What's the difference between the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X and the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

The Ultron 27mm F2 X leads on a lighter 120g body, a more compact 23.5 mm barrel, closer 0.25 m focusing. The XF 23mm F1.4 R leads on a brighter f/1.4 maximum aperture, autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only.

Which is smaller, the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X or the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

The Ultron 27mm F2 X is the smaller, lighter lens at 120g and 23.5 mm long, versus 300g for the XF 23mm F1.4 R.

Which is faster, the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X or the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

The XF 23mm F1.4 R is the faster lens at f/1.4, against f/2 for the Ultron 27mm F2 X — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X vs Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R: full comparison

Both are good for zone focusing, but the Ultron is much smaller, and the XF 23mm f/1.4 adds f/1.4 and autofocus.

Read the full Ultron 27mm F2 X review →Read the full XF 23mm F1.4 R review →

The short version

Both lenses suit people who zone focus. Zone focusing means you set the distance and aperture before you shoot, for example two metres at f/5.6.

On a Fujifilm X camera, the XF 23mm f/1.4 shows about what a 35mm lens shows on a 35mm film camera. That's the same view as the X100 cameras. The Ultron 27mm shows about 40mm, which is a little tighter.

The XF 23mm f/1.4 has a clutch focus ring. Pull it back and you get a distance scale, a depth-of-field scale and a hard infinity stop. That means the ring stops dead at infinity. Push it forward for autofocus, which is slow and loud. The lens is big too, at 300g and 63 mm long. It stays sharp at f/1.4 up close, which is why people still look for one.

The Ultron does the same job at 120g and 23.5 mm long, with a focus tab and a hard infinity stop. On my X-T30 III, I zone focused at f/8, and that stop made it easy.

Fujifilm no longer makes the XF 23mm f/1.4 R. It came out in 2013, and you can only buy it used. Used prices have stayed high because newer lenses never fully beat its optics. The Ultron is the newer lens, from 2023.

Where the Ultron 27mm F2 X wins

+a lighter 120g body
+a more compact 23.5 mm barrel
+closer 0.25 m focusing
+higher 0.15× magnification
+a 10-blade diaphragm

Where the XF 23mm F1.4 R wins

+a brighter f/1.4 maximum aperture
+autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only

Who should buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X or XF 23mm F1.4 R?

Buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X if…

Pick the Ultron if you want a small camera and a 40mm view, and you don't need autofocus. You can buy it new, so you skip the risks of a used lens.

Buy the XF 23mm F1.4 R if…

Pick the XF 23mm f/1.4 if you want the X100 view at f/1.4 and sharp close portraits. Its clutch ring gives you real focus scales and autofocus in one lens.

Ultron 27mm F2 X vs XF 23mm F1.4 R: pros and cons

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X	Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R
Sharp in the centre at f/2. The change from sharp to blurred is short, so subjects stand out. Blurred lights come out clean, with no rings inside them. Ten straight blades turn bright lights into ten-point stars from about f/2.8. All metal, with a focus tab and a hard stop at infinity. The camera knows the lens is on, so focus aids, stabilisation and photo data work. Focuses as close as 25 cm, close enough for small details.	Sharp wide open at close range, where the XF 23mm F2 R WR is not. Clutch focus ring with engraved distance and depth-of-field scales, hard infinity stop. Eleven-element formula keeps colour fringing lower than the XF 35mm F1.4 R. 0.28 m macro mode on a 35 mm-equivalent prime.
No autofocus. Everything past a few metres is in a tiny turn of the focus ring. At f/2 the corners are softer than the XF 23mm F2 R WR's, until about f/8. No weather sealing, on a lens people put on sealed X-Pro and X-T bodies. Since firmware updates in 2024, some Fuji bodies save f/22 as the aperture. Around $600, about 1.5 times the price of Fujifilm's 27mm with autofocus.	300g and 63 mm long — it dominates a small body. DC-motor autofocus is slow and audible, driving a lot of glass. No weather sealing. Discontinued, so it is a used-only purchase and prices have stayed high.

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X

Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R

Sharp in the centre at f/2.
The change from sharp to blurred is short, so subjects stand out.
Blurred lights come out clean, with no rings inside them.
Ten straight blades turn bright lights into ten-point stars from about f/2.8.
All metal, with a focus tab and a hard stop at infinity.
The camera knows the lens is on, so focus aids, stabilisation and photo data work.
Focuses as close as 25 cm, close enough for small details.

Sharp wide open at close range, where the XF 23mm F2 R WR is not.
Clutch focus ring with engraved distance and depth-of-field scales, hard infinity stop.
Eleven-element formula keeps colour fringing lower than the XF 35mm F1.4 R.
0.28 m macro mode on a 35 mm-equivalent prime.

No autofocus.
Everything past a few metres is in a tiny turn of the focus ring.
At f/2 the corners are softer than the XF 23mm F2 R WR's, until about f/8.
No weather sealing, on a lens people put on sealed X-Pro and X-T bodies.
Since firmware updates in 2024, some Fuji bodies save f/22 as the aperture.
Around $600, about 1.5 times the price of Fujifilm's 27mm with autofocus.

300g and 63 mm long — it dominates a small body.
DC-motor autofocus is slow and audible, driving a lot of glass.
No weather sealing.
Discontinued, so it is a used-only purchase and prices have stayed high.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house Ultron 27mm F2 X review and XF 23mm F1.4 R review.

Ultron 27mm F2 X vs XF 23mm F1.4 R: full specs

Spec	Ultron 27mm F2 X 27 mm · f/2 · 120g	XF 23mm F1.4 R 23 mm · f/1.4 · 300g
Optical
Focal length	27 mm	23 mm
35mm equivalent	40 mm	35 mm
Maximum aperture	f/2	f/1.4
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/16
Optical construction	6 elements in 4 groups	11 elements in 8 groups
Special elements	1 extra-low-dispersion element, no aspherical glass	1 aspherical element
Aperture blades	10	7
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.25 m	0.28 m
Max. magnification	0.15×	0.1×
Autofocus motor	Manual focus only	DC motor
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	43 mm	62 mm
Diameter × length	59.3 × 23.5 mm	72 × 63 mm
Weight	120g	300g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2023-05-15	2013-09-04

Highlighted cells are best in class between these two. Specs sourced from the manufacturers' public product pages.

In-depth reviews

For the full long-form review of each lens, see the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X review and the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.