The Fujinon XF 23mm F2 R WR ($449) is the second in Fujifilm's new line of compact, weather-sealed f/2 prime lenses for its X mirrorless camera system. It's an excellent performer, delivering crisp images from edge to to edge, in a package that matches well with the company's premium cameras. It only captures half the light as the larger, premium XF 23mm F1.4 R ($799.00 at Amazon) at its maximum aperture, but it also comes in at half the price. If you don't lust after the more extreme depth of field control offered at f/1.4, the XF 23mm F2 R is an excellent optic, and one that's worthy of being called Editors' Choice.

Design

The XF 23mm F2 ($449.00 at Amazon) measures just 2.4 by 2.0 inches (HD), weighs a scant 6.4 ounces, and supports 43mm filters. The XF 23mm F1.4 is a larger, heavier optic, coming in at 2.8 by 2.5 inches and weighing 10.6 ounces. Neither 23mm lens has image stabilization, a feature that Fujifilm has, to date, reserved for zoom lenses.

The F2 lens is available in your choice of black or silver, and includes a small lens hood. The hood is plastic, in contrast with the metal barrel, and attaches or detaches quickly via bayonet. It's a big improvement over the screw-in hood used by the XF 35mm F2 R WR ($399.00 at Amazon) , which is a pain for photographers who change lens filters in the field.

Internal seals and a rubber gasket around the mount make the XF 23mm an all-weather lens—the F1.4 version isn't. Owners of the sealed X-T1, X-Pro2, and X-T2 who don't mind shooting in rain or snow will appreciate that.

The Fujifilm X system uses the APS-C image sensor size, which means the XF 23mm captures a field of view that's just about equal to a 35mm lens mounted to a full-frame camera. It's a popular focal length, a little wider than a standard angle, ideal for group portraits, candid shots in tight spaces, and urban landscapes.

The XF 23mm features a physical aperture control ring, adjustable from f/2 through f/16 in third-stop increments. It also has an A position to transfer aperture control to the camera body. The manual focus experience is a little disappointing. The knurled metal focus ring is comfortable, but offers no real tactile feedback. You can turn it to adjust the internal focus motor, but several full rotations are required to move from the minimum focus distance to infinity. This is in contrast with the XF 23mm F1.4—it still uses an electronic focus system, but has a mechanical focus clutch with hard stops at the minimum focus distance and infinity for a more traditional manual focus experience. Of course, if you're an autofocus fan, this isn't a concern—the autofocus motor is quite fast.

The lens locks focus as close as 8.7 inches (0.22-meter). That's not macro territory—at best it projects objects onto the sensor at 1:7.7 life-size—but it's a good working distance for most types of photography. You'll be able to get close enough to subjects to blur backgrounds if desired. If you prefer to hone in on tiny details, consider the XF 60mm Macro ($649.00 at Amazon) or Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M ($700.00 at Amazon) instead.

Image Quality

I tested the XF 23mm with the 24MP X-T2. It delivers excellent numbers on Imatest's standard center-weighted sharpness test, notching 2,822 lines per picture height at f/2. Image fidelity is almost dead even from edge to edge, with the outer third of the frame lagging behind the average by only about 100 lines. The score is a strong one for a 24MP camera, well exceeding the 1,800 lines we want to see at a bare minimum.

Image quality holds steady at f/2.8, with a slight improvement at f/4 (3,104 lines) and another at f/8 (3,205 lines). Peak resolution is achieved at f/11 (3,236 lines), with only a modest drop at f/16 (2,825 lines). You should feel comfortable using the lens at any f-stop.

Barrel distortion is absolutely nominal in field conditions, with the XF 23mm showing just 0.5 percent in the lab. Likewise, illumination is almost as strong at the edges of the frame as it is in the center, even at f/2. You do get some dimness at the extreme corners there, but only a difference of 1.3 stops (-1.3EV). It's cut to -1EV at f/2.8 and is within a half-stop at narrower settings. We consider any deficit less than 1EV to be negligible.

Conclusions

The Fujinon XF 23mm F2 R WR is another strong, well-designed lens from Fujifilm. It's compact, features very crisp optics, and is sealed against dust and moisture. It doesn't offer the same level of depth of field control or light-gathering capability as its larger sibling, the XF 23mm F1.4, nor does it provide as pleasant a manual focus experience. But it comes in at half the price, and can still deliver a good bit of background blur. Superb optics and an attractive price make it an Editors' Choice.

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