Conclusion

The Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens is a super-telephoto lens for the masses, sacrificing out-and-out speed in terms of the maximum apertures available in exchange for a winning combination of portability, versatility and crucially affordability.

While it probably won't be your go-to lens for dimly-lit indoor environments thanks to its modest f/5.6-f/8 maximum apertures, the XF 150-600mm makes a great choice for virtually every other situation that you can think of where its sheer reach and flexibility are required, from nature and bird photography to motor- and other outdoor sports.

Used in conjunction with the equally new X-H2S camera with its wide and effective range of subject-specific AF modes, this lens makes perfect sense for anyone who has been patiently waiting for Fuji to release a super-telephoto zoom that won't break either their backs or their bank balances.

Image quality is excellent both at the centre and edges of the frame, with high levels of sharpness at almost all available apertures and focal lengths, while the nine-blade iris diaphragm is capable of achieving some lovely bokeh effects.

Vignetting is practically a non-issue and chromatic aberrations and distortion are only noticeable by their almost complete absence.

The weather-proof Fujifilm XF 150-600mm F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR has a fast and pleasingly quiet auto-focus mechanism with useful focus limiter and preset controls.

It also has a well-damped focus ring and a very welcome aperture ring which makes it quick, easy and precise to set this key element of exposure.

The 5-stop optical image stabilsation system works amazingly well considering the size and reach of the lens, although we'd have liked a physical control on the lens barrel to turn it on and off.

This lens' main rival is the Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, which offers faster maximum apertures but can't match the sheer reach of the XF 150-600mm.

Compared to the Fujifilm XF 200mm F2 R LM OIS WR professional prime, this new lens is much smaller, lighter, cheaper and a lot more versatile.

The Fujifilm XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS WR is also well worth a look if you don't need the extra reach of the 150-600mm, while the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR is a great choice for indoors where the faster max aperture comes in very useful.

It's perhaps no coincidence that Fujifilm have released the XF 150-600mm alongside the flagship X-H2S camera - together they make perfect sense for nature and sports photographers looking for massive reach in a compact package, and also providing the best auto-focusing experience that Fuji currently offers.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	5