Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro Review: Life-Size Macro in a 195-Gram Lens
Most macro lenses are long. The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro isn’t. Fujifilm announced it on November 2, 2022, alongside the X-T5, at about $599. It focuses down to 1:1 life size and weighs 195 grams.
On X mount it frames like a 46mm lens, close to a normal view. That makes it two lenses in one: an everyday prime for street and travel, and a true macro when you get close.
Close-up work in spring is the obvious use: blossoms on a branch, the detail of petals, the texture of bark, all at a size you can’t see with your eye.
Photo: Pixel Effects
Dustin Abbott’s review includes a detailed look at image quality.
Video review: Dustin Abbott
Design
The optical formula is 11 elements in 9 groups, with three aspherical and two ED elements. The aperture has nine rounded blades, and the filter thread is 43mm. A linear motor drives internal focusing, so the lens doesn’t grow as you focus closer.
Minimum focus distance is 10cm, measured from the sensor. There’s an aperture ring with a lock on the A position, and no switches or focus limiter. It’s sealed at nine points and rated to -10°C, with a fluorine-coated front element. There’s no stabilization.
How it performs
Abbott, Photography Blog and Fstoppers all liked the size, the fast and quiet autofocus, and the everyday focal length. Color fringing is low and flare resistance is good.
The short focal length has a cost: at 1:1 the front of the lens is very close to the subject. Abbott, Photography Blog and Fstoppers all flagged the working distance, which makes insects hard and lighting tricky. Fstoppers found the hood blocks light at close range and has to come off. There’s no focus limiter, which slows autofocus at normal distances.
Opinions on sharpness differ. Abbott found mid-frame and corner sharpness fall off and saw busy bokeh, while Photography Blog found the edges nearly as sharp as the center. Abbott also measured pincushion distortion and heavy vignetting that need correction.
Who should buy it
Fujifilm shooters who want a small walk-around prime that can also do real macro: food, product shots, flowers and details. It’s a good match for the X-T5 and X-S20, whose stabilization helps handheld close-ups.
For insects and more working room, the XF 80mm F2.8 Macro is the better tool, with stabilization, at more than twice the weight. The older XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro only reaches half life size. If you mostly shoot people and streets, the XF 33mm F1.4 is brighter.
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