The NEW Best BUDGET Lenses for Fujfilm, SIRUI SNIPER F1.2 for X-Mount

[@johnstamw]

Hello friend, I hope you find this video helpful, please leave any comments & questions you have below :) and check out my shop for BIG DISCOUNTS RIGHT NOW! bit.ly/JStambaughStore

[@pjromaniuk]

This video and the video where you test the auto focus of the lenses in different scenarios are super helpful - thank you so much! I would be very interested in a video on auto focus settings for the X-S20. I'm struggling to understand what the best settings are for different video shooting conditions.

[@johnstamw]

I'm so glad to hear that!! Just curious, what lenses are you using and are you using the single point or wide AF mode?

[@SummersSnaps]

Finally a proper review from someone who gets optics. Thank you.

[@johnstamw]

thank you for that!

[@WenxiangYang]

i'm glad that someone has tell the truth about chromatic aberration. Recently threre's a lot of review about sniper series, but no one say about this problem on auto focus. Thanks a lot!

[@johnstamw]

yeah that AF+Aberration is an issue, again though, not all the time, but when it happens it's bad

[@davidlara9808]

Just order the set in white. Can’t wait! Thanks for the review.

[@johnstamw]

ooohhh white!? that's awesome, they look super cool, paired with a black fuji body it would be a real storm trooper kinda look.

[@Takeonm]

Amazing review. Just discovering these lenses and I’m so impressed!!

[@johnstamw]

i'm glad you found em!

[@boahandarrowsproductions4326]

Thank you very much for the video. That pulsing of the CA was definitely a bit much. I thought it was the focus peaking.

[@rkjelseth]

great review John! I will definitely go check these out!

[@johnstamw]

they're worthwhile!

[@TheVetit]

I love every content you did. it's really good!

[@johnstamw]

Thank you friend!

[@positive3007]

You are very intelligent . You explained it very well . Thanks a lot

[@Denis-wb6ld]

Amazing video like always! Thank you John !👏👏👏

[@johnstamw]

Thank you always Denis!!

[@kevin.schie.videographie]

very very awesome review buddy! Really pleased with your approach here!

[@johnstamw]

Thanks Kevin, anything specific I should repeat in the future?!

[@kevin.schie.videographie]

@@johnstamw almost everything tbh haha.

[@johnstamw]

@@kevin.schie.videographie hahaha wow thanks! I will be reviewing sirui's new 50mm saturn anamorphic soon and I never know quite the perfect "recipe" for reviews so if you like this style maybe I'll try to do that again.

[@kevin.schie.videographie]

@@johnstamwwell i really do enjoy most of your stuff, been watching for a while now! Anamorphic' s ain't my thing but ofc i still watch along ;-)

[@johnstamw]

well thanks a ton for that support @@kevin.schie.videographie

[@EvanSchneider]

These lenses look so good!

[@johnstamw]

I've continued to be impressed with them!

[@TwoTimesRmedia]

I'm actually hoping I can hop on fast enough and grab these lenses at the early bird special .

[@johnstamw]

I'm hopeful for you to do so! Sign up for that email and set your clock for 10am EST!

[@TwoTimesRmedia]

@@johnstamw I signed up and set an alarm 😅. I thought it was 9 am eastern .

[@johnstamw]

@@TwoTimesRmedia I think I goofed that, should be 10am eastern I believe, but they should notify you at the correct time!

[@TwoTimesRmedia]

@@johnstamw no problem .

[@enshongmiranda]

One point regarding custom autofocus settings that makes Fujifilm lenses a pain to use is each lens will have a different "interpretation" of how fast the tracking and locking is. Hoping These are more consistent. Gotta say though that I think the Viltrox 1.2 lenses look to be better in many things like CA and weather-sealing.

[@johnstamw]

woah!! you got this comment up while this was unlisted haha! Yes, these are consistent across the set in my experience according to their "interpretation" only possibly slight differences bc of focal lengths. Well, you're probably dead accurate about the Viltrox 1.2 lenses besting the chromatic aberration & weather-sealing... but that's why they're ~$200 more, bc the manufacturer cost for those improvements is being passed on to us the consumers in the pricing differences and personally, I can't afford that additional ~$200 difference, especially not if I want a complete set of lenses, so that's why I'm willing to make the budget trade-off for the C.A. & W.S. However, there is definitely different markets for different folks & the viltrox lenses seem great at their price point, just too high for me!

[@carlossousa1575]

Thanks john . 😊

[@johnstamw]

You’re welcome!

[@Frank-yb9hf]

Hey John. Cool video. Thanks

[@johnstamw]

hey thanks for the kind words

[@rickmarquez]

Have you seen any issues with IBIS wobble on the wide end? I get awful wobble warping in the corners with the Sigma 18-35/Fringer with IBIS on my XT4.

[@johnstamw]

this should start at the right timestamp for you kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWLRhWh3d5xpnqssi=RfXsLWtNy01FaMCx&t=383

[@rickmarquez]

@@johnstamw Yes! I knew you had shared a video about that warp wobble but I couldn't remember where to find it thanks! Have you experienced any of that warping with the 23mm sniper?

[@m123icn]

Thank you for the awesome video.

[@johnstamw]

Thank you for the comment!!

[@oberon2230]

Love your videos, truly well produced and cinematic. Quick question, the music you use, I don't see it mentioned anywhere, where is it from and who is singing ? :)

[@johnstamw]

here:) fm.pxf.io/Gm1a4r

[@MorfeusSpn]

Frankly speaking, I assumed something similar about chromatic aberrations and backlit flares, saying that you shouldn’t expect miracles for $350. We haven’t yet seen the resolution across the frame field at an open aperture. For me personally, this is no longer acceptable, but you have put everything in its place and this is also the result. Thanks for the review!

[@johnstamw]

Not sure I understand the 2nd part there, but I'm glad it helped you make your decision!

[@itstheprofessor]

I’m looking at this in the 23mm but I’m also very tempted by the Viltrox 27mm F1.2. Video first and photography second. Budget around $700 CAD if there’s something else I should consider.

[@johnstamw]

They're both great lenses and with that budget there's a few others in the price range. My advice is always just consider what you need most and buy for that. For video first you won't find smoother AF movements than these lenses at the price point.

[@itstheprofessor]

Thanks, I think I’ll get the Sirui 23mm and Sigma 56mm as both come to around the same price as the Viltrox where I am and gets me two focal ranges!

[@johnstamw]

i think that's a good choice! @@itstheprofessor

[@2dtommy293]

I want to hop on one of these lenses and all your shots are selling me on one but I don’t know which lens is being used for each of these shots. I’m considering the 23mm or 35mm. It would’ve been amazing if you put which shot was using which focal length. Small gripe but overall this video was amazing. Great job!

[@johnstamw]

Well, that’s a fair gripe! It would just be really hard to keep track of haha I can say it’s all 23 or 33 because the 56 is a bit of a specialty I didn’t have a use for in this review, just tested it a bit privately to make sure it was good! And it probably is more of the 23 because I looovveee a 35mm full frame focal length.

[@2dtommy293]

@@johnstamw ya that works be an annoying thing to edit in for sure lol. Thanks for letting me know though. I figured it was the 23mm but I wanted to be sure! I look forward to your auto focus video some time in the future!

[@35POSTCARDSS]

Honey wake up John uploaded another video !!!!!😅

[@johnstamw]

Wow I’m honored I finally earned this comment 🙌🏼😂

[@nqxba]

hey john! i've loved your content since your xt3 days and i feel like your insight on fuji bodies is like top tier. i've loved your xh2s coverage but i keep noticing that you seem to be using an xs20 possibly as a b-cam and i would dearly appreciate a medium-length video comparing it to the xh2s, highlighting ur opinion on the value (features vs. price) and any differences u may have noticed in terms of image quality between its x-trans 4 sensor and the xh2s' stacked x-trans 5 sensor. the sd card situation too! would appreciate it so so much. much love.

[@johnstamw]

Wow thanks a lot for sticking around for awhile. I have been using an XS20 lots recently testing for a review and I will try to make a few dedicated videos soon. I have a handful of ideas, but the XH2S vs XS20 is a great video idea. I hope you see that video in the next month or so!

[@abhishek.scariya]

Thanks for the valuable thoughts John. Really appreciate it. You mentioned the ‘shake’ and some of the footage does seem to have those jitters. Another video said that it’s probably because the Fuji IBIS doesn’t play well with these lenses. What are your thoughts on it? Does Fuji IBIS work the sniper series? Thank you!

[@johnstamw]

You're welcome! That's interesting to hear that others mentioned this, and yes I did leave the jitters sometimes just so others knew it was present, but it was easily corrected in 99% of my footage. I couldn't say honestly if I know that the Fuji IBIS doesn't play well or does with these lenses. They do have electronic connection so I can't imagine it would have any issues with the IBIS. But I can say is that these since lenses are so lightweight, seeing micro-jitters doesn't surprise me. Anyway, hope that helps!

[@abhishek.scariya]

@@johnstamw It surely does help. Thanks for taking time out to make this video and to reply to these queries. Much appreciated :)

[@zenbil61]

Hello, first of all, thank you very much for the review. I watched both the nightwalker and sniper videos. I shoot short films as an amateur (I have an xs-20 camera). I always try to make the image cinematic. Since I shoot films alone, autofocus sometimes works for me, but I also want to improve my manual focus skills. Do you think I should give up on autofocus and get the nightwalker series or the sniper series? Can I get the same image with both? Or would giving up all these and getting the sigma 18-35 be a significant upgrade, is it worth the price difference?

[@akilamperouge960]

will this beat viltrox’s 27mm f1.2?

[@johnstamw]

Probably not because that $200 extra you pay is going to offer better lens coating for aberration performance, etc. they’re different price points.

[@Eyeofkamau]

For me, with video, yes. Mainly because the AF of these lenses are better, and there is no focus breathing. The viltrox pro lenses have some of the worst focus breathing on earth :(

[@AAD91]

Well, at the same price point as the Night walker, it makes me hesitate but the truth is that, for video, I still think that the night walkers are more convinience for me. I am looking for a 24mm manual lens for video and with my fuji I still feel more confortable with manual focusing, but knowing that they cost the same makes me feel that I am paying more for the same lens with less features 🙃 Also, the thing with this Sniper series should be compare them with the 1.2 viltrox lenses. The 27 is in between the 24 and the 33, and I like more the 75mm focal lenth rather than the 55. Obviusly the viltrox are not that cheap but you can find some nice deals that could make your decision really hard 🤣

[@johnstamw]

If those Viltrox were available at $350 that would be wild haha! Honestly tho, as a video maker having the manual night walker features is very nice.

[@nachogoytre]

I have the 35mm Nightwalker since a month, and I can tell, its gonna be attached to my XT4 for a lon, long time. Another thing its for stills... There you have a lot of options from fuji (the old 23 f1.4 its a cream for stills, cheaper than the new one, but a beast, and the sigma.. and other brands). But for vídeo? I Think if you like manual focus on video, dont think a lot, get the nightwalker!

[@johnstamw]

the nightwalkers are truly a special set of lenses! @@nachogoytre

[@Joncineng]

Hey John, I’m currently using xs20 with 24mm nightwalker cinelen, and now im considering getting another len from the sniper set either 33 or 56, what len you think i should take ( i mainly do indoor interviews and sometimes some social media short videos contents)

[@johnstamw]

hello there Tuan!! I do think personally the 33mm is more flexible. 56 gets really tight really fast once you're in a smaller space.

[@yashraut3906]

Im using a xt4 and 16-55 2.8 can you tell me what's the best autofocus settings

[@johnstamw]

probably +3 tracking sticky and -3 or -4 on speed. If you want natural looking smooth focus racks, etc. you'll need to test tho

[@JaymesMedia]

Nice video

[@johnstamw]

Thank you as always sir!

[@JaymesMedia]

@@johnstamw you’re more than welcome bro

[@LelleKidd]

Suray?

[@johnstamw]

surely

[@v_stands_for_value124]

1.2 apsc so it's like the same light as a rusty cheapo Canon 1.8 but if the quality is good the it's ok

[@giampieromaietti]

The look of the blur would be the same but the light gathering would be better.

[@v_stands_for_value124]

@@giampieromaietti same blur if u getting closer my friend otherwise we're talking fantasy

[@johnstamw]

Haha I’m not exactly sure how the math works out but quality is good

[@Rholmes2010]

Light is 1.2. Blur is 1.8

[@v_stands_for_value124]

@@Rholmes2010 it's not the same light as 1.2 FullFrame, I'm a dumb Fujifilm user too, my fastest lens is the "legendary" 50 f1 and it's sadly only like a 75mm f1.4 which sucks

[@ghostgums]

I just received mine and fuji's IBIS doesn't work at all with these lenses.

[@johnstamw]

I'm curious to understand this better. Can you explain your use cases and the issue you're encountering? For me, I only noticed a slight shake which seems normal with extremely lightweight lenses like this. Hopefully you saw that part of my review with the timestamp, is that like what you're experiencing?

[@ghostgums]

I'd be fascinated to know your thoughts on this @@johnstamw I received both the 23mm and 56mm and on my x-h2s there's absolutely no change when turning ibis on or off. Boost mode included. I thought something might be up with my camera so I threw on my fuji 35mm f2 and Ibis immediately worked.

[@johnstamw]

@@ghostgums I honestly didn’t even think to ask Sirui bc I assumed of course the IBIS should work with electronic connection and I just attributed my shakiness to the light weight

[@ghostgums]

@@johnstamw When using a lens with zero electronic connections you can set the focal length manually, but that doesn’t work with the snipers either. It’s very strange.

[@johnstamw]

@@ghostgums I've reached out to my contact at Sirui about this specifically and will do my own testing as soon as I'm able. If I receive any certainty I will definitely be posting an update/correction sort of video.

[@TamilGuitarLessons]

Hi, Amazing video as always:) your videos really helped me to purchase fujifilm xt4 and sigma 18-35 f1.8 and I’m thankful for that. I’ve a question to you! Kindly help. * Is it possible to shoot in opengate? If not what’s the best way to achieve 4:3 ratio in videos (Xt4)? Thanks Love from India

[@johnstamw]

Thank you! That’s still an amazing set up today! For the XT4 I would just record normally in 16:9, but be aware you’ll lose the left+right edges, then edit in a 3:2 aspect ratio if you like the open gate look!

[@TamilGuitarLessons]

@@johnstamw Thanks for your quick response 🙏

[@ShaneAndersonProductions]

I wish I could rock that hat.

[@johnstamw]

I do love that hat

[@footage5341]

Chromatic aberration = in-camera halation effect...lol

[@dunric88]

Why not sigma or Viltrox primes?I’ve got Sirui myself, but not sure about the decision.

[@johnstamw]

combination of: lack of AF custom settings, f1.2, price, etc. Basically with "budget" stuff, and really with anything, you'll have to take your tradeoffs and for me these lenses checked-off the right boxes.