Review of the Fujinon XF90mm f2: Is this Best All Round Telephoto Prime?

I have been using the XF90mm f2R LM WR telephoto for the past two months and I have to admit that when I received it I was left wondering where it fitted in my lens line up.  

I currently have the wonderful XF50-140mm f2.8R LM OIS WR, which is one of the best telephoto zooms I have ever owned, and I have the XF56mm f1.2R with its brilliant ultra fast maximum aperture that produces bokeh to die for.  So why do I need a slightly longer telephoto prime which was just one stop faster than the 50-140mm and only one stop slower than the shorter telephoto prime?  

Well after two months I am here to tell you that I am sold on the 90mm.  It is fantastically sharp with brilliant bokeh and, with its quad linear motor, the AF is quick and accurate on both the X-T1 and X-T10.  The build quality is also top draw, as you would expect from a Fujinon XF lens.  So what has changed my mind?

The 135mm equivalent focal length is perfect for a lot of subjects that I shoot.  First off, I don't shoot weddings and portraits, for which the 90mm is perfectly suited.  I used to in my earlier photographic career but now I stick to landscapes, street and sport and the 90mm f2 excels in these areas as well. 

I used the XF90mm f2 at Le Mans at the start of June and found it to be the perfect companion to the X-T1 in the pitlane or on the grid.  I even used it trackside at night during the practice sessions and didn't find it wanting. 

The 135mm focal length is perfect for including some background to put the car and drivers in context.  If you just shoot a car close up and full frame it could be anywhere in the world.  We visit some fantastic circuits around the world and it is important to make sure you have some images that show the background so you look at an image and you know it was taken at Le Mans or Fuji in Japan or in Bahrain.  The 90mm f2 is great for a wider angle.  

Now the 50-140mm will do the job just as well and it gives you more flexibility and this is where I would favour the zoom over the prime.  The 50-140mm is a big lens but in a high speed sport you need to be flexible, so in this instance I would favour the big zoom over the prime. However the 90mm is capable of getting the shot - make no mistake.

The 90mm is Weather Resistant (WR), which is useful when shooting sport, but I didn't have the opportunity to test it in wet conditions (thankfully).

Then there is street photography.  I recently visited Edinburgh, Paris and Dusseldorf with the express intention of getting some good people pictures.  As I said, I don't do portraits, so my street photography is all about capturing a candid moment.  The 90mm allows me to stand further away and merge into the background than if I was using the 56mm f1.2 or 35mm f1.4.  

What about the 50-140mm I hear you ask?  Well in this instance the larger lens is a hindrance because it looks like a long telephoto and you stand out straight away.  The 90mm is more stealthy, especially with the lens hood removed.

And then there is landscapes and cityscapes.  The 90mm is again very well suited to these genres, especially the cityscapes.  Yesterday's blog on the pont de Bir-Hakeim was mostly shot on the 90mm f2, with just two shots taken on the 50-140mm f2.8.

The same goes with landscapes, I shot some wildflowers while I was on the Isle of Skye last weekend, with all of the images of the 9th August blog taken on the 90mm f2. 

Conclusion
As you can probably guess the Fujinon XF90mm f2R LM WR has won me over.  It is a stunning lens and I have found myself using it in preference to my XF56mm f1.2R. This is a revelation because I love using that lens.  The build quality and the results from the 90mm have been as I would expect from a X-Series Fujinon lens that costs £699 - superb - but it is the focal length that I have found to be most useful.  

I have never owned a 135mm telephoto before, having always had a zoom that covered that focal length.  Now I am beginning to wonder what I have been missing for the past 20 years of my professional photographic career.

Perhaps this is why I have taken to this lens with such enthusiasm. It is smaller and lighter than the 50-140mm f2.8 and crucially it has that one stop advantage. The zoom does have Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which the prime lacks, but personally I would rather have a lighter and smaller prime lens without OIS. 

At the end of all this I can now I can say, with hand on heart, that the Fujinon XF90mm f2R LM WR has earned it's place in my camera bag when I am out shooting landscapes or street.  The results I get certainly speak for themselves.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Fujinon XF90mm f2R LM WR

CLICK HERE for the first review on the 90mm f2 on the MacLean Photographic blog

All of the images on this page were shot with a 90mm f2 lens (except the shots of the lens itself of course) with either a Fujifilm X-T1 or X-T10.

SIZE DIFFERENCE: 90mm f2 on the left compared to the 50-140mm f2.8 on the right

ELMS Pitlane at the Red Bull Ring in Austria

Aston Martin Vantage

The Red Arrows

Pitts Special Display at East Fortune

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