10 Affordable Lenses for Fujifilm Users | 2024

If you’re looking to expand your Fujifilm kit but have a bit of a tight budget, don’t fret – we’re here to help with ten affordable lenses for Fujifilm users. While Fujifilm isn’t the cheapest camera system, there are plenty of cheaper lens options available, probably more than you’d think. Fujifilm actually has a whole line of lenses – the XC lenses – for those who want something a bit cheaper for X-mount.

Of course, we’re not just talking about X-mount, as Fujifilm also has its range of mirrorless medium format GF-mount cameras to think about. While we’ve devoted most of this guide to the APS-C X system, as we suspect that’s what most users will be looking for, we’ve included a couple of relatively affordable GF options in their own section, for those who want medium format options. 

We’ve included Fujifilm-made lenses and some cracking options from third-party manufacturers. All our options for X-mount come in at less than £499 each, while our GF-mount recommendations are on the right side of £999. Let’s take a closer look…

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Affordable Fujifilm X Lenses

When buying lenses for the Fujifilm X system, you may have noticed that most of the Fujifilm-made options are labelled ‘XF’, while some are labelled ‘XC’. The difference between XF and XC lenses is that XC denotes the budget options. These more affordable lenses have a mostly plastic construction, including the mount, while XF lenses are mostly metal. However, this isn’t to say that XF lenses are totally off-limits for the budget buyer, as there are a fair few reasonably priced XF options, as you’ll see on our list.

The Fujifilm X-mount also has a number of third-party manufacturers contributing affordable alternatives to the higher-end Fujifilm lenses. Don’t be afraid to look beyond the Fujifilm name if you’re hunting for great lenses at affordable prices.

One last thing – remember that Fujifilm X cameras use APS-C sensors, so a crop factor of roughly 1.5x applies to the stated focal length of every lens, i.e. a 50mm lens will behave like a 75mm lens, etc.

Pros:

• Useful 52mm equivalent focal length
• 9-bladed diaphragm
• Near-silent autofocus

Cons:

• No aperture ring
• All plastic, including mount
  
  

Cheap standard primes crop up on most systems, but the Fujifilm XC 35mm f2 is a cut above the average. Delivering images with an equivalent focal length of 52mm, it produces impressive sharpness and contrast, with excellent minimising of distortion and aberration as well as basically no vignetting. The 9-blade aperture means you can make the most of that f/2 aperture and throw the lens wide open for beautiful shallow depth-of-field images with lovely bokeh. The focusing is almost silent too, which is good for video.

Naturally, there have been sacrifices to get the lens to this price. The all-plastic build is to be expected given that this is an XC lens, however something especially worth noting is that the lens doesn’t have an aperture ring. It’s perfectly possible to change the aperture via the camera controls of course, but the experience is nowhere near as smooth. Still, that’s how you get a lens that’s less than half the price of the XF 35mm f2 R WR – though if you need weather resistance, you’ll need to save for the XF lens.

Pros:

• Really pin-sharp
• Lightweight build
• f1.4 with great bokeh

Cons:

• No aperture ring
• No built-in stabilisation (though that’s normal at this price)
  
  

Running a little wider than Fujifilm’s own standard primes, the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary delivers a 45mm equivalent focal length, which is great for street photography. Its f1.4 aperture gives you real versatility, both in terms of low light and shooting with a shallow depth of field (the bokeh quality is great too, thanks to the 9-blade aperture). Once again there’s no aperture ring, which may turn off a few Fujifilm users, but the lens’ weight of 275g means it balances well on Fuji bodies and lends itself to being carried around all day.

Sharpness is great – Sigma has done a fantastic job here. The lens produces terrific images in a range of conditions, and focuses quickly and near-silently thanks to its stepping motor. The minimum focusing distance is just 30cm, meaning you can get in close to your subjects.

Pros:

• Useful wide-angle focal length
• Weather-resistant metal build – with aperture ring
• Excellent sharpness, especially in the centre

Cons:

• No stabilisation
• Some corner softness when used wide open (as you’d expect)
  
  

As this is an XF lens, you get that glorious all-metal build, as well as an aperture ring, meaning you can use your Fujifilm setup as it was meant to be used. The Fujifilm XF 16mm f2.8 R WR is a stunning performer – while it’s recommended for architecture and other typical applications of a wide-angle, the 24mm equivalent focal length is often favoured by photojournalists and documentary shooters for its ability to capture a wide scene without distorting too much. Try the lens out and see what works for you.

There’s very little to criticise about this lovely lens. It’s not stabilised – but you’d expect that at this price. Sharpness is consistently excellent, especially in the centre of images. You have to open it up all the way to f2.8 before you start to see a little corner softness, and again, that’s completely in line with what we’d expect from a lens like this. As one of the cheapest XF lenses, this should definitely be on the list for any Fujifilm mirrorless user.

Pros:

• Generous telephoto zoom range
• Built-in optical stabilisation
• Speedy stepping motor autofocus

Cons:

• Max aperture drops sharply at tele end
• Not weather-sealed
  
  

An equivalent focal range of 76-350mm makes this far-reaching lens a great one of those who want serious telephoto reach on a budget. It’s an XC lens once again, so you have to make your peace with a plastic build and lack of weather sealing, but that’s pretty much the only way you’re going to get this kind of range at this price. 

Plus, the Fujifilm XC 50-230mm f4.5-6.7 OIS II does manage to fit in some features that other XC lenses lack – most notably, optical image stabilisation. Providing up to 3.5 stops of effective compensation, this makes the telephoto end of the lens much more useable than it otherwise would be, making it easier to get sharp images handheld. Though bear in mind that you’ll be working with a maximum aperture of f6.7 at that setting, which could make things difficult when light levels get low.

Pros:

• Large aperture is great for low light
• Lightweight construction
• Produces crisp, sharp images full of contrast

Cons:

• No aperture ring
• No optical stabilisation
  
  

A high-performing wide-angle, this Sigma lens is a great alternative to the XF 16mm f2.8 R WR if you have a little more room in your budget – and all things considered, it’s still very reasonably priced. Even though it’s one of Sigma’s “Contemporary” lenses, it performs well enough optically to be compared to a lens in the high-end “Art” series. 

Three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements and two moulded glass aspherical elements ensure pin-sharp images virtually free from distortion and aberration, while the Super Multi-Layer coatings do an excellent job of controlling flare and ghosting. The end result is a lens that consistently produces punchy and vibrant images, the perfect partner for Fujifilm X cameras and their exemplary colour science. The Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary is also reasonably lightweight, even with an f1.4 aperture.

Pros:

• Ideal focal length for portraits
• Weighs just 280g
• Top-notch image quality

Cons:

• No stabilisation
• No aperture ring
  
  

If you’ve always loved the idea of Fujifilm’s 56mm f1.2 lens but can’t quite make it work for your budget, the Sigma 56mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a fantastic, low-cost alternative. In full-frame terms, 56mm on a Fujifilm X camera works out to an equivalent focal length of 84mm, making this an ideal lens for shooting portraits. The f1.4 aperture is great for throwing out the background of an image, and the sophisticated optical design of this lens produces punchy images virtually free from distortion, aberration or flare.

It’s got all the characteristic foibles of the Contemporary lenses for X-mount – no aperture ring, no stabilisation, fairly limited weather sealing. If none of those are deal-breakers, it’s a fantastic way to save money on a lens that’s capable of capturing truly stunning portraits. Plus, at 280g it’s the lightest of the f1.4 Contemporary primes, so won’t weigh down your kit bag.

Pros:

• Ultra-wide field of view
• Close focuses at 20cm
• Weather-resistant

Cons:

• Soft corners at large apertures
• No aperture ring
  
  

Samyang used to be known for its manual focus lenses, but in recent years has come out with a range of AF lenses for different systems. The Samyang AF 12mm f2 is the first autofocusing lens Samyang has made specifically for Fuji X-mount, and it provides an extreme wide-angle 18mm view that’s great for expansive vistas and architectural images. 

It’s at its best when stopped down – when used wide open, the lens does produce some softness in the corners of images, though this is something of a fact of life with wider angles. Keep your subject to the centre of frame when shooting wide-open and you shouldn’t have any significant problems. Overall, it’s great to see such an affordable AF wide-angle available for X-mount, especially one that is weather-sealed and so lightweight to carry. A worthy addition to any Fujifilm X shooter’s kit bag. 

Pros:

• Street-friendly focal length
• Weather-resistant build
• Terrific image quality with smooth bokeh

Cons:

• No optical stabilisation
  
  

If you, like many photographers, have always loved the idea of the Fujifilm X100VI compact but perhaps you already own an x-mount camera body, and can't justify another camera (like me), this may be the lens for you.

A 23mm optic, working out to a 35mm equivalent on an APS-C sensor, is the lens used on the X100V, and is one of the reasons that camera is so beloved by street photographers – it’s an ideal focal length for street snapping. 

While this isn’t the exact same lens as featured on the X100VI – it’s not optically stabilised, for one – it does still deliver fantastic image quality with beautiful bokeh in the defocused areas of images. Also, it’s an XF lens, meaning you get a lovely metal build with an aperture ring for intuitive control. The Fujifilm XF 23mm f2 R WR is weather-sealed, too.

Affordable Fujifilm GF Lenses

Pros:

• Versatile standard focal range
• Weather resistant and light
• Gorgeous colour rendering

Cons:

• Not the fastest maximum aperture
• No aperture ring
  
  

Offering outstanding value for money in the GFX system, the GF 35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR still delivers the kind of stunning quality that Fujifilm medium format shooters have come to expect from the series. It covers a wide-to-standard focal range of 28-55mm, and uses a stepping motor to ensure fast focusing action – as little as 0.17sec when used with a GFX100 camera. When combined with the Face/Eye detection modes, this can be brought down to as little as 0.13sec, which is frankly incredible for a medium format system. 

The lens is also weather-resistant, so you can take it outside without fear. It produces dazzling images with edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity, and can focus in as close as 25cm. It’s a great lens for a huge range of applications, and the fact that it’s the cheapest in the GFX system certainly doesn't hurt.

Pros:

• Light and durably built
• Very, very sharp, all the way to the corners
• Capable, speedy autofocusing

Cons:

• Quite bulky for a 50mm prime
• Minimum focus distance of 55cm
  
  

With a 40mm equivalent field of view, the Fujifilm GF 50mm f3.5 R LM WR is a standard prime that will no doubt find favour with GFX shooters who want to give street photography a go. And, thanks to the impressively capable and snappy autofocus system on this lens, they’ll likely find themselves having more success than they might have expected (assuming technique is up to scratch, of course).

While it’s on the bulky side for a prime of its type, this lens delivers absolutely unreal sharpness, right the way to the corners of images – there’s no distortion, aberration or fringing to speak of. Having an f3.5 maximum aperture is handy too, and we appreciate that the lens is weather-sealed, but not too heavy. It squeaks under our sub-£999 limit, and we reckon if offers fantastic value for money.

FAQs

What is the difference between prime and zoom Fujifilm lenses?

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length, offering superior image quality and wider apertures, while zoom lenses have variable focal lengths and are versatile for various shooting scenarios.

Are Fujifilm lenses compatible with other camera brands?

Fujifilm lenses are not compatible with other camera brands due to the proprietary X-mount system. They are designed specifically for Fujifilm X-series cameras.

What is the weather resistance rating of Fujifilm WR lenses?

Fujifilm WR (Weather-resistant) lenses are designed to withstand moisture and dust, making them suitable for outdoor photography. However, the level of weather resistance can vary between models.

What is the difference between OIS and non-OIS Fujifilm lenses?

OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) lenses have built-in stabilisation to reduce camera shake, especially in low-light conditions. Non-OIS lenses lack this feature and may require a tripod for stable shots.

Can I use Fujifilm X lenses on Fujifilm GFX cameras?

No, X-mount lenses are not compatible with GFX cameras. X-mount lenses are physically smaller and designed exclusively for Fujifilm X-mount cameras.