For your situation, the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R focus was unfortunately not as good as expected. I'd grab the cheaper Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR cuz it's basically better value for street.

Just saw this thread! I went through this last year... picked up a used Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR for under $350. Honestly, for me, the safety of that weather sealing is everything when shooting in the city. It’s such a reliable little lens and basically pays for itself in peace of mind. So satisfied with the value there. gl with ur choice!

I've spent a ton of time with both on my X-T4 and honestly... I ended up kinda let down by both for street work.

• Fujifilm XF 23mm f2 R WR is fast and the weather sealing is nice, but the sharpness at close range is unfortunately not as good as expected. It gets really soft if you're trying to get close to a subject, which ruined a few of my favorite compositions.
• Fujifilm XF 35mm f1.4 R has beautiful character, but the autofocus issues had me pulling my hair out. It's just too slow for quick candid moments. I had issues with it hunting in low light constantly, which is a total dealbreaker when things are moving fast.
• Fujifilm XF 35mm f2 R WR is actually the one I'd suggest looking at instead. It's not as special as the 1.4 but it actually hits focus when you need it to and is weather sealed like the 23mm. Street photography is tough enough without fighting your gear, so dont feel bad if these classic choices dont click for you right away. Lemme know if you want to know more about the handling or anything else!

oh man, I totally feel u! I’m pretty new to this but I was SO worried about rain. I tried the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R and it’s AMAZING, magic bokeh!! But honestly, for street, I chose the Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR cuz I’m literally terrified of water damage... it’s just safer, you know? Plus it’s sooo tiny and fast! is the 35mm too slow for you? gl!

Any updates on this?

ngl im in the exact same boat and it is driving me crazy... ive been obsessing over the mtf charts and af motor specs for both these for like three months now and still cant decide. i totally agree with the point about the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R having slower dc motor focus compared to the snappy stepping motor in the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR but then i look at the rendering data and get pulled right back. it is so frustrating that fuji makes us choose between modern weather-sealed specs and that classic optical character, especially since other brands dont seem to have this much of a performance gap between their compacts and their fast primes... i still have no idea which way to go.

I absolutely love diving into the technical specifications and raw data of these systems! My own experience with gear really changed when I started doing my own lens calibrations and sensor cleaning at home. I actually spent weeks documenting the shift in resolution across the frame just to understand how my current setup handles field curvature. It was a fantastic way to realize that the numbers on a chart dont always tell the whole story when youre out in the elements. I think its worth looking at a few specific variables:

• Resolving power at the edges versus the center
• Total weight distribution on the camera body
• Thermal expansion of the barrel materials Before I give you a deep dive into the performance metrics, I have a quick question. Are you planning to do more high-speed tracking of subjects, or are you looking for maximum optical perfection in static scenes? Knowing your priority between autofocus response times and edge-to-edge sharpness would be amazing!