A Wild, Wonderful World

The Fujifilm XF 70–300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a promising addition to the company’s XF series. Nilofer Khan puts it on BP’s test bench to see how it fares.

- Nilofer Khan

Fujifilm XF 70–300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR

Fujifilm’s lineup of interchangeable lenses for the X series mirrorless digital cameras has grown exponentially. In March, they announced yet another addition in the XF lineup, the Fujifilm XF 70–300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR. It is situated between the company’s XF 55–200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS and the XF 100–400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR.

Features

Constructed using 17 elements in 12 groups, including one aspherical and two ED elements, the 70–300mm has a 22.9°-5.4° angle of view, as well as a rounded nine-bladed diaphragm. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.83m and a maximum magnification of 0.33x. The lens offers up to 5.5-stops of optical image stabilisation (OIS). It has a linearmotor drive system, enabling fast and near-silent autofocus. It is compatible with the XF 1.4X TC WR and the XF 2X TC WR teleconverters, making it possible to achieve a maximum 35mm equivalent focal length of up to 914mm. It has a 1/3EV-step aperture ring, is dust- and moisture-resistant, and can operate in temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F). It also comes with a lens hood.

Handling

Weighing 580g and measuring 132.5mm in length, the lens is lightweight and quite compact. However, when you zoom in, the length increases to 205.5mm. I used it on the X-T3, and it fit perfectly. It was quite comfortable to use as well.