Head-to-Head Test 2:
The next test was done outside, and is of the front of a building. Focus distance was about 20 feet or so. These shots were done hand-held, but due to the copious light and high shutter speeds for all shots, there should be no chance for camera shake to influence the results. I will not be showing the whole picture, as it is my place of employment, but I will be showing the center and corner crops. In these shots, the corner is taken from the upper right corner. I have included crops at f/2.8 and f/8. Again, shots were originally taken with the Zeiss, then I moved back one or two steps and framed the shot identically with the 14mm.
Again, click to enlarge, then click the green arrow at the bottom of the screen to go to 100%.
Again, similar trends emerge, however in this test, the Fuji 14mm doesn’t have the lagging corners that were present in the closer focus test. In the outdoor test, while the Zeiss 12mm is quite sharp across the whole frame, the Fuji 14mm is sharper at all points. It is especially noticeable in the final crop, which is just left of the focus point, where you can really see a difference between the two lenses.
I will continue to shoot with the Zeiss 12mm over the coming week, and will be writing my full review soon (Edit: Full review here). In addition to these tests, I have already shot a fair bit with the Zeiss 12mm in real world situations, and so far, it appears to be right in line with these tests. The Touit 12mm is a good lens. A very good lens, in fact. But the Fuji 14mm appears to be just a little bit better, all while coming in a smaller package and costing $350 less than the Zeiss.
Awesome review, this pretty much stamped my decision to purchase the 14mm lens instead of the Ziess. Thanks!
Thanks for the comparison. I have XF 14/2.8 and yes, it is really an outstanding lens
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Hello, just tested both lenses and am now returning the Zeiss 12mm. The Fuji 14mm is definitely sharper and has better contrast across the entire frame. Regards, Derrick
I sold my Fuji 10-24mm to get my Zeiss 12mm prime, giving up a little coverage in order to get a smaller, lighter prime for my real estate interiors work. With my Nikon cameras I was using a full frame 15mm lens, but the coverage I’m getting from the Zeiss lens is sufficient for my needs. From what I’ve seen from these tests between the Fuji 14mm and my Zeiss 12mm it doesn’t appear to me I’m losing too much in the way of image quality, which I’ll happily sacrifice in order to get wider coverage for my real estate shoots. Also keep in mind listing photos for many MLS boards aren’t generally blown up very large, or at least large enough where my clients would see the difference in IQ between the Zeiss 12mm and the Fuji 14mm photos. So I’m happy enough using the Zeiss 12mm for my work. I do dearly love these Fuji prime lenses, though, and just today purchased a Fuji 16mm f/2.8…. So glad to have found you and your excellent reviews, Jordan. Thank you so much!!!