What's the difference between the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS and the Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ?

The XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS leads on a brighter f/2.8 maximum aperture, faster linear-motor autofocus. The XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ leads on a lighter 135g body, a more compact 44.2 mm barrel, closer 0.13 m focusing.

Which is smaller, the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS or the Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ?

The XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ is the smaller, lighter lens at 135g and 44.2 mm long, versus 310g for the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS.

Which is faster, the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS or the Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ?

The XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS is the faster lens at f/2.8, against f/3.5 for the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS vs Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ: full comparison

The XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ leads on more of the measurable specs, but the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS counters on a brighter f/2.8 maximum aperture and faster linear-motor autofocus.

Read the full XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS review →Read the full XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ review →

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS and Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ are two XF primes at different focal lengths — the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS (27mm equivalent) and the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ (23mm equivalent). The XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ is the newer design, from 2018.

On the spec sheet the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS pulls ahead with a brighter f/2.8 maximum aperture and faster linear-motor autofocus.

The XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ answers with a lighter 135g body, a more compact 44.2 mm barrel, and closer 0.13 m focusing, and a few more besides.

So which one? Start with the focal length you actually want to shoot: the 27mm-equivalent XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS or the 23mm-equivalent XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ. Once that's settled, XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ has the edge on the specs above.

Where the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS wins

+a brighter f/2.8 maximum aperture
+faster linear-motor autofocus

Where the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ wins

+a lighter 135g body
+a more compact 44.2 mm barrel
+closer 0.13 m focusing
+higher 0.24× magnification

Who should buy the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS or XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ?

Buy the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS if…

Pick the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS if a brighter f/2.8 maximum aperture and faster linear-motor autofocus matter to you. Anyone who wants one lens for most days — travel, family, indoor events — and values stabilization and quiet autofocus over a constant aperture. Read the full XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS review for the details.

Buy the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ if…

Pick the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ if a lighter 135g body and a more compact 44.2 mm barrel matter to you. Owners of a small body who want a genuinely pocketable zoom for travel, and beginners working out which focal lengths they actually shoot. Read the full XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ review for the details.

XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS vs XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS	Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ
f/2.8 at the wide end makes it a working lens indoors, not a compromise. Linear-motor autofocus is quick and near-silent — usable for video audio. Four stops of optical stabilization, which the primes of the era lack entirely. 0.15× at the long end covers close-up work a 0.6 m prime cannot. 310g, lighter than most of the f/2.8 zooms people upgrade to.	135g and 44.2 mm collapsed — the smallest way to put a zoom on an X body. 23 mm-equivalent at the wide end, wider than the XF 18-55mm. 0.13 m minimum focus and 0.24× — the closest-focusing zoom Fujifilm makes. Optical stabilization, which the slow aperture makes essential.
No weather sealing — the gap in an otherwise sealed kit. Unmarked, narrow aperture ring; you set it by feel and read it off the screen. f/4 by 55 mm limits subject separation at the portrait end. Corners at 18 mm wide open lag the centre until about f/5.6.	f/3.5-5.6 is slow; by 45 mm there is very little subject separation left. Power zoom is smooth but not instant, draws battery, and extends on power-up. No aperture ring, plastic mount, no weather sealing. Heavy distortion at 15 mm corrected in software, and soft extreme corners.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS review and XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ review.

XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS vs XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ: full specs

Spec	XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS 18 mm · f/2.8 · 310g	XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ 15 mm · f/3.5 · 135g
Optical
Focal length	18 mm	15 mm
35mm equivalent	27 mm	23 mm
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/3.5
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22
Optical construction	14 elements in 10 groups	10 elements in 9 groups
Special elements	3 aspherical elements, 1 anomalous dispersion element	3 aspherical elements, 2 ED elements
Aperture blades	7	7
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.30 m	0.13 m
Max. magnification	0.15×	0.24×
Autofocus motor	Linear motor	Stepping motor, power zoom
Optical stabilization	Yes	Yes
Physical
Filter thread	58 mm	52 mm
Diameter × length	65 × 70.4 mm	62.6 × 44.2 mm
Weight	310g	135g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2012-09-05	2018-01-30

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 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS review and the Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.