Why it is that I've been using Olympus Pen F lenses on my wife's Fujifilm X-T1 is a subject for later: and a proper review. For now, it's enough to say I'm digging the experience. Very much. In fact, the above lens (horribly taken in the minute or so between shooting an Astell&Kern AK240 and Sony ZX1 for Mac Audio - you can even see its block -, it is a disgrace), hasn't left the camera. Neither has the slimline Kipon PEN-FX adapter.

The 60/1,5 on the APS-C X-T1 works out pretty well like a 90/2,25 on film, or FF 35mm digital. And 90mm is, and always has been, a favourite of mine. In fact, I was chatting lenses with an audiophile mate of mine. He digs lenses in the ~35mm range on APS-C, or ~50mm on FF. I told him that if I had to choose only two lenses, it would be something around 28mm - 30mm on film on the wide end, and 90mm on the long end.

Thank you half-frame!

In particular, I love that half-frame lenses vignette quite like they would on their native mount. The 60/1,5's vignetting isn't aggressive, but it can get heavy depending on the subject and light. It is sharp enough, but not biting. And its colours, though less earthy, remind me of my favourite LTM, the Canon 35/2,0.

All images in this post were processed in-camera. Some were straightened, and others brightened, or given 15 - 25 more local contrast in Lightroom. In others I reduced saturation slightly. But they are indicative of what the processing engine of the X-T1 is capable of when fed by what I feel is a fine lens.

Colours

Saturated, but not too contrasty, or loud. Flare is gentle, and its fingers blend well with the subject matter. This lens's flare, in fact, tells a story. Beautiful.

Often, the X-T1 in auto metering/WB and the 60/1,5 tend to wash bluish. I'm getting used to it. It washes things in a colder light than, say, the Fujifilm X or LF lenses I've used. When underexposed, contrast pops up, and so does lens vignetting.

Black & White

Being a still life shooter, I don't get a lot of time to work with black and white. To tell you the truth, I don't really know what I'm doing with it anyway. But the slightly subdued contrast of this lens allows hidden shadow detail to bump out with a nudge from the in-camera software, or, say, everyone's watercolour favourite: Adobe Lightroom.

Pet Room (the door out of which we exited the boat)

Three sleeping gentlemen on the ferry to Tokyo

Bokeh

I love bokeh. I try to sneak it into as much commercial stuff as possible, and when I shoot mirrorless, I tend to shoot wide open. (Of course, with mirrorless and the inability of the camera to use a lens's auto indexing aperture functionality, it's just easier than focusing open, then stopping down. Of course, Pen F lenses have a trick up their sleeves.)

And this lens, while not delivering the chaotically clean bokeh of the pre-ASPH Summilux 50mm, at times, it gives a soft, semi-swirley bokeh that flatters the centre. At times, it pushes highlight outlines and dimples, but for the most part, it is well-controlled. Some will call it distracting. Others will call it addictive.

Megumi on board the ferry, looking out over Kansai

I'll leave the usual geek stuff: mechanical quality, utility, focusing ease, etc., for a proper review. Until then, however, I'll be rocking this lens. I dig it so much that I am thinking of selling all my Nikon lenses and just go Pen F.