokeh<\/h3>\n

The last thing we’ll look at today is how each lens renders out of focus areas. \u00a0As I mentioned earlier, I took crops from two areas: the crystal decanter and the wooden sticks in the vase.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Crops, Bokeh @ Maximum Aperture (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both lenses wide open, you can see that, as we’d expect, the Fuji shows considerably more blur due to the larger aperture. \u00a0However, it not only shows more blur, but the bokeh is significantly more pleasing as well. \u00a0Specular highlights on the decanter are very smooth and soft, while the busy sticks area shows soft blobs of color.<\/p>\n

The Touit on the other hand, has some harsher rings around specular highlights, while color rings and fringes show in a much more busily rendered scene with the sticks.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Crops, Bokeh @ f\/1.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both lenses at f\/1.8, the Fuji continues to show superior bokeh to my eye, with a much more neutral rendering and softer specular highlights. \u00a0The Zeiss simply shows some nervousness at this wide aperture, though it’s not a terrible showing.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Crops, Bokeh @ f\/2.8 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At f\/2.8 and smaller, something interesting happens: the Zeiss softens up in the out of focus areas. \u00a0Bokeh becomes much more neutral at smaller apertures, and to my eye, is extremely similar to the Fuji. \u00a0This continues for the f\/4 and f\/5.6 crops, seen below.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Crops, Bokeh @ f\/4 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss 32mm f\/1.8 vs Fuji 35mm f\/1.4, 100% Crops, Bokeh @ f\/5.6 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the bokeh challenge, I have to give a nod to the Fujinon XF 35mm f\/1.4. \u00a0The wider aperture not only allows for more blurring and subject separation, but the lens renders out of focus areas much more smoothly than the Zeiss does at wide apertures. \u00a0At smaller apertures, the lenses are extremely close to one another.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

So who wins? \u00a0Well, unlike the comparison I did between the Touit 12mm and the Fuji 14mm, there isn’t a clear-cut winner. \u00a0Which lens is better really is going to come down to how each person will use it and what aspects they value more.<\/p>\n

Both lenses are tack sharp in the center at all apertures. \u00a0 The Zeiss has a significant advantage on the edges and corners at wide apertures, but the Fuji has a clear advantage on the edges and corners at small apertures. \u00a0Bokeh is a little better on the Fuji to my eye, but that’s a very subjective measure.<\/p>\n

I personally would give the edge to the Fuji 35mm, as I find the better larger aperture bokeh and superior stopped down edge and corner resolution to fit my style of shooting much better. \u00a0However, if you’re someone who shoots in limited light situations and needs sharpness across the frame at wide apertures, then the Zeiss may be the clear-cut winner.<\/p>\n

The $1,000 price tag for the Zeiss Touit may be the deciding factor, as it really is difficult to see an extra $400 in value simply for better larger aperture edge performance, though again, that will be up to each individual shooter.<\/p>\n

Check out my full review of the Zeiss Touit 32mm f\/1.8<\/a>. \u00a0That review features shooting in a variety of situations and a much more in-depth look at the Touit 32mm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since Carl Zeiss AG first released their line of Touit lenses for Sony NEX and Fuji X-mount, there has been much debate, especially among Fuji owners, as to whether the pricey Zeiss lenses are worth their premium over the excellent options from the OEMs. \u00a0Last year, I did a faceoff between the Fuji XF 14mm […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[342,225,251,343,250],"class_list":["post-3004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shop","tag-battle","tag-fuji","tag-touit","tag-vs","tag-zeiss"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p28RGq-Ms","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3004"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3080,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions\/3080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}