Fujifilm is gearing up for next week's X Summit, and looks like we might be in for a big one! Fresh off the back of giving a tantalizing first glimpse at its upcoming pocket-sized interchangeable lens camera, the company's Instagram is at it again, with a tease of a new telephoto lens also due to be announced next week.
Unsurprisingly the teaser is coy with the details, although it is clear as the graphic rushes through a series of focal lengths before pushing past 200mm, as well as the headline text at the end reading 'Go Further' – all things point to a new telephoto optic.
What else can we glean from this? Well, firstly the numbers also suggest that this is going to be an XF lens and not a GF lens, and this will be a prime lens (fixed, not zoom) as each number highlighted in the video perfectly matches the focal length of one of Fujifilm's current list of XF prime lenses.
The graphic also stops at 200mm, which is currently the longest focal length available in an XF prime lens, although Fuji does make an XF 150-600mm and XF 100-400mm lenses, but a longer prime lens would be a welcome addition for sports and wildlife photographers who prefer a constant aperture and the sharpest optics.
Earlier in the year Fujifilm launched a GF 500mm f/5.6 lens for its medium format series of cameras (which I found to be an excellent lens in my testing), and some corners of the Internet have suggested that an XF version of the same lens might be in the works.
It has been a long time since Fujifilm gave us an updated lens road map, with the practice perhaps being stopped to make launches a little more exciting. Fujifilm has thrown out a few development announcements from time to time though, like the XF 16-50mm lens being announced in February but fully unveiled in May. However, it has been all quiet on the telephoto front – with the exception of some friendly audience polling at previous X Summits for which lenses Fujifilm fans would love to see the company make next.
But with under a week to go now until the Clay Studio X Summit (October 14, 6:00PST / 9:00EST / 13:00GMT) we don't have long to wait to find out what Fujifilm has in store.
For more on all things Fuji – check out our guide to the best Fujifilm camera and best Fujifilm lenses.
