The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro and the Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 79mm. The Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R with a length of 63mm, is 16mm shorter. On the other hand, the Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro's 60mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro weighs 195g, which means it is 105g (35%) lighter than the Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R which has a weight of 300g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro and the Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R has the same Fujifilm X lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Fujifilm X lenses are Fujifilm X-T5, Fujifilm X-H2 and Fujifilm X-H2S.
Focal Range
Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 30mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 45mm when used on a APS-C format camera. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 45mm.
Fujifilm 23mm F1.4 R is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 23mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 34.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.