Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR Review – Build and handling

Fujinon primes have a reputation for being engineered to a high standard and the XF 35mm f/2 R WR is no exception. It’s a solidly made optic and its metal and glass construction gives it the sort of premium feel you should always look for from a lens that you want to last. There’s a difference in diameter between the rear and the front of the lens, resulting in the aperture ring being slightly larger than the manual focus ring in front. The lens looks smart attached to X-series cameras and doesn’t look or feel out of place when it’s coupled to the smallest entry-level models such as the X-A2. Our review sample was supplied in black, but those who chose their X-series camera in a silver finish will be glad to know this lens is also available in silver to match.

Fujifilm also make the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R in an all-silver finish to compliment silver X-series models

The quality doesn’t just lie in its appearance; it’s a lens that operates precisely and smoothly, too. The aperture ring clicks through its range in 1/3-stop increments and rather than having little rotational resistance like there is on the XF 35mm f/1.4 R, there’s a firmer feel to it when it’s turned. The same can be said about the manual focus ring. It’s not as free turning as the 35mm f/1.4 and just feels that little bit more refined despite it being smaller. One possible explanation for the improved feel of both the aperture and manual focus rings could be the addition of internal weather seals; when you uncouple the lens from the camera, you’ll also notice a rubber ring at the rear that effectively seals it against the metal lens mount.

The size difference between the XF 35mm f/1.4 R (left) and new Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R (right) is obvious

Rotating the aperture ring anti-clockwise to its further point will set it to its ‘A’ setting, and glancing down at the lens from above you’ll notice the focal length is marked on the barrel, which wasn’t on the older 35mm f/4. The absence of switches on the barrel preserves a clean and minimalist appearance and though it is a smaller and more compact lens, I found the difference in weight to be negligible.