Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR Review

Name: Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR
Brand: fujifilm

January 21, 2019 | Mark Goldstein |

Introduction

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR is the widest-angle lens in Fujifilm's extensive XF range, which is suited to APS-C cameras like the X-T3, X-H1 and X-Pro2. The rectilinear Fuji 8-16mm F2.8 lens boasts an angle-of-view similar to that of a 12-24mm optic in a 35mm system.

The main highlights include a constant F/2.8 maximum aperture, an optical formula that comprises 20 elements in 13 groups, including 4 aspherical and 6 extra-low-dispersion elements, a close-focus point of 25cm, an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades, fast and quiet auto-focusing achieved via a linear motor, a field curvature correction mechanism, and weather-proof construction.

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens is available for £1799.99 / $1999.95 in the UK and the US, respectively.

Ease of Use

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR is quite a big and heavy ultra-wide zoom lens, weighing in at 805g and measuring just over 12cms in length. Compared to the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 lens, it weighs twice as much and is 3cms longer, so there's a substantial size difference between the two.

As you can see in the pictures below, it complements the latest Fujifilm X-T3 body well, not feeling too front-heavy and more than matching the body in terms of its build quality.

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens has a metal mount and a high-grade plastic barrel. Note that there are no filter threads, because this lens doesn't accept screw-in filters because of its protruding front element and built-in lens hood. Instead you'll need to employ a 150mm filter adapter to be able to use filters with the XF 8-16mm lens.

The focus ring is positioned at the front of the lens and it's wide enough to find easily, smooth in action without being loose, and has a ridged, rubberised grip band. There are no “hard stops” at either end of the 25cm-infinity focus range.

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens has an internal focusing (IF) system with a very quiet linear motor. In practice, we found the auto-focus to be fast and accurate on the X-T3 body that we used for testing.

The zoom ring is in the middle of the lens and has 4 markings - 8, 10, 12 and 16 mm. It has a short throw from 8 to 16mm.

Finally, the Fujifilm 8-16mm lens has a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel, which allows you to set the aperture in 1/3 steps,with the actual aperture markings shown on the lens barrel.

The aperture ring is nicely damped and makes a distinctive click as you change the setting, although it's a little too easily moved when stored in a pocket or bag. The aperture ring toggles between auto aperture control (the ring is set to A) or manual aperture control (the switch is set to one of the aperture values).

The lens barrel is sealed in 11 different places to make it resistant to dust, moisture, and temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius, while the front lens element is coated with fluorine to help repel water and dirt.

In terms of accessories, the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens ships with lens caps and a soft lens bag.

Focal Range

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens has an angle of view of 121 degrees at the 8mm focal length.

8mm

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens has an angle of view of 83.2 degrees at the 16mm focal length.

16mm

Distortion

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR exhibits only a small amount of barrel distortion, as you can see in the photos below, even at the widest 8mm setting. Vignetting when shooting wide-open at f/2.8 is also very well controlled.

8mm

16mm

Flare

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR is able to control flare impressively well for such a wide-angle lens. Flare is limited even when shooting directly towards the sun.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or blue fringes along contrasty edges, are not a problem with the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens, as shown in the example below.

Macro

The Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR is not a macro lens, but you can focus quite closely. The close-focus point is at 25cm from the sensor plane. The following example illustrates how close you can get to the subject, in this case a CompactFlash card.