Table of Contents
Conclusion
Pros
- Solidly built with full metal exterior
- Sealed against dust and moisture
- Excellent feel on the aperture and focus rings
- Decent sharpness wide open and quite sharp stopped down
- Excellent color and contrast
- Pleasing bokeh
- Great control of flare
- Very low distortion
- Fast, quiet and accurate autofocus
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Sharpness wide open is only average at closer distances
- Some minor chromatic aberration is visible
The Fuji 23mm f/2 WR is a lens that a lot of people have been waiting for, as a cheaper and smaller option to the excellent 23mm f/1.4. The lens looks very similar to the other f/2 weather-sealed prime, the 35mm f/2 WR, and it handles and feels the same as well, both of which are good things. The overall optical quality is quite good, but it falls short of exceptional. The faster f/1.4 lens is a superior optic, but this f/2 lens also costs half the price, at a very reasonable $449. For the extra cost of the f/1.4 lens, you also gain a stop of light and shallower depth of field. I think that this stop of light is actually fairly important on a wide-angle lens on an APS-C camera. The ability to isolate your subject is harder on the 23mm f/2, requiring closer focus distances to make an impact vs its faster brother. I do think street shooters will appreciate the slightly faster autofocus and the very compact design of the 23mm f/2.
For the cost of the lens, I think it’s a good buy and an easy lens to recommend, but those seeking the best 35mm equivalent for Fuji will likely want to save up for the 23mm f/1.4. The 23mm f/2 is a good effort from Fuji and will be a nice fit for a lot of Fuji shooters.
As a side note, I shot the 23mm f/2 on the Fuji X-T2: the review on that camera should be coming shortly!
Image Samples
Click on an image to enlarge.
![Middle Falls, Hocking Hills - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/middle_falls.jpg)
![Night Joggers - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/2](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/night_joggers.jpg)
![Frozen Falls - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/8](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/frozen_falls.jpg)
![Night Fence - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/2](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/night_fence.jpg)
![Atrium Roof - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/2](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ohio_atrium_night.jpg)
![Scioto at Dawn in January - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/11](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/icy_columbus_dawn.jpg)
![State Street - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/state_street_exit.jpg)
![Cooking - Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR @ f/2](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ohio_tunnel.jpg)
![x_cooking2](https://admiringlight.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/x_cooking2.jpg)
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other reviews in the Review Index
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