What's the difference between the Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR and the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X?

The XF 35mm F2 R WR leads on a lighter 170g body, autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only, weather sealing. The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture, a more compact 39.8 mm barrel, closer 0.30 m focusing.

Which is smaller, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR or the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X?

The XF 35mm F2 R WR is the smaller, lighter lens at 170g and 45.9 mm long, versus 196g for the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X.

Which is faster, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR or the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the faster lens at f/1.2, against f/2 for the XF 35mm F2 R WR — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR vs Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X: full comparison

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on more of the measurable specs, but the XF 35mm F2 R WR counters on a lighter 170g body and autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only.

Read the full XF 35mm F2 R WR review →Read the full Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review →

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR and Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X are both 35mm X-mount primes covering the same field of view, which Fujifilm rounds to 53mm-equivalent and Voigtländer to 52.5mm. The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the newer design, from 2021.

On the spec sheet the XF 35mm F2 R WR pulls ahead with a lighter 170g body, autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only, and weather sealing.

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X answers with a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture, a more compact 39.8 mm barrel, and closer 0.30 m focusing, and a few more besides.

So which one? If a lighter 170g body matters most, the XF 35mm F2 R WR is the pick. If a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture is closer to what you need, the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the smarter buy. Same view either way — this comes down to the trade-offs above.

Where the XF 35mm F2 R WR wins

+a lighter 170g body
+autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only
+weather sealing

Where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X wins

+a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture
+a more compact 39.8 mm barrel
+closer 0.30 m focusing
+a 12-blade diaphragm

Who should buy the XF 35mm F2 R WR or Nokton 35mm F1.2 X?

Buy the XF 35mm F2 R WR if…

Pick the XF 35mm F2 R WR if a lighter 170g body and autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only matter to you. Photographers who want one sharp, reliable, weather-sealed 53 mm-equivalent standard prime and value consistency over a distinctive rendering. Read the full XF 35mm F2 R WR review for the details.

Buy the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if…

Pick the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture and a more compact 39.8 mm barrel matter to you. Photographers who already enjoy manual focus and want the fastest, most tactile normal prime in the mount, particularly on an X-Pro body. Read the full Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review for the details.

XF 35mm F2 R WR vs Nokton 35mm F1.2 X: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR	Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X
One of the sharpest lenses Fujifilm makes — and sharp from wide open. Fast, near-silent autofocus on modern bodies; quick enough for moving subjects. Weather sealed and 170g — the prime owners trust in bad conditions. Fujicron value; pairs with the 23mm F2 for a cheap two-prime kit.	f/1.2 at a 52.5 mm-equivalent view — no native X-mount prime is this fast here. Twelve rounded blades keep specular highlights circular through the middle apertures. Machined metal, third-stop aperture clicks, mechanically coupled focus with a hard infinity stop. Electronic contacts: real EXIF, focus peaking, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction. 196g and 39.8 mm long, so the speed does not cost you a large barrel.
Rendering that a vocal group finds "clinical" — the reason some keep the F1.4. AF slows noticeably on older phase-detect bodies (X-Pro2, X-T1). Mild focus breathing and softer corners wide open. The tapered barrel shape is nobody's favourite.	Manual focus only, at f/1.2 and 0.30 m, where depth of field is millimetres. Low contrast and spherical-aberration glow wide open; sharp from about f/2. Voigtländer's body compatibility list stops around the X-E4 and X-T30 II generation. No weather sealing, and around 649 EUR — more than a used XF 35mm F1.4 R.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X

One of the sharpest lenses Fujifilm makes — and sharp from wide open.
Fast, near-silent autofocus on modern bodies; quick enough for moving subjects.
Weather sealed and 170g — the prime owners trust in bad conditions.
Fujicron value; pairs with the 23mm F2 for a cheap two-prime kit.

f/1.2 at a 52.5 mm-equivalent view — no native X-mount prime is this fast here.
Twelve rounded blades keep specular highlights circular through the middle apertures.
Machined metal, third-stop aperture clicks, mechanically coupled focus with a hard infinity stop.
Electronic contacts: real EXIF, focus peaking, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction.
196g and 39.8 mm long, so the speed does not cost you a large barrel.

Rendering that a vocal group finds "clinical" — the reason some keep the F1.4.
AF slows noticeably on older phase-detect bodies (X-Pro2, X-T1).
Mild focus breathing and softer corners wide open.
The tapered barrel shape is nobody's favourite.

Manual focus only, at f/1.2 and 0.30 m, where depth of field is millimetres.
Low contrast and spherical-aberration glow wide open; sharp from about f/2.
Voigtländer's body compatibility list stops around the X-E4 and X-T30 II generation.
No weather sealing, and around 649 EUR — more than a used XF 35mm F1.4 R.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house XF 35mm F2 R WR review and Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review.

XF 35mm F2 R WR vs Nokton 35mm F1.2 X: full specs

Spec	XF 35mm F2 R WR 35 mm · f/2 · 170g	Nokton 35mm F1.2 X 35 mm · f/1.2 · 196g
Optical
Focal length	35 mm	35 mm
35mm equivalent	53 mm	52.5 mm
Maximum aperture	f/2	f/1.2
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/16
Optical construction	9 elements in 6 groups	8 elements in 6 groups
Special elements	2 aspherical elements	1 abnormal partial dispersion element
Aperture blades	9	12
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.35 m	0.30 m
Max. magnification	0.14×	—
Autofocus motor	Stepping motor	Manual focus only
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	43 mm	46 mm
Diameter × length	60 × 45.9 mm	59.6 × 39.8 mm
Weight	170g	196g
Weather sealing	Yes	No
Min. operating temp	-10 °C	—
General
Announced	2015-10-21	2021-07-15

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 35mm F2 R WR review and the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.