Fujifilm FUJINON XF 60mm F/2.4 R Macro

This prime lens gives Fujifilm X cameras a short telephoto view on the APS-C format. A single 60mm focal length keeps the design simple and light. It suits portraits, close-up details and everyday telephoto work. Fujifilm launched it in 2012, and it remains in production.

It stays small and light, so it suits walks and travel. Anyone wanting one easy lens for people and nearby small subjects will find it fits well. Close focusing adds small-object work to its portrait range. The trade-off for that portability is a sparse feature set: there is no stabilisation and no weather sealing, which favours fair-weather use.

The lens measures 2.8 in (71 mm) long and 2.52 in (64 mm) wide. It weighs just 7.6 oz (215 g), which suits all-day carry. Our physical score is 93 out of 100. A screw-in filter must match the 39mm thread on the front.

At 60mm, this lens frames a head-and-shoulders portrait from a comfortable working distance. The same view suits flowers, food and still-life details. The extra distance keeps the camera and its shadow away from small subjects, and it gives room for lighting. Faces also avoid the perspective stretch that closer, wider framing can produce.

The f/2.4 maximum aperture helps in dim rooms, where a wider opening permits faster shutter speeds. It also softens the background behind a portrait, though a longer lens would blur it further. Nine aperture blades help keep the opening round when stopped down, which smooths the out-of-focus rendering.

The closest focusing distance is 2 ft (60 cm). Maximum magnification is 0.5x, or half life-size. That falls short of true macro, which means 1:1 reproduction. Half life-size still renders a blossom or a coin large in the frame.

Depth of field becomes very thin near maximum magnification, so stopping down helps keep a whole subject sharp. Our optics score is 83 out of 100.

This lens has no image stabilisation. Handheld shooting in dim light therefore needs a fast enough shutter speed, a raised ISO or a stabilised camera body. For indoor portraits and evening detail work, planning the shutter speed is part of the routine. A tripod or a monopod offers another steady platform for the same scenes.

Weather sealing is absent too. The lens handles ordinary dry outings well, but it needs protection from rain, spray and heavy dust. That suits studio and fair-weather use more than damp outdoor work. Fluorine coating is also missing, so the front element relies on careful cleaning rather than a smudge-resistant layer.

The optical formula uses 10 elements in 8 groups. The design includes aspherical elements. Their shaped surfaces help correct distortion and spherical aberration, faults that curve straight edges or soften focus. Fujifilm also uses low-dispersion glass here, which helps reduce chromatic aberration, the coloured fringes that can appear along high-contrast edges in close detail work.

Our construction score is 31 out of 100.