REVIEW: 10 days with the Fujinon XF90mm F2 R LM WR
The latest fast Fujinon prime is the tenth fixed focal length lens in the XF line up and the second after the 16mm f1.4 to be Weather Resistant (WR). With the equivalent focal length of 137mm in full frame 35mm terms, the 90mm f2 offers extra ‘pulling power’ over the faster 56mm f1.2.
This lens is primarily targeted at portrait, wedding and street photographers but I was interested to see if it would be of use in the areas I primarily work - motorsport and landscape.
I have recently acquired the superb 50-140mm f2.8, which offers greater flexibility over the primes and covers the 90mm focal length but with the disadvantages of one stop less on the aperture and in a much larger size. However the 50-140mm does have the addition of an Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) system built in where the 90mm doesn’t.
Specification Comparison
To compare the sizes of the different lenses here is a shot of the 50-140mm f2.8, 90mm f2, 56mm f1.2, 55-200mm f3.5/4.8 and the smallest lens in the XF line up that has an aperture ring, the superb 18mm f2.
As you can see the 90mm is taller, but only 135g heavier, than the 56mm but a lot smaller than, and almost half the weight of, the 50-140mm.
Lens Weight Length Filter size 35mm equiv Aperture
50-140mm 995g 175.9mm 72mm 76-213mm f2.8 - f22
90mm 540g 105mm 62mm 137mm f2 - f16
56mm 405g 69.7mm 62mm 85mm f1.2 - f16
55-200mm 580g 118-177mm 62mm 84-305mm f3.5 - f22
18mm 116g 27mm 52mm 27mm f2 - f16
Another thing I noted was the use of the 62mm filter diameter, the same as the 56mm and the 55-200mm zoom. This is good news for my landscape work as I use a Lee filter system and it means I can cut down on the number of adapter rings I need to take along with me. The 10-24mm and 50-140mm use the same 72mm filter diameter.
In the field
As with all Fujinon prime lenses the 90mm f2 is a joy to use. The build quality is second to none and the image quality is on a par with all the best lenses available on the market today, but then it would have been a bit of a disappointment if the 90mm was anything less after using the other Fujinon lenses in the XF range.
Please note my conclusions are not scientific, I look at the images I take on my 27” iMac and judge the results I see on the screen. I don’t own an electron microscope, I look at the images as any of my clients would and judge the results accordingly.
Landscapes
For my landscape work I love isolating parts of the scene with a telephoto lens and the 55-200mm f3.5/4.8 has been my lens of choice. However the XF50-140mm is now my telephoto zoom lens of choice. Yes it is a lot heavier than the 55-200mm but the image quality is a step up on the slower lens. My question was how would the 90mm f2 compare with the 50-140mm in the field.
The results were certainly impressive and the 135mm equivalent focal length is certainly one I would use in my landscape work but most of the time the lens is stopped down to f11, which negates the 1 stop advantage the 90mm has over the 50-140mm. The ability to frame the scene by zooming the lens is a big plus point for the 50-140mm and something I would miss if I had the 90mm f2.
Motorsport
I also used the 90mm f2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for driver portraits and also trackside. Again the 90mm f2 acquitted itself very well and the extra stop on the aperture certainly helped when I was shooting during the night. I was able to turn down the ISO from 2000 to 1250, which helped with reducing the noise in the images. The driver portraits were pin sharp, even when using f2 and the new Firmware 4 on the X-T1 with the eye-detection function. The Quad Linear Motor powered the AF quickly and quietly and certainly made the new AF system on the X-T1 a joy to use.
However I found myself favouring the 50-140mm over the 90mm because of the flexibility the zoom offered me in a fast moving environment where I had to nail the shot quickly. In these situations the fixed focal length was limiting my ability to frame the image quickly.
Conclusion
There is no doubting that the XF90mm F2R LM WR is an excellent piece of glass and worthy of the premium XF badge it wears. For a prime lens it is one of the best on the market and the 137mm equivalent focal length is very useful.
The lack of OIS might deter some from buying this lens but I didn’t miss it when I was using the lens, but then I started photography without any of these aids and so I adapt the way I shoot accordingly. OIS is a useful and welcome tool but for my work I wouldn’t dismiss a superb quality lens just because it doesn’t have an image stabilisation system.
For me the 50-140mm f2.8 muddies the water somewhat. Here you have a lens that produces the same high quality imagery but offers immense flexibility by having an f2.8 aperture that covers the same focal length as the prime but also down to 50mm and up to 140mm.
However the zoom is nearly twice as heavy, is physically a lot bigger and costs twice as much as the 90mm. I suppose it is down to the type of photography you use your X-Series cameras for.
However the zoom is nearly twice as heavy, is physically a lot bigger and costs twice as much as the 90mm. I suppose it is down to the type of photography you use your X-Series cameras for.
The 50-140mm covers the focal length of two of the primes. The 56mm f1.2 is one of the best lenses I have ever owned and that 1.2 aperture has more than a 2 stop advantage over the zoom, which alone justifies its place in my camera bag. The 90mm f2 is a different story.
The one stop advantage is useful but is it enough to warrant it's place alongside the 50-140mm and the 56mm in my lens line up? The jury is out on that question and time will tell. I will be taking more images over the coming weeks and will report back on my findings in a later blog post.
The one stop advantage is useful but is it enough to warrant it's place alongside the 50-140mm and the 56mm in my lens line up? The jury is out on that question and time will tell. I will be taking more images over the coming weeks and will report back on my findings in a later blog post.
I certainly have no hesitation recommending the XF90mm f2 R LM WR as it is capable of producing stunning images and is lighter and more compact than the 50-140mm.
CLICK HERE for more information on the FUJINON XF90mm F2 R LM WR
All images shot on a Fujifilm X-T1 + Fujinon XF90mm f2 R LM WR (except the images of the lens itself of course)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY VISITING THE ADVERTISERS ON THIS PAGE
By clicking on the adverts you are helping support this blog - thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL IMAGES (UNLESS INDICATED) ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION
MacLean Photographic run Workshops in East Lothian and the Borders of Scotland. CLICK HERE for more details and availability
Jeff Carter is an Official Fujifilm X Photographer and was named as a Fujifilm brand ambassador in June 2015. In 2016 he worked with the company on the launches of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 in Tokyo and the Fujifilm X-T2 in Paris in July 2016. You can view his profile and gallery on the Fujifilm website HERE
Comments
Post a Comment