Which Fujifilm lenses suck?

Here is the tier list if you want to give it a go👇

I'll be sharing my firsthand experience and rankings of all the Fujifilm native lenses I've had the pleasure of testing. From wide-angle wonders to powerful prime lenses, join me as I break down the pros and cons of each and reveal which lenses have earned a spot at the top of my list. Whether you're a photography enthusiast or a Fujifilm user, my lens rankings can help you make informed decisions when building your lens collection. I share honest opinions, practical insights, and showcase sample footage to assist you in finding the perfect lenses for your creative endeavors.

Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts on Fujifilm lenses in the comments below. Don't forget to subscribe for more in-depth reviews and photography tips.

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[Iamtongue]

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Thank you!

[malfunkt]

My small list (including a couple non-Fuji lenses for reference):
XF16mm F2.8 (didn't like the edge rendering)
XC55-230mm (can be found cheap, very light, decent IQ, slow performance)
XF18-55mm (a fine lens, just not that exciting in terms of FL, aperture)
16-80 (great color, nice range, not the best aperture, great OIS)
Tamron 18-300 (incredibly useful FL, my preferred zoom even though it has IQ compromises.)
XF35 1.4 (great IQ, but a bit sluggish)
XF60 F2.4 (this is a sleeper lens, great IQ for portraits, different bokeh, macro as well, light, a bit slow, has some of that 35 1.4 lens magic as its part of the older lens methodology)
XF70-300mm (though I've sold it, I can attest to its fast performance, excellent OIS, and high IQ)
XF35 F2 (I know, I actually prefer it over the 1.4, the feel and overall snappier performance just works for me. This is an everyday carry as it is so small)
XF 16 1.4 (yeah, this is still a classic, you can be so creative with the close focus, have had this lens repaired and its not going anywhere. A favourite FL)
Samyang / Rokinon 135mm F2 (a manual workhorse of a lens. It is partly the FL that can allow for such a sharp and perfect render, but even still this lens is stellar. Used by many for astro, this is also one of the best portrait lenses out there for APS-C. more modern full-frame versions exist now with AF. IQ exceeds all of the Fuji lenses in the list)

[Iamtongue]

So I’ve tried 21 fujifilm native lenses so far and that’s not even counting the third party lenses!!! 😅😮🥲 how many lenses have you tried for Fuji? More than me? 😅

Edit : can someone go and make a third party tier list for x mount? Get viltrox, laowa, 7artisans, TTartisans, sigma, tamron add them all in!!! If you create it I’ll make a video and share my thoughts 😅 please and thank you!

[mikefoster]

The powerful 16-55mm f2.8 gave me a fantastic summer 2023 of photos. People say it's due for an update, but it has good autofocus and avoids being so heavy that you can't carry it long distances.

My other favourite lens is the high quality, very dependable 33mm f1.4. It's good for winter when light is lower here in England. And its 50mm equivalent (full frame) is an elegant focal length for developing skill, requiring some discipline to get good shots and delivering very clean results that fall somewhere between portraits and street scenes.

For some wide-angle flexibility, I like pairing my 33mm with the cheap-feeling, noisy, but incredibly light (116g) old 18mm f2.0 - which has surprisingly good optics for its small size.

[ChocolateThunder]

I agree with you 100% about the 50 F2. Love mine! I did just sell my 35 F2 to buy the 30 F2.8 macro. Haven't had it long but if you like taking portraits with close focusing distance, give this one a shot. I'd love to see what someone with your skills could do with it.

[Lentziu]

I experimented with several lenses from your selection, including the 18-55, 55-200, 35mm F2, and 23mm F1.4 Each of them performed well and got me good images.
However, the 35mm 1.4 and the 90mm F2 truly stand in a league of their own. Impressed by these 2, I decided to sell everything else.

[tukor]

Great job. Now you can expand the list with non fuji lenses, like the Viltrox 75 😇

[dimitarkotsev]

The 90mm F2 is the best XF lens I have tried - it stands in a league of its own! A close second will be the 33 mm F1.4 - arguably the best 'normal' lens for the X system.

[charliejg]

I only own three XF lenses, the 18-55, the old 56 and the 90. Love them all! The XF90 is good. My dream lens right now is the XF50-140 for sports. Gotta save pennies. Or, maybe I'll try to find a 70-300. Not an easy task though! Nice listing! The two I imagine you'll get heat about are the 16mm f1.4 and the 50mm f1.0. Lots of people love them. Have a great week!!

[JackieDElia]

I agree - love the 23 1.4 LM and the 35mm 1.4 for sure! I want to try the 50 f/2. I have the 80mm 2.8 and love it. Getting the 16mm f/2.8 tomorrow for the size. I enjoy your videos!

[herbertmasing]

This is a great video and the perfect way to make a complex point clear!

[claudiosalgado]

From a travel perspective, my fauvorite lenses are xf 35 f2 (all around and compact), sigma 56 1.4 (sharp, nice bokeh and small, nice for portraits) and the xf 70-300 (for me the best option for telephoto zoom lens, not too large and sharper than 55-200).

[drs-Rigo-Reus]

the 14mm is one of the sharpest lenses, so what's your preference based on? the 18/1.4 WR and the 56/1.2 WR & 90/2 LM are the best. sharpness/bokeh wise . The 35/1.4 is the 'old' dream lens. Also great. The supposedly 'older' 16/1.4 is excellent too.

[anastasiospapatsoris]

My list of top X-mount lenses that I own and still use today:
1) Fujinon XF90mm f2 (S - I agree totally with your description, unreal sharpness, cinematic colours with the most natural colour rendering, never needed to correct WB or edit colours afterwards. Amazing lens for portraits, landscapes, nature and sports.)
2) Samyang 135mm f2 (S - Same as per Fuji's 90mm above, and even sharper. My sharpest X-mount lens!)
3) Fujinon XF35mm f2 (S - Excellent IQ except for the very far corners which does not bother me at all, colour rendition is as said clinical, but can be edited to gain character if needed. If I were to carry just one lens that would be it!)
4) Fujinon XF50mm f2 (S - Amazing IQ and a great lens pretty much for everything, especially portraits. No distortion, amazing bokeh, natural colour rendering and unreal value for money!)
5) Viltrox 27mm f1.2 (S - Perfect IQ, the 3-dimensional images this particular focal length renders, the amazing bokeh at f/1.2, unreal value for money!)
6) Viltrox 56mm f1.7 (S - Perfect IQ, cinematic colours that remind me of the Fujinon 90mm f2, great focal length for portraits and unreal value for money!)
6) Fujinon XF14mm f2.8 (A - No distortion whatsoever for such a wide angle lens, amazing lens for landscapes and/or tight interiors. It gets an A only because IQ is not up there with the best.)
7) Fujinon XF23mm f2 (B - Great focal length, snappy AF, excellent IQ only when not close to the subject, thus B.)
8) Fujinon XF16mm f2.8 (B - Unreal compact lens for the focal length, snappy AF, good deep saturated colours which make up nicely for landscape photography, excellent IQ except for the far corners, uninspiring bokeh as expected for an f2.8 lens, great value for money.)

[henlolneh]

Alright now I need your fast food and snacks tierlist video after this 😂😂 i love seeing other people’s tierlists whether it be for gear or food 😂😂

[matt]

Every Fuji lens I've played with so far has been capable of outstanding images - what separates them for me more is AF performance (on XT3) given how and what I try to shoot.

I rank mine according to image quality / AF performance since they vary somewhat. The 56 WR is S/B (AF is "C" indoors, "A-B" outdoors). The 23 LM WR is S/S. The 50-140 is S/S (or S/A indoors - partly because the minimum focus distance makes life harder). 16-55 is A/A (so far - need more time with it). 18-55 is B/C. 150-600 is S/A (Its an outdoor lens for me, but AF is not quite as fast as the 50-140/23).

In terms of image quality I think the 56 WR is the benchmark - its just so damn good I ignore the fact that its AF can sometimes be hard to live with. In terms of AF the 23 LM WR is the benchmark, it really nails it indoors and out (and notably makes incredible sun stars). Frankly I could probably just keep these two and call it a day, but I love my zooms as well, they all have a look to them and are super versatile. 18-55 is my strongest love/hate for sure.

If I got rich tomorrow I'd probably own them all, but would be most interested in the 90mm, the 70-300, and I would love to play with the 50mm f/1 and 200mm f/2 (but I'd probably never buy either). 80mm macro is also a top choice. Wide angle would have to be the Viltrox 13mm, or maybe the 8-16, not sure. Overall I am quite satisfied with my setup as it stands, I can shoot pretty much anything. But I hate Fuji for having different filter sizes for pretty much every lens. I'm still not sure which lens will get a polarizer or ND option.

[tycjanjakubczyk]

You’ve skipped quite popular kit lens 16-80 f4. I’m not sure if I haven’t seen this one on your channel. I’m curious what is your opinion about that particular one.

I just own 3 lenses from this list and I totally agree with you about 23mm and 50mm f2 lenses. But I still remember how much I wanted 90mm f2 but finally I’ve picked more budget friendly 50mm f2 which is so far my favourite from my lens selection. Anyway for travel my favourite combo is 23mm and 50mm f2, and sometimes when I need go wider I take Laowa 9mm f2.8 which is a bit love and hate relation or just use the widest lens in my phone if it’s for street photography during a day.

[Narsuitus]

I use the following Fuji X lenses:
23mm f/1.4
23mm f/2
56mm f/1.2
16mm f/1.4
16-55mm f/2.8
50-140mm f/2.8

Other lenses I use include:
8mm f/2.8 Rokinon fisheye
12mm f/2 Rokinon
12mm f/2.8 Zeiss
55mm f/3.5 Nikon macro (with adapter)
105mm f/2.8 Nikon macro (with adapter)
135mm f/2 Zeiss (with adapter)
400mm f/5.6 Nikon (with adapter)
500mm f/4 Nikon (with adapter)
1000mm f/11 Nikon (with adapter)

If I were to rank my lenses based on image quality, focusing features, durability, reliability, ergonomics, and price, I am sure that it would be entirely different from yours.

[simon]

I’ll mention some of the lenses I’ve owned and own, that I don’t agree with you with. First is the 18 1.4, I absolutely love this lens, especially for street photography. It’s only 2 mm difference from the 16 and I absolutely love it– very sharp!
Perhaps you didn’t shoot with it enough!
I too like the 50 F2, but it was just a tad slow in speed for auto focus and so I prefer to use the 56 1.4, the older version. There’s no need to buy the new 56 1.4, because from every reviewer I heard, it makes very little difference in auto focus speed. The trick is to use the focus limiter at 6.5 feet to infinity, so it doesn’t hunt so much. Made a huge difference for me on AF speed. Save your money and buy the old one, plus I love the character of the lens.
I never liked the 55- 200, always seemed a bit soft on the image quality, so I sold it! I did find that you can fix a lot of the quality and editing. 🖖

[brownbear]

At this time of year I tend to start considering which lenses I haven't been using, no matter how good they might be, and re-evaluate. Never an easy decision.

I somehow ended up with two 16-55s. Hey when someone offers you one for €400, its tough to say no. I figured I could live with a bashed up version that was optically good and sell the looker. Turned out the €400 one was what I would sell a lens for as "like new". But obviously dont need two.

I was selling the 75 1.8, but pulled the sale and am selling the 56 1.2 mkii instead. The 16-55 covers me here, and the Samyang is a great lightweight lems that I can grab and go. IQ of the 56 is amazing, living with it for travel, kids, documentary not so much. Not getting enough use for the price of admission.

27 1.2, 30 2.8, 33 1.4. The 30 2.8 is out. Odd focal length and not as sharp as you'd expect a macro to be. Other two both getting used so stay.

23 1.4 LM WR vs 27 1.2 is killing me, though! Optically prefer the 27, features and performance prefer the 23. Jury is out and might wait until the x100vi comes out and first formware uograde of the 27 to decide the fate of the 23.

Fun list - pls do add your third party lenses, would be intereting to see. For me whether its a C or S, if its getting used and enjoyed its a great lens!