Fuji XF 30mm F2.8 Macro Review - Incredibly Fun, Optically Excellent

[@klklkl427586]

2:40 There is Auto focus limiter option in menus (X-T4 has it), you could set any range and then assign it to a function button

[@womz8203]

Great suggestion. The X-H2 and X-H2S also both have this as an option in the menus. The setting is called: "AF RANGE LIMITER" in the "AF/MF SETTING" menu. The setting applies to both stills and video.

[@xmarcika]

This lens looks really good! I used to like 27mm f2.8 because of the field of view and "almost nothing" weight, but bokeh was many times so busy, that I sold it and came back to my favourite 35mm f2. Which is almost perfect lens. Except a minimum focus distance. So 30mm macro should cover all my needs! Thanks for the review and photo examples. Really appreciate that.

[@RyanH0809]

Thank you for covering this lens. I was so much more excited about this lens than the X-T5.

[@Ttjam1]

Tell me about it! Something that costs hundreds instead of thousands and actually makes a creative difference to your photos 😂 Just need to wait for it to appear on the used market now 😅

[@RyanH0809]

@@Ttjam1 Same!

[@kevindiossi]

When this lens was announced alongside the X-T5, the camera stole the show for me. The lens? Not so much - it just didn’t seem like something I would consider now that I have the 33mm f/1.4 and the 35mm f/1.4. Then I started watching videos about it…then I saw your video. Now I can’t help but think of how incredibly unique this lens is, how valuable it COULD be in product or wedding photography, and now it has my attention. It’s not something I believe I would personally find all that useful on the day-to-day, but I think I may rent one for my next wedding and see how I can use it for lay flat and detail shooting around the wedding venue. This Fuji stuff has really impressed me.

[@billycullen6832]

Beautifully presented. Excellent job! Thank you!

[@DigiDriftZone]

Just throwing it out there, but 35mm F2 with a step up ring in your bag? - extra stop of light, nicer portraits/low-light, more portable and cheaper :P - I'd love to see a comparison of that actually!

[@ElbertBesaris]

Thanks, nice to-the-point video as always. Could be expanded with more cat footage though, but that's a minor complaint :)

[@tjkrueger2655]

I would almost recommend this over some of the other fujicrons, simply for the versatility. Sure it's 2.8 but you're getting close macro and most street and travel isn't shot wide open anyhow. Seems like a fun walk around lens if nothing else, but I could see this going in a wedding photographer's bag too Really enjoy your reviews...you always point out details the others miss.

[@BS-me1ki]

Appreciate this review. This might be a lens I need! Im curious how this stacks up against the 60mm 2.4 “macro”

[@TheChrisDecember]

I take it this would be great for scaled model cars even down to 1:64?

[@nosatori]

It would be great if you could try focus stacking macros with this, using Fuji's focus bracketing feature. It would be really interesting to see how it works out.

[@MegaNovem]

How about flat field reproduction aka conner sharpness

[@REMY.C.]

Can't you use the Fuji focus limiter? Xpro3 and xt4 have it, your xt5 may also have it.

[@Nimargb]

how does this lens sit next to the 80mm then?

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

How would you rate just the image quality vs the XF60 macro? Thank you.

[@AlexanderBischof]

Great review

[@albertsmith9315]

Thanks for this review. So glad that you pointed out that the distance for 1 to 1 is so short. Many read the distance and don't realize that they use the distance from the sensor, which is useless after you factor in the camera body's thickness as well as the length of the lens. This looks interesting, but as I am awash in normal and semi normal Fujifilm lenses, I might pass for now.

[@Ttjam1]

They need to start giving focus distances to the front lens in the documentation/description. Much more useful. I was wondering how this achieved much greater magnification than the X100V which also has 10cm minimum focus distance and then I remembered - lens length - duh!

[@Theo5555]

the 16mm f1.4 focus also very close almost macro and wide view .

[@andrepoon]

@bigd769616mm 1.4 is so unique

[@muttishelfer9122]

the 16mm 1,4 is only 1:4

[@Snypler]

Thanks for keeping it short.

[@KevinLin145]

This needs to be compare to the 35/2. And maybe other compact fuji primes. I love my 35/2, but I’ll probably take close focus over the brighter f2. Been waiting for this lens since announced earlier this years, but $600👀

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

Did you test if the lens exhibits a lot of focus breathing, compared to the XF80mm macro?

[@trezegol2007]

Hi. I was thinking about buying the 30mm, or maybe the 80mm instead. Do you have the 80mm, does it produce a lot of focus breathing?

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

@@trezegol2007 Hi, Yes I have the 80mm and it has very strong focus breathing. It is also large, and heavy. I now have the new 30mm too and it has almost no focus breathing it seems, and it’s very small and light. The AF also is faster than with the 80mm. The field of view is wider and so you do get different shots, and the working distance of the 30mm is much smaller so you have to get really close to the subject to get 1:1 magnification. What do you expect to be photographing with a macro lens?

[@trezegol2007]

@@TimvanderLeeuw Thank you for your detailed answer. For the 30mm, that's the impression I had since first hearing about this lens. Technically on a high standard, what I like look forward about this lens is the fast (and silent) autofocus, the ability to go really really near your subject, of course the great built qualities. For my main macro needs though I understand the 30mm is not as well suited as a zoom macro like the 80mm, I have a preference for flowers, insects. A lens with too much focus breathing, and thus a slow autofocus might be more frustrating than anything for me, so I will still go for the 30mm with which I will explore other ways of doing macro :). And for a closer look, as I have a Sony 7a3 as well, I have set sight on some macro lenses I may use with the Sony.

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

@@trezegol2007 For insects, the working distance of the 30mm prime might not be ideal but OTOH, if you want to photograph the whole insect and not focus on the details in maximum close-up, I've found that the 70-300mm is a great lens for photographing insects at 0.5x magnification. It gives you a decent working distance, and very good AF for flying insects. I made great shots with it of butterflies for instance. But if you really want to get as close as possible to the insect, I can highly recommend the Laowa 65mm. Manual Focus only, yes, but better working distance than 30mm and more magnification. The 2x is really nice. And the AF of the 80mm at close distance is frustrating enough that when I use that lens, I use it in MF anyway. The Laowa 65mm does suffer from focus breathing too though, just like the Fuji XF80mm. But it's a great lens and very sharp. Just there are times I want either the wider field of view of the 30mm, or the AF. 😁

[@noenken]

Nice video. There need to be more 50mm-ish equivalent lenses again. That kind of lens has somehow lost popularity and I don't know why. I had a Zeiss 50mm f/2 Makro Planar for my Nikon system many moons ago and that thing was awesome!

[@Ttjam1]

Well Fuji have more lenses near 50mm than any other focal length! It’s hardly been neglected 35mm f/1.4 35mm f/2.0 (xc and xf) 33mm f/1.4 30mm f/2.8 macro 27mm f/2.8 (non wr and wr) Plus a gazillion third party offerings many with AF. What would you like to see? I believe there was a 33mm f/1.0 rumoured at one point but it would be massive!

[@noenken]

@@Ttjam1 Dammit, I forgot the most important word in the first sentence. There need to be more 50mm-ish equivalent MAKRO lenses again. Sorry about that. xD

[@Ttjam1]

@@noenken oh yeah lol that makes much more sense now 😆

[@markhoffman9655]

Super close isn't so great unless you can get good lighting at that range which is often difficult ... telephoto is better but then DOF is reduced - tough balancing act!

[@RM.TokyoPhotographer]

if your okay with macro lense with manual focus by far....the 7artisan 60mm F2.8 is the BEST...no doubt about it for the price its mind blowing but if you have the money the 80mm F2.8 Fuji is the best

[@BoopyTheFox]

Tamron 17-70 2.8

[@andrepoon]

I’m not a Fuji shooter… I’m a 16mm 1.4 lens shooter… and what looks like now a 30mm 2.8 shooter… that so happens to be in the Fuji lineup. All I hear from the Cannon / Sony crew is… full frame … FF… FF… low light … … 🙈

[@snowwalker9999]

If you want your environment in the photo less bokka is better. Average people who do not know much about cameras do not appreciate too much bokha. They want others to see where they have taken the photo. Also for most video scenarios especially cinematic only slight bokha is more desirable. For the kind of photography that I and I think most people do at 30mm this might be a better option than the f1.4 version.

[@alastairtheduke]

I think these reviews are only good in terms of the techical aspect not from a professional photographer aspect. Pro photographers tend to look at lenses as tools of art. But you are a tech reviewer, not an artist. Im not saying this to dog on you, just that the audience should take these reviews with a grain of salt.