Review of the Fujifilm XF 200mm f 2 LM OIS WR lens Part 1

Fujifilm USA was kind enough to send me the new Fujifilm  XF 200mm f 2 LM OIS WR for me to evaluate, make images for them, and blog about for you. I plan to do a several part review, so in today’s Part 1 lets talk about the lense’s physical properties!  Above is how you will recieve then lens when you lay down the $5,999.95 asking price.  Included is a very nice ballistic nylon case, a matched 1.4 converter, the lens and a lens hood, and caps.  It weighs 5 lbs 8.5 ounces but on the camera balances very nicely and does not feel that heavy.  I remember when I worked for Nikon and they made a 200mm f 2 it was hard for anyone but a well tuned athlete to lift it to their eye!!!!  Remember this lens is, on a Fujifilm camera, the equivilent of a 300mm f 2 and with the included 1.4 converter a 450mm f 2.8!!!!!!!!!  Nikon once made that focal length for full frame cameras ( back then film)  and it was gigantic and sold for around $23,000. if I remember correctly.  So now the $6,000. price tag on this lens doesn’t seem so bad!

Above is a comparison of the new 200mm f 2 and the current long zoom from Fujifilm, the beloved 100-400.  The 100-400 weighs in at 3 lbs 9.25 ounces.  The 100-400 takes 77mm filters the new 200mm   f 2  105mm filters.   Get out your wallet for a polarizer!!!!

BUILD QUAITY:  The new 200mm f 2 is very well finished and all the controls (below) are positive and smooth, probably,  the best feeling of any lens from Fujifilm yet.  The focus ring and aperture ring are butter smooth and offer the right amount of resistance.  The supplied lens hood is very well made, better than any I can recall from any of the other big lenses I’ve seen in the past and it attaches securely.

Switches control the OIS, focus range, and AF preset controls.  The lens had four buttons around the front of the lens to set pre-set focus distances.

Auto focus was ultra quick and responsive, and I will test that in PART 2, Optical quality and focus speed and accuracy.

The 200mm f 2 focused at it’s closesest focus distance at a physical distance from the front of the lens of 5′ 2″.  The image below shows what my desk microphone looks like at that distance. The mike face from top to bottom is a little over 3 inches.

For reference the 100 to 400 focuses from 4’6″, because it can zoom I made the image below at 300mm (equiv. 450mm) and it gets even closer at 400mm (600mm equiv.).  For tight close in work the 100-400 wins that battle.

In Part 2 I will test the 200mm f 2 for sharpness, speed of focus, tracking and general impressions of using it in the field.  I have to say after just a little time with the lens, I’m very, very impressed.

Blessings,

the pilgrim