Fujifilm Fujinon XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro Review

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro ($649.95) covers a short telephoto field of view and is capable of focusing close enough to reproduce objects with 1:2 magnification. It’s one of the first lenses that Fuji released for the X camera system, and doesn’t disappoint in terms of sharpness. It’s not without some faults; the autofocus is on the slow side and the focus-by-wire manual focus can be frustrating when working at macro distances. We had similar complaints when we reviewed the Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M($849.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), which is more expensive, but can focus closer for 1:1 macro magnification.

The 60mm ($649.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)  is compact at just 2.8 by 2.5 inches (HD), and fairly light at 7.6 ounces. Its front element uses tiny 39mm filters, and a reversible metal lens hood is included. The hood is imposing; it almost doubles the length of the lens. But it’s good idea to use it, as it does an effective job blocking stray light from hitting the front element. The lens barrel is also metal, with a physical aperture ring and a manual focus ring that are both textured for a comfortable grip. There’s no optical stabilization system; if you want a macro lens with that feature, you’ll have to look at another camera system entirely. Samsung’s 60mm f/2.8 Macro ED OIS NX( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is stabilized, and Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras utilize in-body stabilization, so its M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro($499.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is steadied via the body.

Macro magnification is limited to 1:2, which projects images onto the image sensor at half their actual size. The lens can lock onto subjects as close as 10.5 inches (measured from the sensor) to facilitate this. Fuji does build a focus limiter into its cameras—there’s a macro button that can set the lens to cover its full range or only non-macro distances on X-series bodies—but the 60mm is on the pokey side when it comes to autofocus speed. The Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M is a little bit shorter in terms of focal length, but it focuses to 6 inches for 1:1 magnification.

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Neither lens offers a pleasant manual focus experience. The focus motor is always used to move the lens elements, and it requires several long turns to move from infinity to the close focus distance. If you’re serious about macro photography and want a lens with a better tactile feel, consider seeking out a manual focus lens like the Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 ($409.95) or the Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/50($1,283.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) to use via an adapter for macro work.

I used Imatest(Opens in a new window) to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the 16-megapixel X-E2($899.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window). It’s quite sharp, bettering the 1,800 lines per picture height benchmark that we require for a lens to pass muster at every tested aperture. At f/2.4 it shows 2,322 lines using a center-weighted average score. Lenses often suffer at the edges of the frame, especially at a wide aperture, but the 60mm shows 1,958 lines at the edges at f/2.4. Narrowing the aperture improves the performance, with the lens showing 2,410 lines at f/4 and peaking at 2,553 lines at f/5.6. At f/8 the image quality starts to degrade due to diffraction, but it still manages 2,432 lines at that aperture. Distortion is a nonissue, as you would expect with a good macro lens.

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro delivers excellent image quality and does a good job doubling as a short telephoto lens. Images are full of detail, even at the maximum aperture, so you only have to worry about stopping down if you desire a wider depth of field. Impeccable optics aside, the lens is not a perfect product. There’s no optical stabilization, the autofocus is on the slow side, and the manual focus experience leaves a lot to be desired. It also doesn’t provide 1:1 magnification, but you’ll have to spend quite a bit more money to buy the Zeiss Touit 2.8/50M to get that in a native X-mount lens. The Touit is a stronger performer all around, but it also uses a focus-by-wire system for manual focus, which can be frustrating for serious macro work. Don’t count out going with a third-party manual focus macro lens and an adapter, if you know that you prefer to work with manual focus at macro distances.