Why is the 14 2.8 so expensive?

I don't know about that comparison, but in the cobwebs of my mind I think there's something about it being excellent as far as optical correction goes (for a 21mm equiv. WA lens). And it's quite the solid build.
 
...And minimal third-party competition allows Fuji to charge a premium for its lenses.
 
...And minimal third-party competition allows Fuji to charge a premium for its lenses.
They just need to watch out for competition from their own line. I just got the little 15-45 XC for 150 dollars and at 15mm that little dude looks as sharp as the 14mm shots I have seen. I have only taken it out once so far so Ill get better with it as I go but so far I am pleased for so little money



a63758bbdca940e3ba94a75c494584c8.jpg



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Hi,

You're paying for an excellent lens. And UWA lenses don't sell in the numbers that say 18, 23, and 35mm primes and kit zooms do.

The 20mm Sony is an excellent lens too and yes it's faster (by 1+1/3 stops), but it is also a more expensive excellent lens - at least here in Australia. Is it more expensive by 1+1/3 stops? - I don't know. It's a bit hard to compare across brands.

I don't think Fuji were motivated in designing the 14mm by subject separation in UWA images. It's a bit of a niche taste. If they had been, they'd have gone for a faster aperture. Fuji went for excellent optics in a very portable package. Most people use UWAs for landscapes, architecture, interiors and extreme depth shots - all uses that call for stopped down apertures.

Regards, Rod
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
"The produced distortion of the Fujinon is possibly the biggest surprise in this review - it has almost none (0.4% barrel distortion). This is also valid for the RAW data so there's no active auto-correction necessary here."


Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1
Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1

Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20
Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20

Deed
 
Hi,

You're paying for an excellent lens. And UWA lenses don't sell in the numbers that say 18, 23, and 35mm primes and kit zooms do.

The 20mm Sony is an excellent lens too and yes it's faster (by 1+1/3 stops), but it is also a more expensive excellent lens - at least here in Australia. Is it more expensive by 1+1/3 stops? - I don't know. It's a bit hard to compare across brands.

I don't think Fuji were motivated in designing the 14mm by subject separation in UWA images. It's a bit of a niche taste. If they had been, they'd have gone for a faster aperture. Fuji went for excellent optics in a very portable package. Most people use UWAs for landscapes, architecture, interiors and extreme depth shots - all uses that call for stopped down apertures.

Regards, Rod
i'm sure they weren't interested in subject separation, and I can certainly understand them valuing portability over giving people more control over that, as it is hardly a feature that most general use-cases for such a lens demand. Regardless, I'm still surprised that the price difference, at least in the U.S, is pretty negligable, and very often the Sony's is cheaper than the fujifilm. I know there is a premium on fuji products generally and I'm fine with that, but this lens sticks out in particular as one that seems hugely overpriced considering specs. I just find it a bit confusing!
 
  1. guitarjeff wrote:
...And minimal third-party competition allows Fuji to charge a premium for its lenses.
They just need to watch out for competition from their own line. I just got the little 15-45 XC for 150 dollars and at 15mm that little dude looks as sharp as the 14mm shots I have seen. I have only taken it out once so far so Ill get better with it as I go but so far I am pleased for so little money

a63758bbdca940e3ba94a75c494584c8.jpg

2ba9c49f347d435db6ac81d7a9eb0408.jpg
I've looked at the 15-45 for this very reason-heard it's really superb for the price
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
"The produced distortion of the Fujinon is possibly the biggest surprise in this review - it has almost none (0.4% barrel distortion). This is also valid for the RAW data so there's no active auto-correction necessary here."

https://opticallimits.com/fuji_x/807-fuji14f28?start=1

Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1
Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1

Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20
Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20

Deed
I've read the optical limits review before- I'm not oblivious to how impressive having such a small amount of distortion from such a lens is, but is that really why it is so expensive? Obviously not singularly, but certainly a fundamental reason?

Maybe I just don't know enough about offerings at this focal range. It just seems to me that a 21mm f4.2 ff equiv (in terms of DoF control) lens shouldn't be costing the same as a 20mm 1.8 that apparently makes few optical sacrifices itself.
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
"The produced distortion of the Fujinon is possibly the biggest surprise in this review - it has almost none (0.4% barrel distortion). This is also valid for the RAW data so there's no active auto-correction necessary here."

https://opticallimits.com/fuji_x/807-fuji14f28?start=1

Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1
Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1

Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20
Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20

Deed
I've read the optical limits review before- I'm not oblivious to how impressive having such a small amount of distortion from such a lens is, but is that really why it is so expensive? Obviously not singularly, but certainly a fundamental reason?

Maybe I just don't know enough about offerings at this focal range. It just seems to me that a 21mm f4.2 ff equiv (in terms of DoF control) lens shouldn't be costing the same as a 20mm 1.8 that apparently makes few optical sacrifices itself.
Fair enough, but let me just say that I had the 14/2.8 - and then sold it. F2.8 ... pfffft ... not compelling to keep. Bu then I had second thought about it when I used the Tokina 20/2,0 and found the 14/2.8 to be quite a bit better.

X-T2 + 14/2.8 Mt Victoria 2019
X-T2 + 14/2.8 Mt Victoria 2019

Since the Firin 20/2.0 pics were nothing to write home about I then used the 24/1.4 G-Master on the A7III:

SONY A7III + 24/1.4 Mt Victoria 2019
SONY A7III + 24/1.4 Mt Victoria 2019

Same morning. Ignore the sky for a minute and just focus on the buildings.

The 24/1.4 was 3x the price of the Fuji here in NZ by the way.

Deed
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
Stellar optic performance with little distortion and superior corner sharpness. The lens is lightweight and also has the push/pull clutch focusing. Lastly, it has a depth of field guidance on the lens.

Tim C.
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
Stellar optic performance with little distortion and superior corner sharpness. The lens is lightweight and also has the push/pull clutch focusing. Lastly, it has a depth of field guidance on the lens.

Tim C.
ok, understood (apart from being lightweight, which doesn't strike me as a predictor of lens price, in spite of it obviously being desirable)
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
"The produced distortion of the Fujinon is possibly the biggest surprise in this review - it has almost none (0.4% barrel distortion). This is also valid for the RAW data so there's no active auto-correction necessary here."

https://opticallimits.com/fuji_x/807-fuji14f28?start=1

Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1
Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1

Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20
Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20

Deed
I've read the optical limits review before- I'm not oblivious to how impressive having such a small amount of distortion from such a lens is, but is that really why it is so expensive? Obviously not singularly, but certainly a fundamental reason?

Maybe I just don't know enough about offerings at this focal range. It just seems to me that a 21mm f4.2 ff equiv (in terms of DoF control) lens shouldn't be costing the same as a 20mm 1.8 that apparently makes few optical sacrifices itself.
Fair enough, but let me just say that I had the 14/2.8 - and then sold it. F2.8 ... pfffft ... not compelling to keep. Bu then I had second thought about it when I used the Tokina 20/2,0 and found the 14/2.8 to be quite a bit better.

X-T2 + 14/2.8 Mt Victoria 2019
X-T2 + 14/2.8 Mt Victoria 2019

Since the Firin 20/2.0 pics were nothing to write home about I then used the 24/1.4 G-Master on the A7III:

SONY A7III + 24/1.4 Mt Victoria 2019
SONY A7III + 24/1.4 Mt Victoria 2019

Same morning. Ignore the sky for a minute and just focus on the buildings.

The 24/1.4 was 3x the price of the Fuji here in NZ by the way.

Deed
i'm sorry- on my phone I'm not sure how to download the full sized images. I'm assuming your point is the 14 2.8 has more detail in this photo? I'm definitely not arguing against the fact that it's a great lens!
 
A lot of people who hate the power zoom say they simply use it as a 15mm lens at which it works well.
 
Because it is a very good lens.
 
Lucky your not buying the Nikon 14mm f2.8

it’s double the price of the Fuji lens.



3747edcf62a34f73a8e4c83123e6a7c4.jpg



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Back to bridge cameras......
 
I may be about to invent a new branch of the equivalence debate - price. Interestingly it looks a bit less than a stop more costly, working on a factor of 2. Of course on crop alone, 1.5x it does seem more costly.
 
Lucky your not buying the Nikon 14mm f2.8

it’s double the price of the Fuji lens.

3747edcf62a34f73a8e4c83123e6a7c4.jpg

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Back to bridge cameras......
ahah- well, I'm buying neither - will wait to see what viltrox do. heard that they've got a 13 mm in the pipeline.

This is a full frame lens too, no? so a pretty significantly different fov?
 
I'm thinking compared to the Sony 20 1.8, which has around two stops more depth control and seems to be a pretty similar price.
"The produced distortion of the Fujinon is possibly the biggest surprise in this review - it has almost none (0.4% barrel distortion). This is also valid for the RAW data so there's no active auto-correction necessary here."

https://opticallimits.com/fuji_x/807-fuji14f28?start=1

Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1
Tongariro Crossing 2013 X-E1

Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20
Chiang Rai 2018 X-T20

Deed
I've read the optical limits review before- I'm not oblivious to how impressive having such a small amount of distortion from such a lens is, but is that really why it is so expensive? Obviously not singularly, but certainly a fundamental reason?

Maybe I just don't know enough about offerings at this focal range. It just seems to me that a 21mm f4.2 ff equiv (in terms of DoF control) lens shouldn't be costing the same as a 20mm 1.8 that apparently makes few optical sacrifices itself.
A 14mm lens is a 14mm lens, you shouldn't be comparing it with a 20mm, FF or otherwise. The manufacting of a 14mm lens that is well corrected will always be more expensive than a 20mm lens.

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Cordial Regards
 

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