Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18 mm f/2 R review - Image resolution

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Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18 mm f/2 R

14 September 2012

Arkadiusz Olech

4. Image resolution

It is the second Fujinon lens test published by us based on RAW files from the Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera. The sample is perhaps not big but still you can already form an opinion about the performance of the whole system. First of all the decency level, which we determine looking at achievements by f/16, is situated somewhere near 40 lpmm. The best results we’ve got so far reached 65-66 lpmm. Let’s see how the Fujinon XF 18 mm f/2 R compares here.

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18 mm f/2 R - Image resolution

The tested lens deserves an ovation for the performance in the frame centre. At the maximum relative aperture the image is of good quality because the results get to near 48 lpmm. Stopping down even improves that situation further so by f/2.8 you get a value of a bit less than 60 lpmm and the lens reaches the peak of its possibilities by f/4.0 and f/5.6 where it goes to about 62 lpmm. It is not 65 lpmm the Fujinon 1.4/35 achieved but you have to remember that you deal here with a “pancake” instrument and those never break any resolution records. Taking it into account the performance of the Fujinon 2/18 you can assess in a very positive way.

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The compromises, connected to a construction of a „pancake” type of lens always make themselves felt on the edge of the frame. This case is not different. At the maximum relative aperture the image is far from decent although, fortunately, that decency is reached already near f/2.8. It is still not a bad result if you take into account the fact that most of pancakes, present on the market, is slower than f/2.0. Unfortunately further stopping down doesn’t make the image quality improve in a significant way – you can only count on results near 43-44 lpmm so only slightly better than average.

Below we present crops taken from the photos of our resolution testing chart. They were saved as JPEG files along with RAW files, used to the analysis, presented above.