Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Lens Officially Announced

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The previously rumored Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens is now officially announced. The US price is $999.

Pre-order links:

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Lens: $999 at B&H, Adorama.

Shipping is scheduled to start May 27th, 2021.

From B&H:

Continuing FUJIFILM’s series of compact, portable primes, the XF 18mm f/1.4 R WR Lens is a 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens that is well-suited to documentary, travel, landscape, nature, architectural photography, and even astrophotography. Its fast f/1.4 maximum aperture balances size and speed and is suitable for working in available lighting conditions. It offers greater control over depth of field and provides a soft bokeh effect at wider apertures while also limiting the overall size and weight of the lens for everyday use.

Key Features
  • X-Mount Lens/APS-C Format
  • 28mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • Linear Autofocus Motor
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 7.9″
  • Locking “A” Position Aperture Ring
  • Weather-Sealed Construction

Press Release:

Fujifilm Announces New FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR Lens

A Versatile New Take on a Popular Focal Length

Valhalla, N.Y. – FUJIFILM North America Corporation is pleased to announce its FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens (XF18mmF1.4), expected to be launched in May, 2021. With a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27mm, and a maximum aperture of F1.4, it is the 39th lens in Fujifilm’s broad line of interchangeable lenses, made exclusively for the X Series family of mirrorless digital cameras.

Its lightweight, highly portable design makes it an ideal lens for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to portraits and weddings. Added flexibility in dimly lit environments is also provided through the lens’ wide F1.4 aperture, which also produces incredibly smooth bokeh.

“Keeping to our X Series philosophy of creating lightweight and compact imaging solutions that produce phenomenal image quality, XF18mmF1.4 is a well-balanced and versatile option for any image-maker,” said Victor Ha, senior director of marketing and product management, Electronic Imaging Division at FUJIFILM North America Corporation.  “We are really excited to see what stories and images our community of image-makers will create with this lens. It’s certainly ideal for street photography and landscapes, but we’re also looking forward to seeing how it will be used to make wedding and portrait images. There are a lot of creative possibilities with this lens, and I’m confident we’re going to see some great content.”

Main features:

Exceptional optical performance, even at F1.4
●    XF18mmF1.4 utilizes three aspherical lenses and an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens among its 15 lens elements, spread across 9 groups, to minimize chromatic and comatic aberration. This means the finest details of an image will be reproduced with high levels of sharpness.
●    The focusing group of six lens elements moves in unison to minimize aberration fluctuations and deliver consistent sharpness at any focusing position.

Designed for versatility
●    XF18mmF1.4 has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27mm and can achieve focus on subjects 4.33in (11cm) away from the front lens element. This gives the lens a broad range of applications, from making images of everyday moments, to using it to create sweeping landscapes.

Fast, accurate, and near-silent autofocus
●    XF18mmF1.4 uses an internal autofocus (AF) system, driven by a powerful linear motor, to provide fast, accurate, and near-silent AF. From the lens’ minimum object distance (MOD) of 7.87in (20cm) to infinity, the focusing group of lens elements travels a total of just 0.1in (2.5mm). This means focus can be acquired in as quickly as 0.04 seconds*1.
●    If the lens must travel beyond MOD to acquire focus, focus can still be achieved in as quickly as 0.25 seconds.
●    For precise control when manually focusing, components in the manual focusing ring assembly have been specially engineered to respond with precision, especially when the focusing ring is rotated slightly.

Compact, lightweight and weather-resistant
●    XF18mmF1.4 has a 62mm filter thread, measures 2.98in (7.56cm) in length, and weighs just 0.81lbs. (370g). This makes it incredibly lightweight and portable. While the lens barrel is made from metal, it is specially designed to minimize its weight without compromising its overall strength.
●    The lens has weather-resistant seals at eight locations along the lens barrel, making it resistant to dust, moisture, and temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C) when used with a weather-resistant X-Series digital camera.
●    XF18mmF1.4 is designed with an A (Auto) Position Lock to lock the aperture ring into the A position, preventing accidental movement.

Optional accessory: LH-XF18 Lens Hood
Fujifilm has also developed a rectangular, aluminum lens hood for XF18mmF1.4 that helps to prevent lens flare and ghosting which can occur when beams of light strike the front element of the lens. The LH-XF18 Lens Hood will be made available in late May, 2021.

Pricing and Availability
FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR Lens is expected to be available in late May, 2021 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $999 USD and $1,275 CDN. The LX-HF18 lens hood accessory will also be available at this time for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $69 USD ($80 CDN). For more information, please visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/lenses/xf18mmf14-r-lm-wr/.