The Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR doesn’t get enough credit as a hack to DIY an X100VI

The Fujifilm X100VI is one of the most coveted cameras of the year, but one year later, the camera still isn’t available without either overpaying or long wait lists. As a Fujifilm photographer, I get the appeal of a retro-styled camera with film simulations that is small enough to take anywhere. But as gorgeous as the X100VI is, I would buy the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR and pair it with a mirrorless camera before I caved to the X100VI trend.

The Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is arguably the closest lens in Fujifilm’s mirrorless line-up to the built-in lens on the X100VI. The compact camera has a 23mm f/2 lens built-in, so Fujifilm’s pancake lens gets in slightly closer and isn’t quite as bright. Despite that, the tiny 27mm lens only adds around .9 inches / 23mm and 3 oz / 84g to a mirrorless camera.

Paired with a camera like the X-T50, the 27mm creates a very X100VI-like set-up, and for slightly more than the X100VI’s list price but less than what scalpers are still charging for the hard-to-find camera. The X-T50 has the same 40.2MP resolution as the X100VI, and with the lens, the total kit would weigh 19 oz / 522g. That’s only a gram more than the X100VI. The depth of the X-T50 with the 27mm would come in at roughly 2.82 in / 71.8mm, which is only around half an inch or 16.5mm deeper than the X100VI.

The X-50 isn’t weather-sealed, however, so photographers looking for something that would be arguably more durable than the X100VI could compare it to the X-T5. The X-T5 with the 27mm f/2.8 would up the build quality, but also increase the size and price.

But that’s if you want a camera with the same 40.2MP resolution as the X100VI. Photographers who don’t need quite so much detail could even hack a cheaper, smaller mirrorless combo by pairing the older X-T30 II with the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR for a few hundred less than the X100VI. The X-M5 would also make an affordable and compact combo with the XF 27mm f/2.8. (Although, sadly, the X-M5 is currently out of stock at many retailers.)

My point is this: Yes, compact cameras have an incredible advantage because you can take them almost anywhere. But, a compact mirrorless kit doesn’t come with long wait times, isn’t much bigger, and allows for far greater versatility. If you grow out of that tiny pancake lens, you can add a portrait lens later on, an even wider optic for landscapes, or a telephoto zoom for wildlife.

I love Fujifilm cameras, but I would personally pick up the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR and pair it with the X-T4 already in my camera bag before I bought the X100VI. It’s far cheaper than the X100VI considering I already have a good, albeit now aging retro-styled body. But, even for those without an existing kit, pairing a pancake lens with a mirrorless camera can be a more versatile combo without a major price difference.

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