Conclusion

The Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR is very much a professional work-horse of a telephoto lens, offering stellar image quality, excellent construction and weather-proofing, quick, quiet and reliable auto-focusing, and very effective image stabilisation. Sure, it may put off some Fujifilm devotees who have invested in the X-series predominantly because of the much smaller prime lenses, but for those looking for a lighter and smaller alternative to the classic 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses from Canon and Nikon, the new Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR more than fits the bill.

Image quality is fantastic throughout the zoom range both at the centre and edges of the frame, with excellent sharpness at almost all available apertures. The maximum aperture of F2.8 throughout the range is very appealing, and the seven-blade iris diaphragm achieves some lovely bokeh effects. Vignetting is practically a non-issue at either end of the zoom range, and chromatic aberrations are only noticeable by their almost complete absence. There is very slight barreling at the 50mm wide-angle focal length, but no pincushion distortion of note at the 140mm setting.

The Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR benefits from a fast and pleasingly quiet auto-focus mechanism, generously wide zoom ring and a welcome marked aperture ring which makes it quick, easy and precise to set this key element of exposure. The lens mount is, thankfully, made of metal (brass, nonetheless) and, thanks to an internal focusing (IF) system, the front element and filter thread do not rotate on focus, which is very good news for those using polarisers and ND grads on a regular basis. Although not all the lens is constructed from metal, the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR is still a high-quality offering.

Priced at £1249 / $1599, the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR is the most expensive XF-series lens to date. The Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is a more sensibly priced and more compact alternative, but it isn't in the same league in terms of features, handling, construction or image quality. With the Canon and Nikon equivalents costing even more, the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR could even be seen as something of a bargain by those photographers who will use it day-in, day-out. Highly Recommended!

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	5
Value for money	4