Today, Fujifilm announced a new 35mm XF R lens, whose f/2 aperture allows it to slim down from the fatty dimensions of its forebear. It looks great. It even more closely matches the rangefinder trappings of the X-Pro 1 and X-E series. This will be a first among the XF lens series. It will also be the first XF prime lens to bear marketing copy re: water resistance.
Funnily, however, Fujifilm X World have billed it as 'Compact & Thin', or alienated a majority of lenses in the XF line, all of which Fujifilm's inexpert advertising copy team bill like so:
“Compact Size, Lightweight, and Overall Feel, All Aimed at Producing Premium Image Quality and Unique Creations”
So which is it? Is it the new lens or the old lens that is compact? Fujifilm's original copy suggests that the two XF R lenses are being pitted, one against the other.
The takeaway: Fujifilm either mis-marketed, or lied re: the original 35mm, which isn't any more compact than its FF analogue.
The good news is that that doesn't matter. With the release of the new XF 35/2 R lens, finally, faux-rangefinder X series cameras will have a fast, fully-featured, and compact, normal lens that does their styling, not to mention, size right. That said, the lighter of the two (they come in silver and black) has that hideous green tinge that all modern 'silver' lenses have.
The new 35mm lens shows up on Fujifilm's lens X Mount Road Map.
Source: Fujifilm X World
via: Fujirumors