Photography News | Issue 51 | photographynews.co.uk
41
First tests
FujifilmXF80mm f/2.8 R LMOISWR Macro £1249
Specs
Price
£1249
Format
APS-C
Mount Fujifilm X
Fujifilm’s system continues to grow with the arrival of the XF80mm f/2.8, its first macro lens offering 1:1 life-size magnification. Its 80mm focal length equates to 122mm in the 35mm format so this is a medium telephoto macro lens, perfect for close-up shooting when a comfortable working distance is needed. In practical terms this means you can get in lights, don’t disturb insects, for example, and work far enough away so your shadow doesn’t fall across the subject. It is a very useful focal length, and not just for macro but also for people and general scenes. The 80mm f/2.8 is a solidly built lens that is weather resistant, so perfectly matched with Fujifilm’s weatherproofed cameras, the X-T2 and X-Pro2. I used the lens on an X-T2 but also tried it on an X-E3. It balances well on the X-T2 and makes for a very usable combination, but the lens is on the large side so on the more petite X-E3 the lens was very much the dominant partner. The lens features OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) with shift shake giving a claimed 5EV benefit. I did an OIS test on a still day using the X-T2 and its mechanical shutter, taking five shots of a subject five metres from the camera position at full shutter speeds down to 1/2sec. All five shots at 1/15sec were pin sharp and that high level of performance was maintained at 1/8sec and 1/4sec, with four out of five shots sharp. At 1/2sec three out of five shots were sharp. That is a very good result and using the camera’s vibration-less electronic shutter could be even more efficient. X-series lens
Construction 16 elements in 12 groups Special lens elements 1x aspherical, 3x ED elements, 1x super ED element Coatings Super EBC, fluorine coating on front element Filter size 62mm Aperture range F/2.8-22 in 0.3EV steps Diaphragm Nine blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 25cm Focus limiter Yes, full, 0.5 to infinity, 0.25-0.5m Maximummagnification 1:1 Distance scale No (scale in camera EVF) Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser Yes Tripod collar No Lens hood Supplied Weather-sealed Yes, 11 seals Dimensions 130x80mm Weight 750g Contact Fujifilm.eu
Assuming that 1/125sec is the slowest shutter speed for handholding this lens, a 5EV benefit is 1/4sec so in this test the lens delivers. The lens’s AF system is very efficient thanks to Fujifilm’s floating focus system. This comprises two focusing lens groups, front and rear, working with a newly developed ceramic ball slide system. Optimum image quality is possible with the two groups moving to suit the subject distance and this keeps any lens aberrations down. All this happens within the lens so the barrel’s size stays constant. With all this technology and a linear motor,
AF speed is impressive, effectively silent and accurate. Speed-wise, AF is quicker going from a distant subject to a near one rather than the other way around. AF on macro lenses is often less sure-footed and more uncertain, with more hunting back and forth as you get in closer, and while this lens did have bouts of indecision, it wasn’t too bad and of course moving the focus point to cover an area of contrast helped a great deal. The three focus limit settings help to keep focus racking down. Mechanically, the broad manual focus barrel was smooth to use as was the aperture ring although on
our sample the 0.3EV steps could be more defined. Optically, this lens is a cracker, giving a very good account of itself at every aperture setting across the whole image frame. Sharpness rates very highly at f/2.8 and in terms of detail resolution and contrast and there is little to be gained with stopping down – depth-of-field aside. Look very closely and the image at f/5.6 and f/8 is slightly crisper compared with the f/2.8 shots. The only obvious drop in image quality materialises when you get down to f/16 and f/22 where there is a degree of softening thanks to diffraction. WC
Original image
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
Verdict
This Fujifilm XF80mm f/2.8 lens gives XF users much to get excited about. It gives life-size magnification, has a very efficient OIS and the AF is accurate and fast. But the cherry on the cake is the lens’s optical skills. It does a great job of recording fine detail and delivering deeply impressive images so even at £1249, this is a very good value lens.
Images Our test shotswere done on the FujifilmXF80mm f/2.8mounted on an X -T2 camera bodywhichwas fixed on a Novo Explora T20 carbon- fibre tripodwith a ballhead. The mechanical shutter was released with the self-timer, and the resulting Raws processed through Lightroom with default sharpening.
F/11
F/16
F/22
Pros Image quality, effective OIS, focus limiter Cons Size
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