First Impressions, Questions on 27 mm. F2.8

I managed to get one of the new 27 mm. F2.8 pancake lenses for my X-S10 yesterday. They've been hard to find, probably because people have been buying them with the X-E4, according to the salesperson at the camera store (Aden Camera in downtown Toronto).

So far, first impressions are positive. It's much smaller and lighter than the 16-80 mm. F4 and makes the X-S10 way more usable for just carrying it around on walks or excursions. I've read some comments about lack of sharpness, but the few test shots I've had a chance to take look more than adequately sharp and are certainly crisper than the 16-80.

Two questions.

• The lens came with a small screw-on lens hood, but the lens cap doesn't seem to fit over it. Am I missing something? Or does anyone know of a 3rd-party lens cap that will fit if I use the lens hood.
• I usually use a cap-keeper to avoid loosing my lens cap but the ones I have (which work OK on the 16-80 are too big for the 27 mm. (I use the type that have an elastic cord that wraps around the lens). Has anyone found one that will fit around smaller lenses?

Here are a couple of pictures taken yesterday with the 27 mm.

Hi,

The lens is fine and sharp in the centre. It produces very nice portraits and the Bokeh is surprisingly good for a pancake. I finally sold it because I missed the aperture ring but otherwise it is a fine lens.

Can't help you with the lens hood, lens cap question.

Joachim Gerstl wrote:

Hi,

The lens is fine and sharp in the centre. It produces very nice portraits and the Bokeh is surprisingly good for a pancake. I finally sold it because I missed the aperture ring but otherwise it is a fine lens.

Can't help you with the lens hood, lens cap question.

Yes I prefer the new version with aperture ring and WR.  Mine came with a small metal screw in hood and a plastic push on lens cap which covers the hood, so I leave the hood on permanently.  I'm surprised you got a hood and no cap - check with the dealer perhaps?

One or the other of the Optech Hood Hat PK series should fit over the hood. The PK Micro is perfect for the lens without the hood.

Your dog is awesome.

It's a svelte, sharp lens. Love mine. It took it on a walk today on a XE4. Sorry, I was probably one those who delayed you getting one as I bought it with a XE4 kit!

The kit does not come with a lens hood or cap that fits over it (mean!). I had to buy both separately off Amazon (I hope you can find them in your country):

Hood, which I think is excellent in that it fits well, does the job and is unobtrusive:

FUJIFILM Lens Hood LH-XF27 for XF27mmF2.8 R WR: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Cap for the hood, which snaps tightly onto the hood and mine, touch wood, fits securely (ignore the Amazon second image - do not know what that is):

FUJIFILM 16674891 Lens Hood Cap LHCP-27 for XF 27mmF2.8 R WR, Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Hope that helps.

Hi,

I like the 27mm as well!

Regarding the hood - I got this one: https://squarehood.se/collections/lens-hoods/products/squarehood-for-xf-27mm-f-2-8

Yours
Markus

Ooooh. How cute is that?! I instantly want one, although I am honestly not sure if I want to add the size to my pleasingly compact X-T10 "MX". I'm going to have to shoot with it a lot in full sun this summer and see if I have enough real problems with flare to justify adding the hood.

Mine came with two caps, including one that pushes on over the lens hood. It's a great size, that's definitely the best thing about it. It's a shame they didn't update the autofocus motor in the new one but I guess they couldn't fit anything smoother/quieter.

ksoltys wrote:

I've read some comments about lack of sharpness, but the few test shots I've had a chance to take look more than adequately sharp and are certainly crisper than the 16-80.

I think I am able to get consistently great sharpness by focusing my 27mm F2.8 WR lens manually.  I believe autofocus results were not consistently great, but I've been manually focusing now and have forgotten exactly how much the results were not great when autofocused.

There are threads here about small random autofocus errors using most any Fuji electronic lens. I saw this myself using an X-T3 and a 50mm F2 WR lens.

When I got my first X-E1, I got the 18mm f2 and it stayed glued on my X-E1. When I upgraded to an X-E2, I added the 27mm f2.8 because of it's small size, which gave me two pancake lenses for a walk-about kit with the X-E2. I could easily carry one lens in my pants or shirt pocket, plus a spare battery and go the whole day like that. But I never liked the lack of an aperture ring on the 27mm and it pretty much stayed in my pocket. So I only have a couple of jpegs from the X-E2 and 27mm.

Now that I'm old as dirt, the X-E4 with the 18mm f2 and the new 27mm f2.8 would probably be perfect for me. But instead, I have an X-T2 with a somewhat heavy Arca-Swiss dovetail baseplate on it, a Tokina ATX-m 33mm f1.4, Tokina ATX-m 56mm f1.4, and the Voigtlander X-mount Nokton 35mm f1.2. Even with the little pancake Nokton, shooting handheld with the X-T2 increasing becomes difficult for me most of the time, resulting in a lot of well composed, properly exposed, blurry images.

X-E2 with the old 27mm f2.8

X-E2 with the old 27mm f2.8

Shot handheld with the X-T2 and Tokina ATX-m 56mm f1.4 at f1.4. But the X-T2 was up against the side of another tree to keep it steady.

ksoltys wrote:

charisgratia wrote:

Check your packaging. Mine came with a cap for the lens without the hood and a cap to go over the hood itself. I almost missed the latter.

Thank you! That is indeed the case and I have it on the lens now. I will probably get a 39 mm. clear UV filter and not worry about a cap when I'm out shooting.

Keith

I bought the Fuji PRF-39 protector filter because it will not impede normal operation of the 27mm F2.8 WR lens.   Not a cheap filter but I don't worry about issues.

There is also a 39mm "hood" available from Heliopan, their E 39 model.  It is basically an extender ring about 3/8" long.  It won't cause vignetting and it takes the regular 39mm lens cap.  If you use the Fuji hood on top of the clear filter, it might cause vignetting at the corners of your images.  I don't have one so I can't be sure.

My kit arrived with the lens, and a lens cap, but not a hood.

If you buy a different filter, be sure the outer diameter of this filter is not greater than the place where it screws into the lens, even by the slightest amount.

If you turn on the camera with the lens attached, filter or no filter, you will see this part of the lens jump in and out a bit.  The movement must not be restricted.

Also, with wide angle lenses the optical excellence of any filter is very important, especially in the edges and corners of your images.

Tom Schum wrote:

ksoltys wrote:

charisgratia wrote:

Check your packaging. Mine came with a cap for the lens without the hood and a cap to go over the hood itself. I almost missed the latter.

Thank you! That is indeed the case and I have it on the lens now. I will probably get a 39 mm. clear UV filter and not worry about a cap when I'm out shooting.

Keith

I bought the Fuji PRF-39 protector filter because it will not impede normal operation of the 27mm F2.8 WR lens. Not a cheap filter but I don't worry about issues.

There is also a 39mm "hood" available from Heliopan, their E 39 model. It is basically an extender ring about 3/8" long. It won't cause vignetting and it takes the regular 39mm lens cap. If you use the Fuji hood on top of the clear filter, it might cause vignetting at the corners of your images. I don't have one so I can't be sure.

My kit arrived with the lens, and a lens cap, but not a hood.

If you buy a different filter, be sure the outer diameter of this filter is not greater than the place where it screws into the lens, even by the slightest amount.

If you turn on the camera with the lens attached, filter or no filter, you will see this part of the lens jump in and out a bit. The movement must not be restricted.

Also, with wide angle lenses the optical excellence of any filter is very important, especially in the edges and corners of your images.

Yes, I got this filter too as was hard to find a 39mm filter elsewhere, it is over priced but an elegant solution.

I am still not sold on this focal length though, I still feel more comfortable with 28mm, 35mm or 50mm. It’s the third time I’ve tried it too. Anyone else find it a odd focal length? I assume at some point you get used to it, but maybe jumping between focal lengths isn’t helping.. I’m in two minds about whether I just sell it and use my 35mm f2 as my lightweight option instead, it seems just as sharp but quieter to focus and f2 provides a bit more flexibility?

astonehouse wrote:

I’m in two minds about whether I just sell it and use my 35mm f2 as my lightweight option instead, it seems just as sharp but quieter to focus and f2 provides a bit more flexibility?

I bought it in a kit with my X-E4 precisely because I can sell the lens for a good price if I don't want to keep it.  It cost +$200 in the kit and I can easily get about $300 for it if I sell.

At this point I like it mainly for the small size.  It is TINY, actually.

With a lens hood on, I don't use a lens cap.  I run my X100V that way with a hood and no cap (but a filter in place).  With my 16-80 and hood, no cap (again, filter in place).  The hood on the 27mm looks similar to the one I have on the X100V and it's quite protective.