Conclusion
Pros
- Extremely well constructed with excellent haptics
- Very compact and lightweight lens
- Fast and accurate autofocus
- Very good image sharpness
- Good bokeh
- Pleasing color and contrast
- Good flare performance
- Affordable
Cons
- Distortion is strong optically and relies on software correction
- High vignetting without software correction
- Some chromatic aberration
- Yet another filter thread size
In all, I’m extremely pleased with the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8. It’s a high quality, extremely compact lens that helps complete the small moderate aperture prime lineup for the X-System. I was impressed with the sharpness, the good bokeh, color and contrast, and I love having these tiny primes that can fit in a small bag and yet pack a punch when it comes to quality image making.
The fact that all this comes in at a low price of just $399 makes the whole package even more attractive. I love this little lens.
Image Samples
Click on an image to enlarge.
Great review Jordan, as always. I don’t know if you plan to do this, but I’d love to know your thoughts about how this lens compares to the 16mm f1.4 and perhaps more interestingly the 14mm f2.8 for your uses. All three lenses are different of course and each has it’s unique appeal. I’ve seen plenty of articles already comparing the two 16mm lenses with the inevitable trade offs for size and cost. What I haven’t seen is a comparison with the 14mm f2.8 which seems to be a bit overlooked these days but remains a great lens. Any thoughts you have would be much appreciated.
Thanks again and great to see the new content on the site.
I probably won’t do a direct comparison, but here are my thoughts: I think the 14/2.8 is a bit better optically, with much better native optical distortion control, and a bit better sharpness in the corners, though it’s not a major difference there. Both focus fast, both are very good optically. The 14/2.8 is bigger, but it’s also not huge, so whether that size makes a difference to you is personal. I am probably going to be selling my 14/2.8 (and all my Fuji lenses save for the four Fujicrons), as I am turning my Fuji kit into my small prime kit.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re selling off most of your Fujifilm lenses. I have enjoyed your reviews of Fujifilm products, so I hope that you continue to write reviews of their cameras and lenses. Are you going all-in on Sony full frame?