Stabilized wide zoom, now with weather sealing

Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I've covered cameras at PCMag for the past 10 years, which has given me a front row seat for the DSLR to mirrorless transition, the smartphone camera revolution, and the mainstream adoption of drones for aerial imaging. You can find me on Instagram @jamespfisher.

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR lens adds the weather protection missing from the original, but doesn't change the optics.

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR ($999.95) doesn't offer any imaging or autofocus improvements over the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS (also $999.95), but it does introduce weather protection. That's welcome news for outdoor photographers who previously had to spend significantly more for the heavier XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR ($1,999.95) to get that feature in a wide zoom. It's a sensible wide lens for X system photographers, and a solid performer in an ecosystem without worthwhile third-party alternatives.

The XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR is a fair-sized lens at about 3.4 by 3.1 inches (HD) and 13.6 ounces. It's large compared with a slim starter zoom like the XC 15-45mm (1.7 by 2.5 inches, 4.8 ounces), in line with the mid-tiered XF 18-55mm kit lens (2.8 by 2.6 inches, 10.9 ounces), and slightly smaller than the stabilized XF 16-80mm (3.5 by 3.1 inches, 15.5 ounces).

I used the 10-24mm with the X-T30 II and X-Pro3 in testing. The zoom is a little front-heavy on a slim body like the X-T30 II, but still manageable. I can see it being popular with the X-S10—that model's deep handgrip and stabilized sensor match well with the 10-24mm's wide view for vlog-style video.

And making extra-wide photos is the reason to snag the XF 10-24mm. It captures an ultra-wide view when you zoom out—if you're a smartphone photographer, it's similar to the 0.5x or ultra-wide lenses on phones. And film photographers can understand it as equivalent to the 15-36mm range on full frame bodies. The wide angle of view is particularly good for capturing landscapes, architecture, and cityscapes, as well as for perspective-shifting effect shots.

Weather protection means you can use the XF 10-24mm outdoors without worry, which is good news for landscape specialists who work rain or shine, or near water features. The front element omits an anti-smudge hydrophobic fluorine coating but you can add a 72mm protective filter if that concerns you. The ability to add threaded filters sets the 10-24mm apart from the XF 8-16mm F2.8, which has a round front element that precludes their use.

Apart from the XF 8-16mm, there aren't any other autofocusing wide zooms for the Fujifilm system. There are a pair of primes, the Zeiss Touit 12mm ($1,250) and Fujinon XF 14mm ($899.99), but neither features weather protection. Boutique third-party companies like Venus Optics offer up quality manual-focus wide lenses, like the 9mm Zero-D ($499), but they too omit weather protection.

The lens sports three on-barrel control rings for manual focus, zoom, and aperture control. The aperture ring sits closest to the lens mount and turns from f/4 through f/22 in third-stop increments. A push-button lock prevents unintended swaps between manual and automatic aperture control. The f-stops are labeled—they weren't on the original version—but there's no way to set the aperture ring for silent, click-free operation. Videographers who have an issue with that can lean on Fujifilm's Silent Movie Control interface, which is available on the company's more capable video models.

Autofocus is snappy; the lens drives from close to distant and locks focus in about 0.1-second with the X-T30 II. The manual focus ring turns freely but with a bit of drag, a benefit for making fine adjustments to the point of focus.

You can pick between nonlinear or linear manual focus with many cameras; the latter is useful for videographers who want to pair the lens with a follow focus system. The 10-24mm shows no breathing effect when you shift focus, which makes it a good choice for rack focus shots.

Stabilized optics are beneficial for both stills and video. I recorded some handheld footage with the X-T30 II and the lens did a fine job of keeping the view steady when I stood still. If you intend to walk around with the lens though, you should likely pair it with a camera that has IBIS or use a gimbal.

The best close-up results are at the 24mm setting. The lens delivers 1:6.3 life-size magnification there because of a 9.4-inch focus distance. It focuses close at wider angles too, so you can make images that place a close subject against a vast backdrop, a favorite technique of photographers with wide lenses.

I paired the XF 10-24mm with the 26MP X-T30 II and Imatest(Opens in a new window) software to check its optical performance in the lab. The original performed well on a 16MP camera and the optics hold up on models with a higher pixel count.

The lens manages very good resolution throughout the zoom range at f/4 (2,600-2,800 lines), though we note soft results around the edges of an image (1,800-2,000 lines). It's worthwhile to narrow the aperture for landscapes—the overall resolution ticks up to the excellent range at f/5.6 (3,000-3,200 lines) and edges are in the very good range (2,600-2,800 lines). Peak sharpness is at f/8-11 and, in our experience, the zoom is a little crisper at the wide end.

Fujifilm photographers who use JPG mode to snap photos don't have to worry about wide-angle barrel and zoomed-in pincushion distortion. If you opt for Raw format, use a lens profile to correct these issues—Adobe Lightroom has one that compensates for distortion with a single click. The profile also brightens corners, though vignetting isn't a major concern with this lens.

Chromatic aberration isn't a concern—there's no sign of purple color fringing from lateral CA around power lines and branches, nor do we see false color from longitudinal CA (LoCA) in background blur or specular highlights. The lens handles shots into the sun well with little flare and ghosting at wide and moderate apertures. We induced some ghosts when stopping down to f/22 for sunstars—the lens draws 14-point starbursts with moderately sharp tines when you stop it down all the way.

Fujifilm didn't update much about its mainstream wide zoom, but it turns out the optics of the old XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS are just fine for current-generation cameras. The updated version gains a couple of letters at the end of the model name—the addition of weather resistance and some cosmetic changes are the main updates here. The weather sealing is good news for outdoor photogs who also own weather-sealed Fuji cameras, and we appreciate the marked f-stops on the aperture ring from a handling perspective. Optical stabilization adds to the versatility, too; it's especially appealing for handheld video and vlogging work.

The $1,000 price may make the lens aspirational to some, but there aren't any more affordable wide zoom alternatives for the system. Fuji's other wide lens, the XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR, costs twice as much but justifies its premium with a broader view and bigger f-stop. If you can handle a manual focus prime, the aforementioned Venus Laowa 9mm Zero-D is a good pick for around half the price.

We're waiting to see if Tamron releases its excellent 11-20mm F2.8 ($829) for Fujifilm cameras—at press time, the lens is available only for Sony cameras, but Tamron has recently launched a few of its lenses for the Fujifilm system, including the 17-70mm F2.8 ($799.99).

Thanks to Lensrentals(Opens in a new window) for providing the X-T30 II for this review.

The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR lens adds the weather protection missing from the original, but doesn't change the optics.

Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I've covered cameras at PCMag for the past 10 years, which has given me a front row seat for the DSLR to mirrorless transition, the smartphone camera revolution, and the mainstream adoption of drones for aerial imaging. You can find me on Instagram @jamespfisher.

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships.

© 1996-2023 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. All Rights Reserved.

PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.