Conclusion

The original XF 10-24mm was one of the first wave of lenses that Fujifilm released for the X-series camera system, so it's great to see them addressing the key concerns and releasing a new version in 2021.

Having that said, the new version is optically identical to the old one, so you'll get the same image quality from either lens.

The Fujifilm 10-24mm WR is remarkably sharp in the image centre at f/4 throughout the entire focal range, and you only need to stop-down to f/5.6 to get acceptably sharp edges too. Vignetting is practically a non-issue, and chromatic aberrations are only noticeable by their almost complete absence.

Barrel distortion is also very well controlled, even at 10mm, an amazing performance given the ultra-wide-angle focal length. The close-focus point of 24cm comes in handy when including foreground interest in the image, as you often do in landscape and architectural photography, or for taking close-up street photos.

The two key reasons why you should buy the new version of the XF 10-24mm lens instead of the original version are the addition of weather-proofing and the improved optical image stabilisation.

It is now resistant to both dust and moisture and can be used in freezing temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14°F), greatly enhancing its versatility for landscape and cityscape photographers.

Fujifilm have implemented a brand new, more sophisticated gyro sensor in this lens, which increases the effectiveness of the image stabilisation system by one stop from 2.5 to 3.5 stops.

The XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR is no longer the widest zoom lens in the Fujifilm range - that accolade now goes to the XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR, which also has a faster maximum aperture - but the XF 10-24mm is a lot more manageable, being much smaller, much lighter and much cheaper than the XF 8-16mm.

The auto-focus system is fast and quiet. It also offers slimmer but still wide enough focusing and zoom rings, plus a very welcome aperture ring which makes it quick, easy and precise to set this key element of exposure.

Fujifilm have now added the aperture values on the lens itself, so instead of relying on the LCD screen/viewfinder to see the aperture, you can now quickly glance down at the lens instead (if you choose to use the aperture ring in this way).

There's still no focusing distance scale with depth-of-field markings, though, making it more difficult to zone-focus, although there is a virtual one displayed in the viewfinder and on the rear LCD.

The aperture ring has been further improved by making the action slightly stiffer and by adding a lock button for the auto aperture setting, a feature previously seen on the company's GF range of medium-format mirrorless camera lenses.

Note that the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR has a 72mm filter, the largest of any XF lens, which is costly and may also introduce vignetting at the wider focal lengths on some square filter systems.

On a plus note, it does at least accept front mounted filters, something that the XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR doesn't offer, which may swing your buying decision towards the XF 10-24mm instead.

The other main difference between the two is optical image stabilisation - while the XF 8-16mm has a wider aperture, it isn't stabilized.

Commendably, the price of the new Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR hasn't risen since the original version was released seven years ago - indeed, it's actually £50 cheaper in the UK than its predecessor was on launch.

You should be able to pick up the first version on close-out, though, so if weather-proofing isn't a big deal for you, you may be able to pick up something of a bargain if you can find one.

Fujifilm have taken an already excellent lens and made it even better, commendably without increasing the price. With the addition of weather-proofing, more effective OIS and an improved aperture ring, the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR will be a better bet for many users than the bigger, heavier and more expensive XF 8-16mm.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4.5