Fujifilm Fujinon XF 30mm F2.8 RLM WR Macro

Is this short macro lens also ideal as an everyday walkabout lens?  

- Amy Davies

There are now three proprietary macro lenses available for Fujifilm’s X mount. The latest of these three, the 30mm F2.8, was announced at the end of 2022, and is designed to work not only as a traditional macro lens, but as a more versatile standard lens for everyday usage.

Giving an equivalent focal length of 46mm, it’s close to a ‘nifty fifty’, making it well suited to a range of different subjects including street photography, portraits, pets, and of course close-up subjects thanks to its close-focusing ability and 1:1 magnification ratio.

As well as that, the lens is also very small and compact, making it something you might want to slip discreetly into a camera bag or even a pocket as an addition to any other lenses that you might already own. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8 it’s relatively well-suited to low-light photography, as well as creating shallow-depth-of-field effects.

Costing £599, the 30mm macro lens is slightly more expensive than the existing Fujifilm XF 60mm f2.4 R Macro. The 60mm has been around since 2012 and is now showing its age, while the Fujifilm XF 80mm f2.8 LM OIS WR Macro will set you back nearly twice the price at roughly £1,100. If you can live with manual focus and would prefer a longer focal length macro lens, the Laowa 65mm F2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO for £429 is well worth considering, with its twice life-size magnification.