The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR is a very interesting addition to the Fujifilm telephoto lens range and complements the high-speed Fujifilm XH2S and its stacked sensor and Fujifilm’s growing strength in the sports and wildlife market.
The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR is not Fujifilm’s longest supertelephoto prime – that’s the XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR – but the rest of Fujifilm’s long lenses are zooms, so there will be many photographers keen to get their hands on a premium-quality prime like this that also offers just a little more speed with its wider aperture.
The main features of this new lens include 21 elements in 14 groups, with 2 Super ED and 4 ED elements to minimise chromatic aberration. It also works with Fujifilm’s Fujinon 1.4x and 2x teleconverters to extend its reach to 560mm f/6.3 or 800mm f/7.1 respectively. Allowing for. the 1.5x crop factor of the X-system cameras, this will give the XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR real supertelephoto capabilities.
Other features include a design that places the centre of gravity closer to the camera body for better balance, weather sealing, a 5.5-stop image stabiliser and a high-speed linear AF actuator offering internal focus and preset focus positions.
There’s another feature of this lens which deserves mention – in fact it’s a key selling point for the entire X-mount ecosystem – price. The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR will go on sale for $3,199/£2,499, and while that might sound plenty to the average user, it’s drastically cheaper than equivalent professional supertelephoto primes from full-frame rivals, which come in at around $13,000/£13,000 to $15,000/£15,000.
This, to me, is one of the key selling points of the X-mount system – the lenses and camera combinations are not necessarily a whole lot smaller and lighter than full frame, but they are dramatically cheaper. You might choose full frame for its theoretical image quality advantages, but while these are not always obvious, the extra cost most certainly is.