The Fuji 100-400mm Lens; My Initial Thoughts And Use

Osprey having lunch! X-T1, 100-400mm lens @ 400mm; 1/1000th sec. @ f/5.6; ISO 400 (click to enlarge)
One of the few images I was able to make that was actually sharp.  Read on to find out why.

Several weeks ago, I made the decision to sell my E-M1 and lenses and fully concentrate on using and exploiting the capabilities of my Fujifilm X-T1 and lenses.  In order to accomplish this I needed to acquire a few more lenses to fully build out my kit.  Two lenses I recently acquired were the 50-140mm f/2.8 and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6.  In this post, I planned on commenting on my initial use and experience using the 100-400 lens, but I sent my copy of the lens back.  I found something wasn't quite right with my copy and I now await another copy to arrive. 

Although I did manage to make a few beautifully sharp images, the lens, during my testing, didn't seem to hit correct focus every time or there was some other reason why the images were so inconsistent.  Most of the time I was not able to get a sharp image no matter what I did.  I'm not sure it there was a loose element or something else amiss, but in my putting my 50-140mm f/2.8 through roughly the same initial tests, it performed remarkably well.

I tested 100-400 handheld as well as on a very large, sturdy tripod with a study gimbal head. Handheld, even up to shutter speeds of 1/1500th sec., I couldn't seem to get a sharp image.  Was it me?  Was it the optical image stabilization malfunctioning?  I didn't know.  

When mounted on a tripod, I experienced the same result.  This is the same tripod/head setup I use for my big Nikon D810 and Nikon 200-500mm lens attached—which works marvelously. Large, heavy, sturdy and proven with that gear to work well.  At this point I'll remove the tripod gear as a factor.  Funny thing—I actually got better images while mounted on the tripod with OIS turned on versus turned off.  We all know that we should turn OIS off when our lenses are sturdily mounted, with a couple of exceptions when using some highly specialized lenses whose OIS accounts for mounting.  However, with OIS turned off, the images were unsatisfactory.

So, back it went.  I'm anxious to get another copy.  I had read and seen all of the wonderful images others were getting from the same camera/lens combination.  I expect that I will experience the same with this second copy.  I am not considering this a big deal as we know that not only is there product variation, but once in a while, a lens that might test well on an optical bench under controlled conditions, might not test so well in the real world.  I'm thinking that is what I have experienced.

However, I will say one thing.  The foot Fuji put on that lens is entirely inadequate.  It is only 1.75 inches long, whereas other lenses with these focal lengths, and even shorter, have much longer and more robust feet.  That, too, may have been a factor, but I'll see.

Generally, Fujifilm puts out top notch gear.  As I said, I'm not upset or worried.  Every once in a while something like this occurs, as with any manufacturer and any product.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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