Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR Lens

Performance:excellentBest Feature(s):-Value For Money:more on the expensive sideThis is a legendary lens, known amongst Fuji users as the “bag of primes”, due to its pixel performance being on par with prime lenses of its respective range. The new linear motor and weather resistance is a welcome addition for videography too. Paired with the xt5, AF is almost instant, pretty ridiculously good especially coming from prime lenses that uses the slower, noisy DC motors.Kinda pricy, but well worth it for those looking for a one camera one lens setup. Only downside is its size and weight.Arrived within two days from seller. Will be buying more.

Excellent landscape and travel lens

This lens is outstanding.* OIS* Excellent center sharpness and very strong corners and edges.* Fast, silent and very sure focus.* Light weight and well built.* Front element does not rotate when zooming (compared to the old 18-55) which means polaroid filters can be easily used.I mainly do landscapes and this is going to be my go to lens. I also own the 16-55. At 16 mm the 16-55 is marginally better at the edges than this new lens but the difference is only noticeable with extreme pixel peeking. At 50 and 55mm the new 16-50 is slightly better at the extreme corners and edges than the 16-55 but maybe needs a little bit more distortion correction. When light weight and OIS are important this is an outstanding choice. For me the light weight and small size is ... MoreThis lens is outstanding.* OIS* Excellent center sharpness and very strong corners and edges.* Fast, silent and very sure focus.* Light weight and well built.* Front element does not rotate when zooming (compared to the old 18-55) which means polaroid filters can be easily used.I mainly do landscapes and this is going to be my go to lens. I also own the 16-55. At 16 mm the 16-55 is marginally better at the edges than this new lens but the difference is only noticeable with extreme pixel peeking. At 50 and 55mm the new 16-50 is slightly better at the extreme corners and edges than the 16-55 but maybe needs a little bit more distortion correction. When light weight and OIS are important this is an outstanding choice. For me the light weight and small size is well worth it. I'll save the 16-55 for when f/2.8 is vital and size and weight aren't a factor. Quality of the two is almost the same.

Excellent zoom lens

I've shot with primes only for too long. It feels good to have a capable zoom in my hands. I've also used the XF 18-55 f/2.8-4 R LM OIS and have to say this lens despite being heavier and bulkier is much preferred. The 24-84mm full frame equivalent focal range is quite useful. Images are tack sharp at many different focal lengths. I thought the lens extending would annoy me but so far not an issue. The build quality is quite good. I don't expect this lens to perform as well as FujiFilm's top primes, but in daylight this lens is a suitable replacement in exchange for the versatility of the zoom. OIS would be a welcome improvement, but I won't fault the lens for not having it, especially if it would compromise the lens formula.Overall I am quite impressed.

Good Results, Needs some additional features

I've done three shoots with the lens since receiving it this past week. One music video, one interview and one portrait shoot. I used it on an X-T4. Right out of the box, it has a very nice feel to it. The difference in grip materials on the zoom ring and focus ring is a nice touch that makes it very clear what you're about to turn when you're looking through the viewfinder. The aperture ring has a rather soft click to it, which is not my preference. My Fujifilm 35mm 1.4 and X100F have a more substantial feel that confirm your movements with a tactile response that this lens just doesn't match. The lens hood is fine, but the mounting system doesn't inspire me with confidence that I'm not miss threading it during installation.Like most of my lenses, this doesn't ... MoreI've done three shoots with the lens since receiving it this past week. One music video, one interview and one portrait shoot. I used it on an X-T4. Right out of the box, it has a very nice feel to it. The difference in grip materials on the zoom ring and focus ring is a nice touch that makes it very clear what you're about to turn when you're looking through the viewfinder. The aperture ring has a rather soft click to it, which is not my preference. My Fujifilm 35mm 1.4 and X100F have a more substantial feel that confirm your movements with a tactile response that this lens just doesn't match. The lens hood is fine, but the mounting system doesn't inspire me with confidence that I'm not miss threading it during installation.Like most of my lenses, this doesn't mount to the body easily unless my aperture ring was set to A (auto) prior to mounting. For the uninitiated, as you rotate the lens into place on the body, you'll often end up only rotating the Aperture ring until it stops and then the rest of the lens will rotate before locking in place. I wish there were more distance between the flange and the aperture ring, but I wish that about all of my Fuji lenses.Optically, I'm enjoying this lens a lot. I'm really happy with how sharp it is wide open, and it looks optically perfect at f/4 and 40mm in my portraits. This is my first zoom lens on Fuji's system, and I've noticed some things that could be improved on the camera's optical correction. Mostly, it's just slow. You can really see the corrections taking effect if you make a quick adjustment from 23mm to 55mm for example. It's honestly close to nauseating if you're looking through the viewfinder. I'm used to DSLR cameras and looking through mirrors where this effect doesn't exist. Just another trade off of moving to a mirrorless system I suppose.What I would like to see changed in future iterations is an internal zoom function like Canon's 24-70mm. Earlier today I was framing up a shot at 55mm with a jewelry stand in the foreground to create some sparkling bokeh, but I kept bumping into it because the lens is so long at that focal length. It would also improve the look of the lens and make it useable in a matte box with filters.To wrap it up, it's a solid lens optically, but not my favorite functionally. And to me that's a disappointment since it is designed to be a function forward lens. Will it stay in my camera bag? Absolutely, at least until there's a new an improved version. For now, I'm making do.

Great Lens...but.., no buts, it's great.

I rented this at the same time renting the XH-2 (also reviewed). This lens is great. When tested against the 18-55 / 2.8-4, this lens for sure beat out the smaller kit lens. I would say though, as a tribute to Fuji glass, this high-end lens does not stomp the Fuji kit lens, like a Canon L or Nikon 2.8 would against a similar non-L or F4 kit lens.This lens is worth the investment of the money, but it is also ok to wait a bit. If you are upgrading lenses, I would recommend the 50-140 / 2.8 over this lens. I find it a touch more useful, albeit much bigger.Also, this lens doesn't make up for the MP difference between the old X-Tran sensors and the new 40MP sensor. In that case I found the camera had a bigger effect on final image quality.So to close, great, great ... MoreI rented this at the same time renting the XH-2 (also reviewed). This lens is great. When tested against the 18-55 / 2.8-4, this lens for sure beat out the smaller kit lens. I would say though, as a tribute to Fuji glass, this high-end lens does not stomp the Fuji kit lens, like a Canon L or Nikon 2.8 would against a similar non-L or F4 kit lens.This lens is worth the investment of the money, but it is also ok to wait a bit. If you are upgrading lenses, I would recommend the 50-140 / 2.8 over this lens. I find it a touch more useful, albeit much bigger.Also, this lens doesn't make up for the MP difference between the old X-Tran sensors and the new 40MP sensor. In that case I found the camera had a bigger effect on final image quality.So to close, great, great lens. But not a life changer over the Kit lens (this only applies to Fuji kit lenses). Unless you need weather sealing, then yeah go for this lens.

Great addition to my collection

Initially I was hesitant about buying this lens because I already have the 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 and the 16-80mm F4. But, I have had a sense that the image quality on my X-H2 was not all that it could be at times. So, I gave it a go.What I like:—Image is very sharp, even wide open—details are almost as good as my Fujufilm primes—autofocus is very fast—colors render very nicely.—lighter weight than my other zoom alternatives—16mm on the wide end.What I miss with this lens—No OIS, yes, I have IBIS in my X-H2, but not in the X-T30ii—F4.8 aperture on the wide end. I have not tried the lens in very bad light yet, but I fear F4.8 could be limiting—the autofocus is sometimes too good in Eye AF mode. If I am shooting a wide scene and there is an ant size person in ... MoreInitially I was hesitant about buying this lens because I already have the 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 and the 16-80mm F4. But, I have had a sense that the image quality on my X-H2 was not all that it could be at times. So, I gave it a go.What I like:—Image is very sharp, even wide open—details are almost as good as my Fujufilm primes—autofocus is very fast—colors render very nicely.—lighter weight than my other zoom alternatives—16mm on the wide end.What I miss with this lens—No OIS, yes, I have IBIS in my X-H2, but not in the X-T30ii—F4.8 aperture on the wide end. I have not tried the lens in very bad light yet, but I fear F4.8 could be limiting—the autofocus is sometimes too good in Eye AF mode. If I am shooting a wide scene and there is an ant size person in the distance, the lens will amazingly focus on their eyes sometimes. Of course, if i turn off Eye AF, this is no longer a concern.Overall, I am happy with this purchase and plan to use this as my main lens in Apulia next month.

Great lens to replace vintage 18-55

After 10 years of working with the 18-55 kit lens which I love for its portability (and was my most used Fuji lens) I have found the 16-55 to be a big step up in quality. Three reasons: 1) The edges and corners on this lens are a noticeably better than the 18-55 (which was darn good); 2) I'm mainly a landscape shooter and the extra stop is very useful in low light; 3) The extra 2 mm at the wide end are nice to have. It is both much heavier and bulkier than the 18-55, but the better edge/corner quality is worth it.

Great!!!

Pre-ordered the lens. Put it to work right away on a trip to Vegas.All JPG images I took were extremely sharp even wide open and all focal lengths.Bought this lens to replace my old XF 16-55mm which is very large and heavy compared to the XF 16-50mm. I was getting tired of taking that brick to trips and hikes, despite the fact that it did also produce nice pictures.Paired with my X-T5, the XF 16-50mm lens produced wonderful pictures, with awesome color and detail. I cannot think of a better travel lens given the small size and weight.The price is kind of steep for a kit lens, but I justified it by putting my old lens on sale. If you have the new fuji sensor, this lens seems like a no brainer.

Nice but not completely “there”

Typical Fuji center sharpness, somewhat soft in corners unless stopped down 1 or 2 stops, especially at 16mm. Not as sharp as my Fuji 16mm-55mm f2.8, or any of my Fuji primes. Some very slight decentering, which I have seen on other Fuji lenses. (I check my lenses out on test charts with 40 megapixel sensor). By the way, I don’t obsess over sharpness…I just test to see whether a lens needs to go back; it’s happened - one needed major element group replacement by Fujifilm, which they did under warranty. So, my bottom line: a good little lens well built and very light and compact. I will keep it for travelling light. Don’t be afraid of the image quality unless you really need razor sharpness. Hope this helps…sorry for being so wordy!

Upgrading from 18-55 2.8-4.0

The new version in may mind is superior in every way to the older lens if you have one of the cameras with the 40MP sensor. Image quality is top notch.This lens is sharp at all focal lengths.I also have the trio of 1.4 lenses including the 18 1.4. I didn't know what I was missing. 16 at the wide end is an eye opener. The 16-50 is my daily driver as I enjoy the composition choice with the zoom. The primes are superb but this has the quality and versatility. Primes will be handy in low light. I got a set of 58mm magnetic filters so I now have a great single lens set up. Highly recommended. Build quality and feel is stellar.