Fujifilm XF 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR Review: The Kit Zoom Gets Wider and Sealed
Fujifilm’s XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 was one of the best kit zooms ever made, and it lasted about 12 years. The XF 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR replaces it. Fujifilm announced it on May 16, 2024 alongside the X-T50, at $699 on its own, and it shipped in June.
The new lens starts wider, at 16mm, which frames like 24mm on full frame. The range is 24-76mm equivalent. It weighs about 240 grams, roughly 70 grams less than the 18-55mm, making it the lightest XF zoom. It’s also weather sealed at 13 points, which the old lens never was.
A light standard zoom is the lens for wandering a city: wide enough for a canal and its bridges, long enough to pick out a doorway or a café table.
Photo: Media Instances
Gordon Laing’s review compares it with the XF 18-55mm it replaces.
Video review: Gordon Laing
Design
The optical formula is 11 elements in 9 groups, with three aspherical and three ED elements. The aperture has nine blades and the filter thread is 58mm. A linear motor drives a light inner focus group, and Fujifilm claims focusing in as little as 0.015 seconds.
The lens doesn’t extend when you zoom. Close focus is 24cm at every focal length, for 0.3x magnification, which is useful for food, flowers and small objects.
There’s an aperture ring, but it’s unmarked, with a switch for automatic aperture. There’s no optical stabilization, a step back from the 18-55mm’s OIS. On bodies without IBIS, like the X-M5 or X-T30 II, that matters for slow shutter speeds and handheld video.
How it performs
Lenstip found the center sharp, with negligible color fringing, and gave it an Editor’s Choice for price and performance. Camera Labs and Lenstip both found autofocus quick and silent.
The trade-offs: the aperture drops to f/4.8 at 50mm, darker than the 18-55mm’s f/4. Camera Labs saw soft corners wide open, some autofocus hunting in video and slight focus breathing. Lenstip measured high uncorrected distortion, which the camera fixes automatically.
Who should buy it
Anyone buying a Fujifilm body who wants one small, sealed zoom for everyday shooting and travel. It’s the natural lens for the X-T50, and it suits the X-T5 and X-S20, which have in-body stabilization to make up for the missing OIS.
If you shoot in low light or want OIS, a used XF 18-55mm is still a fine lens. If you want a constant aperture, the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 costs less and stays at f/2.8, though it’s only sealed at the mount. The XF 16-55mm F2.8 II is the pro upgrade. For a full kit, see our Fujifilm X-mount holy trinity.