FujifilmXF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

This medium zoom lens for the X-mount system (Fuji) demonstrates just what's possible when a camera company really puts their mind to it. I had been reading a number of reviews of the Fuji X-mount system for some time, but it was only this past month that I started using the system myself, and I have to say that my own experience has certainly validated what I'd read so many others say: the Fuji X-mount system, in spite of its smaller format, rivals the best of Canon and Nikon's popular models, and some even claim that the Fuji's perform up to Leica and (real) Zeiss levels. I hate to keep repeating myself, but, Wow.This medium zoom range lens starts at 55mm and goes up to 200mm. It's not a particularly fast lens (it's aperture only opens to F/3.5 at the wide end), but that misses the point entirely. With the insanely good high ISO performance that most Fuji X-mount cameras exhibit, it simply becomes less and less of an issue that you can only work within F/3.5 - 4.5. You can ramp the ISO level up to 1600 and even 3200 and almost not notice it at all, and just read what many others have said about this to see if what I'm saying is repeated elsewhere. For me, its absolutely been the case.But back to this lens. The image quality produced by this lens across its focal range almost makes you think you're shooting with a prime. That's a tad of an exaggeration, but not much. Images are sharp, colorful, and detailed. The images remind me of my favorite Zeiss lenses, but then, when I shot with those, ISO was a factor even at 800. Coupled with your favorite Fuji X camera (take your pick of model), you'll be able to knock off quality shots that are sometimes simply amazing.Drawbacks? There is one. The weight and size of this lens is not exactly in line with the diminutive Fuji X cameras, which tend to be light and small. This means that you are in a bit of an off-balanced situation, because at some 560g, the weight will now be to the FRONT of your camera, and you'll have to adjust your shooting grip accordingly. (Most of the Fuji X lenses, including the spectacular 14mm and the 35mm models, are extremely light). So, you have to understand this going into this lens.But, once you do, and you start looking at your images, you may no longer be as "put off" by the lens' much heavier weight than its lighter brothers. Just adjust your shooting technique.The optical image stabilization on this lens works very well. (You can also turn it off with a mechanical switch on the lens). And the lens also has dedicated aperture and manual focus rings, so if you like to shoot without auto functionality, you can do it easily. The mechanical build quality of the lens is good to very-good, with a nearly all-metal construction, tight fit and finish. Unfortunately, no case is provided with the lens, which, at this cost, would have been a nice touch. And, like many lens "systems," there is not perfect uniformity of filter size from lens to lens. But taken as a whole, when you consider the image quality, the build quality, and, yes, the price, this is a fantastic lens that most any Fuji owner will enjoy.It's great to see a camera company moving forward with technology and not rest on old technology barriers until they are completely exhausted. If you have not looked into the Fuji X system yet, start reading the reviews posted on many professional camera review sites, and compare them with the reviews of Fuji owners here on Amazon and other sellers. This lens is an easy five star recommendation, in spite of its weight and somewhat high price.Update after two months of shooting ...After using this lens for the past month in northern and central France, I can report again: WOW. The quality of the images this lens is capable of is truly superb. You have to work around the lens' limitations: it starts at a pretty narrow 55mm, and the physical weight is much greater than many of the Fuji X-mount lenses. But the images the lens can produce are simply stellar. Sharp, sharp, sharp. Beautiful color. The image stabilization on this lens is much better than those I've seen on other lenses. The ability to flip off stabilization with a mechanical switch is a real plus, too, as is the ability to switch to manual aperture with a physical switch and also to manually focus with a dedicated focus ring all are "gravy" on top. But the image quality of images produced with the lens is simply stellar, in my mind arguably putting it in a league with far more expensive lenses (some compare it to Leica professional lenses). Fuji is now (January, 2014) promising at least 10 new X-mount lenses in the near future, but this 55-200mm XF lens is not to be missed while we are waiting for those, and, assuming the lens is in the range (55-200mm) you require, you'll want it regardless of any new lenses that are to be produced in the future. It's performance really make up for any weight and aperture limitations.Update after Three YEARS of ShootingWell, I have to say, over these three years, Fuji has put out some remarkable lenses. The XF 16mm, the new XF 35mm and XF 23mm, and, of course, the superlative XF 23mm, XF 56mm, and XF 90mm are all "best in class" lenses by nearly any standard. Funny, though, how this XF 55-200mm lens, while not ever denigrated, doesn't seem to get mentioned much. I say "funny," because this lens is still a favorite of mine after all these years. There is something to the way the photos from this lens look that makes it stand out: simultaneously sharp and smooth (I know that sounds contradictory), some of the photos that I receive the most compliments for were shot with this lens. And at a normal price of only nearly 1/2 of many of Fuji's "top" lenses, it's a bargain, too. I can't recommend this lens highly enough, particularly if you are new to the Fuji "X" line and just want to start building your lens set. It takes astounding pictures that have beautiful "presence" (I don't know what other word to use), and its image stabilization works shockingly well. (If you are using the new Fuji X-H1 camera, which has built-in image stabilization, that doesn't matter, but for all the other Fuji cameras, it does.) Don't let the price fool you. It's a TERRIFIC lens. And, while I am thinking of it, don't let the price of Fuji's newest, cheapest lens, the new XC 15-45mm lens Fujinon XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ Lens - Black which is only $299 and is not even an "XF" model, fool you either. It takes remarkable pictures. Don't overlook either of these two lenses because of price!

This is a review of the new Fuji 55-200 for my XE1. Let me start out by saying this is a superb piece of glass and if this is a focal length you want or need, then Fuji blows the competition away in almost every area. Below is a review from someone that has owned a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR I lens since 2005. For my Fuji I also have the 18-55 zoom (slightly better than my old Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 and 16-85 VR). Also, for my XE1 I use the Fuji 14mm f/2.8 (superb glass) a Rokinon 8mm fisheye for Fuji mount, and Tamron 90mm f/2.8 adaptall manual macro.Optics: Outstanding!!! Both at the short and long end, wide open, and in corners. It gets better when stopped down a bit but there are no week areas, especially at the long end which is common for lenses of this range. I would put this lens as at least as sharp as the Fuji 18-55 f/4, and very definitely sharper at 55mm than the Fuji 18-55 zoom, which is no ordinary kit lens. So at 55mm the long zoom might be better choice and it is also slight faster, f/3.5 vs f/4 which makes it slightly better, but much bigger, for head shots to get more blur in the background. Also, I tested my Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR I, tripod mounted, on my XE1 with an adapter at the sweet spot, f/5.6, against the Fuji 55-200 at the long end. It was a dead tie at f/5.6 for Nikon (2 stops closed) vs. f/7.1 on the Fuji sweet spot (about 1+ stops closed). Sold my Nikon long zoom (and as of this update sold off all my Nikon equipment with no regrets).Hot Spots: None!!! By hot spots I am referring to using this lens with an infrared filter like a Hoya R72. I have tested this filter and there are No hot spots at any aperture or focal length making this lens great for IR filter work. On the fuji 18-55 zoom, hot spots are an issue at all focal lengths. They manifest as a light colored circle in the center which gets smaller and brighter as you stop down. So the fuji long zoom, and the fuji 35mm prime, are excellent for this type of work.Bokeh: smooth and beautiful. Nothing harsh here but remember, this is a relatively slow lens so do not expect the same blur of a f/2.8 at f/4.8 - of course the Sony is f/6.3 so even less blur potential. The best blur will be at the long end since the FOV is most narrow and that will smooth out busy backgrounds, especially if the background is not close behing the subject.OIS: Best I ever used. It is possible to shoot at 200mm and 1/20 second with good breathing technique and get sharp results. This, along with the high ISO of the camera, is a game changer. I can't possibly do that with my Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR but then again the lack of mirror slap vibration, which can cause slight blurring at 1/8 - 1/60 sec, is not a factor for a mirrorless body. Just do not breath heavily, be like a sniper, shoot between breaths and roll your finger over the shutter instead of pressing down. OIS is great but only when combined with good technique.Build: Same as the 18-55 except the zoom ring is rubber.Balance: The lens balances surprisingly well and the greater weight of this lens vs the slower competition is not a concern. It is easy to hold for long periods without fatigue and it looks solid, not like a cheap toy. I noticed that the Fuji neck strap is not ideal for long walks with this lens, like an hour or more before it begins to get uncomfortable. So perhaps a wider neck strap will help. I used thick Op/Tec Pro neck straps on my Nikons which are great. The included strap is not bad and perfect for everything else, but if you carry the lens around for long periods a wider or cushioned strap will make life a bit easier.Focus: Mediocre. This is the weak link of the system, not the lens. I suspect this will improve with future bodies using different focus technology. Anyone that knows the Fuji X-system knows it is a fantastic camera to shoot stills, not action. This lens will perform great when taking your time, not point and shoot quickly. Focus is accurate, but not fast, the opposite of DSLRs which are fast but not always accurate.Focus Tips: If you are having trouble try these 3 tips. 1) Change the size of the focus box. Generally larger is best for good light, while smaller is better in poor light. 2) Switch focus mode to C on the body. This trick also works on the 18-55. It is for Continuous focusing for moving subjects, but that application works poorly, yet C mode can make the difference between getting focus and hunting. Try it, you might be surprised how well this can work. 3) Set the camera to M mode. Press the AF button on the back which will AF on whatever the focus sensor is on. Then Manually turn the focus ring to fine tune. This is great of your subject makes for a poor AF target and there is a good target close to the subject. Also, when in M mode if you press the thumbwheel down it magnifies the image in the EVF or LCD 3x so you can see what you are doing. This is extremely useful when using Manual lenses.So aside from slow focus this is an outstanding lens - but if you are looking to shoot action then this is the wrong system for you, period. Fuji is no stranger to making great glass and, along with Canon, are the two major manufacturers of motion picture lenses in the world. Fuji glass it up pretty much up there with Zeiss (the new Zeiss 12 and 32mm lenses compared very well with the Fuji 14 and 35) and a hair below Leica. Their lenses are more expensive than the other non-Leica mirrorless competitors, but less expensive than the top shelf brands of Zeiss and Leica. That makes Fuji lenses some of the best value around and the lens is critical at bringing out the best in a sensor - the rest is up to the photographer.This lens should be great for landscape and works well with filters, 62mm ring. I have step up rings so am using a 67mm CPL filter on this and my other lenses with step-up rings.Bottom line: Excellent, Best in class glass. Highly recommended!!!