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Along with the release of the new X-H2S mirrorless APS-C camera, FUJIFILM just announced two new zoom lenses, namely the FUJINON XF18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR and the FUJINON XF150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR.
Wow, two new zoom lenses for the FUJIFILM X-Mount! One giant white zoom and another quite interesting zoom lens with a nice long reach and some neat tricks. Let’s check them out, shall we?
While the XF150-600 (full-frame equivalent: 229mm – 914mm) could make a quite useful telephoto zoom lens for capturing wildlife or sports, it’s the other lens that caught our attention: The FUJINON XF18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR covers an enormous range from 18mm on the wide end all the way to 120mm on the telephoto side of things (full-frame equivalent: 27mm – 183mm).
This is a quite unique lens as it sports a dedicated zoom/focus rocker which can be used to smoothly change the focal length (aka zooming) while filming. Note: for using the “focus” mode, this rocker only works with the new X-H2S for now (article here | Interview video here). Other models like the X-T4 (review here) will get a firmware update to support this as well.
According to FUJIFILM, this lens offers very fast AF-tracking speeds, especially when used in tandem with the new FUJIFILM X-H2S as this camera offers a so-called high-speed focus drive mechanism.
Victor Ha, vice president of Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, states that:
this lens marks the first collaboration between FUJINON Optics and FUJIFILM X Series engineers, creating a truly hybrid solution for motion production professionals and enthusiasts alike. Incorporating our inherent broadcast technology has allowed us to create a lens with both cinema and broadcast-style features that delivers smooth zoom, focus, and iris functionality.
The lens offers a constant maximum aperture of F4 across the entire focal range, from wide-angle to telephoto. And it is claimed to be parfocal, which means the focus does not shift while zooming.
In addition to the aforementioned rocker, the lens sports regular zoom and focus rings, a custom Fn button, and a variable zoom/focus control ring. This ring allows you to control zooming or focusing at a variable speed.
The lens comprises 15 lens elements in 12 groups, including three aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion (ED) elements, to effectively suppress spherical aberration, distortion, and chromatic aberration. According to FUJIFILM, the XF18-120mm F4 minimizes the dreaded focus-breathing.
The whole lens weighs just over 460g, and it measures around 123.5mm in length. It also sports a standard 72mm filter thread.
The lens barrel is weather-sealed to ensure dust and weather resistance and to provide the ability to operate at temperatures down to -10º C.
This lens consists of 24 lens elements in 17 groups, including three extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and four Super ED elements.
Since this lens was also developed by FUJINON, it sports so-called HT-EBC coating, typically used on broadcast lenses, on all elements of the lens, to achieve high transmittance and low reflectance despite containing 24 lens elements.
If you need even more reach, you still can use the already available FUJIFILM XF2X TC WR (results in 300mm to 1200mm) and XF1.4X TC WR (results in 210mm to 900mm) teleconverters.
The lens without lens hood, lens cap, and tripod collar weigh just 1605g which is quite low for such a big white lens.
It also features a high-precision sensor and control system to deliver up to 5-stops of optical image stabilization.
Both new FUJIFILM lenses are available for pre-order now. The FUJINON XF18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR is expected to begin shipping in September 2022 at a price of $899, while the FUJIFILM XF150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR will be available in July at a price of $1,999.
Link: FUJIFILM
What do you think? Would any of these new lenses make a good addition to your gear bag? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Olaf von Voss is a freelance cameraman who is in business for well over a decade. He is living in Berlin, Germany but has traveled the world as well while shooting mostly documentaries.