fuji 18mm 1.4 travel

The Fujifilm XF 18mm F/1.4 Review | Best Fujifilm Lens Ever Made?

Here are my top reasons why everyone needs to add this lens to their camera bag.

I sold four of my Fujifilm lenses (the 12mm f.2.0, my 18mm f/2.0, 23mm f/1.4, and my 50mm f/2.0) to fund what is perhaps the best Fujifilm lens ever made — the 18mm f/1.4 . I’ll come out of the gate saying this will not be a technical review. No pixel peeping, brick wall distortion tests, or bokeh comparisons will exist. This article will demonstrate my overall shooting experience and initial impressions of the 18mm f/1.4 from a perspective of a wedding, portraits, and family photographer. It is, by far, my absolute favorite Fujifilm lens to date, which completely overhauled any opinion made on the 16mm f/1.4 . Why? Let’s jump in.

Get up close and wide open with Fujifilm’s versatile new prime lens – the high-quality, portable, and weather-resistant 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR . With a focal length equivalent to 27mm, it’s the perfect choice for sprawling landscapes, the sights and sounds of the street, and everything else in between. Be ready for any creative outburst with lightning-fast autofocus, a wide f/1.4 aperture, and weather resistance to allow for continued operation in dusty, moist, and freezing conditions. The 18mm f/1.4 is ready to be a constant companion, wherever your adventures take you, capable of extracting every last bit of detail from any X Series mirrorless camera.

What We Love:

• Greater Resolving Power to Offer Best Possible Image Quality

Never sacrifice a good image with cheap alternatives.

• Less Chromatic/Comatic Aberration and Beautiful Bokeh

Creamy yet sharp in detail.

• Fast, Quiet, and Smooth Focus

The perfect companion on fast paced wedding days.

The Details:

Brand: Fujifilm

Product Type: Primary Lens

Best For : The 18mm is better suited for capturing dynamic situations like weddings, street, action, or planning on shooting a healthy amount of video.

XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR Lens

Get up close and wide open with Fujifilm’s versatile new prime lens – the high-quality, portable, and weather-resistant FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR. With a focal length equivalent to 27mm, it’s the per...

Captures the Entire Scene Effortlessly, And Sharply…

When I started photographing weddings, I realized that I gravitated toward the broader end of the focal length spectrum. Upon switching to Fujifilm, I tried to make the 18mm f/2.0 happen, knowing that I like that 28mm field of view, but I needed an f/1.4 lens to satisfy my low light and high ISO preferences.

Additionally, I appreciate camera lenses with unique optical characteristics: wide-angle, close focus, and magnification. I shoot a lot of Lego portraits with my Nikon 28mm f/1.8G, and my previously owned 16 mm f/1.4 was pretty mediocre at recreating this look. I always felt that the background was too warped for my liking. After trying the 18mm f/1.4 for these Lego portraits, I found that it led to more pleasing results as the compression smoothly smooths out the blanketed background. And contrary to what you might think, the 18mm f/1.4 does, in fact, focus closer than my previous 23mm f/1.4. For me? That's perfectly enough.

The 18mm f/1.4 autofocus blows every other wide-angle lens out of the water that I used before. From my many months of experience, I can confidently say that it handles various versatile situations. Additionally, I can feel comfortable not having to stop down as much, knowing that the autofocus will keep up. I appreciate its mild distortion compared to the 16mm f/1.4 and its overall ability to capture human portraits better. While experimental warping along the edges of a frame has its place, I find that the 18mm powerfully encapsulates a more refined shooting experience. Overall — I would describe the 18mm f/1.4 to have distortion closer to the 23mm f/1.4 but offers the feeling of the 16mm f/1.4. The perfect happy medium.

The 8 Best Fujifilm Lenses For Portraits, Landscape, & More

From novice kit lenses to ground-breaking prime lengths that cover a vast range of focal lengths, sizes, and prices — there's a Fujifilm lens for everyone.

I want to caution that despite the 18mm f/1.4 having less distortion, that doesn't mean it's easier to compose any photos with its broader framing. You will have to correctly manage more elements in the frame to make the image pop within a lawful composition. Similar to my 18mm f/2.0 review, many people describe the 18mm focal length as a "snapshot" focal link, as most standard cameras on cell phones are of this equivalent 28mm focal length. Though, for me, the snapshot feels and looks more of a testament to the photographer's eye rather than the capability of the focal length itself. So, for me as a photographer, I like to be challenged because I get bored far too quickly. Anybody can bokeh the hell out of an image using a 50mm f/1.0 or the 90mm f/2.0 because of the blurred background, but the 18mm f/1.4 will keep your shooting honest.

This lens is wildly sharp. I'm talking next-level detail and crisp clarity (but in the best sense possible). I like to compare the 18mm f/1.4 with the 90mm f/2.0 's wide-angle cousin. If Fujifilm's X-series lenses are already this perfect, I'm ecstatic to see what the future lineups will visually accomplish.

Comparisons

I wouldn't be a good reviewer if I didn't leave you with various comparisons to other lenses that exist in the Fujifilm lineup, now would I?

The 18mm f/1.4 vs. The 18mm f/2.0

The deciding factor is going to be size and price. Do you want a pocketable lens? Do you want a cheaper lens and prefer the 28mm field-of-view? I love the 18mm f/2.0 as a travel lens but immediately sold it when they announced the 18mm f/1.4. I travel with the 18mm f/1.4 as my go-anywhere lens, along with the X100VI being that 23mm equivalent. The 18mm f/1.4 is a bit larger than the f/2.0, but indeed not anything I can't stuff in a light bag or a stroller.

The 18mm f/1.4 vs. The 16mm f/1.4

Everybody wants to know this, like which f/1.4 wide lens should you buy? If you're shooting cityscapes and landscapes requiring a broader angled perspective, I'd only keep the 16mm f/1.4 . However, once you start adding people into the mix, that's when the distortion will depend on how you'll document these human scenes. The 16mm f/1.4 certainly limits the photographer to the center of the frame, whereas the 18mm f/1.4 holds a more forgiving composition. And if you prefer the best sharpness — the 18mm hands down will be the winner.

What We Rate

• Just getting started
• Understands manual settings
• Shoots regularly
• Professional
• Pretty Good
• Really good
• Best Out There
• Always hunting
• It Works Quickly
• Quick and Locked In
• Crisp And Clean
• Leave it in the studio
• Daily Carry
• Mountain Goat
• What You’d Expect
• Top Of The Line

This new 27mm equivalent lens has three aspherical elements, translating to fantastic sharpness corner to corner, even at wide apertures. The XF 18mm is smaller, lighter, and inherits an aperture ring alongside a traditional focus ring. The 18mm has a linear focusing motor that translates to stupid-fast focusing speeds noticeably faster than the 16mm. It's a modern lens that can take advantage of current FujiFilm bodies. Though sharing the same price as the XF 16mm F1.4, this lens sometimes feels light years ahead. The 4mm gap in equivalent focal lengths may not feel like much; however, the difference is more in practice. While it most likely has to do with the higher angle of view, the 18mm feels less distorted in many situations and primarily when focusing at equal distances.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and @reggiebphoto , as I'm posting new tips, tricks and tutorials every single day. Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for even more reviews and videos on anything photo and video.

What It Has:

• Compact Size F1.4 Lens
• Weather-Resistant Design with A Position Lock on Aperture Ring
• Filter size: 62mm

What It Does:

Focal Length: 18mm (35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 27mm)

Maximum Aperture: f/1.4

Minimum Aperture: f/1.4

Minimum Aperture: f/16

Lens Mount: FUJIFILM X

Format Compatibility: APS-C

Angle of View: 76.5°

💌 There's More!

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Fujifilm xf 18mm f1.4 review 14th june 2021 written by gordon laing.

The Fujifilm XF 18mm f1.4 is a wide-angle prime lens for the X-series mirrorless system. Announced in April 2021 and costing $999 or 879 pounds, the XF 18mm delivers standard wide angle coverage equivalent to 27mm when mounted on an X-series body. 

It’s a higher-end alternative to the existing 18mm f2 pancake lens, with an extra stop of aperture and weather-sealing, albeit larger and roughly 50% more expensive. Meanwhile the new 18 1.4 costs around the same as the earlier 16mm f1.4 which is equivalent to 24mm if you prefer something wider. Fujifilm sent me a pre-production sample for my first-looks review video below, where I’ll show you everything you need to know about the lens. Since then I have tested a final production copy of the lens for my updated sample images gallery. If you prefer a written version, keep scrolling!

Above: The 28mm focal length – or thereabouts – falls roughly between the mild 35s and wider 24s, capturing a respectable field of view while avoiding dramas with distortion or perspective. They’re the safe wide angle choice, ideal for a wide variety of subjects and today in a market flooded by new 24s and 35s, feel almost exotic. Ironic since back in the day they were the typically the second lens everyone bought after a standard 50.

Above: At 69x76mm and weighing 370g, the XF 18mm f1.4 is similar in size and almost identical in weight to the earlier 16 1.4. The only key difference in dimensions is a slightly narrower barrel, in turn allowing smaller 62mm filters versus 67 on the wider lens. For the record, the older 18mm f2 is a little narrower still, allowing 52mm filters, but most obviously it’s less than half the length and one third the weight, so if ultimate portability is important, order the pancake.

Above: As a WR lens, the 18 1.4 is dust and moisture resistant, a benefit both it and the 16 1.4 share over the older 18 f2 which is not sealed.

Above: In terms of controls, the 18 1.4 is equipped with an aperture ring running between 1.4 and 16 in one third EV increments with a satisfying click between them. There’s a lock button to hold it in the A position for aperture control via the body if preferred, but no de-clickable option. That said, recent Fujifilm bodies allow silent adjustment of the aperture in movie mode via the touch screen, again in one third increments. There’s a substantial manual focusing ring which turns smoothly and operates with motor assistance, although…

Above: …the lens strangely lacks the pull-back clutch mechanism of the 16 1.4 (seen above) and 23 1.4 that also reveals depth-of-field markings.

Above: Fujifilm supplies the 18 1.4 with a plastic petal lens hood that twists on with a bayonet fitting, and again the filter measures 62mm.

In my focus tests using Single AFS mode at f1.4, it was pretty swift, albeit with the usual minor contrast-based wobble to confirm at each end – remember this is a pre-production lens so may change. The lens employs a linear motor and felt quick in day-to-day use. In the movie mode with Continuous AFC, the camera relies on phase-detect AF alone to more confidently stop at the subject without the contrast-based confirmation and while the refocusing briefly pauses at times, it’s similar to my experiences testing other Fujifilm bodies and lenses.

When using eye detection in the movie mode, the tracking was pretty smooth and accurate, only occasionally losing me or catching-up. Sony and Canon remain the leaders at face and eye detection in movies, but Fujifilm has done a good job and I’d be happy relying on their AF system while presenting a piece-to-camera.

Next focus breathing where I closed the aperture to f16 and manually focused from infinity to the closest distance and back again. Between infinity and around 1m, the 18 1.4 exhibits minimal breathing with only the mildest magnification, but between 1m and the closest distance the breathing accelerates, becoming much more noticeable. This non-linear change can be quite distracting if you focus across the transition, but if you stick to between 1m and infinity, breathing won’t be a major issue. Again though this was a pre-production sample.

Above: The closest focusing distance is quoted as 20cm, or about 10cm from the front of the lens, allowing you to get really close to subjects. Here’s a ruler from as close as I could focus, reproducing a subject width of 14cm across the frame – and even at f1.4 the details remain pretty sharp to the edges. I have lots of close-up examples later in the review.

Above: Next for a bokeh test, and you’re looking at the wider part of the aperture range here starting at 1.4, and with the lens focused close to its minimum distance. The lens renders attractive bokeh mostly avoiding the sharp edges and textured blobs of lesser lenses. It’s not the absolute cleanest bokeh I’ve seen, but remains a visible step-up from Fujifilm’s cheaper or smaller lenses.

Above: Here’s a closer look at the blobs which, like most large aperture lenses, are cats-eye shaped towards the corners at the largest apertures, but become mostly circular by f2.8. Around f4 and smaller the nine-bladed diaphragm becomes more identifiable, but again at larger apertures the shape is fairly circular.

Above: Ok, next for a portrait with the aperture wide open, again with the pre-production 18mm on an X-S10 body. 28mm equivalents may not be your first choice for portrait work, but wides can be fun for environmental compositions where you see more of the surroundings, and if you’re careful with the distance and position on the frame, you can minimise distortion.

Above: Taking a closer look shows a decent degree of detail around my eyes and beard.

Above: Towards the sides you’ll see the background is rendered smoothly, again avoiding the undesirable outlining or textured patterns of cheaper lenses. It’s certainly a practical option, especially for group shots.

Above: Moving further away, here’s my distant landscape shot, angled as always so that details extend right into the corners where lenses struggle the most. I took this with the pre-production 18mm at f1.4 on an X-S10 body.

Above: Zooming into the middle for a closer look reveals plenty of fine detail out of the gate and there’s no need to close the aperture to boost it further.

Above: As you move into the far corners, my test sample became a little softer and like most larger aperture lenses also exhibited some darkening due to vignetting. Both gradually improved as the aperture closed and by f4 on my test sample, the picture had become pin sharp in the corners. It’s possible to achieve this with a larger aperture by repositioning the focus area to the corner, but I always perform this test with a central AF area.

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A Long-term Review of the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR Lenses

For Fujifilm photographers, the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR offer both a wide angle and a normal focal length in tandem with a wide maximum aperture, making them versatile options for a wide range of genres, including wedding work, street photography, portraiture, and much more. How do they hold up over time? This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from them.

Coming to you from Roman Fox , this great video review takes a long-term look at the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR lenses. Both these lenses feature advanced designs, with features like:

• Aspherical elements and ED elements for reduced distortion and spherical aberrations and increased sharpness
• Linear autofocus motors for quick and quiet autofocus suitable for both photo and video applications
• Rounded nine-blade diaphragms for smoother bokeh
• Weather-resistant designs for working in a range of scenarios

Altogether, both these lenses look like impressive performers that offer nice image quality and rugged construction that you can trust in a wide range of situations. Check out the video above for Fox's full thoughts on both lenses. 

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Why is the XF23mm LM WR omitted from this article?

Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 vs XF 18mm F2 - Head-to-head Comparison

Latest reviews.

The XF 18mm F2 lens was released way back in 2012. It was one of the very first lenses for Fuji's brand new APS-C sensor X-series mirrorless system, which debuted with the X-Pro 1 camera.

Fast forward 9 years to April 2021, and Fujifilm have released a much faster, F1.4 18mm lens that is markedly different from the F2 version.

Note that the new F1.4 lens doesn't actually replace the older F2 version - you'll still be able to buy that lens if you prefer what it has to offer.

So what are the main difference between these two Fuji 18mm lenses, and which is the best one for you?

We take a closer look in our detailed head-to-head comparison of the Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 versus the XF 18mm F2 to find out more...

You can also check out our Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR Sample Photos , Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 First Impressions and Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR Hands-on Photos

You can also read our detailed Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 review and Fujifilm XF 18mm F2 R review to find out exactly what we think of each one.

Size and Weight

Viewed side by side, it's obvious that, as you'd expect because of the difference in maximum aperture, the XF 18mm F1.4 is a much larger lens than the 18mm F2.

Having said that, the new 18mm is actually relatively compact for what is a fast F1.4 optic.

Weighing just 370g and measuring 68.8mm x 75.6mm with a reasonable 62mm filter size, the Fuji 18mm F1.4 proved to be a good fit even on a smaller camera body like the X-S10 that we tested it with.

The pancake style 18mm F2 is tiny though, weighing only 116g and measuring just 3.3cms in length, so if size is all-important and you don't mind sacrificing the maximum aperture speed, it's clearly the better option.

Optical Construction

Being a faster lens, the XF 18mm F1.4 has a much more complicated optical construction than its predecessor - 15 elements in 9 groups including 3 aspherical and 1 ED elements.

By contrast, the XF 18mm F2 has a much simpler design - just 8 elements in 7 groups including 2 aspherical elements.

Aperture Ring

Both lenses have physical aperture rings which, given the tiny size of the F2 version, is a remarkable achievement!

The aperture range runs from the maximum value of f1.4/f2 in 1/3-stop increments to f/16 on both lenses, with an Auto setting available if you prefer to set the aperture via the camera body.

The aperture ring on the F2 lens has quite a stiff, notchy feel, though, whereas the one on the new F1.4 is much smoother and much more like the majority of other X-series lenses.

The XF 18mm F1.4 additionally benefits from having an A (Auto) Position Lock which locks the aperture ring into the A position, preventing accidental movement. The XF 18mm F2 lens doesn't have this feature.

Build Quality

Despite their different price points, both lenses commendably have barrels that are made from metal, rather than plastic.

The main difference between them is their level of weather-proofing.

Weather Resistance

As the "WR" in the Fuji product name denotes, the new 18mm is weather-resistant thanks to seals at eight locations along the lens barrel, making it resistant to dust, moisture, and temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F).

The 18mm F2, on the other hand, has no such designation or protection, so you need to use it much more carefully in inclement conditions.

Filter Size

The XF 18mm F2 uses 52mm and the 18mm F1.4 uses 62mm filters. Both are common filter sizes.

Autofocusing

The XF 18mm F1.4 benefits from having an internal AF system that's driven by a powerful linear motor, which results in fast, accurate, and virtually silent auto-focusing

In stark contrast the 18mm F2 suffers from having a noisy, rather sluggish autofocus system that's very similar to the one on the XF 35mm F1.4 lens.

When used side-by-side with the new 18mm, you can really notice the difference between the two in terms of their AF speed, noise and performance, so if auto-focusing is an important consideration, the XF 18mm F1.4 is the clear winner.

Manual Focusing

Both lenses have smooth manual focusing rings that are focus-by-wire, rather than using mechanical clutch-based focus rings, just like every other Fujifilm lens.

What the XF 18mm F1.4 doesn't have is the manual focus clutch that's on the similar 16mm and 23mm F1.4 lense, complete with a depth of field scale, which is a real missed opportunity on this lens.

Minimum Focusing Distance and Maximum Magnification

The old 18mm F2 can actually focus slightly closer than the new F1.4 version - 18cms versus 20cm - although the difference is so small that it makes little difference.

Likewise, the maximum magnification of the two lenses is also virtually indistinguishable - 0.15x on the F1.4 versus 0.14x on the F2.

The new XF 18mm F1.4 has 9 rounded aperture blades, whereas the older F2 only has 7 blades.

Coupled with the faster maximum aperture offered by the F1.4 lens, this means that it's much easier to completely blur the background with the 18mm F1.4, and it also produces the most appealing bokeh effects too.

In the UK the Fujifilm XF 18mm F1.4 costs £879 / $999 in the UK and the US, respectively.

When is was first launched in 2012, the Fujifilm XF 18mm F2 lens was priced at £449 / $599. Nowadays, it actually costs a little more in the UK - £499 - but is still the same in the US.

So the price difference between the two is a not inconsiderable £380 / $400.

The XF 18mm F2 is one of Fujifilm's less popular lenses, though, so you may be able to find a lightly-used second-hand one for much less than the new price.

The new XF 18mm F1.4 is faster, optically better, creates more appealing bokeh, focuses more quickly and quietly, and is more weather resistant than the old XF 18mm F2, but it's also bigger, heavier and costs almost double the price.

So what do you think? Would you choose the new XF 18mm F1.4 or the old XF 18mm F2? Leave a comment below!

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When waiting is worth it! – The Fujinon XF 18mm f1.4 R WR FIRST LOOK

I cannot begin to describe how long I have waited for Fujifilm to do a fresh take on an 18mm XF lens. I won’t lie, I have been requesting a complete optical makeover refresh of the XF18mm f/2 for as long as I have been in close contact with Fujifilm. But it sometimes seemed as if they were much more keen on the 16mm focal length, since they have made a lot of 16’s over the years. (16mm f/1.4, 16mm f/2.8, 16-55mm, 16-80mm) But why keep on insisting on the 18mm focal length then? Why not just use the excellent range of 16mm lenses? – Well, in Fullframe terms the equivalent focal length of 16mm is 24mm and the 18mm equivalent is 28mm. It doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but that 2mm (4mm eq) difference in focal length is actually close to a 9° difference in field of view, and it does have a BIG impact on hov an image looks and feels. Heck, it even impact how the photographer frames and composes the images more than one should think. These two focal lengths does indeed require completely different mindsets, which is why any given camera and lens manufacturer throughout the past many years always have both focal lengths in their lineup.

But for now, let’s just celebrate the fact that FINALLY Fujifilm has put out the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR – And let me warn you right now, I’m completely blown away by the quality of this lens. In fact I will go so far as to state that this lens is Fujifilms best optical achievement for the XF system next to the XF90mm f/2 – Yes, that even means better than the 16mm f/1.4R WR!

But before we get going as always, I’ll be courteous and write down my usual disclaimers.

Feel free to skip everything but number 3 Disclaimer 1:  I’m an X-photographer. That’s spelled brand ambassador for Fujifilm. I don’t get paid for doing these write ups (and I have been doing them even before getting involved with Fujifilm). This means that I’m just about as biased as I can get, and whether you choose to believe my views or not is entirely up to you. I expect you to be adults, capable of forming your own opinions based on presented information. Disclaimer 2:  All the images in this article has been shot using an early prototype of the XF18mm f/1.4R WR. Image quality might therefore not be final. Disclaimer 3:  All shots with- and of the product has been shot by me, and is not to be used without my explicit permission.

Fujifilms dance with the 18mm focal length

In 2012 with the release of the original X-Pro1, Fujifilm released the original trilogy of lenses.

The XF18mm f/2R The XF35mm f/1.4R The XF60mm f/2.4R Macro

This trilogy of lenses looked as if they followed what Contax put to market when they released their Contax G system. The 28mm F/2.8, The 45mm f/2 and the 90mm f/2.8. All semi-equivalent focal lengths to what Fujifilm decided to put to market. (Given how influenced the X-Pro1 was by the Contax G, this doesn’t surprise me one bit)

While the XF35mm f/1.4R quickly achieved a cult following because of how good it was (and still is! – My favourite Fujifilm lens of all time), the XF60mm F/2.4R quickly got a reputation as being too slow to even use, although having some of the best IQ ever in an XF lens to date. And then there was the 18mm f/2R. Touted as the reportage and documentary lens it soon became clear that this lens was not Fujinon best IQ effort to date. It lacked serious corner sharpness, and the bokeh was rather busy-looking and not at all anything to brag about. A lot of early adopters bought the lens and lived with it, and later jumped to the XF18-55mm zoom for a much improved 18mm focal length IQ. – I have owned and sold the 18mm f/2R three times by now. It’s a love/hate kinda thing.

So ever since the XF18mm f/2R was launched as part of the original X series effort, a lot of people including me have been looking for an 18mm lens that was up to the incredible standard of lenses that has come to define the XF lens lineup.

During the past 9 years Fujifilm have shown us that they are more than capable of making an improved 18mm lens. The two zooms 18-55mm and 18-135mm both have way better 18mm performance than the 18mm f/2. They also max out at slower apertures (f/2.8 and f/3.5 respectively), and they are considerably larger than the XF18mm f/2R. Then came the little pocket rocket, The Fujifilm X70 – which launched with a super compact 18,5mm f/2.8 lens that was super sharp wide open even at close distances! A lens that retained the corner sharpness and the lack of distortion that the XF18mm was missing. I thought it would only be a matter of short time before we would see a nice compact XF version of the 18,5mm f/2.8. – But no! Instead we got a 16mm f/2.8R WR lens (which I really love though…) So here we are. 9 years out from Fujifilms original 18mm prime offering for the XF system….. FINALLY they have made a new 18mm.

And damnit was it worth the wait!!!

Build and Feel

As I wrote further on up, my bet was always on a new version of the XF18mm f/2R – The reason being its incredibly small formfactor which makes it really nice on the X-Pro bodies. I’m not an imbecile however, and I know that part of the XF18mm f/2’s IQ issue is from the fact that it is indeed very compact. It’s physics. There are always trade-offs!

So don’t expect this new XF18mm f/1.4 R WR to be as small a lens as the old f/2. Again, because….physics!

But how big is it then? (that’s what she said….or something…)

When lined up against, and compared to, the size of the other f/1.4 lenses it’s actually one of the smallest of the pack. It’s way smaller than the XF16mm f/1.4 and XF56mm f/1.2 and also smaller than the XF23mm f/1.4. Well, actually let me define smaller. The 18/1.4 is the longest of the bunch, but because of its smaller width it does seem a lot smaller. Optical illusion maybe, but it feels way smaller. The 16, and 23 seem especially large and front heavy because of their “clutch pull back” manual focus mechanism. The lens that actually compares the best to the size of the new XF18mm f/1.4 R WR is the XF18-55mm f/2.8-4.

The XF18mm f/1.4 R WR REALLY feels at home on the X-Pro1-2-3 bodies. On this particular series of camera bodies it feels just right. Not at all front heavy. The lens has a front filter thread of 62mm, it weighs 370g and measures 68.8mm in width and 75.6mm in length. Not too bad for a large aperture wideangle prime.

Obviously it is built to the usual XF lens build quality standards. This means metal mount, metal barrel, metal focus ring and metal aperture ring. It’s really well built and really sturdy. Even though it’s an all metal construction Fujifilm managed to keep the weight down while keeping the lens sturdy and solid. It feels absolutely great.

The focus ring is super smooth. It turns infinitely since its still focus by wire. Just as smooth is the aperture ring. It clicks firmly, but NOT as firmly and perfect as the new XF27mm f/2.8R WR – The aperture ring of that little rocket is puuuuurfect. The aperture “stiffness” on the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR is more akin that of the XF16mm f/1.4R WR.

All in all the new XF18mm f/1.4R WR is very very well built, it has the perfect balance on the X-Pro bodies and it just feels like a very premium product through and through!

Technical specifications

Below are the technical specifications for the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR lens. Worth noting is the close focus ability, the Linear Motor build, the 3 ASPH elements lens configuration as well as the WR build. Fujifilm threw ALL the good stuff into this lens.

There are some core features from that spec sheet above that I would like to discuss a little further, since they kind of define what this lens is all about. Extreme versatility. For the longest time the 28mm eq focal length has been used in a documentary setting because of its way of being very versatile. Being very intimate while still preserving a wide FOV to include as much “story” to the frame as possible. This is probably why it’s been the preferred focal length for the main lens on every smartphone for the past many years. It’s just a very very versatile focal length.

In that regard, its absolutely crucial that a lens such as the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR has all the features that makes it a great all-round prime. It needs fast autofocus to not miss the spontaneous moments. It needs corner to corner sharpness and excellent IQ so it can be used for landscapes. It needs to control distortion so it can be used for environmental portraits and it needs to be able to focus close so you can get objects singled out and separated. To make all of the above happen Fujifilm designed a lens with some technical traits that makes all of the above possible.

Autofocus – Linear motor build

It’s quite nice that Fujifilm built this lens around a very fast and silent linear motor. Usually this type of motor is used in the way bigger lenses within the Fujifilm X series where the amount of glass that needs to be pushed to attain focus is way bigger. What this means to the quite small XF18mm f/1.4 R WR is an autofocus performance that is absolutely incredible. This lens is probably one of the fastest lenses within the XF lens lineup to lock focus. I actually only think it’s surpassed by the XF35mm f/2 which still holds the benchmark AF speed for me. I must say that the autofocus capabilities of the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR is nothing less than amazing. And of course it blows the old XF18mm f/2R right out of the water!

Close Focus ability

This is something that I know so many people enjoy from the XF16mm f/1.4R WR. That super close focus ability combined with a wide FOV and a shallow aperture option gives the images a completely unique look and feel that I have yet to see outside the Fujifilm ecosystem. The XF18mm f/1.4 R WR doesn’t focus as close as the XF16mm, but it does focus rather close. And add to that the slightly longer focal length the look isn’t as pronounced on the 18 as it is on the 16. It does focus close enough so that you can bring subjects into 11 cm from the front element of the lens. (effectively about 20cm from the sensor plane) – And combined with that f/1.4 aperture you can really get creative with your close up photography.

Optical performance

Well, actually I’m not going to dive too far into this trait in this section since the big analysis of image quality is straight below. But just note this, from looking at the optical diagram of this lens you know that it’s bound to be good. 15 elements. 9 groups. 3 ASPH elements and one Extra low dispersion element. This lens is so optically corrected for any distortion and stray rays that it’s not even funny. It’s quite literally insane!

Image Quality

Let’s discuss IQ, shall we? No, not the IQ of the Fujinon engineers who created this lens, which must break the chart somehow. But rather the Image Quality of this new 18mm F/1.4 lens. It’s breathtakingly good.

With the XF14mm f/2.8 Fujifilm made a wide angle lens that was virtually free of any form of distortion. Everything was entirely optically corrected. In many of the lenses within the system Fujifilm relies on software to do the correction, but when that happens you actually “lose” some of the FOV. So obviously we want the lenses to be optically corrected instead of software corrected. What that usually means is a lot more glass, hence larger lenses. So, again, as with so many thing in life, it’s a matter of compromises.

But not this time…..

The XF18mm f/1.4 is to the best of my testing virtually distortion free as well. All the way from f/1.4 to f/16. It renders straight lines from corner to corner, edge to edge. It’s incredible.

Bokeh and flares

The out of focus areas from a wide angle lens doesn’t seem to be an area of interest to many of its potential buyers. But as with everything from this lens, it’s definitely something worth directing your attention towards. With the close focus abilities as well as the f/1.4 aperture you can actually blur your backgrounds quite a lot under the right circumstances. And when you do it looks absolutely incredible. The quality of the bokeh reminds me a lot of that of the XF23mm f/1.4R which is widely regarded as some of the best bokeh from any wideangle(‘ish) lens of the XF system. It has nice smooth specular highlights with no onion rings, hard edges or anything like that. It’s just super smooth and very pleasing. The bokeh does exhibit a little bit of optical vignetting meaning that the specular highlights will get a little more cat-eye shaped the further you move from the center of the frame.

The 9 aperture blades makes for some stupidly nice looking solar sunstar flares. They look a lot like the sunstar flares you can achieve on the 23mm f/2 mk2 lens on the X100V – and I LOVE those sunstars! – Well, atually they look better on the 18mm f/1.4R WR. The coating of the lens makes damn sure that irregular flares doesn’t interfere much and cause lowered contrast. I was actually worried about flare resistance since Fujifilm didn’t use the Nano GI coating like on the XF16mm f/1.4, but there is absolutely no ghosting and unwanted flaring with this lens. Just look at the examples below shot at f/16. They really speak for them selves. Obviously directly into the sun, but also at a bit of an angle. Those are some very well controlled flares!!

This lens has 3 aspherical lenses(!!!!!!) and one ED lens among its 15 lens elements, spread across 9 groups, to minimize chromatic- and comatic aberrations. Furthermore, the focusing group consisting of 6 lens elements moves in unison to reduce aberration fluctuations, which can be caused by focusing, to deliver some amazingly consistent sharpness at any focusing position of the lens.

It really doesn’t matter if you shoot this lens at f/1.4 or at f/16. Sharpness is very very good, clean and consistent. Given that obviously at f/16 you will start to see spherical abberations which are largely inevitable. The sharpness is very very good at the center of the frame, losing only a tiny bit of sharpness towards the corners. But already at f/2 the corners clean up and gets close to center sharpness.

Make no mistake, the XF18mm f/1.4R WR is among the top 3 of the sharpest lenses in the entire XF lineup.

Conclusion and sample images

I have waited so long for Fujifilm to bring a well designed, good performing 18mm prime lens to the XF system. In the midst of all the 16mm lens releases I started losing hope that it would ever happen. But it did. And I must say that the XF18mm f/1.4 R WR was worth the wait many times over. It has a perfect balance on my X-Pro3 camera, it is sturdy, yet lightweight and it looks and feels absolutely great.

It has incredible autofocus speed thanks to the linear motor build, and the image quality is breathtakingly good from corner to corner. Close to zero distortion, very good sharpness across the frame even wide open and great quality out of focus areas. Its a true around lens that you throw at virtually anything, and still get good results. I must say that Fujifilm has made yet another stellar lens as its 35th XF series lens. The XF18mm f1.4R WR has a suggested retail price of USD999$ and will be widely available in May

Sample images

Below you’ll find a lot of images in the sample gallery. I tried to use this lens as much as I could these past two months, so the sample gallery ended up quite big (again!! – so sorry). However, this probably gives a good indication of just how versatile the XF18mm f/1.4R WR is in day-to-day use.

All images can be viewed by clicking the gallery below. Download them at will and look at the EXIF. Everything is there. Knock yourselves out.

41 comments

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Some really spectacular imagery as always, always pleasing to read your reviews and see the photos you produce rather than test images and static wall photos on other reviews.

Now I’ve got to justify the cost for another lens, why do I always pick expensive hobbies…

You’re so very kind man. Indeed photography can be a very expensive hobby. NOt as expensive as collecting cars though 😉 All is relative 😀

My hobbies are Photography and Magic: The Gathering! God Bless Me! 😀

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Dang these shots look great. I’m super curious on side-by-side spec/performance comparison to the 16mm f/1.4.

Thank you Daniel. I will try and find time to make some comparison shots. Maybe keep an eye out in the Fuji X Photography Facebook group.

Your wonderful photos, in reality, demontrate how good of a photographer you are and not how good the lens is. I wonder how many of the hundreds of people that will shed one grand for this lens will even come close to your competence as a photographer. I guess less that a dozen.

What an incredibly kind thing to write Christos. Thank you. However, the lens is actually quite good 😀

Superb lens and very good item as usual! I would like fujifilm to release new lenses more often to have the chance to read you and see new photos … Are the photos retouched jpegs or RAF retouched on lightroom or C1? I came to Fuji for the quality of the jpegs taken out of the camera and today I have an existential question: do I adjust the already excellent jpegs a little bit on lightroom (high lights, clarity, curve) or I edit the RAF from lightroom? How do you generally go about editing your photos? Missing an article on your editing that so many of us have been waiting for so long … as long as you for the new XF18 1.4 WR in fact! With all the money you made us spend on Fuji equipment after we had dreamed of reading you, you owe us this article! just kidding … though … Mathieu

Hey man. Thank you so much.

THese are edited RAW files. I do shoot a lot of SOOC jpegs though. But mostly my personal images. My review/preview of the X-Pro3 (You can serach for it in the upper right corner) used only jpegs that I tweaked slightly in post.

One general rule I alwyas live by is “repect the file” – Don’t overcook it. Just edit a little bit.

And one day I will make an editing post….hopefully 😀

Have a great day man.

• Pingback: Fujinon XF18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Announced: Reviews, Samples, Pre-orders and More - Global Photography News

Excellent review, as always. I love to hear the subjective part, the personal impressions. This lens is on my wishlist; it will fit my street-travel needs, especially in low light situations. I have the 14mm F2.8 which is fantastic and better than 16mm F1.4, but 18mm at F1.4 sounds like the ideal travel lens, especially after the sunset. Great story!

Thank you so much man. Thanks for reading.

Your article with its writing and pictures is… again… outstanding! I actually always just wait for your article about new Fuji products and skip all the others 🙂 I was so hoping that the XE4 has water resistance too to have the smallest, most versatile package with this lens and to fight the elements. Or am I too scared about some rain on the XE4?

Do you edit with Capture One or Lightroom? (of course I would love to find that article about your editing one day… as mentioned above)

Thanks for your work and your shared passion about Fuji! I really can feel it every time you post stuff 🙂

Cheers Daniel

Hi Daniel. Thank you so much for your kind words. It would indeed have been lovely if the XE4 was weather sealed…But I guess we can’t have it all 😀

I edited these shots in Lightroom. But I have and use both CO and LR.

Have a great weekend man.

At last indeed!! And yes I’ve also sold and re-bought the 18 f2 version too, simply because I love the 28mm FF equivalent. I feel the 23 (35 in FF) is a bit tight and 16 (24 FF) is a bit too wide for my photography style. Plus it’s smaller with a 62mm filter size over the 16 f1.4’s 67mm which is quite large for a mirrorless system IMO. Great review and images as always. 🙂

Thank you so much buddy. It sounds like EXACTLY the dilemma I’ve seen myself in many times now 😀

Great review. Fills a gap for me. Sign me up! 🙂

Thank you so much Morten. Appreciate your comment!

Excellent review and pictures. I’ve been a Sony user for years but this lens is tempting me to switch, as I love 28mm and Sony’s equivalent lens is not very good!

Thank you so much Daniel

Very, very interesting Jonas … and (as usual) some cracking images you made there. Love the silhouette shot of the guy against the white ‘flash’ shape you cleverly found to compose him against. Let’s hope Fuji will also get round to doing an updated version of the XF 35mm f/1.4 soon too. I would have thought this is on the cards seen as it’s one of the oldest and they have steadily done updated versions of so many others. Though, in stark contrast the original 18mm, the 35mm f1.4 is far from being as disappointing (as you found the old 18mm); yes, it is slow to focus (by relative standards) and noisy but, like many photographers, it is one of my absolute favourites despite these shortcomings (but I guess I’m not alone in wishing for an updated version). I know many really like the weather sealed 35mm f/2, but if Fuji can preserve the ‘magic’ they created in the original design of the 35mm f1.4 and improve the autofocus motors and lack of weather sealing, they would sell out in a heartbeat.

Fantastic review. No need to apologize on length or surplus of images! First time I’ve read your posts/reviews and I’ve bookmarked it as you’ve earned a reader! Question: on 0235 (cars in garage) did you use any filter for that amount of halation of the lights or is that simply what the distance from focal point made the lights do at that speed? It’s lovely. I now really want this lens..

(And how the heck do you become a brand ambassador for fuji??? Sounds like a dream)

Thanks for your detailed review and enthusiasm. Your sample images are wonderful. It’s always great when you see a skilled photographer discussing new equipment rather than a camera nerd who routinely excuses their appalling sample shots while enthusing about fractional metric improvements.

I’m rather surprised by the lack of image stabilisation, especially given the size of the lens, but I expect it’s for newer stabilised bodies. Personally, for me, the 18mm f2 pancake lens offers some real advantages, and the small 18-55mm zoom with 18mm at f2.8 and offering image stabilisation with an overall more versatile lens easily compensates for the faster aperture and perhaps perceivable image quality.

But I’m not a professional, just someone who wants a versatile kit with still impressive Fuji quality.

Thank you so much man!! – I agree. Lets hope for a 35/1.4 revamp! – That would be killer. But ONLY if they leave the optical formula alone.

Absolutely! That why I never swapped for the 35mm f2 WR. Whilst I know it’s super fast etc, I hear it’s missing the ‘magic’ ingredients of the original (and I’m an absolute sucker for the widest f stop I can get!)

I always enjoy when you get a new toy to play with, Jonas, as it means the rest of us can enjoy the great images that always accompany your reviews. Always an inspiration, thanks for sharing.

Absolutely awesome review and sample gallery! Thank you so much! I’m very tempted to test this lens. Very interested in its performance on VIDEO too…

Thanks Jonas, your photography never fails to impress!

In terms of an overall system, I am wondering on the implications of this with respect to the X100V. I typically carry my X-T3 + 50mm f1 with the X100V as my secondary, pretty much always with the WCL-X100.

I suspect that if one were to add this lens to my arsenal, perhaps it would be best to use the X100V its portable and discrete form without the adapter, where it would also be optically strongest. Unless on occasions where one would only carry the X100V on its own.

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Non of your images show smooth transition from focus to out of focus. Do you think, it renders like other fujicrons? Or, it renders more like a 16/1.4, or other F1.4 primes? Wondering, how it renders on X-Trans I & II cams, as opposed to newer, more MP sensors. Is it optically, or digitally corrected? It seems, too many elements, and groups in this lens!

• Pingback: Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR: Infos und Tests zum neuen Fujifilm X-Weitwinkel | FotoSlate

Excellent review and images Jonas. I believe Fujifilm will sell a lot more 18 1.4’s thanks to this review. But more importantly, where did Brian get the hat?

Great review, again! You are doing a fantastic job! Just like you, I am a huge fan of the 28mm look. I shoot with both Fuji and Leica and currently mainly use my Leica Q2 (with 28mm summilux) precisely for that reason. Do you have an idea how the Fuji 18mm 1.4 performs compared to the Q2?

Ook voor mij is dit een van de belangrijkste vragen, hoe staat de nieuwe fuji 18mm f1.4 op een xt4 tegenover de leica q2 ? vooral betreft scherpte vind ik belangrijk.

Thanks for your excellent review. Did you try the lens with OVF on the pro2 ?

Moving to Fuji at the moment. The lens comes in at the right moment. Will be my new standard prime lens for weddings (as a wedding photographer 😉 )

Best regards ALEXANDER

Wonderful review of the new lens, and awesome photos, as always. I just received my new Fuji XF 18 f/1.4, a beautiful lens. I was wondering, is is normal to hear the element move inside the lens, until you turn the camera on? If you move the lens up and down, you can hear it, once the camera is on, it’s steady.

Thank you Jonas, Alan

Great review! Got my copy last week, loving it so far, balances really well on the x-t4.

I have a question, the metal lenshood for this lens (out of stock everywhere) 62mm, is interesting, you tried it on the 90mm?

Thanks for the review! I just picked it up. I am super excited to use with the 35/1.4 as a two lens travel setup. Just realized that with the XT5, I can use crop feature in camera and get 18, 23, 35 and 50 equiv in a very small kit and have amazing IQ and low light.

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Best Fuji Lens For Travel

What's the best Fuji lens for travel? This guide takes you through 5 top picks of the best zooms to primes to pair with your Fujifilm X-Series camera.

Camera Gear Guides | Fujifilm Lens Guides | Lens Guides | By Greg Cromie

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If you use Fujifilm X-series cameras and are often on the move, this guide to the best Fuji lens for travel photography is definitely worth a read.

Whether you’re keen to shoot panoramic vistas with wide angle lenses, or prefer to get close up action shots with a zoom lens, one thing’s for certain – you’re going to want lenses with stellar image quality!

Capture stunning vistas on your travels with this super light and durable wide-angle lens.

With so many amazing Fuji lenses on offer (see them here ), it’s hard to know which ones to pick to satisfy your photography wanderlust.

To save you some time, we’ve hand-picked the best 5 options in 2024.

Let’s take a closer look.

Table of Contents

Best Fuji Lens for Travel in 2024

1. fujifilm xf 10-24mm f/4 r ois.

See More Reviews

• Lightweight
• Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) switch
• Beautiful bokeh
• Edge-to-edge sharpness
• Balance is a little front heavy
• Not weather-sealed

It’s evident that Fujifilm develops some of the best high-quality lenses to suit all photography genres. So when it comes to choosing Fujifilm lenses for travel photography, you’re somewhat spoiled for choice.

If you’re planning on travelling to a destination with gorgeous wide vistas and landscapes, then one of your first choices for a lens is the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 ( reviewed here ). This is the best Fuji travel lens that excels in capturing gorgeous landscapes.

This is one of the first and certainly one of the widest lenses in the Fuji lineup and has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 15-36mm. Out wide at 10mm, you have the capacity to capture sweeping landscapes or wide city views.

At the closer end of 24mm, you have a relatively natural field of view for closer situations such as architecture and street work. This makes it perfect for travel photography, especially if you’re visiting amazing cities with unique details.

Regardless of the intended use, this lens will give you a great amount of flexibility.

The Fuji XF 10-24mm is one of the older of the zoom lenses on offer, however, it’s built to last a lifetime. It features a full metal body including the lens mount making it a rugged lens but not one that’s weather resistant.

For a lens of this size, it’s not too heavy, however, the weight seems to be in the front of the lens rather than balanced. The total weight of the lens is 410gm and when paired with any of the Fujifilm cameras such as the X-T3, you have a total kit weight of just under 1kg.

When supporting this lens two-handed on a Fujifilm X Series body, the weight is evenly spread.

The lens has a total diameter of 78mm and a length of 87mm. This remains fixed as the zoom function happens within the lens barrel. The filter thread has a diameter of 72mm.

Overall it’s a neat lens that won’t dominate your travel bag or day pack when you’re out and about on your travels.

The lens sits well in your hand and the aperture, manual focus and zoom rings are all easily accessible with your fingers naturally sitting in place. Each of these rings has the necessary glides with just the right resistance to prevent slippage or knocks.

The Fuji XF 10-24mm f/4 features an Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) switch, which is great for low light shooting and handheld shooting with slower apertures.

This lens would be perfectly paired with a camera such as the Fujifilm X-T3 which does not have In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS).

The lens performs incredibly well in the autofocus department, and due to its maximum aperture of f/4, it has great edge to edge image sharpness. Given that this lens is primarily suited for shooting wide angle and ultra-wide landscapes and scenery, you’re likely to drop your aperture down to f/8.

In lower light settings, having a maximum aperture of f/4 is not ideal – however, thanks to the OIS, you can slow down your shutter speed considerably even if shooting handheld.

Unfortunately, the Fuji XF 10-24mm f/4 does not have weather resistant sealing. This is disappointing given the zoom system is all maintained in the barrel of the lens. However, it does have a minimal focus distance of around 10″ (25.4cm) making for some fantastic and dynamic close up images.

This Fuji lens is fantastic value at just under US$1,000. The newer Fuji XF 8-16mm f/2.8 currently retails for twice that price. In this area, the XF 10-24mm f/4 is a stand out performer at an amazing price.

As mentioned, if you’re looking at travelling to some truly beautiful scenic locations and landscape photography is your jam, then the Fuji XF 10-24mm f/4 is a must-have for your travel kit.

It may not be the only lens you choose to pack, but it will be the one you’re the most thankful for when you get home and see your images.

2. Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS

• Compact & neat design
• Flexible zoom range
• Minimal distortion
• Not great for macro

If you’re planning a photographic holiday and you want to pack a lens that you could pretty much rely on exclusively, then the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 is the one!

I’m not suggesting that this should be the only lens you take – however, if you’re travelling on a budget, or you want to travel compact and light, then this kit lens is a must-pack .

The XF 18-55mm is an incredibly compact lens that has a neatly aligned barrel made of durable materials. When zoomed in, the barrel extends but not unreasonably far. Each outer element of the barrel has the same diameter and, as a result, the whole lens design is clean and neat.

The manual focus and zoom rings are comfortable with a suitable amount of grip. The zoom ring has the desired amount of glide with enough resistance to prevent the lens from extending out due to gravity or movement.

This lens is a common choice for the Fujifilm kit lenses with their premium camera bodies which you can usually find at Amazon or in the Moment Store . The lens weighs only 310gm and when paired with a camera such as the Fujifilm X-E3, the total kit weight is only 647gm.

A combination such as this makes it an incredibly appealing travel kit especially if space and weight is a premium.

Further to this, the lens has a diameter of 65mm and a filter thread size of 58mm, making it a very comfortable lens to hold and control. This lens is 70.4mm in length when at the wide zoom and 97.9mm in length at the telephoto end.

In practical terms, it would be fair to ask what makes this one of the best Fuji lenses for travel. The answer is the versatility you get for the size of the lens.

Having an 18-55mm zoom range provides you with a lot of flexibility without having to pack bigger and heavier lenses.

At the wide angle end, 18mm gives you a great focal length for anything from landscapes and beach scenes to architecture and street work.

At the 55mm telephoto end, you have far more reach to gain greater details at temples, nature reserves and travel portraits. All of this in a lens that you can comfortably carry all day on the camera of your choice.

Given its compact size and low weight, the Fuji XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 works perfectly with any of the X Series camera bodies produced by Fuji. Regardless if you’re shooting with the Fujifilm X-H1 or the far smaller Fujifilm X-T200 , this lens will be well balanced.

Of course, if you’re wanting to go for a more compact body, then I would recommend considering either the Fujifilm X-E3 or the Fujifilm X-T30 . Both of these are brilliant mirrorless cameras that are lightweight, feature-packed and perfect for travel.

Neither this lens nor either of these suggested Fujifilm cameras is weather-resistant; so caution should always be exercised when out in the elements.

The Fuji 18-55mm has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at the wide end and f/4 at the telephoto end. While not the widest of apertures, you have ample opportunity to create great subject separation between your foreground and background subjects.

Further to this, low light performance can easily be managed with apertures at those levels.

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm | © Bhagi Siva

Thanks to the included Optical Image Stabilisation switch on the barrel of the lens, you have greater low light control working at slower shutter speeds. Even with a Fujifilm X-E3, you can now have stabilisation available for stills and video.

As mentioned previously, the Fuji XF 18-55 is usually included with the mid-high end Fujifilm camera bodies. However, this little lens is one of the most highly acclaimed kit lenses on the market. At just under US$700, you’re getting an incredible lens that could be put to any task successfully.

In a travel setting, this Fuji lens will prove to be an excellent choice for all of your shooting needs. Regardless of your destination, you’ll be able to capture high-quality photos of interesting scenes both near and far – all with a single compact and highly functional camera with one great lens.

As another bonus, you can carry this kind of kit all day and in any setting without it becoming heavy or cumbersome.

The reasons above make it clear why this is not only one of the best Fuji lenses for travel photography, but one of the best Fuji lenses full stop. Happy travels!

3. Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

• Strong build
• Light for its size
• Quick and accurate autofocus
• Excellent image quality
• Some zoom creep
• Hunts for focus in low light

The Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 is another incredible lens that clearly earns its seat at the table of best Fuji lenses for travel. It has very much been designed to be paired with the Fuji XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens.

With this pair of lenses, you have a very comprehensive travel kit. The smaller 18-55mm lens will cover your wide angle work and this 55-200mm will cover the things you cannot reach. This will be a perfectly suitable kit to carry with you all day.

The Fuji 55-200mm has an incredibly strong build with metal and durable plastic body. The aperture, zoom and manual focus ring are well made and hug the body comfortably with no slack. Much like the Fuji 18-55mm, this lens has a very clean design that has the same diameter barrel for the length of the lens.

Given the range of this lens, it has a lot of glass elements and you would think that would make this a large and heavy lens. However, Fujifilm has been able to engineer this lens to have a minimal design, size and a short travel distance for the zoom function.

The lens has a diameter of 75mm with a filter of 62mm for attaching ND or Polarizing or other such filters and accessories .

When the lens is zoomed in at the widest, the barrel is only 118mm long. At the telephoto end, the lens only extends another 59mm to 177mm to reach the 200mm zoom range.

As the Fuji XF 55-200mm lens weighs just 580gm, you can easily pair it with a Fujfilm body such as the XT-3 and get away with a carry weight of just over 1kg.

For a flagship camera and telephoto zoom lens to be such a light combination makes it ideal for being out and about in nature. This combination makes others regard this as the best Fuji zoom lens for travel.

Attached to a Fujifilm X-T3 | © Greg Cromie

When paired with a camera such as the X-T3 (see image above), the combination forms a comfortable balance in your hand.

The XF 55-200mm doesn’t create distortion by being too front heavy or impact your ability to shoot at lower speeds or with the zoom fully out.

Each of the control rings on the lens has a nice buttery smooth travel with just the right amount of resistance. We found that, on the odd occasion, the lens extends due to gravity if held pointing down. A minor issue as you generally work out your zoom distance once you bring the camera up to your eye.

Just like the smaller XF 18-55mm lens, this one also features Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). This is a great aid when photographing moving objects such as wildlife at the full telephoto end of the range.

Speaking of tracking subjects, the autofocus on this lens is incredibly quick and accurate.

The Fuji XF 55-200mm  is able to capture focus quickly at any focal length and ensure you achieve clear and sharp images. Regardless of the focal distance, you’re guaranteed edge to edge sharpness.

In general, the autofocus system is quite responsive and quick to secure focus with no hunting. However, in lower light settings the focus hunting starts to become more obvious. While this can be corrected to some degree with IOS, the issue is worth pointing out.

The XF 55-200mm currently retails for just under US$700 and for that, you’re getting a high performing lens that will deliver exceptional image quality.

Fuji also has on offer the optically brilliant XF 50-140mm f/2.8 that’s weather-sealed but does not have as long a range. This lens is over twice the price at around US$1,600.

If you did decide to complete your kit with this lens and the Fuji XF 18-55, you would have everything you need for a holiday adventure and never miss a shot. You’d have a wider zoom for landscapes and street work. Then you’d have the Fuji XF 55-200 to capture incredible detail in architecture or to capture wild animals on safari.

A lens of this nature, with its excellent image quality, fast focusing performance and great focal range, could be used in a number of scenarios. Travel photography is one of them. After all, you want to be able to return from your travels with the most amazing images you can get.

4. Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR

• Super small and portable
• Weather and dust resistant
• Fast and silent autofocus
• Great in low light
• Slightly soft edges when wide open
• No image stabilisation

As you know, there are many different types of travel experiences to be had. And every situation requires a certain type of lens to ensure that you capture what you want to remember. The temptation is always there to take everything just in case you don’t have the right lens and miss a shot.

What if you went in the other direction and decided to just take one lens with you – and not a zoom? Just a single prime lens!

In my opinion, the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 is the perfect lens to take with you when you want the most minimal kit you can carry. People will call you crazy but you must have confidence that you can make it work – in the right setting. The Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 is the best Fujifilm travel lens to pull this off.

This is one of the smallest lenses in the Fujifilm lineup and is part of a series of re-designs that Fujifilm has carried out on a number of lenses with popular focal distances.

For example, the optically brilliant Fuji XF 23mm f/1.4 is one of the sharpest Fujifilm lenses available. It’s also one of the oldest lenses as it was one of the first Fuji primes on the market.

Recently, Fujifilm released the XF 23mm f/2 in a much smaller and weather-sealed body. This new Fujifilm lens has a unique design to it and it’s incredibly compact.

Other lenses in this re-release range are the XF 35mm f/2, the XF 50mm f/2 and the XF 16mm f/2.8. These prime lenses all have a similar retro design and size to keep the range connected.

When we say that this is a tiny lens, it really is: it has a diameter of only 60mm and a minuscule filter thread of 43mm. The total length of the lens is 51.9mm. A lens of this size would be well suited to a camera such as the Fujifilm X-T200, the Fujifilm X-T30 or even the Fujifilm X-E3.

Regardless of its size, this 23mm f/2 prime lens is incredibly well built and tough.

However, don’t be deterred if you were considering pairing this with a Fujifilm X-T3 or the new X-Pro3 . These lenses, given their retro design, look right at home on one of those flagship camera bodies. And at only 180gm, you could comfortably pair the lens to have a simple travel kit that weighs under 700gm.

Or, pair the lens with the smaller Fujifilm X-E3 and your travel kit drops to just over 500gm. With weight like that, you could hand hold your camera all day and not notice any strain or fatigue. You could get away with not having a camera bag and just keep your kit safely wrapped in your day-bag.

It’s that kind of convenience and simplicity that makes the weather resistant Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 the best Fuji prime lens for travel  – check out the video below… but don’t try this at home!

Despite its size, the Fuji XF 23mm is a very user-friendly lens as it sports both a marked aperture ring and a manual focus ring. These are both of a suitable width to identify with your left hand and control them accurately. Even with such a narrow barrel, you don’t feel like you’re creating a claw with your hand just to turn them.

When it comes to usability, this Fuji lens has incredibly quick autofocus in both good light and in low light. In fact, it’s one of the fastest autofocus lenses in the entire Fujifilm range.

What’s more is that due to the small size of the lens, its internal glass and focus motors, it draws hardly any power from a standard Fujifilm battery.

You can get far more shots with a lens of this style than from its much bigger brother.

While this lens does not feature image stabilisation, it does have a wide aperture of f/2 that allows for great subject separation and ample light to pass to the sensor.

Plus, given it’s so light, you have a far greater chance of hand-holding this lens while shooting at slower shutter speeds.

One of the only setbacks about this lens is that it delivers slightly soft edges when shot at f/2. Stepping down to f/4 and beyond seems to remedy this issue.

The Fuji XF 23mm f/2 currently retails for under US$450 and that’s in comparison to the original XF 16mm f/1.4 which retails for double that. Enough said really, as this is incredible value for money, especially for travel photography.

It’s a daring traveller that ventures out with a single lens with a 35mm equivalent field of view. But then again, this is about as close as you can get to the view our eyes naturally gain.

There’s something compelling in being able to capture that same view – and if you want to zoom, then do it the old school way and use your feet.

Be brave with one of the best Fuji lenses for travel and be rewarded on your next adventure.

5. Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

• Ultra versatile range
• Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)
• Weather sealing
• Great bang for buck
• Softness when shooting in low light
• Some focus hunting

While on the topic of only carrying one lens to shoot it all, the Fuji XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is just such a lens perfect for travel photography.

If you’re not brave enough to just get by with a single prime like the XF 23mm f/2, then perhaps you’ll feel more comfortable with a zoom like this.

The Fuji XF 18-135mm is able to cover a very wide focal length and also achieve a decent amount of reach with its zoom. So if you’re on a long trip and don’t want to carry too much camera gear but equality want to capture everything, this is the lens for you.

Having that level of flexibility is ideal in a travel situation where you’re going from amazing vistas to tight old-town alleys.

For its range, the lens is actually quite compact and has a similar design quality to the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.

It has a long clean barrel with no protrusions and inlaid focus and zoom rings. Being the one lens for every occasion, this beauty also features Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and weather sealing.

Alongside its sturdy build qualities, the weather sealing makes the Fuji 18-135mm suitable for all conditions, from rain and hail to dust and snow.

When paired with a weather resistant Fuji body such as the Fujifilm X-T3, you have a completely weather-sealed kit.

The size of this lens can be deceptive as it covers such a wide range of view. The lens has a diameter of 75.7mm and a filter thread of 67mm making it easy to obtain lens filters.

With the zoom in, the lens is 97.8mm long and with the zoom fully out it’s 158mm in length.

In terms of weight, it’s 490gm which puts it comfortably between the Fuji XF 18-55 and the XF 55-200 in size and weight. Regardless, for a lens with this kind of flexible range, it’s certainly a very compact lens.

When combined with a smaller body such as the Fuji X-T30, this lens is only slightly front heavy, but otherwise, the balance is good. When it’s paired with a larger camera such as the X-T3, there’s a more accurate level of balance between the two.

Having said that, shooting with a lens of this nature requires two hands to control and stabilise the shot, so it would be well-matched to any Fuji mirrorless camera body.

The autofocus on the Fuji XF 18-135mm is reasonably good as it can precisely capture subjects in all manners of light with minimal sign of focus hunt. The greatest setback for this lens is how soft the image quality is, especially when shooting in low light.

With good light and aperture dropped to around f/8, you can get great image quality with good colour rendering and sharpness. However, in low light, this lens delivers very soft image quality, which is unfortunate given the level of versatility it offers.

In developing a lens of this nature and at this price point, it’s a shame that the trade-off has to be in the image quality.

Speaking of price, the Fuji XF 18-135mm currently retails for under US$900 and given the level of flexibility it provides, this is a great value lens. Keeping in mind that it’s the only camera lens in this guide with both OIS and weather sealing and a stellar zoom range, this is money well spent.

This Fuji lens is all about versatility and when you’re travelling, especially for long periods of time, versatility is your best friend.

You don’t pack all of your jackets when you’re travelling, you pack the most versatile for the situation. Packing the best loom lens for a range of situations is the very same logic.

Final Words

Whether you’re shooting a travel documentary photo story or simply want to capture your cherished holiday moments on film, you’re going to want to take your camera along for every moment of your adventures.

To get your best shots, you need the kind of lenses that are well suited to travel photography.

On top of that, you probably want to keep your kit relatively minimal and portable – which may mean leaving things like your macro lens at home and opting for a pancake lens or a versatile zoom.

If you’re a user of the Fujifilm system, you have some incredible options in this list. Any of these will serve you well during your next travel adventures.

I’m a Melbourne-based street photographer and blogger. I love to travel to Japan to photograph and document its dynamic people and culture.

The version of the 10-24 introduced in late 2020 is weather sealed.

Thanks for checking out my article. If you have any questions or comments then please leave them here and I will get back to you. Cheers. G

Hi, really interesting article. I’m a bit late to this one but it says 2021 so I’m going for it :-)

I’ve got the X-T30 and similar kit to the above including the 18-135 recently. I replaced the 18-55 as I thought I’d like a bit more reach but keep to one zoom lens for a compact / versatile kit.

I wondered whether you’d tried the 16-80mm? Looks good on paper – a touch lighter, a touch smaller, wider, sharper, faster – another good all in one – but with a good hit on the reach obviously.

Hi Mark, hi Greg,

Great review as usual! Travelling is really something different from the everyday photographic job, so one needs different tools. For my last trip abroad I took Fujinon 35mm f2 and Samyang (Rokinon) 12mm f2 with me. It was great and versatile, but manual focus on the latter lens is slower than the autofocus obviously. So maybe next time I would take the Fujinon 16mm f2.8 instead. BTW, sorry for being picky, but in the table at the beginning you have a terrific 23mm f2.0 lens, but the description says “Super Wide 2.8 Maximum Aperture”. So, the f value is wrong. Sorry again :-)

Hi Nikita. Thanks for your comment. I agree completely that travel gear is much different. I remember on my first trip to Tokyo a few years ago I took almost all of the lenses featured in this review. My kit bag was far too heavy and in some ways it limited my enjoyment. On my last trick to Tokyo, I only took the X-T3, 23mm f2 and the Fuji X70. Much more fun to work with the limited gear you have and make it work. I am considering taking the 16m f2.8 on my next trip too – great minds…As for the error in the table, I don’t create those so I will make sure that the person responsible is fired! Just jokes. We will get it sorted. Thanks again. G

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Lens review: fujinon xf 18mm f/2 r.

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

The Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R lens is the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This is a lens that I want to love because of its small size and very useful focal-length, but I don’t love it because its way overpriced and has a disappointing focus system. I’m getting a little ahead of myself, though; I have plenty that I want to discuss about the Fujinon 18mm f/2 before giving my conclusion.

This is one of two “pancake” lenses offered by Fujifilm; the other is the 27mm f/2.8. Whereas the 27mm is a true pancake, the 18mm f/2 is only sort-of one, as it’s a little on the large size for this category. Think of it more of a Japanese pancake than an American flapjack, or maybe it’s a short stack. The 18mm f/2 is compact glass for when you want a little less girth and weight, but it’s not quite as small as one might hope for.

In this lens are eight elements in seven groups with seven semi-rounded blades. You won’t get great sunstars. Bokeh is pretty good, although not something you’ll experience much because it’s a wide-angle lens. The 18mm focal-length is full-frame equivalent to 27mm. The minimum focus distance is about seven inches, which is pretty good. The maximum aperture is f/2 and the minimum is f/16, with 1/3-stop intermediate clicks. The lens accepts 52mm threaded filters.

The Fujinon 18mm f/2 lens is sharp in the center at all apertures. It’s slightly soft on the edges at all apertures, but more so when wide-open, so it’s best to stop down to at least f/2.8 or f/4 if you can. I didn’t notice any vignetting. There’s not much distortion, and I didn’t notice any chromatic aberrations; I wonder if it’s because the camera is correcting this—as you probably know, I shoot JPEGs , and I didn’t inspect the RAW files. Image quality from this lens is clearly Fujinon, and I’m quite happy with how it renders pictures.

This is one of Fujifilm’s oldest X-series lenses, and it shows. It’s in desperate need of a refresh. Autofocus is the slowest I’ve experienced in a Fujinon model, outside of macro lenses that have a long range to cycle through. It’s also the loudest. I found manual-focus, which is focus-by-wire, to be somewhat unpleasant. The focus system on this lens is disappointing, but ultimately it is sufficient for most situations, so you just have to put up with it. Hopefully at some point Fujifilm makes a new version with a better focus motor.

The 18mm f/2 is quite prone to lens flare, which you might love or hate depending on how you feel about it. Fujifilm does provide a lens hood that’s highly effective, but it adds significant length, which defeats the point of it being a pancake lens—with the hood it makes this lens the same size as the 16mm f2.8. I’m personally okay with the flare, so I don’t use the hood.

The Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R lens isn’t weather-sealed (which only matters if your camera is), it doesn’t have any image stabilization (which isn’t a big deal on a wide-angle lens), and it’s slow and loud compared to other Fujinon lenses. Yet it retails for $600! The only thing special about the 18mm f/2 is that it’s small and lightweight, which is why I bought it and why I plan to keep it, but I wouldn’t pay $600 for it.

If you can find one for a good price, it might be worth owning. Otherwise, there are better options to consider, including the 14mm f/2.8, 16mm f/2.8, 16mm f/1.4, 8-16mm f/2.8, 10-24mm f/4, 16-55mm f/2.8, 18-55mm f/2.8-f/4, 16-80mm f/4, and 18-135mm f/3.5-f/5.6. Heck, the 15-45mm f/3.5-f/5.6 and 16-50mm f/3.5-f/5.6 might even be better options! Pretty much any Fujinon lens that covers this or a similar focal length will have some advantages over the 18mm f/2. The one and only reason to buy the Fujinon 18mm f/2 lens is if you need a small pancake-like wide-angle lens to attach to your camera. If you need that, this lens is your best bet because it’s your only option.

Ah, but the pictures captured through this lens are quite nice, even if the experience of capturing them is less than ideal. That’s why I said this is the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You have to know this going into it, or you’ll likely be disappointed. If you can put up with the quirks and can get it for a good price, you’ll find glass capable of capturing beautiful images, and that’s what matters most. I don’t love the lens, but I do like it and plan to use it frequently.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R Amazon B&H

Example photographs captured with the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R lens on a Fujifilm X-T30:

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35 comments.

Always felt like this lens was pretty under rated. Of course it has some quirks as you mentioned, but it’s a fun discrete little lens to shoot with. I find it especially strong stopping way down at f11ish and zone focus for street photos. You pretty much don’t even need to touch the focus at all since it has such a large range at this focal length.

Yeah, I found zone focus to be a good method for this lens. It definitely makes it quieter!

In street photography, it can be used not only at high apertures (f11: hyperfocal 1.45m) but also around f5.6 (hyperfocal: 2.88m), or when it is really necessary, even f4 (hyperfocal: 4.07). you just have to switch from “zone focus” to “back button focus” to adjust the range of sharpness for close subjects while keeping a background that is still sharp enough.

And, as Ritchie humorously points out, this solves the little problem of noise, which is very low anyway.

Nothing is as quick as manual pre-focus, either. Literally faster than the fastest autofocus system.

The trick is to use the back button focus to prefocus.

I’m a half-press kind of guy myself, but that’s just old habits.

This was one of the first lenses I bought when the XPro1 came out. I sold it because of some of its shortcomings but a couple of years ago I bought it back because I really missed having the 27 mm perspective. 23 was not wide enough and 16 was too wide. I use this all the time now even for my wedding shoots. It’s a great storytelling lens and I don’t mind the shortcomings especially on some of the later model Fujis that I have. I really love the images with this lens.

The images are great, no doubt! I look forward to using it more. Thanks for the comment!

Hey Ritchie, This is more of a request than a comment. I recently found your Kodak Vision3 250D film recipe, and I thought it was way cool! But… it is only for the X-T30. As a hybrid shooter,(and owner of an X-S10) I think it would be very cool to have this as a recipe for both stills and SOOC cinematic video. What would you think about giving this recipe a refresh? I also was thinking about another potential film recipe… a film simulation based on super 16mm film stock! That would be a very versatile recipe for both stills and cinematography! By the way, this is my first comment and I wanted to let you know that I love this site! I have been following since the beginning of December and have loved every bit of it.

You can use the recipe on your X-S10, but you’ll have to decide if Grain should be Small or Large. Set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and consider setting Clarity to -2 (or 0). You can use it for video, too, but some things (like Color Chrome Effect) aren’t available in video, and the Eterna film simulation looks slightly different for stills vs. video (which is due to Fujifilm’s programming). But give it a try anyway. I’ll look into the Super 16mm suggestion, sounds interesting. I appreciate the comment!

Thanks so much Ritchie! : )

Agree with you regarding the price for this lens new, too high. I got mine used and I’m very happy with it. I prefer it to the 16 and the 23, and with Phase Detect AF it’s fast enough. It does hunt more with Contrast Detect AF, but it’s not so much worse than the others.

I can’t understand why Fujifilm make 27mm mark II and not this one. It was really used for reportage and other…

I hope they do. It’s long overdue. Keep the glass the same, just replace the motor with what they just put into the new 27mm.

This was the second lens I got for my X-Pro1 and is the second most used lens in my collection. I also have the 14mm, 27mm, 35mm, and 60mm. I use it on the X-Pro2 now and love the results. Most of my work is a hybrid of travel and street shooting. I learned to get around the quirks of this lens years ago and some of my favorite shots have come from it. I can’t imagine traveling without it.

I just got back from a trip. I took six lenses, and this ended up being my second-most-used. I appreciate the comment!

Hi Thank you for your job I hope a new XF18 2.8 and a new XF23 2.8 as good as the new XF27 II, because 27mm (FF40mm) is not enough standard for me Wait en see 😉 Then i could buy a X-E4

Yes it’s amazing how versatile this lens is I bought it when I originally purchased my XPro 1 And I continue to use it. It’s a great storytelling lens for weddings and events.

I haven’t yet tried it for weddings or events, but I believe you are right, it would be great for that. Thank you for the comment!

Thanks for the input!

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I love this lens. It was the first Fuji lens I bought in 2014. I now have 8, if I needed to sell them this one would probably be the last one I sold. Time and again when I get back from a trip I find most of my favourite images come from this lens. I think there are two reasons, the character of the pictures, and the fact that when I don’t feel like carrying camera gear I put this lens on and leave the rest behind. So this lens gets used more then all the rest of my lenses combined. The quirks don’t bother me one bit.

The 27mm lens kind of fills that role in my camera bag right now. I think I simply prefer that focal length. But I’m always happy with the results when I use the 18mm, the image quality is very nice. I appreciate the comment!

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Funny, I have most of the 1.4/1.2 primes, the 2.8 zooms but this lens is the one I end up using the most, I really love the quality of the images, they have a kind of retro character that I really enjoy. But you’re right, the AF experience is deeply unpleasant! If they could remake it exactly the same but with modern AF that would be my dream lens.

Yeah, Fujifilm should definitely update this lens with an improved AF motor… quieter and quicker. It would be truly great if they did. Thank you for your input!

Every lens has limitations. The defining factor is, can you live with these in your particular style of photography?? In my case, yes, I can. The 18/2.0 pretty much lives on my XE2 which I keep mostly set on B&W/red filter. The lens stays on f/8 and the cameras is set at ISO 400, which (here in Australia where sunlight is a real blast) makes for some fairly speedy image shooting.

For all this, I easily make A4 prints from almost any image I shoot. Which I don’t – make the prints – mostly due to cost, environmental factors (wasting all that paper and ink), and also who the heck wants a print of every shot they take?? Not me. I don’t own a row of warehouses to store them. My two bedroom apartment is chock-full of my lifetime’s gatherings as it is – more paper detritus will only make things worse, and who wants to see all those prints anyway?? Not me.

I also have the legendary (well, I think so) 14/2.8, the 18-55, and the 23/1.4,w which I fell in love with when I found a used one in my favorite camera shop in Melbourne and played with it, so I bought it. But the 18 does it all for me. It satisfied my viewpoint and gives me the results I want from it. Which suits me. As it should suit you, when all is said and done.

We should not forget that perfection is not everything – in fact from a common-sense view, it isn’t anything. And there is much to be said for not burdening others with our exaggerated explanations of why we seek an absolute ideal in every shot we take.

From Dann in Melbourne, Australia

I really like the way this lens renders pictures. There’s great quality and character. The glass is great. I don’t use it very often, though, because of the focus performance. I would love for Fujifilm to make a new version with identical optics but improved focus system.

Weather sealing does matter even if your cam body isn’t sealed. Mainly for protection of the lens itself. If you’re using an older body you’re willing to take a chance on, you still might see your lenses as a long term investment and lean towards WR. I’ve had a non WR lens go down and the non WR body keeps working.

Too bad, I had high hopes for this lens. For years I’ve been pulling out my Ricoh when I need the 18mm, so I guess I’ll stick with that.

That’s a good point. The lens might very well outlast the body it is being used on.

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