Second, there is a fair bit of vignetting noticeable in mid-tone corner areas. Again, this was noticeable in the rear screen preview. I generally add a bit of vignetting to most photos, so this was not too much of an issue in my experience, and in the situations where it was, I framed a little wide, so I could crop out the vignette-affected area in Lightroom. So let’s make a closer comparison between the latest 23 1.4 LM WR on the left and the compact 23 f2 on the right, with one stop of aperture between them. Here you can see the shallower depth of field from the 1.4 lens on the left as you’d expect, but possibly as striking is the resulting busy-ness of the bokeh from the 23 f2 on the right.

As with most Fuji lenses, the XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR lens has a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel, which allows you to set the aperture in 1/3 steps, complete with full aperture markings running from f/1.4 to f/16. When launching the old XF23mm f/1.4 Fujifilm really highlighted the fact that it renders beautiful out of focus areas. They really emphasised that as a leading trait of that particular lens. And indeed the old XF23mm f/1.4 has some of the most soft and beautifully rendered bokeh within the XF system. It’s way up there with the XF50/1 and the XF35mm f/1.4. The 23 becomes Sigma’s fourth DC DN prime lens designed for APSC sensors, joining the existing 16, 30 and 56mm models, all sporting bright f1.4 apertures. Placed side-by-side you’ll see all four share a family resemblance, with similar design and controls. This Fuji lens is super-sharp out to the edges even at f/1.4 as shot on the 16MP X-T1, and Fuji's claimed diffraction compensation (lens optimization) really does keep it just as sharp at every aperture including f/16!But looking at the pier legs on both crops clearly shows the Sigma 23 on the left taking the lead in sharpness when both lenses have their apertures wide-open. As I gradually close the apertures on both lenses, you’ll see the vignetting lifting, but the Sigma remaining ahead on corner sharpness. Note this is with both lenses focused in the middle of the frame, so is also an indicator of field flatness. The Sony can be sharp in the corners, but you’ll need to focus there, or close the aperture down.

In fact, it could be the best non-stabilized (OIS) lens for video that Fuji offer. And with the fact that new Fuji cameras like the the just-released-in-2020 Fujifilm X-T4 comes with in-body stabilization, you might just have a perfect combo for getting into video with the pair. The Fujinon XF 23mm lens with a lightweight mic setup Price Pretty standard XF mount quality here. By the time this lens was released, we were still a ways away from peak build on a time scale, but I would say about 80% of the way in quality. This is not a lens you need worry much about sample variation in my experience. Plus in situations like travel, you can fit just about anything in the frame without a ton of distortion. It’s so nice when you can pop a photo into Lightroom and don’t need to mess with the perspective, such as the photo below: Budapest, Hungary during blue hour with the Fujifilm 23mm f2. Autofocus speed, accuracy, and silence However, they aren’t weather resistant and don’t have the same speed of auto-focus as the newer generation of lenses: the 35mm f2, the 16mm f2.8, and the 23mm f2 lens we’re talking about today.

Ergonomics

Fujifilm also offers the Fujinon XF 23mm F2 R WR, which at 60 x 51.9mm and 180g, is considerably smaller and lighter than either of the 23mm f/1.4 optics, and makes a more affordable alternative. David Wenham and Sean Keenan ‘Wake in Fright’ Broken Hill 2017 | Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 at 1/800 f/9 ISO 1000 At f/1.4: Canary Island Palm, 20 May 2014, 1:30 PM. ( Fuji X-T1 at Auto ISO 400, Velvia mode, +2 color saturation, XF 23mm f/1.4, 1/400 at f/1.4, Perfectly Clear.) Full-resolution file from camera-original JPG. Remember that very little is in perfect focus at f/1.4; that's why things are soft at the top left especially.