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.