Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR Review

Name: Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR
Brand: fujifilm

July 20, 2015 | Mark Goldstein |

Introduction

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR is a fast short telephoto prime lens in Fujifilm's XF line-up. The weather-proof Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens offers an angle-of-view similar to that of a 137mm lens in a 35mm system, ideal for portrait and sports photography, and a bright f/2 maximum aperture for low-light shooting and throwing the background completely out-of-focus. Other highlights include a newly-developed Quad Linear Motor that delivers fast, accurate autofocus, an iris diaphragm with seven rounded blades, an aperture ring on the metal lens barrel, Super EBC coating for improved optical performance, minimum working distance of 60cm, and an optical formula that comprises 11 elements in 8 groups, including 3 extra low dispersion elements. The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens is available now for £699.99 / $949.99 in the UK and the US, respectively.

Ease of Use

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR is one of the biggest prime lenses in the X-system line-up, weighing 540g and measuring just over 10cms in length, understandable given the amount of glass used in its construction. As you can see in the pictures below, it complements the top-of-the-range Fujifilm X-T1 very well, not feeling at all front-heavy and more than matching the body in terms of its build quality.

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens attached to the Fujifilm X-T1 camera

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens alongside the Fujifilm X-T1 camera

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens boasts a metal mount, high-grade metal barrel and non-rotating 62mm filter thread. The focus ring is generously wide, smooth and beautifully well-damped in action without being loose, and has a ridged, rubberised grip band. There are no “hard stops” at either end of the 60cm-infinity focus range though.

Side of the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens

Front of the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens

Rear of the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR is the fifth weatherproof XF lens to be released so far (the first weatherproof prime), featuring a dust-proof and waterproof structure with weather resistant sealing applied via seven seals on the lens barrel, making it a perfect partner for the weatherproof X-T1 camera.

Front of the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens

Rear of the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens has a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel, which allows you to set the aperture in 1/3 steps, complete with full aperture markings on the lens barrel. The aperture is also shown in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen. The rather thin aperture ring is nicely damped and makes a distinctive click as you change the setting. 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 Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens in-hand

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens with the supplied lens hood attached

In terms of accessories, the lens ships with a plastic round-shaped lens hood and a lens wrapping cloth, rather than a case.

Focal Range

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens has an angle of view of 17.9°.

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR

Distortion

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR doesn't exhibit any distortion, as you can see in the photo below, and vignetting is very well-controlled too even wide-open at f/2.

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR

Focusing

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens has a newly-developed Quad Linear Motor with four magnets that are used for higher torque, delivering high-speed autofocus as fast as 0.14sec. In practice, we found the auto-focus to be very quick, quiet and reliable, certainly up there with the fastest X-series lenses in this regard.

The front of the lens does not rotate on focus, which is good news for anyone looking to use the lens in conjunction with a polariser or neutral density filter, something that is almost compulsory if you want to use the faster apertures outside in bright sunlight.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple, blue or green fringes along contrasty edges, were only noticeable by their complete absence from our sample images.

Macro

The Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR is not really a macro lens, with the close-focus point at 60cm from the sensor plane and a maximum magnification of 0.2x (0.3x 35mm equivalent). The following example illustrates how close you can get to the subject, in this case a CompactFlash card.

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR Close-up Performance

Bokeh

Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. Fujifilm have paid attention to this aspect of lens use, employing a 7-segment diaphragm with rounded blades for pleasing bokeh. In our view, their efforts have been very successful for a short telephoto prime lens - see the examples below.