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Lens review

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS

24 May 2016
Arkadiusz Olech

11. Summary

Pros:
  • solid, weather resistant casing,
  • very good image quality in the frame centre,
  • sensible image quality on the edge of the frame,
  • imperceptible longitudinal chromatic aberration,
  • low lateral chromatic aberration,
  • lack of problems with spherical aberration,
  • imperceptible coma,
  • nice out-of –focus areas,
  • performance against bright light better than that of the rivals,
  • efficient image stabilization.

Cons:

  • fickle autofocus performance in more difficult conditions,
  • a tad too high astigmatism,
  • too distinct vignetting.

Let’s face it, the X system needed such a lens as the Fujinon XF 100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6 R LM OIS pretty badly and the fact that the company decided to launch it is certainly something positive. Every photographer who decides to buy it will most probably be satisfied with its performance because it is undoubtedly a well-done optical instrument.


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Still I admit after the test I feel a bit unsatisfied. Why? First of all the lens costs 8200 PLN so exactly as much as the full frame Canon EF 100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6L IS II USM. With similar dimensions and the same number of elements in its optical construction, being a device designed to cooperate with smaller sensors, its performance should have been better. Still it isn’t - it is actually a bit worse, with such incomprehensible slip-ups as that concerning the vignetting, a category where the tested lens should be able to prevail over its full frame rivals without any problems. In order to defend the Fujinon a bit you can say that we compare its novelty market price to prices of lenses which have been present on the market for some time. Perhaps in time it will get stabilized on a slightly lower level, making it a more attractive option.

The fact is that users of the Fuji X system cannot attach Canon or Nikon lenses to their cameras ; I suppose if they buy and attach the Fujinon XF 100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6 R LM OIS instead they won’t regret it anyway.