XF27mmF2.8 R WR Lens Review
…a Review, of sorts
Today, 27th January 2021, Fujifilm announced a whole raft of new cameras and lenses including:
GFX100S
X-E4
GF80mm F1.7 R WR
XF27mm F2.8 R WR
XF70.300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS WR
I received a sample of the new XF27mm F2.8 R WR this morning and thought I'd share a bit about the lens with you before it heads back to Fujifilm UK.
It's the same optically for all Intents and Purposes as the first edition of this lens. And I guess that's why this isn't labelled as a Mark II lens.
However, there are some definite advantages to the new XF27mm F2.8 R WR.
It is weather-sealed in 7 places, which is critical for street photographers who use cameras that are also weather sealed.
Additionally, it now has an aperture ring. I loved the first 27mm lens, but many people found it difficult to use without and aperture ring.
This version is marginally larger than the original, but still ridiculously small. It's a lovely pancake lens, and now, with the lockable aperture ring, I think it will make a great lens at a reasonable price for those who want to shoot up close and personal, and street photography.
As I said, because it's lockdown here in the UK, I can't shoot outside of my house, so here are a few shots of Albie in home-schooling mode! Oh, the joy.
Is anybody any good at fractions?
I'll post the press release below, and I can't say much more to be honest. It's a long-standing favourite of mine that has suddenly all grown up. I'm talking about the XF27mm F2.8 R WR, not Albie :)
Stay safe folks,
Kevin
And a few more from the Horseless Stables
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) is pleased to announce the FUJINON XF27mmF2.8 R WR (XF27mmF2.8), a new interchangeable lens for FUJIFILM X Series digital cameras.
The XF27mm F2.8 is a thin, “pancake-style” prime lens, with a focal length of 27mm, which provides image makers with a natural field of view that is close to what the human eye sees, making it extremely suitable for a diverse range of styles from everyday general use to portraiture, street, and landscape photography.
With its compact design, image-makers may find themselves using the lens frequently as a walkaround lens because of its exceptional portability, outstanding image quality, and weather-resistant features.
Product features include
Aperture ring with F-stop scale and A-Position lock
XF27mmF2.8 now features an aperture ring with an F-stop scale, so that users can visually check and adjust their aperture settings without needing to look at the camera’s screen or through its viewfinder. The aperture ring also features the A (Auto) Position Lock*1, which locks the lens into the A-Position to prevent unintentional adjustments to the lens’s aperture while it is being used.
*Rotating the aperture ring from f16 to the A-Position locks the ring, and rotating the ring from the A-Position to f16 while holding down the Lock Release button disengages the lock.
Weather-resistant construction
Weather-Resistance has been applied at seven locations on the lens to protect against water and dust and allow it to fully operate in temperatures down to -10°C (14°F).
Lens hood included
In addition to the standard lens cap, XF27mmF2.8 comes packaged with a dome-shaped lens hood (LH-XF27) and a hood cap (LHCP-27) to provide options to protect the lens, and accommodate users that prefer using low-profile hoods over lens caps because of their convenience.
Thin and lightweight design combined with advanced image quality
Since the diameter of the image circle needed to cover an APS-C sensor (28.4mm) is so close in dimension to XF27mmF2.8’s focal length, it is possible to design an incredibly compact lens that produces high quality images.
Despite its compact size, the lens consists of seven lens elements in five groups, including one aspherical element, which mitigates spherical aberration, field curvature, and distortion. This allows XF27mmF2.8 to deliver advanced image resolution, even when it is used at its widest apertures.
XF27mmF2.8 features a high-torque DC motor to enable fast and accurate AF, while the front lens group of five lens elements effectively maintains image quality by minimizing aberrations that may occur when the lens is used for close-ups or with subjects that are further away.
One of the thinnest and lightest XF lenses in the collection, XF27mmF2.8 R WR measures just 62mm (2.4in) in diameter and is only 23mm (0.9in) long. The lens is very lightweight at approximately 84g (2.9oz), which makes it an ideal choice for assignments where compactness and overall size are a concern.
Optional accessories
The lens hood and hood cap are available as optional accessories, but also come packaged together with the lens. Replacements can be purchased separately.
