Favorite Fuji Lenses

Question from Steve Rosenblum: To the commentariat: what are your favorite Fuji lenses and why? I'm thinking about changing to Fuji.

Answers from:

Adam Lanigan: "I've got the 23mm, 35mm, and 56mm...all are truly outstanding and special in their own way. I use the 23mm and 35mm much more often than the 56mm, simply because of what and how I shoot, but the 56mm is a jawdropper—such a great, almost liquid quality to it, if that makes sense.

"If I had to choose one (and it would be a tough choice), it would probably be the 23mm (35mm-e). It's a wonderful mate with the X-T1—just the right combination of size and weight to balance well with the body; nice and solid metal construction; lovely clutch focus mechanism; and I'm in love with having aperture rings again, which is common to all the XF/R lenses. The images have such a wonderful clarity. I'll limit my blabbering to that, but the others are fantastic as well; if you like those lengths you can't go wrong. (Also consider the brand new 35mm ƒ/2 if 50 mm-e interests you, but I haven't used it.)

"Looks like the X-Pro2 is going to be announced in mid-January according to most recent rumors (accidentally corroborated by Magnum of all entities), so if you're a fan of rangefinder-style bodies or OVFs, you may want to hold on for that (or get a killer deal on an X-Pro1 or X-E2 via Mike's links). That said, I absolutely adore my X-T1—to an extent that I have not been able to honestly say of any digital imaging device to date."

Peter Gilbert: "Favorites? 16–55mm ƒ/2.8, 50–140mm ƒ/2.8, 35mm ƒ/1.4, and 18–135mm ƒ/3.5-5.6. And the 12mm ƒ/2 Rokinon. That covers pretty much everything I like to shoot."

Mike Johnston: "I've only shot with three Fuji lenses so far: the 23mm, the 14mm, and the 35mm ƒ/1.4. The last-named belongs to a deceased friend and I have not used it enough to get to know it. (The cross and crescent picture I posted here a while back was taken with it.) The 23mm is the basic lens in the system for me, and it's perfect—great size, weight, and balance on the cameras (I've tried it on the X-T1 and the X-Pro1), great control set (easy to switch from manual to AF, physical aperture ring, solid build), great speed, and fine but neutral performance without quirks. I still think in terms of "normal, wide, and tele" as a basic lens set, and the 23mm is the middle, most-used focal length for me.

"I've written elsewhere about how much I like the 14mm and what a surprise that has been for me. (Purchased on the endorsement of Fuji aficionado and TOP reader Stephen Scharf.) Fuji complicates recommendations with the existence of the 16mm ƒ/1.4, and I can't say which one you should get. I'm personally enamored of the 14mm and am happy I bought it even though it has meant putting off the purchase of the 56mm."

Keith B: "(All lenses mentioned in the following I have owned and used on their native cameras.) I have the Fuji 14mm /2.8 and the 23mm ƒ/1.4. The 14mm is like the Zeiss 21mm ƒ/2.8 for 24x36, except it has no distortion and costs half as much. The 23mm is like the Nikon AF-S 35mm ƒ/1.4G, except it is higher resolution, has no distortion, and costs just over half as much."

David Aspinall: "I would love to say my 14mm, 35mm, 56mm or 10–24mm, but the lens used most from portraits to landscape is my 55–200mm and, having used red dot, Nikon and Zeiss glass for years, the quality from this lens both shocks me and puts a smile on my face."

Craig: "The 14mm and 23mm are truly outstanding lenses. I haven't tried the 35mm (I assume the answers refer to the ƒ/1.4 lens, not the new ƒ/2 model). I also have the 60mm macro, which is also really fine. We should not forget the 18–55mm ƒ/2.8–4 kit lens, either. It's remarkably good for a kit zoom, and you get a really good deal on it when you buy it together with a camera. Some people, if they give this lens a chance, may find it's all they really need. Another lens that is tempting me at the moment is the Samyang/Rokinon 8mm fisheye. I enjoy the gracefully warped perspective of fisheye lenses and I've missed one since I've been spending nearly all my shooting time with my XE-1."

Mike adds: That Rokinon is currently on sale at B&H Photo.

Kirk W.: "I had been dreaming of a digital Pentax LX for years when the Fuji X system was announced. I typically lag with technology but I pre-ordered the X-Pro1 with 18mm and 35mm lenses. I still get a smile on my face every time I shoot with it, despite some of the well-documented quirks. The 18mm is fine but I could just about go OCOLOY with the 35mm (as long as it isn't considered cheating to use the panorama mode occasionally). Everything I shoot with that lens just seems to turn out great, regardless of subject matter. I've rented the 56mm for shooting a friend's wedding and really liked that lens as well. I've been tempted by the 14mm since it came out but for some reason, the thought of packing a bunch of lenses around seems to defeat the purpose of the system. I find myself talking my way into picking up an X100T as I write this...."

Sal Santamaura: "Without question, the 420mm ƒ/8 Fujinon L I use on my 8x10 Phillips Compact II.  :-)  A close second is my 250mm ƒ/6.7 Fujinon W for the same camera."

Mike replies: Sal keeps the faith!

Stan B.: "After using a 20mm Nikkor for decades, I was taken aback by the corner to corner sharpness (and lack of distortion) on the Fuji 14mm—truly remarkable. Only negative is its profile—it sticks out like a short tele, unlike the Nikkor."

William: "Of course the 'new hasn't worn off,' but my current favorite is the 35mm ƒ/2 WR. Everything about it is just right. To be complete the frame edges are not as crisp as the center region (which is sharp even at ƒ/2) and the coma could be lower. I sold my 35mm ƒ/1.4 Fujinon without regret. The 23mm ƒ/2 on the X100S/T bodies is my second favorite. The lens coating is improved from the X100 version. The reduced flare and ghosting is welcome. It is a quirky design as the optics are not appropriate for close up at apertures wider than ƒ/4. Otherwise it gets the job done. I simply like how this lens renders. I enjoy both pancake lenses (27mm ƒ/2.8 and 18mm ƒ/2). The 56mm ƒ/1.2 is great for candids during events."

John Krill: "I guess I'm the contrarian here in that I purchased the 27mm ƒ/2.8 pancake lens. I've really enjoyed it. It's wide enough for 95% of the situations I've ended up in. In close in a crowd I can't shoot the way I'm used to so I changed my method of shooting. Yes I will probably get the 23mm in the future but for now I'm having too much fun with the 27mm. Thanksgiving and a crowed living room should be a real test of the 27mm and the X-Pro1. Enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone!"

Curt Gerston: "I have several of the Fuji X lenses, zoom and prime. The only one I haven't liked and wouldn't recommend is the 18–135mm. The one I love love love the most is the 56mm ƒ/1.2. I can't get enough of that lens."

Andy Munro: "I love joining these posts. My current lenses are 14mm ƒ/2.8, 23mm ƒ/1.4 and the 56mm ƒ/1.2. Love them all but the 56mm is just lovely. Portraits are beautiful. I like the way they all have aperture rings and those push/pull MF rings. Tempted by the 90mm ƒ/2 but it's going to have to wait until I can afford it."

Gordon Cahill: "Do Fuji make a less than excellent lens? Maybe the 18–55mm which I really didn't like in my first try with Fuji. Of the current lenses I really really like two. The 56mm 1.2 APD and the 50–140mm, which is the best medium tele zoom I've ever used. It's good enough that the 90mm ƒ/2 I bought mostly just sits in the bag, and it's known to be fabulous as well. The 56mm is astounding. I try to find ways to use it. It's wickedly sharp but somehow not clinical. It's nice to your subject. I've been through many 85mm equivalents (including the Canon 85mmL, a Zeiss or two, the Sony/Zeiss, and a couple of Leica 90s) and I think this is my favourite of all of them (the Sony is a close second). In my chat with Fuji a couple of weeks ago they may have let slip about an ultra fast prime coming. So in a couple of months my answer might be different."

Eric Erickson (partial comment): "My favorite Fuji lens is the 10–24 ƒ/4. It is an incredible lens, solidly built and tack sharp. I would recommend this lens to any Fuji shooter. I just bought the new 35 ƒ/2 lens for my X-T1 and I think I will really like the lens. I did read that we need to have the most current firmware on the camera for it to work properly."

Comments

[Daniel]

Have used the 14 and 35 both with IR filters and they work well with no hot spots. The 18-55 gets hot spots.
You might try IR with the fuji as it works well.

[Steve Jacob]

For absolute performance, the 23 is the best Fuji lens I own. Centre is sharp at F/1.4 in the centre and edges by F/4. It also has low optical distortion and nice handling.

For sheer versatility, the 18-55 is surprisingly sharp, vice free and has effective OIS. It's a great all-round travel companion and my most used lens.

An honourable mention has to go to the 14mm. For an ultra wide, it's very good across the frame, has low optical distortion and is a useful second lens for travel work.

Another honourable mention for the 27. I can just about put my XE2 and 27 in a coat pocket. It's sharp, discreet, and a good focal length for typical street work.

[Christoph Meyer]

I recently abandoned my Pentax system along with enough glass to cover 12mm to 300mm in favour of a X-T10 + 35mm f1.4.

I just love this combination and even if I am not in a hurry to add a second lens (maybe some ocoloy?) I have the suspicion that there is currently no bad lens in the Fuji lineup.

They all have been designed recently from scratch for the digital system and Fuji evidently aims for excellent build- and image-quality.

I'd recommend starting with either the 23mm or one of the 35mm -- and then to wait until you really know what lens you need next. Once you know, just buy it: Fuji has a near complete set by now, and they are all good.

[marcin wuu]

EBC Fujinon GXD 180 3.2 - My favourite portrait lens for Fuji. Not very sharp wide open, but you can't beat the combined effect of razor thin DOF and pretty generous (at least for this kind of lens) movements.

[David Elesh]

I have the 10-24,18-55,56, and 55-200. I have been very happy with 18-55, and 56. I have the X100S, so have not invested in the 23mm.

[John]

I have only the 18-55 since almost two years, when I got the Pro-1. I always thought I'd get some more, and I probably will eventually get the fast 16mm (for darker interiors without flash) and the 10-24 for landscapes (both rural and urban), but the fact is I use this as my every-day camera, and have never really seriously felt the need for anything else. I also do some wildlife, but for that I have an SLR and some moderately long lenses. If I like the Pro-2 when it arrives, I will probably commit a bit more to the system. I'm not sure what Daniel means by "hot spots" so I can't comment on that.

[John]

I have the XT-1 with 16mm f1.4, 56mm f1.2, and, as of last week, the 35mm f2. All 3 are great lenses. The 16mm is possibly the best wide angle that I have used, which includes the Contax/Zeiss 21mm f2.8. The close focusing ability and big aperture of the 16mm allow some creative opportunities. The 56mm is a fantastic lens but one that doesn't really fit the way I see.

[Eric Brody]

I have a distressingly large collection of wonderful Fuji lenses. As someone said "you date the camera, you marry the lenses." I love 'em all, from the 14, (I feel just like Mike about it,) to the 23, 35, 56, even the much maligned 60 macro, and the 55-200. I've recently been tempted by the 16-55, since I really liked the 24-70 on my Nikon, but I think I'm a "prime" kind of person with the Fuji. A friend really likes the 16-55 f/2.8 since it's got superb quality and lens changing is markedly reduced, but I'm a slower photographer and even with the Fuji, tend to use it on a tripod. Now I use my Nikon D800E rarely and usually only in the studio. I'd love a few more megapixels but when I look at my photos, I'm not sure why. I do not regret my switch and have many friends who have done the same and not looked back.

[Martin Ranger]

I am with Marcin: the EBC Fujinon GXD 180 3.2 for the GX680.

If only X-System lenses are allowed: the 35mm 1.4. I also have the 23mm and the 56mm, but for some reason the look of the 35mm just speaks to me.

[Alan Fairley]

I am a big fan of the 27mm pancake, with the X-E2 it makes a great combo for unobtrusive shooting, and very nice optically too. I do wish that it was a 23mm, though, I often find it just a tad long. My main beef with most Fuji lenses is that they are pretty large and heavy, sort of defeats the compactness of the camera bodies. I also like the size of the 18mm f2, but optically it is a dog.

[BWJones]

I've spent the last couple of years trying to go back to Leica with an M9 and a Monochrom. That experiment is effectively over. The Fuji X-Pro1 is simply a better camera and the lenses that I've been shooting with, the 23mm f/1.4 and the 56mm f/1.2 are absolutely stellar performers. Best bargains on the planet in terms of optical performance. They feel great on the X-Pro 1 and the X-T1, are well balanced, have good autofocus performance and have wonderful clarity. The 23mm hits that sweet spot for a rangefinder http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/2013/10/fuji-23mm-f1-4/ and the 56mm is a phenomenal portrait lens. http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/2014/08/fuji-56mm-f1-2/

I seriously cannot wait for the X-Pro2 to arrive...

[Michael Trupiano]

My X-T1 kit includes the following lens:
Rokinon 12mm f/2.0,
Voigtlander Nokton Classic (single coated) 40mm f/1.4,
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 (w/purported thorium element)
Helios-44M-7 58mm f/2.0 (max. aperture blade version for bokeh),
Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 80mm f/2.8,
Jupiter-11 135mm f/4.

My "go to" lens are the Voigtlander, Zeiss Pancolar, and the Helios. It seems I favor the ~60 to 90mm focal length equivalent range.

One of the great things (of which there are many) I like about the X-T1 is the ability to adapt older lens, shoot in manual using focusing peaking (to help my aging eyesight). Combined with the super EVF showing in B&W who needs the expensive red dot!

As I love to shoot square I am excited about both the X-Pro2 and X-T2 rumored to have a ~24MP APS-C sensor.

[Eric Erickson]

Mike, my favorite Fuji lens is the 10-24 f4. It is an incredible lens, solidly built and tack sharp. I would recommend this lens to any Fuji shooter. I just bought the new 35 f2 lens for my XT-1 and I think I will really like the lens. I did read that we need to have the most current firmware on the camera for it to work properly. The most recent firmwear is 4.1, this is just an FYI to your readers. I just updated my firmwear today, very easy upgrade.
Just an aside it appears that Fuji is really paying attention to camera issues, this is the second upgrade since I bought the camera several months ago.
Maybe Nikon should take note, I am not sure they had a firmwear update for awhile.

[Ash]

My favorite Fuji lenses would have to be the primes I own.
35mm 1.4 - my go-to lens for lots of situations, especially for family memories
14mm 2.8 - invaluable when you want to take in the scene. I use it a lot when out hiking, set cityscapes, etc.
60mm 2.4 - Underrated as a portrait lens.

My least favorite is the 16-50mm zoom.

Optically, it is just fine, though it can't do nice starbursts with city lights at night.

My problem with this lens is a mental block - I can't get the knack of composing with a zoom - too many options. Also, the build quality is not nice.

[Josh]

I've been an X-T1 owner for all of two weeks, but so far I've been so pleased with the 18-55 that I might forego the primes that fall into (or very close to) that range altogether, add the 14 and the 90, and call it a kit.

[Steve]

The lens on the X100T or the 16mm F1.4 or both.

[Hans Muus]

The 60mm macro, which I use for landscape, portraits and whenever a short tele is required (tip: you don't need the absurd hood at all, as the front lens is quite recessed), the 35 f1.4, the 14mm, much to my surprise (like Mike, I think - but haven't we all moved up a bit in the wide angle direction due to the wide angle camerawork by television crews?), and even more to my surprise, the 27mm - which doesn't look Fuji-like, is not even made in Japan and so on, but draws beautifully.

[Stephen Scharf]

Okay, as I've been an early adopter and "Fuji Aficionado" for quite a while here now, here are my faves:

The 23mm f/1.4. One of the finest optics I have used from any manufacturer at any time (and that includes the amazing Canon EOS 200/1.8). It has an amazing image quality, but there is something "magical" about how it renders images.

The 14mm f/2.8. It's fair to say Mike probably bought this because every time mention of another Fuji XF lens came up on TOP, I would mention this one. And for good reason. Also a superlative optic with NO distortion, which is astonishing for a wide like this lens. Like Mike, I've found it to be surprisingly versatile, and used MUCH more than I would have ever predicted before I bought it. I would estimate I use it ~45% of the time. It also works beautifully with the X-Pro1 (and I agree the X-Pro1 still produces magical images; black and white conversions in particular are spectacular). I would take this over the 16mm because it is lighter and smaller. Absolutely love thei mage quality from this lens. My local B&M camera store guy says this lens alone is reason enough to buy into the Fuji X system, and I agree.

18-55 Zoom. Everyone refers to this as a "kit lens", but actually it's not a "kit lens". It acquired that designation when first bundled with the original X-E1, but this lens is one of the finest standard zooms I've ever used (superior to the widely used Canon 24-105 f/4), and testing shows it to be sharper in some situations than the "pro" 16-55 f/2.8. Not to be dismissed or under-rated. About 50% of my Fuji X images have been taken with this lens, with excellent results.

50-140 f2.8 Pro Zoom. Simply the finest "70-200/2.8" zoom I've ever used, and I own and use the Canon 70-200/2.8 L IS II. Just a stupidly good lens. The OIS on this lens is also amazing, and with it's four AF motors, I can use this with lens with an X-T1 with Firmware 4 to shoot motorsports.

27mm pancake. I love this little lens, it's a "sweetheard" and makes for a great street photography lens for the X-Pro1 or X-T1.

Interestingly, while I own the original 35 f/1.4, and its optically excellent, I hardly ever use this lens. I should just sell it.

[Stephen Scharf]

Oh, and one more note: I just picked up a LNIB 60mm f/2.0 MACRO, which has really been dissed because of it's AF speed (originally stemming from it's performance with early revs of X-Pro1 firmware), but when used with an X-T1 with Firmware Rev 4, it is actually quite zippy with it's AF performance. I have to say I am VERY impressed with it's image quality; like the 23, 14, and 55-140, images from this lens have an intangible but absolutely magical quality to them. I know I use that word a lot, but it really applies to a lot of these wonderful Fuji lenses. I also shoot with pro Canon L glass and excellent Oly OM-D (mostly Panny) M4/3 system lenses, and while they are excellent, they don't create that Fuji "magic". I don't exactly know what Fuji is doing with these wonderful lenses, but whatever it is, it is sure special.

[Andrew Lamb]

I only have the humble 27mm on the X-Pro 1. It's light and unobtrusive. Optically it seems fine especially if it's closed down a couple of stops.

I love the camera. It's the digital equivalent of the Contax G2. The viewfinder is joy. I even like the the noise of the shutter. Weirdly, I always think the files look disappointing on my screen but they print up beautifully.

Both camera and lens were bought second-hand. I think Fuji gear is priced too high to buy new.

[Steve Rosenblum]

Wow! Thanks to everyone for your very complete answers to my question. I didn't realize that Mike had broken this out as a separate post until now. Thanks Mike!