Fujifilm Fujinon XF50mm f/2 R WR review

Fujifilm's Fujinon XF50mm f/2 R WR is an effective short telephoto prime for X-mount cameras

Fujinon XF50mm f/2 R WR
(Image: © Fujifilm)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Refined handling characteristics and a robust, weather-sealed metal build make this lens an attractive proposition for Fujifilm’s APS-C format X-mount mirrorless cameras. The crop factor results in an ‘effective’ focal length of 76mm, ideal for portraiture and still-life photography in which the f/2 aperture rating enables a fairly tight depth of field. At around half the weight and as little as a third of the cost of Fujifilm’s more upmarket Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD lens, it’s a cost-effective buy.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent wide-open sharpness

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    Attractive bokeh

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    Tough, weather-sealed build

Cons

  • -

    Fairly modest f/2 aperture rating

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    No optical stabilization

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    Quite pricey for an f/2 lens

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The Fujinon XF50mm f/2 R WR doesn’t really add up as a ‘standard’ nifty fifty, due to the APS-C crop factor of Fujifilm’s X-mount cameras, for which it’s designed. Instead, you get the same field of view as using a 76mm lens on a full-frame camera, which puts it into short telephoto territory. It’s therefore more ideal for portraiture and other scenarios where you need a bit of extra reach. It’s naturally not quite as fast as f/1.8 primes but is only a third of an f/stop behind, and a full f/stop slower than an f/1.4 lens.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.