The Fujifilm 27mm f2.8 WR is by far my most used Fujifilm lens. It has lived on my camera for months at a time, traveling across dozens of time zones and almost as many country borders. However, while it is my most used lens, I can’t say it’s my favorite. It is, in fact, a lens of compromise. “In what way?” I can hear you ask. Read on, I shall explain.
Focal Length
Let me begin by touching on one of my most liked and disliked aspects of this lens: the focal length.
On the Fuji X cameras, a 27mm focal length gives a full frame field of view of roughly 40mm. It is a tremendously useful lens in that regard, as any 40mm is. Wide enough to capture street scenes with context and close enough for a portrait or food photograph. I can walk around with this lens all day and know that by simply moving my body around, a wide variety of photographic types will be available to me in any location. It is also a near “normal” field of view, so pressing the camera to your eye shows a scene not dissimilar from what you might have been looking at before, unaided by your lens.
But, therein also lies the problem. It is a field of view that says very little—artistically. I can’t tell you the number of times I saw a photograph in front of me, only to put the camera with this lens to my face and discover the field of view was far too wide. I couldn’t isolate what I was seeing at all. The same has often been true in reverse: faced with a dramatic scene or sweeping landscape that took my breath away, I struggled to capture it and include all the details I wanted.
So, in many ways, the 27mm is a lens of photographic compromise and oftentimes a bit dull feeling.
Size and Weight
This is where the 27mm shines and why it has spent so much time on my camera. This little pancake lens isn’t all that much bigger than my camera body lens cap. Placing it on the camera adds almost no weight, making any Fuji X camera a breeze to carry around all day. In addition, it is unassuming. No one notices or cares that you even exist because you do not look like an official photographer with this little kit.
As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. Well, I suppose that applies to lenses as well. If I’m honest, the size and lightness of this lens have meant that I take my camera out more and use it more. And so, I get more photographs. And that is the kind of benefit that shouldn’t be understated when it comes to any piece of photographic gear.
Image Quality
As far as sharpness, rendering, colors, etc… I wouldn’t say there is much to remark on. The 27mm is neither incredible nor a failure. It is simply a good lens. Sharp enough to render detail, especially stopped down to f4 and after. Good colors and contrast for my taste anyway. The only real complaint I have is that it does feel a little bit soft at 2.8, and I do like to shoot my lenses wide-open a lot. Additionally, this seems particularly noticeable when it comes to subjects that are closely focused.
Oh, on that note, you can’t actually get that close to objects with this lens. The minimum focus distance is a little over 1 foot (13 inches/33cm). And at that distance, it is not the sharpest result. So, I have sometimes found myself disappointed in having to back away from subjects.
Conclusion
In spite of its shortcomings, I feel this is a lens that no Fujifilm X shooter should be without in their arsenal. It’s simply too small, too useful, and too good not to take with you and use on a regular basis, assuming the focal length is one that pleases you. I have shot everything with it. Cities, nights, people, mountains, you name it. And, while imperfect, it has delivered fantastic photographs for me again and again.
I’ve owned and used the Fujifilm X-T4 for almost four years now. And, while it certainly isn’t the perfect camera, I think it is as relevant today as it was when it was released in 2020.
For this review, please do not expect a laundry list of technical specifications. You can find that in hundreds of other places. I will be focusing on what it has been like to use and own this camera over the last few years, as well as addressing whether or not you should consider purchasing one.
All images in this article were taken with the X-T4 and edited by me in either Lightroom or Capture One.
Image Quality
The big dark secret that almost no one seems to mention when it comes to image quality with digital cameras is this: virtually any professional or prosumer digital camera made in the last 7 years is going to provide you with extremely high-quality images. I have a large, 24-inch print on my wall from a 12-megapixel Panasonic camera I bought 8 years ago, and it looks fantastic. So, if you are concerned about the 26-megapixel sensor in the X-T4 not being sufficient for you, please don’t stress about it. I take photos with it and commonly crop them down by 30% to 40% while still walking away with high-resolution (or high enough) images.
What matters much more are color and dynamic range. Both of which, I am happy to say, are more than adequate with the X-T4. Of course, the camera includes Fujifilm’s fantastic colors.
And, while I love the Fuji colors, I can’t say I like them that much more than Canon or Nikon files. I think this aspect of Fuji’s cameras might be a touch overhyped. But, don’t get me wrong. The colors are great, and having Fuji’s custom color profiles available for post-processing in my edits is extremely handy and saves a lot of time. This is especially true for editing portraits where appealing skin tones are important. Being able to start my edit with the Astia profile and then work from there just saves me a lot of effort.
Beyond that, I would say that in general, the X-T4 was a significant step up from the Fujifilm X-T2 I was shooting with before. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I distinctly remember opening the first files I shot with the X-T4 and having that ‘wow’ moment. The files were truly impressive. Not that the X-T2 was bad by any means, great camera. But the X-T4 took things to another level.
Build and Ergonomics
My next opinion will probably be a bit controversial. I don’t expect many people to agree with me.
First, I find all of Fuji cameras to be a bit lackluster when it comes to build quality. Sure, they feel ok in the hand and I’ve never had one break down on me. But, for me, they lack a certain robustness and premium feel that I enjoyed with my Nikon cameras. It’s an unfair comparison in a way, because Nikon is probably best-in-class in the build/feel department. I’ve never owned a Leica. But, there it is.
The Fuji X series cameras are well made. But command dials feel plastic-like and unsatisfying to click. The buttons everywhere on the camera are just… fine. And, while I commend them for the quality and feel of the top dials (shutter, exposure comp, iso), everything else just kind of lets the camera down a bit. Now, I much prefer Fuji’s cameras over the Panasonic cameras I have owned in terms of look and feel. But, I still can’t give Fujifilm 5 out of 5 stars here.
The ergonomics of the X-T4 feel decent. The grip is larger than some of the other X cameras and I am a happy flip screen user. Of course, the top dials are lovely to use and make operating the camera enjoyable. They also allow you to see all of your settings while the camera is off. So, I can shoot with this camera all day and then some, leaving it off most of the time and still being able to see my settings or update them.
It’s not as comfortable as literally any other camera with a deeper grip, but for its form factor, I feel it is a reasonable compromise.
Autofocus
Nothing to write home about here in the autofocus department. With single point AF-S (which is what I shoot in 90% of the time) everything is good. Focus the camera, re-frame the shot, take the shot. Works great. Very fast and very reliable.
Face tracking and eye tracking? Well… it depends.
Putting the camera into AF-C (continuous) mode and enabling face and eye detection yield mixed results.
In low light, it can be particularly untrustworthy. In good light, I will often get a 70% or more keeper rate. It’s something I use, but not something I depend on, if that makes sense.
One thing I will say is that changing the AF-C Custom Settings to number 2 (Ignore Obstacles) helps a bit. The biggest game changer was when someone on the internet recommended I change the Release/Focus Priority setting from ‘Release’ (the default) to ‘Focus’. This turned the X-T4 into a completely different camera when it came to autofocus tracking. So, I do recommend that.
Anyway, all that to say if you’re taking portraits for fun or of friends and you want to use the autofocus tracking, it works decent. If you’re depending on it for professional wedding work or something… yeah, I’m not so sure. People do it. And, I’m not a wedding photographer. But, I’m not sure I’d depend on it.
Should You Buy It?
And now for the big question. The question you are probably here to answer. Should you buy one?
Honestly, yes. I’ve been very happy with my Fujifilm X-T4 and it has served me reliably. Delivering high quality images with no complaints.
I shoot landscapes, urban environments, night photos and travel photography. And for me, it has been a fantastic companion. It’s small enough to enjoy carrying around and ‘professional’ enough to justify using it over my cell phone. What has kept me with Fujifilm for the last 6 years is the versatility of their APS-C X system. It’s not the biggest sensor, but the lenses are pretty small. It’s not the cheapest system but it’s also not eye-watering expensive. It’s not the best image quality you can get, but it’s very good. It’s not the lightest camera, but it’s far from heavy. You can’t get the shallow depth of field, but you can get a shallower depth of field than on a micro-four-thirds camera.
For me, Fuji just checks most of the boxes. It’s an easy camera to take around the world and for the most part, it stays out of my way and lets me take the photos I enjoy. Which, after all, is what it’s all about.
Having spent the last 10 years or so refining my photography skills. And, having reached a point where I am fairly pleased with the photos I am able to take, I have begun a new endeavor: drawing and painting.
While this experience has been a tremendous amount of fun, it hasn’t been without its difficulties and frustrations. In fact, something became very clear in my early art attempts.
Art is very hard.
And that difficulty can be discouraging, especially in the beginning.
I think this experience is probably pretty common for new artists because artists are the kinds of people who appreciate… uh… art. So, making art that you know is bad (because you are not yet good at making art) isn’t exactly the most pleasant feeling in the world.
So, I thought I would take a moment here to talk about one way I am working to improve my skills and still enjoy the process.
Something I find difficult about learning, uh, anything—is the ratio of effort to results. In other words, I spend a lot of time and energy trying to improve at something, but the improvements are slow and not very rewarding to the part of my brain that wants a payoff. This has been especially true for me with art; many hours spent with a pen or pencil—without much to show for my efforts.
However, I found a shortcut to help me deal with this problem.
Instead of spending hours of my life laboring in my sketchbook with nothing but disappointment to show for it, I began copying the techniques of other artists. Not copying their exact work, but trying to emulate the way in which they create it. This has unlocked so many doors of progress for me.
I won’t record an account of every instance in which this has been useful, but most recently, I’ve been watching a YouTube channel called InkRebellion. He has a video on drawing with markers and pens that I found intriguing, so I gave it a go. And I was floored by how quickly I was able to produce something with some visual interest. Sure, I can still see that my skills are not where I want them to be. The drawings aren’t perfect. However, part of his methodology is simply to go straight to marker and pen. No thumbnails, no pencil. Nothing. You just jump right into the thing.
This has worked very well for me as a process because it has increased the volume of art I am making. Which, I know from my photography endeavors will help me improve faster. And it has given me something to show for my efforts after only an hour or so of work. Instead of spending days at a time wondering if the thing I am drawing will end up being any good.
I’m sure this process isn’t for all artists. You, of course, will have to decide who you want to emulate and what of their techniques are useful to you. But for me, this strategy has produced a lot of leaps forward in my art.
Hopefully, it’s something that could work for you, too.
