Fuji’s FUJINON XF 16mm F1.4 WR answers the need for a wide angle prime with better lowlight capabilities than any of the other lenses available for the X-mount. It is a no-compromise optic that takes almost all the best qualities of the 14mm and 18mm to create an exquisite lens. It delivers faster shutter speeds in challenging lighting conditions, and exceptionally sharp images that are almost free from distortion even in unfavourable weather conditions.

After all this time, the XF 16mm F1.4 WR still holds the wide angle spot in my Ultimate Prime Kit as well as my own “Indispensible Kit,” and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Handling

Build Quality

A huge step up from wide angle primes that came before it, the XF 16mm F1.4 WR features an aperture ring that is tighter than previous releases. Manual focus is smooth and the ring knurls more forgiving than the XF 14mm F2.8 (Review) for instance. It’s my favourite wide prime to use.

Size & Weight

By far the biggest—and perhaps only—drawback of the XF 16mm F1.4 WR is its size and weight. At 375g it weighs as much as two of Fuji’s other wide primes combined. And while it isn’t a large lens, its size will get you noticed more than something like the XF 18mm F2 (Review) will.

Autofocus

Autofocus speed is fast, even in low light, making this an excellent choice for concerts and events.

Manual Focus

Pull the manual focus ring in towards you and you’re focusing manually. I love this, but unfortunately there are just three lenses in Fuji’s lineup that offer it, with the XF 14mm F2.8 and XF 23mm F1.4 (Review) being the others.

Engraved Depth of Field Markings

Another feature restricted to just the XF 14mm F2.8, XF 16mm F1.4 WR and XF 23mm F1.4. The more I use lenses with a proper depth of field scale, the more I miss them on lenses that don’t have them, but the ratio of lenses with a manual focus clutch and depth of field markings to not keeps getting worse.

Hood

The hood that ships with the XF 16mm F1.4 WR is pretty big. Big enough that it makes me want to use it less.

Accessory Hood

Fuji has made an LH-X16 accessory hood.→ It’s quite a bit more compact—and, let’s face it, looks pretty cool—but it’s another $70 on top of a lens that’s already $1,000, and it adds even more weight to what is already a fairly hefty prime. <30g doesn’t seem like much, but it’s noticeable, and enough that it makes a gripped X-T body tip forward when the hood is on. Still, I prefer it to the plastic one when I want to avoid flare or just some added protection.

Third-party Hood

Vello offers their own LHF-XF16 Dedicated Lens Hood→ for the XF 16mm F1.4 WR that appears to be functionally identical to Fuji’s aftermarket option, and at a much lower price. Don’t mistake that for the LHF-XF16II→.

Weather Sealing

When I initially posted this review, the XF 16-55mm F2.8 WR was the only other weather sealed option at this width or wider. Since then, another 3 options have become available, so weather sealing is less of a selling feature. Still, It’s a big part of why I reach for the XF 16mm F1.4 WR it over lenses like the XF 10-24mm F4 and XF 14mm F2.8.

Image Quality

Sharpness

The XF 16mm F1.4 WR is another wide angle prime that offers all kinds of sharpness in close up photography and sweeping landscapes alike. It’s fantastically sharp, edge to edge, especially once stopped down to f/4, and has the least aberrations of the wide angles. Diffraction starts to set in by f/11, and gets objectionable by f/16 for RAF shooters.

Distortion

Remarkably minimal. Horizons and architecture lines are kept mostly straight, and distortion isn’t complex. I haven’t had any issues shooting RAW. For much more on this, check out my (currently in progress) 16mm comparison.

Bokeh

With its wide f/1.4 maximum aperture, the XF 16mm F1.4 WR is capable of some pretty serious background separation, especially when you exploit its crazy close minimum focus distance. The quality of the bokeh is pretty great, but not quite excellent, depending on what your background is.

Vignetting

Vignetting is noticeable from wide open to about f/2.8, but still present and corrected in software via profiles at smaller apertures.]

Flare and Ghosting

Despite having a Nano GI coating, it is still possible to get flare on the XF 16mm F1.4 WR. With the sun at the edge of the frame, you could find yourself with some light leaks. Either of the hoods help here. Where the GI coating seems to be helping is when shooting towards the sun, where ghosting is almost non-existent.

Aberrations

Chromatic aberration is very minimal, even wide open, and corrected to oblivion in software.

Conclusion and Rating

The only reasons I could give for not recommending this lens as a buy would be if you already have either of the zooms that cover this focal length, especially the XF 16-55mm F2.8 WR because it at least is weather sealed. Even then, the XF 16mm F1.4 WR has a lot to offer with a much wider aperture, close-focus capabilities, and notably better optics in my testing. It’s not unreasonable to have this lens along any one of the the zooms. For me, it’s that much better.

This lens is so versatile though—from landscapes to close-up work to astrophotography—you could easily get away with it being your only lens wider than 23mm (35mm equivalent). Personally, my days of drooling over the widest of the wide lenses are behind me. I top out at 20-28mm, and this lens just so happens to sit squarely in the middle.

Strongly recommended.

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