FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR Impression

The arrival of a new addition to the already extensive range of Fujinon lenses is a cause for celebration. The new FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR, is a small, compact and extremely versatile zoom lens that will delight any photographer just starting out in the fascinating field of nature photography, whether their speciality is wildlife, landscape or macro photography, or other disciplines such as social-documentary, street photography, etc. Advanced and professional photographers looking to add a medium zoom lens to their kit will find that this lens, with its various focal lengths, will greatly expand their potential to take great shots and increase their composition options.

QUALITY BUILD

It boasts an attractive design and excellent build quality, as is the custom with this brand. It has a metallic body and mounting ring, a lightweight, compact design and is exceptionally well weather-sealed to withstand the most adverse conditions (rain, dust, etc.). It is also image stabilized with an EV of up to 5.5. It also comes with a zoom lens lock, another plus, as it prevents the barrel of the lens from extending and accidentally knocking against other objects when carried over the shoulder, and it also prevents zoom creeping when working at the shortest focal length (70mm). This lightweight lens is ideal for taking on trips into the countryside, camera in hand, allowing the photographer to work swiftly and with complete confidence.

When using with the X-T4, X-T3 or the new X-S10 camera, a focal length of 140-450mm F4-5.6 can be obtained, since, as we know, these are APSC format cameras, which expand the focal length of the lens by 1.5x. If we combine it with a 1.4x teleconverter, the focal length can be extended even further, to a not inconsiderable 196-630mm f/8. This is without considering the crop factor that is available on the X-T3 and X-T4 cameras in their sport finder mode, which will expand our focal range by 1.25x, to obtain a maximum focal length of 800mm.

Field Trial

As you can see in the photos in this article, the superb quality of this new lens can be appreciated when working at any of its focal lengths. It picks out the vivid details at both its shortest focal distance and at its maximum zoom of 300mm. The autofocus function is fast, accurate and instantaneous. With respect to the mechanical parts, the zoom action is exceptionally smooth, allowing you to zoom in and out gradually and to turn the zoom ring confidently. One of its outstanding features is undoubtedly the excellent quality of the bokeh it produces, resulting in images of extraordinary quality that will satisfy professional photographers and fastidious amateurs alike. 

When using longer focal lengths (300, 400 and 500mm) in wildlife photography, particularly when capturing birds, our aim is to achieve a soft, out-of-focus background so that our focal point stands out sharply. This can only be carried off with a lens that produces a bokeh that is up to the task, and I believe that the new FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR more than meets this challenge.

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

In addition to the longer focal lengths, used in wildlife and landscape photography, the lens also offers the possibility of taking macro images at a minimum distance of 80cm. The results are excellent; the images have a great bokeh with no loss of sharpness, thus enabling the photographer to produce a wide range of appealing shots. Trips into the field will be a much more all-round experience and will generate a wide variety of images to take home (a small bird on a branch, a flower, a spider’s web bathed in the morning dew, and perhaps even a fox bounding across a field).

The possibilities are endless with this new zoom lens. The only limit is your imagination.