Fuji 100-400mm Received Today 1st Impressions

[PhilippeVdp]

On this photo you see the same "issue" what I also saw with the olympus 300mm F4. When branches are really close to the subject, they are shown "double".
Here I don't like the bokeh at all ... just something to remember when taking photos I guess : "make sure that there's sufficiant distance between subject and background"

 

can't wait to test my copy though , it's sitting here waiting until I got a fuji body (xpro2)

 

And a nice great tit (dark, high iso):



 

Edited February 29, 2016 by PhilippeVdp

[Hauxon]

I´ve had mine for a week now.   It seems to be the lens we were all hoping for, it's very sharp wide open at 400mm and focus speed and stabilization seem good.  I had the Canon 400/5.6 L before and the 500/4.5 L.  The 500mm lens is the best lens I've ever had and worked great with the 1DsII I had at the time.  The X-T1 + the XF100-400 may not be there but  getting closer and hopefully the X-T2 will have improved tracking capabilities.  Overall I'm very pleased with the lens.

 

Here's a test shot with the X-Pro2 (pre-production model) + XF 100-400.  Lame subject ...but great feather detail.

 

I also think it looks quite nice on my GS X-T1.

[Puma Cat]

Shot indoors low light & full afternoon back lighting from the window behind Ronaldo.

Hand held @ 1/60sec f5.6 ISO6400 SOOC Jpeg no PP.

Ronaldo is a very handsome fellow and looks very much like my cat, Lucky. 

[Ewie]

The Last 10 - 122 Bird shots were with the X-T10 100-400 (1.4xTC)

 

impressed is all I can say.

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154128605569674&set=gm.1748052192097199&type=3&theater

 

even just downloading the facebook picture  and looking at the detail is impressive.

[paterczm]

Some more examples (click to enlarge):

 

Cardinal
 

 

CAMERA Fuji X-T1

LENS XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

ISO 400

FOCAL LENGTH 400.0 mm (600.0 mm in 35mm)

APERTURE f/9

EXPOSURE TIME 0.002s (1/500)

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Hawk in flight

 

 

CAMERA Fuji X-T1

LENS XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

ISO 200

FOCAL LENGTH 400.0 mm (600.0 mm in 35mm)

APERTURE f/10

EXPOSURE TIME 0.00222s (1/450)

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Red Squirrel

 

 

CAMERA Fuji X-T1

LENS XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

ISO 200

FOCAL LENGTH 400.0 mm (600.0 mm in 35mm)

APERTURE f/6.4

EXPOSURE TIME 0.00286s (1/350)

[quincy]

I still like the lens, and I still like the background it produces:

 

 

(it's ISO 2500 btw.)

[PhilippeVdp]

I rather like the bokeh it gives
The only issue is that you'll get noticed while taking street photos
https://flic.kr/p/Eh1AUT
 

 

[Apertur]

Hey, which AF mode do you use? When I use mode 1 most pics are not sharp. With AF mode 2 (only active when taking a pic) it works great.

[PhilippeVdp]

I use euh don't know the number, the one where the IS only works when you press the shutterbutton.
Mainly for saving some battery power.
 

What I will change next time when I use auto iso with this lens ... change the minimum shutterspeed from 1/60 to 1/180 or even higher.
I had issues where it only used iso 250 but with shutter speed of 1/60 when I was zoomed out to 400mm. 

a bit stupid because people were moving

 

[Key2104]

I received my 100-400 today and I am not convinced. A couple of years ago I downsized from a Canon 5D Mk 2 to an X-E2 because the Canon kit was getting too heavy. I have been very pleased with the camera and the range of lenses that I have bought but I have been missing the long zoom. Well the wait is over and I unpacked the lens this afternoon.

 

A visual inspection showed that the build quality was good but the first issue reared its ugly head. The zoom ring is very stiff. So much so that when I mounted the lens I could feel the play in the mounting between lens and camera. It is so stiff that it is impossible to get fine adjustments in the zoom while panning. I will call Fuji tomorrow and see what they have to say. The second issue is that there is buzzing and slight vibration all the time the camera is turned on. I had this with my L series Canon 100-400 and it seemed if you were unlucky you got a lens that did this but it did not affect the performance of the lens. The final point is £1500 for lens and converter and I get a grubby cloth bag to wrap the lens in! Message to Fuji go buy a Canon 100-400 and see the case you get.

 

I am not going to do any serious testing with the lens until I have spoken with Fuji. Anyone else had similar problems?

[Nick05]

I received my 100-400 today and I am not convinced. A couple of years ago I downsized from a Canon 5D Mk 2 to an X-E2 because the Canon kit was getting too heavy. I have been very pleased with the camera and the range of lenses that I have bought but I have been missing the long zoom. Well the wait is over and I unpacked the lens this afternoon.

 

A visual inspection showed that the build quality was good but the first issue reared its ugly head. The zoom ring is very stiff. So much so that when I mounted the lens I could feel the play in the mounting between lens and camera. It is so stiff that it is impossible to get fine adjustments in the zoom while panning. I will call Fuji tomorrow and see what they have to say. The second issue is that there is buzzing and slight vibration all the time the camera is turned on. I had this with my L series Canon 100-400 and it seemed if you were unlucky you got a lens that did this but it did not affect the performance of the lens. The final point is £1500 for lens and converter and I get a grubby cloth bag to wrap the lens in! Message to Fuji go buy a Canon 100-400 and see the case you get.

 

I am not going to do any serious testing with the lens until I have spoken with Fuji. Anyone else had similar problems?

the zoom ring on mine was a little stiff at first. Either it loosened up some after the first day of shooting or I became used to it. I haven't noticed any noise coming from it.

[darknj]

[...]The second issue is that there is buzzing and slight vibration all the time the camera is turned on. [...]

 

That's normal, it's the same thing with the 18-135 lens, it's the Linear Motor that is in action. 

 

On an older thread we discussed about the LM engine in the lens, it does make some sounds, but not that badly audible for anyone else than the person holding the camera and doesn't affect the quality of the produced image.

At least not on any perceptible level on both the 18-55 and 18-135 lenses.

 

Apparently turning the OIS off does lessen a bit the sound of it, but it doesn't really turn it off completely. There are also some speculations about the lens draining a bit more power, I haven't seen anything to confirm that as I get steadily over 300 shots on the X-T1 using Patona batteries and around 320-350 with Fuji's own batteries before seeing the dreadful red battery icon.

[Armagh]

I received my 100-400 today and I am not convinced. A couple of years ago I downsized from a Canon 5D Mk 2 to an X-E2 because the Canon kit was getting too heavy. I have been very pleased with the camera and the range of lenses that I have bought but I have been missing the long zoom. Well the wait is over and I unpacked the lens this afternoon.

 

A visual inspection showed that the build quality was good but the first issue reared its ugly head. The zoom ring is very stiff. So much so that when I mounted the lens I could feel the play in the mounting between lens and camera. It is so stiff that it is impossible to get fine adjustments in the zoom while panning. I will call Fuji tomorrow and see what they have to say. The second issue is that there is buzzing and slight vibration all the time the camera is turned on. I had this with my L series Canon 100-400 and it seemed if you were unlucky you got a lens that did this but it did not affect the performance of the lens. The final point is £1500 for lens and converter and I get a grubby cloth bag to wrap the lens in! Message to Fuji go buy a Canon 100-400 and see the case you get.

 

I am not going to do any serious testing with the lens until I have spoken with Fuji. Anyone else had similar problems?

 

Yes I do feel my zoom ring is very stiff coming from a canon 300 f4 lens myself but maybe because of the weight of the lens it needs to be stiff. On my XT10 it does shift in the mount when focusing but that wouldn't really concern me. What did Fuji say about it? 

[Key2104]

I finally got my replacement 100-400 and the zoom ring is stiff but not as bad as the first example. I did not have a lot of time today to use it but my first shot is here: http://www.pbase.com/stewartcclark/image/162910707. The lens still buzzes and I think that it is due to the fact that the lens is constantly focusing without pressing the shutter button the focus tracks. Not sure if I have set something incorrectly in the camera.

[dwalme]

The lens still buzzes and I think that it is due to the fact that the lens is constantly focusing without pressing the shutter button the focus tracks. Not sure if I have set something incorrectly in the camera.

The buzzing you are hearing is the linear motor.  The 50-140mm does it too.   You should be able to hear when using the camera, but it should be barely noticeable.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Of all my Fuji lenses this is my favourite to shoot with, because it's just so damned fun.

 

Not the sharpest, not the lightest, not the fastest, not even the most useful (for me), but gosh is it FUN.

[Felice Monteleone]

Great review, thanks for this.

I will try the X-PRO2, with the 40-150 and 100-400 + 1.4x in the next MotoGP rounds.

Hope to come back to home with good results!

Some experience in motorsport photography with the 100-400 in this forum?

 

Thanks and cheers,

Felice