Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Review
The Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3
Fuji XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Review
Ever since I bought into the Fujifilm X Series, now almost a decade ago, I have gravitated toward the faster prime lenses. In essence, it is what lured me in and what has kept me an advocate for the X Series.
The ability to shoot with a lighter system and yet have access to fast primes is very appealing to me. I was excited when Fujifilm announced the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, a lens I anticipated would find its way into my camera bag.
As for Fujifilm XF lenses with a max f-stop of f/1.4, I already have the XF 23mm f/1.4 R and XF 35mm f/1.4 R, which I have used extensively over a number of years. Would yet another f/1.4 lens really be necessary?
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR - Introduction
The XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR was added to the Fujifilm lens road map in the fall of 2020, it was announced on April 15th, 2021, and hit store shelves at the end of May 2021.
I think many photographers, including myself, were surprised when word got out that this new XF 18mm would have an f/1.4 max f-stop and not merely be an updated redesigned f/2 lens in line with lenses such as the XF 23mm f/2 R WR and XF 35mm f/2 R WR.
Some Fujifilm observers were concerned the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR would become too bulky compared to the current XF 18mm f/2 R while others accoladed Fujifilm for thinking forward and surprising us.
At the time this review was written, the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is listed at $999.00.
Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Handling, Specs, and Build Quality
My first observation was that the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR felt lighter than I had anticipated. It follows suit with other lenses I have reviewed lately like the XF 10-24mm and XF 70-300mm.
Although these are completely different lenses they have all felt lighter than you would think and they all share the new push-button switch to lock the lenses in the A-position on the aperture ring.
At 13.1 oz / 370 g the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is actually 2.5 oz / 70 g heavier than the XF 23mm f/1.4 R but does not feel so. The barrel is slightly narrower but also slightly longer than the XF 23mm f/1.4 R at 2.7 x 3" / 68.8 x 75.6 mm.
The XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR has 15 elements in 9 groups, 3 of which are aspherical, and 1 ED element. For rainy days or dusty conditions, it is nice to know the lens is weather-resistant, WR.
The minimum focusing distance is an impressive 7.9" / 20 cm and the filter diameter is 62mm which suits me well as I can swap filters between my XF 23mm f/1.4 R and XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.
I happen to like the design of the lens hood. It is sturdy, petal-shaped plastic, and screws in with no fuss with a resounding click to keep it in place without any kind of wobble.
The lens has a very sleek and almost minimalistic design with a smooth texture. The aperture ring is slightly wider than on my other f/1.4 lenses and I will not complain about this.
The aperture ring turns easier than on the GFX lenses I reviewed lately but I would say it is about on par with my XF 23mm f/1.4 R, and I have not had issues bumping it out of place inadvertently.
The groves along the focus ring do not run as deep as on any other XF lenses I have seen. This appears to be a new design and is a welcome change as I suspect it will collect less dust and may not show scratches as easily. Time will tell how it holds up.
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR in Action
The ultimate goal with any lens is high image quality but before we get to that point you have to take it into the field and capture the images.
In my opinion, the best lenses are the ones you do not notice or feel when using them. Ideally, there should be nothing distracting you along the way, like excess weight, lens wobble, or switches that are hard to work with.
I would put the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR in the no-fuss category. The linear motor ensures silent and fast autofocus. The internal focusing keeps the lens from protruding and the lens size/weight balance ratio to my Fujifilm X-Pro3 is near perfect.
4th Avenue, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/5
From a personal perspective, I think the 18mm focal length, 27mm full-frame equivalent, will suit me well for travel and street photography and could be ideal in a two-lens setup, the other lens being my XF 35mm f/1.4 R.
To this point, my two-lens setup has been the XF 35mm f/1.4 R combined with either the XF 23mm f/1.4 R or XF 14mm f/2.8 R.
These combinations work very well for me but admit I am caught in the age-old debate that 23mm feels a bit too close to 35mm and that 14mm is a bit too wide.
I realize this issue will always pop up to a certain degree no matter what your setup is but I look forward to spending more time at 18mm to see if it grows on me.
The XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR and Breakdancing
I was excited that the dancers were out at the rink by Robson Square for a breakdancing practice. I asked for permission to take a few photos and dialed in a manual exposure of 1/1000s, f/1.4, ISO 800, and fired away.
I was joking with the guys that it hurt my knees to get down that low but enjoyed the fact that my X-Pro3 has an articulating screen. I used the Classic Neg. film simulation for these photos.
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 vs. XF 18mm f/2 R
At 4.09 oz / 116 g and with dimensions of 2.54 x 1.6" / 64.5 x 40.6 mm the XF 18mm f/2 R is nimble compared to the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR. When I reviewed the XF 18mm f/2 R I enjoyed the experience of shooting at 18mm and also praised the compact nature of this lens.
I did, however, find the f/2 version was due for an update and optically it did not wow me. Yet the XF 18mm f/2 R will still be a formidable fit on smaller cameras in the X Series such as the new Fujifilm X-E4.
In my first batch of sample images from the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, it appears to be a better performer optically speaking.
Some of the quirks of the earliest XF lenses have been fixed and the overall refinement and quality of XF lenses have evolved for the better.
You can read my review of the XF 18mm f/2 R here:
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Image Quality
It is early in the game with the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR so please stayed tuned as I will update the sample images below over the next few weeks.
Update:
I have been adding new sample images from a few different sessions now. Please see the photos below.
The performance from the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is very good from f/1.4 onwards. From what I see, I will worry less about shooting it wide open and will probably do so more often than I have with my XF 23mm f/1.4 R. Corner sharpness is good, even at f/1.4.
There is some vignetting when shooting wide open but so far I have not found it distracting. Please see the two photos below, shot handheld. The first photo is at f/1.4 and the second is at f/2.8.
Please click to view larger images.
XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR at f/1.4
XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR at f/2.8
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR - Conclusion
Early impressions of the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR are quite favorable. The lens handles well, is of excellent build quality, and is well-balanced on my Fujifilm X-Pro3.
The combination of the two really sings and if I had a plane ticket for anywhere in the world I would love to go, right now, to see what I could come up with using this new lens.
When viewing photos from the 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR on a 4K monitor it is pretty clear that it resolves images better than almost all, if not all other Fujifilm XF lenses.
I see the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR as a positive sign of things to come from Fujifilm in this segment of higher-quality prime lenses for the X Series.
I am looking forward to the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR later this year and according to Fujirumors, we will also see new iterations of the XF 23mm f/1.4 and XF 56mm f/1.2 in 2022. I will take a guess and predict these four will make an excellent quartet of prime lenses for your Fujifilm X Series camera.
Pros
A very high-standard wide-angle lens for the X Series
Sharp from f/1.4 onwards
Excellent build quality
Linear motor for fast and silent autofocus
Cons
The high performance of the XF 18mm makes it bulkier than you could have hoped for
Please see more sample images below.
Price / Availability
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Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR - B&H Photo
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Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR - Sample Images
Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Capture One and I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos, ie. Classic Neg., Eterna, and Acros.
Please click to view larger images.
West Broadway, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Land Rover, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Uphill, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/5.6
Granville Bridge, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/2
Cambie Bridge, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Dodge Red Truck Beer, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Dodge Red Truck Beer, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Self-Storage, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4
Main Street, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/4
Harry Jerome Statue, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4, Hoya 3 stop ND filter.
Brockton Point Lighthouse, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/1.4, Hoya 3 stop ND filter.
Horseshoe Bay, BC, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR @ f/5.6
Fujifilm XF Wide Angle Lens Reviews
Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR
Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R
Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR
Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/2 R
Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR
Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R
Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR
Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR
Fujifilm XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro
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