6 Lenses for Perfect Portrait Photographer with the Fujifilm X-T3

If you own the excellent Fujifilm X-T3 and want to take your portraits to a new level, consider using these lenses.

The Fujifilm X-T3 is one of the most powerful APS-C cameras to grace the camera market. The camera is feature-packed and can create images on par with the images of some Full Frame cameras. There are some fantastic lenses available for it too. If you have been thinking about switching to the X-T3, or currently own one and want to start shooting portraits with it, the lenses we have listed will not disappoint. We know they will amaze you. Check out our six favorite lenses for portrait photography on the Fujifilm X-T3 after the break.

One thing Fujifilm users don’t have to worry about is whether or not Fujifilm lenses can perform. They are some of the best in the business. When you pair them with the Fujifilm X-T3 (or any X mount camera), you’ll be able to create pure magic. The lenses we list are incredibly well made, they find focus with lightning-fast speeds, the lenses render gorgeous colors (especially when combined with the Fujifilm film presets), ridiculously sharp images, and create beautiful creamy bokeh. There are lenses here that cover a wide range of price points too. Check out six of our favorite portrait lenses to use with the Fujifilm X-T3 below.

 

Fujifilm 35mm F2 R WR

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Great sharpness
• Nine aperture blades make the bokeh as good as it can be
• Small size
• Weather resistance
• The fastest focusing lens Fujifilm has offered as of the publication of this review

Cons

• Just f2…a refresh to the 35mm f1.4 would have been more appreciated and pushed the system ahead overall

Buy new ($399): Adorama

Buy used (as low as $359): Adorama

 

Fujifilm 35mm F1.4

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Exceptional image quality
• Jaw-dropping sharpness
• Focusing speed has improved with further firmware updates, but still isn’t top-notch
• The excellent metal build quality
• The finish will make it look like an old lens over time

Cons

• Still a bit too slow to focus in some situations, but when you have this kind of image quality, you really can’t complain

Buy new ($599): Adorama

Buy used (from $379): Adorama

 

Pro Tip: The Fujifilm X-T3 is a seriously powerful camera with top quality features such as 425 AF points, eye autofocus, a gorgeous electronic viewfinder, and an excellent touchscreen display. Like many other Mirrorless cameras, these features love to chew through batteries. One of the worst things that can happen is that your battery drains quickly, and you don’t want to be without a spare during a shoot. These third-party batteries are just as good as OEM models, and cost half as much. Make sure you carry some with you.

 

 Fujifilm 50mm F2 R WR

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• It’s $449
• Weather sealing
• Fast autofocus performance on the newer cameras
• Sharp optics and image quality
• Nice bokeh
• Only gets sharper when you use a flash
• Pretty compact
• Nice build quality

Cons

• Not much, honestly

Buy new ($449): Adorama

Buy used (as low as $409): Adorama

 

Fujifilm 56mm F1.2

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Super sharp wide open. In fact, this is the sharpest lens for mirrorless cameras that we’ve tested
• Excellent resolution and sharpness when studio lighting is used
• Dreamy bokeh
• Great feel in the hand
• In good to fair lighting, its focusing abilities are about as fast as the company’s 35mm f1.4 offering
• Almost no reason to stop it down, and you’ll be encouraged to shoot wide open

Cons

• Even though it is an f1.2 lens, we wish the aperture were faster
• Misfocusing happens a bit more than we’d like in low light situations
• Fairly expensive
• Color rendition from the 35mm f1.4 is a tad better

Buy new ($999): Adorama

Buy used (as low as $659): Adorama

 

Pro Tip: Portrait photography is a fantastic genre. It allows photographers to capture the essence of a person, though this is no easy task. Sure, we all have go-to poses that work for the majority of subjects, but sometimes you really have to struggle to find poses that work. Fortunately, there are guides and tutorials available that can arm you with knowledge on how to pose just about any person, in any situation. This one from Lindsay Adler is a must-have for portrait photographers who want to learn all there is to know about posing. You’ll never be stuck without ideas again.

 

Fujifilm 90mm F2 R LM WR

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Superb image quality
• Weather sealing
• Great bokeh
• Very sharp image quality
• Makes great use of Fujifilm’s Classic Chrome and Astia film renderings
• Well balanced with both the X Pro 1 and the X-T1
• Lightweight lens
• The focusing ring feels really big and beefy
• Surprisingly fast and accurate focusing
• Pretty much no distortion
• Perhaps the single best portrait lens that Fujifilm has made for the X series camera system–even better than the 56mm f1.2

Cons

• Fujifilm’s largest prime lens to date of publishing this review
• No image stabilization

Buy new ($949): Adorama

Buy used (as low as $759): Adorama

 

Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Internal zooming keeps things reasonably compact
• Wonderfully sharp images
• Very nice bokeh, if that matters to you
• Tripod collar makes for a good grip
• Weather-sealed

Cons

• Prepare to drop serious cash: this lens ain’t cheap
• The focusing ring moves a bit too slowly

Buy now ($1,599): Adorama