The 23mm f2 was my first Fuji prime lens back in 2019. This is the very lens that got me some of favourite early photos and helped me to initially get recognised within the online photography world.

In this blog I would like to share my thoughts on this lens having owned and used it since 2019. That’s actually a little misleading because I sold it in 2021 after purchasing the 18mm f1.4 however repurchased it in 2023 as I just missed the form factor and the focal length.

Why 23mm?

23mm equates to 35mm in full frame terms and it’s one of the go to default focal lengths for almost any type of photography. There isn’t a photographer alive who hasn’t shot with a 35mm at some point with many making this focal length a staple part of their kit and photography style. Personally I use 35mm when I want to document where I am. It’s wide enough to get everything you need, but tight enough so that you don’t need to be in peoples faces. This makes for a great one prime lens set up for those travelling extra light.

f2 or f1.4?

This is a common question and one I’m always debating too to this day. In short if 50% or more of your photography is done at night, then the f1.4 does have an advantage. If you simply love shooting wide open and having the most background blur, then there isn’t much to debate here. However for 95% of people, the f2 version of this lens is superior. Not only is it more affordable, but it’s way smaller too. Of course the 1.4 lenses do produce sharper results, however unless you’re pixel peeping or shooting commercial campaigns, the extra detail won’t really matter.

Build & Ergonomics

The build is high quality all metal with solid weather sealing. I’ve used this lens in total downpours, in freezing conditions, dirty conditions and in hot humid weather without any issues. I’ve never had it fail on me nor cause any unexpected behaviours. The body does scratch quite easily and over time will show wear marks however nothing too bad. I’m afraid I can’t show you in this blog because my current copy of this lens is new. As for ergonomics, this lens feels at home on the Fuji XT5. Having tried this lens with other bodies, none feel as comfortable as the XT5. The XH2 also feels good with this lens with that bigger grip. The focus and aperture dials are solid with no play.

Image Quality

The 23mm f2 is on the softer side and if you compare it to the new f1.4 lenses, there will be a noticeable difference especially at f2. Once you stop down past f4, the lenses do even out a little. With that said, this lens is far from soft or bad and unless you’re always pixel peeping or shooting everything at f2, you will be more than happy with the results. Personally the deicing factor of choosing this lens over my f1.4 isn’t image quality, but low light performance, size, camera choice and whether I will shoot video or not. One final word on image quality… if you look at an image and the first thing you comment on is that the edge sharpness is a little soft, then perhaps the image isn’t that interesting in the first place. To summarise, the image quality is good.

Autofocus

The autofocus on this lens will get a different review depending on what you are using the lens for. When it comes to photography, the autofocus is very good. Unless you’re shooting F1 or anything that requires super fast focusing, this system is good enough for 95% of cases. When it comes to video, it’s not as smooth as some of the more expensive lenses that use the linear motor systems. With that said if you’re using some of the newer cameras with the latest AF systems, then they do get better performance from this lens compared to something older.

Summary

To summarise this is an amazing little lens and the one I recommend to almost everyone. If you don’t need the best low light performance, the sharpest image for commercial work or the absolute best AF system for video, sports or wildlife then the 23mm f2 is the best choice. There are other competitors especially in the third party world, but I haven’t found anything I would rather have yet.