The 50mm lens is a favorite for a lot of photographers. It’s a “normal” focal length so it’s incredibly versatile. I usually tell beginners just starting out that a 50mm lens is the first one they should buy after their kit lens for two reasons: they usually have larger wide-open apertures so you can more easily learn the relationship between aperture and depth-of-field and they’re usually one of the more budget friendly lenses in the lineup.

So it’s no surprise that Fujifilm’s new XF 35mm F2 R WR has been widely discussed by Fuji photographers since we first caught a glimpse of it on the roadmap in early 2015. The XF 35mm F1.4 is one of the oldest in Fuji’s lineup, debuting alongside the 18mm F2 with the X-Pro1 and while it is loved for it’s character and sharpness (commercial photographer Zack Arias, one of Fuji’s loudest cheerleaders, calls the 35mm F1.4 “magical”), it does have it’s shortcomings, especially the slow, noisy autofocus as well as a lack of weather resistance.

The new 35mm F2 comes with the WR designation as well as a new, silent stepping motor and inner focus system that should make it perform closer to Fuji’s newer lenses. With 9 elements in 6 groups, it’s somewhat smaller than the old 35mm F1.4 but not as small as the “pancake” lenses. 9 rounded aperture blades (compared to 7 for the F1.4) should result in smooth bokeh.

The XF 35mm F2 R WR will be available in black and silver at an MSRP of $499.99, hopefully arriving in mid-November.

Also announced yesterday was a XF 1.4x TC WR teleconverter. It extends the range of the attached lens by 1.4 times at the cost of one f-stop of light. With 7 elements in 3 groups, it’s also weather resistant.

At press time, the XF 1.4x TC WR only works with Fuji’s XF 50-140 F2.8 lens but compatibility with other lenses is expected to be added later. It’s expected to arrive in mid-November with an MSRP of $599.99.