Fujifilm XF23 mm F2 R Weather Resistant Lens, Black

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Indeed as you approach the closest focusing distance of the XF 23mm f2 it becomes softer, just like the lens on the X100 series – despite having different optical designs, they share this characteristic, making them less attractive to product and food photographers than other options in the range.

To find out I shot two compositions at dusk which included some bright, distant lights. First a view of The City of London from the South Bank. Here’s the full composition below and below that I’ve cropped and enlarged a portion from just below right of centre which featured the best-defined diffraction spikes. I shot both lenses at their minimum apertures of f16. the 1.4 is 10oz where the 2 is 6oz. thats quite a big difference in weight. the f2 is definitely thinner and sleeker than the 1.4. which is if shoot street photography is a big deal. I shoot handheld, and almost always with the available light. I use the F1.2 of the 56mm a lot during first dance and speeches for example. Shooting subjects at fairly close range also revealed the older XF 23mm f1.4 to be sharper than its newer sibling. The text on the beer bottle in the example above is noticeably crisper on the XF 23mm f1.4 version than the XF 23mm f2 version – see below. Great combo. I have the same set up and love it. I actually leave my Xt3 at home and take this out much more. Its so comfortable in the hand and quality coupled with color science is fantastic. Nice article thanks for sharing

It is my primary lens for my many travels to Japan, and my go-to street photography lens. I have even used it to shoot more significant events such as weddings and engagement parties. Note the f/1.4 has a nice clutch mechanism manual focus ring which is very smooth and is easier to set to infinity focus. When I'm shooting dancing for example, I'm usually zone focusing and setting a relatively fast shutter speed of 1/125 or even faster. I found I needed that extra stop of light. But remember, I shoot with available light - if you use strobes, then this will be a mute point.

Focusing is internal, so if you use filters, you don’t have to worry about those moving. The thread size of the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR lens is 43mm, which is the same as the 35mm f/2, but different from the 46mm thread of the 50mm lens. That’s something to consider if you plan on investing in all three of the f/2 lenses available. Out-of-focus rendering, otherwise known as the bokeh effect,can be a deal-breaker for travel photography. So how does the Fujifilm 23mm f2 fare in this?The Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.22m, with a maximum magnification of 0.13x. It is not a true macro lens, but you can use it for typical macro subjects, such as flowers and still life, to good effect. Technical details aside, the rendering on the XF 23mm f/2 WR is quite different than the XF23mm f/1.4 or the closely related XF 35mm f/2 WR. I’ve shot with all of these lenses quite extensively, and I can immediately see the difference when working with the RAW files in LR and PS. From a technical standpoint the XF23mm f/1.4 may perform ‘better’ optically, but I prefer the more cinematic rendering of the new XF 23mm f/2 WR. The shadows are more contrasty with the new lens, making the Classic Chrome and ACROS film simulation look more dramatic compared to both the XF 23mm f/1.4 and XF 35mm f/2.

The Fujifilm XF 23mm f2 is a standard wide angle prime lens designed for Fujifilm’s X-series mirrorless cameras. Announced in September 2016, it’s the second 23mm lens for the X-series, following the earlier XF 23mm f1.4.

For that reason, I would always take a smaller, lighter F2 lens over a heavier, bigger F1.4 lens in terms of depth of field. Then I heard that Fuji were thinking of releasing second versions of some of their best lenses and my interest was piqued. When the 35mm F2was released, with its weather resistance and such small form factor I knew then that what I really wanted was a 23mm in the same format.

While walking around the streets I forget everything around me. I like this feeling a lot. When I get a good shot, I am very happy, and the whole day was worth the travel and walking. A few people have reported that this lens is soft when shooting wide open at close focus distances (2 feet or less). But just about every lens in the world is sharper when stopped down than it is wide open so I wouldn’t really worry about this. It is honestly pretty difficult to not like the Fujifilm 23mm F2.0 WR. Currently, it is definitely my favourite lens and is most of the time glued to my Fujifilm X-T20 body. It is small, lightweight and very robust and can be used for so many different things that it is a must-have lens. I started to watch YouTube Videos, bought my first street photography books and challenged myself on the streets with different topics: lines, reflections, light and shadow or a specific color. What I learned: small towns do also have plenty of possibilities for street photography, you just have to find and see them. I am going to be very upfront and honest about this. The Fujifilm XF 23mm F/2 is my favourite lens. I am going to share with you why this lens is well worth considering.The lens hood is also added to stop flare, but even without it, the lens doesn’t let much flare into your images which is a great positive. Colour and Contrast Be honest, did I convince you, or had you already made up your mind but needed the last little bit of justification ;-) The lens weighs just 180g, so it’s lightweight as well. This makes carrying it with you while sightseeing on busy city streets all day a breeze.