Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 Review
Release Date: 15th April 2021
Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 Lens Review
Fujifilm recently sent me a pre-release version of the new Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 lens, and I have to say that I think this might be one of the most highly anticipated lens releases from Fujifilm.
The XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR, to give it its full name, is a weather sealed fast aperture update to the much loved 18mm F2 that has been available for many years.
The Full Frame equivalent field of view is around 27mm, so those who love shooting in that 27/28mm range will likely love this lens.
Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 R LM WR Specifications (From Fujifilm)
The lens consists of 15 lens elements, including three aspherical elements and one ED element, in nine groups to effectively control chromatic aberration and comatic aberration. The focus lens group of six elements is driven together to reduce aberrations' fluctuation to achieve edge-to-edge sharpness.
The use of large-diameter lens elements provides the maximum aperture of F1.4. The resulting light-gathering ability allows users to take high-quality pictures with minimal camera shake and digital noise even in low light conditions such as nightscape. The aperture also provides a shallow depth of field to produce creamy bokeh in the background.
With its wide-angle focal length of 18mm (equivalent to 27mm in the 35mm film format), this lens can capture the landscape in a natural sense of perspective and snapshots that close in on the main subject while keeping the vast background in the frame. The lens can record even the most delicate details of a minor subject in the background and capture the scene's atmosphere. The ability to shoot close-ups with the minimum working distance of just 11cm from the front lens element facilitates tabletop photography, such as a close-up of foods set up on a table. These options make this lens truly versatile, accommodating a wide range of scenes.
The lens uses the Inner Focus system, which drives the focus lens group with a linear motor. The focus lens group only travels up to approx. 2.5mm, enabling silent and highly accurate AF that attains focus in as fast as 0.04 seconds. The lens can also autofocus in as fast as 0.25 seconds, even when shifting focus from the minimum object distance of 20cm to infinity, ensuring that users do not miss a decisive photo opportunity.
The thickness of the metal lens barrel is controlled optimally to keep the lens weight to 370g, while the use of unique optical technology has reduced lens dimensions to 75.6mm in length and 62mm in filter thread size. Despite the compact design, the lens is highly robust and exceptionally portable.
The lens barrel is weather-sealed in nine points so that it is dust and weather resistant and can be used in temperatures as low as -10℃. This lens enables users to continue shooting in light rain, dusty, or at low temperatures, such as for astrophotography in winter.
Advanced precision in detecting the focus ring's rotation ensures the subtlest of fingertip movements is detected for precise focusing.
The A (auto) Position Lock offers reliable operation, locking the aperture ring in place to avoid any unintentional adjustment during shooting.
Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 v 18mm F2
Max. magnification
External dimensions: Diameter x Length (approx.)
Weight (approx.)
Filter size
18mm F1.4
0.15x
Ø68.8mm x 75.6mm
370g
Ø62mm
18mm F2
0.14x
ø64.5mm x 33.7mm
116g
ø52mm
You can see from the image below that the XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR is larger than the XF 18mm F2 R. However, if you ever feel that the 18mm F2 is not good enough in low light, or it’s not focusing fast enough, then the 18mm F1.4 will be a noticeable difference for you.
Using face detection on the F1.4 lens is brilliant, whereas with the 18mm F2 it has always been less than reliable.
The new lens uses the faster internal linear motor focusing, whereas the older lens was the external older system which was also a little noisy and “crunchy”.
Using the XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR
Additionally, the Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR is going to be a great lens for those who want to film with their Fujifilm cameras.
I don’t have an X-T4, but I tried using the lens with both my X-T3 and X-Pro3 for filming and I can see this being a staple in my bag.
What struck me most about the lens is that you can get very close and focus very quickly. I can’t wait to get this out on the streets, and also, finally, for weddings I have a wider angle option.
I’m not a huge fan of the 16mm range because I find it a little too wide, but I can see the 18mm F1.4 being used at weddings a lot. Traditionally I’ve shot almost all of my environmental/context shots on the 23mm F1.4, but on many occasions, I’ve wanted to use the 28mm full-frame equivalent focal length. The 18mm F2 has come with me to almost all my weddings, but as the focusing systems of the X-Series matured, I found myself reaching for it less.
I will definitely be adding the 18mm F1.4 to my lens bag for weddings, and I’ve already decided that my 16mm lens will be sold.
The difference may seem marginal, but the optical control in the 18mm F1.4 lens is brilliant. I’m not seeing any noticeable barreling or distortions with this lens.
Build Quality
The build quality, as you’d expect for a premium XF lens is excellent. The aperture ring shifts in 1/3 stop increments and is very tactile. The manual focus control is well dampened, though my version did feel a tiny bit quicker than other lenses. This is almost certainly down to it being a pre-production lens and it wasn’t a problem when shooting.
The lens hood, which I never really use, is of the reversible type so it can be store fairly compactly in a bag.
The XF 18mm F1.4 R WR also has the now common aperture lock. I use this regularly on all lenses that support it. You can decide whether the aperture is controlled manually, or via a command dial.
The lens fits and balances perfectly on my cameras. I tried it on the X-Pro3, X-T3 and even on my old X-M1 (where it didn’t balance quite so well). It feels great in the hand. Certainly feels heavier than the F2 model but absolutely isn’t going to be a burden when shooting.
Weather Sealing
The XF 18mm F1.4 R WR is weather-sealed to protect against rain and dust. I never really have issues using non-weather sealed lenses in the rain, but this will be useful for those in more extreme climates. Landscape photographers for example shooting long exposures will especially be happy with the weather sealing on this lens.
XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR Sample Images
Once again, you will have noticed that I haven’t been able to do an in-depth review of this lens. And this is entirely down to the fact that I’ve been obeying the law and not going anywhere…. except to our stable.
So, the sample images below are all from a day at the stable with Rosa and her horse.
Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 R WR Review Summary
As I alluded to at the beginning, this has been one of the most hotly anticipated lens releases for a while in my opinion. I feel like this lens actually fills a real gap in my camera bag. I don’t typically use Zoom lenses and I’m excited to get this lens working for me at weddings (if and when they ever pick up again!).
I’ve started my Street Photography Workshops again too so this will be the lens I invest in 2021 in anticipation of some Street Photography.
Pros
Perfect focal length
Weather-Sealed
Rocket fast AF and face tracking
Brilliant lens for filming
Premium build (as expected)
Quick to focus in low light
Cons
None, really. It is bigger than F2 but you would expect that.
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