Kit reviews
29
FujifilmXF18-135mmf/3.5-5.6 RLMOISWR £699
SPECS
PRICE £699 CONTACT
www.fujifilm.co.uk CONSTRUCTION 16 elements in 12 groups FOCAL RANGE (35mm equivalent) 27- 206mm MINIMUM APERTURE f/22 APERTURE BLADES 7 CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 0.6m normal shooting, 0.45mmacro shooting FILTER SIZE 67mm DIMENSIONS (WXL) 75.7x97.8mm (wide-angle)/158mm (telephoto) WEIGHT 490g
When you can get a 77mm polariser from as little as £10, why would you go for a £140 model like the 77mm XS-PRO KSM MRC-NANO from B+W? Picking up the filter and screwing it on, the first reason we found is build. Unlike cheaper filters which are often made of aluminium, the B+W XS-PRO has a brass mount and it attaches with an assured smoothness. The added strength also means, down the line, the thread should remain uncompromised and while it weighs a little more than some, at around 40g, it’s not like you’ll notice when it’s attached. For added durability, the polarising film in this Käsemann-type filter is sealed between high-grade optical glass and then edge-sealed to protect from humidity and any build-up of mould, and the MRC nano coating is water-repellent and scratch resistant, so cleaning is easier and it’s free from smearing. The filter also extends only half as far as most, meaning that it’s less likely to vignette at wide angles. It’s rated useable at a minimum of 17mm on full-frame cameras, and 10mm on APS-C versions, but with a Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 on a D800 we saw no problems at the edges even at 16mm. Although the filter is thin, there’s no issue in locating or turning the bezel while in a shooting position, thanks to its ridged front edge which sits well away from the main screw and the turning action is very smooth. When Fujifilm announced the X-T1 in January one key selling point was its weather-resistant capabilities. The 18-135mm WR is the first XF lens to get the same treatment. I’ve been using the lens for two months and the 20 seals around the lens have done their job admirably. The obvious side effect of the weather sealing is the physical size. The aperture ring also has a different feel – you can tell there’s some weather-sealing – and while it still offers third-stop steps, it lacks the mechanical precision of a non- weather sealed XF lens. With a focal range covering the 35mm equivalent to a 27-206mm lens, this is likely to be an optic that will spend a lot of time on your X-series camera. The manual focus control is much lighter than the zoom control and while this makes it very simple to focus using one finger, fine-tuning can be tricky, even with the X-T1’s wonderful viewfinder. Camera shake is tackled beautifully by the improved image stabilisation. Thanks to a gyro sensor it can provide up to five stops of correction. The XF18-135mm combined with the X-T1’s shutter mechanism saw me successfully hand-holding at 1/2sec. The supplied lens hood does well to combat lens flare and the results are very sharp. I also took a series of lens chart shots, comparing the XF18-135mm on the X-T1 with my Canon EF24- 105mm f/4L lens and EOS 5D Mark II outfit, because Fujifilm has often said its X-Trans sensor out-resolves a full-frame version.
ABOVE At the telephoto end of the zoom range there’s no pincushioning present and you’ll still get good results at the 18mm end, though it isn’t the strongest.
The verdict
The Fujifilm set-up got off to a shaky start at the wide-angle setting; edge definition lacked bite throughout the aperture range and while the central performance is better, it didn’t match the Canon’s 24mm. However, the Fujifilm optic does score better on both chromatic aberration and barrel distortion at the wide setting. Zoom to the centre of both focal ranges and there really is little to choose between these two lenses. The Fuji XF18-135mm appears sharper, but drops off a little on edge definition at both maximum and minimum aperture settings. At the telephoto end, the XF18-135mm is sharper and has far tighter control over both aberrations and pincushion distortion.
The 18mm setting aside, this lens performs as well as a shorter range zoom on a full-frame sensor and, in some cases, beats it. It features a highly effective image stabiliser as well as weather resistance and many photographers will rightly be won over. The weather resistance does soften the scalpel-sharp precision of other XF lenses and I find the manual focus ring a little too light, but there’s no denying that the lens opens doors.
PROS
Range, quality, weather-resistance
CONS
18mm setting, manual focus ring
B+W77mmXS-PROKSM MRC-NANOCircular Polariser £140
WITHOUT
WITH
SPECS
PRICE £140 (77mm version) CONTACT www.schneideroptics. com SIZES 49mm to 86mm (£75-£185) TYPE Circular polarising filter CONSTRUCTION Brass, scratch and water-resistant coating WEIGHT 40g
The verdict
There is no point buying a high-quality lens and then sticking a budget filter on the front. All that will do is degrade the performance of your expensive bit of glass. If you want to use filters – and filters like the polariser are definitely well worth using – go for a quality brand like B+W. Its circular polariser proved excellent in all aspects and it is a filter I can heartily recommend. Overall, a top-class filter that, treated respectfully, will last a lifetime.
As for image quality, the filter doesn’t disappoint. During shooting we saw no discernible loss of sharpness, and the slight warming was entirely pleasing for landscape work. Inevitably, this means loss of light to the sensor, and depending on the angle of use and subject you’re aiming at we saw anything from 2⅓EV to 1⅔EV in the test image on this page – the very minimum was 1EV. Coverage of the polarising effect, which is easy to see against a clear blue sky, is very good, though as is normal at wider settings it doesn’t quite fill the frame.
High-quality design and top results PROS
CONS It’s not cheap
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Issue 13 | Photography News
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