7artisans Auto Focus Lens

Buy yours here.

Fuji Pancake: A while back, I noted that Fuji saw fit to re-introduce its 27mm 2.8 pancake lens with a dedicated lens hood, weather sealing, and an external aperture ring. I've owned my earlier version for a number of years, and have taken to carrying it as a backup lens for my primary Fuji kit bag. I reasoned that if both of my zoom lenses conked out at the same time on the same assignment, I would have a compact normal-ish lens that would work on either the T1 or T2 bodies. It also rides with my  secondary kit, where it could replace the 60mm F 1.2 lens that normally rides with my X-S10 for a more normal outlook if my X-100T should fall ill. It would be nice to have a second backup lens so I wouldn't have to re-deploy the original Fuji when switching kit bags.

A Second Backup Lens? I already have a Meike 28mm F 2.8 lens which I've used daily since I purchased it in April of 2022. I have been extremely happy with the lens, although it definitely is not as sharp as my Fuji 27mm. I have used the lens almost daily since I got it. and find that the focal length is well suited for most normal photography. While it might be suitable as a backup lens, I am fearful that I might might miss a critical shot if I forgot to manually focus the lens. Count on it, when you realize that you'll need to switch to your backup lens, you'll likely be in your panic mode. I can see myself forgetting to focus the lens, and sheepishly requesting a re-shoot when the results were less than optimal.

I am not a big fan of "chatty" lens evaluations, this video by Richard Wong was very thorough, although not quite as concise as the postings of Christopher Frost.  However, I did learn from Mr. Wong that the 7artisans lens takes the same lens hood as the Fuji, a minor saving. 

Considering the compact size and the auto-focusing capability, I think I can justify purchasing the lens as a backup. It is cheap enough, and the fact that I won't have to worry about focusing are definitely appealing.

If and when the purchase is made, you'll see some samples.

Addendum: A different shiny object caught my attention. This Meike pancake is now on the back burner.