DPSaver
Introduction
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is a super-telephoto zoom lens for Fujifilm’s X-series range of APS-C format mirrorless cameras.
It provides a focal range which exactly matches that of a 229-914mm optic in a 35mm full-frame system, making it an incredibly versatile lens for wildlife and sports photographers.
It has an optical formula comprised of 24 elements in 17 groups, including four Super ED elements and three ED elements to help reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing.
Key features include built-in weather-resistance, optical image stabilization which compensates for up to five stops of camera shake, an internal zoom and focus design, and a minimum focusing distance of 2.4m.
There’s also an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades, Fuji’s proprietary HT-EBC Coating to reduce lens flare and ghosting, a powerful linear motor for quick AF response, and a rotating tripod collar complete with a removable foot.
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens is available in matt silver only priced at £1899 / $1999 in the UK and the US, respectively. The XF 150-600mm is manufactured in Japan.
This lens is fully compatible with Fuji’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, which when fitted increase the maximum focal length to 840mm and 1200mm respectively. Note that the minimum apertures will be F11 and F16 for the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.
Ease of Use
Given the incredibly versatile zoom range that it provides, the XF 150-600mm is surprisingly light and fairly compact, weighing in at 1605g / 3.5lb and measuring 99mm x 314.5mm (D x L).
It offers the longest focal length of any Fujifilm X-series lens to date, housed in a relatively compact form factor that won’t break your back.
You can comfortably use it hand-held for quite a long time, although it’s ideally best mounted on a monopod for all-day use.
Despite the huge focal range on offer, this lens is still compact and light enough to feel well-balanced on the brand new X-H2S camera that we tested it with, which is one of the larger X-series bodies currently available.
In testing it complemented the X-H2S camera very well, forming a well-balanced and lightweight package and more than matching the body in terms of its build quality.
The overall build quality is outstanding, easily one of the best XF lenses that we’ve tested, with a smart matt silver finish that looks great in the flesh and is claimed to reduce overheating in hot conditions.
The lens is weather sealed at different 19 different points to help protect it against water and dust and allow it to fully operate in temperatures down to -10°C (14°F).
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm has a built-in OIS (Optical Image Stabiliser) equivalent to 5 stops. It works wonderfully well in practice, enabling you to hand-held what is a very large lens and still get a steady view through the camera’s EVF.
Somewhat disappointingly, there is no dedicated OIS switch on the lens barrel to turn it on and off, instead requiring a visit to the camera’s menu system.
The Fujifilm 150-600mm lens boasts a metal mount, aperture, focus and zoom rings, magnesium alloy lens barrel and non-rotating 82mm filter thread.
The black focus ring is generously wide and has a ridged, rubberised grip band. It’s buttery smooth in action without being loose, although it has no “hard stops” at either end of the focus range, making it more difficult to focus on infinity.
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens has an internal focusing (IF) system that uses a linear motor, which results in fast, accurate, and virtually silent auto-focusing on the X-H2S camera that we tested it with.
You certainly won’t miss many shots when using the AF on this lens, helped by the new subject-specific autofocus modes that Fujifilm have added to the X-H2S.
There is a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel, which allows you to set the aperture in 1/3 steps. As this is a variable aperture lens, the aperture ring is unmarked. The aperture ring is nicely damped and makes a distinctive click as you change the setting.
If you want to control the aperture via the camera body rather than the ring on the lens, there’s a switch on the barrel one for changing the aperture control between the unmarked ring on the lens and the camera.
The focus limiter switch on the side of the lens barrel enables you to set the focusing range to either the full range of 2.4m to infinity, or from 5m to infinity.
Thanks to the IF mechanism the front of the lens does not rotate on focus, which is very good news for anyone looking to use the lens in conjunction with a polariser or graduated neutral density filter.
The Fuji 150-600mm has a smooth manual focusing ring that is focus-by-wire, rather than using a mechanical clutch-based focus ring, but that’s also true of every other Fuji X-series lens.
The Fujifilm XF XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens incorporates a Focus Preset feature that allows you to quickly alter the focus to a preset position, which is ideal for when you can either predict the position of your subject or you want to quickly revert to a saved point of focus.
There are four Focus Control Buttons located near the end of the lens barrel which are used in conjunction with the AF-L/Preset/AF switch. They can be used to lock focus at the current position, restore the focus preset position, and perform the same function as the camera’s AF-On button.
A non-removable metal tripod mount is fitted to the Fujifilm XF 200mm F2 R LM OIS WR, which is attached to the lens via a circular ring that can be rotated from landscape to portrait orientation using a single thumbscrew on the side of the barrel.
There is an Arca-Swiss compatible dovetail groove and both 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch tripod attachments on the bottom to allow for direct mounting of a tripod or lens strap system.
In terms of accessories, the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR ships with standard lens and mount caps plus a very large plastic circular-shaped lens hood which twists and locks into place.
Usefully the hood has a small sliding port cover on the bottom for easier adjustment of rotating filters when attached to the lens. There is also a soft pouch and a shoulder strap included with this lens.
Focal Range
The 150mm focal length provides an angle of view of 10.8 degrees.
150mm
The 600mm focal length provides an angle of view of 2.7 degrees.
600mm
Chromatic Aberrations
Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or blue fringes along contrasty edges, are not too much a problem with the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens, except in areas of very high contrast.
150mm
600mm
Vignetting
With the lens set to its maximum aperture, there is some light fall-off in the corners, requiring you to stop down by at least 3 f-stops to completely prevent it.
150mm
600mm
Distortion
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR doesn’t exhibit any significant pin-cushion distortion, as you can see in the photos below.
150mm
600mm
Macro
The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is not a macro lens, with the close-focus point at 2.4m / 7.9′ from the sensor plane and a maximum magnification of 0.24x.
Bokeh
Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc.
Fujifilm have paid close attention to this aspect of lens use, employing a 9-segment diaphragm with rounded blades for some more pleasing bokeh.
In our view, their efforts have been very successful for an ultra-zoom lens – see the examples below to judge for yourself.
Sharpness
In order to show you how sharp the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens is, we are providing 100% crops on the following pages.
