Fujinon XF16-55mm f2.8 R LM WR review

The Fujinon XF16-55mm f2.8 is as good as it gets for an X-mount standard zoom

Fujinon XF16-55mm f2.8 R LM WR
(Image: © Fujifilm)

Digital Camera World Verdict

This APS-C format standard zoom for Fujifilm X-mount mirrorless cameras isn’t overly big and heavy and build quality, handling and image quality are all pretty epic, as you’d expect from one of Fujifilm’s top-end ‘red badge’ lenses. Combining an effective zoom range 24-84mm with a fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, it’s highly versatile and takes everything in its stride from landscape photography to portraiture.

Pros

  • +

    Strong weather-sealed build

  • +

    Physical aperture ring

  • +

    Fast autofocus system

Cons

  • -

    Aperture ring can’t be de-clicked

  • -

    No optical image stabilizer

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The Fujinon XF16-55mm f2.8 R LM WR sits on the top rung of Fujifilm’s X-mount quality ladder. If you’re upgrading from Fujifilm’s 15-45mm kit lens, another appealing option is the mid-priced XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS XF, also available as a kit lens. It’s very nicely engineered, features weather-seals and a control ring, while also retaining an optical stabilizer. However, it still has a variable aperture rating and, in our tests, sharpness proved good rather than great. At four times the price of the 15-45mm, the constant-aperture 16-55mm f/2.8 ‘red badge’ zoom is the pick of the crop.

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.