Lens ReviewMorten ByskovOctober 13, 2022Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR Review, Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR Sample Images, Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR Sample Photos, Fuji XF 150-600mm review, Fuji XF 150-600mm sample images, Fujifilm XF 150-600mm handling and specs, Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR Image Quality, XF 150-600mm vs. 100-400mm, XF 150-600mm vs. 70-300mm, Fuji 150-600, Fuji 150-600mm, Fuji 150-600 review, Fuji 150-600 vs 100-400, Fujifilm 150-600mm, Fujifilm 150-600mm reviewComment

Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR Review

Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR shown on the X-Pro3. XF 150-600mm review.. — The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

Testing the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR For Wildlife and General Telephotography

In the past, I dabbled a bit in wildlife photography. I am far from accomplished or an avid wildlife shooter but I have come to understand some of the challenges associated with this genre of photography and how hard it is to perfect.

Wildlife photography is demanding on the gear required and demanding on the skills of the person behind the camera. It takes a great deal of patience and perseverance.

With the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, a lens you typically would choose for wildlife photography, I gave myself a few challenges over the weekend. They weren’t all wildlife related and also included general telephotography around the beautiful English Bay area where I live.

A blue heron captured at sunrise, English Bay, Vancovuer. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/8, 600mm, 1/250s, ISO 200

I have often gandered out upon English Bay spotting the many freight ships on calm mornings wondering what I could capture with a long telephoto lens, and if luck is on your side, you can even stumble upon a blue heron as seen in the photo above.

Let’s see how I got along with the new Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR super-telephoto zoom on a few outings on a beautiful fall weekend.

Introduction

The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR was first mentioned in the September X Summit of 2021 and officially announced in May 2022.

Slated to be a strong alternative to Fujifilm’s own XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR some photographers were excited to see a lens with an extra 200mm of reach while others cried foul as the lens has a, perhaps disappointing, slower f/8 maximum f-stop on the long end.

At the time this article was written the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR retailed for $1,999.00.

Diana Byskov is testing the new Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR in Vancouver — Diana is trying out the new Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR

Handling and Specs

The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is an impressive lens with a long list of features.

It is a weather-resistant super-telephoto zoom lens with five-stop image stabilization and a full-frame equivalent focal length/field of view of 229-914mm.

It has a tripod collar with a removable foot. The lens hood has a window/door making it easier to adjust any attached filters.

The XF 150-600mm has an impressive 24 elements in 17 groups including four super ED and three ED elements. To ensure decent-looking bokeh you have 9 rounded diaphragm blades.

A woman on a paddle board on English bay among freight ships and flying geese. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR. — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/8, 435mm, 1/500s, ISO 800

The XF 150-600mm is a variable aperture lens, f/5.6-8 and hence there are no f-stop markings on the aperture ring.

The zoom ring is very smooth and easy to operate. The same goes for working the tripod collar. It is easily and smoothly rotated to a vertical shooting position or rotated 180 degrees and you can use it as a handle to carry your camera and lens.

Considering the zoom range of the XF 150-600mm the weight is a manageable 3.5 lb, 1605 g, with dimensions of 3.9 x 12.4", 99 x 314.5 mm.

The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm focus limiter switch, A or aperture control switch, — Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR control switches/buttons. Focus range limiter switch, “A” lock or aperture control switch, and a focus preset. Please click to view a larger image.

The XF 150-600mm feels good in the hand and is overall of good built quality but it does not instill the same amount of confidence as some of the Canon super-telephoto lenses I have owned or tried. Nor are these in the same price category.

On the other hand, I found the overall feel better than the XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR that I revisited lately and I think the XF 150-600mm lens hits the mark when it comes to value for money spent.

Morten Byskov, 5050 Travelog, reviewing the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR shown on the X-Pro3. XF 150-600mm review.. — The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

In Action

It was a gorgeous weekend in Vancouver and it felt like the last few days of summer although we are in early fall.

I captured the majority of the sample images for this review around English Bay. The first batch of photos is from the West End side in the morning and then late afternoon/early evening at Spanish Banks.

English Bay was alive with boaters, paddle-boarders, and kayakers, and people were soaking up the last rays of the sun on the beach. I also tried my hand at capturing the Hunter’s moon.

Two men go for a water bike ride on English Bay in Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/8, 600mm, 1/320s, ISO 250

I made a trip south of Vancouver to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary and this is where I was reminded how much patience and skill are needed for wildlife photography. I only had an hour and a half which of course wasn’t enough.

I did spot a couple of bald eagles and short-eared owls in the distance but even with 600mm on the cropped APS-C sensor, they were too far away for getting any meaningful shots.

It was great to be out there, hearing the birds sing in the early morning and although I only got away with a few shots, I am glad I went.

A blue heron in flight above the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Delta, BC. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Delta, BC., Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/9, 600mm, 1/1000, ISO 800

Depending on what I was shooting I would use one of two modes. For the more static scenes, I would use aperture priority/single shot and would vary the minimum allowed shutter speed.

When I was anticipating birds in flight I would shoot in continuous mode/AF-tracking, with a medium wide zone focus field, and in shutter priority mode.

I encountered very few such scenarios and if I would have spent more time on this segment I would have used a manually adjusted exposure.

The XF 150-600mm is easily handholdable but I prefer to use a monopod when shooting with a lens of this size/focal length as find my viewfinder is more stable. It also helps to keep fatigue to a minimum, especially when shooting for longer periods of time.

A paddleboarder at sunset on English Bay in Vancvouer. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/9, 295mm, 1/125s, ISO 800

Be prepared for a bit of a challenge if this is your first time with a telephoto lens capable of shooting at 600mm, especially for birds in flight.

If you intend to capture birds at 600mm it takes a fair bit of practice to go from seeing the bird, lifting the camera to your eye with the lens pointing at your target, to actually seeing a bird in your viewfinder.

We are talking about a very narrow 2.7° angle of view and I would often find myself aiming at a clear blue sky when going through these motions with no birds in the viewfinder. Please insert an emoji of your choice here.

Morten Byskov at 5050 Travelog is review the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR. — The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

Image Quality

Please keep in mind that we had forest fire smoke in the air during my test period. This becomes quite apparent, especially when shooting over great distances and you will see this in my sample images.

With that said I find that the overall image quality from the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 surpasses what I have seen from either the XF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 or XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lenses.

Shooting at 600mm however comes with a set of challenges in the form of heat waves, smoke, and the need for using fast shutter speeds and trying to eliminate any camera shake. Even the tiniest movements are amplified at this focal length.

With a maximum f-stop of f/8 inevitably you will be cranking up your ISO when shooting at longer focal lengths in order to maintain a high shutter speed. The photographers who cried foul over this have a valid point.

At times I did find myself at higher than usual ISO values but I was also out of my wheelhouse trying to catch fast-moving objects at 600mm.

As an example, a dedicated wildlife shooter with deep pockets and a 600mm f/4 lens would be able to shoot at ISO 800 whereas you would need to go to ISO 3200 in equivalent light with the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR.

Hunter's moon in October over Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — Hunter’s moon, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/9, 600mm, 1/125s, ISO 3200

Fujifilm, however, has aimed to create a portable and more affordable all-around solution and in that regard, they have succeeded.

It may have been due to the warm light and hazy conditions but I found post-processing more challenging with photos shot at longer focal lengths. Perhaps the lens may not be performing optimally at these, the most demanding extremes.

Overall though I found images usable and quite pleasant throughout the zoom range. Please see more sample images below which can be viewed up to 1500 pixels wide.

Geese landing on English Bay. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/8, 600mm, 1/1000s, ISO 800. This photo was pulled from being 2 stops under exposed.

Conclusion

As mentioned in my introduction, wildlife photography can be quite demanding when it comes to gear choices.

One of the questions with the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR could be; Can you live with the comprise of the somewhat limiting maximum f/8 f-stop on the long end?

If the XF 150-600mm would have had a constant f/5.6 f-stop throughout the zoom range it would undoubtedly have been a much larger lens, heavier, and more expensive.

In the hands of a skilled wildlife photographer, I have little doubt that you can create stunning results as long as the light conditions are somewhat favorable or if you are willing to accept noise introduced by having to shoot at higher ISO values at dusk or dawn.

Thanksgiving weekend at Spanish Banks in Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR — Spanish Banks, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR @ f/9, 150mm, 1/480s, ISO 160

I think we should draw attention to the fact that there are many other genres of photography where a lens such as the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is perfectly up to the task.

My wife and I had lots of fun with this lens around the shores of English Bay where we found ample opportunity to use it.

Personally, I do not have the need to own a lens such as the XF 150-600mm but lucky to live in a city where I can rent it and would not hesitate to do so again. I would encourage you to do the same to see if this is a lens you could get along with.

Pros

Lots of reach, up to 600mm, in a relatively compact and lightweight package
Image Stabilization
Overall decent build quality

Cons

Max. aperture of f/8 on the long end

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

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Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR - Sample Images

Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Capture One and I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos. Some of the photos have been cropped slightly.

Please click to view larger images.