Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18 mm f/1.4 R LM WR
4. Image resolution
Let's remind here that the best fixed focal length Fujifilm X lenses, tested that way, are able to reach as high as 80 lpmm and the decency level is set near 44-45 lpmm. The resolution record for this sensor amounts to about 83 - 85 lpmm and the best result so far belongs to the Viltrox AF 23 mm f/1.4 XF - that lens was able to get to 85.3 ±0.9 lpmm.
How does the Fujinon XF 18 mm f/1.4 R WR compare? A graph below shows its performance in the frame centre and on the edge.
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After looking at the graph you know at once that, when it comes to the next Fuji X system lenses, we will need to rewrite the introduction of this chapter. The performance of the Fujinon 1.4/18 in the frame centre is simply sensational as it is able to set new resolution records without breaking out into a sweat.
Already by f/1.4 the lens reaches a brilliant value of as much as 78.2 lpmm but it's just a beginning. Practically every result in the aperture range from f/2.0 to f/4.0 would be a new resolution record but officially the highest resolution you get by f/2.8 and it amounts to 93.5 +\- 1.2 lpmm. It is right now the highest value optained on the Fujifilm X-T2 sensor. It is trully amazing that the old record is broken by over 8 lpmm!
There is a problem though – the constructors of the Fujinon's XF 1.4/18 optics focused too much on the frame centre and perhaps forgot a bit about its edge. The results at the maximum relative aperture are a tad below the decency level. Fortunately you reach that level very quickly, already on stopping down the aperture to f/1.6-1.8. After that the MTFs increase successively as you increase aperture values and, as you are close to f/5.6, they are able to exceed a very good level of 60 lpmm. These are good values overall, but, to be honest, we would willingly add to them 4-5 lpmm even if it meant deduction from the results in the frame centre. A lens with an angle of view of over 70 degrees should provide a more even sharpness performance across the frame.
At the end of this chapter, traditionally, we present crops taken from photos of our resolution testing chart which were saved in the JPEG format along with RAW files, used for the analysis above.
| Fujifilm X-T2, JPEG, f/1.4 |
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| Fujifilm X-T2, JPEG, f/2.8 |
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