Conclusion

As the first telephoto zoom for the fledgling XF system, the new Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is a solid rather than spectacular performer, offering an appealing combination of good image quality, excellent construction and handling, and fair value for money. Both centre and edge sharpness drop off as you progress through the zoom range, though, requiring the user to stop down the lens to get the best results.

The maximum apertures of f3.5-4.8 are on the slow side, although the seven-blade iris diaphragm achieves some appealing bokeh effects none-the-less. Vignetting is practically a non-issue, and chromatic aberrations are only noticeable by their almost complete absence. There is some slight barreling at the 55mm wide-angle focal length, but very little pincushion distortion of note at the 200mm setting.

The Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS benefits from a fairly fast and pleasingly quiet auto-focus mechanism, generously wide zoom ring and a welcome aperture ring which makes it quick, easy and precise to set this key element of exposure. The lens mount is, thankfully, made of metal and, thanks to an internal focusing (IF) system, the front element and filter thread does not rotate on focus, which is very good news for those using polarisers and ND grads on a regular basis.

Priced at £599 / $799, the Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is not a cheap lens, but it does feel built to last and delivers very good images, especially at the wider end of the focal range. There is no competition currently, so we can recommend the XF 55-200mm as an eminently sensible addition to your lens lineup, at least until a third party decides to join in the fray...

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