Fuji X-Pro1

Fuji always dances to a different drummer. While any of the major camera makers would introduce one or more zoom lenses along with a new camera system, in Fuji's case, when they launched the X-Pro 1 they did so along with three primes. Not a zoom in sight. If I knew the Japanese translation for chutzpah, that's the word that I'd use for such an unconventional marketing strategy. And you know what? I worked. Instead of playing the me-too game that the other companies systematically follow, Fuji turned it on its head, introducing several fast primes before their first zoom, the excellent 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R OIS last fall. Now, in the Spring of 2013 they have started shipping a 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS, equivalent to an 80-300mm in terms of angle of coverage. Incidentally, their lens road map shows a third zoom coming, a 10-14mm f/4 OIS. If you already own the Fuji 18-55mm you'll be familiar with the feel of the 55-200mm. These lenses share the same design aesthetic, and that's a pretty good one, especially given the lens' reasonable US $700 price. Fit and finish are first rate, and the lens is relatively light weight without feeling flimsy. As with the 18-55mm there is an aperture ring, but it is displayed on-screen rather than have apertures marks on the lens barrel, the way they do with Fuji primes. There is an "A" position as well as one for manual aperture control. Also, as with the shorter zoom, there is a OIS On-Off (stabilization) switch on the lens barrel. Zoom control is firm and smooth. Almost perfect. Manual focusing (when enabled) is fly-by-wire, but also has a very smooth feel. The lens is shipped with a lens cap and a metal lens hood.

At some point Fuji is going to disappoint me. They'll have to let me down, I just know they will. Everything follows this basic, unforgiving law of averages right? But at the risk of coming off as some sort of fanboi, that day hasn't come and I’m again forced to swoon over an upcoming X-series product: the Fujinon XF 55–200mm F3.5–4.8 R LM OIS. This lens isn’t out yet but Fujifilm Canada sent me a pre-production unit to test — with all the caveats this involves. A telephoto is the one thing I’ve been missing most on this system so I was eager to try it out. I had to install a new firmware version in order for the camera to recognize it but everything went without a hitch. I was warned by Billy (Luong, of the Fuji Guys) that there were still improvements being made (the zoom itself is way too stiff but this won’t be in the final version), and Tokyo has put an embargo on any full size images until everything has been ironed out. But I’ll tell you this: if this is the level of image quality in the pre-production unit… Man, we’re in for a serious treat. The contrast, sharpness and highlight rendition is right up there with the 35mm f/1.4. My initial feeling is that it even surpasses it. The OIS feels like a Steady-Cam; Manual focussing follows in the footsteps of the 14mm and 18–55mm and keeps me eating my own words about fly by wire. And when mounted on my X-Pro1 the entire kit feels like it’s at least half the weight of my old Nikon 70–200 2.8 on its own. I can’t wait to shoot portraits with this lens but for now, a few images from my backyard (moments after the lens got here and a few after dinner) just to give you an idea of what it looks like wide open — which of course will vary based on focal length. Make sure you hover over the lightbox images to get the exif data. One more detail: minimum focussing distance seems to be a little over 3 feet, a bit more on the long end. Enabling macro mode on the camera doesn’t seem to do anything.

Today Digital Photo and Practical Photography got an exclusive hands-on preview of Fujifilm’s brand-new XF55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens – the first telephoto zoom to be added to the Fuji X-mount system. Constructed with 14 elements in 10 groups, it features built-in image stabilisation, bragging sharp shots with shutter speeds up to 4.5 stops slower than normal, along with two liner AF motors for quick and quiet focusing.
When attached to the X-Pro1 and X-E1, the lens felt well weighted and balanced in the hand, benefitting from a large rubberised zoom ring, along with full metal Aperture and focus rings for an all-round quality feel.

For further specs, please see the full press release below.

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) is proud to announce the launch of the new “FUJINON XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS” lens for the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 and X-E1 compact system cameras. FUJINON XF lenses feature advanced lens engineering, capable of drawing the maximum performance out of the highly-descriptive "X-Trans CMOS Sensor" in the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 and X-E1 cameras.  The new FUJINON XF55-200mm lens produces sharp images across its entire zoom range, well resolved corner-to-corner.  The fast F3.5-4.8 lens facilitates image capture in scenes requiring a fast shutter speed.  Its image stabilisation function enables the use of shutter speeds 4.5 stops slower, preventing camera shake even when shooting hand-held in low-light, or at a stopped down aperture. Furthermore, it is built to include two linear motors for high-speed AF of 0.28 seconds, instantaneously focusing on your subject....

I was given a mere ten minutes to try it, as other people were waiting in line to test it as well, and it was the only sample available. Also, the lens was a prototype, very close to the final version. In that brief time, I used it on an X-Pro 1 and took a couple of pictures around the block. The lens is not too heavy and I find it well balanced with the X-Pro 1 in terms of both weight and ergonomics. The zoom ring wasn’t as smooth as others I’ve tried, but it could be related to the sample I used. Also, the aperture ring, as with other XF lenses, is a little bit too soft and you can inadvertently change the aperture. Since I had such a short window of time, I concentrated on bringing home some interesting shots. I wanted to try the zoom at its fastest apertures but I didn’t realize that I had accidentally changed it to 5.6 the whole time I was out with the lens. Anyway, the blame’s on me! This lens is the first telephoto lens for the X system and Fuji seems to have made it right: the quality is there. It is very sharp, with a nice bokeh that seems to be more pleasant to the eye than traditional telephoto zoom lenses without the constant aperture like this one. The lens is stabilized and while I didn’t try it much, I took a few shot at less than 1/100s and it responded very well. The minimal focus distance is more than acceptable for this type of lens, but don’t expect close macro performance here. It is indeed an interesting lens for those interested in chasing animals in the park or for portraits. Its non-constant aperture won’t make it ideal in low-light performance. As for the autofocus, the X-Pro 1 handed to me had the latest firmware on it that support this new lens, and that is suppose to enhance the autofocus on the X-Pro 1 as well. Again, 10 minutes isn’t enough to judge a lens, but it seems that it possesses the normal Fuji autofocus speed found in the X-pro line, so nothing terribly fast.....

I have a favourite place, about 25 minutes’ drive from my home, where I like to go and make photographs. It is a great place to visit and as I am coming to understand its particular rhythms, I am learning to predict its moods and sense the best times to be there. Dawn is an especially great time to go, particularly in autumn, when the valley floor is covered in mists and mystery. The local farmer is happy to allow me up on his property, where I can see over the plains and watch the turn of the day and the cycle of the weather. It is the perfect place to go and test equipment, particularly a camera’s ability to resolve fine and complex detail. For the last week or so I have been test-driving a pre-production version of Fujifilm’s new Fujinon 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS zoom lens. Pre-release is probably a better descriptor since it is clearly obvious that full release versions will be the same as my tester. And what better place to take it for a workout than my torture-test place? But first a little background. When Fujifilm first released the X-Pro 1 the beginning of 2012, they did a brave thing; they released only three lenses, all of them fixed focal-length prime lenses. They went for the classic 28 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm equivalent focal lengths, the stalwart of photographers for decades. However, if you had a thing for wide, then the wide-angle was not wide enough, and if a telephoto was your thing, then the 60/90 mm simply did not reach far enough. But it was a good start. And the lenses were stunningly, glitteringly sharp, due in part to the superior Fuji optics and in part to the fact that the sensor had no anti-aliasing filter. Later in 2012, with the release of the X-E1, Fujifilm supplied the first zoom lens, an 18-55 (28-82 equivalent)  lens, which enabled greater flexibility and focal length choice. Not only that, but the lens was stabilised, which made it possible to hand-hold down to very slow shutter speeds. Needless to say, this camera/lens combination has proved very popular. Later in 2012, we were able to acquire the new and exceptional 14mm (21mm equivalent) lens, which allowed us to have a wider reach. Now all we X-philes needed, we said, is a decent telephoto zoom lens. The 18-55 LM OIS had proved to be just as stellar as the prime lenses, somewhat giving the lie to the idea that zooms are inherently softer than primes. So we  waited in anticipation, looking forward to getting our hands on this new and longer zoom.

Now the wait is over (well, almost).

Fujifilm are now about to release the Fujinon 55-200mm (83-300 equiv.) F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens next month. Its specifications, from Fujifilm publicity material are as follows:

- Image stabilization that allows the use of shutter speeds 4.5 stops slower;

- Uses two linear stepper motors for high-speed AF and quiet operation, making the lens suitable for video recording as well

- Features two ED lens elements including one Super ED lens element that boasts performance equivalent to that of fluorite lenses; controlling chromatic aberrations, which typically occur in long focal lengths, to produce images that resolve well corner-to-corner across the its entire zoom range

- Applying FUJINON’s proprietary “HT-EBC (High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating)” on the entire lens surface to achieve a highly preventative measure against reflections and to control flair and ghosting

- Offering the minimum working distance of 1.1m across the entire zoom range to enable telephoto close-ups, capturing a small part of a subject

- Featuring a 1/3EV step aperture ring so that users can easily adjust the aperture whilst holding the camera up to their eye

- The focus ring and aperture ring are made from metal and have been designed to have a high quality feel, with the benefit of being extra robust.

Okay, much of that is marketing speak, but after a week of using it out in the field, I would have to say that all of it is true......

Fujifilm is committed to the entire X-Series line of advanced digital cameras and FUJINON XF lens, and is issuing an updated XF lens roadmap following the initial XF lens roadmap released in June 2012.

With 10 FUJINON XF lenses and the new three X-Mount lenses that Carl Zeiss announced in September 2012, there will soon be 13 high-performance lenses available for the X-Mount system to meet the needs of every photographer and support a wide range of photography from  ultra-wide-angle at 10-24mm(15-36mm*1) to super-telephoto of 55-200mm (83-300mm*1.) 

End 2013
In late 2013, Fujifilm will deliver the pancake XF27mm (41mm*1) F2.8 high performance single focal length lens. Fujifilm will then launch the super wide zoom XF10mm-24mm (15-36mm*1) F4 lens with optical image stabilization and the single focal length XF23mm (35mm*1) F1.4 lens.

Early 2014
In early 2014, FUJINON will launch its premier prime portrait lens, the XF56mm (84mm*1) F1.2R.