16mm 1.4 WR - faster AF after 4.0 firmware?

[petergabriel]

Hi,

 

I have read a lot of reviews of the 16mm 1.4 WR which praise it for sharpness, contrast and color. However, Auto Focus they all seem to agree upon, is good, but not exceptional, so e.g. street photography is out of the question. 

 

One thing I noticed though, was that all the reviews (that I found) was from before the 29th of June 2015 where Fuji released the 4.0 firmware.

 

So my question is: Has the 4.0 update improved upon the 16mm's AF performance?

 

And: Does the 16mm use a linear motor for AF or an older (slower, more noisy) system?

[Scott Grant]

Unsure what kind of AF motor is in the XF16mm but it is certainly no slouch in the AF department as it ranks up there with the fastest lenses Fujifilm makes including the 16-55mm, and 90mm.

 

[petergabriel]

So, no slouch after the 4.0 update?

[quincy]

As I remember from toying around with one a while ago, it never was slow. And compared to my XF 27mm F2.8, it's very quiet.

It does not have the "LM" designation, so the autofocus motors are no linear motors. Instead, this lens uses a coreless DC motor. Those motors are known for very high acceleration. And since the XF 16 is a wide-angle lens, the focussing groups don't have to move that far to focus.

[Scott Grant]

So, no slouch after the 4.0 update?

 

No slouch before or after.   

[CRAusmus]

I do street with the 35 ƒ1.4.  The 16 blows it away.  There are a lot of people who do street with the 18, the 16 blows it away too.  I don't know who said you couldn't do street with the 16, but they were lying..

[petergabriel]

I do street with the 35 ƒ1.4.  The 16 blows it away.  There are a lot of people who do street with the 18, the 16 blows it away too.  I don't know who said you couldn't do street with the 16, but they were lying..

 

 The reviews. Among them this one: 

 

http://www.thephoblographer.com/2015/06/03/review-fujifilm-16mm-f1-4-r-wr-x-mount/

 

But, if you all agree it is no slouch, it will certainly be my next Fujinon glass :-)

[Scott Grant]

"– Autofocus is just a hair too slow for street photography."

​Most would agree that could be considered a general statement about shooting on the street with any camera, hence why most shoot manually and zone focus.  Plus, the guy is not much of a in-depth reviewer, in all honesty.