Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0... anyone use it?

They got a deal for an Xpro1 + the 18mm, i been looking for a deal with the 35 f/1.4 but i've read some reviews stating that the 18mm is faster than the 35 with AF.
Overall thoughts if you have it/owned it/shot with it?

Thanks.

I got my 35mm f1.4 for £259.00 which I thought was an excellent deal. Also with the camera, I got the 18mm and 27mm lenses thrown in for free !!! An extremely good deal.

Other than using the 18mm for wide shots, I prefer in every way the 35mm lens, speed, chromatic aberations, distortion etc I find it much better.

For all of that, the 18mm lens isn't bad at all and having the same filter thread as the 35mm, I share a polariser on each lens. It usually lives on the 18mm though because that's the one I'm most likely to need it on.

As to the 27mm lens, I've never really used it, nor found a use for it. It has a different filter thread as well so actually wonder what purpose it has other than being lower profile (pancake) style with aperture adjustment in camera rather than on the lens.

My only complaint about the 18mm lens, is that the aperture ring is a little stiff and with reduced purchase on it compared to the 35mm it can be a little difficult to operate.

I lightly lubricated this with a tiny amount of GT85 which is teflon based and it seems to have improved things a little. Operation of the 35mm lens aperture ring is perfect.

Some say the 23mm lens is a good compromise and I can see why but personally I think the 18mm and 35mm combination covers most mid-range shooting and I would definitely keep both in my bag.

I looked at a couple of telephoto lenses too and the only one I'm interested in is the 50-140 f2.8 which is fast and produces excellent results (I was able to try one). The cheaper smaller aperture lens was by comparison slow and noisy.

A few comments off the beaten track there but hopefully of some use.

Thanks!

The XF18 F2R is slightly quicker to focus than the XF35 F1.4 but it is only slightly. It's probably due to a slightly shorter movement of the lens front element compared to the XF35 F1.4 as it is a wide angle lens.

Color wise, there is a slight difference too. Skin tones aren't as pleasant as the XF35 F1.4.

Below is a sample shot with camera placed on bench.
ISO 200 F11 5sec.

For human subjects, the XF35 F1.4 is one of the best. More versatile than the XF56 F1.2 with excellent results. If you can get a good deal, I would highly recommend it.
2nd photo is just to compare the 18mm and 35mm view and color. Please pardon the poor exposure. Taken from the same spot.

I owned the 18mm I had it for almost two years but never liked it. Used it a few times. After I did get the 18-55 I did a short test on the 18mm. And i Personally prefer the 18-55 on 18mm. Recently I sold the 18mm lens. This was the only Fuji lens that I regret of buying. The IQ is not that great. This all is a personal

Aswald wrote in post #17428609
The XF18 F2R is slightly quicker to focus than the XF35 F1.4 but it is only slightly. It's probably due to a slightly shorter movement of the lens front element compared to the XF35 F1.4 as it is a wide angle lens.

Color wise, there is a slight difference too. Skin tones aren't as pleasant as the XF35 F1.4.

Below is a sample shot with camera placed on bench.
ISO 200 F11 5sec.

For human subjects, the XF35 F1.4 is one of the best. More versatile than the XF56 F1.2 with excellent results. If you can get a good deal, I would highly recommend it.
2nd photo is just to compare the 18mm and 35mm view and color. Please pardon the poor exposure. Taken from the same spot.

It focuses faster because its a wider angle lens, so it won't produce as much bokeh as say a 35mm, most of it's view is in focus regardless. In terms of skin tone, the 35mm renders the best skin tone out of all Fuji lenses right now, the 18mm holds up well though as it shouldn't be used for portraits, maybe street photography or limited landscape usage.

The lens itself is pretty amazing, its lightweight, almost hollow, yet the build quality is superb, aperture ring and focus rings are smooth and it's pretty sharp when stopped down to around 5.6 (but what lens isn't). It's not perfect wide open and the only time I'd use this lens at f/2 is when there is a lack of light, there should be no reason to use it at f/2 during daylight, even though it can give you a slight bokeh effect.

KeenanRIVALS wrote in post #17434088
It focuses faster because its a wider angle lens, so it won't produce as much bokeh as say a 35mm, most of it's view is in focus regardless. In terms of skin tone, the 35mm renders the best skin tone out of all Fuji lenses right now, the 18mm holds up well though as it shouldn't be used for portraits, maybe street photography or limited landscape usage.

The lens itself is pretty amazing, its lightweight, almost hollow, yet the build quality is superb, aperture ring and focus rings are smooth and it's pretty sharp when stopped down to around 5.6 (but what lens isn't). It's not perfect wide open and the only time I'd use this lens at f/2 is when there is a lack of light, there should be no reason to use it at f/2 during daylight, even though it can give you a slight bokeh effect.

I love the 18mm and it does produce excellent photos. You are right about the street photography. Gives the perfect angle for most scenarios and is very discrete.

I'm also giving the 10-24 and 14mm lenses a trial. So far, the 10-24 leads in most cases except for that slight bokeh advantage from the 14mm.

"My only complaint about the 18mm lens, is that the aperture ring is a little stiff and with reduced purchase on it compared to the 35mm it can be a little difficult to operate. "

In my experience that's actually a good thing, as the settings don't accidentally jump from one aperture to the other. I own the 18mm now, and will give it a proper test this weekend, but having used the 35mm before it, this is one feature I was glad to have. Image quality? the jury is out. Yes, I expect the 35mm to have an edge, but the question is whether it would cause me to lose sleep (that's what this weekend is about). I know I will miss the f1.4 of the 35mm, as the 18mm isn't as sharp wide open.


All that said, if I could afford either, I would certainly pick the 35mm.

Have both the 35 and the 18...I personally love the 18 - just went to Disney world and the 35 never made it onto my camera. The 18 was just perfect for me. Definitely not as sharp as the the 35, but not as bad as people made it out to be.

Also, on my xe1, with hand strap, I was able to easily fit it in the cargo pocket of my shorts. Couldn't do that with the 35...

While the 18-55 zoom is a remarkable lens, and is sharper than the 18mm in the corners at all apertures, the 18 is a perfect match for the Xpro's optical viewfinder, and is great for street or portrait.

For detailed landscape, the zoom is better.

pfogle wrote in post #17496242
While the 18-55 zoom is a remarkable lens, and is sharper than the 18mm in the corners at all apertures, the 18 is a perfect match for the Xpro's optical viewfinder, and is great for street or portrait.

For detailed landscape, the zoom is better.

Not to mention a lot smaller too.