What's the difference between the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R and the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

The XF 35mm F1.4 R leads on a lighter 187g body, a more compact 50.4 mm barrel, higher 0.17× magnification.

Which is smaller, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R or the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

The XF 35mm F1.4 R is the smaller, lighter lens at 187g and 50.4 mm long, versus 300g for the XF 23mm F1.4 R.

Which is faster, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R or the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R?

Both open to f/1.4, so they gather the same light and give the same depth-of-field control.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R vs Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R: full comparison

The XF 35mm F1.4 R leads on more of the measurable specs, but the XF 23mm F1.4 R counters on field of view and feel.

Read the full XF 35mm F1.4 R review →Read the full XF 23mm F1.4 R review →

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R and Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R are two XF primes at different focal lengths — the XF 35mm F1.4 R (53mm equivalent) and the XF 23mm F1.4 R (35mm equivalent). The XF 23mm F1.4 R is the newer design, from 2013.

On the spec sheet the XF 35mm F1.4 R pulls ahead with a lighter 187g body, a more compact 50.4 mm barrel, and higher 0.17× magnification.

The XF 23mm F1.4 R can't match those figures. What it offers instead is its field of view, its size, or simply being the lens you'd rather have on the camera.

So which one? Start with the focal length you actually want to shoot: the 53mm-equivalent XF 35mm F1.4 R or the 35mm-equivalent XF 23mm F1.4 R. Once that's settled, XF 35mm F1.4 R has the edge on the specs above.

Where the XF 35mm F1.4 R wins

+a lighter 187g body
+a more compact 50.4 mm barrel
+higher 0.17× magnification

Where the XF 23mm F1.4 R wins

No clear wins on the measurable specs — its case is field of view, rendering, or feel.

Who should buy the XF 35mm F1.4 R or XF 23mm F1.4 R?

Buy the XF 35mm F1.4 R if…

Pick the XF 35mm F1.4 R if a lighter 187g body and a more compact 50.4 mm barrel matter to you. Photographers who want character over measurements at a 53 mm-equivalent view, and who shoot subjects that hold still long enough for 2012 autofocus. Read the full XF 35mm F1.4 R review for the details.

Buy the XF 23mm F1.4 R if…

Photographers who shoot 35 mm-equivalent at f/1.4 and close, and street photographers who zone focus and want a real distance scale. Read the full XF 23mm F1.4 R review for the full picture.

XF 35mm F1.4 R vs XF 23mm F1.4 R: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R	Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R
Rendering the later f/2 primes do not match — warm, soft-edged, short falloff. 187g and 50.4 mm; small enough to live on an X-E body permanently. 0.28 m macro mode at 0.17× covers food and detail work. Clicked aperture ring, metal barrel, 52 mm filters shared with the XF 18mm F2 R. Cheap used, because Fujifilm has sold them for over a decade.	Sharp wide open at close range, where the XF 23mm F2 R WR is not. Clutch focus ring with engraved distance and depth-of-field scales, hard infinity stop. Eleven-element formula keeps colour fringing lower than the XF 35mm F1.4 R. 0.28 m macro mode on a 35 mm-equivalent prime.
DC-motor autofocus hunts audibly in low light and low contrast. Aperture blades are audible; both noises reach in-camera video audio. No weather sealing and no stabilization. Soft corners and longitudinal colour fringing wide open until about f/2.8.	300g and 63 mm long — it dominates a small body. DC-motor autofocus is slow and audible, driving a lot of glass. No weather sealing. Discontinued, so it is a used-only purchase and prices have stayed high.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house XF 35mm F1.4 R review and XF 23mm F1.4 R review.

XF 35mm F1.4 R vs XF 23mm F1.4 R: full specs

Spec	XF 35mm F1.4 R 35 mm · f/1.4 · 187g	XF 23mm F1.4 R 23 mm · f/1.4 · 300g
Optical
Focal length	35 mm	23 mm
35mm equivalent	53 mm	35 mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.4	f/1.4
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/16
Optical construction	8 elements in 6 groups	11 elements in 8 groups
Special elements	1 aspherical element	1 aspherical element
Aperture blades	7	7
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.28 m	0.28 m
Max. magnification	0.17×	0.1×
Autofocus motor	DC motor	DC motor
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	52 mm	62 mm
Diameter × length	65 × 50.4 mm	72 × 63 mm
Weight	187g	300g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2012-01-09	2013-09-04

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 F1.4 R review and the Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.