Conclusion

The Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR offers a classic standard focal length, fast maximum aperture and weather-proofing in a small, discrete package, making it well-suited to street, reportage and low-light photography in any conditions when paired with a similarly weather-proof body. Optically it's also an excellent lens in its own right, with virtually nothing to complain about, and the modest asking price makes it something of a bargain even at the full RRP.

The Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR lens is sharp in the image centre virtually throughout the entire aperture range, and the edges are very good from f/4 onwards. The fast maximum aperture of f/2 and the circular 9-blade aperture make it easy to creatively throw the background out of focus, achieving some lovely bokeh effects. Vignetting is practically a non-issue, and chromatic aberrations are very well-controlled too.

The auto-focus system in the Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR is fast, accurate and quiet, and is one of the main differences when comparing this lens to the older XF 35mm f/1.4 optic, which is both slower and noisier. Despite its compact dimensions, it still offers a very welcome aperture ring which makes it quick, easy and precise to set this key element of exposure. The lens mount is made of metal and, thanks to an internal focusing (IF) system, the front element and filter thread do not rotate on focus, which is very good news for those using polarisers and ND grads on a regular basis. The tiny hood that's supplied with the lens is a bit of a let-down, though.

Competitively priced at £299.99 / $449.95, we'd definitely recommend the Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR as a must-have lens for all Fujifilm X-mount users. If you really need the faster f/1.4 aperture offered by the older XF 35mm F1.4 R, then that lens is still worth considering, but for everyone else, the new Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR is the most well-balanced "nifty-fifty" for X-series photographers.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	5