6 best Fujinon lenses: Why I use them

The Fujifilm lenses I love

On September 16th, 2017, I bought my first Fujifilm Camera. At the time, I saw this move to Fujifilm as a move toward a stills photography workflow only. However, since then, I have completely switched to Fujifilm for photography and video production.

From Fiji’s old school dial system to the stellar image quality, they have not disappointed me at all. For my philosophy of photography, Fujifilm hits the mark. But you might be surprised as some of the lenses I prefer are not part of the Fujinon line and are part of up and coming brands like Viltrox and Pergear.

Make sure you scroll to the end of this blog post if you would like to see my experience with all the Fujifilm lenses I have had the chance to review. I have included my YouTube channel playlist.

All that counts is the lens

But all cameras are only as good as the lens that you put on them. Fujifilm has kept me with them because of their insistence on making excellent quality glass for both entry-level photographers and professionals.

Bearing this in mind, I wanted to talk about my 2020 Fujinon X mount collection. So, without any delay here are the lenses that are in my photography bag in 2020.

1)  The Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/ 2.8-4 R

This lens in itself was not really a choice. I bought this lens because it was part of the summer special offered in 2017 where you received the X-T2 body, this lens, and a battery grip for 2400$ CND. Although there is a tiny bit of fringing at the wide end, it is pretty darned sharp and definitely true to colors. I use it a great deal. I use it a lot for street photography while I do walks with the family because the zoom range and image quality allow me to get the family snapshots and meaningful images.

2) The Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR

Being a 52.5mm full-frame equivalent, the focal length of the 35mm f/2, for me, is just ideal. This lens offers the ability to go out and shoot street photography, portraits, product photography, or even snapshots. Image quality on this lens is, by all intents and purposes, stellar.

I always find myself looking in Adobe Lightroom and mentioning to myself that an image is particularly sharp. 2 times out of 3, I discover that the lens in the impressive shot was the 35mm f/2.0. The Fujinon 35mm f/2.0 R WR is a must in everyone’s Fujifilm X mount lens collection. 

Although Fuji also offers a more expensive and excellent 35mm f/1.4 option, the f/2 is really impossible to beat for the price to quality ratio ($399 as opposed to $599US). In my workflow and what I do, I really question the viability of paying so much more for the f/1.4.

I compared these two lenses and talked about my conclusions in this video:

3) The Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8

I bought the Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR because I believe that on any run and gun photo capture situation, it is great to be able to frame as you go. Although Fujinon offers a very good and less expensive  XF55-200 F3.5-4.8 LM OIS, the biggest problem with that lens is the variable aperture opening (The lens closes down as you zoom closer). Also, the 55-200 does not offer weather-sealing, which is extremely important when working on events where you can be outdoors or indoors at a moment’s notice.

The Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 LM OIS WR is an event photography all in one. It is an image-stabilized lens with a 75mm-210mm full-frame equivalent focal range. This focal range is total perfection for anyone working weddings, show events, receptions, sporting events, and even concerts.

The 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 vs the 50-140 f/2.8

The 50-140’s optical quality is not far from perfect. It has prime quality with the convenience of a zoom. But the question remains. Is it worth paying almost $1000 more compared to the 55-200? I think so.

The 55-200’s optical quality is outstanding but not in an absolute sense. It is exceptional for the price that Fujinon asks. However, I believe that the extra I.Q. you get out of the 50-140 will differentiate you among other photographers competing for your clientele.

To know a bit about my experiences with the 55-200 check out this video

4) The Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 and the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8

The 56mm f/1.4 and the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 STM are the greatest underdog Fujifilm X mount portrait lenses I have ever owned. With both of these lenses, I am able to save money and get fantastic image quality. Both lenses give me spectacular bokeh.

Both lenses do not offer image stabilization. However, the workflow that you use these lenses does not need image stabilization. i.e., portraits and product photography, etc., are tripod intensive. So excellent image quality with stellar prices makes them a great purchase in anyone’s camera kit.

5) The Fujinon XF16mm F/1.4 R WR

This Fujinon 16mm F/1.4 is my favorite lens when working with my Fujifilm mirrorless cameras. Color contrast is great, it is sharp everywhere within the frame but there are two big reasons why I just can’t get enough of this lens.

Reason #1

First and foremost, I truly believe that this lens has boutique class optical quality. None of the shortcomings of this lens bother me and all of the advantages leave many other brands in the dirt.  

Reason #2

I have fallen in love with the 24mm full-frame equivalent focal range in past years. I really love working with wide angles of view. This angle of view has always made me love this style of lens. 

6) The Fujinon XF 27mm F/2.8 pancake lens

I never thought such a small lens could sport so much stunning image quality. The 27mm, is really the ultimate walkaround lens when you need to keep camera size to a bare minimum.

Many pancake lenses have the tradeoff of lower image quality for their smaller size. This is not the case for the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8. I use this lens for street photography, snapshots, and even when I want to convert my Fujifilm X-T3 into a smaller snapshot cam.

Honorable mentions

The Fujinon XF10-24mm f/4 OIS (WR or non WR)

Although it is not in my top list of lenses, image quality out of both the first and second-generation versions of this lens is amazing. They have excellent image stabilization and a really fun focal range.

What bothers me a bit about this lens is that it is a bit closed down for what I do. I also have the non-weather-resistant first version of this lens.

What about vintage lenses?

My love affair with the idea of using vintage lenses with my mirrorless camera for stills photography is waning. Unfortunately, my focus skills are not as good as they used to be. So, compared to the results I get with the Fuji X system lenses, it seems to be less worth the effort.

However, I still love to use vintage lenses in my video workflow. But in the meantime, I am having such a ball with the full camera system as it is. I will have to see where that avenue will go.

That being said, I still do not use macro enough to go out and buy the amazing Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 LM OIS WR Macro right now so I found a Nikon 55mm f/2.8 AI-s vintage lens that really takes care of my somewhat small yet specific macro photography needs

Conclusion

I really wanted to show you guys what I choose and why I use it. Please take everything you have read in this blog post with a grain of salt because everything really depends on what you decide to do with your photography.

Also check out my playlist on all the Fujinon lenses I have reviewed