XF 10-24mm F4 OIS vs. Primes Redux

Almost two years ago, I published my XF 10-24mm F4 OIS vs. Primes article, which compared the zoom to the XF 14mm F2.8, XF 18mm F2, XF 23mm F1.4, and even the Zeiss Touit 12mm F/2.8. It was a beast of an article, and I had pushed my CMS to its breaking point, literally. Making edits to this page was excruciating, and I imagine loading the page took longer than it should as well.

It took much longer than expected, but I have given this page a serious once over, updating copy, redoing comparison images to be more clear, and removing dozens of page elements and re-optimizing images to improve page responsiveness.

In addition, reviewing comparison images from so many lenses at once was a real chore on a 15 inch display. Having this new 5K iMac has made an incredible difference in how quickly I can review comparison images, and export assets for the site.

I hope this edit makes the page more useful. Check out or revisit this monster comparison.

The Wide Angle Primes

Work on my comparison between Fuji’s 3 widest angle primes, the XF 14mm f/2.8, the XF 16mm f/1.4, and the XF 18mm f/2 is almost complete. If you’re interested to see how Fuji’s newest weather sealed wide angle compares to their other wide fixed focal length offerings in sharpness, bokeh, handling, and more, this page is for you.

XF 14mm f/2.8 vs. XF 16mm f/1.4 WR vs. XF 18mm f/2

Excellent Reviews from Light Priority

Rory Prior’s review of Fuji’s FUJINON XF 14mm f/2.8 R is a fantastic, not only because it mentions this site at the bottom, but it includes some excellent insights. It’s a great read for anyone considering what’s still one of Fuji’s best lenses to date.

With the sheer ubiquity of 18-55mm (28-70mm) lenses, people are used so seeing images at those focal lengths. That means lenses that break out of that range immediately have the potential to create more interesting pictures. The downside for the photographer is that it can make composition and getting the right exposure more complicated. You’ve potentially got to get a lot closer to subjects to make them fill your frame, then you have distortion to worry about, especially when shooting people.

Don’t miss Rory’s comments on how much the outstanding software, Iridient Developer, can help with edge sharpness in his equally excellent 18mm f/2 review.

18mm f/2 vs. 27mm f/2.8

Somewhat to my surprise, this is a comparison I’ve not only had requested, it’s also a search term that lands more than a few people on my site. These lenses really only have two things in common, and that’s size and weight. It would seem lots of people are after an X100S form factors, but aren’t sure which of these two lenses will do it best.

Because the focal lengths are so different, I’ve left the pixel-peeping image comparison out. They may be added in the future, but for now, lots of impressions, comparison images, and even a few charts should help with which of these two tiny lenses you should get for a small interchangeable kit.

Read 18mm f/2 vs. 27mm f/2.8 here.

FUJINON XF 10-24mm f/4 vs. Primes

After much too long, my comparison of Fuji’s excellent 10-24mm f/4, and the prime lenses its focal range covers is finally online. If you’ve been wondering which way to go, zoom or prime, this should really help you out.

Pitting one lens against many has resulted in one monster of a comparison, but I kept things as clear and concise as possible. I think you could easily bypass the pixel-level scrutiny entirely and still come away with a great understanding of how these lenses perform. For those of you you like poring over the 100% crops, you’ll definitely have your fill. Enjoy.

FUJINON XF 10-24mm f/4 vs. Primes

18mm→

Streetshooter via Thomas Menk:

“The 18mm gets a bad rap from the pixel peepers. They, every one that exist now or that will ever be borne, says it’s not sharp enuff…”

I agree. In my 14mm f/2.8 vs. 18mm f/2 article, I concluded:

“Given the compact size, light weight, and faster aperture, I’d say the FUJINON XF 18mm f/2 was made with street photographers in mind...”

While I’m not on board with 18mm being the ideal focal length for every street shooter, the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/2 doesn’t get the credit it deserves. If you’re a street, portrait or wedding photog, it is definitely worth a look. Read more in my Recommended Kits from late January.

Buy a FUJINON XF 18mm f/2

Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany