FujifilmXF14mmF2.8 R

This XF 14mm wide angle prime lens for the Fuji X-mount system is simply another stellar lens in Fuji's lens lineup. Like many of the other "XF" lenses that Fuji makes, this one is basically all metal and glass, feels like a truly professional piece of equipment, and performs at a level exceeding expectations. Yes, I know this is not an inexpensive lens by any stretch, but it's difficult not to compare it with much, much more expensive lenses (Zeiss and Leica immediately jump to mind), and if you catch it on sale, its actually a bargain, in relative terms.Image quality is simply superb. Images are sharp, sharp, sharp. Interestingly, distortion, a common problem with wide angle lenses, is almost non-existent (and is probably being assisted by in-camera processing by the Fuji cameras). The color profile of the images is quite nice, with a nice level of saturation, reminiscent of Fuji's XF 55-200mm lens. Being the first true wide angle lens in the X-mount lineup, it used to be the only show in town, but the impending release of the 10-24mm zoom lens, along with a new rumored 16-55mm XF lens, will give it some competition. (And it may be strong competition, because my XF 55-200mm lens can knock out images that sometimes look as though they were taken by a prime lens, so the 10-24mm may also, as well.) But this lens, being a true prime, has been optimized for it's one field of view, is relatively light, and no deeper than most of the smaller XF lenses. There seems to be pretty uniform agreement about the performance characteristics of the lens, and my own testing with the lens confirms these reports: capable of superb results, this is a remarkable lens.Similar to some of the other Fuji XF lenses, this one has no image stabilization. However, a fairly wide F/2.8 aperture makes image stabilization less important, and particularly so when we consider the insanely good high ISO performance of nearly all the Fuji cameras. The lens does have a couple of nice mechanical touches, including a mechanical aperture ring (yes, it turns a bit too easily, but it's not that bad), and a nifty clutch-style ring for manual focus: you pull the ring towards the camera body, and auto focus is then turned off (if you are in a camera mode that permits manual focus), and reveals a set of indicator markings to use with manual focusing. The mechanical operation of both these features is very nice, and the entire lens exudes a feeling of quality. It's rare these days to see lenses made of mostly metal construction, but its wonderful to see Fuji do this on most all their XF lenses.Minimum focusing distance on this lens is very close, and so, surprisingly, you can really get up close and get a focus. The lens is generally quiet in operation, although you will hear a small amount of aperture sound now and then, and the focus motor is not the completely silent one found on the 55-200mm lens. But this is a really not an issue of any real importance under most circumstances. Like all the Fuji lenses and cameras, it is a good idea to ensure that you have downloaded and installed the most recent firmware updates for both the camera and the lens (yes, Fuji lenses can be updated with firmware, not just the camera bodies!).Plusses:++ Superb image quality, with sharp, nicely saturated images that rival Leica and Zeiss++ Little distortion, even those this is a wide angle lens++ All metal construction++ High quality construction, including the mechanically linked rings++ Great implementation for manual focus using a clutch-style ring++ Aperture mechanically linked to ring++ Relatively light++ Close minimum focus distanceMinuses:-- A bit pricey (get it on sale, if at all possible, to make it more reasonable)-- Lens cap somewhat difficult to get on and off, and may pop off too easily-- Aperture ring turns a bit too easily-- No case provided (why, at this price, is a nice case not provided?)-- No anti-shake stabilization-- Aperture opens only to F/2.8 (but if made wider, the lens would be much larger, heavier, and expensive)I've been shooting with a number of Fuji lenses for some time now, and I have to say that the entire X-mount system represents a genuinely impressive photographic platform. So many of the Fuji components perform extremely well and are well built, and this 14mm XF is no exception at all. It is a fine photographic tool worthy of serious consideration, and I can't recommend it more highly.

The 14/2.8 is my favorite lens of the Fujinon XF fixed-focal length lenses to date. The images are crispy sharp from edge to edge, across the range of routine working aperatures, f/4 through f/11, and the rectilinear design really keeps the straight lines straight. High-contrast lines in the image corners are free of color fringing. This lens is such a pleasure that I look for excuses to enjoy using it by getting closer to the subject. I am more conversant with the angle of view from the XF 18/2, but the 14/2.8 is the all-around better lens.The snap-back focus ring with its depth-of-field scale is fantastic for both landscape photographs and grab shots using either zone focus or hyperfocal distance. Once you become fluent in choosing between manual focus and autofocus with this short focal length, the control scheme on the 14/2.8 is natural. It is a great technical solution. For my style, the 18/2 and the 35/1.4 would have been more nimble if they had been designed with the same snap-back feature as the 14/2.8.The focus ring does, however, supersede functions that resided on the camera's focus switch for other XF lenses, and the 14/2.8 in manual mode does not respond to the AEL/AFL button the same way that the other lenses do: when the lens is set to manual focus with the ring snapped back, the AEL/AFL button only controls auto-exposure lock. With the lens set to autofocus and the camera body set to manual focus, the lens responds to the AEL/AFL button by focusing to the target area and holding that focus, but the focus ring will not adjust the focus. Depending on your style of working with the other XF lenses, the interactions between the 14/2.8 and the camera body might frustrate you.Minor complaints: first, the online technical reviews have reported that the camera software is correcting for fall-off. Coming from a background of 4X5 landscape photography, I expect that short focal length lenses will vignette somewhat at full aperature and will exhibit fall-off at all aperatures, which I automatically factor into my compositions. Second, the plastic petal lens hood is satisfactory, and it does reverse for convenient storage, but it is a little ordinary after the distinctive albeit weird metal hoods that come with the 18/2 and the 35/1.4.In summary, this is a classic short focal length lens with great optical performance and well designed features.

MY #1 Fuji lense...sharp and no distortion...small and superb quality.