What's the difference between the Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR and the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X?

The XF 23mm F2.8 R WR leads on a lighter 90g body, a more compact 23 mm barrel, closer 0.20 m focusing. The Ultron 27mm F2 X leads on a brighter f/2 maximum aperture.

Which is smaller, the Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR or the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X?

The XF 23mm F2.8 R WR is the smaller, lighter lens at 90g and 23 mm long, versus 120g for the Ultron 27mm F2 X.

Which is faster, the Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR or the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X?

The Ultron 27mm F2 X is the faster lens at f/2, against f/2.8 for the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR vs Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X: full comparison

The XF 23mm F2.8 R WR leads on more of the measurable specs, but the Ultron 27mm F2 X counters on a brighter f/2 maximum aperture.

Read the full XF 23mm F2.8 R WR review →Read the full Ultron 27mm F2 X review →

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR and Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X are two X-mount primes at different focal lengths — the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR (35mm equivalent) and the Ultron 27mm F2 X (40mm equivalent). The XF 23mm F2.8 R WR is the newer design, from 2025.

On the spec sheet the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR pulls ahead with a lighter 90g body, a more compact 23 mm barrel, and closer 0.20 m focusing, plus a couple of smaller edges.

The Ultron 27mm F2 X answers with a brighter f/2 maximum aperture.

So which one? Start with the focal length you actually want to shoot: the 35mm-equivalent XF 23mm F2.8 R WR or the 40mm-equivalent Ultron 27mm F2 X. Once that's settled, XF 23mm F2.8 R WR has the edge on the specs above.

Where the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR wins

+a lighter 90g body
+a more compact 23 mm barrel
+closer 0.20 m focusing
+an 11-blade diaphragm
+autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only
+weather sealing

Where the Ultron 27mm F2 X wins

+a brighter f/2 maximum aperture

Who should buy the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR or Ultron 27mm F2 X?

Buy the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR if…

Pick the XF 23mm F2.8 R WR if a lighter 90g body and a more compact 23 mm barrel matter to you. Photographers who shoot mostly in daylight at a 35 mm-equivalent field of view and want the smallest possible native X-mount combination. Read the full XF 23mm F2.8 R WR review for the details.

Buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X if…

Pick the Ultron 27mm F2 X if a brighter f/2 maximum aperture matters to you. Photographers who want the deliberate, set-the-camera-first way of shooting a rangefinder-style prime on a small Fuji body, and who value rendering and build over autofocus and sealing. Read the full Ultron 27mm F2 X review for the details.

XF 23mm F2.8 R WR vs Ultron 27mm F2 X: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR	Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X
90g and 23 mm long — true pancake dimensions on every X body. Aperture ring, focus ring, and weather resistance at this size are unusual. 0.20 m close focus and 0.15× magnification beat the older XF 27mm F2.8 pancake. 11-blade rounded diaphragm keeps highlights relatively round stopped down. Designed to resolve for Fujifilm's 40.2 MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor.	Sharp in the centre from f/2, with short focus falloff and clean specular highlights. All-metal build, third-stop aperture clicks, and a focus tab with a hard infinity stop. Ten straight blades give defined ten-point sunstars from around f/2.8. Electronic contacts: EXIF, focus peaking and check, distance display, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction. 25 cm minimum focus at a 40 mm-equivalent view — close enough for detail work.
f/2.8 is one stop slower than the XF 23mm F2 R WR. No optical image stabilization — leans on the body's IBIS when present. DC motor AF is not marketed as a linear-motor design. Pancake rings are small and close together; not ideal with gloves. Hood adds bulk and slightly reduces the pancake character.	No autofocus, and a short focus throw that compresses everything past a few metres. Corners lag the XF 23mm F2 R WR wide open and only catch up around f/8. No weather sealing on a lens people mount to sealed X-Pro and X-T bodies. Post-2024 firmware on some Fuji bodies writes f/22 into EXIF instead of the set aperture. Around $600 — roughly 1.5× Fujifilm's own autofocusing 27mm pancake.

Fujifilm XF 23mm F2.8 R WR

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X

90g and 23 mm long — true pancake dimensions on every X body.
Aperture ring, focus ring, and weather resistance at this size are unusual.
0.20 m close focus and 0.15× magnification beat the older XF 27mm F2.8 pancake.
11-blade rounded diaphragm keeps highlights relatively round stopped down.
Designed to resolve for Fujifilm's 40.2 MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor.

Sharp in the centre from f/2, with short focus falloff and clean specular highlights.
All-metal build, third-stop aperture clicks, and a focus tab with a hard infinity stop.
Ten straight blades give defined ten-point sunstars from around f/2.8.
Electronic contacts: EXIF, focus peaking and check, distance display, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction.
25 cm minimum focus at a 40 mm-equivalent view — close enough for detail work.

f/2.8 is one stop slower than the XF 23mm F2 R WR.
No optical image stabilization — leans on the body's IBIS when present.
DC motor AF is not marketed as a linear-motor design.
Pancake rings are small and close together; not ideal with gloves.
Hood adds bulk and slightly reduces the pancake character.

No autofocus, and a short focus throw that compresses everything past a few metres.
Corners lag the XF 23mm F2 R WR wide open and only catch up around f/8.
No weather sealing on a lens people mount to sealed X-Pro and X-T bodies.
Post-2024 firmware on some Fuji bodies writes f/22 into EXIF instead of the set aperture.
Around $600 — roughly 1.5× Fujifilm's own autofocusing 27mm pancake.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house XF 23mm F2.8 R WR review and Ultron 27mm F2 X review.

XF 23mm F2.8 R WR vs Ultron 27mm F2 X: full specs

Spec	XF 23mm F2.8 R WR 23 mm · f/2.8 · 90g	Ultron 27mm F2 X 27 mm · f/2 · 120g
Optical
Focal length	23 mm	27 mm
35mm equivalent	35 mm	40 mm
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/2
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/22
Optical construction	8 elements in 6 groups	6 elements in 4 groups
Special elements	2 aspherical elements	1 extra-low-dispersion element, no aspherical glass
Aperture blades	11	10
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.20 m	0.25 m
Max. magnification	0.15×	0.15×
Autofocus motor	DC motor	Manual focus only
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	39 mm	43 mm
Diameter × length	61.8 × 23 mm	59.3 × 23.5 mm
Weight	90g	120g
Weather sealing	Yes	No
Min. operating temp	-10 °C	—
General
Announced	2025-06-12	2023-05-15

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 23mm F2.8 R WR review and the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.