Fujinon XF 55-200mm Review
The Fujinon XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is a versatile telephoto zoom lens that offers an impressive combination of reach, image quality, and portability. Designed for Fujifilm X-series cameras, it’s ideal for photographers looking to capture distant subjects, whether it’s wildlife, sports, or landscape details, without resorting to the bulk of larger telephoto lenses.
The build quality is typical of Fujifilm’s XF series: solid and premium, with a metal construction that feels robust but not overly heavy. At 580g, it’s relatively lightweight for a telephoto zoom, making it manageable for handheld shooting or extended use. The lens features a smooth zoom ring and a well-damped aperture ring, providing tactile, precise control. However, it’s not weather-sealed, which is worth keeping in mind if you frequently shoot in challenging conditions.
Optically, the XF 55-200mm impresses across its range. It’s sharp in the centre even wide open, with good edge performance that improves further when stopped down. The lens is capable of producing crisp, detailed images with excellent contrast and colour rendition, maintaining Fuji’s signature vibrant look. At longer focal lengths, such as 200mm, there’s a slight softening of sharpness, but it’s still very usable, and the overall performance outshines many competing telephoto zooms in its class.
The bokeh is surprisingly smooth for a lens of this type, making it a great choice for isolating subjects against pleasingly blurred backgrounds. While it’s not as creamy as what you’d get from a prime lens with a faster aperture, it’s more than adequate for portraiture and wildlife where subject separation is key. Chromatic aberration and distortion are minimal, thanks to Fuji’s excellent optical engineering.
The variable aperture of f/3.5-4.8 is one of the trade-offs for its compact size. While not particularly fast, the lens compensates with its excellent 4.5-stop optical image stabilisation (OIS), which allows you to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds. This feature is especially helpful when shooting at longer focal lengths or in lower light conditions.
Autofocus performance is another highlight of the XF 55-200mm. Its linear motor ensures fast, accurate, and quiet focusing, making it suitable for both stills and video. It works seamlessly with Fujifilm’s advanced X-series autofocus systems, locking onto subjects quickly even at the extreme ends of the zoom range.
While it doesn’t have the reach or weather resistance of Fuji’s higher-end telephoto options, such as the XF 100-400mm, the XF 55-200mm strikes a great balance between affordability, size, and performance. It’s an excellent choice for photographers who need a reliable, high-quality telephoto zoom without the bulk or cost of professional-grade lenses.
In conclusion, the Fujinon XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is a stellar lens for those who want a compact, high-performing telephoto zoom for their Fujifilm X-series cameras. Its combination of sharp optics, smooth bokeh, effective stabilisation, and solid build make it a fantastic option for a variety of subjects, from wildlife to portraits. It’s a versatile lens that delivers great results without breaking the bank—or your back.
Samples
Here are some recent photos I captured using the Fujinon XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens. These sample shots highlight the lens’s performance across different conditions, settings, and subjects. To view the complete collection of photos taken with this lens, the link.
