Fuji’s XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS lens has been the standard bearer for a premium kit lens since its release in 2013. I’ve heard many, many Fuji shooters brag that the quality of this lens makes other lenses unnecessary. I was a little surprised by being a bit underwhelmed by the lens when I finally reviewed it in 2019. The resolution of Fuji X-mount cameras in 2013 was 16MP, and in 2016 that jumped to 24MP on some models. In 2018 the first 26MP camera (X-T3) was released, and I reviewed it at that resolution level, which is vastly more demanding on lens performance than 16MP. That may explain why I didn’t find the lens as sharp as many people claimed. But in late 2022, Fuji took their biggest jump to what remains at this time the highest resolution of any APS-C sensor – the 40MP X-Trans sensor found in camera like my X-H2. This sensor has been somewhat of a wrecking ball to older lenses, and I’ve been revisiting some of them to see how they they are holding up (and compare to newer models). I recently revisited the venerable XF 18-55mm to see how it held up. The results are very much a mixed bag. Find out the full details in my video review below.
Thanks to Fujifilm Canada for sending me a review copy of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. I’m doing this review on a 40MP Fujifilm X-H2 camera.
The XF 18-55mm is still capable of producing beautiful photos, but they don’t hold up under the level of scrutiny that 40MP affords.
My main findings are in the video review, but if you are more of a text person, I’ll share my review notes along with a more detailed conclusion at the end.
Build and Handling
The Fujinon XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 was always priced higher than most kit lenses due to have a more premium build and performance. Here’s how it fits into the 2024 landscape of pricing for standard zoom lenses on X-mount.
Sigma = $549
Fuji 18-55 = $699* (as little as $400 in kit)
Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 VC ($799)
Fuji 16-55mm = $1199
Few people are paying full retail MSRP for this lens, as most will either get it in a kit (for a whopping $300 discount!) or on the used market where it is often available for $300 or less, which obviously helps its value in relation to the other lenses on the list.
Here’s a breakdown of what the R | LM | OIS mean in the lens’ name:
R = Ring | LM = Linear Motor | OIS = Optical Image Stabilization
Here are some my build observations.
Shortest lens (6mm shorter than Sigma, 36mm shorter than 16-55)
65 x 70.4mm (D x L) | (2.56 x 2.77”) | 310g (11 oz)
Has variable aperture (aperture closes fast!)
F3.2 by 20mm
F3.6 by 30mm
F4 by 42mm
Has OIS.
Has aperture ring, but due to being variable aperture, there are no markings or hard stops
No weather sealing
Poorest manual focus ring (easy to accidentally grab because it is close to zoom lens, manual focus moves in very obvious steps rather than smoothly.
Lowest magnification of four options – 0.15x @ 30cm
Holds up well – finish and rings hold up over long haul.
Fuji’s design language has changed little over the years, so the lens doesn’t really look or feel dated. It feels as premium as most of their other nicer lenses.
Autofocus
The XF 18-55mm has Fuji’s premium LM (Linear Focus Motor) technology, but clearly the technology has improved over time, as the focus system feels dated here in relation to the other three options.
I ranked the lens last in a comparison for stills and gave these reasons:
least focus confidence and speed
some pulsing before final lock at times
hampered by dimmer maximum aperture in lower light
Manual focus very “stepped”
Most of the time the autofocus was fine, but I definitely felt like it didn’t hold up as well as newer lenses.
Video Tests:
The XF 18-55mm faired a little better in my video tests, but mostly because none of the four options do great with the state of video autofocus as it stands on Fuji in 2024 (which lags behind other major brands).
Focus pulls had fairly good speed and confidence
hand test not quite as responsive as other lenses
– NEGATIVE – will do both pulsing (on fixed shots) and warping (when zooming)
Image Quality Breakdown
MAJOR DISADVANTAGE – 18-55mm Variable aperture – Sigma, Tamron, and Fuji 16-55mm all have constant F2.8 aperture.
Vignette and distortion:
TIE 16-55mm +22 and +48 – mild mustache
18-55mm +19 and +59 – mild mustache
Sigma +24 and +92 – mild mustache
Chromatic aberrations
16-55mm (very good)
18-55mm* (bigger DOF)
Sigma – most fringing before and after
Resolution
Sigma (most consistent on wide end and on telephoto)
True for chart tests and real world results
Even when stopped down sharper than 16-55 on telephoto
16-55mm – better contrast than 18-55, better detail
18-55mm – visibly lower contrast throughout zoom range – aperture disadvantage starting at 20mm (F3.2)
The XF 18-55mm peaks at 23mm and fades as you progress towards the telephoto end of the zoom.
Color remains a strength for Fuji lenses, producing images that look great when viewed as a whole.
The bokeh looks fine (actually a little smoother than the 16-55mm F2.8, but there is less opportunity to create bokeh due to a mediocre minimum focus distance and a maximum aperture of F4 on the telephoto end.
Flare resistance isn’t perfect, but remains competitive.
Optically the XF 18-55mm has been eclipsed by newer lenses, with the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DN being my recommended alternative if you want a similarly compact lens that’s a little stronger optically.
Conclusion
The 40MP X-Trans sensor remains a very challenging one for Fuji’s catalog lenses for the simple reason that they weren’t engineered for such incredibly optical demands. Modern expectations are higher, and it is pretty clear that Fuji has plans to replace this lens soon. So should you still consider it in 2024 (or later)? There are few reasons to say a qualified yes. The first is that you can still make beautiful images with the lens:
More specifically, however, here the reasons I would consider this lens:
Price: if you are buying this lens on the used market, there’s a very solid chance you can get it considerably cheaper than alternative zooms.
OIS – this lens and the much larger Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 VC (my review here) are the only ones with in lens stabilization, and if you have a camera without in-camera stabilization, this could be a big factor.
Obviously if you are using one of Fuji’s older cameras, this lens will hold up better optically.
Keywords: Fujinon, Fuji XF, Fuji 18-55, Fujinon 18-55, XF, Fujinon XF 18-55mm, F2.8-4, F/2.8-4, Fuji, Fuji 18-55mm review, Fujinon 18-55 Review, Fujinon 16-55mm F2.8 Review, Dustin Abbott, Fujifilm, 40MP, X-H2, Fuji X-H2, Fujinon, Review, Hands On, Video Test, Sharpness, Autofocus, CA, Video AF, XF 16-55mm F2.8, Lens, Comparison, Test, Dustinabbott.net, Sample Images, Sample Video, Normal, Portrait, Travel, Canada, Myrtle Beach, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA
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Fuji shooters have had a binary choice between two standard zooms – the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS (my review here) and the XF 16-55mm F2.8 (my review here). One offered image stabilization, the other offered a weather-sealed build and larger maximum aperture. But now there is a third choice – the Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4 OIS which gives photographers the option of having both weather sealing and (incredibly good) OIS along with a broader zoom range, though at the price of a smaller maximum aperture. The XF 16-80mm F4 fills the lane often occupied by a 24-105mm lens in full frame, with an equivalent aperture of 24-120mm. Here’s what 16mm looks like:
and then same scene at 80mm:
That’s a very useful focal range that will encompass the vast majority of photography subjects. The 16-80XF will be the kind of lens that people stick on their cameras and leave it there because it can do everything with a fair degree of competence.
This is a compelling option if the lens bears out in real life. Stay tuned for my verdict of how well Fuji has done with executing this 5x zoom range lens. If you would like to watch your reviews, you can choose either my short format or long format video reviews below:
I’ve done this review on a Fujfilm X-T3 camera body. Thanks to Fujifilm Canada for the loaner of lens and camera!
In many ways the 16-80XF takes the “Goldilocks” approach; not too big, not too small. Not too heavy, not too light. Just right. It slots nicely between the 18-55 and 16-55 lenses in terms of size and weight:
In the real world then means a lens that strikes a nice balance between build quality, performance, and size constraints, and is a very nice match for the Fujifilm X-T3 body I did the review on:
At 2.08″ (78.3mm) in diameter (with a 72mm front filter thread) and with a 3.5″ (88.9mm) in length, the 16-80XF is a moderately sized lens. The 15.52 oz (440g) weight is also moderate, and certainly shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for anyone, particularly when you consider that you are getting a nice degree of weather sealing. This includes a gasket at the lens mount along with internal seals throughout the lens (at 10 different points).
The 16-80XF employs Fuji’s hybrid approach to aperture where one has the option of utilizing a ring (with one-third stop detents) or putting the ring into A (automatic) where either the camera controls aperture or you control it via the camera.
There are nine rounded blades in the aperture, which is the same as the 16-55mm but higher than the seven blades of the 18-55mm.
The zoom ring is fair wide and nicely damped. The single inner barrel zooms out smoothly and without any wobble. The barrel extends a fair bit when the lens is fully zoomed out.
There are no switches on the barrel of the lens. Fuji handles the switch to MF in camera, and the OIS is “smart”, which means that it will detect what mode to use or whether to turn off altogether (if on a tripod). More impressive to me is the performance. It is rated by CIPA at 6 stops, which is the highest I’ve seen. I was able to routinely get shots at very low shutter speeds (the one below is 1/3rd second) without any evidence of camera shake (with a static subject, obviously!)
The focus ring is located nearest the front of the lens. Each of the three rings on the lens have a different texture and feel to them, so with a little familiarity it is easy to distinguish between them by feel. As all mirrorless lenses, this is a focus-by-wire system where input from the ring is routed through the focus motor rather than a direct coupling with the lens elements. If you are accustomed to quality manual focus action, you probably won’t be impressed by the action here. The weight feels fine, but there is little to no tactile feedback, and with the focus action set to “linear” within the the body the focus “throw” is extremely small on the wide end. You jump from minimum to infinity within no more than 90 degrees, so precision focus is difficult. The focus throw is longer (and a little easier to use) at 80mm. If you want amazing manual focus action, buy a manual focus lens!
One area of real strength is that the lens can focus down to 1.15′ (35cm) and has a very useful 0.25x magnification figure there. Image quality is fairly decent there, too, for casual work.
The 16-80XF has a constant aperture of F4, which is one stop slower than the F2.8 of the 16-55mm. The 18-55mm has an aperture advantage on the wide end (f2.8), though the F4 maximum aperture is shared over a lot of the zoom range. It’s that smaller maximum aperture that allowed Fuji to deliver this focal range in such a compact body, however.
The materials here are a mix of metals and engineered plastics. The body strikes a nice balance between weight, quality of build, and compactness. My overall score for the build of the 16-80XF is high.
Autofocus and Video Performance
The 16-80XF employs Fuji’s linear focus motors, which get the job done with speed and in silence. Real world (typical) focus changes will take place so quickly that you won’t really notice them happening. Even full “racks” from minimum to infinity are so fast as to be nearly undetectable. High marks here!
When filming, I saw similar high end performance in focus pulls at the wider end of the focal range. They were fast, smooth, and quiet. When shooting at the same distances at the telephoto end of the range I saw a bit more of the “stepping” that can be more obvious with Fuji camera/lens combinations. Overall, however, this is one of the better performances I’ve seen from a Fuji lens.
Focus accuracy in many situations was quite good. I was able to quickly and simply grab focus on objects even with a busier background beyond a foreground subject.
While Fuji doesn’t have an equivalent of Sony’s “Pet Eye AF”, I could get good results by just moving a focus point over the appropriate area:
Where I have to offer some criticism, however, is when employing Eye AF for portrait subjects. On a mild front, I noted that eye detect would sometimes have a little better focus on the eyebrow than the eye/lashes.
More troubling, however, is that when I had my son take photos of me (with good quality lighting and at various focus distances), Eye AF did not produce accurate results every time. Yes, the photographer was less experienced, and yes, I probably could have/would have gotten better results if I were behind the camera, but the point of Eye AF is to automate the process and take the guesswork out of it. Eye AF is not about the skill of the photographer; it is about the intuitiveness of the focus system, and the 16-80XF/X-T3 combination didn’t always pass the test.
If you look through those photos, you will find that while most of them are well focused, there are a few where focus is completely missed. That’s disappointing, as I’ve become accustomed to Sony and Canon mirrorless cameras almost never producing misses when Eye AF is employed. There were four misses out the twelve images in the little series, which is disappointing. With a more skillful photographer who is attentive to when focus is and is not right, this won’t be nearly as much a problem, though I pointed this out simply because I’ve found recently that I can hand off one of my Sony cameras in a similar situation and great pretty great results. Outside of this setting, however, my personal focus results were good.
Video footage looks very nice from the lens. The sharpness and contrast don’t wow you, per se, but the global look (which is what matters in video) of the footage is excellent. There is good color, saturation, and detail in the footage.
Even with the misstep with Eye AF, I would rate the focus performance I saw here among the top tier of what I’ve seen from the various Fuji lenses that I’ve reviewed.
16-80XF Image Quality
I will preface this section by noting the fact that a lens with a 5x zoom range that moves from wide to telephoto is going to have a few compromises, particularly in such a compact form. There are superzoom lenses with a much wider zoom range, but those lenses tend to be severely compromised optically. I’ve found that a 24-105mm lens on full frame represents about the limit of what a lens maker can do while still retaining what I would characterize is good image quality. Fuji has stretched that just a little here, and ironically the only real weakness in the optical performance is found in that extra 15mm!
The second note that I want to make is that it is essentially impossible to fully defeat the digital corrections to Fuji files, be they JPEG or RAW. It’s thus very hard to parse out what is optical performance and what is the result of digital corrections. I’m not sure that it matters at the end of the day, as you will only see the end result either way, and I feel like Fuji does one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen with those digital profile corrections. Everything looks pretty flawless in the vignette/distortion department. Here’s a quick look at what I saw with my test charts at both 16mm and 80mm:
The resolution profile is fairly typical, with good center and early mid-frame performance, but a noticeable drop off in contrast and resolution towards the outer edges of the frame.
There is a very obvious improvement when stopping the lens down to F5.6. Contrast vastly improves, and there is some additional resolution.
There isn’t a lot of additional sharpness to be realized by stopping the lens on down, so F5.6-8 represents the strongest edge to edge resolution for landscape purposes. Landscape images look good with excellent color, good contrast, and good sharpness (though corners aren’t as strong as the center).
The next marked area on the focal range is 22mm. The pattern is somewhat similar as before, though the lens is a little sharper in the middle part of the zoom range. Here are the center, mid-frame, and edge crops:
Stopping down to F5.6 shows a notable improvement:
The performance at 35mm is very similar, though you will spot some improved contrast and a bit more sharpness here. Here are the center, mid-frame, and edge crops:
A similar improvement is found at F5.6:
Likewise at 50mm, where performance is very similar to 35mm. Here are the center, mid-frame, and edge crops:
Once again, you can see some improvement at F5.6:
We’ve seen a pattern of consistent optical performance until this point, but at 80mm there is notable drop-off. You can see that while the center performance has less contrast, the mid-frame and edge results are fairly weak:
Stopping down to even F8 doesn’t make a radical difference.
80mm is never really sharp at any aperture, and you can tell that from real world results. Here’s an image and crop at 80mm, F8:
More typical compositions with the subject in the middle of the frame show better, though you can still tell there isn’t great acuity.
Something had to give, and in this case it was the resolution at 80mm.
Fortunately there aren’t really any other objections. One strong area is flare resistance, which is not typically a strength for a zoom lens like this. Even when panning across the sun and shooting video, I didn’t see too much ghosting. Performance is better on the wide end than on the telephoto end, though the result still wasn’t bad there.
I also didn’t really see an chromatic aberrations of either the lateral or longitudinal variety. Areas of high contrast are handled quite well.
Finally, I also felt like color rendition was very good from the lens. Colors are nicely saturated and have good contrast/punch. This will be a great travel companion, giving travelers many framing options without asking them to change lenses or pack very heavily.
If you’d like to see more images from the lens, check out the image gallery here. Overall I think Fuji has done what they needed to with this lens.
Conclusion
The winner here is consumers, as Fuji has now given the market three credible options for a general purpose zoom lens. While I personally find the 18-55mm somewhat overrated, many people love it. I did like the 16-55mm F2.8 quite a bit, however, though some will find it over-large and too expensive. The Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4 OIS strikes a nice balance that I think many photographers will appreciate. It is between the other two options in size, weight, and price, while offering up a bigger zoom range, weather sealing, and the more premium linear focus motors. It also has perhaps the best image stabilizer I’ve ever used, which is a huge asset for a general purpose lens.
Add to that the fact that the 16-80XF gives solid performance results, and you’ve got a formula that should be “just right” for a lot of shooters. At $799 USD, it isn’t cheap, but it’s only $100 more (at least in terms of MSRP) than the XF 18-55mm, though that lens is frequently discounted and is much less expensive when purchased in kit with a camera body. Optical performance at 80mm isn’t exceptional, and there were a few more misses than what I would like when using Eye AF, but I think the XF 16-80mm F4 OIS is a lens that will satisfy a lot of shooters. Once it goes on their cameras, it will probably rarely come off (particularly when traveling)…which is just what this kind of lens is designed for.
Pros:
Well built lens with 10 seal points
Good size and weight relative to zoom range
Quiet, fast focus via linear motors
Fantastic OIS with 6 stops of rated assistance
Good center sharpness through much of the zoom range
Well corrected aberrations – including vignette, distortion, and chromatic aberrations
Good flare resistance
Excellent color
Good maximum magnification figure
Cons:
Degraded performance at 80mm
Eye AF can deliver inconsistent results on X-T3 for portraits
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Fuji shooters have had a binary choice between two standard zooms – the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS (my review here) and the XF 16-55mm F2.8 (my review here). One offered image stabilization, the other offered a weather-sealed build and larger maximum aperture. But now there is a third choice – the Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4 OIS which gives photographers the option of having both weather sealing and (incredibly good) OIS along with a broader zoom range, though at the price of a smaller maximum aperture. The 16-80mm F4 fills the void often occupied by a 24-105mm lens in full frame, with an equivalent aperture of 24-120mm. This is a compelling option if the lens bears out in real life. Stay tuned for my verdict of how well Fuji has done with executing this 5x zoom range lens. I’ve done this review on a Fujfilm X-T3 camera body. You can get a sense of lens performance in advance of my full review by checking out the photos below.
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A few months back I reviewed the newest Fujinon lens in the Fuji “trinity” of fast, F2.8 zoom lenses. That lens (the XF 8-16mm F2.8 WR) makes up the wide end of the spectrum while the XF 50-140mm F2.8 OS WR covers the telephoto end. In between those lenses lies the most commonly used option – the jack of all trades – the XF 16-55mm F2.8 WR. For many people a standard zoom will be their most-used lens, as it can shoot everything from wide angle (24mm FF equivalent) to portraits (84mm FF equivalent). There are few subjects you can’t address with a lens like this, so it becomes one of the most important options for Fuji shooters. But it isn’t the only competent lens Fuji has to fill this need, as the Fujinon XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS is also a very popular alternative due to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper while being considerably better than most kit lenses. So which is the better choice? That will vary according to your needs, but hopefully this review will help you make an educated decision.
A lot has changed in the past five years since I did this initial review. I did this initial review on the 26MP X-T3, but in subsequent cameras Fuji has increasingly standardized the use IBIS (In-Body-Image-Stabilization). This is a huge help to a lens like the XF 16-55mm, as it means the lack of lens based OIS is a no longer a factor. I used the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS side-by-side-by-side with the XF 16-55mm and Sigma 18-50mm on (ironically) a return trip to South Carolina and found no difference in stability for either photos or video in real world use. That was obviously very useful when the light started to dim! This shot was taken at 1/30th of a second in Charleston, South Carolina.
The other factor that has changed is that Fuji’s new standard of resolution is 40MP in cameras like the X-H2 that I now own and used for an updated look at the XF 16-55mm. That increase from 26MP to 40MP has been a very demanding one for older Fuji lenses like this one (it is now 9 years old). Fuji has been refreshing a number of its lenses in the past few years, and my experience is that the newer lenses are much better suited to the demands of 40MP. I was interested to see how this lens held up optically, not to mention if the improvements to autofocus on more recent bodies have helped to keep it relevant. If you would like to see my findings, check out this updated review video here.
Bottom line: this lens is showing its age in some areas and is due for an update, but I’ll also note that its color rendition and build quality are still tops in the class.
Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 Build and Handling
It is rare to find lens like this one on other systems for the simple reason that most other manufacturers primarily reserve their premium lens development for full frame. By and large the APS-C development for Canon, Nikon, or Sony is consumer-grade, not premium options. Fuji has elected to focus on APS-C, which means that they actually develop professional grade APS-C lenses. This video segment will give you an up-close view of the build and design of the lens:
This actually causes some consternation from people coming from other platforms, as some of these lenses seem too large and too expensive for APS-C lenses, But for lenses like the XF 16-55mm, the comparison is not really the standard “kit lens” that people are accustomed to but rather something like full frame 24-70mm F2.8 lenses, which are universally larger, heavier, and more expensive yet than the XF 16-55. But the XF 16-55mm is big enough: it is 3.28″ (83.3mm) in diameter, carrying a 77mm filter size, and weighs in at 1.44lb (655g).
The full name of the lens is Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Lens. If you don’t speak Fuji, here’s what those initials mean:
XF refers to the native mount of the lens, which is Fuji’s X-mount
R refers to the fact that the lens has an aperture ring (though you can select Automatic to control the aperture from the camera or allow the camera to control the aperture
LM refers to the premium Linear Motors that drive the lens’ autofocus
WR stands for “Weather Resistant”, pointing to the superior weather sealing of the lens.
In short, the only real premium option missing here is Fuji’s OIS, or “Optical Image Stabilizer”, which would have been a great addition.
The XF 16-55mm has three rings on the barrel. The first is the aperture ring, which gives you the option to manually select aperture values (in 1/3rd stop values, i.e. F2.8, F3.2, F3.5, F4) or to select A (Auto) and control aperture from within the camera.
The second ring is the zoom ring, and it moves perfectly (it is both smooth and nicely damped). The inner barrel extends around an inch (2-3cm) when zoomed out to the 55mm position.
The final ring is the manual focus ring. Like other mirrorless lenses, the XF 16-55mm employs a focus by wire manual focus system where input is taken from the ring and then routed through the focus motor to move the lens elements. There is no direct coupling to the lens elements. This appears to be a necessary evil for mirrorless cameras, but it really diminishes the manual focus experience in terms of feel and precision. There are no hard stops, so less physical response to the limits of focus, and also the actual focus feeling itself is a bit numb. On the plus side, most Fuji bodies have a number of options for manual focus aids to make sure focus is easy to nail.
Other than that minor quibble (which is less about this individual lens and more about focus-by-wire in general), the build quality and the handling is great. The lens is heavy, but not overwhelmingly so. I have an inexpensive grip extender on my X-T3 and didn’t really notice any balance issues. I am accustomed to using a lot of heavy lenses, however, so your opinion might be different. This is a premium lens, with a premium build quality and great handling.
It has a nice degree of weather sealing, as well, with a rear gasket to seal at the mount along with internal seals at key points in the lens:
This sets it apart from the closest Canon equivalent, the aging EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM lens for APS-C. That lens lacks a lot of premium features found in the Fuji and fails to deliver nearly as compelling a performance. The XF 16-55mm feels every bit as well made as most 24-70mm full frame lenses, and handles extremely well.
It looks, handles, and acts like a premium lens…because it is.
Fuji XF 16-55mm F2.8 Autofocus
As previously noted, the XF 16-55mm sports premium linear motors in its autofocus design, and these give the lens an excellent autofocus performance. I should note that I did my review on the Fuji X-T3, which, at the time of this review, is Fuji’s newest and most sophisticated autofocusing camera. This combination delivers great focus results, with focus arriving near instantly and always silently. Even in poorer lighting I got good autofocus, though you’ll see better results if you select fewer points and help the AF know where you want it to focus. Like most mirrorless cameras, the X-T3 prefers reasonable contrast to grab quick focus, but I doubt the XF 16-55mm is hampering focus in any way. My focus accuracy over my review period was excellent.
That was true even when shooting an event in a modestly lit hotel conference room where I had ISO at 5000 to keep the shutter speed up to 1/125th second. As you can from this shot, the autofocus had no issues nailing accurately under those conditions.
This shot was taken at night where I wanted to do a long exposure. It was a 20 second exposure, but I don’t recall having any issue achieving focus under these conditions.
I also had excellent results when shooting portraits, where the lens/camera combination locked onto the eye and nailed focus.
In fact, I don’t recall a real-world photography situation where I even thought about focus, which, really, is the best endorsement I can give a lens. The AF system did it’s work quickly and quietly.
Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 for Video
For video work I’m a little less bullish, though I suspect it has less to do with the lens and more to do with the nature of Fuji’s Video AF Servo focus. In Continuous AF mode, the focus transitions aren’t quite as smooth as competing systems from Canon or Sony. I find that with Fuji you can actually see some of the “steps” as focus moves rather than a smoother transition from one point to another. I also did a test (in my video review) where I compared the XF 16-55/X-T3 combination with the Sony a7R3 + Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 RXD to see how face tracking compared. The Sony/Tamron combo was definitely smoother in transition and a bit more accurate.
Outside of that (an issue I’ve noted with all Fuji lenses tested to this point), I thought the lens produced really incredible footage (you can see a lot of it in the video review). Great color, great detail, and the smooth zooming action allowed for me to zoom while recording (on a tripod) with nice results.
Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 Image Quality
The Fujinon XF 16-55mm has a fantastic zoom range that covers a variety of subjects and also gives you a lot of different framing options. Here’s Niagara Falls (from my 16th floor room) at 16mm:
And now at 55mm:
Two very different perspectives, with a lot of options in between. The challenge inherit with such a broad zoom range is that engineers have to overcome the hurdles inherit in both wide angle and telephoto lenses. There are a few compromises involved, though fortunately I would say many of those challenges are mitigated. If you want the full breakdown on the image quality, watch this interactive video segment:
Here’s where I think the optical formula (17 elements in 12 groups) comes up short:
Some barrel distortion persists even after in camera corrections. In my first comparison you can see what a file looks like before further correction, with the comparison on the right being after I’ve done some manual correction in Lightroom. The lines are never quite perfect. This will mostly present as a problem if you have a straight horizon line near the edge of the frame, like in the second photo of the Atlantic Ocean. In the final photo, one of a building, I see less obvious issues other than the typical keystoning due more to perspective distortion than barrel distortion.
At 16mm the lens doesn’t quite ever get sharp in the corners. The center of the frame is fantastically sharp from f2.8 on, as is about 2/3rds of the frame, but the corners (as you can see in the second comparison) never improve very much (even when stopped down to F8). While real world images aren’t often as demanding, you can see that my final crop (at F5.6) does show softness in the crop of the corners.
The final image in the series above shows that this last criticism is probably not a huge factor for many shooters. Real world images (this one is at F4) look pretty fantastic. If you are a hard core landscape photographer, however, and don’t need a zoom, you might consider the Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 to get better corner performance at 16mm.
The XF 16-55mm gets very high marks for great color and contrast, however, particularly when paired with a good circular polarizer (one of my favorite means of intensifying colors). Many of these photos taken using an Irix Edge Circular Polarizing filter (a filter series that I’ll soon release a review of). I was really delighted with the overall look of my images. Here’s a mini-gallery to show what I mean:
Resolution in the center of the frame is excellent at any aperture value, and the evenness of the sharpness across the frame is more consistent beyond 20mm. If you want more details at each focal length, please watch the video above.
Bokeh is also surprisingly good for a standard zoom. I felt that it had a good balance between sharpness on the subject and a nicely defocused background. Here’s a few samples at different focal lengths and focus distances:
Flare resistance, while not perfect, was fairly good, with little veiling and only a few ghosting artifacts. The sunburst is not the cleanest I’ve seen, but neither is it really objectionable. There are nine founded aperture blades that that keep the aperture shape fairly round when stopped down.
At times I could see some lateral chromatic aberrations (green and purple fringing along the edge of the frame) through the viewfinder, but the in camera profile must do an effective job of correcting for it, as I was unable to really find any notable example in my hundreds of real world images. Longitudinal chromatic aberrations are also well corrected optically. If they existed, this shot would definitely show them off.
I shot a variety of portrait shots with the lens. The only flash unit I had access to is the little EF-X8 that serves instead of a pop-up flash and has about as much punch, so I had little means of equalizing the light ratios with a strongly backlit subject. I shot some shots with the background “chimped” (slightly overexposed while still pleasing) and then also shot some with the subject underexposed (silhouetted) to allow the background to pop. I was very pleased with the global look the images. These images in this series have had next to no processing and represent essentially what came out of camera:
The minimum focus distance with the lens is right under a foot (30cm), but the maximum magnification figure (0.16x) is not overly impressive. It’s useful, but it won’t trick anyone into thinking it was a macro shot:
My images, in general, put a smile on my face…and in a lens with such versatility, I feel like that’s a great thing.
There are compromises in such a zoom lens, but I feel like they are fairly well managed here. I’ve not seen many complaints from users over the optical performance of the XF 16-55mm.
Conclusion
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of a lens like the Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 LM WR. I think it would easy to argue that if you could own only one lens, it would be one must like this one. It isn’t perfect, but it is extremely competent in just about every situation and delivers beautiful images. The focal length (a full frame equivalent of 24-84mm) ably covers everything from landscapes to portrait. There are only two potential objections. The first is that the XF 16-55mm is larger and heavier than what many were looking for when they moved to the compact Fuji X system. The second is the existence of the Fujinon XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens, which combines a much smaller size and less than half the weight and adds image stabilization, though at a loss of a constant maximum aperture and two critical millimeters on the wide end. That extra width means more than one might think, and there will be situations where wider framing will be missed by those using the 18-55mm lens. A potential third objection has been the price, which has trended near double that of the 18-55 ($699 vs $1199), but at the time of my review, that gap has closed considerably due to Fuji having an extended rebate period on their higher end lenses. Right now the XF 16-55mm is $899. At that price, I would personally spend the extra money to get the constantly maximum aperture (F2.8 definitely trumps F4 for portrait and event work!) and the extra width on the landscape end of things. If you are a video shooter, however, the OIS on the 18-55mm might sway you in the opposite direction.
Either way, we are blessed to have two solid options for a general purpose zoom lens on Fuji X-mount – just pick which one fits your needs…and happy shooting!
View more Fuji lenses for portrait, landscape, and macro photography.
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A few months back I reviewed the newest Fujinon lens in the Fuji “trinity” of fast, F2.8 zoom lenses. That lens (the XF 8-16mm F2.8 WR) makes up the wide end of the spectrum while the XF 50-140mm F2.8 OS WR covers the telephoto end. In between those lenses lies the most commonly used option – the jack of all trades – the XF 16-55mm F2.8 WR. For many people a standard zoom will be their most-used lens, as it can shoot everything from wide angle (24mm FF equivalent) to portraits (84mm FF equivalent). There are few subjects you can’t address with a lens like this, so it becomes one of the most important options for Fuji shooters. Stay tuned for my coverage of this important lens by bookmarking this page and returning to get new photos and links to video updates.
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.
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Fuji has taken a very different approach to mirrorless than just about everyone else. While others like Sony, Nikon, and Canon have embraced full frame and given the leftovers to APS-C, Fujifilm decided that the surest way to pursue the smaller, lighter mantra that many associated with mirrorless was to fully embrace the potential of APS-C, or a “cropped sensor”. Because of this choice, Fuji has invested far more in APS-C than anyone else, and have a far more robust catalog of lenses for APC-S than anyone else, too. This includes a wide range of prime lenses (often with multiple options at each focal length) along with a number of zoom lenses. Their most recent releases have fleshed out this lineup with a true supertelephoto (XF 200mm F2) along with the lens at hand, the Fujinon XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR. The XF 8-16mm is a premium, wide aperture, ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that completes Fuji’s trinity of fast aperture zoom lenses (along with the Fuji 16-55mm F2.8 and 50-140mm F2.8 lenses). At nearly $2000 USD in price, the XF 8-16mm isn’t for everyone, but it does offer an extremely competent option for wedding, portrait, and event shooters along with those who want it for landscape/astrophotography work.
If you don’t speak Fuji, here’s what those initials mean:
XF refers to the native mount of the lens, which is Fuji’s X-mount
R refers to the fact that the lens has an aperture ring (though you can select Automatic to control the aperture from the camera or allow the camera to control the aperture
LM refers to the premium Linear Motors that drive the lens’ autofocus
WR stands for “Weather Resistant”, pointing to the superior weather sealing of the lens.
Also in the lens’ name is “Aspherical”, which refers to the fact that XF 8-16mm actually utilized four aspherical lens elements to control distortion and spherical aberrations. It also says “Nano-GI”, which refers to the special coatings applied to the rear of the of the first TWO lens elements, and the coatings are to reduce ghosting and flare. In short, the only real premium option missing here is Fuji’s OIS, or “Optical Image Stabilizer”, which would have been a great addition.
So the XF 8-16mm is a premium lens, but does it live up to its premium price? Read on to find out.
Prefer to watch your reviews? My thorough video review has the answers you’re looking for!
XF 8-16mm Build and Handling
The best way to see all the details about the build and design of the lens is by watching this video episode:
As mentioned, the XF 8-16mm is a large lens…particularly when one considers that it is an APS-C lens. It is nearly 5” in length (4.78” long/121.5mm) and weighs 1.77lb/805g. The focal length of 8-16mm plus Fuji’s crop factor of 1.5x equals a full frame (35mm) equivalent focal range of 12-24mm.
What’s different here is that while the full frame 12-24mm lenses from Sony, Sigma, and Nikon all have a maximum aperture of F4, this 8-16mm has a maximum aperture of F2.8. While some (falsely) believe that an APS-C lens with an F2.8 aperture has less light-gathering potential than a full frame lens with F2.8, that is not the case. I put my vintage SMC Takumar 50mm F1.4 lens on first the Sony a7RIII (full frame) and then the Fuji X-T3 (APS-C). I used a tripod and identical settings (1/15th of a second at ISO 800). I then cropped the Sony image so that the framing lines up. Look at the two images: is one a full stop brighter than the other?
Obviously not. The different in exposure between the two is negligible at best. That’s not to say that an APS-C sensor behaves identically to a full frame sensor (it doesn’t), but a lot of older conceptions about APS-C vs FF are simply not true any longer. My point is that the XF 8-16mm does have an advantage over the lenses I’ve mentioned, particularly when one is shooting astro or events in low light. In this comparison, for example, the two exposures (one from the Zeiss Loxia 25mm F2.4 on a Sony a7RIII and the second from the XF 8-16mm F2.8 on the X-T3) shows that two systems (at F2.8) look more similar than different, and certainly a lens with a maximum aperture of F4 on the Sony would be at a disadvantage in this situation.
More importantly than comparisons to other systems, however, is the fact that the Fuji XF 8-16mm F2.8 does have an advantage over lenses for Fuji (the Fuji XF 10-24mm F4, for example) in these kinds of situations. A lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8 will let in twice as much light as an F4 lens, and will also be able to focus more confidently because more light can hit the sensor of the camera.
The tradeoff for these advantages is the reality that the size of the lens grows exponentially, as does the cost of developing it (which raises the MSRP). Bottom line is that if you don’t need the wider focal length and bigger maximum aperture, Fuji’s XF 10-24mm F4 OIS lens costs half as much, weighs half as much, is 35mm shorter, has Optical Image Stabilization, and can use traditional filters. For those that are looking for primarily landscape shooting, it provides a great alternative. I see the XF 8-16mm F2.8 being more for wedding and event photographers.
That’s not to say the XF 8-16mm doesn’t have other advantages over the 10-24mm. It is weather sealed, for one, with a thorough weather sealing system that includes a fluorine coating on the front element, 11 internal seals, a gasket at the lens mount, and a fixed rear element (nothing moves at the rear that could let in dust or moisture). The XF 8-16mm has superior linear motors compared to the stepping motors of the 10-24mm, meaning that focus will be both faster and quieter (important for nailing focus in a dimly lit venue!) The difference in focal length should not be discounted, either, as while the 10-24mm only goes as wide as 110°, the XF 8-16mm goes as wide as a staggering 121°. Not everyone needs that extra width, but some of you shoot in venues where space is limited, and that extra 11° is significant (see below).
One downside for landscape shooters with the XF 8-16mm is that it has a curved front element and fixed front lens hood that precludes the ability to use traditional screw-in filters. You will have to employ an additional square filter system if you want to filter the lens (which means additional cost).
All of this adds up to a lens designed more for photojournalists, wedding photographers, and event photographers than those looking for a compact, lightweight option to shoot landscapes. As you can see here, the XF 8-16mm produces beautiful landscape images, but that is perhaps not its primary reason for existence.
The XF8-16mm has three rings on the barrel. The first is the aperture ring, which gives you the option to manually select aperture values (in 1/3rd stop values, i.e. F2.8, F3.2, F3.5, F4) or to select A (Auto) and control aperture from within the camera.
The second ring is the zoom ring, and it moves perfectly (it is both smooth and nicely damped). The front element does move forward and backward in the lens housing while zooming out (it is most retracted at 16mm and most fully extended at 8mm), but all of this happens within the external housing of the lens, so nothing extends and the lens length remains constant. I found this to be important when putting the lens on a gimbal for video, as it allows you to change the focal length without rebalancing.
The final ring is the manual focus ring. Like other mirrorless lenses, the XF 8-16mm employs a focus by wire manual focus system where input is taken from the ring and then routed through the focus motor to move the lens elements. There is no direct coupling to the lens elements. This appears to be a necessary evil for mirrorless cameras, but it really diminishes the manual focus experience in terms of feel and precision. There are no hard stops, so less physical response to the limits of focus, and also the actual focus feeling itself is a bit numb. On the plus side, most Fuji bodies have a number of options for manual focus aids to make sure focus is easy to nail.
Other than that minor quibble (which is less about this individual lens and more about focus-by-wire in general), the build quality and the handling is great. The lens is heavy, but not overwhelmingly so. I have a grip extender on my X-T3 and didn’t really notice any balance issues. I am accustomed to using a lot of heavy lenses, however, so your opinion might be different. This is a premium lens, with a premium build quality and great handling.
Fuji XF 8-16mm F2.8 Autofocus
As noted, the XF 8-16mm sports premium linear motors in its autofocus design, and these give the lens an excellent autofocus performance. I should note that I did my review on the Fuji X-T3, which, at the time of this review, is Fuji’s newest and most sophisticated autofocusing camera. This combination delivers great focus results, with focus arriving near instantly. Even in poorer lighting I got good autofocus, though you’ll see better results if you select fewer points and help the AF know where you want it to focus. In extreme conditions (lighting where I was getting 1/20th exposures at ISO 12,800 with F2.8), there were a few times when the lens didn’t want to lock with a low contrast subject, but that occurred during intentional torture tests and not under actual shooting conditions.
I would characterize autofocus even in low light situations as good if not exceptional. Under normal conditions the autofocus is near silent for stills. In difficult situations where the lens hunts a bit more you might hear a slight “scratchy” sounds as the focus motor moves the elements.
I had no problems with autofocus accuracy, though, to be fair, a focal length like this doesn’t put a lot of stress on a focus system. If you are at 8mm and F2.8, focusing on a subject 10 feet away, everything from 2.77 feet to infinity is in focus! Moving the subject closer (4 feet) only extends the depth of field further, as the hyperfocal distance is right under 4 feet. In other words, the lens would have to be really, really bad to miss focus at 8mm…and it isn’t. At 16mm there’s a bit more stress put on the focus system (in our previous scenario the depth of field drops from infinite to 2.24 feet), which is still fairly generous. At a 10 foot focus distance the depth of field is nearly 23 feet deep, so again, not much challenge. Still, the lack of “challenge” for the focus system is not to undermine it’s performance, which was generally excellent.
The lens can focus down to 25cm (9.84”) where it delivers a rather poor 1:10 reproduction ratio or 0.10x times magnification. A macro lens this is not. This represents minimum focus and what you can achieve there.
For video I found the lens focused quietly and quickly, though major focus throws sometimes came with a little pulse before locking focus that I didn’t love. The onboard mic picked up a slight scratching noise when the focus motor made major focus changes, but you have to be in a pretty quiet environment to hear it. I don’t find that Fuji is quite as smooth when pulling focus as either Canon’s better DPAF bodies or Sony’s more recent third gen a7 bodies. Still, I had good success with autofocus during video capture.
Since the lens is on the larger and heavier side, some of the early motorized gimbals with low payload thresholds might not love it. I did the math: 539g (X-T3) + 805g (8-16) = 1.34kg. I use the Moza Air gimbal, myself, and it had zero problems with this, as it still way under its payload limits (3.22kg). The only issue I saw is that the lens is long enough that you can’t make a full 360 degree rotation up and down, though this isn’t a significant issue at all. This is obviously a fantastic focal range for video work, and wedding videographers will love its dynamic perspective. The internally zooming nature of the lens makes it easy to change the focal length without the need to rebalance the gimbal. All in all, this will be a great tool in the videographer’s arsenal.
All in all there is little to complain about in the autofocus department. Autofocus is near instant and silent under normal conditions. I saw nothing to suggest the lens wouldn’t work well for the purpose of weddings or dimly let venues.
Image Quality
I’ll be blunt – I grade lens’ optical performance based on a curve that correlates with the cost of the lens. An expensive lens gets fewer passes than an inexpensive one. As a result, I’ve looked closely at the image quality to see what might be a red flag with the lens. To see this thorough examination, watch this video episode:
I’ll get the criticisms out of the way first, as the list is very short. At 8-10mm, while the lens is very sharp across the vast majority of the frame, the extreme corners don’t ever quite catch up. With native Fujinon lenses, even the RAW images arrive with some embedded profiles, so when you open them up in Lightroom both vignette and distortion is already corrected for. The correction can’t entirely eliminate a bit of a “mustache” distortion pattern that remains with my brick wall test. It’s mild, but visible with very straight lines.
Ummm, that’s pretty much it. And truthfully, when I look at real-world landscape shots, I can’t really find a situation where the extreme corner issue actually comes into play. This is an 8mm, F5.6 landscape shot. The second photo is a crop of the bottom left corner. Not really much to complain about, is it?
When I look at real-world interior shots, I’m not really seeing any bulges from distortion, so it’s very possible at more typical focus distances distortion is actually reduced (you rarely shoot a wall from three feet away like I did for my brick wall test!)
Some of the other key metrics, like chromatic aberrations (either lateral or longitudinal) are essentially perfectly corrected for through the combination of optics and digital profile.
The profile also perfectly corrects any vignette that might be present in the raw lens, so I didn’t see anything to note, nor did I see evidence in images that additional noise has been added to images on the edges due to correction.
The lens exhibits little to no comatic aberrations, either, so star points look quite good across the frame…even toward the edges. The first crop is from a 8mm, F2.8 shot, while the second crop is from the 16mm F2.8 shot. You’ll note that coma is very low at either extreme of the focal range:
I was very impressed with color rendition and overall contrast, too. I took the lens on a trip to Arizona, and my morning hike shots into the foothills outside of Scottsdale looked great.
Real world flare resistance seems good under most circumstances, though in a few extreme situations I saw some ghosting artifacts (mostly with the lens stopped down quite a bit). Contrast remained strong, however.
Interestingly at the wide end sharpness peaked at F4 and didn’t improve beyond that, though on the telephoto end I was able to see a bit of improvement through F5.6. From what I saw, however, there is little reason to stop the lens down further than that (unless there is some desired effect you want).
Here’s a look at the center and edge performance at 8mm, F2.8:
While you can see the drop off in the corners, if you look at the edges midframe they are actually quite good, which is actually more important in landscape images (as we saw in our real-world example above). There is some improvement comparing F2.8 to F4:
Here’s a look at 12mm, F2.8. You can see where sharpness drops off but also how sharp the lens is across most of the frame:
Stopping down to F4 extends the sharpness into the corners except the last little bit. This remains fairly consistent as you stop the lens on down.
At 16mm the image quality extends a little further into the corners at F2.8, with essentially only the very last bit showing any softness.
Stop down to F5.6 at 16mm to see essentially perfect image quality across the frame.
As you can see from these examples, contrast is excellent at essentially any aperture save the corners at 8mm, F2.8. This is a high performing lens with few real flaws. There is a little extreme corner softness, a bit of leftover distortion at 8mm, and in certain situations I saw some ghosting artifacts, but my real world images essentially universally left me pleased. Some argued after I posted my first video on the lens, “who would buy APS-C for landscapes?” I’m not sure, but I can say this: my landscape images taken with the X-T3 and XF 8-16mm F2.8 looked fantastic.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR isn’t going to be for everyone. Not everyone needs either this wide a focal length or a large aperture in their wide-angle lens. Not everyone has the kind of budget that this lens requires. Those that don’t might be better served by the 10-24mm or one of the wide-angle primes. But if you value the versatility of a zoom and a large maximum aperture (and don’t mind paying for it), the XF 8-16mm is almost certain to make you happy. It produces beautiful images and just works, period.
It’s larger, heavier, and more expensive than what you would like, but outside of that there is very little to complain about. As noted in this review, I think this lens makes more sense for wedding and event photographers than it does for landscape photographers, though it works very well for that, too. The added size and weight of an F2.8 zoom is somewhat wasted for landscape photography, however, as it is rare that landscape photographers shoot at F2.8. Wedding photographers or videographers are a different story, however, and they are the ones that really should consider this lens. It’s a premium lens for a premium price, but fortunately it also delivers a premium performance.
Pros
Beautiful build quality with substantial weather sealing
Fast, quiet autofocus through the linear motors
Beautiful color rendition
Very sharp at all apertures and everywhere except extreme corners
Near perfect control of chromatic aberrations and vignette
Very little coma and wide aperture = great astrophotography
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Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
Keywords: Fujinon, Fuji XF, Fuji 8-16, Fujinon 38-16, XF, Fujinon XF 8-16mm, F2.8, F/2.8, Fuji, Fuji 8-16mm review, Fujinon 8-16 Review, Fujinon 8-16mm F2.8 Review, Dustin Abbott, Fujifilm, X-T3, Fuji X-T3, X-T3 Review, Fuji X-T3 Review, Fujinon, Review, Hands On, Video Test, Sharpness, Autofocus, CA, Video AF, XF 8-16mm F2.8, Lens, Comparison, Test, Dustinabbott.net, Sample Images, Sample Video
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
My next Fuji project is the brand-new Fujinon XF 8-16mm F2.8 R lens – a super wide angle zoom with a large maximum aperture. This lens one-ups the F4 competitors that Sigma, Sony, and Canon offer with an F2.8 version in a serious, pro-grade build and design. The 8-16mm F2.8 continues Fuji’s recent trend of moving even further upscale in the APS-C space with some very professional, very premium options (the most extreme example being the XF 200mm F2 OIS that I recently reviewed!) The 8-16mm F2.8 also comes with a premium price tag, so I’ll look critically at it to see if it lives up to its price. Stay tuned! In the meantime, you can see the photos I’ve taken with the lens along with some of my video clips as the review process unfolds.
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
Use Code “DUSTINHDR” to get $10 off ($15 CDN) Luminar and/or AuroraHDR
Keywords: Fujinon, Fuji XF, Fuji 8-16, Fujinon 38-16, XF, Fujinon XF 8-16mm, F2.8, F/2.8, Fuji, Fuji 8-16mm review, Fujinon 8-16 Review, Fujinon 8-16mm F2.8 Review, Dustin Abbott, Fujifilm, X-T3, Fuji X-T3, X-T3 Review, Fuji X-T3 Review, Fujinon, Review, Hands On, Video Test, Sharpness, Autofocus, CA, Video AF, XF 8-16mm F2.8, Lens, Comparison, Test, Dustinabbott.net, Sample Images, Sample Video
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I’ve just started a brand new partnership with FUJIFilm where I will start to spend some time reviewing some of their products, and I’ve started with the newest and brightest – their X-T3 Flagship camera body and the monster XF 200mm F2 OIS lens. That’s a rather extreme combination for doing my basic sensor reviews, so I asked for a solid prime lens to be sent along for that purpose. I chose the XF 35mm F2, and it is a little lens that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by in a number of ways. It’s impressively sharp, delivers nice color and bokeh, and is genuinely useful at a very reasonable price. My review of it will come after I wrap up covering the new release “rush” over the next couple of weeks.
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
Use Code “DUSTINHDR” to get $10 off ($15 CDN) Luminar and/or AuroraHDR
Keywords: Fujinon, Fuji XF, Fuji 35, Fujinon 35, XF, Fujinon XF 35mm, F2 F/2, Fuji, Fuji 35 review, Fujinon 35 Review, Fujinon 35 F2 Review, Dustin Abbott, Fujifilm, X-T3, Fuji X-T3, X-T3 Review, Fuji X-T3 Review, Fujinon, Review, Hands On, Video Test, Sharpness, Autofocus, CA, Video AF, XF 35mm F2, Lens, Comparison, Test, Dustinabbott.net, Sample Images, Sample Video
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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