23mm Tryout

Finally I managed to take the new lens for a spin this afternoon. And the weather was gorgeous. Venue, as usual around Pavilion, walking towards Berjaya Times Square.

First I took photos of the CNY decorations at Pavilion. Then, across to Fahrenheit before heading towards Times Square. Spent a fair amount of time there - first time I was there in at least a couple of years. The place was packed considering this was CNY eve.

Next, I walked to Low Yat, emerging on the opposite side to walk along Jalan Bukit Bintang. I then doubled back towards Pavilion, stopping at Tours les Jours on the way home.

I finished things off with more snaps at Pavilion before heading home. Total walking time was almost two hours. Bright sunshine and clear blue sky. Couldn't ask for more.

So, I must admit, the lens was razor sharp even wide open in good light. Things got even better stopped down to f4.0, especially when it came to contrast.

I did notice that at f1.4 in low light and high ISO, the photos were soft. Maybe because I was snapping in jpeg, and the sensor over compensated. The contrast were also lost. The 35mm was better at low light resolution wise. It was still an amazing lens however.

With the flower shaped hood, the lens attracted too much attention for my liking. Coupled this with the slow focusing speed of the X-Pro1, there was a couple of shots which I missed. The whole unit also felt heavier than I was used to as I mainly used either the 17mm or the 35mm, but I could do with the weight. The whole setup had some heft to it.

The hood definitely helped with the flare especially in the harsh sunshine.

I must say for indoors, I still prefer the 35mm. Out in the street, the focal length of the 23mm was a winner. Maybe it was a matter of getting used to things. Or the fact that I prefer to take photos of details.

I was planning for another outing this Sunday when I would be meeting up with a few of my KLickr friends. I'll be taking it for another spin then.

Slideshow of the outing here.