In summary
Because it’s being supplied with entry-level cameras, this lens is likely to be popular and, although not flawless, it’s a very decent kit lens. Those who acquire it should be happy with its resolution across the most commonly used aperture and focal length settings and its handling of detail for such a compact and affordable lens.
The powered zoom is more video- than stills-friendly and, without any way of knowing the intermediate focal length settings, it won’t suit users who require precision when zooming.
For travellers, the compact size and light weight are augmented by a slightly wider than average focal length range, which will be better for landscapes and cityscapes than most kit zooms.
Near-silent autofocusing makes it ideal for shooting movie clips.
Full review
The Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens is the latest kit lens for Fujifilm’s X-mount interchangeable-lens cameras with APS-C size sensors. Covering a zoom range equivalent to 23-69mm in 35mm format, it’s slightly wider than the previous 16-50mm kit zoom but not quite as long. This lens features a powered zoom function, which lets users control the zoom speed by rotating the zoom ring. It comes in black and silver versions to match Fujifilm’s entry-level cameras.
The two colour options available for the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens. (Source: Fujifilm.)
For the first time ever we’re able to compare two versions of a lens as we received this lens with two different cameras, the X-A5 and the X-T100. Though we can’t draw definitive evaluations from only two samples, having them will provide some indication of the inevitable sample variations that can occur during manufacturing. Where relevant, comparisons will be provided.
Who’s it for?
Most people will acquire this lens with a camera, either the X-A5 or the X-T100. However it is also sold separately by some specialist retailers.
A couple of features make this lens worthy of consideration. Firstly, it is the smallest and lightest zoom lens available for the Fujifilm X-Series cameras, which makes it a good choice for those who want to travel with compact and lightweight gear.
The second point of interest is the electronic zoom which, according to Fujifilm, helps keep the overall size of the lens down. In theory, powered zoom lenses should operate smoothly and be ideal for shooting video. However, they tend to be more difficult to adjust with a high degree of precision.
Build and Ergonomics
Typically for a kit lens, the XC 15-45mm is made primarily from polycarbonate plastic ““ right down to both inner and outer barrels and the lens mount. This accounts for its very light weight (135 grams). It is also small in size, with a maximum diameter of 62.6 mm and measuring 44.2 mm when collapsed and extending up to 65.2mm when the camera is powered-up.
The 10 mm wide focusing ring sits a couple of millimetres back from the front of the lens. Rotating it in a clockwise direction shifts the focus from close to infinity. Directly behind the focusing ring is the zoom ring, which is also electronically controlled. This ring is 15 mm wide and, like the focusing ring, has a finely-ribbed grip band. This ring can be rotated through about 20 degrees.
Turning the ring to the left moves the focal length towards the 15mm position, while turning it to the right goes towards 45mm. Two zoom speeds are available, fast and slow. The fast speed produces audible noise that is likely to be picked up in movie soundtracks. The slow speed is quiet and nicely controllable when shooting movies but it’s difficult to frame accurately when setting up to take a still shot.
Behind the trailing edge of the zoom ring, the lens barrel steps in a little before sloping gently inwards to the edge of the plastic mounting plate. There are no switches on the lens barrel so swapping between auto and manual focusing requires some menu diving or a tap on the focus icon in the Live View display.
The integrated OIS stabilisation system provides a claimed three stops of shake correction. Users are required to choose from one of four stabilisation modes provided in the camera’s menu (page 5), the default being continuous. An Off option is also available.
Focusing
Focusing is fully internal, driven by a stepping motor that moves a dedicated group of lens elements. The front element of the lens doesn’t move, making it easy to use angle-critical filters like polarisers and graduates.
Manual focusing is driven electronically by a stepping motor, which operates through the camera body. This enables users to adjust focus very quickly, although its operation isn’t necessarily smooth and it can be difficult to focus precisely in manual mode.
Autofocusing was quick and accurate in reasonably bright conditions but less so in low light levels and when contrast was low. Focusing speed slowed noticeably in such conditions and the lens showed a tendency to hunt on both the cameras we used for our tests.
With focusing set in the default ‘Release’ priority mode, close focusing could be problematic at both ends of the zoom range since the camera would record shots even if they were slightly unsharp. Setting the priority to ‘Focus’ is essential when shooting close-ups. This requires use of the mechanical shutter.
Performance
Optically, the performance of this lens was in line with Fujifilm’s usual high standards, which extend to the company’s budget-friendly kit lenses. Centre-of-field resolution came very close to meeting expectations for the 24-megapixel sensors in JPEG files from the X-A5 and the X-T100 cameras we used for our Imatest tests. Graphs in each of the camera reviews show raw files from both cameras comfortably exceeded the JPEGs’ resolution.
Interestingly, we found variations in performance between the X-A5 and X-T100 when comparing the results of our analysis of JPEG files across all lens apertures at four focal length settings. The differences weren’t huge but indicate the extent of sample variations for what is essentially a lens that is mass-produced to meet a specific price level.
Although the sensors in the X-A5 and X-T100 appear to be identical, differences in how the image processing system has been tweaked could also account for some of the performance differences. (It’s worth noting the buffer memory in the X-T100 is substantially larger than the X-A5’s, which would require less processing power when handling image files.)
The graphs below show the resolutions recorded across the focal length ranges. Because neither camera displays the focal length when the lens is adjusted, it was impossible to use matching focal lengths when testing the two lenses. However, the lens supplied with the X-A5 combined a lower maximum resolution with closer uniformity across the focal length/aperture ranges, while the lens supplied with the X-T100 had higher central sharpness overall but more edge softness across the tested range.
Results from the X-A5 camera.
Results from the X-T100 camera.
Lateral chromatic aberration was negligible-to-low with both cameras, However, here the amount of variation was greater with the X-A5, although the X-T100 lens suffered higher levels of CA overall. The graphs below show the results from each lens.
Results from the X-A5 camera.
Results from the X-T100 camera.
It was difficult to assess the performance of the IS system for normal shooting, since focusing can be problematic in low light conditions where stabilisation is advantageous. With longer exposure times, hesitant autofocusing can cause blurring that is difficult to separate from camera shake. We feel Fujifilm’s claim of three stops of shake correction is only feasible in optimal conditions.
Because both cameras provide in-camera corrections for vignetting and distortion we assessed these factors be looking at ARW.RAW files, which were converted the test shots into TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw, our preferred converter. We found little evidence of either aberration beyond very slight barrel distortion, which was barely visible.
Flare was also handled very well, with very slight evidence of veiling flare when a bright light source was included in the frame. Backlit subjects were handled quite well, thanks to Fujifilm’s dynamic range adjustments, although the auto setting was inadequate for subjects with very wide brightness ranges.
With a minimum focusing distance of 35 cm at the 45mm focal length, this lens is not well suited to close-up shooting, although it can be used for close-up shots of large enough subjects. The f/5.6 maximum aperture provides modest scope for isolating subjects from the background, although de-focused areas were surprisingly smooth when tones had similar intensities. Slight outlining could be seen around bright highlights in blurred backgrounds.
Conclusion
Because it’s being supplied with entry-level cameras, this lens is likely to be popular and, although not flawless, it’s a very decent kit lens. Those who acquire it should be happy with its resolution across the most commonly used aperture and focal length settings and its handling of detail for such a compact and affordable lens.
The powered zoom is more video- than stills-friendly and, without any way of knowing the intermediate focal length settings, it won’t suit users who require precision when zooming. In addition, like most kit lenses it’s relatively slow and its plastic mounting is not designed for long-term durability.
For travellers, the compact size and light weight are augmented by a slightly wider than average focal length range, which will be better for landscapes and cityscapes than most kit zooms. Near-silent autofocusing makes it ideal for shooting movie clips.
This lens isn’t sold separately in Australia and it’s not listed on Amazon’s Australian website. The B&H and Adorama websites have it at US$299, which was equivalent to AU$402 when this review was published. So, even without shipping included, it would not be worth shopping offshore for this lens.
SPECS
Picture angle: 86.9 degrees to 35.0 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 10 elements in 9 groups (including 3 aspherical and 2 ED elements)
Lens mounts: Fujifilm X mount
Diaphragm Blades: 7 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: Stepping motor
Stabilisation: Yes, integrated OIS
Minimum focus: 13 cm (wide), 35 cm (tele)
Maximum magnification: 0.24x at 15mm focal length
Filter size: 52 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 62.6 x 44.2 mm (Collapsed position)
Weight: 135 grams (excluding caps )
Standard Accessories: Lens front and end caps
Distributor: Fujifilm Australia; 1800 226 355; www.fujifilm.com.au
TESTS
(based on JPEG files from the Fujifilm X-T100)
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 15mm f/3.5.
Vignetting at 45mm f/5.6.
Rectilinear distortion at 15mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 45mm.
15mm focal length; ISO 200, 1/170 second at f/5.6.
45mm focal length; ISO 200, 1/75 second at f/5.6.
Close-up at 15mm focal length; ISO 200, 1/38 second at f/8.
Close-up at 45mm focal length; ISO 200, 1/52 second at f/8.
Bokeh at f/5.6 with 45mm focal length;1/550 second at ISO 200.
Strong backlighting; 15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/420 second at f/16.
33mm focal length; ISO 200, 1/30 second at f/5.
Stabilisation test; 45mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/15 second at f/5.6.
Additional image samples can be found with our reviews of the Fujifilm X-A5 and the X-T100 cameras.
Rating
RRP: AU$329; US$299.95
- Build: 8.5
- Handling: 8.4
- Focusing: 8.5
- Image quality: 8.8
- Versatility: 8.7