Nov 20, 20234 min read

Sirui Sniper X-mount lenses

First thoughts

You just bought a Fujifilm X camera, and don’t know what lenses to choose? You want them compact, light, well-built, and with a fast aperture… and of course, you don’t want to spend much. That might be a lot to ask, but that's what Sirui is trying to achieve with the Sniper lenses.

Small, lightweight, and inexpensive (350$ each and 999$ the pack of three) these are the Sirui Sniper Autofocus lenses for Fujifilm X-mount. The pack is shipped in a nice little case, and the 23, 33, and 56mm lenses should get you covered for most tasks. Sirui wishes to stand out from the crowd by offering f /1.2 Lenses... with no aperture ring.

I have to mention that I had preproduction lenses to test (Samples). But I was told that they should be very close to the ones you will get.

These are a good start, as they will cover all your needs. They are a nice alternative to the native Fujifilm lenses if you are tight with your budget.

I’ve heard so many people complain about the Fujifilm lenses being too sharp, especially for video. If that's what you feel, and if you are doing both Photography and Video then these could be made for you.

I filmed my talking head of the YouTube video with the 23mm, and wish I had considered filming with them sooner. I believe their distinctive look makes them great for video. I may consider doing a Part II only using these lenses for video. You guys tell me if this is something you’d be interested in.

For now, let’s look at the photos I took with them in Brussels and Toulouse. Tell me what you think.

I didn't have the best weather in Brussels. I was there for 3 days for the Salon de la photo, but it was raining the majority of the time. I met with a few dancers, and because I was busy at the fair, I could only organize a photoshoot late in the afternoon. With the light fading quickly, the cold, and the rain, we had to call it quits pretty quickly.

Abbi Lewis (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 1250

Valeria Gonzalez Maidana (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 1250

I can say that shooting wide open did help that afternoon. I still had to raise my ISO, but it would have been worse without the f/1.2. The autofocus works with the Sniper lenses, and face and eye detection too. It struggled a bit with backlit images and poorly lit scenes, but overall it performed honorably under these circumstances.

Abbi Lewis (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/1250sec f/1.2 ISO 1250

Abbi Lewis & Valeria Gonzalez Maidana (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/1000sec f/1.2 ISO 500

My impressions changed on this 2nd photoshoot. Better conditions, still working with only "natural" light. I decided to work wide open once more, to see if my experience would be different... and it was. Snappier, more "locked on" the subject. I enjoyed the lenses a bit more on that day.

Kitti Olar (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/1000sec f/1.2 ISO 500

Do I prefer them to the original Fujifilm lenses? I don't know. They are a bit taller and weigh roughly the same. The only main difference is the image you get from them, the absence of an aperture ring, and the f/1.2. We'll see in the long run how I feel working with them side by side.

Kitti Olar (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/1600sec f/1.2 ISO 80

Kitti Olar (Brussels - Belgium)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/1600sec f/1.2 ISO 80 at 56mm

The lenses are well-built, you can get them in white, black, and silver and they feel great in hand. I’ve noticed a bit of chromatic aberration, and a bit of green and purple on my backlit images, especially at f/1.2. The images are also a bit soft wide open and the Bokeh balls lose their round shape as we get close to the edges.

There is a vintage approach to these lenses, so in the end, it comes down to personal tastes. Again if you found yourself not liking the sharpness of the Fujifilm lenses, then you may enjoy these.

Back in Toulouse I did a quick portrait session and did a little fun test for myself. I always wondered how differently I would approach a session in the same location, with a similar theme with the XH2s and another day with the GFX100II. I discovered how not only the camera changed everything, but every single detail of the shoot during preparation... but more about this in a future article.

Emma D. (Toulouse France)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 33mm F1.2 APSC

1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 100 at 33mm

I've worked with Emma in the past (My portrait photography journey) so it was an easy one. Makeup was done by Jlkbeautys just before the photoshoot, we then wandered in a few familiar streets for a couple of portraits.

Emma D. (Toulouse France)

Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC

1/320sec f/1.2 ISO 160

The trio of Lenses work well together. I mostly use on this last one the 56mm. Maybe this is where my heart gravitates when I shoot portraits (at least with an APSC camera). I've been testing the GFX100II lately, so this is maybe why I was really picky with the sharpness and details of these pictures. Going back and forth with such different systems can be misleading.

Nevertheless, I feel I need more time with these. As a budget-friendly solution, they are great Lenses. I think they have much more to offer if you consider these lenses for photography and video. They don't seem to breathe much, and the autofocus motors are silent their weight and size make them great for frequent travelers, street shooters, and gimbal aficionados. If you fit this description, then you want to click on this link: