What’s the Best Lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3

At nearly the end of its life, the Fujifilm X Pro 3 is a very hot camera. Photographers have suddenly figured out why it’s so special. There’s a lot of love about this camera that many have known about for years. If it’s not the lightweight or the retro ergonomics, it’s the image quality and how it’s used. This camera forces you to stay in the zone when you’re shooting. So we’re answering the question: what’s the best lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3?

How We Chose the Best Lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3

Here’s some insight into how to use this guide to the best lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3:

• The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
• If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
• Fujifilm X Mount (which we’re focusing on here) has many lenses available. And so, we’re choosing the best lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3: from the ones that we’ve reviewed. Luckily, we’ve reviewed the vast majority of lenses for Fujifilm X Mount. You can find them in this guide here.
• So what makes a lens the best lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3? A few things: at the top of it all is portability. I mean, what’s the point of using a lens if you never want to handhold it or carry it for a long time? Then there’s image quality. Fujifilm’s newer lenses are a bit cleaner than the previous ones were. However, a lot of the image quality is also based on whatever film simulation you’re using. We also value weather resistance because it helps prolong the shelf-life of your product.
• With Fujifilm, we typically just use single autofocus and have it select from the entire area. Otherwise, we use Continuous autofocus and choose the widest zone right in the center. It typically nails the exposure.
• We’ve reviewed nearly all of Fujifilm’s X series lenses. You can take a look at this guide.

The best Lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3: Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 R WR

I mean, how could we not go with this lens? Even though the design doesn’t seem very retro-inspired to us, we can’t deny the image quality of the Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 R WR. We’re choosing this over the older version because it’s both weather resistant, fast to focus, and has great image quality. We like pairing it with Glimmer glass for our favorite results.

Transparently, my favorite lens for street photography is the 18mm f1.4 WR R. But, this list is being made based on the needs of various photographers. If you really want one go-to lens, this is it.

Combine it with your favorite film simulations and the right exposure for results that you’re going to love. I prefer Classic Chrome, Astia, Pro Negative High Contrast, and Classic Negative.

LIKES

• Weather resistance
• Fast autofocus
• Build quality
• It still makes Fuji’s sensors look good!
• Pretty good pricing at Adorama and Amazon. Try it first over at LensRentals.

DISLIKES

• It’s a bit too sharp for me.

Tech Specs

Specs are taken from the LensRentals listing.

This lens is available for $899.95. In our review conclusions, we said:

The Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 R WR LM is a worthy successor to the original. Fujifilm improved the image quality by making it sharper. Some of us won’t want our photos too sharp, so I’d recommend using a haze filter or an intensifier to soften it up a bit. There’s also weather resistance and faster autofocus. At the same time, it’s pretty long. Ergonomically speaking, I personally like a fatter, shorter lens. But practically speaking, this is one of the best lenses Fujifilm has ever made.

3 Other Great Options You Might Think is the Best Lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3

Here are three other great options that photographers will enjoy. These lenses are all larger and have a faster aperture than our choice. But for some photographers, these might be the best lens for the Fujifilm X Pro 3 because of image quality, balance, or affordability.

Fujifilm 35mm f1.4 R

PROS

• Exceptional image quality
• Jaw dropping sharpness
• Focusing speed has improved with further firmware updates, but still isn’t top notch
• Excellent metal build quality
• The finish will make it look like an old lens over time

CONS

• Still a bit too slow to focus in some situations, but when you have this kind of image quality, you really can’t complain all day.

Tech Specs

This lens is available for around $599. Our review concluded by saying:

When I made the purchase of the X Pro 1, I was torn between the 18mm f2 and this lens. I think I made the right decision due to the faster aperture despite the fact that I like shooting wider. Either way, this lens is a wonderful piece of glass that every photographer going into a mirrorless system should consider. Granted, it does have its contenders. Panasonic’s 25mm f1.4 and Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 may keep Micro Four thirds users locked in at the time of this publishing. Sony doesn’t have anything in the equivalent area to step into the arena, though some can argue that the 30mm f3.5 may be a suitable fit.

Fujifilm 33mm f1.4 R WR

Pros

• Weather sealed
• Lightweight
• Decent size, not too large or small.
• Insanely fast on the X Pro 3 and XT4
• Beautiful image quality
• I’m glad this isn’t directly replacing the 35mm f1.4 because that lens has beautiful render.
• Can be a fantastic wedding lens one moment and then a great fun lens the other moment.
• Around $800 is pretty fair for what this lens can do.

Cons

• Not going to lie, I miss the pull-back focusing ring. But the autofocus can keep up at this point. I’m really shocked.

Tech Specs

In our review, we state:

“Mount the Fujifilm 33mm f1.4 R WR LM to your camera, and you’ll probably fall in love nearly immediately. The balance, the build quality, and the reliability all work together to make this a fantastic lens. Couple that with one of the great Fujifilm simulations and you’ll be very happy. It focuses incredibly fast in any situation you’ll need to it. And it also reliably tracks your subjects.”

Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 R WR

Pros

• It’s quite sharp
• Swift autofocus
• Lightweight and ergonomic
• Withstands the elements
• Great for a variety of applications
• Beautiful optics

Cons

• Minimal chromatic aberration when shooting backlit
• Vignetting is a con if you don’t appreciate it, although it’s easily fixed

Tech Specs

In our review, we state:

“The Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 LM WR lens provides the classic 28mm equivalent focal length with a fast aperture. The linear motor delivers even more impressive autofocus, and it’s weather sealed. Images are beautifully sharp with painterly bokeh, gorgeous colors, and solid contrast. The film simulations make editing a breeze and get you back to shooting in no time. It is a lens that you can and will want to take with you everywhere.”