Fujifilm Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 WR Review
The Fujifilm Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 WR is an amazing lens with extraordinary optics and construction. As Fujifilm's professional mid-telephoto zoom, its construction is solid, with plenty of metal, plenty of weight and a pretty hefty size. Comparable to the popular 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms on classic DSLR systems from Canon and Nikon, this lens is useful for portrait photographers, sports photographers and for general telephoto use.
For an overview of the Fujifilm X system, see my Fujifilm X System Guide. For other reviews of Fujifilm X System gear, click here to see my complete list of Fujifilm gear reviews.
Unlike the telephoto lenses from Nikon and Canon, this Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS feels much more boutique. Whilst all 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are built extremely tough, this Fuji lens imparts a sense of premium and class with its nicely damped aperture and zoom rings and its brushed aluminium finish, as opposed to the more standard rough powder coating from Nikon.
Weighing in at around 970g, this is Fuji's heaviest lens by quite a large margin. However, in many ways, we can't cheat physics - long lenses with large maximum apertures require more glass and the penalty we pay for that is cost and weight. This is also Fuji's most expensive lens, as of July 2015. Mechanically, this lens is excellent. The aperture and zoom rings turn with precisely enough resistance to make accidental bumps and knocks unlikely, but aren't so tight that they require a jerking motion to move.
For an overview of the Fujifilm X system, see my Fujifilm X System Guide. For other reviews of Fujifilm X System gear, click here to see my complete list of Fujifilm gear reviews.
Unlike the telephoto lenses from Nikon and Canon, this Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS feels much more boutique. Whilst all 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are built extremely tough, this Fuji lens imparts a sense of premium and class with its nicely damped aperture and zoom rings and its brushed aluminium finish, as opposed to the more standard rough powder coating from Nikon.
Weighing in at around 970g, this is Fuji's heaviest lens by quite a large margin. However, in many ways, we can't cheat physics - long lenses with large maximum apertures require more glass and the penalty we pay for that is cost and weight. This is also Fuji's most expensive lens, as of July 2015. Mechanically, this lens is excellent. The aperture and zoom rings turn with precisely enough resistance to make accidental bumps and knocks unlikely, but aren't so tight that they require a jerking motion to move.
I use this lens for a variety of assignments. Even though I predominantly shoot portraits, I've never been enamoured by the mid-telephoto 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lenses. They're big, gargantuan and just extremely difficult to use and handle on a portrait shoot. One of the most important things about shooting people is to interact with them. The only way to get natural smiles, genuine enjoyment and to have fun is to ensure that your subjects are comfortable and happy. Using small lenses and getting closer to your subjects facilitates this interaction. Even though this Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS is smaller than the traditional DSLR 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms, I still prefer Fuji's smaller lenses such as the 56mm f/1.2 for portraiture.
For other uses, however, then it's all fair game and this is an excellent lens. Landscape and large mammal shooters will love this lens. Whilst most people naturally associate landscape with wide-angle, I've come to love using telephoto lenses for landscapes. They accentuate things that are further away, meaning distant mountain ranges become huge, unlike with wide angles, where they become small. Wildlife shooters shooting larger animals will also love this lens, it focuses well, tracking is very decent on the X-T1 in good light and its a very useful zoom range. Birders will probably have to wait for the unreleased Fujinon superzoom, however, 140mm is just too short unless you're shooting in an enclosure, e.g. at a zoo.
Unlike wide-angle lenses, which are notoriously difficult to use, telephoto lenses are very easy to use. Since your focal length is so long, slight tilts in the camera affect the image in a much less dramatic way. Since most of the time your background will be out of focus and blown out, composition becomes much easier and generally, this is why most people (at least when they're beginning) love telephoto lenses. Of course, the caveat of this is that its much harder to generate presence and a sense of sheer scale from a telephoto lens.
For other uses, however, then it's all fair game and this is an excellent lens. Landscape and large mammal shooters will love this lens. Whilst most people naturally associate landscape with wide-angle, I've come to love using telephoto lenses for landscapes. They accentuate things that are further away, meaning distant mountain ranges become huge, unlike with wide angles, where they become small. Wildlife shooters shooting larger animals will also love this lens, it focuses well, tracking is very decent on the X-T1 in good light and its a very useful zoom range. Birders will probably have to wait for the unreleased Fujinon superzoom, however, 140mm is just too short unless you're shooting in an enclosure, e.g. at a zoo.
Unlike wide-angle lenses, which are notoriously difficult to use, telephoto lenses are very easy to use. Since your focal length is so long, slight tilts in the camera affect the image in a much less dramatic way. Since most of the time your background will be out of focus and blown out, composition becomes much easier and generally, this is why most people (at least when they're beginning) love telephoto lenses. Of course, the caveat of this is that its much harder to generate presence and a sense of sheer scale from a telephoto lens.
Just to put this lens into perspective, here's how it stacks up in size with a lens most of us have - the Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS, which is, by some standards, already quite a large Fuji lens. This zoom absolutely dwarfs it. Also, just because we all love to have a laugh, why not pitch it up against the 27mm f/2.8 as well.
Specifications
What's in the Box
The box provided is very similar to the box for other modern Fujinon lenses. Unlike the older boxes, e.g. for the 35mm f/1.4, which had a very premium, magnetic box with custom cut foam inserts, the newer boxes are much cheaper, containing cardboard inserts. Despite this, they still feel much more premium than other boxes, e.g. from Nikon or Canon. Inside the box, we find:
The lens wrapping cloth is an oversized carrying bag that is useful to throw the lens in when packing it in a bag so it doesn't get scratched. It provides no meaningful protection against knocks or drops.
For such a premium lens, Fuji's lens hood is a bit of a disappointment. I don't usually use lens hoods day-in, day-out, but a metal lens hood like the one on the Fuji 60mm f/1.4 would be nice. That said, plastic lens hoods are less likely to scratch, dent and scrape, but then and again, the metal hood feels more premium. This hood feels like a standard petal-style hood from other brands such as Canon or Nikon, however, it locks on much more easily and the feel is much more tight and premium.
- The Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS lens itself
- Large plastic petal style lens hood
- Front and rear caps (the front cap for this lens is much better than Fuji's older style caps)
- Tripod foot (attached to lens)
- Lens wrapping cloth and documentation.
The lens wrapping cloth is an oversized carrying bag that is useful to throw the lens in when packing it in a bag so it doesn't get scratched. It provides no meaningful protection against knocks or drops.
For such a premium lens, Fuji's lens hood is a bit of a disappointment. I don't usually use lens hoods day-in, day-out, but a metal lens hood like the one on the Fuji 60mm f/1.4 would be nice. That said, plastic lens hoods are less likely to scratch, dent and scrape, but then and again, the metal hood feels more premium. This hood feels like a standard petal-style hood from other brands such as Canon or Nikon, however, it locks on much more easily and the feel is much more tight and premium.
Performance Notes
This lens is very expensive, but deservedly so. In comparison to 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses from brands such as Canon or Nikon, it actually doesn't look too bad. It handles surprisingly well, but realise that when you use a lens as large as this, the centre of gravity moves pretty far forward. When using this lens on my X-T1 or X-E2, I found that it was easiest to carry the weight of the lens and camera on my left hand, which was holding the lens and really only use my right hand to brace and shoot. With the smaller X-E2, it really seems like the camera is just an attachment to the lens.
The lens is very well constructed and so is the removable tripod foot. I would suggest that when not on a tripod, it makes more sense to remove the foot because it makes the lens lighter and easier to hold. Optical quality is excellent, it's nice and sharp right from f/2.8 all the way to f/8 and beyond, where diffraction limits its sharpness. Looking at the samples below and other shots during shooting, this lens doesn't disappoint and it really does look and feel like a very premium lens.
Autofocus with this lens is snappy and quiet, thanks to its triple linear motor design. However, I'm not an action photographer, so I cannot comment on how good autofocus is for wildlife and sports, though for moving subjects such as people at an event, it performs marvelously. In lower light, the autofocus does slow down as it moves from phase detect to contrast detect, this is common with all other Fujinon lenses and is nothing new. To score it subjectively though, I would have to say that it's fast for a Fujinon lens. It's faster and quieter than all the primes and it's very accurate, but it's not quite as fast as a DSLR. Given that it's faster on the X-T1 compared to the X-E2, this makes this lens a reasonable long term investment as it would seem future bodies might allow it to perform better.
Because the autofocus sensors of the X-T1 are on the sensor rather than on a separate module, it does not suffer from missing focus the way a DSLR can. Focus is not as fast as a DSLR, but in terms of accuracy, when the focus is found and locked, the pictures always turn out tack sharp because of how well the focus has locked and how accurate the on sensor phase-detect autofocus system is. The key point stopping many from achieving sharp images, provided they have decent technique and equipment is missed focus. The Fuji mirrorless system definitely helps here.
In terms of real-world usage, as with all 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, this Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS is a very practical lens. I'll be comparing it with several other offerings later on in the review, but compared to the slower (and definitely more consumer oriented) 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS, this faster, tougher lens is very deserving of its 'professional' moniker.
Bokeh on this lens is great, with out of focus areas rendered nicely, though at f/2.8 on an APS-C sized sensor, the depth of field isn't going to be that shallow. If you're a bokeh nerd and love creamy, lush out of focus areas, your friend is the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2.
The lens is very well constructed and so is the removable tripod foot. I would suggest that when not on a tripod, it makes more sense to remove the foot because it makes the lens lighter and easier to hold. Optical quality is excellent, it's nice and sharp right from f/2.8 all the way to f/8 and beyond, where diffraction limits its sharpness. Looking at the samples below and other shots during shooting, this lens doesn't disappoint and it really does look and feel like a very premium lens.
Autofocus with this lens is snappy and quiet, thanks to its triple linear motor design. However, I'm not an action photographer, so I cannot comment on how good autofocus is for wildlife and sports, though for moving subjects such as people at an event, it performs marvelously. In lower light, the autofocus does slow down as it moves from phase detect to contrast detect, this is common with all other Fujinon lenses and is nothing new. To score it subjectively though, I would have to say that it's fast for a Fujinon lens. It's faster and quieter than all the primes and it's very accurate, but it's not quite as fast as a DSLR. Given that it's faster on the X-T1 compared to the X-E2, this makes this lens a reasonable long term investment as it would seem future bodies might allow it to perform better.
Because the autofocus sensors of the X-T1 are on the sensor rather than on a separate module, it does not suffer from missing focus the way a DSLR can. Focus is not as fast as a DSLR, but in terms of accuracy, when the focus is found and locked, the pictures always turn out tack sharp because of how well the focus has locked and how accurate the on sensor phase-detect autofocus system is. The key point stopping many from achieving sharp images, provided they have decent technique and equipment is missed focus. The Fuji mirrorless system definitely helps here.
In terms of real-world usage, as with all 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, this Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS is a very practical lens. I'll be comparing it with several other offerings later on in the review, but compared to the slower (and definitely more consumer oriented) 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS, this faster, tougher lens is very deserving of its 'professional' moniker.
Bokeh on this lens is great, with out of focus areas rendered nicely, though at f/2.8 on an APS-C sized sensor, the depth of field isn't going to be that shallow. If you're a bokeh nerd and love creamy, lush out of focus areas, your friend is the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2.
Samples
Compared to the 56mm f/1.2
I've covered this recently in my Fuji Portrait Lens Showdown. Please do take a read of that, but generally, the gist is that if you're after a do-it-all style telephoto lens, then this will have you covered but if you're looking for more of a classic portrait length that will work better in low light and have nicer out of focus areas, go with the 56mm f/1.2.
Compared to the 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS
I personally have not used the 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS lens to any sufficient extent to be able to give an informed and accurate opinion on it, however, I did make a decision to purchases this 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS over the slower 55-200mm. Unlike many other blogs which use review samples and loaners (which is a great thing because they can get more reviews and content out), all of the stuff I review and write about on here, I've purchased with my own money, including this 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS.
The 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS, according to people who have used and owned it, is a great lens and I would believe that if I've used it, I would concur. It's lighter, easier to handle and probably a much more practical lens than this 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS. When choosing between these two lenses, I was looking for a lens which I could use at events for a bit more reach. Whilst the 56mm f/1.2 is great for portraits and most other things, it's just a bit short at events and ceremonies where I have to shoot something going on at the opposite end of the room.
The decision to go with this 50-140mm f/2.8 over the 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 came down to one of reliability and construction quality. Sure, the extra speed is nice, but the 55-200mm is no slouch. Unlike camera bodies, I buy lenses as long term investments. I hope that they'll last for years and years and I have much more confidence in the 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS than in the 55-200mm. That said, if the 50-140mm f/2.8 didn't exist or if I was a bit more budget limited, I would be more than happy with the 55-200mm. In fact, I'm not much of a telephoto shooter, so sometimes I do wish I had saved some cash and went with the 55-200mm instead, especially for a lens that's only very rarely on my camera, but every time I shoot with the 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS, I remember why I love it.
The 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS, according to people who have used and owned it, is a great lens and I would believe that if I've used it, I would concur. It's lighter, easier to handle and probably a much more practical lens than this 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS. When choosing between these two lenses, I was looking for a lens which I could use at events for a bit more reach. Whilst the 56mm f/1.2 is great for portraits and most other things, it's just a bit short at events and ceremonies where I have to shoot something going on at the opposite end of the room.
The decision to go with this 50-140mm f/2.8 over the 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 came down to one of reliability and construction quality. Sure, the extra speed is nice, but the 55-200mm is no slouch. Unlike camera bodies, I buy lenses as long term investments. I hope that they'll last for years and years and I have much more confidence in the 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS than in the 55-200mm. That said, if the 50-140mm f/2.8 didn't exist or if I was a bit more budget limited, I would be more than happy with the 55-200mm. In fact, I'm not much of a telephoto shooter, so sometimes I do wish I had saved some cash and went with the 55-200mm instead, especially for a lens that's only very rarely on my camera, but every time I shoot with the 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS, I remember why I love it.