lxmike
M2 fan.
I have an 18mm f2 which l have used for many years now but fancy a little wider, looking at spending my Christmas money on possibly the 14mm 2.8 but do l really need it if l have the 18mm already. Happy Christmas by the way🙂
Tell me why l need the 14mm 2.8 or not
- Thread starter lxmike
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Dogman
Veteran
I can't say whether you need it or not, of course. But if you want something wider than the 18mm and want to keep it within the Fuji family, the 14mm is the logical choice.
The Fuji 14mm has the view of a 21mm equivalent lens on 35mm, the 18mm is about the equivalent of a 28mm. I'm sure you know this. In wide angle terms, those +/-7 equivalent mms are pretty huge yet the lens itself is fairly small.
The Fuji 14mm is an excellent lens, sharp and contrasty and, rather amazingly for a lens this wide, has no real distortion. Lines stay straight, right out to the edge of the frame. If you've read the reviews on Lenstip.com and Optical Limits (Photozone), you know the lens has excellent results. AF is snappy and it has "real" manual focus if you want to use it. Some don't like the aperture ring because it's easy to change settings but it's nothing you can't adjust to using after a while. I don't use my 14mm a lot but I love the look of photos done with this lens. It's about as wide as I want to go without overdoing the wide angle effect.
If I have any complaints, it's that I hate the lens hood. It uses the same hood as the 18-55mm, a plastic tulip-shaped model that looks cheap. Fuji has several lenses with standard issue hoods I dislike. I bought a metal screw-in wide angle hood off Amazon that works well although it's too big to leave on the lens when in the bag.
The Fuji 14mm has the view of a 21mm equivalent lens on 35mm, the 18mm is about the equivalent of a 28mm. I'm sure you know this. In wide angle terms, those +/-7 equivalent mms are pretty huge yet the lens itself is fairly small.
The Fuji 14mm is an excellent lens, sharp and contrasty and, rather amazingly for a lens this wide, has no real distortion. Lines stay straight, right out to the edge of the frame. If you've read the reviews on Lenstip.com and Optical Limits (Photozone), you know the lens has excellent results. AF is snappy and it has "real" manual focus if you want to use it. Some don't like the aperture ring because it's easy to change settings but it's nothing you can't adjust to using after a while. I don't use my 14mm a lot but I love the look of photos done with this lens. It's about as wide as I want to go without overdoing the wide angle effect.
If I have any complaints, it's that I hate the lens hood. It uses the same hood as the 18-55mm, a plastic tulip-shaped model that looks cheap. Fuji has several lenses with standard issue hoods I dislike. I bought a metal screw-in wide angle hood off Amazon that works well although it's too big to leave on the lens when in the bag.
Dogman
Veteran
To toss out a few alternatives.
There is the 12mm Samyang/Rokinon. Apparently this is a very good lens but there may be some variations in quality between samples. It's a low priced lens, manual focus only. On the other end of the spectrum, there's the Zeiss Touit 12mm. Not surprisingly, it has excellent optics but it's expensive. Some reviews indicate the Fuji 14mm has better optics than the Zeiss. And the Laowa 9mm has gotten some good reviews. It's a bit extreme for me but it's worth considering if you want to get into extreme wide angles.
There is the 12mm Samyang/Rokinon. Apparently this is a very good lens but there may be some variations in quality between samples. It's a low priced lens, manual focus only. On the other end of the spectrum, there's the Zeiss Touit 12mm. Not surprisingly, it has excellent optics but it's expensive. Some reviews indicate the Fuji 14mm has better optics than the Zeiss. And the Laowa 9mm has gotten some good reviews. It's a bit extreme for me but it's worth considering if you want to get into extreme wide angles.
narsuitus
Well-known
I have a 16mm f/1.4 for my Fuji X camera. When I decided to buy something wider, I selected a 12mm.
back alley
IMAGES
fuji is releasing a new 16/2.8 to add to the fujicron line...small, lighter the 1.4 and hopefully as sharp...i'm looking forward to it and it might be worth the wait for you.
otherwise the 14 is a fantastic lens.
otherwise the 14 is a fantastic lens.
Michiel Fokkema
Michiel Fokkema
I went for the zeiss 12mm. The 14 was too close to the 14 for my taste.
lxmike
M2 fan.
thanks for the replies evryone
lxmike
M2 fan.
this sounds very interesting
shawn
Veteran
I had the 14mm and the 18mm. Big difference between the two as far as FOV as well as size of the lens and so on. The 14mm is a great lens (very sharp). I ended up selling mine as I bought the Voigtlander 15mm for my M240 and will use that on the Fuji when desired. On the Fuji I think the 14mm is sharper in the corner. The 15s corners are smeared a little on the Fuji, look very good on the M240 though.
Shawn
Shawn
DanskDynamit
Well-known
well, if you don't know yourself your own photography needs, it means you dont need it.
Dogman
Veteran
That's the lens I've been eagerly waiting to buy--if it's as good as the other compact "Fujicrons". But I don't think it's wide enough if you already have the 18mm and want to go wider.
jsrockit
Moderator
Yes, especially with wide angles.
willie_901
Veteran
The Fujinon 14/2.8 handles flare and ghosting better than the other 5 or so ultra-wide angle lenses I've owned (Nikkor and Tokina) however most of these were top-end zoom lenses.
The color rendering is consistent with the other XF Fujinon lenses.
Otherwise, My experience with the lens is similar to Dogman's.
The color rendering is consistent with the other XF Fujinon lenses.
Otherwise, My experience with the lens is similar to Dogman's.
kossi008
Photon Counter
This is why I have sold my 18 mm and am now waiting for the 16mm f/2.8 to come out and replace it. Any update on when it will be available, by the way?
PS: It would actually be a Fujmarit, right?
Jamie Pillers
Skeptic
For a great carry everywhere kit, I really like the 18-55 'kit' lens along with the 14 and the 35/1.4. I'm really happy with the way these three cover just about every situation I come across in my urban/landscape walks, day or night.
