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Fujifilm gives more details on lens roadmap and XF 55-200mm telezoom

Mar 6, 2013 at 12:27:26 GMT

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Fujifilm UK has given more details of the upcoming XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS telephoto zoom for its X system cameras. Full specifications include an inner focusing system driven by no fewer than four linear stepper motors, and a promise of class-leading OIS with four to five stops correction, to go alongside the maximum aperture that's half a stop faster than typical SLR lenses covering the same range. The company says the lens will be available in May 2013. Meanwhile the promised XF 23mm F1.4 R and XF 27mm F2.8 R pancake are expected to appear in the middle of the year, and the XF 56mm F1.4 R and XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS at the end of 2013.

Fujifilm's updated lens roadmap, with May 2013 release date for the XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8R LM OIS

Fujifilm is showing its upcoming lenses behind glass at the Focus on Imaging trade show in Birmingham UK, alongside other accessories for the system. From left to right, XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, XF 27mm F2.8 R pancake, XF 23mm F1.4 R, XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS, and XF 56mm F1.4 R.

Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS specifications

Focal length	55-200mm
35mm-equiv focal length	83-300mm
Diagonal angle of view	28.8° - 8.1°
Maximum format size	APS-C
Maximum aperture	F3.5-4.8
Minimum aperture	F22
Lens construction	• 14 elements in 10 groups • 1 aspherical element • 3 extra low dispersion (ED) glass elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7 (rounded)
Minimum focus	1.1m
Maximum magnification	0.18x
AF motor type	4 linear stepper motors
Zoom method	Rotary (extending)
Focus method	Internal
Image stabilisation	Yes
Filter thread	62mm
Weight	580g
Dimensions	75mm diameter x 118mm length (3.0" x 4.6")
Lens mount	Fujifilm X

CAMERA NEWS FUJIFILM

Comments

Total comments: 80

"the maximum aperture that's half a stop faster than typical SLR lenses covering the same range. "

1/3 of a stop. Still a good thing if it is sharp wide open, at least as sharp corner to corner as competing Oly 40-150. On the other hand, the the Oly is 190g, vs 580g here, and just $99... thank you very much, I take slightly higher ISO. :)

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"four linear stepper motors"

Fail rate just got multiplied by 4...

0 upvotes

Think they'll ever update the sensor and electronics in the S1 or let it die unceremoniously?

0 upvotes

By the end of this year Fujifilm will have a very compelling XF-lens lineup. My personal choice would be 10-24, 18-55, 1.4/23 and 1.4/56 - I don't need more. Add a X-E2 with fast phase-dectection AF (on sensor like X100S, X20) with decent optional grip and I will join the system for sure.

1 upvote

fuji is looking more and more likely to be my primary family and event shooter. The D600 with 35 and 85 1.4s may get replaced by the yet to be released 23 and 58 1.4s if they perform anywhere close to the nikon equivalent counterparts.

Should weigh at least 1/2 of the slr setrup and be less bulky.

0 upvotes

thank gosh they are designing lenses with zoom endings brighter (i mean, less dark) than ƒ/5.6.

1 upvote

Interesting that Fuji got some criticism for the "bulk" of their cameras but the upside is that they can build faster, higher quality lenses. As compromises go it's one I personally appreciate. The lenses are still quite a bit smaller than SLR equivalents but still fast, beautifully made and easy to handle.

4 upvotes

Fuji should redesign all of their current XF lenses before making a roadmap that starts from bad quality.

0 upvotes

The first lens, 35mm f:1.4, is one of the sharpest lenses introduced during the past few years... Not a bad start, methinks. 18mm is a merely a good one, all others so far are great, what comes to optical quality.

Comment edited 31 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Don't feed the troll.

4 upvotes

this is a 53mm f/2.1 equivalent which is among the easiest lenses to make (100 US class and can still deliver high quality image). however the performance is not high (the center is good) even stopped down beyond f/2.8 and the price is more than 4 times (2 stops) higher than equivalent 35mm-format ones. the bokeh is terrible.

0 upvotes

Hey nerd, quick hating with your overly critical jargon. Please post your credentials as a lens maker or a spectacular portfolio of your photography. If you have neither, don't go around saying making lenses are easy, you're embarrassing yourself.

p.s. sorry Den Sh, had to feed the troll a little bit.

0 upvotes

no need to get nasty. just show us if you can find proof that any of the XF lenses is good, a mission impossible for me, maybe a peice of cake for you.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I bet there was Spring 2013 next to10-24 lens a few months ago. Now there's just 2013. FML

1 upvote

If Fuji had continued with the Nikon mount they wouldn`t need a roadmap.

1 upvote

What mount? The F one? Really? Did you notice that this is about mirror-LESS cameras?

Come on, relax

1 upvote

F-mount is not a bad idea. The size of the camera is limited by the grip, not the mount; the size of the lenses is limited by image circle, speed and presence or absence of mirror, not the mount. Going with F-mount would have made a lot of quality lenses available, but new lenses would still have to be designed due to CDAF limitations and improvements in size & weight, especially on the wide end due to the absence of mirror. Still having Nikon working on your side would have been a big advantage.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

The 56mm isn't coming out till the end of the year!?! Wtf fuji.
I'd like to know what marketing genius at Fuji said "hey- we're gonna make this awesome retro rangefinder style camera- but lets do the initial release with a slow 60mm macro and wait 3 years to put a proper portrait lens out, because this camera is much more suited to people shooting macro than portraiture & candid street shots ".
That guy should be fired, but only after being kicked in groin repetedly.
The initial 3 should've been:
23mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
56mm 1.4
Macro/wide angle/zoom should've been secondary.

10 upvotes

Or maybe that marketing genius just thought:

Hey ! Let's make a crazy sharp sensor with crazy igh iso so that any amateur jumps on it. Then let's make some basic slow lenses so that they can buy them all as they are on GAS...and wait a bit more to launch crazy bright glass so that they are on GAS again !

So finnaly that guy is not fired but promoted ! ;)

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

3 upvotes

I agree (would have loved to see the 23 and 56 first), but from a marketing perspective it may make sense. We are not a first-priority target group I guess.

0 upvotes

if any camera/lens maker could design en produce in mass about 20 lenses a year, one would. But they can not do that. Not even Canon (see 200-400 converter of the new tele is lenses). And for Fujifilm, a company that is new in this field and don;t have the mass factory capacity to do this stuff or the money for it ...

3 upvotes

In general I found Fuji did pretty well launching this system with a fairly solid assortment of lenses. There's only so much they can do at one time. It's already a drastically more appealing lineup than the Nex system.

1 upvote

> The initial 3 should've been:
> 23mm 1.4
> 35mm 1.4
> 56mm 1.4

these are equivalents of 35mm-format
35mm f/2.1 for 320 US,
53mm f/2.1 for 150 US, and
85mm f/2.1 for 320 US if they can deliver similar performance of current Nikon lenses (current XF lenses are far from that).

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

When are we going to get fully functional lens adapters for Nikon and/or Canon lenses? Fuji is just not addressing the pro market for either longer zooms (70/80-200 and longer) or long macro lenses (150mm).

0 upvotes

DSLR are better suited for the kind of photography where long lenses are needed. These cameras are ideal for wide to short tele lens range and street style / travel photography. One camera (style) can not be ideal for everything. I do have both X-series Fujis and newest pro Nikons (D4, D800e), by the way, nice to be able to choose the best tool for everything thrown at me. Fujis I take to reportage assignments, Nikons for news, sprouts, studio, nature.

0 upvotes

It's a shame they didn't make the equivalent of a 24-70 f/2.8. The 18-55 would have been nicer as a 16-50 f/2.8, but overall looking a pretty decent line-up. The 10-24 OIS sounds perfect for landscape. Assuming they one day get great AF speed, especially for servo mode, it's be nice to see some fast telephotos, like a 200 f/2.8 and maybe a 75-300 f/4

0 upvotes

Do you really want a huge 600g+ zoom on a lightweight body? Why would you go mirrorless for that?

3 upvotes

there are needs of trading-off image quality for portability.
the issue is that XF lenses trade off image quality too much.

0 upvotes

Please Fuji, Produce a decent/professional flash.

4 upvotes

YES! All of their flashes except for EF-X20 are just rebranded versions of http://www.sunpak.jp/english/

Comment edited 58 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Yes, quality flash would be nice.

0 upvotes

Any close-ups of the lenses?

1 upvote

Found something:
http://www.fujirumors.com/hot-new-fuji-x-lens-pictures/

2 upvotes

Yesterday noticed that this is actually an old link (sept 2012)... but it's still likely that this is what we can expect.

0 upvotes

am I the only one who wants the 27mm pancake? 40mm equiv - just perfect.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

4 upvotes

Was more focused on the 23mm. But now that see how big it seems...

1 upvote

yes, looks huge, well, had to be expected for a 1.4 wide angle prime

1 upvote

No, though that particular FL is a bit lower on my list of needs. I'm leaning towards picking up the 23mm or 55-200 first. I think the 27mm will make a nice lightweight option though.

0 upvotes

I want this 55~200mm. ASAP! Please!

0 upvotes

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the zooms, kudos for having such a great prime selection! IMO the only thing that's missing from the roadmap is 90mm f/2 and 135mm f/2 (preferably with OIS).

Comment edited 19 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

Yes yes yes! Fast 90mm corresponding to a 135 F2: A true classic! Maybe even 1,8 for smaller DOF.
Anyway, it's the lenses that will draw half of the people to that system, not just the cameras.

2 upvotes

I wouldn't mind having 90mm f/2.8 because of the size concerns. It would be great to have f/1.4 but we all understand that this will mean a huge and heavy lens. f/2 seems to be reasonable tradeoff between speed and portability.

0 upvotes

f/1.4 for APS-C does not mean huge nor heavy. f/1.4 is quite taste-flat and cheap for it can do no more than f/2.1 on 35mm format.

0 upvotes

Start selling that dang 10-24!!!! I like wide angle...and the 10-24 is the only lens I am waiting for.

2 upvotes

ditto ditto ditto

And I'm waiting for X-E1S/ X-E2.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Another One in the same boat! :-)

0 upvotes

Same here! I will switch to X system once they offer the 10-24.

0 upvotes

Good to see Fuji caring about new lenses.

11 upvotes

Unlike the other notable mirrorless brand which only seems to care about camera bodies.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 52 seconds after posting

6 upvotes

Cough cough sony cough...

4 upvotes

Quite a large lens, compared to the 18-55.

0 upvotes

It's bigger because it's 55~200mm.

2 upvotes

I always wondered why ALL camera manufacturers are so conservative and complacent with kit lens apertures. it's been 3.5-5.6 for general purpose and 4-5.6 for telephoto since the beginning of time.
Fuji is the only exception, taking half a step (stop) at a time, now that's progress!

8 upvotes

It's all about the price.

3 upvotes

Well, most manufacturers offers also f/2.8 constant aperture zooms, but they're much bigger and much more expensive...

0 upvotes

And not often, if ever, sharp from near wide open - by the time you stop down for sharpness the benefit is gone.

0 upvotes

As evidenced by the canon 70-200 f4 and F2.8 and their Nikon counterparts?

1 upvote

@fatdeeman - those aren't kit lenses

0 upvotes

23mm and 56mm are still using the same markup.

5-stop OIS, never heard that claim before.

1 upvote

Nikon 70-200 f/4 is claiming that.

0 upvotes

Please Fuji, I hope the 23mm manual focus isn't as sensitive as the 18mm and as easy to accidently move the focus ring while zone focusing. I love the f1.4 in the new 23mm. But I and many others will be using that lens on the street in manual zone focus at around F11 and we need to know the focus ring won't be so easy to accidently rotate. I shouldn't have to put rubber bands on my lenses to make the focus ring less sensitive.

2 upvotes

Another slow variable aperture lens? Why does it weigh so much? We r talking apertures similar to canons 55-250 is lens which is lighter. X system is supposed to be somewhat a compact system from the get go. Why not have a quality constant f/2.8 tele zoom instead?

0 upvotes

Metal construction perhaps and it's half a stop faster.

10 upvotes

Better yet Absolutic, why not make quality smaller aperture zooms that fit the camera better. People forget that smaller aperture zooms can also be high quality. Normally Nikon/Canon make their large aperture lenses high quality, and make their smaller aperture lenses shoddy to justify the price difference. If this lens is as good as the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 I imagine most complaints will evaporate.

4 upvotes

Metal construction and glass, as opposed to plastic, lenses.

6 upvotes

Always this fast aperture/bokeh obsession these days, there are lens designs that can stop down further than others without getting huge diffraction but people do not care about that anymore?

2 upvotes

Its always good to have confirmation, especially with physical objects, looking good Fuji. :-D

0 upvotes

so want the 10-24. loved my ultra wide 10-20 sigma on my old canon 500D.. must have lens for me but i bet it wont be cheap!

2 upvotes

Although I would love the 23mm f1.4 and 56mm f1.4, they seem to be a bit too bulky for the compactness that I learned to love the X-Pro 1 for.

I might actually rather get the XF 27mm f2.8 pancake and have to compensate the larger DOF with better composition of more interesting subjects - now how is that for a concept? ;)

3 upvotes

I like Fuji because they are the first mirrorless system not concentrating on being too compact (still small enough). When you buy f/1.4 glass you can't expect it to be too small. The 23mm is larger because they must use a different lens design to improve on the short flange distance instead of a typical symmetric range finder style lens, not unlike the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 for Sony. The 56mm is larger because it is a lot longer focal length then the 35mm. If you want a small 23mm, but the X100s.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

10 upvotes

I kind of think that's more because they did not want to overlap with the X100 / X100s offer.
Me too I would have preferred a pancake 23mm though.

0 upvotes

Than buy an X100s, I wouldn't be surprised to see the X100s cheaper than the 23mm f/1.4, or about the same price. An alternative would be to buy a compact manual focus 24mm lens. Voigtlander makes both 21 and 25mm f/4 lenses which are very small.

I don't disagree though, a 23mm f/2.8 pancake would also be nice.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

27mm is going to be extremely small and leightweight. That's about the same focal lengths (40mm equiv.) Why not get it instead of yet another body which will loose its value in a year.

3 upvotes

I already own 4 lenses and there's 4 more I want. Damned gear lust.

9 upvotes

Don't own the X-system, but them Fujiguys are serious people. Others could learn from them. Excellent info for potential buyers.

19 upvotes

Price? Given what you are getting (a slightly faster kit lens than what Canon and Nikon offer for their DSLRs), it should be fairly cheap but something tells me it won't be. The specs are nothing to get excited about, particularly the weak magnification.

1 upvote

You should compare it to Canon and Nikon's APS-C mirrorless cameras instead.

1 upvote

An equivalent lens doesn't exist for the EOS-M and Nikon isn't in that market so there is no comparison. Is that your point?

My point is that Fuji is trying to make a high end mirrorless system to draw people away from DSLRs. Aside from the slightly faster aperture, I see nothing here that provides any excitement. It's both bigger and heavier than the equivalent DSLR lens. I think the price will be an even bigger disappointment though.

4 upvotes

Fuji HAS made a high end mirrorless system. What they did was bring quality construction and unique sensor technology to the form. Something absent from competition focusing on plastic bodies and lenses.
A Summicron 50 f2 may seem equivalent to a Canon 50 f1.8 to you but it makes a gigantic difference to those who care.

7 upvotes

This lens is twice as heavy as the X-E1. I wonder how it will be operating it.

What is the maximum magnification? I'm sure it can be calculated from the minimum focus distance and focal length, but maybe someone knows off-hand?

1 upvote

Total comments: 80

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