One month with the Fujifilm 150-600 - A wildlife lens
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- The longest telephoto lens from Fujifilm was launched more than a year ago, but I finally had the chance to try it thanks to @FujifilmItalia
I have been willing to try it since day one, and after more than a month of use, I feel like I can finally talk intelligently about it.
Official Link:
fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products...
------------------------------------- Video Content -----------------------------------
00:00 - Intro
03:10 - Build & Functions
13:49 - Autofocus
19:06 - Image Quality
25:02 - Video
26:53 - Conclusions
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Video Recorded with the following gear:
Camera: Fujifilm X-H2s
Lens: Viltrox 27mm F1.2 Pro
Microphone: Rode VideoMic Go II
Various lights - Наука та технологія
Thank you for this comprehensive review...just purchased.
Thank you for sharing... I just purchased mine too
The most practical review of this lens I've seen with the all the information. I've been a Fuji shooter since 2016 with the 100-400mm, 70 -300mm and the 1.4TC. and considering this lens so great comments and great images.
Thanks, I really put a lot of effort into this... I'm happy it shows.
If you have both the 100-400 and the 70-300 I'd immediately sell the 100-400 to get the 150-600
Thanks for the reply. Yes I have thought about it but kind of attached to the 100-400 lens as have had it since 2016 and it's been my go to lens, produced some great images and I've won some competitions with it including recently the Epson Pano Awards. The 100-400mm new is also on sale here in Australia at present at the cheapest price ever along with the 150-600mm so 2nd hand I may not get good price. The 70 - 300mm also works so well with the 1.4TC so would make sense to sell the 100-400mm but I'm wondering why the current sale prices as hoping Fuji may have something like a 500mm F5.6 in the wings as they did register a patent a few years ago but no recent rumours. FYI currently shoot with an XH2 (and a GFX50SII) after progressing through the range from the XT1 back in 2015. @@LucaPetraliaPhotography
@@jonvause9883 I have the X-S20, the 70-300m and the 1.4X and it works well. A 500mm F/5.6 sounds good.
Mille Grazie, Luca, for taking the time for this thorough review, very helpful! I am still on the fence exchanging my 100-400mm + tc1,4 for this one.. but it is tempting.. :)
I would love to be able to give you some advice, but unfortunately I haven't tested the 100-400 for wildlife yet
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography all good, I guess if you do wildlife you‘re always wanting the longer reach ;-) on the other hand the 100-400 is more portable.. and I am not fully into wildlife, doing more landscapes.. keep up you‘re great work, enjoying your videos!
For landscapes I would always go for the 70-300. Even more lightweight and portable and great quality. In that case yes, 70-300 and 1.4x for the occasional wildlife
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography Grazie mille again, Luca, sounds like a great lens and set-up to consider!
Great review on this often-overlooked lens in the Fuji arsenal. I have owned this hunk if metal and glass for a little over a year and shortcomings notwithstanding, it has been a lens that has earned its keep and has paid for itself in the first two months of ownership. Yep, the dreaded “heat haze”, distortion, etc, is the bane of many long tele shooters. Not a lot we can do in the real world, though perhaps Adobe, DXO, or Topaz could use AI and create a filter that would eliminate or significantly reduce the haze/distortion. I never really could get on with Fuji’s predecessor, the 100-400. I am no fan of telescoping barrels, so up until the introduction of the 150-600, I was using my 50-140 as my primary lens for long-reach shots, paired with either Fuji’s 1.4x or 2x teleconverters. I am hoping that the 150-600 is up to the task of shooting the upcoming Solar Eclipse next month as this is my first Solar Eclipse (I have shot several Lunar Eclipse in the past) and as I live just outside the area of totality (Central Texas), I am hoping that I get something dramatic. All in all, with this lens, I feel that you are getting your money’s worth. Certainly not perfect ( see my big rant below) but at sub-$2000, it's a bargain.
My biggest complaint is not with the lens per se, but that the preferred camera that I most frequently use with this lens, is the X-T5. As we all know Fuji demoted the X-T lineup from flagship status to a secondary role and with that the elimination of the Battery Grip. I come from a photojournalism background going back to the early 80s and all of my rigs (Canon) up to the X-T3 had a “bottom half” e.g. Motor Drive, Power Booster, Battery Grip, etc...And shooting with a long tele, zoom or prime, that additional support went a long way to balance the weight of the lens and camera. Yes, I can hear everyone saying..” Buy the XH2….and add the BG” Well, I have rented both bodies and honestly I disliked them immensely. They had a Sony feel and vibe, yes, the AF is better (slightly) wonderful buffering compared to my ‘5’ but I want my dials not the PASM (which is largely why I switched to Fuji after nearly 40 years with Canon). If Fuji had kept the X-H1 design form (dials and pasm) with the X-H2’s goodies under the hood, then I might have made the jump. Oh, well, I guess you can't get everything you want in life. Rant Mode…Off.
Thanks for sharing, and ranting 😅. I will try to get more information on this solar eclipse, you caught my interest, although no one is talking about it here, so I guess it happens in the states. Am I correct?
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography Yes I believe that it begins in Mexico, makes it was up into Texas throughout the Central/Eastern portion of the the US up into the Canadian Maritimes.
Thank you, excellent as alway. Ive owned the lens sense it came out and I love it. The image quality is outstanding, it's an absolute no brainer to buy it with the current sales price. I also own the 200mm F2 and I and up using this 150-600 more for nature because of the reach.
Thanks again!
Great review. I own the lens and didn’t realise how easily the foot came off - thanks. I like your 5m pre-focus tip. I am glad the lens does not have stops when it rotates- I use it on a monopod with a mono gimbal and I think the stops would prevent smooth movement of the lens on the monopod. Your photos and video were great. I am jealous of the wildlife you have 😂
Thanks! I'm sure I would be jealous of the wildlife you have where you live. I miss having big mammals in my area, except for those deers
Great review, and many "pro tips" and educational. I don't have a lens of this type and now I want one. Buttons and levers are intimidating to us new photographers and you made them less scary. Awesome images and footage and now I want to go on safari, too.
Thank you a lot! I wanna go on a safari too, I'm sure I will at some point...
Once you get over the intimidation aspect of the various buttons etc. you very quickly find that they are precisely what makes the fuji system so intuitive in the field once you've set them up to your unique style.
@@peterjackhandy Thanks! Looking forward to it. I'm on auto rn.
Amazing review and footage in the begining. I have been wanting to buy this lens for my X-T5 since last yearand you might have just convinced me.
I hope one day Fuji releases a 500mm F/5.6 prime for the XF mount.
Fujirumors basically said that lens is coming in 2024 if I'm not wrong.
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography I wasn't aware of it, thanks for letting me know! I hope the price doesn't go above $3000 USD.
@@lionheart4424 that I don't know. Here's the rumor
ua-cam.com/video/ZdMov-VBINE/v-deo.htmlsi=2tDlrQpbgSYv5SCO
Wonderful review - thank you for your hard work on this and for sharing excellent images. The atmospheric effects are real - even with all this zoom range, you generally need to get close to the subject to hope to get crisp results. I'd add that people need to learn when to use OIS and when to turn it off. I assigned a button on my XT3 so I can quickly turn it on or off when the shutter goes over about 1/500, when I am panning or on a tripod. With LR's "enhance details" feature, I've gotten razor sharp shots at ISO 10,000 or even 12,800. The quality/intensity of the light and distance to the subject is far more important than the ISO, really, if you are willing to process RAWs.
In terms of pricing, I think you need to recognize that this lens is baring the "pro" badge on the Fuji system, and made in Japan. IF Nikon/Canon/Sony produced pro-grade versions of their 150-600-ish lenses, you'd be paying way, way more more. Every newer lens of this type that I have researched appears to have optimized image quality at around f/8 - making their "faster" apertures somewhat moot. Fuji appears to be the only lens that is optimized for shooting wide open (hence it is slightly "faster" than the FF lenses @ 600mm equivalent) and below. It is the only one optimized for APS-C (the others seem to look way worse on APS-C sensors/modes). It has been on sale for $1600 since Christmas, which is a total steal. I got mine for around $1400-$1500 used. The downside is that people do notice me when I am using it, which can be a distraction. In short, I think this is the best lens of the type on the market, period.
It's a great lens for sure. I will try to test other systems as well, cause I'm curious and stubborn.
You are definitely right on the OIS, I forgot to mention that, it may come in handy to turn it off at times.
However it is worth mentioning that turning it off makes it a lot harder to hand hold it, as the image may be too shaky, affecting also the autofocus performance as it becomes even more unpredictable
This lens may be “optimized for shooting wide open” whatever that means, but independent reviewers show it still has CA & sharpness issues wide open.
Nikon & Sony 200-600 are absolutely pro-grade even through they aren’t in their flagship lineup, which speaks to how good they are. Canon 100-500 definitely more expensive it’s an L series.
“The best lens of the type on the market”… yes, that must be why so many professional wildlife photographers are flocking to Fuji right now…
@@rvpcqpI shouldn't use big words like "optimized", what I meant was that you can shoot wide open to about f/16 and images will look great. F/22 is usable. "independent reviewers" who often get equipment for free and shill for the big companies are less important to me than my personal experience using the lens. There are no CA or "sharpness issues", at all. Lens is very well corrected and a stunner even compared to other of Fuji's top lenses. Conditions in the field and nailing focus is the hard part. The optics are excellent.
You can call the Nikon and Sony lenses pro-grade if you want, but Nikon and Sony don't. Neither look great on APS-C sensors.
You can use the lens for more than wildlife, of course.
@@matt88169 meant diffraction issues not ca… Chris Frost & Dustin Abbott are hardly shills and actually praised the lens while also recognizing its shortcomings. Mind you, they aren’t wildlife photographers. FramesTM did some good field testing… and idk anyone who does more BIF shots across all sensor size / systems than Mathieu Gasquet; XH2s + 150-600 performed worse than XT-4 which already had mediocre results. Plenty of other professional non wildlife Fuji shooters had to switch due to unreliable autofocus on regular lenses. This problem is only exacerbated by the high max aperture of this lens… Sorry but in 2023/2024 paying $4,500 for a flagship wildlife setup with such a bad keeper rate, less than stellar optics, and limited shooting conditions is a no go for me. It’s telling that other systems 2-5 year old mid range (non pro) setups beat Fuji’s top tier red badge. But you seem to love it and that’s all that matters. I’m just wondering what you’ll do when your needs surpass the abilities of this lens, Fuji has no other viable options and won’t be releasing anytime soon… but until then enjoy that FF equiv 225-900mm f8-12…
I have this since lens and I come from Sony and 200-600. Xt5 combined with 150-600 is perfect - and I love it! Ím very pleased with the results! And itś also not as heavy as the Sony!
Thanks for sharing!
I think for the price, weight, and reach this is a killer lens from Fuji. I would encourage anybody worried about high ISO performance to use something like DxO to process your best images… you will be surprised how good ISO 6400 images can look and even 12800. As long as exposure is good high ISO is a non issue these days.
I definitely agree
Tell me you’re a landscape photographer without actually telling me…
Not everyone has DEEP POCKETS
Excellent review Luca (as always). This is one “toy” that I don’t need/want for what I do, I had the XF100-400 which is a very good lens, but I found it to be too heavy and large to carry around so I traded it for the XF70-300 (with the 1.4 TC) which is good enough to shoot alligators from a safe distance and not get bitten. Be well, stay safe and have a great weekend.
Thanks as usual Enrique! I know this is not a lens for everyone, and I love the 70-300 as well
You could also pair the compact Fuji 70-300mm with this lens.
Beautiful pics, I liked them. I've been using this lens almost a year and I am very happy with it. Still I am totally agree with your final opinions: Fuji should provide alternatives to wildlife photographers on lens side. F8 is not the best option. And also, if we talk about new gen Fuji bodies, their sensors deserve better AF algorithms. Come on Fuji do something for this genre too.
100% agree
Your reviews are always very informative Luca 👍. Not only about gear, but you also provide great education about using cameras and lenses in general.
I was wondering if this lens might one day be a companion to my 70-300 (I also use it with the 1.4 TC a lot), but I think a telephoto prime will probably make more sense.
A 400mm F4, particularly with the 1.4 TC attached when needed would be awesome. However, I'm sure any telephoto prime that Fuji will release will be astronomically expensive unfortunately:/.
Maybe a used Nikkor 500 F5.6 with the new weather sealed Fringer adapter might be the way to go in the future because it's quite similar in price to the 150-600.
What's your opinion on adapted lenses in general? DPReview chats seem to say good things about them (at least the Canon and Nikon Fringer Pro adapters anyway)
I'm not big on adapted lenses, especially considering the autofocus is key for this genre.
The 150-600 will be the companion to my 70-300 ad well
Does automatic focusing include other items not of interest but compromises the best focus on a specific object like sailboats in a race where all are clustered together but you want to isolate a particular boat?
In crowded situations it may get confused
I am very late on this comment, since this video just finally popped up for me. But this was a very good and honest review. I was very interested in this lens but was heavily disappointed in the f8. I use a sigma 150-600 and that is 6.3 at the long end. I really hope that they release a 500mm f4 prime but being that they just release the 500 5.6 for GFX system that is likely what they would do for the x mount as well. I have gone back to canon for now to figure out the best wildlife setup for me. Which makes me sad because I love the Fuji system, there’s just always one or 2 deal breakers with every release that doesn’t grab me anymore.
If I'm being completely honest... I often have the same feeling, but if you are on another system I'm sure you get the same feeling when they release something new.
I guess we all have our ideal set of features, but they are all different... Companies have to then find the best compromise and there's always something to complain about. If there's nothing from the technical side... it's the price
Hast Du bei Deinem Test, an Deiner Fuji den C-Modus eingestellt, die Vogel und Augenerkennung, den Punktfokus auf Verfolgung, Pre-Fokus und volle Stromversorgung an Deiner Kamera ?
I definitely did, that's how I use the camera for wildlife photography
BTW, for not being a wild life photographer your photos were OUTSTANDING. I agree withe you a 400MM f4 would be AWSOME. The 200mm f2 is AMAIZING and the image quality with the included 1.4 is second to none, and Ive owned the Canon 200mm f2.0,Canon 400mm 2.8, Canon 300mm f2.8 and the Canon 500mm f4.
Thanks! I will be trying the 200mm soon (I hope), I'm very curious about the Great White Sharp (that's how Chris and Jordan named it in their review)
I bought one used awhile back. I need to try doing videography with it on a tripod. The best I’ve gotten has been pics of an Eagle but I was still very far away so I had to crop.
It takes a lot of dedication to be able to get closer... I didn't expect wildlife photography to be this complicated when I tried the first times
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography true. I still haven’t gotten a bird in flight picture I’m happy with.
I hear you
Beautiful video and still images, and an excellent review! I am pondering which lens to purchase: the Nikon Z 180-600mm lens, or this Fuji lens. I am leaning toward the Fuji 150-600mm, but I need to pay off some gear first. This will give me plenty of time to think about it.
I am very curious to try the Z8 with the 180-600, but unfortunately I have no experience with that
@LucaPetraliaPhotography Both lenses are perfect for birds and wildlife.
@@stanobert3475 that's for sure, I'm curious to test the new AF in Nikon. Maybe when they launch the d500 successor I'll give it a try
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography The Z D500 sucessor is the perfect camera for wildlife photography, but Nikon insists on concentrating on their full frame cameras.
@stanobert3475 then I won't be buying their products😅
Another Cheaper choice for Fujifilm is the Sigma 100-400 DC DN, yes it is a full frame lens, but is lighter and cheaper than the Fujifilm XF 100-400. The sigma is 1/3 stop slower at 400mm
Having said this, a colleague of mine that actually does wildlife photography (I'm a portrait photographer), and has the XF100-400 lens has found himself more and more using the Tamron 18-300, and using the X-T5 with 40MP to crop in post (or in camera) as he finds the 18-300 is so easy to walk around with he misses less moments.
Is the quality as good, no, but it weighs a fraction of bigger heavier, faster lenses
I had a terrible experience with that tamron, but I'm sure it was my lens that was a bad sample. With my sample I wouldn't get any croppability as it wasn't sharp at all
As for the Sigma,I would love to try it... I'm very curious
@@LucaPetraliaPhotography I think it is "good enough" in all honesty, I've not used it or tested it, or printed any images from it bigger than A4 yet
Beware the dreaded GAS:
I've used my 100-400 for several years now; upgrading the camera as & when a new model with 'my' features pops up, ending-up with thhe x-t5.
Then this beast of a lens came out, but I resisted for a year before taking the plunge; then my buddy went & upgraded his sony kit to the S9## ( never can keep up with sony's model names) and his shots were suddenly noticeably better than mine {:0(
Fast frame-rate & preshot being the big advantage in getting the 'money shot'.
The upshot is; I now have the x-h2s/150-600 for wildlife & surfing photography...
AND the x-t5/100-400 for events, concerts etc where I need 40mpx & reach, but not necessarily speed.
Divorce was hinted at, but I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth 😬
Ahaha, hang in there! Pre-shot is available in the X-T5 too, but for wildlife the X-H2s is a better camera for sure. As for the lens, it's really good. I'm trying to put together a comparison with the 100-400, but I don't know when it'll be done
It’s a sunny weather lens!
Mostly yes
Topaz photo ai makes it way more versatile than that.
How does this compares to Sony A93+200-600 or Z8+180-600? Thanks
I wish I knew, but honestly I haven't tried those combo
The x-h2s' not as competent but, at about half the money & less hefty, it's close enough for me.
Something to bear in mind is that 'orrible cf express type A that sony use - Gharstly thing!
AF: Fujifilm isn't only "a little bit behind". They are using superior hardware (stacked sensor, high speed cpu) and the gap is still quite huge, so their algorithms are much worse.
The 150-600mm is much better than the 100-400mm. Much better balance, higher hit rate. Better contrast and sharpness.
In the end: too many compromises, it needs too much light.
Fujifilm customers are too price sensitive and their cameras aren't really used by pros for sports or wildlife, not even as 2nd or 3rd choice.
There are good reasons why Fujifilm is selling it with a huge cash back offer (400€ in Germany, which damages the market for used lenses completely).
I think you're being a bit too harsh, but also I get your point.
I'm sure, like you, the AF gap in Fuji is algorithm driven more than hardware driven, which means it can be "easily" improved via firmware. They already promised a big update in the upcoming months, and I bet it will address this.
Do I expect Sony/Canon like performance? No
Do I expect a big jump? Yes
As for the cashbacks, yes they kill the used market, and it sucks for those who want to sell, but that also mean you can buy now and, if not happy, sell later when the cashback ends
AF: Fuji newest flagship camera still worse than 3-5 year old Sony / Canon midrange camera lol even Nikon leapfrogged now up there with the best.
@LucaPetraliaPhotography the gap is completely software driven, as they are using superior hardware, which makes it even worse. This shows how much worse their algorithm is....
One UA-camr said "they are on par with the competition. With the competition we had 2-5 years ago."
I am waiting for their updates, "summer" is far away, very disappointing that they need so much time (while Nikon is delivering their stellar updates very fast).
I am already planing my exit strategy, probably leaving end of this year. Selling my XH2s/XH2 including too many lenses, not only the 150-600mm. I am not very optimistic.
Their lens development? Same frustrating stagnacy.
Getting used to lower hit rates, great shots of singular moments where the eye isn't in focus (although the camera signalled it is), missing a shot because tracking doesn't work .... would be cheaper ;-)
I‘m sorry to have to say I agree. The camera / lens combination is not as good for wildlife as hoped by me. The lens is definitely too slow!!