Fujifilm fujinon xf 18-55mm review năm 2024

The Fujifilm Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS is one of the most versatile and affordable lenses in the Fuji X lineup. Like other Fuji X lenses, its construction is stellar, with plenty of metal and a nice, solid, reassuring feel. Unlike its larger brother, the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8, it only weighs in at 309g, making it a great option for a variety of shooting situations. It's light enough for day-to-day use and at f/4 at the long end, it's fast enough to use for events, where you'll most likely be using flash or strobes anyway. It has inbuilt OIS, which the more expensive 16-55mm f/2.8 lacks, making it a good choice for low light. I'll touch on this topic later.

For an overview of the Fujifilm X system, see my Fujifilm X System Guide. For other reviews of Fujifilm X System gear, click here to see my complete list of Fujifilm gear reviews.

Optically, this Fujinon lens is excellent, as most of Fuji's lenses are. Unlike Canon or Nikon which makes lenses for all different budgets from el-cheapo kit lenses to fully professional workhorses, all of Fuji's lenses are produced to a very high standard. This is why this lens costs around four times as much as an 18-55mm kit lens from Canon or Nikon, it's in the quality of the lens. Whilst the Canon and Nikon 18-55mm kit zooms are usually an f/3.5 - 5.6, this Fuji is a stop faster at the long end, with an aperture of f/2.8 - 4. This is significant in low light, allowing you to shoot at half the ISO, meaning less noisy images.

I've used the kit lenses from both Canon and Nikon, this Fuji is by far the best kit lens I have ever used. But that's not a fair comparison, given this Fuji's much higher cost. Whilst this is a highly regarded lens, it's taken a backseat since the arrival of the 16-55mm f/2.8. I'll draw a comparison between the two later, including why I chose this lens over the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens.

This is a very versatile lens. Whilst I prefer prime lenses for walking around, this is a great lens to take on a day out, you get a very decent focal range from 18mm, which is around 28mm in full-frame 35mm parlance, to 55mm (equivalent to around 85mm). This gives a very similar field of view to the common 24-70mm zoom that we've all used when we shot DSLRs.

Personally, this is my go-to lens when shooting events. Whilst the 10-24mm f/4 OIS might be preferred for extremely close quarters, such as the dance floor, the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS is a great choice for more general shooting, with the 18mm end being very useful for group shots and the 55mm end being just long enough for a portrait. In that regard, it's very useful. The f/2.8-4 aperture isn't a big deal, as I always use flash at events, whether that be on-camera or off-camera.

Whilst I appreciate the f/2.8 aperture at the short end, because I prefer to manually control my flash exposure, I almost always use this as an f/4 lens, from the short to long end. It's important to remember, however, that since the Fuji sensor is APS-C rather than 35mm full frame, an f/4 aperture will have an equivalent depth of field as an f/6 aperture on full frame, more than enough depth for group shots.

The Fuji 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS is a very highly recommended lens. I'm a very big proponent of value, I like this lens because it represents the value equation extremely well. It's affordable, yet not so cheap that it makes quality sacrifices. The optical performance is very good. The OIS is certainly handy and its small size is very pleasing and convenient. Its closest competitor, the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8, is a better lens, but the Fuji 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS is around 75% as good at 30% the price, an unbeatable value proposition.

Specifications

What's in the Box

I got the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS as part of a kit with my Fuji X-T1, so I'm not sure what it would come with when bought individually, but I would expect that it would expect the usual, including:

• Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS lens itself
• Petal-style lens hood
• Front and rear caps
• Lens wrapping cloth and documentation (did not come with kit)

The lens wrapping cloth is an oversized carrying bag that is useful to throw the lens in when packing it in a bag so it doesn't get scratched. It provides no meaningful protection against knocks or drops. I'm starting to begin to believe the only reason Fuji includes these are because they cost (literally) < $1 to make.

Samples

I've used this lens plenty of times now, but funnily enough, I don't have that many samples to show you. I guess that reflects what this lens really is for me, I don't use it a whole lot for fun. When shooting for leisure, I prefer prime lenses, I feel that primes allow me to focus on composition and getting the image right rather than trying to 'zoom to frame'. Prime lenses don't allow you to be lazy. They force you to think on your feet, to move around, to find the best vantage point. I could go on about this, but what it comes down to, for me, is simplicity, zooms are complicated.

That said, I'll let the samples speak for themselves. The rendition is great. Sharpness is absolutely excellent. The Fuji X-Trans sensor helps here, the lack of anti-aliasing filter makes it extremely sharp and punchy. This lens has the excellent Fuji colours, which are great for people. Out of focus areas are rendered very well, without heaps of distractions. Of course, being only f/4 at the long end, we wouldn't expect this to be a bokeh king, but let's be real, if you're after one, get the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 instead.

I just thought I'd take a little time out to address a common trend I've noticed shooting Fuji. I noticed this picture of myself (above) whilst going through one of the events I shot. Ever since shooting Fuji, I've realised that people love to try them out. Unlike gargantuan DSLRs that are everywhere, Fuji cameras are small and interesting. Everyone has a DSLR, everyone who doesn't own one probably knows a handful of people who owns one, they're boring. Fuji cameras are cute (and dare I say a little hipster), people love taking them off me and trying them out, especially the smaller ones, e.g. X-E2 or X100s.

That picture of me (above) was taken with a Fuji X-E2 and 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS. In my hands is a Fuji X-T1 with a 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS. That's my go-to combination when shooting events. It replicates the traditional 24-70mm and 70-200mm combo we're used to back when we shot DSLRs.

Compared to Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8

I'll preface this by saying if you need the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8, you know who you are. If you're asking this question, you're better off with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS for a third of the cost. They're both excellent lenses, but it's undeniable that the 18-55mm wins the value equation.

For me, a lens' value depends on several things - optical performance, construction, price, ease of use, handling...etc. The 18-55mm excels at all of these measures. In many ways, you sacrifice less going with the 18-55mm. This might sound odd, but the 18-55mm gives you more. The 16-55mm f/2.8 is a lens with plenty of sacrifices - it's expensive, it's huge, it lacks OIS, but it makes up for that in pure, raw image quality.

If you need that extra bit of IQ, you know who you are. But most people don't. I can't tell the difference at normal viewing sizes. That's why I got the 18-55mm, it's a third the price, half the weight and it's almost as good. That makes it stellar value. Like always, if you must have the very best, sure, by all means get the 16-55mm, you'll be very happy with it. But, also, you always tend to pay disproportionately more for having the very best rather than something that comes close.

In my mind, there are several other ways that make much more sense than getting the 16-55mm f/2.8.

• If you shoot portraits and love bokeh, get the 56mm f/1.2 and 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS for the same price as the 16-55mm f/2.8.
• If you shoot a lot of landscapes, get the 10-24mm f/4 OIS and 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS for the same price as the 16-55mm f/2.8.
• If you shoot weddings and don't have a second body, get an X-T1 and 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS for the same price as the 16-55mm f/2.8.
• If you shoot a lot of street photography or do a lot of low light, get the 35mm f/1.4, 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS and 18mm f/2 for the same price.

That's what it comes down to, there's a lot of ways you can spend the amount you'd spend on the 16-55mm f/2.8. If you'd prefer to have just one package, then the 16-55mm f/2.8 is for you, but personally, I think all four of those options above make more sense, unless I just really need the best or if money, weight and size are of no concern.

This, of course, is just my personal opinion. I'm pretty vocal about not particularly being a fan of mid-range zooms. I prefer to have a slower mid-range zoom, such as this 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS to use when I'm shooting with strobes and then use fast primes for when I want great bokeh or better low-light performance. The 35mm f/1.4 will smoke the 16-55mm f/2.8 in low light situations, being 2 stops faster, allowing in 4 times the amount of light. Most people who need mid-range zooms are event or wedding photographers.

Effectiveness of OIS

I left this until after the comparison between this lens and the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8 to really highlight why I feel Fujifilm made a mistake in not including OIS in the larger 16-55mm f/2.8 zoom. Comparing the shots I was able to get with and without OIS, at 55mm, I was able to hand-hold consistently down to around 1/4s with OIS and only around 1/15s without.

This means that the effectiveness of OIS is around 2 stops, though, realistically, I believe it closer to around 3 stops. This isn't a scientific test, but I think the results are apparent that OIS has quite a significant impact. Even though the 16-55mm f/2.8 is a stop faster at the long end, OIS still makes the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS superior for static subjects. This is something to keep in mind when choosing between the two lenses.

Is XF 18

It is a very versatile lens and should not be dismissed as an everyday kit lens, as it captures clean, sharp images with excellent color reproduction across the entire focal range. If you are a Fuji shooter, you already know the quality optics that they produce throughout the range.

What is the Fujifilm XF 18

The XF18-55mmF2. 8-4 R LM OIS has an equivalent focal length of 27-84mm and also features a 58mm filter thread, which means that additional filters such as polarisers are more affordable than they would be for lenses with larger front elements.

When did the Fujifilm XF 18

The XF 18-55 f/2.8-4 R LM OIS, released in September 2012, has often been bundled with various X Series cameras and I think many Fujifilm shooters ended up with the XF 18-55mm this way. They perhaps did not expect much from their kit lens, as kit lenses often have a poor reputation. Or so it used to be.

Is the Fuji 18

In terms of image quality, the XF 18-55mm lens generally delivers satisfactory results. It produces sharp images with good detail and pleasing colors. While it may not offer the same level of optical performance as higher-end prime or professional zoom lenses, it still performs admirably for its price point.