Five Fujifilm Pancake Lenses Tested Side by Side: Which One Wins?

Pancake lenses promise to shrink your camera down to something you'll actually carry, but the gap between the marketing and real-world performance can be wide. Five slim options exist for Fujifilm X-mount cameras, and their prices, quality, and quirks vary far more than their similar shapes suggest.

To sort them out, Gordon Laing gathered all five lenses at once and retested them moments apart, which is a fairer approach than stitching together clips from older reviews. The lineup includes three Fujifilm models, the XF 18mm f/2 R, the XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR, and the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR, plus two third-party challengers, the TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 and the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. The fixed lens on the X100VI tags along as a bonus reference point. Prices run from roughly $700 for the XF 18mm down to a startling $99 for the Viltrox.

Laing runs each lens through autofocus tests for both photos and video, then moves to sharpness at landscape distance, portrait distance, and close range, followed by bokeh, sun stars, and macro reproduction. The Fujifilm lenses generally resolved more detail, with the aging XF 18mm f/2 standing out despite being the largest and priciest of the group. Autofocus speeds landed close together for stills, in the quarter-second range, though the video results told a different story: Fujifilm's own lenses were noticeably louder when their motors adjusted, while the TTArtisan ran quieter and stayed smooth. The Viltrox, locked at f/4.5, focused quickly but proved the least decisive when pulling focus during video.

One finding deserves attention if you're eyeing the XF 23mm f/2.8 as an X100VI alternative. Laing measured its startup time on the XE5 at roughly double that of the other lenses, an issue other owners have reported and one he has flagged to Fujifilm without an answer yet. Owners chasing fast reactions may want to experiment with power-saving settings so the camera doesn't fully shut down between shots. The macro results also surprised: the third-party TTArtisan and Viltrox actually posted the widest coverage across the frame, while the X100VI's very close 10 cm minimum focusing distance let its fixed lens reproduce the most detail of any option here.

The wider story is a shift in what small lenses can offer. For years, the premium lines from Canon L, Sony GM, and Sigma Art chased the brightest apertures, which pushed size, weight, and cost upward. These pancakes go the other direction, trading a stop or two of light for something you can leave mounted and forget about. The principle worth taking away is that a modest aperture paired with good optics can serve street, travel, and everyday shooting better than a heavier fast lens you leave at home. The Viltrox at $99 shows how far that idea can go, and its reduced contrast when shooting toward the light reads as character rather than a flaw for anyone who wants that look. Third-party makers are increasingly filling this space, so if you shoot an older body, check each company's compatibility notes before buying, since some limit video autofocus on earlier cameras.

There's no single winner, and Laing is upfront that coverage and budget decide most of it. The Fujifilm glass leads on outright quality, the TTArtisan closes much of that gap for a fraction of the price and looks the part on silver bodies, and the Viltrox is nearly a no-brainer for a fun, ultra-slim setup.

See the full side-by-side breakdown, including every sharpness and bokeh comparison, in the video above.