Fujifilm presented their three new mirrorless interchangeable lenses at CP+ 2021. In a video (with English subtitles) Fujifilm execs (Mr. Soga of Product Planning and Mr. Takeshita of Development) talked at length about the XF27mmF2.8 R WR, XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR and the GF80mmF1.7 R WR, and the reasons why they came out with these lenses as well as the design decisions behind each lens.
Highlights:
1:02 The original Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 (40mm equivalent) used to be the only XF lens that did not have an aperture ring. This is now fixed on the new Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 R WR lens, so only the cheaper XC lenses will have no aperture ring. The new lens is also weather resistant (and hence the WR label), i.e. dust-proof and splash-proof, while keeping about the same compact dimensions. There is also a lock switch on the A position, so it cannot be inadvertently moved to the f/16 position. Released at the same time as the X-E4, this camera-lens pairing makes for a very compact combo.
Fujifilm X-E4 with XF27mmF2.8 R WR
6:28 With the Fujinon XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR (107-457mm equivalent), Fujifilm wanted something really compact and light to meet the increasing demands of users who want smaller and lighter telephoto lenses that they can carry with them all the time. Using the 55-200mm lens as a starting point, and trying to keep everything within the same dimensions was a real long struggle. Eventually they had to restart the design from scratch, relying on every department involved to miniaturize whatever was possible until they achieved a weight the same as, and a length that was “one finger” (about 14 mm) longer than, the 55-200mm.
The XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR can focus as close as 83 cm, giving a maximum magnification of 0.33x, and filling the screen with an area smaller than a credit card.
Fujifilm X-T4 with XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR
A 1.4X Teleconverter extends the tele reach to 420mm (640mm equivalent), and the 2x Teleconverter further extends the tele reach to 600mm (914mm equivalent). (Of course, there will also be a corresponding 1 stop and 2 stops aperture decrease, respectively.) This makes the XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR with its 5.5 stops OIS a convenient, compact and light macro to supertelephoto lens that can be carried everywhere and shot handheld.
The XF 16-80mmF4 R OIS WR (24-122mm equivalent) paired with the XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR (107-457mm equivalent) would make a good travel combo with an equivalent focal length covering a wide-angle 24mm to long tele 457mm (and longer when used with a teleconverter).
15:18 The Fujinon GF80mmF1.7 R WR is for Fujifilm’s medium format mirrorless cameras and targets professional portrait photographers. Whereas the existing the GF110mmF2 R LM WR (87mm equivalent) is great for shooting indoors in photo studios, the GF80mmF1.7 R WR targets portrait photographers who shoots outdoors where the quality of the bokeh is important. It provides a standard angle of view (63mm equivalent) and was designed to give the most smooth and beautiful bokeh possible (as beautiful as that obtained from the XF50mmF1.0 R WR).
Fujifilm GFX100S with GF80mmF1.7 R WR
21:37 Fujifilm’s idea of a good bokeh is that you don’t notice it but it supports the main subject.
