Fujifilm has introduced the XF 18mm F1.4 R LM WR wide-angle prime lens, which is equivalent to 27mm when mounted on an X-mount body. It is the 39th lens in Fujifilm’s broad line of interchangeable lenses, made exclusively for the X Series family of mirrorless digital cameras.

Its lightweight, highly portable design makes it an ideal lens for street photography. Added flexibility in dimly lit environments is also provided through the lens’s wide F1.4 aperture, which also produces incredibly smooth bokeh.

“Keeping to our X Series philosophy of creating lightweight and compact imaging solutions that produce phenomenal image quality, XF18mmF1.4 is a well-balanced and versatile option for any image-maker,” said Victor Ha, senior director of marketing and product management, Electronic Imaging Division at FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “We are really excited to see what stories and images our community of image-makers will create with this lens. It’s certainly ideal for street photography and landscapes, but we’re also looking forward to seeing how it will be used to make wedding and portrait images. There are a lot of creative possibilities with this lens, and I’m confident we’re going to see some great content.”

The lens has a total of 15 elements (in 9 groups) and includes both aspherical and extra-low dispersion glass. The six-element focus group is driven by a near-silent linear motor. The minimum focus distance of the 18mm F1.4 is 11cm, with a maximum magnification of 0.15x.

Main features:

• XF18mmF1.4 utilizes three aspherical lenses and an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens among its 15 lens elements, spread across 9 groups, to minimize the chromatic and comatic aberration. This means the finest details of an image will be reproduced with high levels of sharpness.
• The focusing group of six lens elements moves in unison to minimize aberration fluctuations and deliver consistent sharpness at any focusing position.
• XF18mmF1.4 has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27mm and can achieve focus on subjects 4.33in (11cm) away from the front lens element. This gives the lens a broad range of applications, from making images of everyday moments to using it to create sweeping landscapes.
• XF18mmF1.4 uses an internal autofocus (AF) system, driven by a powerful linear motor, to provide fast, accurate, and near-silent AF. From the lens’ minimum object
  distance (MOD) of 7.87in (20cm) to infinity, the focusing group of lens elements travels a total of just 0.1in (2.5mm). This means the focus can be acquired as quickly
  as 0.04 seconds.

• If the lens must travel beyond MOD to acquire focus, focus can still be achieved as quickly as 0.25 seconds.
• For precise control when manually focusing, components in the manual focusing ring assembly have been specially engineered to respond with precision, especially when the focusing ring is rotated slightly.
• XF18mmF1.4 has a 62mm filter thread, measures 2.98in (7.56cm) in length, and weighs just 0.81lbs. (370g). This makes it incredibly lightweight and portable. While the lens barrel is made from metal, it is specially designed to minimize its weight without compromising its overall strength.
• The lens has weather-resistant seals at eight locations along the lens barrel, making it resistant to dust, moisture, and temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C) when used with a weather-resistant X-Series digital camera.
• XF18mmF1.4 is designed with an A (Auto) Position Lock to lock the aperture ring into the A position, preventing accidental movement.

Here some sample pictures:

The XF18mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens is expected to be available in late May and will retail for $999.

More info on Fujifilm’s website.