Fujinon XF 150-600mm F5.6-8R LM OIS WR: a disproportionate telephoto zoom for APS-C mirrorless cameras Fujifilm

Concomitantly with the announcement of the new X-H2S hybrid, Fujifilm offers an equally ambitious APS-C zoom: the Fujinon XF 150-600mm F5.6-8R LM OIS WR. This is a resolutely professional lens 229-914 mm in 24×36 equivalent, depending on the brand.

Optics for action

This very long focal length is perfectly suited for the practice of sports photography, animal photography, and even for lovers of aerial ballets. The telezoom will also be a privileged partner of the X-H2S and its burst of 40 fps with autofocus tracking. For those who still find it too short, this zoom is compatible with the firm’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, thus covering a focal range of up to 457-1828 mm in full frame equivalent, all in a format almost contents.

An almost contained template

Indeed, with its 1.6 kg and its internal zoom, the XF 150-600mm F5.6-8R LM OIS WR almost passes for a featherweight in its category, despite its 31 cm length. For example, Sony’s FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is also 31 cm long and weighs 2.1 kg.

Low aperture

The rather low f/5.6-f/8 sliding aperture of the zoom probably also explains its “compact” size. In a bright environment, this should hardly be a problem, but in low light, a rise in sensitivity will surely be expected. On the other hand, the optical stabilization will not be too much, both to compensate for this lack of light, but also to manage this incredible focal length. In this regard, Fuji touts its system as “one of the most powerful for super telephoto zooms”. We hope that is the case.

Regarding the optical construction, the XF 150-600mm uses 24 elements divided into 17 groups. The lens benefits from 19 seals that guarantee resistance to dust, weather and low temperatures down to -10°C. For controls, the zoom is quite well endowed with a switch for the aperture, a function of pre-selection of the focus distance, a focus limiter and configurable control buttons.

Price and availability

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 150-600mm F5.6-8R LM OIS WR will be available from July 2022 at a price of €2199. If it is a top-of-the-range optic, as evidenced by its silver dress, its price remains much more contained than that of the XF 200mm F2 R LM OIS WR which also shares the cream dressing, but sells for 5990 € .

The Fujinon XF 150-600mm F5.6-8R LM OIS WR quickly brings to mind the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO from Olympus. We tested this equally extravagant model for the Micro 4/3 mount in February 2021, but this big zoom had started its marketing at 7999 €.