What Fujifilm lens to buy?
Not sure which Fujifilm X-mount lens to buy first for your Fuji mirorless camera? This guide is here to help you.
You must have in your possession one of the Fuji cameras with interchangeable lenses from this list:
- Fujifilm X-T1, T2 or T3
- Fujifilm X-T10, X-T20 or X-T30
- Fujifilm X-T100
- Fujifilm X-E2 or E3
- Fujifilm X-H1
- Fujifilm X-A2, A3, A5 or A10
- Fujifilm X-Pro1 or Pro2
- Fujifilm X100F
The best Fujifilm lenses appearing in this selection have been chosen according to the following criteria: price, weight, size, and belong to different categories: standard zoom, portrait, macro, wide angle zoom, fixed focal length wide angle, telephoto zoom…. Please leave a comment to let us know what are your favourite Fuji lenses!
Have a good reading!
Note: Product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
Summary
- Standard zoom
- Portraits
- Street photography
- Wide angle
- Prime wide angle
- Macro
- Zoom lenses
- Comparative table
- Some terms to know
- Useful accessories
STANDARD ZOOM
Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR
Filter size: 77 mm
This 16-55mm was awarded the EISA 2015-2016 prize in the European Compact System Zoom Lens category. It will be of interest mainly to those who do not want to carry several objectives when travelling. It gives the equivalent in full size of a 24-86mm, with a constant aperture of f/2.8.
On the positive side, it offers images with impressive sharpness and colour rendering, and is resistant to dust and water (as the acronym WR indicates). Its finish is all metal. It also has a mechanical diaphragm adjustment ring, and its autofocus is precise and silent.
For the negative points, it’s quite expensive and relatively imposing compared to other objectives presented here. Filters with a fairly large diameter of 77mm should be used to protect the optics. It’s also a pity that it’s not stabilized….
That said, it offers some pretty amazing results and if you’re looking for an all-in-one zoom with a reactive autofocus, even if it means it’s a bit bulky, it’s a very good lens choice.
- Optically designed to draw out the maximum image quality of a flagship standard zoom lens Angle of view 83 2°- 29°
- Focal length(35mm format equivalent) f=16-55mm (24-84mm) Focus range Normal - 0 6m - ∞(whole zoom position) Macro - 30cm - 10m (Wide) 40cm - 10m (Telephoto)
- High-speed, quiet auto focus thanks to the Linear Motor Weight, excluding caps and hoods 1 44 pounds (655g)
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS If you haven’t had it in addition to your camera and you absolutely need a zoom to do everything, it’s a good option. Its performance is much better than most lenses sold as a kit. It’s especially much cheaper than the 16-55mm.
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PORTRAITS
Fujifilm Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 R
Filter size: 62 mm
An ideal lens for portrait photography with a focal length equivalent to 85mm, this 56mm f/1.2 offers high quality images. Its f/1.2 aperture allows you to have a beautiful bokeh and to photograph in low light conditions. With excellent sharpness, little vignetting and almost no distortion, optical quality is the best of the best. Its construction is meticulous and it offers a good grip.
A few drawbacks, however: without being heavy, it’s not a featherweight either, and it remains quite expensive (like most Fujifilm lenses). No integrated optical stabilization either!
Despite this, overall it offers exceptional image quality, and if you are looking for the best Fujifilm lens for portraiture, this 56mm f/1.2 is highly recommended. Note that there is an APD version of this lens, which offers a bokeh a better coat, but at a much higher price.
- 35mm equivalent - 85mm
- Max aperture F1.2, Min aperture F16
- Number of blades - 7(rounded diaphragm opening)
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☛ OTHER OPTIONS
- Fujifilm Fujinon XF 50 mm f/2 R WR: an alternative with great advantages: twice as light, tropicalized, compact and less expensive than the 56mm f/1.2 even if it offers a prettier bokeh and overall a better image rendering. A very good choice if your budget does not allow you the 56mm.
- Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR Tropicalized but not stabilized, with a useful focal length to leave distance with the subject. Really exceptional and impressive image quality, but quite expensive.
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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY / STANDARD
Fujifilm Fujinon XF-35 mm f/1.4 R
Filter size: 52 mm
A versatile fixed focal length lens equivalent to 50mm on a full format, which can be used for landscape, street or portrait photography.
The f/1.4 aperture is suitable for low light conditions and provides a very soft background blur. In terms of manufacture, it’s all metal, solid and well designed, weighing just under 200g and taking up very little space makes it easy to take everywhere.
A notable negative point however, the focus is not internal and it can capture dust (no tropicalization!). The autofocus isn’t lightning fast either, but it does the job.
Overall, the quality of the images delivered is impressive and it deserves its place among the best Fuji lenses.
- Focal length (35mm format equivalent) f=35mm (53mm)
- 8 Elements in 6 Groups (Inc. 1 Asph. Element)
- Angle of view - 44.2 Degrees. Number of blades 7(rounded diaphragm opening)
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR a little cheaper, the f/2 version is tropicalized and has a slightly faster autofocus even if it sometimes fails. An alternative to consider if the difference in aperture does not matter to you.
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Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR
Filter size: 43 mm
This 23mm fixed focal length (35mm equivalent on full format) received a Tipa 2017 award for the best fixed focal length for hybrid. A little less practical to make the portrait than the 35mm mentioned above, it will be more interesting for those who want to make landscape photography or reporting.
It offers excellent overall image quality, with little vignetting and super sharpness. Its focus is silent and very fast. Without being a pancake, it remains light and compact, with a template perfectly adapted to Fujifilm cases; its construction quality is also very good.
In short, it offers a good balance between image quality, compactness and solidity (it’s tropicalized) all at a fair price.
- Advanced image quality - ten elements in six groups, including two aspherical elements for edge-to-edge sharpness
- Angle of view: 63.4°.At just 180g, the XF23mmF2 R WR is compact, lightweight, and stylish for great operability
- Weather and dust resistant, capable of operating at temperatures as low as -10 Degree. Maximum magnification: 0.13x
☛ OTHER OPTION
- Fujifilm XF 23 mm F1.4 R: its direct competitor, twice as expensive and almost twice as heavy. On paper it offers better optical performance, with a slightly more pleasant bokeh, but it’s much more bulky and not tropicalized. The 23mm f/2 is much more affordable and in absolute terms more pleasant to use.
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WIDE ANGLE
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24 mm f/4 R OIS
Filter size: 72 mm
An ultra wide angle zoom that offers a field equivalent to 15-36mm in 24×36 format, ideal for architectural or landscape photography. The constant aperture of f/4 provides good brightness.
On the positive side, it’s stabilized, which is very practical for taking pictures by hand indoors. The OIS focusing system is fast and silent. Given its high price, it’s regrettable that it’s not protected against bad weather or dust, even if the metal construction remains top of the range (it’s an XF lens). This is its main flaw, especially if you plan to take it with you on a trip.
In terms of image quality, it’s enough to see some examples of photos obtained with this 10-24 to see that it allows quite fabulous results if you are an amateur of this type of focal length.
In short, if you are looking for the best wide-angle zoom lens for Fuji, it’s a very good choice unless you are looking for a fixed wide-angle lens.
- Equivalent to 15-36 mm (35mm format) - angle of view: 110° - 61.2°
- Minimum working distance of 0.24 m, Focal Length : 10-24 mm
- Constant f:4 aperture throughout entire zoom range, OIS (built-in Optical Image Stabilisation)
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PRIME WIDE ANGLE
Fujifilm XF 14 mm f/2.8 R
Filter size: 58 mm
For lovers of landscape or architectural photography, this 14mm equivalent to a 21mm in 24×36 format is simply excellent. The aperture of f/2.8 allows you to take pictures in low light conditions, the sharpness is simply superb and the color rendering amazing.
Too bad it’s not tropicalized because it’s useful if you have to take it on a trip in difficult conditions (humidity, dust…), even if the overall quality of construction is very careful. Its weight, above all, makes it pleasant to use and easy to transport.
Apart from that, it’s a must if you know how to use this type of focal length and have the budget because it’s quite expensive.
- 58mm filters
- 14mm focal length
- Micromotor-type AF motor
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☛ OTHER OPTIONS
- Fujifilm XF 16 mm f/1.4 R WR Difficult to choose between this one and the 14mm…. The 16mm f/1.4 has a larger aperture, is tropicalized and has a very short minimum focus distance. On the other hand it’s heavier and more voluminous than the 14mm and costs a little more. If you want to favour weight and size, choose 14mm. If larger aperture and bokeh are important criteria for you, choose 16mm. In both cases, the image quality is excellent.
- Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS CS Half as expensive as the two lenses mentioned above, but the focus is manual. It offers the widest angle of view of the three.
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MACRO
Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro
Filter size: 62 mm
The ideal lens for your Fuji camera and you want to make macro (to make close-ups of insects, flowers…) or even portrait. However, the aperture of f/2.8 allows you to have a nice bokeh effect (don’t expect an incredible background blur, it’s good without being exceptional). It’s stabilized, resistant to humidity and dust and has an LM autofocus system that allows fast but not necessarily silent focusing!
The most important thing to remember is that the rendering of the images obtained with this 80mm f/2.8 is simply excellent. Well, there are inevitably disadvantages to this objective, starting with the weight and size more than consequent, and its price that reserves it for pros or amateurs who can really enjoy themselves. Anyway, if you have the means it’s the best macro lens for Fuji cameras.
- High resolving power and beautiful bokeh - an optical construction of 16 elements in 12 groups, including one aspherical Lens, one Super ED Lens, and three ED lenses has been Adopted.
- New AF System - Adopts a Floating Focus System, which divides focus lens group into “Front Focus Group” and “Rear Focus Group” and drives them depending on the shooting distance with high...
- Optical Image Stabilization - Angle shake and shift shake are suppressed by using a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor with high accuracy, which achieves 5-stop image stabilization.
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- Fujifilm XF 60mm f/2.4 R Half as expensive and three times lighter than the 80mm (but not tropicalized or stabilized). Very good image quality however, even if the most common negative point is the autofocus, which tends to slip. A good alternative to try to get into the macro and that you don’t have the budget to buy the 80mm.
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ZOOM LENSES
Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Filter size: 62 mm
A very good zoom lens that can complement the 18-55 or 16-55mm, equivalent to an 85-300mm on a full size camera. The construction is meticulous and the stitching is excellent over the entire focal range. Too bad it’s not tropicalized, even if the finish is very pleasant.
Optical stabilization is very effective, even at 200mm. Its being a light weight, it remains easily transportable. Auto focus can sometimes be difficult but it does the job (this will cause problems in sports photography perhaps).
Overall it does the job perfectly and offers excellent image performance despite its limited openness, for a reasonable footprint.
- 55 200mm focal length, Minimum focus distance 1.10m/43.41 inch
- 83 300mm equivalent focal length on APS C cameras
- F3.5 4.8 maximum aperture; F22 minimum, Stepper type AF motor
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- Fujifilm XF 50-140 mm f/2.8R-OIS WR Twice as heavy and more expensive than the 55-200! The constant aperture of f/2.8 is however a plus to shoot in low light and have a nice bokeh, and the sharpness is remarkable. It’s tropicalized (fortunately, given its price!).
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Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS
Filter size: 77 mm
The lens with the largest focal range of this selection, but also the most expensive and heaviest! Equivalent to a 150-600mm on full format, it’s primarily intended for pro and semi-professionals who want to take animal or sports photos.
Tropicalized and stabilized, it delivers superb images over the entire focal range even if it’s far from perfect at 400m and f/5.6. Don’t expect a crazy bokeh, its aperture is quite limited. Apart from that, the optical quality is top notch.
Its weight and size will take some time to adapt, but if you want to take a picture from (very) far away, this is the best Fujifilm lens in its category (and the only one!).
- Focal length : XF100-400mm (152-609mm - 35mm Format Equivalent)
- 21 elements 14 groups (includes 5 extra low dispersion elements and 1 super extra low dispersion element)
- Focus range : 1.75m, Max.magnification : 0.19x (Telephoto)
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COMPARATIVE TABLE
All the Fujifilm objectives mentioned in this article are gathered and classified in this comparative table according to their price, from the cheapest to the most expensive. The list is long but thanks to this table you will be able to see which one will suit you best according to your budget, weight and utility needs.
The prices indicated are those of Amazon at the time of writing. They change regularly, it’s up to you to jump on the right deals!
| Lenses | Price | Weight | Aperture | Filter size | Utility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS CS | $$$$$ | 245g | f/2 | 67mm | wide angle |
| Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR | $$$$$ | 170g | f/2 | 43mm | standard |
| Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR | $$$$$ | 180g | f/2 | 43mm | standard |
| Fujifilm Fujinon XF 50 mm f/2 R WR | $$$$$ | 200g | f/2 | 46mm | portrait |
| Fujifilm Fujinon XF-35 mm f/1.4 R | $$$$$ | 187g | f/1.4 | 52mm | standard |
| Fujifilm XF 60mm F2.4 R | $$$$$ | 215g | f/2.4 | 39mm | macro |
| Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS | $$$$$ | 580g | f/3.5-4.8 | 62mm | zoom |
| Fujifilm XF-14 mm f/2.8 R | $$$$$ | 235g | f/2.8 | 58mm | wide angle |
| Fujifilm Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 R | $$$$$ | 405g | f/1.2 | 62mm | portrait |
| Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24 mm f/4 R OIS | $$$$$ | 410g | f/4 | 72mm | wide angle |
| Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR | $$$$$ | 540g | f/2 | 62mm | portraits |
| Fujifilm XF 16 mm f/1.4 R WR | $$$$$ | 375g | f/1.4 | 67mm | wide angle |
| Fujifilm XF 23 mm f/1.4 R | $$$$$ | 300g | f/1.4 | 62mm | standard |
| Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR | $$$$$ | 655g | f/2.8 | 77mm | all-in-one |
| Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro | $$$$$ | 750g | f/2.8 | 62mm | macro |
| Fujifilm XF 50-140 mm f/2.8R-OIS WR | $$$$$ | 995g | f/2.8 | 72mm | zoom |
| Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS | $$$$$ | 1375g | f/4.5-5.6 | 77mm | super-zoom |
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ABBREVIATIONS TO KNOW
Because it’s not easy to find your way around, here are some abbreviations and terms to know before choosing a new lens for your Fujifilm camera:
XF: The range of expert optics from Fujifilm, with a metal finish and top-of-the-range optical characteristics.
LM (Linear Motor): means that the lens has an autofocus system with a non-contact linear motor for fast, smooth and silent focusing.
OIS (Optical Image Stabilization): indicates that the lens incorporates an optical stabilization system to reduce motion blur.
R (Ring): means that the lens has an aperture ring to adjust the diaphragm.
WR (Weather resistant): means that the lens is tropicalized and resistant to dust, moisture and cold.
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USEFUL ACCESSORIES
Here’s a small selection of useful accessories to have in addition to your lenses and your camera (all the links lead to Amazon.com):
You will find the detailed technical specifications of the Fuji-compatible lenses on the Fujifilm website.
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