Fujifilm’s latest zoom lens should start shipping some time this week, but we got our hands on the new 16-55mm F/2.8 a little early, and here are our initial impressions.
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Initial Thoughts On Fujinon 16-55mm F/2.8 R LM WR
Fuji was kind enough to send us the new 16-55mm F/2.8 to play with for a couple of weeks and so far, I am thoroughly impressed with this mid-range zoom from Fujifilm.
In case you did not know, the 16-55mm focal length gives you roughly the same field of view as a 24-70mm on a standard full frame 35mm DSLR, so this release is sort of a big deal for Fuji shooters. This lens, as well as the 50-140mm F/2.8 that was announced a couple months ago, really gives the X Series the tools to start attracting more professional shooters.
Fuji has touted this lens as having “prime-like” performance, with the convenience of a zoom lens. I have only had the lens for a couple days, so I can’t confirm that yet at this point, but I can say that the lens performs very well in my limited testing so far.
I took the lens out with me to Silver Falls State Park, one of the beauties of my home state of Oregon. I wanted to capture some long exposures of the waterfalls, but unfortunately upon arrival, I realized I had grabbed my polarizer instead of my ND filter (doh!), so I wasn’t able to get what I originally went to get. But still, here are a few general snapshots with the lens, shot with my X-T1.
(These HAVE been post-processed, check the full review for RAW samples).
One thing that I have heard a lot of people complain about is the size of the lens. I don’t find it to be all that large. On my X-T1 with the battery grip, it fits perfectly, and balances well, though I can see where maybe owners of smaller Fuji cameras may find the lens a bit big.
The AF on this lens is quick and accurate on my X-T1, which is all I can really ask for at this point. The manual focus works well, and I am not usually a fan of focus-by-wire lenses with manual focus, so props to Fuji here.
Fuji 16-55mm F/2.8 Quick Hits
- Great Build Quality
- Super Sharp
- Love the weather sealing
- Fits/Balances well on my X-T1
- Zoom and Focus are smooth, Aperture Ring feels good, too (Nice and clicky!)
I am excited to give this lens a full run through here over the next couple of weeks. I have a big shoot planned for this upcoming Sunday, so hopefully I am able to use the lens there to get some great images. Stay tuned for that and the full review coming up!
If you are interested, and want to get your hands on this lens ASAP, I suggest you hop on over to B&H and get your pre-order in now for just $1,199. Like I said at the beginning of the post, these are supposed to start shipping within the next week or two (I believe), so get your name on the list!
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