The Fujifilm XH2 is a fantastic camera for photographers. If you’re looking for the best film simulations, the richest colors, and autofocus performance Fuji has needed, grab this camera. And more importantly, get the best lenses for it. We’re rounding up the best lenses for the Fujifilm XH2 in the form of zoom lenses. Take a look at this roundup of the glass we’ve tested.
How We Chose the Best Lenses for the Fujifilm XH2
Here’s some insight into how we chose the best lenses for the Fujifilm XH2:
- Our Editorial policies don’t allow our staff to include products we haven’t fully reviewed within these specially formatted feature roundups. With that said, all the lens product images were shot by our staff. And we’ve done full reviews of all of the products listed here.
- The best lenses for the Fujifilm XH2 are arguably zooms, especially because this style of camera was pretty much created for those. They’ll balance very well with the Fujifilm XH2
- The Fujifilm XH2 has features like subject detection for animal and bird autofocus. Combine these with the lenses we’re recommending and you’ll never miss a shot.
- With the Fujifilm XH2, we recommend shooting in slow continuous mode to get the fewest missed shots.
- The best lenses for the Fujifilm XH2 are also all weather resistant, in the case of these zoom lenses. What’s more, all of these also have image stabilization built in.
- These three lenses should be able to cover most of what you need. Sure, Fujifilm has faster f2.8 aperture lenses. But we’ve never found them particularly fascinating.
Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
PROS
- Small
- Weather sealed
- Under $1,000
- Image stabilized
- Basically a 24-105mm at f2.8
- Lightweight
CONS
- Tamron is a beautiful diamond being wasted on the sad Ringpop that is the Sony APS-C camera system.
In our review, we state:
The Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is the full-frame equivalent of a 26-105mm f2.8 lens. The depth of field will be around f4.2 in full-frame too. But the light gathering and true aperture will still be f2.8. This is the first time we’ve ever gotten a lens like this. Add onto all this the vibration compensation, sharp optics, and weather sealing features. Then realize that it’s under $1,000. To me, this sounds like a no-brainer.
Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD
PROS
- Smaller than competing lenses
- Handheld telephoto shooting
- Versatile zoom range, with close-up ability
- Great color and background separation
- Reasonable price
- Weather-sealing
- Fantastic for Fujifilm X mount
CONS
- Autofocus has occasional misses with fast action
- Soft corners
In our review, we state:
In late 2022, Tamron announced that the Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD will be available for Fujifilm X mount. In many ways, this is perfect. It’s a full-frame lens now being used on an APS-C sensor. And overall, the autofocus works pretty well. It does indeed have a few hiccups on the Fujifilm X Pro 3, Fujifilm X Pro 1, Fujifilm XH2, and the Fujifilm XH2s. These hiccups have to do with focusing from one end of the range all the way to the other. Sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won’t. There’s an odd workaround where you have to focus on something close, then slightly far away, and then further away. Otherwise, you just need to constantly keep your fingers on the focus limiter switch.
Fujifilm 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR
Pros
- Useful zoom range from ultra-wide to a standard wide-angle
- Weather sealed
- Stabilized to 3.5 stops, or 6.5 stops with the X-T4
- Compact and lightweight
- Great color and barrel distortion correction
- Full of character
Cons
- Soft edges, especially at 10mm and 24mm
- Would love to see a brighter aperture
In our review, we state:
“The 10-24mm zoom isn’t unheard of, and weather-sealed lenses are thankfully becoming more common. But what’s unique about this lens is the stabilization. Yes, there are plenty of stabilized lenses out there. But, those stabilization systems tend to go to the telephotos and mid-range focal lengths. Packing the stabilization into a wide-angle creates more opportunities for a walk-around lens for nighttime street photography or even shooting brief long exposures handheld. I was able to shoot a two-second exposure without a tripod.”
Fujifilm 16-80mm f4 R OIS WR
Pros
- Versatile focal range
- Great image quality overall
- Reliable autofocus
- Excellent chromatic aberration mitigation
- Features optical image stabilization
- A dedicated aperture control ring
- Weather-resistant construction
- Good value at US $799
Cons
- We would’ve liked a maximum constant aperture of f2.8 rather than f4
- Manual focusing ring doesn’t offer much resistance when turning
- No dedicated manual focus button
- Noticeable falloff in sharpness as you move towards the periphery of the frame
In our review we state:
“When it comes to image quality, the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4 delivers on almost every front. Sharpness is the only area that we can truly find faults with this lens, and that’s if we’re being extra critical. It’s a solid performer that will make for a fine addition into most X mount shooter’s arsenals.”
Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6 R OIS WR
Pros
- Ergonomic
- Versatile
- Fast autofocusing from 5m to infinity in well-lit environments
- Image Stabilization
- Weather sealed
Cons
- Slower to focus in less than ideal lighting situations
- Autofocus has difficulty in high contrast situations with a lot of texture
- Bokeh easily produces cat’s eye and onion ring effects, if you care about that
In our review, we state:
“If rich in detail is the objective, the Fujifilm XF 70-300mm will not disappoint. This lens is sharp, especially when paired with the Fujifilm 26MP X-Trans sensor. Chromatic aberration was not an issue with this lens, and if it was, any fringing was barely noticeable. Lens flares and stars appear to be minimal. The custom JPEG user profiles make it easy to nip this in the bud. The lens compression also allows it to create a velvety background. The built-in image stabilization yields impressive imagery at longer focal lengths and shutter speeds.”
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.