How does the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 Perform on the X-T5 and Fuji's 40-Megapixel Sensor?

In this video, I compare the Fujifilm 56 1.2 WR from Fuji with the 56 1.4 from Sigma with the X-T5 and X-H2. This is not scientific by any means, but I had some fun doing these comparisons and found some things that matter to me. SO - they might matter to you!
To download my photos for your own comparisons, go here: drive.google.c...
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Sigma 56mm f/1.4 (for Fuji X Mount): amzn.to/3NTeeP3
Fuji 56mm f/1.2 WR (the new one): amzn.to/3AOEOFw
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This video was produced by Jerred Z (That's me!). Becoming a photographer and photography teacher has been a transformative and positive aspect of my life, and I truly want more people to experience the world in the way I’ve learned to.
Every day is more beautiful, no matter where I am, because of photography.
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[@paulthomas8986]

Awesome comparison. It’s interesting to see the different temperature and color variations you get with different lenses. The Sigma seems to be an all-around solid choice but for the most discerning photographer the Fuji takes the prize. That lens seems all around fantastic.

[@JerredZ]

Paul, I agree - the Sigma was a lot better than I thought!

[@terryolsen4244]

Great video, Jerred! I just ordered the Sigma this weekend. I had the old version of the Fuji 56 1.2 lens but sold it a while back because it was so heavy and bulky I rarely used it. At $400 I consider the Sigma to be an excellent deal. I'm still shooting my X-T4 but I would think the results would be similar.

[@JerredZ]

Oh, Terry - I think you will love it. I have been using it even more since I did this video, and I really like it regardless of the body. Great little lens!

[@DoodlingTom]

I'm sure you will like it. I keep the sigma 56 glued to my xt4 and I use it for plenty of street photos, portraits, and video.

[@sigmaphoto]

Love this! Thanks so much for the support!

[@desoriordan9515]

good work Jerred, it's hard to ignore the sigma at that price, i have ordered their 18-50 f2.8 zoom, but the fuji 56mm f1.2 looked consistently better to my eye. i might pick it up used down the line.

[@DominicTioseco]

I was hoping the Sigma would at least be on par, but alas, the Fuji is superior. I'll swallow the price difference and get the Fuji.

[@opalyankaBG]

4:29 the Sigma appears softer cause you've focused on the eyelashes. The Fuji lens shot is focused on the eyeball.

[@DanFarrar]

I’m surprised Sigma held up as well as it did. I’m actually a fan of lenses that get weirded out by direct light..so the Sigma gets a win there from me. Bring on the flares lol. Great comparison dude

[@JerredZ]

BRING OUT THE FLARES! Love it. Thanks, Dan! The sigma is a realy high quality competitor for super cheap!

[@dimitarkotsev9234]

Great video and comparison! The Sigma seems to hold up very well and unless money is no object it is hard to justify the price difference. In my country the Fuji is literally triple the price of the Sigma which I often find discounted.

[@JerredZ]

Thanks, Dimitar. The Sigma holds up REALLY well!

[@donho6523]

Thanks for the info. For me I will pay up for the Fuji glass. Once I see the difference, although minor I can't unsee it and I am luckily at a point in my life where I can afford the better (for me) lens. If I was on a tighter budget I would seriously consider the Sigma.

[@JerredZ]

Absolutely, Donald! I get it. I'm in the same boat. My "camera/photography" account is totally separate from my home account, so I can do the same!

[@TwoTimesRmedia]

Great comparison video. A few weeks ago my wife got me the sigma 56. I really like it for the price. I'm still learning photography and I was hoping to use it for portraits. As it is great , you just need so much space to use it. The close focal distance is not very close. I think I should have gotten the sigma 30 instead.

[@JerredZ]

Nice, Ricky! Your wife sounds awesome. And yes... those portrait lenses need space. I was just doing a shoot yesterday and had to move furniture around just to get the space to shoot! So I get it.

[@chuckashton9688]

Jerred since you asked I'd buy the Sigma. Maybe not quite the image quality of the Fuji. With a tiny bit of stirring the pixels in my favorite editor it would be great for my use. Nice video, keep up the good work.

[@JerredZ]

Thanks, Chuck - and I get it! The Sigma does an amazing job, and it's mostly just a few edits away!

[@iransirijillo]

I just ordered the sigma, currently at $379, an absolute steal and a better portrait lens than the fuji, why? Slightly less contrast, a bit more muted colors and not razor sharp but plenty sharp

[@frijin490]

Since 90mm f2 is my primary lens, i think sigma would be decent addition if there is limited space to work with.

[@charliejg]

The price of the new 56 was out of my league. But, I'm very happy with my V1.0 XF56mm. I just love the images I get from it with the XT-3. I've seen videos comparing the 56mm MkII with the old XF56 and didn't see a massive difference in terms of IQ. The one thing everyone commented on was that the new 56 had much better minimum focus distance. Funny thing is that I got the 56 to do portraits, but I've been using it for everything. I really love it.

[@JerredZ]

Charlie - that's great! Probably my main reason I sold my old 56 was because of minimum focus distance... I was doing a food shoot for a restaurant and the old 56 was just barely a touch too long to be used for almost the entire shoot. I just wanted a little bit closer, and the new one gives me that. I will say though that the 50f/2 might be the best out of the bunch! HA! I still use that one all the time. WHY DO I HAVE ALL OF THESE??? :)

[@charliejg]

@@JerredZ I considered that 50 f2 as well, but when I saw the 56 at such a good price I couldn't resist. I think I may get the 35 f2 at some point, but for now I'm on hold for camera spending!! LOL!

[@eddyjcreative100]

Tried both Sigma...very well built and very nice and light

[@shy-guy5544]

Nice video. I read that the MFD for the Fuji is 70cm, whereas for the Sigma it is 50cm, which is significantly better.

[@JungleCatImages]

I think that's the older Fuji.. I believe that the new one is also 50cm like the Sigma

[@ShutterFanatic]

If Sigma had the 1.4 trio out when I bought the Fuji equivalents (I have older gens), I probably would have bought them instead. Good lower price alternative and helps with the system entry point.

[@JerredZ]

It does - and more options is ALWAYS better for any system. I love how Fuji is getting more and more choices!

[@DoodlingTom]

I have used the older and new fuji 56 and I'm glad I got rid of them for the sigma 56. The main reasons are because you can't see much of a difference for the kind of street photography I do and for some reason I like the sigma for my video setup. Now the sigma 30 on the other hand, I didn't care for and so I use the newer fuji 33 as my primary lens.

[@50shadesofNV]

I have been digesting more and more of your video's recently, wish your channel mad growth and success, would like to see you comment on that magic 3d pop microcontrast when you compare lenses? Especially at this price point and aperture

[@JerredZ]

Thanks so much, Neil! I'm having a lot of fun doing these! And thanks for the suggestion - I'll add that to my notes as a poossible idea for a video!

[@venom2k2]

I am super happy with my Sigma 56mm. Of course I am sometimes looking at the Fuji, but the Sigma is such a good deal. I ordered their 16mm for about 260€ via a black friday deal and it might replace my Fujifilm 16mm f/2.8.

[@JerredZ]

Yes, the Fuji is such a great deal. One of the few lenses I've never used from Fuji is that 16 f/2.8. What do you think of it?

[@venom2k2]

@@JerredZ there is no bad fujifilm lens and the 16mm f/2.8 is a good lens, but I rarely use it. Not my favorite focal length and I am not so used to it. I am more comfortable with 23, 27, 35 and 56. Need more practice because the pics I did take with the 16 are the ones I really like :)

[@JerredZ]

@@venom2k2 Awesome, Venom. Thanks for letting me know!

[@danieltomanovic1940]

Yeah contrast and sharpness from new Fuji 56mm 1.2 WR is crazy good...but I think Sigma 56mm is comparable with old 56mm 1.2 if not even better lens...Old one Fuji is not so sharp and colourful. Sigma is a great lens but new Fuji gen.lenses is just perfect i have 23mm 1.4 WR and sharpness from 1.4 really impressed me.

[@JerredZ]

Agreed, Daniel - those new ones are pretty awesome!

[@Soul_Visuals_Photography]

Damn. I was right about to buy the sigma. I feel it’s not sharp enough. I Wonder how the viltrox 56mm compares.

[@lumberjack3008]

Your videos are great. LR isn't, if you are comparing IQ of two lenses, as Capture One does a better job rendering Fujifilms RAW files.

[@ncsttsccr]

I kept waiting for a mention about the half a stop difference in aperature but I don't believe that was ever mentioned in the commentary? For anyone looking for low light capabilities, a half-stop is as important, if not more important than the more well-controlled flaring. If I'm not mistaken you never even mentioned the 1.2's performance at 1.2 as all the shots were taken at 1.4?

[@JerredZ]

Oh man. I cut the part where I talked about f/1.2. I should have kept it in! I included the shots at f/1.2 in my downloads, and that would have been nice to mention as well. I didn't compare the two lenses in that sense since the Sigma can't go that wide, but I should have mentioned it. Well... I'm still learning on how to make videos, and this is a great reminder for me! Thanks for this.

[@ArgentoRAWRz]

Thank you i needed to find a comparison for these two *Pitty no comparison at night :/

[@JungleCatImages]

I just got the Sigma for $300 like new on Ebay.. I have the Fuji 90mm which is a magical beast of a lens, so whenever I have the chance\space that's what I'm gonna shoot, so I didn't want to spend a premium on a 56.. I had the original Fuji 56 and I didn't get along with that at all.. the inconsistent AF almost ruined my switch from Canon to Fuji, and from what I've seen the new Fuji 56 isn't much better as far as the AF is concerned.. for $300 the Sigma was a no brainer

[@ПазарджикПет]

I went for sigma, just because of the far better video AF. It's a shame Fuji updated the 56, but kept the old jumpy AF motors..

[@MayurMahapatraFilms]

Nice video Jerred.. one request. If you can make more videos about video performance of Fuji cameras as compared to Sony. Mainly the workflow. I know it’s a lot to ask. Just a request. 🙏

[@JerredZ]

Mayur - maybe someday. I'm just not as knowledgeable about video is all... I'm learning a lot, but I don't feel comfortable commenting too much on it till I feel more confident!

[@MayurMahapatraFilms]

@@JerredZ gotcha.. I still love your videos.. 😍👍

[@jeremytheoneofdestiny8691]

4:25 the lenses are very clearly focused to different spots. But it’s pretty incredible how much better the Fuji lens looks.

[@Yupthereitism]

I think it’s in your head

[@lionheart4424]

Great video, thank you!

[@Eyeofkamau]

Hey Jerred, did you notice any chromatic aberration when shooting jpg at 1.2 on the sigma?

[@JerredZ]

Not anything unusual, Kamau! Nothing I noticed to be out of ordinary at least.

[@nnshalon]

Jerred, I have the 56mm 1.2 WR that skips focus in AF-C mode, which left me disappointed. Does the sigma 56mm 1.4 do that too?

[@JerredZ]

Hmmm.... so for me I've only used the 56 1.2 in continuous focus mode with people standing or sitting or moving slowly. I don't trust it for faster moving subjects. And the Sigma version seemed to be smoother and focused quickly, but I haven't done enough tests with it yet for moving subjects... so I'm not sure!

[@caitlineye]

Great vids! I need to do a head to head on some of my Viltrox lenses. Curious how Viltrox and Sigma compare too.

[@JerredZ]

Thanks, Caitlin!!!! I've been thinking of getting some Viltrox lenses lately... so maybe I'll do the same!

[@dominicanodennis]

Thanks for the great video. I have a question, can the Sigma lenses resolve the full 40 MP ?

[@JerredZ]

Dennis… I’m not sure. I’m happy with the image quality, and when I zoom it the details are “crisp!” Some of the lenses that are not on the “approved” list like the 35 1.4 work great too!

[@SquirrelHybrid]

Do you know what's going on with the area around the Fujifilm logo at 5:37? I thought it was my astigmatism making the white letters shift onto the black body. 😆

[@JerredZ]

It's that blur, right? That's a bit of just low-low DOF and a little bit of aberration. That's pushing the lens a bit, I think!

[@jtes1442]

Are you still experiencing focus issues with the XT5 and XH2 in continuous AFC mode?

[@JerredZ]

Mostly in certain situations, especially - the ones where I'm usually shooting (at parks, playgrounds, etc, with lots of distracting elements in the backgrounds).

[@SebastianD-fj4pu]

Does the sigma support 40 MP sensor on X-T5? What is the actual pixel you are getting from sigma 56?

[@JerredZ]

The photos look fine. No worries about how it resolves 40 megapixels.

[@EDHBlvd]

So you aren’t giving up on Fuji?

[@JerredZ]

Nah. I had a "coming to jesus" meeting with myself. The Fuji has some seriously messed up autofocus (and the more I use it, the more I'm convinced of just how inferior it is in late 2022), but I love the files man. I can't help it. The 40-megapixel sensor is really growing on me, and that's kind of that. If I were a full-time wedding or event shooter, it would have all been sold. BUt I'm not, and I can work the camera to get me good results when I do the odd wedding/ event. So the camera that still speaks to my photographer's heart is Fuji... it has a soul, even if it's flawed.

[@EDHBlvd]

@@JerredZ I agree. I’ve never believed Fuji AF was as good as the competitors. It was previously much worse, but even with XT4 it was behind. Seems it continues to tradition. The thing is, it works good enough for me, when I work with it. And I like you, love the files. I’m a SOOC guy and nobody else compares. So I enjoy them. I find working with the camera (using AF-S and zones mostly) gives me good results. And when I use AF-C, I similarly try to use a zone and keep it on subject as I pan. I’ve played a little with subject tracking of the XT4 (wide tracking + AF-C), but the jury is out on whether it’s even reliable enough to use.

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

I know it’s not the same lens, I have the XF50 f/2 and a few days ago I took a headshot of my wife for her passport and not only it came out great, but I saved the $7.50 they charge in Walmart🤣🤣🤣

[@dennisplester1542]

Glad I’m not alone. I travel a lot for work and just started travelling again. Needed an id entry photo for South Korea. Thought stuff it, will shoot my own and pulled out my X-H2 and the new 56mm. Saved myself AUD 15… easily justifies whatever I paid for this awesome body and lens. 😂

[@JerredZ]

Enrique! The 50f/2 is, perhaps, the best overall value for a lens at this range. Just an incredible lens and way more versatile than people think with the minimum focus distance. If I was smart, and I'm not, I'd sell the 56mm lenses and just use the 50!

[@Juan-ci3ge]

Im confused. Did you shoot the sigma 56mm on the X-H1 and the fuji 56mm on the X-T5?

[@JerredZ]

I used the XH2 with the SIgma - and used the Fujifilm 56 with the XT5.

[@gilleslast3561]

The Fuji for me, even on KZbin you can tell the difference. This is the kind of lens you buy « for life » so it’s always a better choice to buy the best IMHO. Last comment : Lightroom is not the best software to render Fuji lens quality, C1 and DXO are much better.

[@JerredZ]

Thanks, Gilles!

[@DoodlingTom]

Lightroom is perfectly fine if you know what you're doing and it suits your workflow. C1 is great but the uneven comparison is blown out of proportion.

[@HarryLang]

Given the Fuji 56mm 1.2 WR is on Fuji's "best compatibility" list and the Sigma is not, did you notice any advantage in that regard for the Fuji? Or is the recommended list of lenses to fully resolve the 40mp really just a marketing gimmick?

[@JerredZ]

You know… I don’t know if it’s a marketing gimmick or what. I know that I’ve tested a few lenses not on that list and had great results… so maybe I’m just not seeing it as much? Or… for the 35mm f/1.4, for instance, it’s a little less than desirable at f/1.4… but it was before anyway on the 26mp sensor, ya know?

[@HarryLang]

@@JerredZ Agreed. I'ved tested the Viltrox 13mm f1.4 on my x-t5 and was blown away at the quality.

[@Eyeofkamau]

Not a gimmick. The 16-55 performs way better than the 18-55 on XH2. It’s just optically advanced compared to the kit lens. Doesn’t mean the 18-55 is incompatible or not good… it does better on my h2 than my t4, but it doesn’t do the 40mp sensor justice

[@jean-philippeperetti8463]

The superior sharpness of the Fuji lens justifies the extra $600, IMHO. That being said, I am happy with my 16-55 mm zoom lens and won't invest in this prime for now.

[@YanFries]

Rather buy another lens for $600

[@jean-philippeperetti8463]

@@YanFries Almost all angles already pretty well covered, here. Viltrox 23 mm, 16-55 XF zoom and 50-140 mm XF zoom. So, no need to spend more. EXCEPT, maybe, if I want to upgrade from my XT-4.

[@Eyeofkamau]

@@jean-philippeperetti8463 you don’t see f1.2 over f2.8 being worth it? Makes sense if you shoot mainly in the day time though

[@jean-philippeperetti8463]

@@Eyeofkamau I see it but I can only afford a limited number of lenses. I choose those that are convenient and affordable.

[@Eyeofkamau]

@@jean-philippeperetti8463 aah I see!

[@califmike2003]

Foolish to buy the fuji when the sigma is half the price and 99% the same.

[@Invincibleagent]

I think you should be more careful in these comparisons. There are a few instances where the two lenses are focused in different planes and you are still trying to compare their sharpness. The leaf is a perfect example of this - the Sigma is focused on the nearer parts of the leaf. It's the same with the eye close-up: if you look at the eyebrows/eyelashes the lenses are clearly focused on different things. The autofocus not getting the eye is a different issue I guess.