Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 Review

Name: Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8
Brand: fujifilm

July 22, 2013 | Mark Goldstein |

Introduction

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 is a new pancake prime lens in Fujifilm's XF line-up. Compatible with the X-Pro1, X-E1 and the new X-M1 compact system cameras, the 27mm F2.8 lens boasts an angle-of-view range similar to that of a 41mm lens in a 35mm system. Weighing just 78g and measuring 23mm in length, other highlights include an iris diaphragm with seven rounded blades, an optical formula that comprises 5 elements in 4 groups including a glass moulded aspheric element which reduces image distortion, FUJINON's proprietory HT-EBC Coating, quick AF response, and a metal mount and focusing ring. The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens is available in silver or black for £379.99 / $449.99 in the UK and the US, respectively.

Ease of Use

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 is a very compact "pancake" prime lens, weighing just 78g and measuring a mere 23mm in depth. As you can see in the pictures below, it complements the new Fujifilm X-M1 very well, forming a very slim and light package and more than matching the body in terms of its build quality.

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens attached to the Fujifilm X-M1 camera

The Fujifilm 27mm lens boasts a metal mount and focusing ring, high-grade plastic barrel and non-rotating 39mm filter thread.

The focus ring is smooth in action without being loose. Understandably given the lens' overall size, the focus ring is a little narrow, and it has no “hard stops” at either end of the focus range.

Top of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

Bottom of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

Side of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens doesn't have a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel. Instead the aperture is set via the camera body, so X-Pro1 and X-E1 owners must update their camera body's firmware to enable aperture adjustment via the camera's command dial.

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

Front of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

Rear of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

Front of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens in-hand

Rear of the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens in-hand

In terms of accessories, the lens ships with only lens and mount caps - there is no hood or bag..

Focal Range

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens has a wide angle of view of 55.5 degrees.

Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8

Distortion

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 doesn't exhibits any barrel distortion, as you can see in the photo below, and vignetting is very well-controlled too at f/2.8.

Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8

Focusing

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens has an internal focusing (IF) system with quite an audible high-torque coreless DC motor. In practice, we found the auto-focus to be quite fast and accurate. Thanks to the IF mechanism the front of the lens does not rotate on focus, which is very good news for anyone looking to use the lens in conjunction with a polariser or graduated neutral density filter.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or blue fringes along contrasty edges, are not really a problem with the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 lens, as shown in the examples below.

Macro

The Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 is not a macro lens, with the close-focus point at 34cm from the sensor plane and a maximum magnification of 0.1x. The following example illustrates how close you can get to the subject, in this case a CompactFlash card.

Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 Close-up Performance

Bokeh Examples

Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. Fujifilm have paid attention to this aspect of lens use, employing a 7-segment diaphragm with rounded blades for pleasing bokeh. In our view, their efforts have been largely successful for a standard prime lens - see the examples below.