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

The XF 23mm F2 R WR leads on closer 0.22 m focusing, autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only, weather sealing. The Ultron 27mm F2 X leads on a lighter 120g body, a more compact 23.5 mm barrel, higher 0.15× magnification.

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

The Ultron 27mm F2 X is the smaller, lighter lens at 120g and 23.5 mm long, versus 180g for the XF 23mm F2 R WR.

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

Both open to f/2, so they gather the same light and give the same depth-of-field control.

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

The Ultron 27mm F2 X leads on more of the measurable specs, but the XF 23mm F2 R WR counters on closer 0.22 m focusing and autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only.

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

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR and Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X are two X-mount primes at different focal lengths — the XF 23mm F2 R WR (35mm equivalent) and the Ultron 27mm F2 X (40mm equivalent). The Ultron 27mm F2 X is the newer design, from 2023.

On the spec sheet the XF 23mm F2 R WR pulls ahead with closer 0.22 m focusing, autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only, and weather sealing.

The Ultron 27mm F2 X answers with a lighter 120g body, a more compact 23.5 mm barrel, and higher 0.15× magnification, and a few more besides.

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

Where the XF 23mm F2 R WR wins

+closer 0.22 m focusing
+autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only
+weather sealing

Where the Ultron 27mm F2 X wins

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

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

Buy the XF 23mm F2 R WR if…

Pick the XF 23mm F2 R WR if closer 0.22 m focusing and autofocus at all, where the Ultron 27mm F2 X is manual focus only matter to you. Anyone who wants one dependable, fast-focusing 35 mm-equivalent prime for daylight and general-purpose work, and does not need f/1.4 for close portraits. Read the full XF 23mm F2 R WR review for the details.

Buy the Ultron 27mm F2 X if…

Pick the Ultron 27mm F2 X if a lighter 120g body and a more compact 23.5 mm barrel matter 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 R WR vs Ultron 27mm F2 X: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR	Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X
One of the best-value primes Fujifilm sells — Fujicron pricing, metal build. Fast, quiet, confident AF — the quickest-focusing of the small 23 mm options. Colour rendering owners rate the nicest of the f/2 trio. Weather sealed with an aperture ring; 43 mm filters shared with the 35/50 F2. Crisp across the frame once stopped down to f/2.8.	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.
Soft wide open within ~1 m — the close-portrait weakness that sends owners to the F1.4. One stop slower than the XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR, with older-generation AF. No optical image stabilization. A full barrel, not a pancake — the 27mm F2.8 is far smaller.	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 R WR

Voigtländer Ultron 27mm F2 X

One of the best-value primes Fujifilm sells — Fujicron pricing, metal build.
Fast, quiet, confident AF — the quickest-focusing of the small 23 mm options.
Colour rendering owners rate the nicest of the f/2 trio.
Weather sealed with an aperture ring; 43 mm filters shared with the 35/50 F2.
Crisp across the frame once stopped down to f/2.8.

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.

Soft wide open within ~1 m — the close-portrait weakness that sends owners to the F1.4.
One stop slower than the XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR, with older-generation AF.
No optical image stabilization.
A full barrel, not a pancake — the 27mm F2.8 is far smaller.

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 R WR review and Ultron 27mm F2 X review.

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

Spec	XF 23mm F2 R WR 23 mm · f/2 · 180g	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	f/2
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/22
Optical construction	10 elements in 6 groups	6 elements in 4 groups
Special elements	2 aspherical elements	1 extra-low-dispersion element, no aspherical glass
Aperture blades	9	10
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.22 m	0.25 m
Max. magnification	0.13×	0.15×
Autofocus motor	Stepping motor	Manual focus only
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	43 mm	43 mm
Diameter × length	60 × 51.9 mm	59.3 × 23.5 mm
Weight	180g	120g
Weather sealing	Yes	No
Min. operating temp	-10 °C	—
General
Announced	2016-08-25	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 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.