Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk
35
First tests
FujifilmXF200mmF2 R LMOISWR £5399
Specs
If there’s an area where the Fujifilm X Series lens system is weak, it’s at the long telephoto end. But that’s changing. True, there is a 100-400mm lens, but it’s a modest variable aperture f/4.5-5.6. To compete with the top optics from Canon and Nikon, Fujifilm knew it had to up its game, and it certainly has. The XF200mmF2 (305mm equivalent in the 35mm format) is a super-fast, high-spec long telephoto that will appeal to wildlife and action workers. Its specifications actually surpass rival optics from Canikon because their 300mm lenses are f/2.8. Also, while not comparing like with like, their lenses weigh 2550g and 2900g respectively, where the Fujifilm is 2265g. I tested the XF200mm on X-H1 and X-T2 bodies. Balance was good on both cameras, and while I wouldn’t personallywanttousethelenswithout support for long, it is handholdable. Balance is helped by the short length of the lens, which means the centre of gravity is in the middle of the camera/lens combination. The overall handling is very good for a lens of this type, with a smooth manual focus action and an aperture ring that is nicely click-stopped in 1/3EV steps.
Price £5399. Comes with XF1.4X TC F2 WR teleconverter, hood, caps and case with shoulder strap Format APS-C, gives 305mm equivalent focal length in the 35mm format Mount Fujifilm X Mount Construction 19 elements in 14 groups Special lens elements Two ED, one Super ED AF motor Fujifilm Linear Motor Coatings Super EBC Filter size 105mm Aperture range F/2-22 in 1/3EV steps, A setting Diaphragm Nine blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 1.8m Focus limiter Yes, full, infinity to 5m Maximummagnification 0.12x Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabilizer Yes, gives up to 5EV benefit Tripod collar Yes, with Arca-Swiss foot Lens hood Yes Weather-sealed Yes Dimensions (dxl) 122x205.5mm Weight 2265g Contact fujifilm.eu
Below The four function buttons on the lens can be set to different modes using a sliding selector on the barrel: AF-L, Preset and AF.
The four function buttons on the lens canbe set todifferentmodesusing a sliding selector on the barrel: AF-L, Preset and AF. Preset, with the help of the button below the mode switch, means you can focus on a point and return to it instantly with a push of a function button. The AF works like the shutter button (activating focus), while AF-L locks focus so it doesn’t change when the shutter button is used or if the subject moves when continuous AF mode is set. The OIS camera-shake-defeating system claims a 5EV benefit. If we assume that 1/500sec is the minimum advised for handholding – although with a lens like this I’d recommend 1/1000sec – then that means 1/15sec. I took sets of five shots at shutter speeds from 1/8sec to 1/250sec with the OIS on and off to see how it did, using an outdoor subject on a calmday with the lens on the non-IBIS Fujifilm X-T2 with its mechanical shutter.
Without OIS, I got the odd decently sharp shot at 1/30sec and 1/60sec and only really enjoyed success at 1/250sec and above. With OIS on, I got five pin-sharp shots at 1/30sec and three spot on at 1/15sec. That’s impressive. Even more impressive is this lens’s optical showing – including with the compact 1.4x teleconverter in place. Let’s start with the lens on its own. It is really usable at f/2, where you get detail-rich, contrasty, sparklingly sharp shots. Quality gets even better at f/2.8 and f/4 but if you had to use f/2, that wouldn’t be a hardship because the images are so good. Sharpness does drop off from f/11 onwards but that’s not a real issue given that extreme telephotos are rarely used at small apertures. Fit the 1.4x converter and the lens becomes a very compact 427mm f/2.8 (in 35mm terms), and wide open you still get an impressive showing across the image frame. If you have the light to shoot at f/4 and f/5.6, and your camera technique is up to it, you’ll be rewarded with some stunningly sharp pictures. To sum up, this is a leading-edge long lens that delivers at a very high level from f/2 onwards. WC
F/8
200mmwith 1.4x converter
Original image 200mm
F/11
Verdict
F/2.8
F/2
F/16
The XF200mmF2 is a remarkable and hugely capable lens. Of course it’s pricey but it is comparable to equivalent optics from Canon and Nikon – and it’s an f/2 and comes with an excellent 1.4x teleconverter. Action and wildlife photographers eyeing up the Fujifilm X Series with a view to switching now have another reason to make the leap.
F/4
F/2.8
F/22
F/5.6
F/4
Images Test pictures using a FujifilmX-H1 mounted on a Novo Explora T20 with an Arca-Swiss ballhead. Raws processed through free software, Capture One Express Fujifilm v11.3. The shutter was released using the self-timer.
Above Despite its weight, the XF200mmF2 performs well handheld and getting sharp pictures at slow shutter speeds is perfectly feasible. This image was shot at 1/30sec at f/2, ISO 1600.
F/8
F/5.6
Pros Optical performance, OIS, Arca-Swiss tripod foot Cons Price
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