Oh man, been there… I got overwhelmed picking a “normal” prime for my X-T4 too. What ended up working for me was going with a Fuji 33-ish f/1.4 type lens—sharp wide open, bokeh looks nice, and AF is actually quiet enough for casual video. BUT quick q: do you care more about compact/lightweight, or max sharpness at f/1.4? And are you ok with a bit of “focus breathing” on video, or is that a dealbreaker?

Not to disagree, but I wouldn’t default to the 33/1.4 for your use case. TL;DR: go Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR unless you *need* f/1.4.

In my experience the 35/2 is the safer/reliable pick: tiny so the X-T4 doesnt feel front-heavy, AF is quick + quiet (less hunting = less ruined clips), and it’s WR so you’re not babying it on street shoots. Wide open it’s plenty sharp, and the bokeh is nicer than people give it credit for if you keep some subject distance.

The 33/1.4 is amazing, yeah, but heavier + pricier, and the extra stop isn’t always worth the handling hit. What kinda street lighting are you usually in?

> Budget is around $600, but I could stretch a bit if it is really worth it. Building on the earlier suggestion, i really think you might want to consider some of the third-party gems to save some serious money. Most of the thread so far is leaning towards the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR for its tiny size or the Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR if you want to blow the budget, but there is definitely a middle ground. I once spent way too much on a lens only to realize i barely used the extra sharpness... it was a painful lesson for my bank account. I would suggest being careful with the older f/1.4 glass if video is on your radar. The original Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R is a legend for portraits, but the AF motor is basically a tractor engine—super noisy and hunts a lot for video. If you want to stay well under $600, maybe look at the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X. Its snappy, quiet, and leaves you with enough left over for a nice camera bag or a bunch of SD cards. Just make sure the slightly wider field of view works for your style... it is a killer value pick and wont make your X-T4 feel like a brick.

Following this thread

- i went through this last year: grabbed a used Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR for ~$250–$350—fast/quiet AF, tiny, not front-heavy; later rented Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR (~$800 new) and yeah, sharper/bokeh-ier, but $$$.

Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.

Adding my two cents here because this decision is literally driving me crazy! It is so stressful trying to find the perfect lens without feeling like you are gambling with your hard-earned cash. I have been agonizing over these exact ones for my X-T4 and I still cant decide... it is just exhausting!

• Fujifilm XF 35mm f2 R WR: This feels like the safest bet by far. I love how reliable it is and that weather sealing is just amazing for peace of mind! But then I see those f1.4 shots and I get so jealous of the bokeh.
• Viltrox 33mm f1.4 AF: The price is absolutely fantastic but the reliability factor totally scares me. Ngl I am so worried it might just glitch out or have weird AF issues right when I need it most.
• Fujifilm XF 33mm f1.4 R LM WR: This thing is a total beast! It looks incredible and the quality is fantastic but that price is just so high it makes me want to cry. Seriously, why does every single option have to have a major catch?! It is just so frustrating trying to balance reliability with budget. The struggle is so real!

Great info, saved!

^ This. Also, I am absolutely obsessed with the technical specs for this specific setup! It is so important to look at how different AF systems interact with the X-T4 body because compatibility varies wildly between the older stepper motors and the newer linear ones. I saw a fantastic video breakdown recently that goes into the raw data for every single option. Basically, you should just do this:

• Search YouTube for Fuji 35mm vs 33mm technical comparison
• Check the official Fujifilm compatibility charts on their site
• Look at the Reddit megathreads for real-world AF motor noise tests Seriously, that video I saw is amazing and basically answers everything about the linear motor tech... just search for it and it is like the first result!

Gonna try this over the weekend. Will report back if it works!

Did this last week, worked perfectly

Can confirm

Honestly I’ve spent way too much time staring at MTF charts and benchmark data for this specific focal length on the X-T4 sensor and basically you should just look at the newer third-party glass from the big name manufacturers because they are absolutely crushing it right now in terms of raw resolution and corner-to-corner sharpness right? 1. Stick with the brands that utilize linear motors for their AF systems because they track *so* much better for video and dont make that annoying clicking sound during focus transitions which is a dealbreaker for casual clips tbh.
2. Go for the premium lines from the major third-party guys because they are honestly rivaling native glass for way less cash and the build quality is just solid enough that it wont feel front-heavy on a T4 body.
3. Check the real-world lab tests for chromatic aberration specifically because some older optics really struggle on that 26MP sensor when youre shooting wide open in high-contrast street scenes and you want that clean look you know? Just get any of the newer wide-aperture primes from those reputable third-party brands and youre gonna be set because the performance-to-price ratio is basically unbeatable right now.

Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷