{"id":9490,"date":"2019-06-01T14:27:31","date_gmt":"2019-06-01T19:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=9490"},"modified":"2024-09-05T16:44:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T21:44:59","slug":"review-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-16mm-f-2-8-r-wr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-fujifilm-fujinon-xf-16mm-f-2-8-r-wr\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16mm f\/2.8 R WR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fujifilm has done a wonderful job filling out the lenses for their X-mount camera system since it’s beginning in 2012.  Among my personal favorites have been the more recent compact f\/2 series lenses, that many have dubbed the “Fujicron” lenses, as a nod to the high quality, super small Leica Summicron lenses. These include the XF 23mm f\/2, the XF 35mm f\/2 and the XF 50mm f\/2. The lens reviewed today, while sporting an f\/2.8 maximum aperture instead of f\/2, can be thought to be the final important entry into the Fujicron club. (Technically, we should call f\/2.8 Fujifilm lenses “Fujimarits” if we are creating new portmanteaus of Leica lens names, but, well, I don’t really care). The XF 16mm f\/2.8 R WR is a very compact wide-angle lens that gives a field of view equivalent to a classic 24mm lens on full-frame.  Combined with the other Fujicrons, a complete wide to telephoto lens system using fast compact primes can be created for the X-Mount system.  The other Fujicrons have had excellent optical quality despite their affordable price and small size; does the 16mm f\/2.8 match its sisters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Four Fujicrons – 16mm f\/2.8 up front<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Construction and Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like the other recent ‘Fujicron’ lenses, the 16mm f\/2.8 R WR is a very compact lens clad in a metal body that feels extremely solid.  It’s a very lightweight lens and the barrel tapers towards the end to provide as much clearance as possible when using the optical viewfinder of the X-Pro series cameras.  Being a wide-angle lens, the front element is a bit larger than the other tiny Fujifilm lenses, and features a 49mm filter thread.  This is the one down-side to this small lens series: there are three separate filter thread sizes in the four lenses: 43mm, 46mm and 49mm.  That aside, the lens follows the trend of its sister lenses in having classic retro aesthetics, excellent build quality and great haptics. I did however, notice one very minor change to the aesthetics on the 16mm f\/2.8: they’ve slightly changed the font for the f-stop designations on the aperture ring.  Previous Fujifilm lenses have had a rather straight sans-serif font, while the font on the 16mm f\/2.8 is slightly italicized.  I’m not sure why this change was made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16mm f\/2.8 R WR on the Fujifilm X-T20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 16mm f\/2.8 features full weather sealing at the moving controls as well as a rubber gasket that surrounds the lens mount to prevent water intrusion into the camera.  The large aperture ring fits in with the other Fujicrons and is extremely well damped and features solid detents.  The aperture rings on these lenses feel like finely geared safe dials, and they are wonderful to operate.  The slim focus ring sits in a sort of valley in the lens body and turns with light damping and is very smooth.  Like all Fujifilm lenses, the focus is by wire.  (Before anyone comments, even the ones with focus clutch operation do focus by wire, though they have focus scales and hard stops.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The 16mm f\/2.8 with hood mounted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lens comes with a bayonet mount plastic lens hood that is of decent quality, and fits in well with the retro aesthetic.  Like the 50mm f\/2, the 16mm f\/2.8’s hood is reversible for storage. The hood will shield the front element a bit, but it’s fairly short, and is most useful for some moderate front element protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, you can see the lineup of all four of Fujifilm’s recent small prime lenses for the X-mount.  The quartet makes for a versatile kit that is quite compact, well-built, weather sealed, with quality optics and affordable prices.  I’m so glad Fujifilm came out with this line of lenses, as it really helps the X-mount be a system that can realize the small size promise of mirrorless with a good-sized sensor and reasonable lens speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Four Fujicrons: 16mm f\/2.8, 23mm f\/2, 35mm f\/2, 50mm f\/2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Fujifilm XF 16mm f\/2.8 features a stepping motor that provides very fast and accurate autofocus. In my testing, the lens locked focus extremely quickly and with outstanding accuracy, even in lower light.  Of course, being a wide-angle lens, the focus motor doesn’t need to move as much, but even so, performance is excellent in this department, and fits in line with its sister lenses, which are also rather quick focusing lenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Image Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The other small Fujifilm primes have been strong performers optically despite the slower maximum apertures and significantly lower prices than the faster primes in the Fujifilm lineup. The 16mm f\/2.8 thankfully is similarly strong optically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharpness<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The 16mm f\/2.8 provides strong image sharpness across most of the frame right from f\/2.8.  The edges at this aperture have a bit of softness, but are still generally usable.  Stopped down to moderate apertures brings sharpness all the way to the corners.  Quite impressive for such a compact wide-angle lens. The lens even maintains good sharpness when focused close up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Columbus in the Morning – Fujifilm X-T20 with Fujinon XF 16mm f\/2.8 R WR @ f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bokeh<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Being a moderate aperture wide-angle lens, the ability to blur out the background with the 16mm f\/2.8 is fairly limited.  However, when focusing close up at f\/2.8, some blur is definitely possible, and the lens performs quite admirably in this department, which is a bit of a surprise to me.  Specular highlights are fairly evenly light, with just the faintest hint of a bright ring on the edges.  The background is smoothly rendered and lack obvious distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Statehouse Railing – Fujifilm X-T20 with Fujinon XF 16mm f\/2.8 @ f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Color, Contrast and Chromatic Aberration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One thing I have always praised Fujifilm for is their very consistent ‘look’, and that is most apparent in the color and contrast profile of a lens. The 16mm f\/2.8 is no different, and fits in with the rest of the Fujifilm lens lineup with strong even contrast that is punchy without being overbearing.  Color is natural and well saturated, again without being in your face.  If you like the way other Fujifilm lenses draw, you’ll like the way the 16mm f\/2.8 draws as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a bit of lateral chromatic aberration that is easily corrected in post-processing, and will be automatically corrected in JPEG images. It is also possible to induce a tough of longitudinal CA in the right circumstances, but I found those situations to be few and far between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Columbus, Ohio – Fujifilm X-T20 with Fujinon XF 16mm f\/2.8 @ f\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Distortion, Flare and Vignetting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As with many of the other Fujicrons, the 16mm f\/2.8 relies on software corrections for distortion and vignetting correction.  When shooting JPEGs or applying the manufacturer’s profile in your RAW converter of choice, the 16mm f\/2.8 will display essentially zero distortion.  If you turn off that profile, you will see that the native optical distortion is actually quite high, with pronounced barrel distortion visible in any shot with straight lines near the edges.  However, good edge sharpness is maintained even when the profile is applied, and as such, I don’t really mind that Fujifilm relies on digital correction in this manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vignetting is similarly strong if you don’t apply the profile, but is corrected well in post-processing.  This is somewhat unavoidable in very compact lens designs, but may have an impact in the noise of the image near the corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flare is very well controlled, with minimal contrast loss and only extremely minor ghosting in certain circumstances.  Well done here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the lens performs very well, especially considering its low price.  Well done, Fujifilm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n