Fuji The 90mm F2 lens

Nope. My lens is silent, on or off the camera.

That's quite curious. To my knowledge, you are the first to explicitly confirm that their XF 90 does not have something clunking around inside the lens when it is not attached to the camera, or the camera is turned off. In fact, in another forum, someone claimed to have a statement from Fuji Germany that this noise is "normal behaviour". To me, that either implies that your copy is aberrant, or that this noise is not that normal after all.
 
You've just made me check again. Not a sound. If I rattle it hard like a cocktail shaker I can get a faint noise, but then to be fair I would make more than a faint noise if someone did that to me...
 
Oh, the noise I'm referring to is far from faint. I can distinctly hear (and feel) something moving inside the lens barrel when I turn it upside down. No abuse or even shaking required. It sounds/feels like a lens group is not properly secured after the focus motor is powered off and is sliding freely within the barrel.

I had only just come to terms with Fuji's alleged reassurance that this is somehow normal (although none of the many lenses I ever owned exhibited this phenomenon) but now I'm stumped as to how your copy of the lens can somehow be exempt from this issue.

I also noticed that you seem to be quite impressed with the XF 90's AF performance which I am decidedly not. If anything, it is the worst performer in terms of AF among all my Fuji lenses.

I'm beginning to think that there may in fact be lemons in circulation. Not quite sure how else to explain these polarized statements from individual XF 90 owners.

I probably shouldn't go looking for dust now...
 
That last is an interesting review. One of their reservations is the "high price" - I know everything is relative, but compared to the rest of the system and to others, I found that I had put away* about £100 more than the actual list price, which was nice (it goes into the pot for the next X...)

*They are cunning, those Fuji chaps. The roadmap gives us plenty of warning about the next lens; that means that if it is something you want you have plenty of time to save up. I flog stuff on eBay to pay for each of my Fuji purchases - I have virtually no Leica left anymore, and am even eyeing up my M2 to kick-start the pot for the X-Pro2. Curse you Fuji for your ability to make me save and spend... ;)
 
Hi Rico

When I first received my new Fuji 90mm lens and attached to my X-T1 I noticed
a rattling sound coming from the inside of the lens. When I powered the camera
on the noise stopped. I later learned that this is normal and just the way the magnets
and motor on the inside of the lens operate. I never realized this when I purchased the
lens because I have never heard any mention of it on the forums yet. Anyway just
a heads up to those who found out like me that this is the way it is.


hello Rico,
just got my 90mm yesterday and all in all VERY happy! but.....the clicking noises you describe are just crazy, it feels like if i walk with the camera on one of my field trips it will get damaged, i honestly thinking weather to carry it with me in my backpack for travailing.
how is it for you after these months you had it, all good? all keep on working :)?
seriously, is it getting worst or...?
thanks for your time on this one!

dandin.
 
I am not aware of any clicking noises, so I'm not sure where I would have described any. The lens works well so far, I am still using pre-production. Looking forward to a production sample eventually.
 
I'm seriously confused by all this. My lens does NOT click. If I shake it as if making a martini - something which I normally never do, and hardly a regular real-life event - it is clear that something moves inside - but then so would I if shaken like that...
 
Obviously, shanking lenses may produce a sound, but that's not new, because all OIS lenses show this behavior. If they didn't, they'd need servicing as something would have gotten stuck inside them (= bad thing).

That said, I rarely (as in never) feel the need to shake my lenses. IMO, shaking lenses can't result in anything good. If anything, I fear it could loosen dust and particles, which may then migrate on optical elements. So I'd rather not shake the lens, throw it around or juggle with it. :)
 
Obviously, shanking lenses may produce a sound, but that's not new, because all OIS lenses show this behavior.

Are we still discussing the XF 90? Because that lens does not have OIS which is why people have been concerned about something clunking around inside the barrel.

And FWIW, none of my Canon IS lenses exhibited this behavior.
 
To be clear.

The 90 does not have OIS. It - or my copy at least - does not "click" or "rattle". It "clunks" faintly when I shake it vigorously like a martini, which I regard as cruel and unusual punishment for any lens.

What it does do is outperform pretty well anything else I have used at this focal length, and does so in a compact, weatherproof form factor.
 
I definitely don't make a habit out of shaking my lenses, vigorously or otherwise. But something in my 90 clunks both audibly and tangibly when I very gently turn it upside down. No idea as to why this seemingly does not affect all copies, at least not in equal measures.
 
Are we still discussing the XF 90? Because that lens does not have OIS which is why people have been concerned about something clunking around inside the barrel.

And FWIW, none of my Canon IS lenses exhibited this behavior.

Of course they don't have OIS, but they have a new AF system that seems to work in a similar fashion (using magnets to hold the rear lens element in place).

Of course Canon lenses do not show this behavior, they are designed for an old mount that needs backward compatibility with bodies that don't support OIS. So they feature a basket that catches and locks the OIS lens elements in place when there's no OIS support. Otherwise, those lenses would be unusable on older bodies. Same with Nikon. Of course, the basket adds weight and size, but hey, that's the prize you pay for an older system vs. a new one like the X-Mount.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Of course they don't have OIS

I think we already established that, but you brought up OIS in this context and that is what I responded to.

but they have a new AF system that seems to work in a similar fashion (using magnets to hold the rear lens element in place).

Fair enough, but how does that explain that Bill is unable to replicate the behaviour that's under discussion here?

Of course Canon lenses do not show this behavior, they are designed for an old mount that needs backward compatibility with bodies that don't support OIS. So they feature a basket that catches and locks the OIS lens elements on place when there's no OIS support. Otherwise, those lenses would be unusable on older bodies. Same with Nikon. Of course, the basket adds weight and size, but hey, that's the prize you pay for an older system vs. a new one like the X-Mount.

Interesting. What sort of support would be required from a camera body to make IS work?
 
If one has reason to believe that the lens may be defective or not working according to specs, I'd certainly contact Fujifilm support for assistance and possibly mail it in for servicing or a replacement. Or go to a local dealer and compare different samples.
 
Back
Top