As to expect, the first bunch of lenses run quickly out of stock at Adorama and Pictureline. But you can still find some at AmazonUS and BestBuy.
And now also BHphoto has the lens available here.
In Stock Check
USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / [shoplink 26452 ebay]eBay[/shoplink] / – EUROPE: wexUK / wexDE / PCHstore / [shoplink 26452 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]
– Fuji XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens — a hands-on review at aboutphotography-tomgrill: “If it’s bokeh you’re after in selective focus, this lens is not going to have it. The slow maximum apertures work against it. Once again, however, Fuji has surprised us with a few tricks up their sleeve to deliver the best performance from a lens type that is typically only suited for amateur or very casual shooting. The weather-resistance, new auto-focus, incredible vibration reduction range, and fine optical performance helps make this a lens hold its own in the Fuji optical line up.”
– Initial Impression of the new Fujifilm 18-135 lens at vicsfujixblog: “My initial impressions after I have literally had this lens in my possession for five hours- Outstanding! It has the usual Fuji quality, produces sharp pics, has a nice weight, the zoom and aperture ring move perfectly and it is a joy to carry around on the X-T1. I feel it is a great value for $899. I could easily travel with just this lens. I have a wide-angle and short telephoto. I could do close-ups, landscape and portraits too. Great lens. Buy it!”
– FUJINON XF 18-135mm F3.5/5.6 WR OIS – Reviewed at bokeh-monster: “Once you sum up all the points from the widely varying situations we tossed its way, it has to be said, although it performed admirably, it is terribly boring, with little character. It does what it does with no surprises. It is very suited to small aperture photographers (situations which benefit large depths of field, for example landscape work) and covers a general purpose focal range which will get you by for most situations. You could definitely do worse for a travel lens. And as long as action stopping low light photography with razor thin bokeh are not part of your repertoire, then the new FUJINON 18-135 mm might just be the one you have been waiting for.”
5 Responses
What a crap review from these clowns at bokeh-monster: “Once you sum up all the points from the widely varying situations we tossed its way, it has to be said, although it performed admirably, it is terribly boring and with little character. It does what it does with no surprises.” The lens is boring and without character? Oh really? And, what lens is not boring and does have character? Ridiculous. It’s all about the photographer, you idiots. But notice they said “it performed admirably”. That is really all we care about. Don’t waste time reading this nonsensical review. They are just trying to be controversial to gain attention. Complete crap.
Totally agree with caver3d, this “review” is a pure nonsense and shows a very strange attitude from a “photographer” who should probably choose another job. It is based on taste and impression in front of a piece of technology instead of keeping an eye to facts and figures.
Totally agree with caver3d, this “review” is a pure nonsense and shows a very strange attitude from a “photographer” who should probably choose another job
What can you expect from a site called Bokeh Monster?
Fast aperture lenses are extremely fashionable right now and anything that runs against the grain will be belittled and dismissed by many reviewers and web ‘experts’.
Many fuji users will purchase this lens and take plenty of fine photographs with it.
There is a very strong nature/documentary school of photography that has never relied on fast apertures or extremely shallow depth of field. Take a look through your local thrift store some time and check out the books section for tourism and nature photography books.
I have a book called Australia In Color by Robin Smith, a very successful commercial and traveling photographer. The photographs are absolutely sublime, wonderful stuff.
The work that these photographers did from the 50s-90s blows my mind, and rarely did they rely on apertures such as 1.4 and 1.2. Instead, they relied on light, composition and color, usually stopping their lenses down for higher depth of field.
I agree the review at Bokeh Monster missed the point here of this type of lens (a useful range but less compromises than a normal super zoom) 27-200mm ish equivalent is quite a handy range to have and you won’t get fast speeds with such a lens.
However I have the Fuji version and I have the Sony 18-135mm and I have to be honest the Sony spanks the Fuji for optics (not build just optics) better bokeh, much sharper lens across the range esp central super sharp wide open even at 135mm, though a few ranges where the extreme corners drop off a bit. The Fuji lens is ok, but it’s not up to the Sony and I speak not as a fanboy of either system the lens Fuji have here is merely “ok” esp at 135mm it is not that sharp, the Sony is disgustingly sharp esp in the middle. It’s not really worth the asking price being dead honest not a £700 lens. It’s a bit disappointing