Fujinon XF 70-300mm R LM OIS WR Telephoto Zoom Long Term Review

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

Very good long term review. To say that I’m happy with the performance of the lens (XF70-300) would be an understatement, it’s perfect for my iguana and alligator photography. As far as teleconverters, when I bought the lens (based on your review) I also got the 1.4X and the 2X, I returned the 2X immediately because I did notice “some” degradation in image quality and AF accuracy issues, the 1.4 is perfect. Be well Michael.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Enrique! As always, hello and thanks for sharing. It was fun to revisit some of my older photos with this lens and remember how much I love using this lens. Here’s to both of us creating many more photos with this lens. Cheers!

[@daryljohnson9010]

Good to know. Thank you.

[@grahamniven]

Great review, agree 100% I bought this as an upgrade from the XC50-230mm and wasn't disappointed. Didn't go for the XF100-400 at that time because of price and weight. Still have the XC and still use it sometimes because its less weight to carry. Now that a used XF100-400 is the same price as a new XF 70-300, (in the UK) I'm not sure I would make the same choice. But I'm not trading the XF70-300, its too much fun. Will probably pick up a used XF 150-600 once prices come down a bit.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hello! Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences. I have my eye on a used 150-600 as well. They are on sale in US for $1599 new, so will see what happens in used prices. Cheers!

[@TungstenOvergaard]

Superb long-term review. Michael is the go-to guy for true honest reviews for normal people like you and me.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Wow! Many thanks for the very kind words. Greatly appreciated!

[@kaneclements7761]

At the moment I pair this with a Tamron 17-70 f2.8 on an X-T5. Previously I used in on an X-S10 and X-T4. In particular the ability to get close to subjects like bees on flowers and have great bokeh, to the point of abstract was really great. More recently I have used it on the 5 to get action shots of a kite surfer amongst other subjects. The all round quality of the images are impressive. Plus the OIS combined with Fuji IBIS is big plus.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hello! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Great to hear!

[@dwrisdon2487]

Nice, informative discussion. We share the same two zooms (16-80; 70-300). Both are affordable and great pieces of glass. I recenty pulled the trigger on the 24mm F1.4 which I plan to utilize in street photography but it appears to be a versatile macro as well. Keep on snapping. Bill

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Bill! Thanks for sharing. I hope you have lots of fun with the 24mm f/1.4. I sure like the 33mm f/1.4. Cheers!

[@thecarolpatton]

I just bought this lens from Kenmore after watching one of your other videos. I had no idea you worked there LOL! If you answered the phone on sunday for someone asking about it being in stock, that was meeeee!

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Carol! It’s a small photography world :) Thanks for shopping local and hope you’re enjoying the lens. I’m at the store Friday to Sunday, and would love to chat next time you’re in!

[@daryljohnson9010]

I forgot to mention: Saul Leiter and Ernst Haas would sometimes use telephoto for street photography. I can’t help but think the Puget Sound area is rich in opportunities for a similar approach. It would be cool to see a video like that every year or so.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Oh! Thanks for the reminder and suggestion. I’ll add that to the future video list.

[@AriaLaurel]

Bought my first ever camera (a used XT1) at Kenmore Camera! What a coincidence that you're one of the first reviews I saw when looking for what lens to try next

[@MSladekPhoto]

Oh! That's so cool :) Hope you're enjoying the X-T1 and glad to answer any questions you have about the 70-300! I'm in the store Friday, Saturday, Sunday, if you want to chat in person. Cheers!

[@joeyc923]

Great video, thank you for producing it! I took this lens to Africa last fall for a two-week safari along with my 200mm f/2, so that I would have a lighter / more flexible option just in case. At 6x the price and 4x the weight the 200/2 of course has better image quality along with a very unique 'look,' but I was surprised at how crisp the photos from this lens looked and wound up using it a fair amount since it was so much easier on the body than the big prime. So much so that I'm considering it as a good option for walks / hiking etc.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Joe! Many thanks for watching and sharing your experience with the 70-300, especially in comparison to the 200 f/2. I am continually and pleasantly surprised at how versatile the 70-300 is and how great a value it is. Cheers!

[@charliejg]

Thanks for the down to earth, real world overview of this lens. I'm going back and forth between it and the 50-140. To be honest, I really want that 50-140, but don't want to spend that much money if I can help it. So, I've been shopping patiently. The main reason I prefer it is for shooting events and indoor sports. I'm thinking I the best thing to do might be to rent it for a test drive. Thanks again for the review. Have a great week.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Charlie! Thanks for watching and sharing your kind words. For indoor events/sports - the 50-140mm is pretty hard to beat. The 2 extra stops of light at f/2.8 and the amazing image quality makes up for having to carry a larger, heaver and much more expensive lens. Renting would be a great way to see how it fits for you!

[@michaelketteniss2689]

Problem with objects like plant branches between object and lens: There is a small switch on the lens. Switch it to "focus from 5m to infinite". Afterwards the autofocus or backbutton focus will only try to focus inside this range. All below 5 meters will not be taken in account.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Many thanks for this reminder. I always forget about the focus limiter. I’ll remember next time ;) Cheers!

[@GeoffGrant2010]

Thanks Michael! Very good. The 16-80 and the 70-300 with the 1.4tc along with the 23 1.4f (indoor) lenses are going to Maine in October for lighthouses and foliage! I’ll let you know and share some images.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi again! Thanks for sharing this and hope you have a wonderful time in Maine photographing the fall colors and lighthouses. Looking forward to seeing your photos!

[@daryljohnson9010]

Love the succinct review Michael. And the Blue Heron image is great!

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Daryl! Thanks for your kind words. So glad you enjoyed the video and the blue heron photo. Cheers!

[@WonkyMovie]

Hi, I'm totally broke in choosing a zoom lens. I want to photograph snowboarders in the mountains. In terms of focal lengths, the 18-135 and 50-140 are great for me. I would choose the 18-135 because of the weight and size. But it's not very clear how it is with autofocus and how much worse the image is compared to the 50-140. I also like the 70-300 very much, but I'm afraid that I will miss the wider angle

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! The 18-135mm would probably be the most flexible for snowboarding photography. Autofocus is fast, it’s weather resistant and the image quality is quite good in my experience. This was my daily lens for about 6 years. The 50-140 is also a great lens, will have better image quality, but is quite a bit larger and heavier. The 70-300 would be a good fit if you’re going to be farther away from subjects. One way to save money on any of these lenses would be to purchase a used version. Hope that helps and good luck!

[@tomaszwasko617]

Something that I noticed during the 3 years of owning this lens - the speed and especially the accuracy of AF when used with teleconverters seems to increase significantly when using back button focus.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Thanks so much for sharing this! Very interesting…

[@stanobert3475]

I own this lens, and it is my favorite. I sold my 100-400 beast, and I might purchase the Sigma 100-400 if I need more reach. The Sigma is lighter and slimmer than Fuji's 100-400, and it uses a 67mm front filter. Fuji really needs to create a new version of their 100-400.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hello! Thanks for watching and sharing your comment. I much prefer the 70-300 to the 100-400, but know that’s a very personal preference. Next on my wish list is the 150-600mm. It’s $400 off right now… 😉

[@stanobert3475]

The 150-600mm looks like an excellent bird and wildlife lens, but its portability is an issue. This is an interesting product from Fuji. @@MSladekPhoto

[@stanobert3475]

@MSladekPhoto Now you have me thinking about the 150-600mm.

[@MSladekPhoto]

@@stanobert3475 I’m here to help 😎

[@stanobert3475]

@@MSladekPhoto Thanks!

[@71co0k]

Michael, thanks for this excellent review. I bought this lens around a month ago. I'm struggling with how to get the best out of it - I'm using it with my XT4 and, wide open at 300mm, I get a lot of halo and fringe around higher contrast objects, even when properly exposed. For example: Shooting birds on branches: the branches show this effect a lot. Hope I can get it figured out.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Thanks for watching and sharing your kind comment. Welcome to the telephoto life with the 70-300! Fringing around high-contrast elements, such as tree branches is pretty common in many lenses, even much more expensive ones. I usually address this in Lightroom with the lens corrections panel to remove most of the worst offending elements. Hope this helps!

[@71co0k]

@@MSladekPhoto Thanks. Any idea if Fuji plans to release a correction profile for this lens?

[@MSladekPhoto]

@@71co0k Hi again! I have no information about any planned Fujifilm updates to the profiles for this lens. Occasionally correction updates are released for lenses, but those updates are pretty rare. Do you use software to edit photos? If so, most have some way to address this pretty painlessly and quickly.

[@tomleo4670]

Hi Michael, thanks for your thoughts. I have it since like a year and I can absolutely relate to your findings. I also feel the autofocus struggles sometimes a bit. and I might add a probably a bit of a personal taste one: I don‘t like the Bokeh too much in certain situations, like songbirds in a tree.. but hey.. it is not an f2,8.. :)

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Many thanks for watching and sharing your comments. Agreed about bokeh in certain situations - it can be a little “nervous” in some cases. But, most of the time it looks really good to me. Cheers and here’s to many photo adventures with the 70-300!

[@dan.allen.digital]

Great overview. I have the 70-300 and the 100-400. Two glaring differences between the two is telephoto/macro and tripod work. The 70-300 tends to have Onion Ring Bokeh in macro shots with strong specular highlights. I much prefer the rendering of the 100-400 for Marco work. Also the 100-400 is far superior for tripod work with the built in foot. I have seen the used prices of the 100-400 drop to $800 to $1000 so if size isn't an issue go for the 100-400. I do really love the 70-300 though too for many of the reasons you pointed out. I think most Fuji shooters need to own both lenses if budget allows for it.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Many thanks for watching and sharing your experiences. I had an opportunity to use the 100-400mm for a month, and... it just wasn't a good fit for me in comparison to the 70-300mm. Agreed, the bokeh on 70-300 can be "nervous" at times, but when it works, it can be quite lovely. Saving my money for the 150-600mm... Cheers!

[@belaacs5238]

I love this lens very much and I change the loose aperture ring from the front wheel on my X-S20 which I love too, better than my full-frame Sony.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hello! Thanks for sharing this comment and suggestion. I may have to try that... Cheers!

[@samson40a]

Interesting to hear your experience with the 2x TC. I had one and used with the 50-140 but didn’t like the results compared to the 1.4. I sold the 2x. I have had the 70-300 for around a year and at the weekend used it at a motorsport event. I found the focus a little slow but I am comparing with the 50-140 which is a completely different lens. I need to watch your review of the 100-400 as I am considering purchasing as in UK it is on offer at the moment.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Many thanks for watching and sharing your comment. With with 2xTC, I'm not sure how much of my lack of enjoying the results was due to lacking the techniques and experience seeing at 600mm or the 2xTC or both ;) The 100-400 is an interesting lens - very heavy and from what I remember, not super fast to autofocus, but with very nice image quality. I am very interested in the 150-600, and hope to have access to one by summer. Best wishes on whatever you decide for your lens!

[@mariahegdal5384]

Thank you so much for this video 🙂 And for your honesty. I will use this lens for birds, flowers, butterflies and minimalistic photography. And now I think it will be a good lens for my x-s10. Thanks again and take care 🙂

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Thanks for suggesting this video 😉 I hope you have lots of fun creating photos with the 70-300!

[@thewildgoose7467]

I've seen a few of your videos now and find them very relaxing and enjoyable. I own neither the 70-300 or x2 teleconverter (yet!) but was curious about one aspect of using them. I may be incorrect but....when you combine the two giving a maximum focal length of 600mm, is that not in reality 900mm with the crop sensor factor? What I'm saying is that the slightest movement at 900mm would cause the image to be unsharp, so the image stabilization/shutter speed combination would need to account for eliminating that movement. So is it possible the speed/stabilization combination wasn't sufficient resulting in slightly unsharp images? As I said I own nether so this is me just theorizing 🙂

[@MSladekPhoto]

Thanks so much for sharing your kind words. Yes, you are correct that 300mm + 2x teleconverter = 600mm. Multiply by 1.5 crop factor = 900mm. So, indeed lots of technique and practice in creating sharp images at that extreme focal length. In other words, most/all of unsharp images were user (my) error. Hope that helps! Cheers :)

[@thewildgoose7467]

@@MSladekPhoto Thanks for the reply. I definitely plan on getting the 70-300 when funds allow. Ha ha, I also have a GFX 50r so when I'm adapting my vintage lenses I have to remember whether to add 50% or take away 20% from the focal length? 🤔 All very confusing, but fun. Anyways, keep up the enjoyable videos. Cheers from Ireland ☘

[@MSladekPhoto]

@@thewildgoose7467 Haha! The math is... tricky. So, for GFX, multiple focal length by .75 (or reduce by 25% - your preference!) and that will give you approximate equivalent field of view versus full frame. Many thanks for watching and sharing greetings from Ireland!

[@martmexpue]

Thank you very much... that was a big help...

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hello! I’m so glad the video was helpful. Many thanks for watching and sharing your comment. Cheers!

[@vukhuat4251]

Have you ever tried the Sigma 100-400? If yes, please give us your opinion about it. Thanks

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi! Have not had the chance to try that lens. Thanks for asking!

[@mikestedham1127]

Thanks for the review! I’m traveling to Seattle this summer. Hoping to photograph some whales while on tour. Trying to be budget conscious. Would you recommend this lense for whale photography? Or is 300mm not enough?

[@MSladekPhoto]

Hi Mike! So cool about coming to Seattle. I hope you have a great time! I've not done whale watching, but any time I have done wildlife photography, I always want MORE reach. So, the 70-300 will get you close, I could easily imagine you might wish you had more reach with the lens. Which camera are you using? You could add the 1.4x or 2x teleconverter to get more reach, but my experience with the 2X on this lens has not been great. That could be because 600mm (900mm equivalent) is so magnified that any technical mistake is amplified in the photo. If you will be doing lots of this type of photography, I would recommend the Fujifilm 150-600mm for that extra reach. Cheers!

[@dummatube]

So you had to get a job with the shop you bought it from to pay for it? ;-)

[@MSladekPhoto]

Not really! I’ve only worked at the store for 6 months and had the lens almost 3 years. Getting a job at Kenmore camera was due to a reduction in my teaching hours and the first place I looked for a part time gig.

[@dummatube]

@@MSladekPhoto Chill! I use Fuji professionally and was just making a joke about affording the high prices of Fujinons!

[@MSladekPhoto]

@@dummatubeThanks for clarifying. Sorry I missed the attempt at humor.

[@dummatube]

@@MSladekPhoto Guess you didn’t understand the ;-) (wink) I put at the end!

[@UltralightNerd]

Excellent work, nerd.

[@MSladekPhoto]

Much appreciated, Kads!