Fujifilm Lenses For Wide Angle Photography

In this article, we’ll explore the Fujifilm X Series lenses to discover some of the recent additions to the wide-angle photography range.

Of course, I’m a big advocate for taking any photo with any Fuji lens you already have.

However, we’ve got you covered if you’re specifically looking for recommendations on the newer X Mount lenses for landscape, architecture, and creative photography.

For any photographer working with an X Series camera like the X-T5, X-H2S, or the new X-T50, there are many lenses to choose from.

Even if you’re working with an older Fuji camera, the opportunity to expand your lens kit is impressive.

In fact, there are 40 lenses in the Fuji range, and fortunately, many of those are ideal for wide-angle work.

Let’s broaden our horizons and uncover the best wide angle lens for you.

Why Choose Fujifilm Lenses

I wrote a guide to the Best Fuji Lens For Landscape Photography a few years back.

In that guide, I listed and recommended the best choices for landscape photography from the Fuji X Mount range at that time.

Since then, Fujifilm has continued to develop and release new lenses or update some of the older models.

It’s a bit of a trend for Fujifilm at the moment.

The Japanese optics wizards have released several updated lenses, including the XF 56mm, XF 18mm, and even the humble little XF 27mm—one of my favorite lenses.

The remake lenses tend to have faster autofocus and weather-sealing.

Aside from remakes, Fuji has added several new lenses to the wide prime and zoom lineup.

As a result, I felt it was time to explore a couple of additions to the lineup of great wide-angle lenses for your X Series camera.

Can Fuji Lenses Survive The Great Outdoors?

My hometown of Melbourne | Fujifilm X-T3 + XF 16mm f/2.8

I live in Melbourne, Australia, where we endure extreme weather conditions throughout the seasons.

Summer can be a scorcher, up to 40°C or more, over several days. Winter can drop to near freezing with windy conditions.

It was 1°c this morning when I got out of bed to write this article!

In between, it can rain, hail, snow, or blaze in a bushfire! Melbourne is known for its ability to deliver four seasons in one day.

The band Crowded House even wrote a song about it – worth a Google!

The point is that when I head outdoors to capture wide-angle views, I need to trust that my gear can survive any conditions.

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 8mm f/3.5

Fortunately, Fuji lenses are renowned for their high-quality build, weather sealing, and durability.

As a result, I can head out into the bush or town knowing that no matter what the weather has in store, it won’t interrupt my shoot.

Fuji lenses feature all-metal barrels, precision-engineered lens mounts, and superb glass element assemblies for excellent image quality.

They’re also ergonomically terrific thanks to textured focus rings and ridged aperture rings with f-stops clearly marked.

Given the number of suitable lenses available, choosing the right Fuji lens for wide-angle photography can be a bit overwhelming.

I always recommend first considering if you want a prime or a zoom lens.

Beyond that, how much you’re willing to spend is also a critical question.

Finally, it’s worth considering how wide an aperture you desire; generally speaking, the wider the aperture, the higher the cost.

Let’s start with a range of Fujifilm prime lenses suitable for capturing stunning, expansive views.

Prime Lenses

I prefer to work with prime lenses regardless of my photography genre.

As a street and travel photographer, I typically shoot with a Fuji XF 16mm f/2.8, XF 23mm f/2, or XF 27mm f/2.8.

Fortunately, these wide-angle primes are ideal for many of the genres I shoot, including landscape, cityscape, and architecture.

The image quality, wide apertures, and fixed focal length work best for my approach to photography.

I tend to zoom in with my feet and ensure I’m in the best possible spot to optimize the frame and composition.

While we’ll cover zooms in a bit, these Fujifilm wide primes are at the top of my list.

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4

In my recent review, I described the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR as the best wide-angle prime lens in the Fuji range.

It’s a fast, wide prime ideal for architecture, cityscape, street photography, and landscape shots.

Thanks to its wide f/1.4 maximum aperture, it’s also ideal for any lighting situation, including astrophotography.

It’s important not to confuse this Fuji XF 18mm lens with the original XF 18mm f/2, which launched alongside the X-Pro 1 in 2012.

While that was an optically sharp lens, its focus performance was sluggish, and it wouldn’t compete in today’s market.

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 18mm f/1.4

Fortunately, the weather-sealed Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR features fast autofocus thanks to the responsive Linear Motor focus drives.

Given it packs a 15-element lens configuration, optical sharpness is assured. Of course, the star feature is the broad 76.5° angle of view.

For those of you playing along at home, the 18mm APS-C crop focal range is equivalent to 27mm in full frame.

It’s compact, lightweight, and balances beautifully on any X Series camera body like the Fujifilm X-T5.

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8

If you’re looking for a wide-angle lens that’s even more compact and a little wider, the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR prime is hard to beat.

I’ve owned the 16mm f/2.8 since it launched, and it’s one of my favorite Fuji wide primes.

I’ve traveled with it to Japan to capture streets, architecture, and landscapes whenever I can get out of the concrete jungle of Tokyo.

The 16mm focal length is a 24mm full frame equivalent and has a wide 83.2° field of view.

If you thought the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 is a compact lens, wait till you get a load of this one! It’s one of the smallest lenses in the Fuji stable at 60.0mm x 45.4mm (2.36″ X 1.79″).

Its weather-sealed construction and optical performance defy its 155gm (5.47 oz) weight.

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 16mm f/2.8

While it doesn’t feature as wide an aperture as the original XF 16mm f/1.4, it still delivers excellent image sharpness, subject separation, and background blur.

I pair the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR with my Fujifilm X-E4 to create a compact and lightweight combo for my street photography adventures.

Being a little wider allows for the inclusion of background context in urban settings.

Out in the field, the weather-sealed compact prime delivers upon expectations to capture gorgeous detail.

Check out our full review of the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8.

Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR

Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5

If 18mm and 16mm aren’t wide enough for you, then it’s time to bring out the big guns.

One of the more recent additions to the Fuji wide prime range is the ultra-wide XF 8mm f/2.5 lens.

Yes, you read that correctly. This wide-angle lens has an 8mm (12mm full-frame) focal length and delivers a 121° field of view.

If you’re not careful, you’ll photograph your feet in every shot!

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 8mm f/3.5

The weather-sealed XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR is a solid yet compact prime lens measuring Ø68mm×52.8mm (2.68×2.08″) and weighing 215g (0.47lb).

With an ultra-wide lens of this nature, you can capture expansive landscapes.

One key point to mention is that, due to the wide field of view, it’s hard to avoid sun flare when shooting in bright conditions.

However, with this in mind, it’s easy to capture stunning and dynamic architectural shots that truly pop from the frame.

I must admit, 8mm is not my usual jam, so I’d only recommend the lens if you’re serious about architecture and landscape.

Fuji Wide Zoom Lenses

While I’m a prime lens lover, I still appreciate, accommodate, and recommend zooms for all the right reasons.

I only have enough gray matter to manually control the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture via the Fuji command dials and aperture ring.

Throw in a zoom function, and I’m out of sync! Regardless, plenty of photographers are looking for a great wide-angle lens that fits Fuji’s zoom range.

Wide-angle zoom lenses make a lot of sense when physical limitations restrict you.

Zooming in and out to achieve a great composition takes skills and practice.

A wide-angle zoom unlocks the freedom to quickly frame a landscape, cityscape, or any other scenario.

Moreover, zoom lenses make a lot of sense for those who only wish to carry one lens for the job.

It also prevents the need to swap lenses mid-shoot in foul weather. Fortunately, Fujifilm has several exceptional wide-angle zoom lenses. Let’s check them out.

Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR

Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8

It’s not very often I’d recommend a kit lens as a serious contender for any genre of photography.

However, there’s no denying that the original Fujifilm X Series kit lens – the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 – is considered one of the best kit options among any brand.

Unfortunately, the XF 18-55mm kit lens is getting old and struggling to keep up with some of the newer kids on the block.

The flip side is that Fujifilm has recently released a brand new kit lens to adorn the punchier 40MP cameras, such as the equally new Fujifilm X-T50.

The new Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR delivers a slightly wider angle yet shorter long end.

However, the new kit lens delivers exceptional image sharpness across the zoom range.

Fujifilm X-T50 + XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8

The weather-sealed zoom lens is relatively compact and pairs magnificently with the X-T50 or flagship X-T5.

It measures Ø65mm×71.4mm (2.56″x2.81″) and weighs just 240g (0.53lb). The f/2.8 aperture at the wide end delivers excellent background separation.

I wish they had squeezed a little more aperture out of the 50mm end, as f/4.8 is hardly stellar.

Regardless, the lens features excellent optical performance and is super fast, thanks to the Linear Motor focus system.

I recently reviewed the Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR and gave it a huge thumbs up. FYI, my thumbs aren’t that big!

Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR

Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8

If you liked the idea of producing creative wide-angle shots with an 8mm prime but want a zoom for added flexibility, this lens is for you.

While it’s technically not that new, it’s still one of the best wide-angle zoom lenses in the Fuji fleet.

Of course, I’m referring to the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR.

The Red Badge XF Zoom is a pro-level optical powerhouse thanks to its exceptional build, image quality, and wide constant f/2.8 aperture.

With an 8-16mm focal range (12-24mm full-frame equivalent), you’ll have a staggering 121°-83.2° field of view.

Fujifilm X-T3 + XF 8-16mm f/2.8

Keep in mind that this is a pro-grade Fuji lens and is built like a tank.

At ø88mm x 121.5mm (3.46×4.78″) and weighing a mighty 805g (1.77lb), it’s definitely in the heavyweight class.

The weather-sealed lens is a little front-heavy, but balance and control are assured with a flagship body such as the Fuji X-H2S.

The optical correction to manage flare, aberrations, and distortion is the most impressive thing about the XF 8-16mm f/2.8.

It’s fast and sharp and is an ideal do-it-all companion for landscape and architecture enthusiasts.

Why Go Wide?

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 8mm f/3.5

If you’re keen to get serious about wide-angle photography, Fuji has an excellent range of prime and zoom lenses to suit your style.

How wide you should go is a tricky question to answer. I suggest you work with whatever lens you currently have available.

Even if it’s a 35mm prime lens, take it on a walk through a landscape or cityscape and work on your composition and framing.

Take note of how often you must step back to get more elements or scenery in the shot.

If you still feel the need to step back further or find that you’re limited by the amount you can fit into a 35mm or 45° view, it’s time to consider a wider lens.

If you wish to add another half-frame to the shot, consider a 23mm focal range with a 64° field of view.

If you want to go wider again and include roughly double the amount of scene into a frame, consider a 16mm lens with an 83° view. It’s not an exact science, but you get the picture.

Before you buy an 8mm ultra-wide prime, I strongly recommend working with around 16mm for a while first.

8mm is incredibly wide, and when shooting landscapes, you’ll sometimes lose the clarity and context for the sake of an expansive field of view.

The XF 8mm f/3.5 prime lens created the most interesting images when I shot close to the subject.

The dramatic field of view results in strong leading edges and compositions that draw the viewer in.

Final Thoughts

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF 8mm f/3.5

Wide-angle lenses literally broaden our horizons.

Fitting a wide-angle lens to your Fujifilm X Series camera widens the possible composition and increases our photography skills.

If you typically work with narrower focal ranges with tight compressions, a wide-angle lens elevates your awareness of the bigger picture.

Suddenly, with an open field of view, you’ll be more aware of how certain elements contribute to the overall frame.

It’s even more important to consider where the horizon, skyline, leading lines, and landscape elements fall in your shot.

With this new perspective, you’ll further enhance your overall photography skills—all it took was to go a little wider.

Fortunately for Fuji photographers, the wide-angle lens range is jam-packed with excellent prime and zoom shooter options.

Above all else, get out with your camera and have fun!