Fujifilm XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS

Fujifilm's mid-range telephoto zoom is compact and affordable yet gives plenty of reach.

- Andy Westlake

The Fujifilm XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a mid-range telephoto zoom for X-system cameras, offering a 105-450mm equivalent zoom range at a relatively affordable price of £729. As all those initials indicate, it's pretty feature-packed, with an aperture ring, linear motor for autofocus, optical image stabilisation, and weather-resistant build.

Released back at the start of 2021, the 70-300mm sits in Fujifilm's range above the older XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, which gives an 83-300mm equivalent range but lacks weather-sealing. The next step up is the much larger, heavier and more expensive XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR. There aren't really any direct third-party alternatives; Sigma offers an excellent 100-400mm for not much more money, but again, it's much less portable. Sigma also makes a rather nice 16-300mm superzoom, and Tamron an 18-300mm, but that's a rather different kind of lens.

One big attraction of the 70-300mm lies with how well it fits into Fujifilm's lens range.

Match it up with the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR and XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR, and you get a combined 15-450mm equivalent range at an overall weight of well under 1.5kg. To me, that's a pretty compelling combination for everyday photography. What's more, it's compatible with Fujifilm's XF teleconverters if you need even more reach. Let's take a closer look at what it offers.

Features

Optically, the lens is constructed using 17 elements in 12 groups, including one aspherical element and two made from extra-low dispersion (ED) glass, to maintain cross-frame sharpness and suppress chromatic aberration. It employs a 9-blade aperture diaphragm that stops down to f/22. Builtin optical stabilisation promises 5.5 stops of shake reduction, and works in concert with cameras that have in-body stabilisation.