First test
PRICE: £799
FUJIFILM-X.COM
Fujifilm XF8mm f/3.5 R WR Fujifilm’s latest X Series lens is its widest prime offering. Whether for selfie-style vlogging or dramatic scenes, the XF8mm f/3.5 R WR has massive potential
three aspherical elements, this lens is wholly capable of making the most of Fujifilm’s 40-megapixel cameras. Handling is excellent. It weighs just 215g, so slip it into your camera bag and there’s a risk you’ll forget it’s there. I tested the 8mm on the recently introduced X-S20, and it balanced beautifully on that camera – but I can’t imagine it would be any different on the larger X-T5 or X-H2. AF is impressively quick and accurate too, even in less-than- ideal lighting, and there’s minimal breathing so it’s great for video. If you’re shooting outside and have enough light, stopping down to f/8 and focusing to 36cm gives sharp images from infinity to 18cm. Optically, the 8mm did not disappoint. It produced fine results even at f/3.5, where sharpness and fine-detail resolution rated highly. The central area was phenomenal, with a slight quality fall-off as you moved towards the corners, but that was no surprise with a lens of this type. In the same way, there was some darkening in the corners. Setting to f/5.6 resolved the minor vignetting and sharpened the corners too. Any further stopping down had little benefit to the lens’ already high performance, so unless you want more depth-of-field, you can shoot at f/5.6 or even wider for critical results.
TESTED BY WILL CHEUNG
ULTRA WIDE-ANGLE lenses are incredibly useful – ideal for scenes, interiors and character portraits. Moving in close to make the most of strong leading lines or aiming up along tall buildings can give dramatic perspectives. But super-wide lenses have an extra purpose in modern imaging: vloggers need to show themselves in their environments, and these optics make that possible with just a camera on a selfie stick. Fujifilm’s XF8mm f/3.5 R WR gives a field of view equivalent to 12mm in full-frame. It features a weather- resistant build, has a 62mm filter thread and focuses as close as 18cm. Optical design is first-rate, and with a formula including two ED and SPECS › Price £799 › In the box Lens, lens hood, front and rear lens caps, plus lens wrapping cloth › Construction 12 elements in nine groups › Special elements Three aspherical and two ED › Aperture range F/3.5-22 › Diaphragm Nine blades (rounded) › Minimum focus 18cm › Maximum magnification 0.07x › Filter size 62mm › Dimensions (dxl) 68x52.8mm › Weight 215g › Contact fujifilm-x.com
PERFORMANCE: DIFFRACTION Rather than shooting a test chart, we went all practical with the Fujifilm 8mm and shot in a real-life situation. This set of test shots was taken on a Fujifilm X-S20, and the Raws were processed with default settings.
WIDE INSIDE The 8mm is perfect for interiors, such as this shot of the ceiling of the Carmelite Priory in Mdina, Malta – a handheld shot taken on a Fujifilm X-S20 at 1/30sec, f/3.5 and ISO 800 However, f/11 is the smallest aperture to use for top results – at f/16 and f/22, diffraction has a clear negative impact on sharpness. Flare was not an issue even shooting into direct sun, and on night shots there was no sign of any ghosting or internal reflections, so an impressive showing here. Exactly the same applies to control of curvilinear distortion, with straight lines running into and across the frame perfectly accurately. Wide- angle distortion emerges towards the corners of the frame, so objects here will look a little stretched. PN THAMES BUS There’s plenty of fun to be had on the streets with the 8mm, but the key is to get as close as you can to avoid clutter. Taken on a Fujifilm X-S20 at 1/140sec, f/9 and ISO 160
F/4
F/4
F/11
F/11
Verdict The Fujifilm XF8mm f/3.5 R WR is a lovely, user-friendly ultra-wide that makes a perfect partner to a standard zoom. It’s true that using such wide-angled lenses requires some work for great pictorial results, and getting in close with a perfect camera viewpoint is an important technique – but get it right and the images can be magical. Whether you are a vlogger or creative stills shooter, if you’re a Fujifilm X Series user looking for an ultra-wide lens in a compact body form with impressive performance, this is the optic for you.
F/22
F/22
PROS Optically very capable at its best, lightweight, compact and flare resistant CONS Diffraction softens images at f/16 and f/22
30 Photography News | Issue 110
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