AF is similar to the 14mm lens.
I intend to get one of these, but here in Oz my retailer of choice has it listed for pre-order at AU$1499!!!!! Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R Lens - Fuji Aust Warranty
I was expecting a similar price to the XF14 and I paid AU$845 for that. I will be getting a X100S for AU$1289 instead if the price does not drop.
I called the above retailer today to check on price.....they confirmed that Fuji had not released pricing as yet for AU, however the pre order price has since been reduced to AU$1049.......looking better with a step in the right direction but I feel it is still too high especially when compared to US pricing.
We always pay a premium here in Oz, I guess due to the lower volume of sales??
I have added a bunch of new samples: XF23mmF1.4 R Samples - a set on Flickr