FUJIFILM also announced its 5th product today. A new lens for the XF lineup, the XF70-300mm F/4-5.6R LM OIS WR Among the other products I’ve tested, I haven’t had time to write a proper first look article on this one. However, I did manage to get it shot a few times, so I thought I’d just share some quick thoughts on the lens.
While this doesn’t come close to a review, I’ll be polite and write out my usual disclaimer.
Feel free to skip all but number 3
Disclaimer 1: I am an X-photographer. That’s spelled brand ambassador for Fujifilm. I wasn’t paid to do this writing (and I did before even getting involved with Fujifilm). This means that I am biased, and whether you choose to believe my views or not is completely up to you. I wish you to mature, be able to form your own opinion based on the information presented.
Disclaimer 2: All of the images in this article were shot using an early prototype XF70-300mm f/4-5.6R LM OIS WR lens on the production model X-Pro3. Image quality may not be final.
Disclaimer 3: All by- and product shots have been taken by me, and may not be used without my express permission.
The XF70-300mm F/4-5.6 advertises a longer range compared to the already excellent XF55-200mm. It’s not as big as the XF100-400mm, so it’s really a mix of the two. It has the size of the XF55-200mm while having a longer focal length like the XF100-400mm.
A cool feature of the XF70-300mm F/4-5.6 is the ability to use a TC1.4X or TC2X teleconverter. Likewise with 2x TC. You’d actually get a 600mm lens at the long end, equivalent to a staggering 900mm full frame equivalent.
It is only 132mm long, and weighs only 580g. Very compact considering it is a telephoto zoom lens. All that range in a very compact size. Well done FUJIFILM!
The build quality of the XF70-300mm F/4-5.6 is the same as all previous XF lenses. A nice, solid build, with a metal barrel and metal stand. The barrel extends when zooming. The aperture ring is unmarked, which makes sense since it has a variable aperture throughout the zoom range. So a set aperture ring makes no sense.
Of course it has weather resistance. This is a lens built for the elements, so I expected nothing less from it.
This lens features a new type of barrel lock. You can lock it so you don’t accidentally extend it, but instead of having to unlock it by using a switch before you can extend the barrel, this new switch is deactivated by simply turning the zoom ring. Very useful, fast and smart!
The XF70-300mm F/4-5.6 features a linear motor for fast autofocus when you have to move larger lens elements. It also has OIS, and features a focus limit switch on the barrel. FUJIFILM definitely packs everything into a compact telephoto zoom lens.
From my very limited testing, I found the image quality to be excellent. Both at the long end of the zoom range and at the near end. Excellent sharpness, and very clean background blur at 300mm f/5.6. This lens is perfect for on-the-go landscape and wildlife photography.
In any case, this isn’t meant to be a review, so I’ll just present sample images and let you guys draw your own conclusions. See you later!
baresi