Fujifilm X system creators who prefer a wide prime have a wealth of quality lens options. The Fujinon XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR ($999.95) is the second of its focal length and gives fans of the angle an all-weather, f/1.4 alternative to the agingXF 18mm F2 R. The new lens sports an optical formula that better matches with higher-pixel cameras, gathers more light, and focuses closer. It's a substantial upgrade over the XF 18mm F2, but doesn't displace theXF 16mm F1.4 R WR($999.99) as our Editors' Choice winner, which we like a bit more in part because of its manual focus clutch.
Wide Angle With F1.4 Aperture
The XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR is a metal-barrel prime with a basic black finish. At 3.0 by 2.7 inches (HD) and 13.1 ounces, it matches well with mid-sized cameras like the X-Pro3 and X-S10. With slimmer cameras, like theX-E4orX-T30 II, it's a little bit front-heavy. That's expected for an F1.4 lens, though—the XF 16mm F1.4 and Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary are similarly sized. I used the lens with both theX-Pro3and X-T30 II for testing.
Other options are available if you prefer a light kit. The older XF 18mm F2 is trimmer (1.6 by 2.5 inches, 4.1 ounces), for instance, but a so-so performer. TheXF 16mm F2.8 R WR($399) is a more sensible alternative; its optics are excellent and it features weather sealing, but it is not as useful for low-light or shallow-depth-of-field work as an F1.4 prime.
The new 18mm lens sports Fujifilm's WR designation, which means you can comfortably take pictures and record video with it in rainy, snowy, or dusty environments alongside a protected camera. Fujifilm doesn't go as far as to give the lens anIP rating, though, and skips anti-smudge fluorine protection for the front element. The included petal-style hood offers some protection from stray fingerprints, but you may want to add a 62mm protective filter for some extra peace of mind.
Similar Products
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 R WR
Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm F2 R
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8 R WR
富士胶片Fujinon XF 14 mm一生R
Handling and Focus
On-barrel aperture control is a feature we expect with Fujifilm lenses and it's present here. The XF 18mm's aperture ring moves from f/1.4 down to f/16 in third-stop clicks and, if you hold down the push-button lock, you can swap it over to an A position to move aperture control to the camera body. There's no way to make on-barrel control silent, though, in contrast to lenses for other systems like theFE 20mm F1.8 Gfor Sony cameras.
一个linear motor drives autofocus—focus locks in quickly and quietly in most situations, but there is a little lag (0.3-second) when you move from close-up to distant subjects. There's no apparent change in angle of view when setting focus, so you can freely use the lens for rack focus video shots without any distracting focus breathing. For manual focus, the XF 16mm 1.4 offers a superior experience because of its manual focus clutch.
线性手动对焦应答se is a benefit for videographers—changes to focus depends on how many degrees you turn the focus ring, not how quickly you twist it. The XF 18mm has a long throw to go from near to distance, so it's easy to dial in precise adjustments.
Focus is available to 7.9 inches, good enough for 1:6.7 macro shots. That's not bad for a wide-angle lens, so you should be able to lean in for shots more often than you need to pull back. Just note that the XF 16mm F1.4 focuses even closer (5.9 inches) for 1:4.8 macros.
XF 18mm F1.4: In the Lab
I paired the XF 18mm F1.4 with the 26MP X-T30 II andImatest(Opens in a new window)software to measure its resolving power. It notches an outstanding 3,500 lines on an SFRplus test chart. It gets a little bit sharper when you stop it down, peaking at f/5.6 (3,700 lines). It's a fantastic lens for landscapes and other photos where edge-to-edge clarity is paramount.
There's no distortion to note, even in uncorrected Raw images. The lens shows a vignette at f/1.4, but theLightroomprofile takes care of that. I couldn't spot any type of chromatic aberration, even in photos where purple color fringing (Lateral CA) or false color in bokeh and specular highlights (Longitudinal CA) typically appear.
Background blur is easily obtainable with this lens and the quality of the blur is generally soft. Highlights show feathered edges and are mostly circular, with some oblong bokeh balls visible toward the corners of the frame.
The sunstar effect kicks in around f/8. Bright points of light render as 18-point stars, with lines that become more defined as you close down the aperture. The XF 18mm shows the clearest stars at f/16, but flare and ghosting here can be distracting. The lens controls flare better at wide apertures, though you can still see some ghosts if the sun (or another bright light source) is shining into the lens.
一个Quality Prime With a Wide View
There is no shortage of wide prime lenses for the Fujifilm system. And the Fujinon XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR ticks all the boxes for performance, including outstanding resolution, f/1.4 optics for blurred backgrounds and low-light recording, and the weather-protected construction Fujifilm X system photographers have come to expect.
We have nothing bad to say about its picture quality, but the same is true for the XF 16mm F1.4 R WR, which costs the same. If you're picking between the two, our Editors' Choice recommendation stays with the XF 16mm—its wider view and closer focus are a little more useful. As a stills-first creator, I also like the 16mm's manual focus clutch. That said, you may simply like the 18mm's narrower angle of view better; it's equivalent to a 27mm full-frame lens, whereas the XF 16mm stands in for a more noticeably wide 24mm one. TheX-Pro1andX-Pro2also include OVF frame lines for an 18mm lens, but not a 16mm.
If you're on a budget, theSigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary($449) is our low-cost Editors' Choice winner. It wasn't available for Fujifilm cameras when we originally reviewed it, but is now an option on the system. The aforementioned Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8 R WR is another value performer worth considering.
Thanks toLensrentals(Opens in a new window)for providing the X-T30 II used for this review.
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR is a fantastic prime lens for fans of moderately wide views, and we especially like its weather-protected build.
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