What's the difference between the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X and the Fujifilm XF 35mm 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 35mm F1.4 R leads on a brighter f/1.4 maximum aperture, higher 0.17× magnification, 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 35mm F1.4 R?

The Ultron 27mm F2 X is the smaller, lighter lens at 120g and 23.5 mm long, versus 187g for the XF 35mm F1.4 R.

Which is faster, the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X or the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R?

The XF 35mm 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 35mm F1.4 R: full comparison

The Ultron is the smaller lens with no autofocus, and the XF 35mm f/1.4 is brighter, with old, slow autofocus.

Read the full Ultron 27mm F2 X review →Read the full XF 35mm F1.4 R review →

The short version

Owners of both lenses praise how the photos look more than how sharp they are. So the first choice is the view. On a Fujifilm X camera, the Ultron 27mm shows about what a 40mm lens shows on a 35mm film camera. The XF 35mm f/1.4 shows about 53mm. That's between the 35mm documentary view and a short portrait lens. It works well for food and for people at talking distance.

The XF 35mm opens to f/1.4, so it lets in twice as much light as the Ultron at f/2. It has autofocus, but the motor is from 2012. In low light it moves back and forth looking for focus, and you can hear it. It's quick enough for people walking towards you and too slow for anything faster. In macro mode it focuses to 0.28 m. It's good value on the used market.

The Ultron has no autofocus at all. It's much smaller, at 120g and 23.5 mm long against 187g and 50.4 mm. It focuses to 0.25 m. It's sharp in the centre from f/2, and its corners get good by about f/8. At f/1.4 the XF 35mm has soft corners and coloured outlines on high-contrast edges. Most of that clears by f/2.8.

Neither lens is sealed against rain. The XF 35mm f/1.4 came out in 2012, as one of the first three X-mount lenses. The Ultron is the newer lens, from 2023, and it costs around $600.

Where the Ultron 27mm F2 X wins

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

Where the XF 35mm F1.4 R wins

+a brighter f/1.4 maximum aperture
+higher 0.17× magnification
+autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only

Who should buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X or XF 35mm F1.4 R?

Buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X if…

Pick the Ultron if you want the smaller lens and a 40mm view, and you're happy to focus by hand. It weighs 120g against 187g.

Buy the XF 35mm F1.4 R if…

Pick the XF 35mm f/1.4 if you want f/1.4, warm colour and autofocus at a used price. It's best for people, food and small details that hold still.

Ultron 27mm F2 X vs XF 35mm F1.4 R: pros and cons

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X	Fujifilm XF 35mm 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.	Rendering the later f/2 primes do not match — warm, soft-edged, short falloff. 187g and 50.4 mm; small enough to live on an X-E body permanently. 0.28 m macro mode at 0.17× covers food and detail work. Clicked aperture ring, metal barrel, 52 mm filters shared with the XF 18mm F2 R. Cheap used, because Fujifilm has sold them for over a decade.
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.	DC-motor autofocus hunts audibly in low light and low contrast. Aperture blades are audible; both noises reach in-camera video audio. No weather sealing and no stabilization. Soft corners and longitudinal colour fringing wide open until about f/2.8.

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X

Fujifilm XF 35mm 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.

Rendering the later f/2 primes do not match — warm, soft-edged, short falloff.
187g and 50.4 mm; small enough to live on an X-E body permanently.
0.28 m macro mode at 0.17× covers food and detail work.
Clicked aperture ring, metal barrel, 52 mm filters shared with the XF 18mm F2 R.
Cheap used, because Fujifilm has sold them for over a decade.

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.

DC-motor autofocus hunts audibly in low light and low contrast.
Aperture blades are audible; both noises reach in-camera video audio.
No weather sealing and no stabilization.
Soft corners and longitudinal colour fringing wide open until about f/2.8.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house Ultron 27mm F2 X review and XF 35mm F1.4 R review.

Ultron 27mm F2 X vs XF 35mm F1.4 R: full specs

Spec	Ultron 27mm F2 X 27 mm · f/2 · 120g	XF 35mm F1.4 R 35 mm · f/1.4 · 187g
Optical
Focal length	27 mm	35 mm
35mm equivalent	40 mm	53 mm
Maximum aperture	f/2	f/1.4
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/16
Optical construction	6 elements in 4 groups	8 elements in 6 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×	0.17×
Autofocus motor	Manual focus only	DC motor
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	43 mm	52 mm
Diameter × length	59.3 × 23.5 mm	65 × 50.4 mm
Weight	120g	187g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2023-05-15	2012-01-09

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 35mm F1.4 R review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.