While images of the lens leaked online a day before the official launch, Fujifilm has taken the wraps off the new XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR lens, and it seems this optic could be one of the best Fujinon lenses yet.
Weighing in at just 440g, the lens is 40% lighter than a similar lens for a full-frame camera, according to Fujifilm. There’s also 5x zoom, making it an ideal all-rounder.
However, the headline feature for the XF 16-80mm f/4 R is its staggering six stops of image stabilization. That makes it perfect for low-light conditions, when the need for long shutter speeds becomes priority and camera shake is a massive problem.
You won’t need to worry about image quality either. There’s 16 elements in 12 groups within this compact lens, including one ED (extra-low dispersion) glass that reduces field curvature and spherical aberration. Meaning your images will look sharp throughout the frame, even while focusing as close as 35mm away from your subject.
The lens has an effective focal range of 24-120mm due to the crop factor of the X-series cameras, with an effective depth of field of f/6. The aperture is also constant, so performance won’t change over the entire zoom range.
The lens is also dust- and moisture-resistant, so if you're snapping it onto weather-sealed cameras like the Fujifilm X-T30 or the X-T3 – which don’t have built-in image stabilization themselves – you’ll get a great kit that’s suitable for shooting in almost any environment.
The XF 16-80mm f/4 R will be available from September 2019 carrying a price tag of $799.95 / £769 / AU$1,449.
