Fujifilm has released the latest version of its X-mount lens roadmap, showing two new lenses due to arrive in 2021 – a super-fast f/1.4 wide-angle prime, and a 70-300mm telephoto.
Increasingly, camera and lens makers are releasing roadmaps to show what lenses they've got coming. Unlike cameras, which are normally kept secret until the last minute, lenses are often announced well beforehand. This helps build interest in the brand and boost camera sales, as it gives buyers confidence that the system is growing, and as well as the lenses they can buy now, there may be others they can look forward to getting in the future.
The first lens to be added to the roadmap is the Fujinon XF 18 mm F1.4. This will be a 27mm equivalent wideangle prime lens. There is already an XF 18mm F2 in the Fujinon lineup, but this lens is a whole f-stop faster and joins the existing XF 16mm, 23mm and 35mm F1.4 prime lenses and will be designed to replicate their 'creamy bokeh and advanced performance'.
Fujinon XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 OIS (available 2021)
The second new lens will be the XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 OIS (105-450mm equivalent) designed for enthusiasts. This will cover a longer focal range than the existing XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens, and should provide a step up in quality from the novice-orientated XC 50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS II. The only lens longer in the Fujifilm line-up is the powerful XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 LM OIS WR.
The new X-mount roadmap has been announced at the same time as the Fujifilm X-S10 and the new and updated Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR wideangle zoom. Together with the GFX medium format system (see the Fujifilm GF lens roadmap), this brings the total number of Fujinon lenses up to 49.
Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com
