Dustin Abbott: Fujinon XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR Review

If you’re interested in the current best discount for the X-H1 than you might want to know something about the bundled Fujinon XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR. Dustin Abbott has a very detailed image quality review above along with a good first look and the final review below of the XF8-16mm, but if you do not have time to watch these lengthy videos the key points can be found below about how the lens performs:

  • There is a fair amount of in-camera correction
  • A little bit of a mustache pattern left after correction, but you can correct it more pretty easily
  • It’s hard to frame things wide enough with a lens this wide and it’s easy to introduce distortion yourself
  • There is some vignetting that is corrected, but at base ISO it’s a none issue
  • 8mm center of the frame is excellent even at f/2.8, but it drops off towards the edge and especially in the corner
  • No centering issues
  • f/2.8 vs f/4 there is a more natural illumination across the frame so there is less vignetting and more light transmission
  • Contrast gets better at f/4
  • f/5.6 and f/8 aren’t better than f/4 so f/4 is probably the sweet spot on the X-T3
  • Extreme corners never really get very sharp
  • At 11.8mm the lens has similar characteristics to 8mm
  • 11.8mm f/4 is extremely sharp right up until the extreme edges and micro-contrast is improved
  • Some mild linear barrel distortion at 11.8mm, but mustache pattern is gone
  • f/5.6 at 11.8 has a slightly brighter more evenly illuminated image, but f/4 is still the sweet spot for this lens on the X-T3
  • 16mm has very little distortion leftover with no pattern
  • 16mm f/4 is more evenly illuminated than f/2.8
  • The contrast goes up at f/4 and 16mm that slightly improves over the f/2.8 with better corners than any other focal length
  • 16mm is the most even high-quality focal length and it does even improve a little bit at f/5.6 unlike other focal lengths with the X-T3
  • Sunstars are only ok by f/11
  • You wouldn’t want to shoot portraits with this lens
  • Things are well controlled for shooting interiors
  • CA is very well controlled
  • Chroma performance is great for astrophotography and there isn’t any in the center and almost none in the corners
  • Great lens for Astro
  • Very little to complain about this lens
  • Excellent sharpness across most of the frame and everything is very well controlled
  • To make a lens like this you have to make it large and expensive
  • Whatever Fujifilm has done between their optics and their profile they have basically nailed all of the optical shortcomings

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XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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