{"id":2287,"date":"2013-08-27T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2013-08-27T16:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=2287"},"modified":"2013-08-28T08:20:21","modified_gmt":"2013-08-28T13:20:21","slug":"review-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-27mm-f2-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-27mm-f2-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f\/2.8"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest addition to the growing lineup of Fujifilm X series lenses is the smallest in the system: the XF 27mm f\/2.8 pancake lens. \u00a0This wide normal pancake promises high image quality in an extremely tiny package. \u00a0It’s also the second Fuji lens to come without a dedicated aperture ring, presumably due to the small size. \u00a0Let’s take a look at this tiny optic and see how it fits into the Fuji system.<\/p>\n

\"Fujinon<\/a><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t read my reviews before, I do not generally perform resolution tests or make charts to track quality measures. I take a real world approach to my reviews and evaluate how a lens or camera handles and works in regular use.<\/em><\/p>\n

Around the Lens: Build Quality<\/h3>\n
\"Fujifilm<\/a>
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you’d expect from a pancake lens, the XF 27mm f\/2.8 is a very small lens. \u00a0In fact, it’s not much larger than a standard Fuji rear lens cap. \u00a0It’s a little thicker and a little larger in diameter than that, but when putting the rear cap on the lens, it seemingly doubles in size. \u00a0The lens is extremely lightweight and is constructed with a high quality plastic shell, a metal focusing ring and a metal mount. \u00a0There isn’t a lot to the XF 27mm, but what is there is very tightly assembled and well made. \u00a0The focus ring spins a little too freely for my taste, but there is no play or sloppiness in the movement.<\/p>\n

Like the XC 16-50mm lens, the XF 27mm doesn’t come with a dedicated aperture ring like all the other Fuji lenses for the X-series. \u00a0This is a somewhat annoying development, though I can forgive it on this lens. \u00a0While there is space for an aperture ring, if one was present, it would be extremely close to the focus ring, and both rings together would be the width of your finger, thus making operating both rings independently rather difficult.<\/p>\n

Around the Lens: Handling, Operation and Autofocus<\/h3>\n

The XF 27mm f\/2.8 handles extremely well on any camera due to its small size and low weight. \u00a0Essentially, it’s hard to tell there’s a lens mounted. \u00a0While it works just fine on the larger X-series bodies, the 27mm seems especially well suited to the diminutive Fujifilm X-M1. \u00a0This combination provides a lot of imaging power in a very small package, and indeed, it’s quite easy to slip the X-M1 with 27mm in a pocket. \u00a0While the not-quite normal, not-quite wide focal length of 27mm, equivalent in field of view to a 41mm lens on a full frame camera, may not be to everyone’s taste, it is a good compromise and jack of all trades type focal length that is just about perfect if you’re going to be out and about with a single lens. \u00a0It’s wide enough to capture environmental portraits or other such shots, but long enough to be somewhat flattering to subjects and allow for more general use.<\/p>\n

One disappointing thing about the 27mm is it’s relatively long minimum focus distance of 13.4 inches.\u00a0 This is further away than even the Fuji 35mm f\/1.4 can focus, and that’s with a longer focal length. The Panasonic 20mm f\/1.7 for Micro 4\/3, which is a similar pancake design with the same field of view can focus nearly twice as close, at 7.9 inches. \u00a0 The modest maximum magnification of 1:10 left me wanting for the ability to get just a little bit closer for some shots.<\/p>\n

\"You<\/a>
You can see what a small package the XF 27mm makes with the Fujifilm X-M1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The focus ring operates very smoothly, though I wish there was a little more resistance here. \u00a0The programming for the focus-by-wire allows for rather quick manual focus should you choose to engage it, going from near to far in about 180 degrees. \u00a0This is just about perfect, and makes manual focus with the 27mm quite enjoyable, especially with focus peaking activated.<\/p>\n

Since there is no dedicated aperture ring, the rear wheel on all Fuji X-Series bodies is used to control the aperture setting. \u00a0Users of the X-Pro 1 and X-E1 possibly will need to update their firmware to use this lens, unless they’ve taken advantage of the most recent firmware updates.<\/p>\n

The autofocus motor in the XF 27mm is a standard micro-motor, and is relatively loud. \u00a0The speed of the autofocus is a mixed bag; sometimes it can grab focus extremely quickly, but when focusing a little further away than the previous subject, it takes longer, as it searches forward, then back. \u00a0It’s about on par in speed with the XF 35mm f\/1.4. \u00a0Autofocus is generally accurate, though I did notice that the 27mm has a little harder time with low contrast subjects than most of the other Fuji lenses. \u00a0In some cases, it acts similar to the way the Fuji X cameras and lenses acted prior to the latest firmware update, occasionally failing to find focus and throwing up the red AF box. \u00a0This wasn’t a common occurrence, but it happened enough for me to notice it.<\/p>\n

Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Image Quality<\/h3>\n

Sharpness<\/h4>\n
\"Gold<\/a>
Gold Details – Fujinon XF 27mm f\/2.8 @ f\/5 (click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The XF 27mm f\/2.8 is a sharp lens over most of the frame right from f\/2.8. \u00a0Center sharpness is excellent at f\/2.8 and the edges are a little bit softer, but even edge and corner sharpness is acceptable at all apertures. You can simply worry about selecting which aperture gives you the desired depth of field, rather than worrying about stopping down to get to a certain level of sharpness.\u00a0 That said, stopped down to f\/5.6 or so, the 27mm is capable of resolving very high levels of detail.<\/p>\n

The only exception to this is near minimum focus distance, where the lens softens up a bit at wider apertures.<\/p>\n

Click on the image on the right and select the green arrow at the bottom of the enlarged version to see a large-sized image from the XF 27mm at f\/5.<\/p>\n

Bokeh<\/h4>\n
\"At<\/a>
At the Computer – Fujinon XF 27mm f\/2.8 @ f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The moderate maximum aperture of f\/2.8 and the semi-wide 27mm focal length means that you’re not going to get a ton of blur with the 27mm, though it is still possible to get decent subject separation. \u00a0Unfortunately, the quality of the blur you do get is mediocre. \u00a0It’s the first Fuji lens I’ve used that has a somewhat harsh bokeh signature, a byproduct of the pancake lens design. \u00a0The XF 27mm’s bokeh renders some bright edges on specular highlights and a general nervousness and double-edge (nissen) bokeh at certain focus distances. \u00a0Only near the minimum focus distance does the blur smooth out a bit.<\/p>\n

On the good hand, while not exceptional, the bokeh from the 27mm f\/2.8 is also not horribly distracting either. \u00a0At medium focus distances it gives shots a little character which you may or may not enjoy.\u00a0 I find the bokeh acceptable for a pancake lens and it gives the lens a little different look than what you get with the Fuji 35mm f\/1.4.<\/p>\n

Chromatic Aberration and Distortion<\/h4>\n

The XF 27mm f\/2.8 is, rather surprisingly, essentially completely free of any visible chromatic aberration. \u00a0 There is no visible lateral CA visible at any aperture and even longitudinal CA and fringing is extremely well controlled. \u00a0An excellent performance here.<\/p>\n

The 27mm f\/2.8 also manages to control distortion very well, with any distortion negligible in field use. \u00a0These two things are quite impressive for a pancake lens.<\/p>\n

Contrast, Color and Flare<\/h4>\n

The XF 27mm f\/2.8 produces images with nice solid contrast with moderate microcontrast.\u00a0 There’s really nothing particularly special about the color out of the XF 27mm…it’s nice and even with a neutral color balance and moderate saturation.\u00a0 It doesn’t necessarily provide a lot of pop out of camera, but it sets up well for post processing, as only minor adjustments are needed to get whatever look you may be after.<\/p>\n

The 27mm f\/2.8 does fairly well against bright light, which is good since there is no lens hood for this lens. In most situations, complex flare is absent, even when shooting into the sun.\u00a0 If you have a really bright light source relatively close to the lens, you can get it to produce some interesting flare artifacts, but for general shooting, i found it to be a complete non-issue.\u00a0 You can get some loss of contrast from veiling flare when a bright source is just out of frame, however.<\/p>\n

Continue: Conclusion and Image Samples<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Pros<\/h4>\n