Like a good mail delivery professional, a rainy day never stopped a true photographer. Of course, those who handle our mail are bound to a vow of “neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow,” while photographers can be forgiven for fretting about the rain getting to their expensive equipment, camera bodies, and lenses. With the FUJI XF 18-135 F/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR LENS, however, all of that fretting can finally be put to rest: this is the first weather-sealed lens in the X-series, providing a level of durability that goes above and beyond the normal call of duty. Heck, we’d give it the Fuji 18-135 Adorama Medal if it existed.
But let’s go beyond the weather-sealed protection to ask exactly how a lens of this quality works—and what kind of pictures it can be expected to deliver, no matter what the weather.
- Glass. Yes, glass. Perhaps the most overlooked part of the lens because, well, every lens has glass. Yet it’s rare that you’ll come across a lens with quite the level of glass as you see in this Fuji 18-135 XF lens. Why so? Because the glass that Fujifilm chose to install is interesting, featuring 4 aspherical glass lenses, 2 ED glass elements, and multi-layer HT-EBC coating. The high permeability—some 99.8%--and low reflectance here will reduce your lens flare and any potential ghosting, which means that your lens will take crisp shots every time.
- Silence. Another underrated aspect of a quality lens: the electronics. More specifically, the electronics that don’t make your lens so gosh dang loud when you’re trying to take a picture. The inner linear focusing mechanism and autofocus speed—perhaps as fast as 0.08 seconds when shooting in Performance Mode—make for quick, stealthy adjustments on the fly, with minimal interruption.
- Weather protection. We can’t skip past the protection element here—it’s just too impressive not to mention. The lens is weather-sealed in twenty different spots on the lens. Rain, dust, water splashes—they shouldn’t get in the way of either optics or the operation of the lens itself. And should you think that all this weather sealing would make a lens clumsy, consider the ventilator placed inside the lens barrel. This Fuji XF lens is more than just a lens—it’s something of a mobile anti-weather station for taking pictures.
- Stabilization. Fujifilm is particularly proud of the image stabilization in its Fuji XF lens, and we at Adorama think that’s for good reason. The 5-stop range of the stabilization methods is thanks to a gyro sensor that detects movement of all types. Sure, you can use a tripod if you want—but if you don’t have to, why would you?
- Weatherproof compatibility. If this lens were only compatible with non-weather-proofed cameras, it would defeat its own purpose. Luckily, the Fuji XF lens is compatible with Fujifilm X-T1 cameras, allowing you more mobility and flexibility in bad weather than you had anywhere else.
Truth be told, the FUJI XF 18-135 F/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR LENS isn’t just a weatherproof lens, but it’s a lens that’s built to take beautiful pictures no matter what the clouds look like. Between the high-quality glass, the sensitive image stabilization, and the quiet autofocus, you’ll have everything you need to take high-quality pictures with crisp clarity at a moment’s notice. Now, if only the mail was as effective.
From the Manufacturer
The Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6R M IOS WR lens is the first weather-sealed lens in the fast-evolving X-series lineup of mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera system, and has the world's most advanced image stabilization technology. Based on the lineup's APS sensors, the lens covers the 35mm equivalent range of 27-206mm. At its introduction, the Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6R M IOS WR was fully compatible with the Fujifilm X-T1, which is the only other weatherproofed camera in the X-series lineup.
The lens has 20 dust-proof and weather-proof sealed points, including a waterproof structure and compact design, and is being marketed to photographic enthusiasts looking for an all-around travel lens that can be used in extreme weather on their Fujifilm X-T1 cameras. Let's take a closer look at this lens.
Classy glass: Fujifilm has put some impressive glass in this lens: It has 4 aspherical glass lenses, 2 ED glass elements, and multi-layer HT-EBC coating, which has high permeability (99.8%) and low reflectance and reduces lens flare and ghosting.
Fast, quiet: The electronics are also well-matched to the X-series system, with Fujifilm claiming an inner linear focusing mechanism and a claimed AF speed as fast as 0.08 second when shooting in Performance Mode (based on CIPA standards). Focus noise is said to be very low, allowing for quiet operation when shooting video.
5-Stop Stabilization: Fujifilm claims this lens has the world's most advanced image stabilization technology, boasting a 5-stop range. This is made possible thanks to a new, high-precision gyro sensor with quarts oscillators that detect movement from high frequency to low frequency bandwidths. The ability to detect low-frequency band movement, along with a newly-developed algorithm that interprets the information, has lead to what Fujifilm says is a doubling of usable slow shutter speeds. This enables users to shoot in low light without a tripod.
Protection: The lens has been weather-sealed in 20 different areas of the lens barrel so sudden rain, dust and water splashes won't affect the optics or operation of the lens. To compensate for the weather seals (which could make zooming the lens feel stiff) a ventilator was placed inside the lens barrel. The Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6R M IOS WR lens is designed to be paired with the Fujifilm X-T1, which is currently the only weather-resistant Fujifilm MILC currently available.