12 Lenses That Will Get the Most Out of Your Fujifilm Camera

New York Times

04-04-2025

Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
Assuming that your camera came with a decent, basic zoom lens, the first addition to your collection should be a small, portable, fixed-focal-length (prime) lens that has a useful field of view and can deliver great images in dim light. For most people, the best option is a 40mm- to 50mm-equivalent lens with an f/2 or wider maximum aperture. Because Fujifilm X-mount cameras use APS-C sensors, you have to multiply the focal length printed on the lens by 1.5 to find the full-frame equivalent.
This focal length delivers images that look a lot like what you see when you look at a subject, since it's close to the same perspective as human eyesight.
This lens outperforms its modest price, with brilliant edge-to-edge sharpness, beautiful background blur, and little in the way of distortion or aberrations.
If you're new to photography, or getting into a mirrorless system for the first time after using film cameras or DSLRs for years, you might not be familiar with Viltrox—but you should be. Among the many Chinese lens manufacturers that have sprung up in recent years, Viltrox is one of the most exciting, not least because it pushes optical limits with lenses like the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro. The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro is capable of biting sharpness wide open, and it effectively isolates the subject from the background, even from several feet away. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Its 40.5mm-equivalent focal length makes it a good fit for many kinds of subjects, from people to landscapes to food. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter A good normal prime can function as a go-anywhere, do-anything lens, if you're willing to zoom with your feet. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro's bokeh can be extremely smooth, given the right amount of distance between the subject and the background. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Or it can be hypnotically swirly, if the background is closer and more complex. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro is capable of biting sharpness wide open, and it effectively isolates the subject from the background, even from several feet away. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
Its perspective looks natural for many kinds of subjects. With a full-frame-equivalent field of view of 40.5mm, this lens closely replicates the perspective of the human eye. That makes it a natural fit for all kinds of subjects, from landscape to short portraiture to street and still life.
It has an ultra-bright maximum aperture for added flexibility. This lens's f/1.2 maximum aperture gives you lots of latitude to use the lens in dim light or to create beautifully blurred backgrounds. The bokeh it produces is among the smoothest we've seen, even in photos that contain typically busy-looking objects such as leaves or branches.
It's stunningly sharp. The 27mm f/1.2 Pro offers extremely high resolution in the center of the image, even wide open, and it becomes razor-sharp across the entire frame when stopped down to f/4. It's free of optical defects like distortion, colored fringing, and excessive flare, as well.
Performance comes at the expense of weight and bulk. The biggest downside to this lens is that it's big and heavy—3.6 inches long and 1.2 pounds (560 grams). But it's beautifully well built, mostly of metal, and like most Fujifilm lenses, it has a clicky aperture ring and weather sealing.
It's a stunning value. Despite its many superlative features, this lens costs just $580 at this writing—significantly less expensive than other high-end normal primes for X-mount, such as the $800 Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
This lens isn't as edge-to-edge sharp as our pick from Viltrox, especially when it's wide open, but it's sharp enough. More importantly for some people, it's much smaller and lighter.
If you prefer a smaller normal prime, the first-party Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR is a solid performer that's quite a bit smaller and lighter than our pick from Viltrox. The Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR is plenty sharp and good at the same things the Viltrox prime lens is good at, but its field of view is slightly narrower, and its f/2 maximum aperture can't create bokeh that's quite as smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Normal primes like the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR typically have low distortion and few aberrations, which makes them ideal for capturing objects with straight lines, like this building. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The XF 35mm f/2 R WR is also small and light enough that you can toss it in a bag and bring it on vacation. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Its portrait capabilities are not limited to humans. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR is plenty sharp and good at the same things the Viltrox prime lens is good at, but its field of view is slightly narrower, and its f/2 maximum aperture can't create bokeh that's quite as smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It barely adds any weight or bulk to your camera. The XF 35mm f/2 R WR weighs just 6 ounces (170 grams) and measures only 1.8 inches long. Looks are generally a secondary concern in assembling a kit, but this lens also pairs beautifully with Fujifilm's XT and X-Pro cameras.
It's bright and sharp enough. Although its maximum aperture isn't as bright as that of the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro, so it can't work as effectively in dim light, it can still produce lovely bokeh at f/2 and is sharp even wide open, except in the far corners. By f/5.6 or so, it's razor-sharp across the entire image.
Its rendering is more classic, less clinical. Whereas our Viltrox recommendation represents an impressive optical achievement, some people may find that images from this Fujifilm lens have a bit more of an old-school, film-era character—one that meshes well with Fujifilm's overall retro vibe.
It's notably well built. Like the Viltrox lens, this Fujifilm model is made from metal and provides a clicky aperture ring for a satisfyingly manual shooting experience, but you can of course switch it to the 'A' setting and use your camera's dials (or an automatic exposure mode) to set the aperture. At a typical price of around $400, it's still quite a good value, too.
A budget version is available, if you don't mind more plastic. If you want to pay even less for similar performance, Fujifilm also offers this lens in a budget-oriented XC version, which has a plastic rather than metal mount and lacks an aperture ring. Although the build quality isn't as nice, the image quality is the same, and the XC lens costs half as much.
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Fujifilm's kit lenses are a cut above the cheap commodity glass of generations past, but like most kit lenses, they're restricted by variable apertures that get dimmer the further you zoom in. This can make them difficult to use in dimmer environments, limiting their utility.
If you're yearning for better image quality from a versatile short zoom, Fujifilm and a range of third-party lens makers offer lenses that cover a similar field of view but with fast, constant maximum apertures and improved sharpness and distortion. Following are two recommendations: one cost-effective and small, with some shortcomings, and one nearly free of flaws but more expensive.
This lens covers a range of focal lengths similar to that of Fujifilm's kit lenses but has a bright, constant f/2.8 maximum aperture paired with a compact, lightweight design. It lacks optical image stabilization, though.
If you want a lens that covers ground similar to what your camera's kit zoom is capable of, but want improved image quality and better low-light capability, the Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is a great choice. It's small, lightweight, and a great performer. Just be aware that it lacks optical stabilization. The Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary can focus remarkably close (4.8 inches from the sensor), which makes it possible for you to produce smooth bokeh even at wide angle. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Despite its relatively narrow maximum aperture of f/2.8, it also renders smooth backgrounds at telephoto focal lengths, as shown here at 50mm (75mm equivalent). Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary's flexible zoom range (27–75mm equivalent) and compact, lightweight design make it a good everyday-carry option. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary renders natural colors that aren't far off from those of Fujifilm glass. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The wide zoom range allows you to carefully frame shots even from some distance away. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary can focus remarkably close (4.8 inches from the sensor), which makes it possible for you to produce smooth bokeh even at wide angle. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It's a strong optical performer. This lens is sharp from the get-go, regardless of the focal length you choose, and it only gets crisper as you stop down. It produces lovely background blur at f/2.8, and in a pinch it can even function as a solid portrait lens at its longer focal lengths.
It is not as sharp in the extreme corners as the Fujifilm XF 16–55mm f/2.8 II, which we recommend below, but most people will find it a nice step up from a kit lens. Its colors are also pleasing, if a touch cooler than those you'd get from the 16–55mm lens.
It's versatile. With its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture, it can gather more light than Fujifilm's kit lenses. That means you can use it in a wider range of scenarios, including indoors and in other low-light situations where a variable-aperture lens would struggle.
It can also focus down to 4.8 inches from your camera's sensor, which gives it near-macro magnification capability. However, in our tests, images that we shot extremely close up showed substantial aberrations (specifically color fringing) and reduced contrast near the minimum focus distance. Thankfully, those aberrations dropped away when we moved a couple of inches farther from the sensor.
It actually weighs less than Fujifilm's typical kit lens. Usually, a wide, constant maximum aperture means a lens will be big and heavy. The Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary bucks that trend. Compared with the Fujifilm XF 18–55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS kit lens, which weighs 10.9 ounces (308 grams) and measures about 2.8 inches long, this Sigma lens weighs 10.1 ounces (286 grams) and is just a hair longer at 2.9 inches.
It's protected against the elements but lacks optical image stabilization. Like Fujifilm's better kit lenses, this Sigma model is also equipped with weather sealing against dust and moisture. However, it lacks optical image stabilization, so it's best used with a camera that has in-body image stabilization (IBIS)—a group that includes most recent Fujifilm bodies.
If you use an X-M5, an X-Pro3, or an older camera such as the X-T30 or X-T2, you should consider paying more for a lens like the Tamron 17–70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD. It costs more and is bigger and heavier than the Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary, and it isn't as optically perfect as the Fujifilm XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II (discussed below), but it provides about as much sharpness as the Sigma model, offers more range, and features Tamron's Vibration Control (VC) optical stabilization. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
This lens costs more than twice as much as the Sigma model but covers more ground and outperforms it on nearly every metric. You probably don't need this lens, but you wouldn't regret buying it.
Despite being relatively small and lightweight, the Fujifilm XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II outperformed other fast, constant-aperture normal zooms in our testing in every respect—it's sharper, has better contrast, shows fewer aberrations, and renders truer colors. It also costs $1,200, in contrast to the Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary's usual price of $500, but that's the price you pay for optical supremacy. The Fujifilm XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II is sharper than the Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary, but it's also bigger, heavier, and much more expensive. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter However, with an equivalent range of 24–82.5mm, it can capture images at both wider and longer focal lengths, which can be very handy. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Fujifilm's lens coatings handle glare extremely well. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The 16-55mm f/2.8 II can deliver creamy bokeh throughout its zoom range. Here, it produced smooth blur at 55mm and f/2.8, even though I was a good distance from my subject. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Fujifilm XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II is sharper than the Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary, but it's also bigger, heavier, and much more expensive. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It's really sharp. No zoom is as sharp as a great prime lens, but unlike the other fast, constant-aperture zooms we tested in this category, the XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II is pleasingly sharp (if not perfectly so) all the way into the extreme corners of the image at most focal lengths. That's true even at f/2.8. It could be sharper toward the edge of the frame at 16mm, but in our tests it still bested what we saw from the Sigma and Tamron f/2.8 zooms we tried.
It renders pleasing, natural colors with plenty of contrast. Whereas the Sigma lens's images needed some touchup in Lightroom to look their best, this Fujifilm lens delivered more lifelike color and better contrast, making its straight-out-of-the-camera JPEGs more usable without tweaking.
It's virtually free of color fringing, haze, and other optical imperfections. When we shot with the Sigma lens near its minimum focus distance, it exhibited lots of cyan fringing around high-contrast subjects, as well as an overall reduction in contrast and some loss of sharpness.
This Fujifilm lens, however, retained all of its punchiness close up and showed zero fringing or other flaws in our tests. It also produced much better-defined sunstars and had fewer issues with flare than the Sigma lens did.
Note that its minimum focus distance is more than twice as long as that of the Sigma lens, at 11.8 inches from the sensor. However, in our tests it showed far fewer aberrations at that distance than the Sigma lens did at its maximum magnification.
It's lightweight and compact for a constant-aperture zoom. Although it's a little heavier and longer than the Sigma lens, this Fujifilm optic is still just 14.4 ounces (408 grams) and 3.7 inches long—plenty small enough to accompany you on an average day of shooting or even a longer vacation.
You can de-click its aperture ring for video recording. The XF 16–55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II is one of the first Fujifilm lenses we've seen to offer a switch for you to de-click the aperture ring. This is important for videography, because it allows for seamless changes of aperture while you're recording. It also prevents the audible clicks from aperture changes from being picked up on the audio track of a video clip.
An extra $700 still doesn't buy you optical image stabilization. Like the Sigma lens, this lens is fully weather-sealed but lacks built-in image stabilization, instead relying on in-body stabilization.

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A typical kit lens covers less range than many people want while they're on vacation or simply shooting a wider range of subjects close to home. If you'd prefer to carry just one lens but want it to cover everything from sweeping landscapes to distant wildlife, this category is for you.
Just bear in mind that the extra range doesn't come for free. These lenses are bigger and heavier than a kit lens, and they tend to have slightly dimmer maximum apertures. Still, the best of these lenses may surprise you with their consistently great image quality and wide-ranging utility.
This lens covers roughly double the range of our kit-lens upgrade picks and is just one stop slower, with a constant f/4 aperture. It's a beautiful performer, and videographers will love its power-zoom functionality.
Of all the wide-to-moderate-telephoto zooms we tried, the Fujifilm XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR provided the most consistently sharp, beautifully rendered images throughout its zoom range. We loved its constant f/4 aperture, which allowed us to capture some stunning low-light images when we paired it with Fujifilm's in-body image stabilization. Despite its f/4 maximum aperture, the Fujifilm XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR produces smooth bokeh at close focusing distances. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter This allows it to effectively isolate subjects against the background, and its resolving power is plenty for even Fujifilm's 40-megapixel cameras. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Like other Fujifilm lenses, the XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR renders neutral, pleasing colors with the default Provia JPEG profile. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The 27-180mm–equivalent focal range is capable of capturing a huge variety of subjects, making this an ideal travel lens. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR is sharp throughout its entire range, which is an impressive feat. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Despite its f/4 maximum aperture, the Fujifilm XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR produces smooth bokeh at close focusing distances. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It covers a lot of ground. With a full-frame-equivalent focal range of 27mm to 180mm, this lens covers architectural and landscape photography just as well as it does portraiture, sports, and wildlife.
Its Power Zoom feature is rare among Fujifilm lenses. The XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR is one of just a few Fujifilm lenses that use motors to control the zoom action, rather than a direct mechanical connection between the elements and your fingers. Stills photographers might find this approach a bit off-putting, at least at first, but videographers will love it.
This is a lens built for hybrid shooting. People who shoot a lot of video will appreciate the smooth, near-silent, adjustable-speed zooming. Videographers will also love this lens's stepless aperture control, which allows for more seamless transitions between bright and dark environments.
It's missing a signature XF lens feature. The downside to all this video-friendly design is that the XF 18–120mm f/4 LM PZ WR is one of the few Fujifilm XF lenses that lack an aperture ring, but we think that omission is a small price to pay for such a high-quality, versatile piece of glass.
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Whether you're trying to snap a shot of your child scoring a goal, capture some interesting architectural details, or spy on a bird in your backyard, a lens that reaches farther than the one that came with your camera is indispensable. A telephoto zoom gives you a closer view of far-flung subjects and also provides a flatter, more compressed look. This makes it easier to isolate your subject from the background.
This lens covers a versatile telephoto range. It's sharp, lightweight, and compact, and it has effective optical stabilization, too.
If you're looking for a lens that picks up where your kit lens leaves off and adds some reach to your lens arsenal, the Fujifilm XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS delivers the best bang for your buck. Even at the far end of the Fujifilm XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS's zoom range, you can still direct the viewer's gaze to a single flower in a garden with the f/4.8 maximum aperture. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter The lens's 0.18x magnification is modest when it's zoomed to 200mm (300mm equivalent), but it can still make a nice photo of an insect on a flower. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter At its widest setting of 55mm (83mm equivalent), the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS can still capture the chaos of Times Square in New York City. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter With the lens zoomed all the way in, we were able to capture this shot at 1/10 second thanks to the lens's optical image stabilization. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter Even at the far end of the Fujifilm XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS's zoom range, you can still direct the viewer's gaze to a single flower in a garden with the f/4.8 maximum aperture. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter
It's a great bargain and ideal for travel. The XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS's maximum aperture range lets in more light than those of similar zooms in this price range, and its built-in optical stabilization makes getting good shots in demanding lighting conditions easier. Its small size makes it easy to tuck into a camera bag, too. Although it isn't long enough for serious birding and capturing more elusive wildlife, it's a great place to start for people interested in telephoto photography.
It's sharp throughout the frame. You won't find many X-mount lenses that cover this range of focal lengths, but Fujifilm's XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS is sharper than the company's XC 50–230mm f/4.5–6.7, yet also capable of letting in more light. Plus, it's sharp at its maximum aperture in both the corners and the center, so you don't need to worry about losing detail at the edges.
Fujifilm also makes a slightly sharper lens, the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR, that covers a shorter range but is larger and heavier. Its constant f/2.8 aperture makes it a bit more versatile in various lighting conditions and gives it even better background blur. That lens is our upgrade pick for this category, but we think most people will be happy with the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS.
It's relatively small for a telephoto zoom. At 4.7 inches long when collapsed, this model is only an inch longer than our pick for kit-lens replacement, and its 1.3-pound (590-gram) weight doesn't add much heft to a bag. It's especially little compared with the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR, which measures 6.9 inches and weighs 2.2 pounds (998 grams).
It doesn't quite offer enough zoom for serious birding. This lens provides a full-frame-equivalent view of 82.5–300mm, which is probably enough if you're just snapping shots of the feathered visitors in your back yard. If you're more serious about photographing the avian cohabitants of this planet, you'll likely want to spend a little more for a lens like the Sigma 100–400mm f/5–6.3 DG DN OS (a full-frame-equivalent of 150–600mm) or the Tamron 150–500mm f/5–6.7 Di III VXD (225–750mm). Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
This lens is sharper than the Fujifilm XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS, is weather-sealed, and lets in more light at all focal lengths. But it doesn't have as much telephoto reach and costs a lot more.
If you're looking for a lens that offers better subject isolation and can handle low light (think indoors or evenings), and you don't mind a higher price and a slightly shorter range, the Fujifilm XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR offers a luxurious shooting experience.
It can capture super-sharp images, has a constant maximum aperture that can let in more light than the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS allows throughout its entire range, and has weather sealing, so you can use it in the rain when you pair it with a similarly rugged body. The Fujifilm XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR doesn't have the reach of our cheaper telephoto-zoom pick, but it still offers enough for backyard birding. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter This lens's f/2.8 maximum aperture allows for impressive bokeh at the longer end of the zoom range. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter At 50mm (75mm equivalent), the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR gathers a lot of the scene from the George Washington Bridge's north-walkway scenic overlook. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter With the lens zoomed in to 140mm (210mm equivalent), you can see the cyclist coming through the bridge's tower if you view this photo on a large-enough screen. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter Paired with the X-T50, the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR was able to capture this sharp shot with a shutter speed of just 1/3 second and the lens zoomed to 140mm, for a little over 7 stops of stabilization. Phil Ryan/NYT Wirecutter The Fujifilm XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR doesn't have the reach of our cheaper telephoto-zoom pick, but it still offers enough for backyard birding. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
Its wide aperture and optical stabilization make it a versatile tool. The constant f/2.8 aperture lets you isolate your subject from the background to the extent that this lens could replace a dedicated portrait lens if portraits aren't something you capture often. It also allows you to shoot more comfortably in low-light situations, such as for indoor sports.
Plus, this lens's stabilization is so effective that we were able to get pleasingly sharp images at 140mm (210mm equivalent) with a ⅓-second shutter speed.
Its 75-210mm–equivalent focal range is a bit shorter than that of the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS but comparable to that of professional sports zoom lenses designed for full-frame camera systems.
It zooms internally. Whereas the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS extends when you zoom, this lens stays the same 6.9 inches long whether you're at 50mm or 140mm. Its zoom action is delightfully smooth and even, as well.
If you use filters—especially a circular polarizer that you'll want to adjust after framing your shot—this lens's internal zooming makes it easier to operate by feel and adjust while you're looking through the finder. If you are a filter user, you can rest assured that the front of both of these lenses does not rotate when you zoom or focus them.
It's better-built, too. Instead of the plastic of the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS, the lens barrel of the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR is made of metal, which gives it a more premium look and feel. It also comes with a removable, rotatable foot for use on tripods.
This lens also has extensive weather sealing to protect its internals from moisture and dust. We're confident that the XF 55–200mm f/3.5–4.8 R LM OIS will stand up to plenty of use, but the XF 50–140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR feels like a lens you could keep for the rest of your life.

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A wide-angle zoom is an indispensable tool for people who shoot a lot of interiors and architecture. These lenses go from an ultra-wide perspective that stretches the edges and corners of the image to a narrower yet still wide field of view that's better for people photography.
Even at their widest, the best of these lenses provide a rectilinear field of view, avoiding fish-eye distortion. As a result, they also work quite well for landscape and street photography.
This lens covers a useful zoom range, encompassing ultrawide to near-normal perspectives. It's stabilized, weatherproof, and sharp throughout.
The Fujifilm XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR isn't the widest wide-angle zoom that Fujifilm offers, and it doesn't have the brightest maximum aperture, but it provides the best balance of image quality, portability, and price of any wide zoom you can get for X-mount. Its constant f/4 maximum aperture is plenty for landscapes and outdoor architecture, and its optical image stabilization helps out in more dimly lit indoor scenarios. The long end of the Fujifilm XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR's zoom range, at 36mm-equivalent, is great for everyday photography. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter But at 10mm (15mm equivalent), it's capable of capturing breathtakingly wide vistas. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR was able to capture the fine detail and scuffs in this sign. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Since it can focus quite close, the XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR can function as a portrait lens of sorts, if you're okay with a little distortion. Its bokeh is surprisingly smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter At 10mm, you can get quite close to your subject but still fit something as large as a concrete-mixer truck in the frame, creating interesting perspectives. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The long end of the Fujifilm XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR's zoom range, at 36mm-equivalent, is great for everyday photography. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It's sharper than most wide-angle zooms. The XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR is sharp from the get-go in the center and even at the edges—it's only the extreme corners where the image quality softens when it's slightly wide open. When you're stopping down to f/8 or f/11, the corners improve but are never tack-sharp.
This was true, at minimum, of every wide-angle zoom we tested, but the Fujifilm XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR was sharper across the frame than any third-party lens we tested in this category, including the Sigma 10–18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary, the Tamron 11–20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD, and the Tokina 11–18mm f/2.8 ATX-M.
We wish it had better sunstars. The one image-quality area in which we wanted more from this lens was its sunstars—the pointy celestial flare you get when the sun is in the frame and you're using medium-to-smaller apertures. The XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR is almost too well corrected, to the point where sunstars become really well defined only around f/22. Unfortunately, at that point, diffraction has already taken a big bite out of overall sharpness.
It's rugged and compact. The XF 10–24mm f/4 R OIS WR is weather-sealed, as a good landscape lens ought to be, and it's relatively compact considering the ground it covers and its constant aperture—it weighs about 13.6 ounces (386 grams) and measures roughly 3.4 inches long.
Like all XF lenses, it's made largely of metal, and like most Fujifilm lenses, it has a pleasantly tactile, well-marked aperture ring that meshes well with the bevy of other manual controls found on bodies like the X-T5 and X-Pro3.
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Despite their shortcomings—inconsistent sharpness, dim and variable apertures, and bulky designs—superzooms are perennially popular. It's easy to see why: These lenses let you take virtually any kind of shot without ever changing to a different optic. If you want a go-anywhere, do-everything piece of glass, look no further.
With a staggering zoom range, this lens is a great option if you simply never want to change lenses, or if you want a do-it-all lens for travel.
Superzooms never offer stellar image quality throughout their entire range—they're jacks of all trades but masters of none. But the Tamron 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD does a better job than most, despite its staggering 27-450mm–equivalent (16.6x) design. The Tamron 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD's effective focal range of 27–450mm is impressively versatile and a perfect match for the wide vistas and intricate details of Great Sand Dunes National Park. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter At longer focal lengths and smaller apertures, this superzoom lens can compress the foreground and background into a cohesive whole. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter At 450mm equivalent, this lens can pick out impressive details from a surprisingly long distance. Here, I was standing roughly a quarter mile from the couple atop the dune. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Despite its variable, narrow maximum aperture, the 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD can isolate subjects well. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Such a vast focal range opens up potential for unusual landscapes. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Tamron 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD's effective focal range of 27–450mm is impressively versatile and a perfect match for the wide vistas and intricate details of Great Sand Dunes National Park. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It's impressively versatile. On a trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado, this lens was the perfect choice, capturing both sweeping vistas of Arrakis-like landscapes and crisp telephoto shots of hikers atop the dunes.
It's quick to focus and has effective stabilization even at extreme telephoto. Its autofocus is fast and accurate regardless of focal length, and its image stabilization is remarkably effective. I captured crisp shots at 300mm while perched atop a dune in 30 mph wind.
Its weather sealing is iffy. The zoom action of the 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD is fairly smooth—though if you take it to the dunes, as I did, you'll find that its advertised weather sealing is less effective than you might want. When I got back home, a few grains of sand were visible inside the glass elements, and zooming felt a little, well, gritty.
It's a heck of a bargain. Still, at its usual $700 asking price, the 18–300mm f/3.5–6.3 Di III-A VC VXD is an incredible value. Few lenses can deliver image quality this consistent through such a huge variety of perspectives. And unlike many superzooms, this one is relatively lightweight and compact, at 1.37 pounds (621 grams) and 5 inches long.

Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
If you spend a lot of your time taking photos of people and pets, a dedicated portrait prime lens—typically with an effective focal length between 70mm and 105mm—offers the best way to capture them. Thanks to their wide maximum apertures, these lenses can make your subject pop out of the smoothly blurred background, and their compressed perspective doesn't distort human faces the way wider lenses can.
This lens is big and heavy, but it's also impressively sharp and capable of rendering gorgeous background blur.
If you want the sharpest, most bokehlicious portrait lens available for X-mount, and if you don't mind that it's big, heavy, and slightly flare-prone, get the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro. There's simply no other lens that delivers a similar value in this category. The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro produces a painterly bokeh when the background is relatively close. Its razor-thin focus plane wide open can be both a blessing and a curse, though. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter When the background is farther away, the bokeh becomes buttery smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Even at f/1.2, this lens produces remarkable sharpness across the entire image frame. And now I want a beer. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Stopping down just a little unleashes the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro's true resolving power (this shot is at f/5.6, where resolution peaks) and also gives you more in-focus area. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter This lens's most glaring flaw is its tendency to flare when the front element is facing the sun. The included hood helps but doesn't completely eradicate the effect. But you can also use this flaw to artistic effect. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro produces a painterly bokeh when the background is relatively close. Its razor-thin focus plane wide open can be both a blessing and a curse, though. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
Did we mention that it's sharp? Like, really sharp. In our field tests, this lens was perfectly sharp wide open at f/1.2 in the center of the image—even on our 40-megapixel X-H2 test camera. Corners were good wide open, if not quite as sharp as the center, but they crisped up nicely at f/5.6 and above.
Its bokeh is world-class. When we were shooting at wide apertures, background elements simply dissolved into a pleasingly smooth blur. And unlike many ultra-bright primes, this one doesn't have any issues with longitudinal chromatic aberration—the colored fringing you can sometimes see in front of and behind the focus plane on high-contrast elements of an image.
It's extremely well built. Like most of Viltrox's lenses, this model is made primarily of metal. It features a clicky aperture ring with an automatic ('A') option, and it has a switch for you to quickly change between autofocus and manual-focus shooting. It's also weather-sealed, with a gasket at the lens mount and several more inside, and it comes with a deep plastic lens hood. The trade-off is that it's big and heavy, at around 1.5 pounds (680 grams) and 4 inches long (without the hood).
Its focal length is on the long end for a portrait lens. The classic portrait-lens focal length is about 85mm. This lens has a full-frame-equivalent field of view of 112.5mm, but there's no law that says you have to use an 85mm lens to take portraits—other focal lengths, like 105mm and 135mm, have also been popular choices throughout the years.
You just need to stand a little farther back from your subject, especially since this lens's minimum focus distance is a hefty 2.9 feet. But that's still close enough to fill your frame with a person's face, for instance.
It's somewhat flare-prone. Although most modern lenses control flare extremely well, the 75mm f/1.2 Pro is a bit of an outlier. When the sun is anywhere near the frame, you may encounter rainbow-style flare. The included hood reduces but doesn't completely eliminate this issue. Some people may find it artistic; others, obtrusive. Just know that it's part of the bargain.
Speaking of bargains, it's pretty affordable. Like the similarly fantastic Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro, the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro costs $580 at this writing. Compared with similarly exotic portrait glass from Fujifilm—such as the XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR at $1,500 or the XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR at $1,000—it's positively cheap. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
With a shorter focal length and a slightly smaller maximum aperture than our Viltrox pick offers, this lens can't create bokeh that's quite as dramatic. But it's smaller, lighter, and still a fantastic performer.
The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a pick in our guide to Nikon Z-mount lenses, and it repeats that feat here thanks to its Goldilocks combination of compact design, accurate autofocus, solid sharpness, and beautiful bokeh. It's an especially great choice if you want a solid portrait lens but don't need the clinical sharpness and ultra-bright aperture (plus the attendant size and weight) of the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro. The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, at 84mm, has a shorter effective focal length than the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro, but that puts it in the range of classic portrait lenses. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Its f/1.4 maximum aperture isn't as wide as the Viltrox lens's f/1.2, but it's still plenty to isolate a subject, even from several feet away. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter This Sigma lens renders slightly cooler colors than most of Fujifilm's own lenses, but you can adjust this effect in editing or via Fujifilm's custom JPEG recipes. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter While 56mm is typically used as a portrait focal length, it's useful for other kinds of shots, as well. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, at 84mm, has a shorter effective focal length than the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro, but that puts it in the range of classic portrait lenses. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It's a great portrait prime lens for travel. The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary weighs just 0.62 pound and measures a mere 2.4 inches long (not including the fairly deep lens hood). It's less than half as heavy and 40% shorter than the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro. Its compact design makes it easier to carry over a long outing.
Its focal length is ideal for portraits. While the Viltrox lens has a tighter field of view than the average portrait lens, this Sigma lens's 84mm full-frame-equivalent focal length is right in the ballpark of classic 85mm portrait glass. This focal length flatters human faces and helps to isolate the subject from the background.
It's not as sharp as the Viltrox lens, especially wide open, but it's sharp enough. At f/1.4, this Sigma lens produces images that are sharp in the center, if slightly low-contrast. Corners take a few stops to both brighten and sharpen, but by f/4, the lens produces images that are bitingly sharp and contrasty across the frame.
The bokeh looks gorgeous. While backgrounds aren't quite as blown out as what you can get with the longer, brighter Viltrox lens, the bokeh you can get from this Sigma model and its nine rounded aperture blades is exceptionally smooth and pleasing to the eye. It's also more flare-resistant than our Viltrox portrait-lens pick.
It's not all-metal, but it's still ruggedly designed. The 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is made of a combination of metal and a plastic composite material, with a wide, rubberized zoom ring. It's weather-sealed like our Viltrox pick, as well. Because of its smaller size and lower weight, it balances better on Fujifilm's smaller cameras.
Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter
Most people don't need a macro lens, but if you love photographing things the human eye can't see without help—think minuscule insects, the littlest parts of plants and fungi, or the facets of coins and gems—you should consider investing in one. True macro lenses represent subjects at 1:1 magnification, so the subjects appear life-size on your camera's sensor, which is something no other kind of lens can do.
This lens is spectacularly sharp and can focus down to life-size magnification, making it a perfect choice for macro photographers who want to capture truly tiny details.
The Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is a professional-grade macro lens featuring 1:1 magnification, optical image stabilization, a focus range limiter, weather sealing, and a fast linear focusing motor. It delivers exceedingly high-resolution images, even when you're very close to your subject, and its bokeh is ridiculously smooth. In short, it's everything you could need or want from this kind of lens. The Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro can focus very close, as you might expect, and its bokeh is pleasingly smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter This lens is capable of resolving exceptionally small details, such as the hairs on this tomato-plant stem… Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter ...or the skin cells on my dog's nose. Boop! Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter When working at close distances with a macro lens, you have to stop down the aperture to keep larger objects in focus. This shot, for instance, was taken at f/8. The lens's optical image stabilization makes a huge difference in these scenarios, allowing for slow shutter speeds and low ISO settings. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter With certain backgrounds, at certain distances, the bokeh can get a bit swirly. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter The Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro can focus very close, as you might expect, and its bokeh is pleasingly smooth. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
It can resolve the tiniest details. That's a prerequisite for any macro lens, but the XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is one of the highest-performing macro lenses we've tested, and it was a more-than-strong-enough match for our test camera's 40-megapixel APS-C sensor.
Since this model is a 1:1 macro lens with a 120mm-equivalent field of view, it allows you to get extremely close to your subject. That's great for capturing otherwise hard-to-get details, but it can make photos more susceptible to blur if the subject moves, or if your camera does. Luckily, this lens is equipped with optical image stabilization to combat the latter. For the former, consider using a good tripod.
It produces gorgeous bokeh. Beautiful, smooth background blur is a product of several factors, including but not limited to focal length, minimum focus distance, aperture, aperture-blade count and curvature, and the lens's overall optical design.
The XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro hits all the right notes, with a long focal length that compresses the image and highlights the subject, plus a f/2.8 maximum aperture and nine rounded aperture blades. As a result, backgrounds turn out creamy-smooth when you're shooting portraits at f/2.8, and they stay pleasing when you're shooting macro photos at smaller apertures, since you're so close to your subject.
It focuses fast (for a macro lens) and has a range limiter. Macro lenses tend to focus more slowly than most lenses, especially when transitioning from macro distance to focusing on more traditional subjects, but the XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is a relatively zippy performer in this regard. It also features a zoom limiter switch, which can ensure that the lens doesn't try to rack through its entire focus range when you're working at close distances—a frustrating, frequent occurrence on macro lenses without this kind of switch.
It lacks focus and depth-of-field scales. This is typical for Fujifilm lenses—since they use focus-by-wire rather than a direct linkage between the focus ring and the glass elements—but it's a bummer for people who prefer the precision of manual focus for microscopic subjects.
If you really need a more tactile manual-focusing experience with proper focus and depth-of-field scales, check out new third-party macro options such as the Venus Optics Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x macro lens or vintage legends like the Tokina 'Bokina' 90mm f/2.5 macro, which can be found used in decent shape and can fit on Fujifilm X-mount cameras with a simple, cheap adapter.
It's big and heavy, and it makes clunking sounds. The downside to optical excellence, as ever, is size and weight. The XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro tips the scales at 1.65 pounds (748 grams) and measures 5.1 inches long, so you'll need some space in your bag if you take it out in the field.
It also makes a worrying clunking sound when you carry it around with your camera turned off, but fret not—the sound is simply due to the floating-element design of the optical image stabilization system.

I'm a supervising editor at Wirecutter covering cameras, home-office gear, hobbies, and powering. I've been writing about camera gear for more than a decade, for Wirecutter and a range of other tech outlets including Reviewed, Digital Camera Info, and Pentax Forums.
I'm also an avid hobbyist photographer, and I've even been paid for my work on occasion. Throughout my three decades of photography, I've dipped my toes into various digital camera systems, including Pentax K- and Q-mount, Nikon F- and Z-mount, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, and Micro Four Thirds.
For this guide: I spent more than 20 hours researching 50 X-mount lenses, and I eventually tested more than 30 of them over the course of nine months with both my own Fujifilm X-T5 and a loaner Fujifilm X-H2.
I carried these lenses with me on work trips to New York City, to the windswept terrain of Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, to the streets and parks of Los Angeles, and to the convention halls of the Great American Beer Fest.
In addition to my own real-world testing, I read dozens of forum threads and watched endless YouTube comparisons of Fujifilm lenses to ensure that I didn't miss ergonomic or image-quality issues that might trip others up.
Wirecutter senior staff writer and avid birder Phil Ryan contributed testing of telephoto lenses for this guide and wrote the telephoto-zoom section.
Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I'm never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.
In accordance with Wirecutter standards, I return or donate all products I've tested once my assessment of them is complete, which may involve longer-term testing by my colleagues and me. I never hang on to 'freebies' once testing is done.
Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter
Fujifilm has been wise to open its X-mount specification to a wide array of third-party lens-makers, from established names like Sigma and Tamron to newer, more budget-oriented brands such as TTArtisan and Viltrox.
To ensure that we would test the most promising candidates from all makers and brands, we established a few criteria: a list price under $1,500, autofocus capability, and solid support (which ruled out some of the less-established third parties).
Over the course of nine months, we systematically tested nearly every X-mount lens that met our criteria, including both first-party glass and third-party options. We didn't shoot charts in the lab—you can find those kinds of tests at specialist websites and from dedicated YouTube reviewers who dive deep into corner sharpness, coma, and other technical details. Instead, we shot with the lenses in the real world, evaluating both overall image quality and other, fuzzier metrics such as handling, durability, and ease of use.
You probably already have a 'kit' lens that came bundled with your camera—something like the Fujifilm XC 15–45mm f/3.5–5.6 OIS PZ, XF 16–50mm f/2.8–4.8 R LM WR, or XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4 R LM OIS. Our goal with this guide is to provide recommendations for lenses that outdo those general-purpose zooms by providing additional focal lengths, wider apertures, or other useful capabilities, such as macro.
This article was edited by Phil Ryan and Erica Ogg.