The Fujinon "reframing" zoom lenses.

There is always be that dilemma of selecting between a classical fix focus lens and a more flexible vario-focal length zoom one. That debate will never end but you can simply look at the optic kit used by everyday photographers (amateurs, enthusiasms or pros) and chances are great that they are using the two categories of lenses. So it is not really a contest, it is simply a matter of convenience for each different use.


Many have described zoom lenses as the best replacement for, let say, two or three different fix focal lenses ranging from wide-angle to small telephoto or from small to longer telephoto or even the summation of all these angles of view. For each of those complex optics their designers have calculated the best technical combination available in term of size, price point, maximum aperture, minimum focusing distance, etc. But something you do more with a zoom lens compare to a fix focal one is implicating some obvious compromises.

And many zoom lenses are chosen first for their extreme focal length setting ... and often use exclusively that way! The manufacturers are aware of that way of using their vario focal length models and pay a more careful attention to the optical quality output observed at the very start and the final focal range of them.

But there is also an whole array of focal length choices between the two extremums of a zoom lens. We could call them the "lens-framers" of the photographer. There are very thoughtful optic tools that allows us to refine our picture composition on place with less quality loss compare to the post-processing reframing. Zoom lenses can be very proactive in a way that they are asking to the photographer to be more cautious about the selection, the position and the context of your subject.

Like we have said earlier the zoom lenses do compromise on others characteristics such as their maximum aperture, their weight and size, their minimum focusing distance, etc.. With a smaller maximum aperture your deep of field control will be diminished that can be partly compensated by selecting a longer focal length if possible. The zoom lenses size will result in a less discrete optic that can be more intimidating for your subject. A more distant minimum focusing distance can prevent you to be able to do easily close subjects.

Short and medium zoom lenses as for the extreme "traveler" zoom lenes are the most versatile in term of angle of view. Many photographers will adopt them as their "stay-on" everyday zoom lens for most of time. Casual, urban, close, travel photography are rightly served by these lenses. The better image output quality will be obtained by selecting the mid-range priced ones to the most expensive ones.

The long telephoto zoom lenses are more specialized optics. Portrait, wildlife, sports and action photography are their main domain. They are bigger optical devices that can ask you to pay more attention to their stability in order to counteract the photographer "blurry" effect by using a more sophisticated stabilisation arrangement from the camera (internal and/or optical stabilisation options, higher shutter speeds and/or ISO setting, tripod/monopod). Again their maximum aperture is smaller but usually at those focal lengths the deep of field is already shallowed.

Over the years I have worked with different combinations of zoom lenses and I am always appreciating them as a very valuable option not only for spontaneous photography but also for more composed subject. For general photography I have really enjoyed the flexibility and the compactness of the Fujinon XF18-55 F2.8-4 R and the respectable magnification factor and the optical quality of the Fujinon XF55-200 F3.5-4.8 both OIS (which is a nice feature considering that some of my camera models doesn't have an internal sensor stabilisation functionality). Many examples of my recent work are illustrating these abilities.

For travel and urban photography, the Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R OIS is sufficiently versatile for many usual photographic needs and moreover is enough discrete to be a full time lens. To know more about this trans-standard zoom lens model you can refer to this recent article of mine.

The Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R OIS as for every other long telephoto zoom lenses is a different kind of beast. I call it a "bazooka" lens (especially with the lens hood mounted!). So it is not by far a discrete optic and you will surely impress your surrounding and probably intimidate some folks with it. The most intended purpose of these long telephoto zoom lenses is to isolate your main subject from its surrounding and compress its context. Careful off-center composition may be a challenge since we have a natural tendency to center a magnified subject.

There are several others options available from the Fujinon line of zoom lenses. The Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 R OIS and the XF100-400 F4.5-5.6 R OIS are very interesting options at each end of the optical spectrum. The same can be said about the "Pro F2.8" line of lenses (XF 8-16mm, 16-55mm & 40-150mm). For entry-level Fujifilm models, the Fujinon XC series is giving you more affordable optic options. Fujifilm offer also their own version of an all-around zoom lens with the XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R OIS which is in fact a larger optical package that may be more appreciated by nature travelers particular. Lastly we have learn that Fujifilm will launch in mid-2019 a new Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR zoom lens which can be a very attractive travel-urban all-around optic.

Speaking of the versatility of the zoom lenses is not in any way unevaluating the virtues of the fix focal length optics that are smaller (discrete), have a larger maximum aperture and will give you very high quality image output and these advantages remain today.

A perfect fix focal lens or zoom lens that will fit for every photographic purposes is purely an utopian concept. So even with the add-on versatility of different focal length present of a zoom lens, it cannot respond for every specific need in imagery. But zoom lens do offer a very easy way of re-framing your subject on the spot and without asking you a greater mobility from your original picture taking position. In my sense this is one of the biggest advantage of all those vario-focal length lenses.

All pictures were taken with the Fujifilm X-T20 & X-E3 cameras and Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS, XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS & XF50mm F2 R WR lenses.