I photographed birds of prey in flight with Fujifilm's new 400mm f/4.5 super telephoto prime lens and it proved the X series is no wildlife slouch compared to Sony and Canon

Date:
Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:10:16 +0000

Description:
Fujifilm camera gear is better known for its retro looks than its wildlife
and sports photography prowess, but the company is looking to close the gap with Sony, Canon and Nikon through the launch of a new super telephoto prime lens the new XF 400mm f/4.5 R OIS LM WR lens.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Fujifilm unveils XF 400mm F4.5
R LM OIS WR telephoto prime lens It's equivalent 609mm focal length is ideal for bird photography The lens is weather-sealed, weighs 1.2kg and costs
$3,200 / 2,499 Fujifilm camera gear is better known for its retro looks than its wildlife and sports photography prowess, but the company is looking to close the gap with Sony , Canon and Nikon through the launch of a new super telephoto prime lens the new XF 400mm F4.5 R OIS LM WR lens.

It's designed for the Fujifilm X series of crop-sensor (APS-C) cameras, such as the X-T5 and X-H2S , and has an equivalent focal length of 609mm and
bright maximum aperture that make it a prime candidate for bird photography.
I had a special hands-on session with the lens ahead of its September 4 announcement, pairing it with Fujifilm's speediest mirrorless camera, the X-H2S, to photograph birds of prey in the grounds of a stately home in the
UK. Could the camera and lens surprise me? You bet! Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original About the Fujifilm XF 400mm F4.5 R OIS LM WR lens The new 400mm F4.5 lens isn't actually the
longest in Fujifilm's XF range that accolade goes to the 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR (equivalent 762mm focal length). However, it's arguably the one that Fujifilm bird photographers have been waiting for, and it's compatible with the company's 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, which can extend that reach (at the cost of reduced maximum aperture).

Fujifilm had both lenses at the event it was hosting for the 400mm lens hands-on, and the design of the two optics is strikingly similar, as hinted
by the nomenclature. 'R' denotes an aperture ring is present, 'LM' that autofocus is powered by a linear motor, 'OIS' that they're optically stabilized (the 400mm is rated at providing 5.5EV of stabilization) and 'WR' tells us that the lenses are weather resistant. You may like Viltrox AF 90mm F2.2 EVO review: top value portrait prime for APS-C cameras Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO lens review: a new standard for pancake lenses Today's best Fujifilm cameras

Boy, did I need that weather resistance there was incessant, light, sideways rain for much of the photography experience, and the 400mm stood up to the task just fine (better than the birds did).

It's also equipped with a focus limiter with Full or 7m to infinity options using the latter improved my hit ratio of in-focus shots of the birds in flight, because it removes the minimum 2.75m focus distance up to 7m from the range the linear motors scan for. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The lenses are similar in size and in weight too, but by weighing 1,245g and measuring 240mm in length, the 400mm F4.5 is slightly smaller and lighter impressively so for a lens of this focal length and maximum aperture.

It also comes with a tripod collar, a loop to securely attach a strap, plus a mighty lens hood all features I'd hope for in a serious super-telephoto prime. 2,499 at Wex Photo Video 2,499 at London Camera Exchange 2,499 at Park Cameras Check Amazon Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) Image 1 of 5 View Original Image 2 of 5 View Original Image 3 of 5 View Original Image 4 of 5 View Original Image 5 of 5 View Original The shooting experience I'll be the first to admit it, but I struggled getting a single usable photo at the start of the session. Changing a few camera and lens settings helped; using the focus limiter, selecting a wide autofocus area and the bird detection autofocus mode, and then shutter priority (set to a minimum 1/1250sec) with auto ISO. What to read next Can Sonys new RX10 V replace pro Sony mirrorless camera gear? Here are the major differences Sony RX10 V review: a triumphant comeback, but this bridge camera sure is pricey These are the 5 best lenses Ive tested in 2026 so far, from Sony, Canon and others

The bottom line is that tracking birds in flight requires true skill, real understanding of the subject (and a slice of luck), especially if you're new to it. This proved to be one of the toughest photography tests, and for the first 30 minutes I had nothing to show for my efforts. Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 6 View Original Image 2 of 6 View Original Image 3 of 6 View Original Image 4 of 6 View Original Image 5 of 6 View Original Image 6
of 6 View Original We switched to some portraits of the birds, which gave me the chance to get close up, and to take comparison shots at the various aperture settings (which proved to me how sharp the lens is even at its maximum f/4.5 aperture). Then I suggested to the Walks and Hawks group
hosting the session that we started the birds off from a longer distance, giving more room in the frame to begin with as the birds took flight towards us.

A new approach made the task much more manageable, and yielded plenty of keepers that I'm really happy with. The lens's autofocus was essentially silent and lighting fast, and the camera's autofocus tracked the subject and, provided I kept the bird in the frame, gave me an impressively high hit rate (see some of my favorites below). Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original Fujifilm for wildlife, then? Incidentally, I also had some high-end full-frame Sony gear, including a super-telephoto zoom with the same focal length as the Fujifilm, and I used it later on that day in my local nature reserve. For me, that
setup still felt snappier than Fujifilm.

As things stand, Fujifilm remains a couple of paces behind regarding
autofocus performance. Emphasis on 'as things stand' the camera I was using is a few years old, and the entire range is built on a processor and
autofocus system introduced in the X-T5 in 2022. Even back then, autofocus performance was perceived as a weakness.

We can expect the next generation of processor soon, presumably through the rumored X-T6, which could result in speedier cameras and refined autofocus performance.

Even until then, Fujifilm is better at wildlife photography than the comments sections make out. And it just future proofed the genre with this incredibly good 400mm F4.5 lens, available from the end of September for $3,200 / 2,499 (Australian price TBC). (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman / Ben Andrews) Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best Fujifilm XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR and Fujifilm XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR deals Fujifilm XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR 2,499 View See all prices Fujifilm XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR 2,609 View See all prices We check over 250 million
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