FUJIFILM XF 18mm f/2 R Reviews
Size is the Thing
By Jon
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-17
This lens is ridiculously small. If you like wide primes, and you like to keep weight and bulk down for street photography or travel, this things is awesome. The major caveat here is that the autofocus system is deeply sub-par; it is accurate but slow, and horrendously loud, and the manual focus ring is sloppy and imprecise, as well as being tiny and difficult to operate. This renders this lens pretty much useless for video, which is a huge drawback for hybrid shooters like myself.
I own two Fujifilm zooms that cover this focal range, the 10-24 and the 16-80, and both not only utterly whip the focus performance of this lens, they also best it for low light performance thanks to the OIS stabilization features. Optically, I think the 10-24 is my favorite of the three at 18mm. However, both of those zooms are four times the size and weight of this prime, and neither can produce that lovely f2 depth of field.
I like this lens, but it fills a very narrow niche for me as a still street-shooter/travel rig. If this is your thing, go for it! But if you are looking for maximum versatility, I would advise you to look elsewhere. For me the clattery, slow autofocus really limits the use I get out of this lens.
Favorite Street Photography Lens
By dilven
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-07-20
I love this lens. I have it on my FUJI XT-1 body. It's quite small, light, covers a classic wide field of view, gathers a heck of a lot of light, and focuses close enough for most shots you want to capture with a 28mm equivalent lens. I keep it in my purse for day trips and street photography. It is the first fuji lens I purchased and abs adore it. I highly recommend if you are looking for a small/versatile lens.
Many say that this Fuji lens is an attempt to copy the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 28mm f/2 for the Fuji X-Pro1 system. The LEICA lens is a bit better, but costs almost ten times as much — and the LEICA lens is never in stock.
The manual-focus ring works poorly, but who cares: the camera provides immediate manual focus, complete with magnification, with one tap of a button, as well as complete autofocus.
Be sure to keep the lens firmware updated to improve the functionality and features of your 18mm. It can provide fixes to any performance issues that may occur. With the ever-changing advances in technology, a firmware update also helps a device remain competitive with newer models.
Hope my review helps!
I wanted to like this lens. I really did.
By Matthew
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2020-06-28
I could live on only a 28mm equivalent prime and often do, especially on my Ricoh GR and Ricoh GR3 (both of which I still highly recommend). So it seemed to make a lot of sense to pick up this lens up for my Fuji XT2, especially given its size and weight. But it just never delivered the images I was looking for - I found this Fuji 18mm to lack sufficient contrast and sharpness wide open, and when stopping down, things didn't improve enough to make the lens worth holding on to. Autofocus on this lens never quite had the hit rate that I was looking for either. I eventually sold this lens off and wouldn't buy it again. Fuji - if you're listening, this 18mm is overdue for a significant redesign!
You have to have it
By Brian
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-01-27
I've been shooting with Fuji for almost 4 years and I can't believe I haven't bought this lens earlier. This thing is super compact, really light and the focal length perfectly suits my style of photography. Two thumbs up!
Very good lens!
By Phil
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-12-11
I was impressed with Fuji lenses many years ago when doing large format work. I have purchased several of their cameras and a few
primes in the last few years and am very pleased!
After a period of cogent research I found more than enough positive
information to purchase this lens. I am quite pleased with the results
so far.
disappointed
By Kathleen
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2019-08-05
I wasn't disappointed by the lens' ability. Loved its low profile and how compact it was. Made it easy to bring anywhere. But I only purchased it in oct 2017 and recently started to get lens error, even though I have never dropped or bumped the lens or camera. Tried cleaning the contacts, resetting camera, etc. but to no avail. And since the limited warranty is over, I have to figure if it's worth getting it fixed.
Not bad, actually...
By Jared
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2021-12-23
Far better to shoot than the reviews would lead you to believe. Very usable focal length. Perfect size for an XPro or X-E street rig.
Is it soft at f/2? Yes.
Does its price exceed its aesthetic qualities? A bit, yeah.
Is it fun to take out and shoot? Absolutely.
Hey, plus it's the same focal length as the Leica Q family. Good way to see if you really want to upgrade...
Fujifilm wide angle pancake lens - TERRIFIC!
By Jay
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-05-14
This is a great lens for street use, travel, or when you do not want to carry a large and heavy lens around your neck. Has focus and aperture rings on lens barrel, which I like.
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