FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR Lens Introduced – First Impression

May 24^th, 20231

FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR Lens Introduced - First Impression

by Florian MilzMay 24^th, 2023

FUJIFILM just introduced the FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 lens for X cameras. The compact prime lens weighs only 215 grams/7.58 ounces and is weather resistant. This lens is the widest prime lens in the XF lens lineup to date. Let’s see what this lens is about!

The XF series of FUJINON lenses are optimized for FUJIFILM’s X-series of cameras like the brand-new FUJIFILM X-S20 that we just reviewed. The XF lenses aren’t unnecessarily large or heavy, as they are built to cover the FUJIFILM APS-C sensors.

FUJIFILM X lens roadmap with focused XF 8mm — FUJIFILM X lens roadmap with the XF 8mm already announced for 2023. Image credit: FUJIFILM

FUJIFILM has two lines of prime lenses in their lens lineup, which consist of ultra-fast primes and compact primes. As the name implies, the ultra-fast primes feature wide apertures, while the compact line is focused on weight and size.

SUPER EBC XF 8mm 1:3.5 R WR

This new 8mm (12mm focal length equivalent to 35mm) compact prime features a Super EBC multilayer lens coating and an f/3.5 aperture. This doesn’t seem fast but bear in mind that this is a lens from the compact prime, and the widest ultra-fast prime lens thus far is the XF 14mm f/2.8 R.

FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 front view — Front view of the XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR. Image credit: CineD

Optical performance

One lens I was eager to compare with the new XF 8mm f/3.5 was the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 red-badge zoom lens. I was prepared to see better performance from the prime lens compared to the zoom at 8mm, but the results are par-none in favor of the XF 8mm f/3.5 when it comes to sharpness.

XF8mm and XF8-16mm sharpness comparison — Click to enlarge – XF 8mm and XF 8-16mm sharpness comparison wide open (top half) and at f/5.6 (bottom half). Image credit: CineD

The 8mm is a lot sharper corner-to-corner, even wide open. Indeed, at f/5.6, the 8-16mm still has soft corners.

XF 8mm chromatic aberration test — Slightly changing focus on XF 8mm to reveal chromatic aberration. Image credit: CineD

When it comes to chromatic aberration, the 8mm f/3.5 also performs well. There is only slight color fringing visible in high-contrast situations.

XF 8mm focus breathing animation — Very well-controlled focus breathing on XF 8mm. Image credit: CineD

Focus Breathing is very well-controlled on the XF 8mm f/3.5. There is barely any shift in the visible field of view.

FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 build quality

The XF 8mm f/3.5, like all other XF lenses, is built around a metal housing and feels very solid and high-quality. This lens has a manual aperture ring (hence the letter R in the name) that can be locked in the “A” position for automatic aperture control. You press the button on the aperture ring to enter this mode so it doesn’t occur accidentally. There is also a manual focus ring on this lens (without focus markings like all new FUJINON XF lenses).

FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 with included sun hood. Image credit: FUJIFILM — Image credit: FUJIFILM

There is a rubber seal around the lens mount, which makes this lens weather-resistant (WR). Paired with cameras like the weather-resistant FUJIFILM X-T5 or X-H2, you don’t have to worry about your camera getting wet and failing while working in wet conditions.

XF 8mm on FUJIFILM X-T5. Image credit: FUJIFILM

The lens has a 62mm filter thread and a close focus distance of 18cm / 7.1 inches.

Price and availability

The FUJINON XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR will be available around June 29th, 2023, for $799.95 USD.

For more information, you can visit FUJIFILM’s website.

Are you happy with this 8mm wide-angle prime lens offering? Are you expecting FUJIFILM to announce a High-Speed 8mm lens soon as well? Have you used an 8mm lens from any other manufacturers, and are you thinking about switching to this lens? Please let us know in the comments below!