Fujifilm Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR Officially Announced

We have already had a hands-on look at a prototype version of this lens, but now Fujifilm has announced official details on the XF 8-16mm f/2.8, including the price and release date, which is expected to be November 2018. The lens is equivalent to 12-24mm in 35mm equivalent terms. The lens is weather sealed, and uses 20 elements in 13 groups, with four aspherical elements, six ED elements, and three super ED elements. TheXF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens will be priced at £1799.

From Fujifilm: Announcing the FUJINON XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR Lens - An ultra-wide angle zoom with a constant maximum aperture of F2.8 that uses cutting-edge technology to achieve outstanding edge-to-edge image sharpness

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) has announced that it will release the FUJINON XF8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR lens in late November 2018. This new XF lens is designed for use with the X Series range of digital cameras. The XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR is a fast ultra-wide angle zoom lens that has a constant maximum aperture of F2.8 and is equivalent to 12-24mm in the 35mm format. It complements the other constant F2.8 zoom lenses (XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR and XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR) to create a premium trio of lenses that covers the focal lengths equivalent from 12mm all the way to 213mm in the 35mm format. The lens’ outstanding edge-to-edge image-resolving performance and F2.8 maximum aperture makes this product a perfect choice for landscape and architecture photography with an emphasized sense of perspective, interior photography at restaurants and hotels, as well as nightscape and astrophotography.

The FUJINON XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR lens is able to utilize the full capability of FUJIFILM’s X-TransTM CMOS Sensor to achieve superb sharpness even when the aperture is wide open. It faithfully captures the atmosphere of each scene, thanks to the outstanding image-resolving performance and fast f-stop. The lens barrel is lightweight yet robust while also being resistant to dust, moisture and low temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius, making it extremely reliable for professional photographers.

With a total lineup of 31 lenses including the simultaneously announced XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR and XF1.4X F2 TC WR, FUJINON XF lenses cover an impressive array of focal lengths, enabling shooting opportunities from far away to close-up.

Main Features

(1) Ultra-wide angle zoom with a constant maximum aperture of F2.8

In order to provide an ultra-wide angle zoom of 8-16mm (equivalent to 12-24mm in 35mm format) at a constant maximum aperture of F2.8, this lens uses an impressive 20 elements in 13 groups. This includes four aspherical lens elements to control distortion and spherical aberration, and six ED lens elements including three super ED elements to control lateral chromatic aberration. This design results in advanced image-resolving performance across the zoom range while maintaining a constant maximum aperture of F2.8.

(2) Field curvature correction mechanism

In order to correct field curvature, typically found with ultra-wide angle lenses, this lens features a correction element which adjusts according to the position of the zoom in order to achieve edge-to-edge sharpness.

(3) Double Nano-GI coating

The rear surface of the two front lens elements is treated with Nano-GI coating to eliminate ghosting and flare, caused by oblique light, creating clear images.

(4) Silent and fast autofocus

The lens uses linear motors for autofocus to achieve quiet and ultra-fast AF.

(5) Advanced construction that withstands various shooting conditions

The barrel is sealed at 11 places to make the lens resistant to dust, moisture, and low temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius. The front lens element is coated with fluorine to repel water and dirt, adding extra durability so that the lens can be used outdoors with peace of mind.

(6) Accessories

Ultra-wide angle lenses have large front element protrusion and cannot be fitted with a regular lens cap. The FLCP-8-16 front lens cap is specifically designed for this lens and will be released on the market at the same time as the lens.