Best Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:
This super telephoto zoom from Fujifilm will make fans of wildlife and sports photos blush with pleasure , even if they still prefer to use an SLR for taking pictures of moving and bursting subjects. Anyway, this 100-400 mm is still equivalent to a 152-609 mm in 24×36 mm.
Presentation
The lens has relatively bright maximum sliding f / 4.5-5.6 apertures and all Fujifilm technologies. The optical construction is based on a formula of 21 lenses divided into 14 groups with 4 ED lenses and 1 Super ED lens.
Obviously, it incorporates an optical stabilization, imperative on this type of focal. Fujifilm announces that it can save up to 5 EV – it will have to be checked during our tests. It has only one mode of operation, but it would seem that the device is able to automatically detect panoramic movements and then block the horizontal effects of stabilization. Regarding the autofocus, the lens is equipped with two linear motors and a focus distance limiter at 5 m.
It goes without saying that this lens has a foolproof design with no less than 13 seals. It is therefore able to face the worst shooting conditions (dust, humidity, runoff) and can operate at temperatures down to -10 ° C. On the front, the lens has a hydrophobic water-repellent fluorite treatment which helps limit the stagnation of water drops.
The objective is light with 1.4 kg on the scale: this is the advantage of this system, compared to the heavyweights of the reflex world.
Best Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
1. Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens 16501109
2. Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
3. Fujinon XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR
4. Fujinon XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Getting started
This 100-400 mm is very impressive! Count in the folded position more than 20 cm long (more than 27 cm in the unfolded position), a diameter of 9.5 cm and a weight of almost 1.4 kg. This lens is designed for a hybrid and moreover is equipped with a “small” APS-C sensor, that is a lot. If we compare the measurements of this lens with those of equivalent models for hybrids and SLRs capable of covering the 24×36 mm format, it is obvious!
Suffice to say that its use with “small caliber” hybrids is more than difficult. Whatever the device used, the whole is completely unbalanced and it will be necessary to support the optics more than the bare hand case. The use of a grip is more than advisable, even if it increases the weight of the set even more.
This lens is therefore naturally provided with a tripod fixing collar, retractable if necessary. This necklace can turn on itself in order to be able to switch easily and quickly from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation. A system of markers exists to ensure the level. The fluidity of the rotation is excellent and the adjustment is made using a screw to tighten or loosen as required.
This lens is labeled WR (Weather Resistant) and therefore armed to face the worst conditions of field shooting. It has 13 water and dust seals. The front lens is provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment. Fujifilm ensures that the lens can operate down to -10 ° C.
More
It is a beautiful imposing and massive object. In hand, there is a feeling of robustness and solidity. You can feel the optical stabilization block moving inside, but it’s completely normal. This 100-400 mm has a mixed metal and plastic construction, the finishes being very good. As for the design, it is the classic Fuji classic with a fairly discreet satin black finish and a rather technical look.
On the side of the lens and around its base, there are three adjustment switches. The first allows to deactivate the optical stabilization (no mode choice option on the lens), the second to activate the automatic iris management and the last is a focus range limiter (total or 5 m -infinite).
The otic is equipped with three adjustment rings. The first from the outside is dedicated to manual focusing, the second for the focal length and the last manages the diaphragm.
The manual focus ring is quite narrow, but very comfortable to use. Fluidity is very good, but there are no stop marks at the ends (minimum and infinite focus distance). This ring is not directly linked to the focusing block. Its handling activates a motor which is responsible for moving the lenses. There is no dynamic focus distance mark.
The central ring, dedicated to the zoom, is very wide and comfortable to use. The race is moderate and we quickly go from 100 to 400 mm. Naturally, it is quite heavy, but the fluidity is satisfactory.
Lab tests
We tested the lens with a Fujifilm XT2 with APS-C sensor of 24 Mpx and a definition of 6000 x 4000 px. Each pixel therefore measures 3.9 µm aside. The minimum aperture recommended to avoid diffraction problems is f / 11!
The performance of this lens is very good. First, she enjoys beautiful and consistent behavior over her entire focal range. At the widest focal length, 100 mm, the sharpness is strong in the center from the largest aperture f / 4.5 and increases as the diaphragm is closed up to f / 8. After this opening, it begins to decrease, but the images remain fully usable up to f / 16 inclusive. The homogeneity is perfect from f / 8. Before that, we observe a shift between the center, 2/3 of the images and the extreme edges. The latter “settles” as the diaphragm is closed.
At 200 mm, the homogeneity is perfect from the largest opening and the sharpness also reaches its maximum at f / 8. The sharpness at the largest opening is clearly behind compared to the performance at 100 mm. At 300 mm, strangely (but nothing serious) the homogeneity is better at the largest opening than at average openings. The behavior is similar to the 400 mm in a little more amplified, but with a higher level of general sharpness.
Verdict
A must have!
This 100-400 mm is undoubtedly a centerpiece that photographers who love sports or animals should put in their photo bag. It is a high-end zoom, all options, which does not have to be ashamed in front of the long traditional telephoto zoom cameras 24×36 mm.
Let’s start with the start and the versatility. If there is one discipline where the use of a “small” APS-C sensor is an advantage, it’s good to be able to photograph from afar! This 100-400 mm is therefore equivalent to a 150-600 mm and can even be transformed into an equivalent 300-1 200 mm if we add a 2x focal converter (we lose in maximum apertures). Optics all options and long focal lengths oblige, we naturally find the presence of a very effective optical stabilization which allows to gain about 5 EV and to limit camera shake. Only downside on this point, the impossibility of using a single stabilization axis to achieve yarn effects (very surprising choice on the part of Fujifilm).
Although this lens is bulky and massive, the grip is very good: quality of construction, weather protection, manual diaphragm ring (without markers), very successful zoom and manual focus adjustment rings, rotating tripod support.
The optical quality it delivers is very good. The objective enjoys a beautiful and coherent behavior on the whole of the range of focal lengths available and delivers images with a high level of sharpness and very homogeneous as long as one closes the diaphragm a little. The homogeneity of the images is also excellent at the largest apertures from 200 mm.
STRONG POINTS
- Manufacturing quality, protections and handling
- Compatibility with focal converter (optional)
- Effective optical stabilization 5 EV
- No distortions
- Very low vignetting
WEAK POINTS
- Heavy and imposing
- No information on the diaphragm ring
- A single optical stabilization mode
- Quilted slightly behind 300 mm
CONCLUSION
This 100-400 mm is undoubtedly a centerpiece that photographers who love sports or animals should keep in their bags. It is a high-end zoom, all options, which has nothing to envy to the universe of long traditional telephoto zoom SLR 24×36 mm.
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