I So Want To Love the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
When I switched to Fuji about a year ago, I’d never shot with a 35mm equivalent prime before, and Fuji’s f/1.4 was very enticing. Thinking it’d be my go-everywhere-with-me lens, I went ahead and got it.
I instantly saw that the lens lived up to the hype, but over time I found the size and weight discouraged me from keeping my camera on me at all times. It was too heavy. It was too big. The 23 f/2 was still only a rumor at that point, so I decided to sell the f/1.4 and buy a used copy of the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 along with a new 35mm f/2. At the time of purchase, it seemed like the perfect combo: a 50mm equivalent for most things, and the 41mm equivalent when I needed that extra room, or when I needed a “compact and discreet” set up for street and traveling.
After several months of using both lenses, I’ve had some serious thoughts about that 27mm pancake lens. Since I always enjoy reading about others’ experiences with their equipment, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve realized.
First, I love the 35mm f/2.
It felt like magic the first time I used it. I am really drawn to the 50mm focal length, and the size of this lens feels perfect on my X-E2. If I were a dedicated street photographer, I’d probably want to stick with the 50mm equivalent full time and really grow with that lens. But the thing is, I’m not a street photographer. I’m just a guy who loves photography. I live in Ukraine, and I spend a lot of time in tight environments: small apartments, small office spaces, tight planes and trains. So even though I’d like to use the 50mm equivalent exclusively, it’s hard to declare it my go-to lens.
Second, I really want to like love the 27mm like so many people do, but things just aren’t working between us. Here’s what I’ve been thinking and feeling.
The Difference In Focal Length Isn’t Very Different
The 41mm focal length just doesn’t do it for me. When I need a wider angle, the 27mm lens is just barely wider than the 35mm f/2 and so I have no motivation to use it unless I absolutley have to. Or, I’ll get out my 18–55mm kit lens. That lens is fine when I’m at home, but I don’t like to carry around that heavier zoom with me througout the day.
The Difference In Weight Is Negligible
A big reason people love the 27mm is that it is so, so light. Before the releases of the 23mm and 35mm f/2, I would definitely have been more drawn to the pancake lens, but I find the 35mm to be perfectly light enough for my needs. Yes, the 27mm is significantly lighter, but the 35mm f/2 is significantly not heavy at all. In fact, I enjoy the balanced size and weight of it in my hands.
The Difference In Size Is A Matter of Perspective
Another reason people love the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens is that it makes your camera so compact and unassuming. “Almost pocketable” is something I have read again and again. But the thing is, “almost” doesn’t mean “pocketable,” and I think I made that mistake when deciding on this lens.
When I compare my XE-2 to a DSLR, I’m amazed at how tiny it is. I’m amazed at how they were able to squeeze so much camera into such a tiny package. It feels like progress. It feels like the future. But when I attach the 27mm pancake, I get into this mindset that this is now a convenient “travel” camera, a “pocket camera.” And when I think of it in these terms, I’m simply turned off by how large and cumbersome it feels. I know it’s all in my head, but in my head it is. And I can’t shake it.
The Difference In Operation Drives Me Crazy
Finally, I absolutely don’t like that I have to change my shooting style whenever I attach the aperture-less 27mm lens.
Typically I always shoot in manual, and I leave my shutter dial on “T” and use the control wheel to make more nuanced shutter speed choices. I use spot metering to analyze my histogram to get a more accurate sense of my highlights and shadows data. Because the 27mm doesn’t have an aperture ring, the aperture is automatically routed to that control wheel. This means my fingers get confused going between having an aperture ring and not having an aperture ring. It also means that I tend to shoot aperture priority with the little pancake lens, which means my spot metering throws my exposure all over the place as I change my composition ever so slightly. Which means I’ve got to change my metering mode. It’s a lot of change for a lens swap, and so I find myself hassling with my camera to use a lens that I personally don’t find small enough or light enough or wide enough to warrant the fuss.
But That’s Not To Say This Isn’t A Great Lens
I really, really do want to love this lens. I keep searching the internet for reviews I haven’t read hoping someone will say something to convince me to keep it. I keep hoping that if give it enough time, we’ll come to understand each other.
A couple weeks ago, I went on a two-day retreat in a village a couple hours away. I wanted to bring my 35mm f/2, but I knew I’d need a wider lens (and I didn’t want to bring my 18–55 because it was too much for that trip). I made the choice to travel with just my 27mm. I hoped this would finally bring peace between us.
Unfortunately, the trip confirmed what I had been feeling already. I just didn’t enjoy the shooting experience. It barely fit in my coat pocket, but only just enough that it was annoying to pull out. The 41mm equivalent focal length wasn’t great indoors. The little lens noises seemed to distract during the meetings I was a part of it. I returned home resolute that it was time to sell.
But when I got home and saw the pictures. Those pictures! Even though the focal length still doesn’t call to me, the quality of this lens is fantastic. It is most certainly, 100% an XF lens. Here are some of my favorites from that weekend.
These images make me second guess my decision to sell. I’ve gone back through my archives and think, Really? Do I really not like it that much? But alas, I don’t don’t think this lens is for me. Just know that to all of you who love your Fujinon 27mm f/2.8, I am jealous. I am jealous of those feelings, of that relationship. I want to love this lens. I just…I just can’t.
I’m still not quite sure what to do about a go-to, wider-than-fifty lens. I’m leaning toward the 23 f/2 and certain I’ll be happy with it. But I’m also thinking about the Fujifilm X70. It could be the go-anywhere body and is especially useful for those tighter environments. The 28mm equivalent lens intimidates me, however, and the sub-par video performance keeps me from feeling like it’s a good idea to start carrying yet another camera body. I don’t want to stop using my XE-2, and I think it’d be much easier to do that with the X70.
One thing is for sure: I love the Fuji X system. It’s taken me some time to get to this point—and there are still quirks that bug me—but I am so satisfied with my switch from Canon.
Brandon Price
www.brandonprice.photography
@frombrandon
