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If you’re looking for a new premium zoom lens for your Fujifilm camera that’s perfect for travel photography, you’ll want to read my review of the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II lens.
After a trip to Sicily at the end of 2023, I no longer shied away from zoom lenses and happily kept the little Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 as my all-around lens; perfect for traveling when you don’t want to be cutting and changing lenses depending on the situation that arises. However, the problem I found was that, with particular zoom lenses, it was fair to say you were sacrificing image quality.
Fujifilm has long offered a 16-55mm f/2.8 lens as part of its red flagship line aimed at professionals with the best image quality available for the System
However, fast forward to November 2024, and the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II The lens was released bringing with it a host of improvements; improvements that made me realize. In fact, I was secretly hoping the lens had been released before my trip to Japan and even scouted out various Bic Camera and Yodobashi locations to see if I could find a copy.
Fortunately, Fujifilm was kind enough to send me a copy of this brilliant lens to put it to the test on our first family holiday as a four to Cyprus. This was certainly not a photography-focused trip; I wanted to see if this lens could replace my dual prime setup of Fujifilm 18mm f/1.4 and Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4, especially for trips with little ones where I don’t really have time to mess around changing lenses.
Let’s dive into it now and I’ll let you know what I think and share some sample images in my review of the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II lens.
Almost all of the images in this post were captured using my ‘Summer Negative’ JPEG recipe and some captured using my ‘Nostalgic Neg’ JPEG recipe found here.
FUJIFILM 16-55MM F/2.8 II LENS REVIEW
OFF-ROAD PROFESSIONAL LENS
Ok, I’ll start by talking about who I think this lens is for and why you might opt for this lens. The Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II lens is Fujifilm’s flagship “standard” zoom, equivalent to a 24-70mm lens on a Full Frame system; a sort of ‘workhorse’ that can handle any situation it is thrown into.
For me, I’ve always been a prime lens photographer for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I prefer a lightweight setup, exceptional image quality, and low light performance. However, this has its disadvantages, as you often have to change lenses or, as I have done in the past, use a second body that cancels out the entire object. I remember once going out with two Fujifilm X-T2s with fixed lenses and a Fujifilm X100F; A little exaggerated, don’t you think?
This lens is like having access to all your favorite prime lenses, 16mm, 18mm, 23mm, 35mm and (almost) 56mm in one package. I was immediately impressed by the flexibility of this lens and the quality of the images it produces. Yes, I love the little Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4, but that requires some compromises in terms of image quality.
The original Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 was outrageously large and never appealed to me when my goal was to create a lightweight setup that was easy to take everywhere when traveling. However, this lens is a big step in the right direction; It’s much smaller, much lighter (over 200g lighter) and therefore no longer such a burden to carry around with you all day.
IMAGE QUALITY
As I said above, I only used this lens on our first vacation as a family of four, so getting exceptional shots wasn’t necessarily that important; I just wanted to make sure I captured as many moments as possible without worrying about not having the right focal length with me. However, as you will see, even just capturing a family vacation, this lens excels and produces incredible images. I love shooting wide open and even at f/2.8, I was still able to create beautiful subject separation and decent, smooth bokeh, especially at the longer focal lengths.
If you’ve read my other gear reviews, I’m not going to go into technical details here. I’m just a regular guy who cares more about capturing moments, as cliché as it may seem, than edge-to-edge sharpness, etc. The images are perfectly sharp straight out of the camera (as long as autofocus is used, obviously) and the colors look incredible. All images in this review are JPEGs with my ‘Summer Negative’ recipe.
AUTO FOCUS
I am well aware that Fujifilm’s autofocus system continues to receive some attacks from users even with several firmware updates on the latest cameras. While I haven’t tested other brands’ cameras recently, I understand from others that Fujifilm’s autofocus, particularly continuous focus, is said to be far behind its competitors.
For me, however, I never had any problem capturing what I needed, even with continuous focus, i.e. my toddler running around without staying still or swimming in the pool without staying still. You get the idea, they never sit still, right? Autofocus is fast and completely silent as it should be.
SIZE
If I’m honest, after using the Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 and hearing about the size reduction of this new lens, I was still a little puzzled about the size. I usually carry my camera in a Bellroy 6L bag with a main lens on the camera, a main lens in one bag, and the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 in the other bag. When I connected it to the Fujifilm X-T5, I was able only I placed the camera and lens in my sling. It’s not a problem if I don’t have anything else with me, and I guess that’s the point, but at least for me, I literally can’t go anywhere without the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4. For me it is unrivaled and my style of photography has developed to the point where we are codependent on each other!
I know some will say this is a super light lens, but I think it should probably be compared to other f/2.8 lenses; It still weighs quite a bit and will take up quite a bit of space in your camera bag. But this is a lens that is designed to replace all the little prime lenses out there, so you would only need one lens to do it all. To be fair, it does it all and it’s not at all unbearable to carry around with you all day even around your neck. If you already own the original Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8, this would definitely be considered a decent upgrade in terms of weight and size; It would probably feel like the Fujifilm 35mm f/2 in comparison!
GENERAL THOUGHTS
So, after hoping this lens is the answer to travel photography’s ultimate dilemma (size and portability vs. image quality), what are my final thoughts? The lens is without a doubt amazing and a real workhorse. You could put this lens in virtually any setting and get stunning images. This is almost As good as having four or five prime lenses on your camera at once, plus it’s instant to focus and weather resistant!
If I were planning a big adventure again, I would definitely buy this lens and literally just bring my 35mm f/1.4, but maybe for my smaller trips right now (like a recent four-night trip to Copenhagen), it might be a bit much. It was probably more than I needed for a family holiday in Cyprus despite taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself wonderfully.
This is the lens I wish I had when traveling around Australia or exploring Southeast Asia. If we ever book our honeymoon again (Australia and New Zealand), I will definitely purchase this lens. For now, I’ll keep the Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 as a backup and stick to my tried and tested dual prime setup with the Fujifilm 18mm f/1.4 and the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4. If someone at Fujifilm wants to make an 18-35mm f/1.4, that would be great!
I’m in no way knocking this lens, it’s fantastic and I know that if you’re unsure whether to add it to your collection or not, you’ll quickly fall in love with it! If you’re reading this, you’re probably intrigued to add it to your collection; either as an upgrade or as your first zoom lens. Either way, the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II will not disappoint.
SAMPLE IMAGES TAKEN WITH THE FUJIFILM 16-55MM F/2.8
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