Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm 1.4 R LM WR

Fujifilm's prime lenses have always been their source of pride and one of the reasons why they have been successful with the X-mount system. The Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR is reinforcing this tradition. The lens is perfectly usable straight from f/1.4, even in the image corners. Stopped down, it is very sharp indeed. Image distortions are only moderate, so auto-correction doesn't introduce any relevant smearing effects. Lateral CAs are quite low as well. This can't be said about the native vignetting, but that's mostly hidden via auto-correction. The bokeh is pretty good for a wide-angle lens. The Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR has also been improved mechanically. The base construction was already of high quality in its predecessor. This new version adds weather sealing and, finally, a modern AF motor. The Fujifilm lens is fairly pricey but worth the money.

The XF 23mm f1.4 LM WR outperforms its predecessors to become the best overall mild-wide-angle lens Fujifilm has produced for the X-system to date. It delivers pin-sharp details across the frame, wide-open and at both near and far distances. The close focusing provides opportunities for attractive shallow depth-of-field effects, while the feature-set includes weather-sealing, fast and quiet focusing, minimal breathing and a lockable aperture ring. On the downside it’s also Fujifilm’s largest, heaviest and most expensive 23 to date. Since the price was so similar to the original 23 1.4 when I made this review, I’d go for the newer one, leaving the big question between it and the compact f2 version. In my tests the little f2 lens performed fairly well, but was much softer in the far corners, and thanks to the aperture and focal length couldn’t help but suffer from busier bokeh. As such I’d only recommend the XF 23 f2 if you valued its smaller size, lower price, and didn’t mind some softness in the corners.

Editor's Choice - Superb performance from a classic prime lens, perfect for travel, street and architecture.