The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R ($889)is a lens for photographers who crave images with a shallow depth of field, as well as those who want to gather the most light possible for sharper photos in dim conditions.
It captures sharp images, even when paired with a modern 24MP image sensor, and has a focus clutch for photographers who prefer manual focus.
It's not weather sealed, like Fujifilm's less expensive, smaller Fujinon XF 23mm F2 R WR, but an f/2 doesn't quite blur out backgrounds like an f/1.4.
Both editions of the XF 23mm earn our Editors' Choice—the 23mm F2 for budget-minded, outdoor photographers who value a light design and weather sealing, and the 23mm F1.4 for those who crave the most background blur.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Design: Real, Physical Controls
The XF 23mm F1.4 R ($899.00 at Amazon) is one of the larger prime lenses for the X mirrorless system.
It measures 2.8 by 2.5 inches (HW), weighs 10.6 ounces, and supports 62mm front filters.
It's certainly bigger than the XF 23mm F2 (2.4 by 2.0 inches, 6.4 ounces, 43mm filter thread), but it also captures twice the light when shot at maximum aperture.
The barrel is black and feels quite sturdy thanks to a metal exterior.
There's no weather sealing like you get with the XF 23mm F2, but you do get an aperture control ring and a clutch-style manual focus ring.
The former is common among Fuji X lenses.
It supports third-stop adjustment from f/1.4 through f/16, and also has an A setting to move aperture control to the camera body.
The focus clutch isn't something you get on every lens.
The manual focus ring turns freely when the lens is set to autofocus, but doesn't do anything.
But pull the ring in toward the base of the lens and you'll hear a satisfying click.
Now it turns with a bit of resistance, with hard stops at the close and distant ends of its focus range.
It's still a focus-by-wire design—turning the ring activates a motor to change focus, rather than adjusting it via mechanical means.
In practical terms, though, the XF 23mm's manual focus behaves much like a mechanical lens.
The manual focus ring is linear, so no matter how fast you turn it, focus will land where the barrel is set.
Printed distance markings are revealed when the lens is set to manual, and there's a corresponding depth of field scale.
You also get a distance scale in the viewfinder, so you know where the lens is set without taking your eye off the action.
The autofocus motor is quick.
With the X-Pro2 I was able to lock focus in as little as 0.05-second if the focus was fairly spot-on to begin with.
Driving the elements from infinity to the minimum focus distance takes about 0.2-second.
The lens doesn't have image stabilization, which isn't surprising given that it's a wide-angle prime, covering the same angle of view as a 35mm on a full-frame system.
If you want stabilized results, you'll need to pair it with a camera body with sensor-based stabilization.
Currently only the X-H1 includes the feature.
Close focus is available to 11 inches.
It certainly doesn't put the lens in macro territory—at best it projects objects onto the sensor at 1:10 life-size.
The XF 23mm F2 focuses a bit closer for 1:7.7 capture, but neither is the right tool to pick up the tiniest details of the world.
If you want a macro lens, look to the Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M, the XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro, or the XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro instead.
Image Quality: Sharp and Bright
This is our second time testing the XF 23mm F1.4—we looked at it a few years back when 16MP sensors were standard.
But Fujifilm has moved all of its cameras to 24MP, so we wanted to see if its optics hold up to the more demanding, higher resolution image sensor.
The answer is a simple yes.
At f/1.4 it puts up to 2,322 lines when paired with the X-Pro2 and evaluated using Imatest, better than the 1,800 lines we want to see at a minimum.
Edges aren't quite as crisp as the average, but are still very strong for an f/1.4 lens at 2,172 lines.
Narrowing the f-stop improves the overall score to 2,589 lines.
That's not as strong as the 2,822 lines put up by the XF 23mm F2 at f/2, but lenses with narrower apertures tend to be sharper than those that open up to f/1.4.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
At f/2.8 the XF 23mm F1.4 improves to 2,711 lines, and resolution continues to tick up as you narrow the f-stop—2,871 lines at f/4, 3,289 lines at f/5.6, 3,244 lines at f/8, and 3,244 lines at f/11.
We see the expected drop in clarity at f/16, but at 2,875 lines the lens is still usable at its narrowest f-stop.
There's a little bit of barrel distortion, about 0.8 percent, which is mostly inconsequential in real-world use.
If you do have an architectural image where you can see the very slight bowing of straight lines, it's an easy fix in photo editing software.
Adobe Lightroom includes a one-click correction for the lens.
There's a modest vignette visible at f/1.4 and f/2.
Corners are dimmer than the center of the frame by -1EV, which is visible, but typically doesn't detract from images.
Lightroom can correct it as well.
At f/2.8 the deficit drops to -0.5EV, a modest darkening that you aren't likely to notice in images.
A Wide-Angle f/1.4 Lens That Doesn't Disappoint
Fujifilm has long been lauded for its dedication to quality prime lenses for its APS-C X mirrorless system.
The XF 23mm F1.4 R isn't the newest, but its optics manage to measure up to the demands of a 24MP image sensor, and it offers the benefits of low-light and shallow depth of field capture that you expect from an f/1.4 lens.
It's not the only 23mm lens available from Fujifilm.
The XF 23mm F2 is smaller, weather sealed, and sells for about half the price.
But it also gathers just half the light, and doesn't offer as pleasant a manual focus experience.
They're both excellent lenses and Editors' Choice winners—it's up to you whether shooting at f/1.4 is worth the premium price.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R
Cons
Omits stabilization.
Not weather sealed.
Pricey.
The Bottom Line
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R lens combines strong optical performance with a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture.
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R ($889)is a lens for photographers who crave images with a shallow depth of field, as well as those who want to gather the most light possible for sharper photos in dim conditions.
It captures sharp images, even when paired with a modern 24MP image sensor, and has a focus clutch for photographers who prefer manual focus.
It's not weather sealed, like Fujifilm's less expensive, smaller Fujinon XF 23mm F2 R WR, but an f/2 doesn't quite blur out backgrounds like an f/1.4.
Both editions of the XF 23mm earn our Editors' Choice—the 23mm F2 for budget-minded, outdoor photographers who value a light design and weather sealing, and the 23mm F1.4 for those who crave the most background blur.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Design: Real, Physical Controls
The XF 23mm F1.4 R ($899.00 at Amazon) is one of the larger prime lenses for the X mirrorless system.
It measures 2.8 by 2.5 inches (HW), weighs 10.6 ounces, and supports 62mm front filters.
It's certainly bigger than the XF 23mm F2 (2.4 by 2.0 inches, 6.4 ounces, 43mm filter thread), but it also captures twice the light when shot at maximum aperture.
The barrel is black and feels quite sturdy thanks to a metal exterior.
There's no weather sealing like you get with the XF 23mm F2, but you do get an aperture control ring and a clutch-style manual focus ring.
The former is common among Fuji X lenses.
It supports third-stop adjustment from f/1.4 through f/16, and also has an A setting to move aperture control to the camera body.
The focus clutch isn't something you get on every lens.
The manual focus ring turns freely when the lens is set to autofocus, but doesn't do anything.
But pull the ring in toward the base of the lens and you'll hear a satisfying click.
Now it turns with a bit of resistance, with hard stops at the close and distant ends of its focus range.
It's still a focus-by-wire design—turning the ring activates a motor to change focus, rather than adjusting it via mechanical means.
In practical terms, though, the XF 23mm's manual focus behaves much like a mechanical lens.
The manual focus ring is linear, so no matter how fast you turn it, focus will land where the barrel is set.
Printed distance markings are revealed when the lens is set to manual, and there's a corresponding depth of field scale.
You also get a distance scale in the viewfinder, so you know where the lens is set without taking your eye off the action.
The autofocus motor is quick.
With the X-Pro2 I was able to lock focus in as little as 0.05-second if the focus was fairly spot-on to begin with.
Driving the elements from infinity to the minimum focus distance takes about 0.2-second.
The lens doesn't have image stabilization, which isn't surprising given that it's a wide-angle prime, covering the same angle of view as a 35mm on a full-frame system.
If you want stabilized results, you'll need to pair it with a camera body with sensor-based stabilization.
Currently only the X-H1 includes the feature.
Close focus is available to 11 inches.
It certainly doesn't put the lens in macro territory—at best it projects objects onto the sensor at 1:10 life-size.
The XF 23mm F2 focuses a bit closer for 1:7.7 capture, but neither is the right tool to pick up the tiniest details of the world.
If you want a macro lens, look to the Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M, the XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro, or the XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro instead.
Image Quality: Sharp and Bright
This is our second time testing the XF 23mm F1.4—we looked at it a few years back when 16MP sensors were standard.
But Fujifilm has moved all of its cameras to 24MP, so we wanted to see if its optics hold up to the more demanding, higher resolution image sensor.
The answer is a simple yes.
At f/1.4 it puts up to 2,322 lines when paired with the X-Pro2 and evaluated using Imatest, better than the 1,800 lines we want to see at a minimum.
Edges aren't quite as crisp as the average, but are still very strong for an f/1.4 lens at 2,172 lines.
Narrowing the f-stop improves the overall score to 2,589 lines.
That's not as strong as the 2,822 lines put up by the XF 23mm F2 at f/2, but lenses with narrower apertures tend to be sharper than those that open up to f/1.4.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
At f/2.8 the XF 23mm F1.4 improves to 2,711 lines, and resolution continues to tick up as you narrow the f-stop—2,871 lines at f/4, 3,289 lines at f/5.6, 3,244 lines at f/8, and 3,244 lines at f/11.
We see the expected drop in clarity at f/16, but at 2,875 lines the lens is still usable at its narrowest f-stop.
There's a little bit of barrel distortion, about 0.8 percent, which is mostly inconsequential in real-world use.
If you do have an architectural image where you can see the very slight bowing of straight lines, it's an easy fix in photo editing software.
Adobe Lightroom includes a one-click correction for the lens.
There's a modest vignette visible at f/1.4 and f/2.
Corners are dimmer than the center of the frame by -1EV, which is visible, but typically doesn't detract from images.
Lightroom can correct it as well.
At f/2.8 the deficit drops to -0.5EV, a modest darkening that you aren't likely to notice in images.
A Wide-Angle f/1.4 Lens That Doesn't Disappoint
Fujifilm has long been lauded for its dedication to quality prime lenses for its APS-C X mirrorless system.
The XF 23mm F1.4 R isn't the newest, but its optics manage to measure up to the demands of a 24MP image sensor, and it offers the benefits of low-light and shallow depth of field capture that you expect from an f/1.4 lens.
It's not the only 23mm lens available from Fujifilm.
The XF 23mm F2 is smaller, weather sealed, and sells for about half the price.
But it also gathers just half the light, and doesn't offer as pleasant a manual focus experience.
They're both excellent lenses and Editors' Choice winners—it's up to you whether shooting at f/1.4 is worth the premium price.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R
Cons
Omits stabilization.
Not weather sealed.
Pricey.
The Bottom Line
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R lens combines strong optical performance with a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture.
