I’m not going to write a full-fledged, all-in review of the brand new 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro lens. It’s not that this superb lens doesn’t deserve one. It does! However, Jonas Rask (check out the October issue of the FujiLove Magazine) and others have already done a marvellous job of writing about this glass and I don’t think I can add much to it.
Having said that, as per multiple requests, I will share a lot of imagery taken with this lens in the next few weeks so you can judge for yourself and decide if this lens fits your needs. In general, I am not a telephoto person. My seeing feels most comfortable at 14mm, 23mm and 56mm focal lengths (21, 35 and 85 in FF terms).
I do love challenges, however, which often lead me to visual risk-taking. When I attached this new lens to the X-T2 I was heading out and shooting with this lens exclusively. There was no looking in my bag for another lens, no distractions of “the other possibilities.” My seeing was forced to search for new visuals.
Here are my first thoughts:
- It is quite a large lens. It feels uncomfortable on the X-E3 or even X-T2. I prefer an optional battery grip for the X-T2 while shooting with this lens. With the grip, it feels much more stable and comfortable.
- The build is top notch as is the case with all Fujinon XF lenses.
- It is a weather-resistant (WR) lens – perfect for our Project R-A-I-N. I have been shooting with multiple WR lenses and cameras in pouring rain and have never experienced any issue.
- The OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) works flawlessly. For someone who shoots mostly from the hand and at this focal length, the stabilization is a life-saver.
- The autofocus is quick – no problem there (hey, this is coming from a very slow photographer).
- It’s a super sharp glass – so sharp that I had to scale back my usual sharpening settings. Some even say that it could be too sharp for portraiture work. I don’t know yet. I need more time to find out.
- The micro-contrast is stunning and appears to be one notch better than other XF lenses.
- The bokeh is beautiful but not as creamy as the XF 90mm lens (very early thought – I may flip on this one later on).
Okay, enough of this wittering. Let’s focus on imagery – all taken with the X-T2 and the XF 80mm F2.8 WR OIS lens.
2017 © Olafphoto. All rights reserved.
do you know if you can increase the magnification to say 2:1 with extension tubes?
Hi Olaf. Love your work. Would you consider this lense to be a good one to photograph my old dog? Hoping to get some variety shots both macro and portrait before he passes away.
Bill,
I am sorry to hear about your dog. My wife and I are huge dog lovers and we cannot imagine life without our friend Bailey. Yes, the 80mm lens is a great tool to photograph your dog, especially if you are after macro shots.
Wish you all the best,
Olaf
Olaf,
Beautiful shots! You are indeed a Master! 🙂 I received my 80mm today and am photographing everything on my desk. It is a quick & sharp focusing lens. As previous comments indicate, you have to set the focussing range settings within the appropriate range of the subject to get maximum performance from this lens.
Shane,
Thank you so much for your kind note. Congratulations on your new lens!
Looking forward to your future feedback!
Cheers,
Olaf
What a fantastic selection of images in this post! I’m inspired to go shoot in the rain. And thank you for adjudicating at APAC last night. Your passion is infectious, and your comments were very helpful and insightful. Thank you, Olaf!
It was a pleasure meeting everyone at APAC. Lots of great imagery last night (it was not easy to pick the winner!!! I really appreciate your kind comment about my imagery and looking forward to your future feedback. All the best.
Olaf
I’m not sure about this lens. Since I’ve had it I’ve had mixed feelings. Not so fast in low light and front heavy. I also don’t like the clunking after you switch the lens off. It uses a form of magnetic system. I can’t deny the image quality though but one has to work hard to achieve it.
Great photos Olaf.
Richard,
The clunking is quite annoying – I have to admit. Thank you so much for your kind words.
All the best,
Olaf
I picked mine up last Friday. Gave it a whirl today. Indeed very, very sharp. Found the AF didn’t like close focusing with the range set to full but it was super fast with range restricted to 0.25-50m. I’ve tried it on my old X-T1 and the X-T2. beautifully balanced. The DoF is incredibly shallow for nature photography. I would have liked a tripod collar but accept it is mainly for those who handhold. But macro shooters often stack. Its a super lens on sale in HK for just under HK$9k.
Andrew,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
All the best,
Olaf
Wow Olaf! Love the color imagery. All of them. Is that for the 80? Or just maybe shooting conditions, casualty…?
On the other hand, you know at BCN is difficult to shoot people. What do you think about the 90f2 for street, for discrete shooting? I’ve been lately considering that.
Thanks in advance and best regards
Robert,
Thanks for your kind words. I would prefer the XF 56mm.
Cheers,
Olaf