Introduction
The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro is a very affordable standard/macro prime lens for for Fujifilm’s X-series range of APS-C format mirrorless cameras.
The Fuji 30mm provides a focal length which exactly matches that of a 45mm optic in a 35mm full-frame system, making it a classic normal-length prime lens.
This is a very compact and lightweight lens, yet it still offers a bright maximum aperture of F2.8 for better low-light performance and bokeh effects, helped by the 9 blade diaphragm which creates an attractive blur to the out-of-focus areas of the image.
It offers an impressive minimum focusing distance of 10cm / 3.9″ and a life-size maximum magnification ratio of 1x, whilst using cost effective 43mm filters.
In terms of the optical construction, it features 11 elements in 9 groups, including two ED elements and three aspherical elements to help control aberrations and distortion.
There is a Super EBC Coating to reduce lens flare and ghosting, a flourine coating on the front element to repel water and fingerprints, and the lens is weather-resistant against dust and moisture as well as being able to operate in temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F).
The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens is available now in black only, priced at £599.99 / $599 in the UK and the US respectively. It is designed in Japan and made in Thailand.
Ease of Use
Weighing in at 195g / 6.9 ounces and measuring 6.95cm / 2.7 inches in length, the XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro is a small and very lightweight standard prime lens.
It’s barely noticeable when used with a mid-sized camera body like the Fujifilm X-T5 body that we tested it with, as shown in the product photos below.
Build quality is excellent for such an affordable lens. Despite its mixed metal and plastic construction, the XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro feels very solid in your hand, and it commendably has a metal mount.
As the WR acronym in the product name denotes, this lens benefits from having a weather-resistant design to to help protect it against water and dust and allow it to fully operate in temperatures down to -10°C (14°F).
There is no optical image stabilizer built-in to this lens, though, instead relying on the camera body to provide this function
This is one of the key differences between the XF 30mm and Fujifilm’s other macro lens, the XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro, which does have built-in optical image stabilisation.
As with virtually all Fuji lenses, the XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens has a traditional aperture ring on the lens barrel, which allows you to set the aperture in 1/3 steps, complete with full aperture markings running from f/2.8 to f/22.
The current aperture is also shown in the camera’s viewfinder or on the LCD screen as you turn the aperture ring.
The aperture ring is nicely damped and makes a distinctive click as you change the setting, and it’s stiff enough to prevent it from being accidentally turned when stored in a camera bag.
It toggles between auto aperture control (the ring is set to A) or manual aperture control (the switch is set to one of the aperture values).
Fujifilm have also included an A (Auto) Position Lock button. When the aperture ring is set to the A position, it’s automatically locked into place until you hold down the A (Auto) Position Lock button and turn the ring to select one of the aperture values.
The fly-by-wire focus ring is smooth in action without being loose, although it has no “hard stops” at either end of the focus range, making it more difficult to focus on infinity.
The XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens has an internal focusing (IF) system that uses a linear motor, which results in pleasingly fast, quiet and accurate auto-focusing on the X-T5 camera that we tested it with.
Thanks to the IF mechanism the front of the lens does not rotate on focus, which is very good news for anyone looking to use the lens in conjunction with a polariser or graduated neutral density filter.
The Fuji 30mm F2.8 has a smooth manual focusing ring that is focus-by-wire, rather than using a mechanical clutch-based focus ring, but that’s also true of every other Fuji X-series lens.
The focus ring has a nice feel as the components in the manual focusing ring assembly have been specially engineered to respond with more precision, especially when the focusing ring is moved slightly.
In terms of accessories, the Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro ships with standard lens and mount caps plus a relatively large plastic circular-shaped lens hood which snaps into place. There is no bag or case included with this lens.
Focal Range
The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro’s focal length of 30mm provides an angle of view of 50.7°.
Chromatic Aberrations
Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as blue or purple fringes along contrasty edges, were not especially apparent in our test shots, only appearing in very high contrast areas.
Vignetting
With the lens set to its maximum aperture of f/2.8, there is some slight light fall-off in the corners, requiring you to stop down by at least 2 f-stops to completely prevent it.
Distortion
There’s very little barrel or pincushion barrel distortion evident.
Sunstars and Flare
The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro is capable of creating fairly nice sunstars when stopped-down to f/22, as shown below, and flare is well controlled even when shooting directly into the sun.
Macro
The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro offers a very close minimum focusing distance of just 10cm / 3.9″ with a life-size maximum magnification of 1.0x.
Bokeh
Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc.
In the XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens, Fujifilm have employed an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades, which has resulted in appealing bokeh in our view.
We do realise, however, that bokeh evaluation is subjective, so we’ve included lots of examples below for your perusal.
Sharpness
In order to show you how sharp the Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens is, we are providing 100% crops on the following page.
