Fujinon XF 8mm F3.5 R WR Lens
Image courtesy: Fujifilm

Alongside the announcement of its new Fujifilm X-S20 mirrorless camera, Fujifilm also announced the launch of its new Fujinon XF 8mm F3.5 R WR Lens. The XF 8mm lens is an ultra-wide angle lens for video makers who use Fujifilm’s APS-C sensor X series cameras.

Widest-angle prime lens

The XF 8mm lens has the widest angle of view of Fujifilm’s X-mount lens line to date. It gives you 121 degrees diagonally and 112 degrees horizontally for a really wide field of vision. It’s also equivalent to a 12 mm lens on a full-frame camera. The XF 8mm lens is constructed with 12 lens elements in nine groups. These include three aspherical elements and two extra-low dispersion (ED) lens elements. Fujifilm says these control lens distortion, spherical aberration and astigmatism to deliver advanced image-resolving performance.

Autofocus

The Fujinon XF 8mm lens uses an internal focusing system, so the lens won’t change length as you pull focus. This is useful if you use the lens on a gimbal, as the balance won’t change. In addition, the focusing lens only has a short distance of travel which helps to give you a fast autofocus speed. Fujifilm says the lens can focus in as little as 0.02 seconds. As an ultra-wide angle lens, the XF 8mm naturally has a greater than normal depth of field. However, Fujifilm says that you can achieve pan focus when you stop it down. This means everything in your image, from the foreground to the background, is in focus.

Build quality

Fujinon XF 8mm F3.5 R WR Lens
Image courtesy: Fujifilm

The XF 8mm lens is compact and lightweight. It measures just over 2 inches (51 mm) in length and weighs only 7.9 ounces (215 g). The filter thread size is 62 mm. Despite its small size, the XF 8mm lens is also weather sealed at 10 locations to make it dust and weather resistant. In addition, the front lens element features a fluorine coating to repel water and give you additional protection against stains. Fujifilm also states that the lens can operate in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius).

What we think

The new Fujinon XF 8mm is a high-quality ultra-wide prime lens. Ultra-wide angle lenses are great for architecture and real estate videos. However, they can also be useful on a gimbal as the wide field of view smooths out any bumps in your tracking. In addition, the deep depth of field means you don’t have to worry about pulling focus. If you always like to have shallow depth of field in your shots, then this probably isn’t the lens for you. However, if you shoot with an X series camera and are in the market for a new wide-angle lens, the XF 8mm is one to test drive.

Pricing and availability

The Fujinon XF 8mm F3.5 R WR Lens will be available at the end of June and will retail at $799.

Pete Tomkies is a freelance cinematographer and camera operator from Manchester, UK. He also produces and directs short films as Duck66 Films. Pete's latest short Once Bitten... won 15 awards and was selected for 105 film festivals around the world.