Fujifilm has been steadily constructing its APS-C format vary of mirrorless X system cameras and lenses since 2011. With round 50 own-brand ‘Fujinon’ lenses presently accessible, plus a bunch extra from impartial lens producers, there’s one thing to go well with just about each want, funds and taking pictures situation.
One hole within the line-up has to this point been a extremely lengthy super-telephoto prime lens. Certain, there are the reasonably glorious Fujifilm XF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR and Fujifilm XF150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR zoom lenses however, should you’re extra into prime time, it’s been a very long time coming.
Let’s see if the brand new XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is definitely worth the wait. One factor’s for certain – the brand new lens goals for a spot as one in all one of the best Fujifilm lenses for the X-T5 and different 40.2MP X cameras, in addition to one of many greatest lenses for sports activities pictures and greatest lenses for fowl pictures.
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Specs
| Mount choices | Fujifilm X |
| Lens building | 21 components in 14 teams |
| Angle of view | 3.3 levels |
| Diaphragm blades | 9 |
| Minimal aperture | f/22 |
| Minimal focus distance | 2.75m |
| Most magnification | 0.2x |
| Filter measurement | 95mm |
| Dimensions | 105x256mm |
| Weight | 1335g (2.94lb) |
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Value
Excessive-performance telephoto prime lenses are famend for costing an absolute fortune. I’ve examined and reviewed a lot that price about as a lot as a good household automotive. A main instance, so to talk, is the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM with a price ticket of round $17,000 / £19,000 / AU$27,999, effectively past the funds of most photographers.
This Fujifilm matches the Canon for aperture ranking and, due to the APS-C format crop issue, it additionally comes very shut in ‘efficient’ focal size, at 762mm. That makes the Fujifilm prime look one thing of a cut price at $2,999 / £2,899 / AU$5,099 however there’s no denying it nonetheless prices a big sum.
For additional comparability, the Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports activities for full-frame Sony and L-mount our bodies was redesigned from the unique DSLR-mount model of the lens, with a value drop from $5999 / £4699 to $2999 / £2779 / AU$4,799 within the course of, extra carefully matching the value of the Fujifilm lens.
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Design & Dealing with
The Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR appears to be like an imposing lens, as I’d count on from a 500mm super-telephoto prime. It’s completed in (to my thoughts) a horny shade of silver, though to some folks, the colour may be extra harking back to comparatively cheap cameras and equipment zoom lenses from down the years.
Measuring 105x256mm, or 10.1 inches lengthy, it’s fairly compact for any such lens. Extra shocking is that it feels lighter than it appears to be like, at 1335g (2.94lb). That makes it simply light-weight sufficient even for lengthy intervals of handheld taking pictures. That’s a bit plus level for me, provided that the sorts of sports activities, wildlife and fowl pictures to which the lens is so effectively suited have a tendency to come back with lengthy timescales.
Naturally, if you’re taking pictures handheld with a lens that has an efficient 762mm focal size in full-frame phrases, camera-shake is an ever-present hazard. To fight this, the lens incorporates a 5.5-stop optical picture stabilizer. In contrast to in lots of super-telephoto lenses, nevertheless, there’s no change for choosing different static and panning stabilization modes.
To maintain tempo with the motion, there’s a linear stepping motor-driven autofocus system. It’s usually near-silent in addition to providing a superb flip of velocity. Fujifilm states an autofocus time of simply 0.33 seconds, primarily based on CIPA testing pointers.
As a dealing with bonus, there are 4 operate buttons featured across the ahead part of the lens, spaced at 90-degree intervals in order that they fall neatly below the thumb in any taking pictures orientation. They mix with a change on the rear, for simply deciding on AF-hold and AF-on features, in addition to for setting a spotlight distance preset. For an additional velocity increase in tough situations, you may cease autofocus looking by way of its complete vary of two.7m to infinity with an AF vary limiter change that locks out the brief finish nearer than 5m.
Good glass is a key issue for any lens. This one is predicated on 21 components organized in 14 teams and contains at least 5 ED (Further-low Dispersion) components plus two Tremendous ED components. The purpose is to optimize readability, distinction and sharpness whereas minimizing coloration fringing and different aberrations.
With a good chunk of the alphabet in its credentials, the lens is tagged R LM OIS WR. I’ve talked about the Linear Motor and Optical Picture Stabilizer already. The R signifies an aperture management ring, typical of up-market Fujifilm lenses. I like that it has a locking button, to keep away from nudging it by accident when controlling the aperture from the digicam physique. Additionally typical of Fujifilm, nevertheless, is that the ring has one-third f/cease click on steps with out a de-click possibility, which might be higher when taking pictures video. WR stands for Climate-Resistant, the lens being fitted with Fujifilm’s usually in depth set of weather-seals.
Though not a heavyweight lens within the scale of issues, the sturdy barrel options two strap lugs and is provided with a shoulder strap in addition to a carrying pouch. It’s actually a complete lot simpler to hold round than many monster super-telephoto primes that typically include an enormous, weighty laborious case. Additionally included is a color-matched round hood, which features a sliding panel for straightforward entry to rotational filters like round polarizers.
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Efficiency
I examined the lens with a flagship Fujifilm X-H2 digicam physique. It’s a pure match for this high-end prime and incorporates a 40MP sensor, for which the lens has been designed. Squeezing that many megapixels onto an APS-C format picture sensor calls for nice glass to profit from the accessible decision, as additionally featured within the Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-T50 cameras.
The very first thing that’s instantly apparent if you put your eye to the viewfinder is that the ‘efficient’ 762mm focal size offers an actual wow-factor in telephoto attain. It actually covers the gap for fowl pictures, in addition to for sports activities, wildlife and taking pictures at air reveals when you may’t get as shut as you would possibly like.
And if all that attain nonetheless isn’t sufficient, the lens is suitable with the Fujifilm XF1.4x TC WR and Fujifilm XF 2.0x TC WR teleconverters for really bonkers attain, with the same old one or two f/cease aperture discount respectively. It’s possibly price mentioning that the teleconverters are available stately black reasonably than the identical blinging silver because the lens.
Proper from the get-go, I used to be impressed with the lens’s autofocus velocity and accuracy, in addition to the effectiveness of the 5.5-stop optical stabilizer, which makes handheld taking pictures solely viable regardless of the large efficient focal size. In my real-world checks, I discovered that sharpness lived as much as expectations and really did ship the products for Fujifilm’s 40MP picture sensors. In the meantime, bokeh is tender and dreamy, the mixture of the focal size and f/5.6 aperture enabling a extremely tight depth of area in near medium-range taking pictures.
Coloration fringing and distortion are mainly non-issues, and the lens does very effectively to fight ghosting and flare. All in all, picture high quality is fabulous in all respects, whereas the unique dealing with traits increase efficiency in sensible phrases.
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Pattern Pictures
The next gallery of instance pictures have been taken on the Bristol Floating Harbour within the South West of England, earlier than shifting on to Chew Valley Lake in Somerset for a little bit of fowl pictures. I caught with the widest accessible aperture of f/5.6 to achieve as a lot shutter velocity as doable to freeze any motion, with out bumping up the digicam’s sensitivity any greater than essential.
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Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Lab Outcomes
We run a spread of lab checks below managed situations, utilizing the Imatest Grasp testing suite. Images of check charts are taken throughout the vary of apertures and zooms (the place accessible), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and evaluation software program to plot lens decision on the heart of the picture body, corners and mid-point distances, throughout the vary of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at 4 completely different focal lengths. The checks additionally measure distortion and coloration fringing (chromatic aberration).
Sharpness:
The XF 500mm delivered a few of its greatest lab outcomes for sharpness when taking pictures wide-open at f/5.6, which is correct the place I’d need optimum efficiency. For an ultra-telephoto prime, sharpness is superb within the central area of the body and holds up very well in direction of the perimeters and corners.
Fringing:
Coloration fringing could be very minimal, even out on the edges and corners of the body. Technically, it will get somewhat worse as you cease down by way of the aperture vary however, in real-world taking pictures, it’s nearly unimaginable to identify at any aperture.
Distortion: 0.22
There’s a really slight trace of pincushion distortion however, as with coloration fringing, that is solely actually perceptible in laboratory testing situations and is mainly a non-issue in real-world taking pictures.
Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR: Verdict
I turned an immediate fan of the Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR, as quickly as I acquired it out of the field and picked it up. I a lot choose handheld taking pictures for motion, sports activities, wildlife and different super-telephoto eventualities, as I benefit from the higher freedom of motion than when utilizing a tripod or monopod. I discovered this lens to be compact and light-weight sufficient for extended taking pictures classes, not like many 500mm primes that I’ve used prior to now. Dealing with is superb, autofocus is quick, optical stabilization is very efficient and picture high quality is drop-dead attractive. The lens is solely excellent.
| Options | Quick autofocus and 5.5-stop optical picture stabilization lead a formidable array of options. | ★★★★★ |
| Design | I like the comparatively compact and light-weight design for a 500mm prime lens, in addition to the strong construct high quality. | ★★★★★ |
| Efficiency | The lens combines glorious sharpness with pretty bokeh and a minimal of undesirable aberrations. | ★★★★★ |
| Worth | It’s excellent worth however about the identical value as Sigma’s newest 500mm for full-frame cameras. | ★★★★ |
Do you have to purchase the Fujifilm XF500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR?
✅ Purchase this…
- You desire a super-telephoto prime for taking pictures motion, sports activities, wildlife and topics like birds and plane in flight.
- You desire a lengthy telephoto lens that’s gentle sufficient for extended handheld taking pictures, but has pro-grade construct and dealing with traits.
🚫 Do not buy this…
- You’d choose the flexibility of a zoom lens, which may additionally make it simpler to ‘discover’ erratic topics like birds and plane earlier than zooming in for the shot.
- You’d reasonably spend the large bucks on the super-fast Fujifilm XF 200mm F2 R LM OIS WR prime and use it with a Fujifilm XF 2.0x TC WR teleconverter for nearly as a lot attain.