Quick Facts about the Fujifilm 90mm F2 LM WRWeight Grams Weather Sealed YesFilter Size 62mm Angle of View DegreesFocusing Distance feet/60 centimetersMax Aperture F2Minimum Aperture F16Image Stabilization NoMount System Fuji XPrice $949Maximum Magnification .2x Quick Facts about the Fujifilm 56mm WR Weight oz/445 Grams Weather Sealed YesFilter Size 67mm Angle of View DegreesFocusing Distance feet/50cmMax Aperture Aperture F16Image Stabilization NoMount System Fuji XPrice $999Maximum Magnification .14x Table of Contents Why compare the Fujifilm 90mm F2 and the 56mm WR? After testing almost every Fujifilm telephoto lens, I figured it was time to test, review, and compare the best options within this category. They are a similar price, both lenses are designed portrait-based photography, and their a renowned for their sharpness. However, these lenses are very different in one category, their release date. The 90mm F2 was released in 2015, and it is one of Fujifilm’s earliest lenses. Meanwhile, the 56mm WR is one of the newer Fujifilm lenses. Also known as Mark MK II or Fuji-luxesSo, let’s compare the 56mm WR and the 90mm F2, and see which lens is best for you. Who are both of these lenses for? People looking for a prime, telephoto lens that excels in sharpness are going to be satisfied with these lenses. So, wedding photographers are going to be extremely satisfied with their output. If they can deal with the compromises such as autofocus, and almost too much reach with the 90mm F2. In general styles of photography, I found that the 56mm WR excelled more often. If something was a bit too close, I would switch to a vertical plane. With that focal length, it paired nicely with a 35mm lens. Meanwhile the 90mm F2 is strictly focused on landscapes and portraits. I do believe that the focal length is limiting in regards to indoor photography such as weddings. However, if you can create more space between your subjects and the photographer, it might be alright. What other XF Portrait Lenses Exist? Fujifilm has now had over 10 years to develop their Fujifilm XF mount. This leaves us with numerous options such as…Primes Fujifilm 50mm F1 The F1. Bokeh-licious. Premium Price. Inconsistent autofocus. Fujifilm XF 50mm F2 The budget “Fuji-cron” version of the portrait lens, the 50mm F2 has fast autofocusing speeds and it is weather resistant. The 50mm F2 and the 23mm F2 make a formidable street combination. Fujifilm 56mm non-WR The first version of this lens is slow, but it can be found for less than $500 in a used state. Fujifilm 56mm ADP Something to do with smoother bokeh…Zooms Fujifilm 50-140 The jack of all trades for the telephoto zoom options, the Fujifilm 50-140 is the best-performing lens in regards to sharpness for a zoom. Build Quality Comparison For both lenses, the build quality is going to be excellent. I am not concerned with the long-term use of either of these lenses, especially as this 56mm refresh included weather-resistance! The outer-construction is metal, and it certainly is not cheap-quality, either. Upon examining the lens, I did not see any major build quality concern, and I would happily take both into a waterfall, sandstorm, or just Iceland in general. Dials, Knobs, Switches, and Feet OIS was omitted on 56mm WR and 90mm F2, so we do not have an optical image stabilization switch. Plus, the lenses are not too large, so there is no need for a tripood foot. They balance well on the larger bodies due to their optical size, they could be a bit front heavy on the X-T20. Finally, both have marked aperture rings. Sharpness Comparison In summary, the 56mm wins the sharpness category versus the 90mm F2. Although the sharpness is very similar, the biggest difference was in the corners at both F2 and F8. All around, I don’t expect anyone to complain about the sharpness of these lenses. At and the the 56mm WR is significantly sharper. So much so, some may even argue that you won’t even be able to use the 90mm F2 at these apertures. 😉At F2, this is where the actual comparison starts. I found both lenses to perform excellently. Despite it being the minimum aperture of the F2, the 90mm is going to hold-up well. There was a slight increase in performance with the 56mm WR in the top-left corner. However, you shouldn’t notice this too much in real-world around until about F8, both the 90mm F2 and 56mm WR performed extremely well. This is for both the center and corner sharpness. The 90mm F2 probably peaks in sharpness around and the 56mm performs the best around F4. Where the sharpness begins to change again is around F8. However, it’s only in the center sharpness remains the same. I felt like the 56mm WR has a slight-edge within this category, and it held up well for about five-stops. This isn’t to say that the 90mm F2 is lacking in regards to sharpness. As is customary with Fujifilm, both lenses usually are not used past F11 or so. Both the 90mm F2 and the 56mm WR have a maximum aperture of F16. Bokeh On a full-frame equivalent scale, these lenses are extremely popular. The 56mm translates to an 85mm and the 90mm F2 is the kind-of equivalent of the 135mm To me, the 56mm is everything I want in a portrait lens. You are still able to make out the background, but it certainly has the 3D pop of the subject. Meanwhile, the bokeh on the 90mm F2 is the awkward “starting to melt away too much.” Compression of the 56mm 85mm FF vs the 90mm 135mm FF Fujifilm 56mm Fujifilm 90mm F2 F2 – Bokeh Test Bokeh Balls However, in regards to the bokeh-balls, the 56mm WR wins in an easy competition. According to the specifications sheet, the 90mm F2 has only a 7-bladed aperture ring. Meanwhile, the 56mm WR contains an eleven bladed aperture ring. Fujifilm 56mm WR – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 56mm WR – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 56mm WR F2 – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 90mm F2 F2 – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 90mm F2 – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 56mm WR – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 56mm WR – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 90mm F2 – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 56mm WR F4 – Bokeh Balls Fujifilm 90mm F2 F4 – Bokeh Balls Because of this, the 56mm WR’s bokeh balls remain rounder, longer. This allows the corners to slowly get round-out too, which negates the cat’s eye affect in the 56mm I think it’s obvious from the photos above, the 56mm WR can be pushed up to F2 and if necessary. F4 might be a stretch. Meanwhile, there is a clear polygon shape with the 90mm F2’s bokeh balls by and it is unusable at F4. I always expect nice, pleasing bokeh balls across the frame. However, with every lens’s construction, this is rarely the case. The 56mm WR has the best bokeh balls out of any Fujifilm lens I have tested. Eye Autofocus Tracking One of the biggest disappoints within my time using the Fujifilm system was the announcement that Fuji had decided NOT to use linear motors in the 56mm WR. Every single lens in the past year or two has had quick, reliable motors that were only limited in accuracy by the Fujifilm body. So, the 90mm F2 actually wins in this category. It is noticeably quicker, and I was able to get smooth focus pulls that were quick. This fits my style of video, which is actually very limited… but still. Meanwhile, I feel like the 56mm WR can be used to create some cinematic shots that you see in movies, but you will want to be careful about the pull speed. It did show good tracking, however. Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR F2 – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR – Color Fringing Fujifilm 56mm WR F4 – Color Fringing Fujifilm 90mm F2 F4 – Color Fringing Fujifilm 90mm F2 – Color Fringing Fujifilm 90mm F2 F2 – Color Fringing There is going to be color fringing on both of these lenses, and it is both purple and green. I felt like I noticed it a lot more on something like the 50mm F1, than either the 90mm F2 and 56mm WR, though. Both of the photographs above were cropped by over 100% in post-production, but they were JPEG’s. Focusing Distance & Macro Performance 56mm WRFocusing / 50 F2 WRFocusing Distance. / 60 In regards to the minimum focusing distance, the 56mm WR wins this category. However, the 90mm F2 WR wins in the magnification ratio due to a longer focal length. Neither of these lenses will be as great as the 80mm or even the 30mm Fujifilm 90mm F2 F2 Fujifilm 56mm Sunstars/Starbursts Fujifilm 56mm WR – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR F2 – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR F8 – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR F11 – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR F14 – Sunstars – Sample Fujifilm 56mm WR F16 – Sunstars – Sample 90mm F2 Sunstars 90mm F2 Sunstars F8 90mm F2 Sunstars F11 90mm F2 Sunstars F13 90mm F2 Sunstars F16 The starbursts were not bad on either of the lenses, but I did find the 90mm F2 a bit bettter. However, the ghosting with the seven-bladed aperture did create a unique, annoying affect. The ghosts on the 90mm F2 were heptagon shaped. I can often deal with the ghosts, as there are ways to incorporate lens flare into the image. But with this in mind, I would constantly be careful about how I introduce external, uncontrolled light into the photograph. Why should I pick the 90mm F2 over the 56mm WR? You already own the 16-55mm am not going to lie, the 16-55 and the 90mm F2 produce a wonderful two-lens combination that will be great for both photo and video. Prior to the release of the 56mm WR, I think it’s probably the most useful combo. Video WorkI have watched some reviews that talk about the 90mm F2’s lack of autofocus in video mode. However, these videos were being tested with A an X-H2s B never revealed their autofocus settings. Which is slightly frustratingNow, I don’t think Fujifilm’s video autofocus is at their competitor’s level, yet. However, after using the 90mm F2, I feel much more confident the problem is within the autofocus algorithm, and not this specific lens. When the time comes, this lens will continue to hold its weight. Bokeh Due to the only 10cm difference in focusing distance, the 90mm F2 has probably a shallower depth of field in some situations. However, this type of bokeh can lend itself to busy-ness if you are not careful. Why should I pick the 56mm WR over the 90mm F2? You already own the 50-140 is point is kind of rhetorical, but there are more than two extra stops of light gained with the 56mm Image Quality To me, there is no question. The 56mm is going to produce great images. Therefore, any review taken that says it’s not good enough is lying. I would say this and the 23mm WR Mk II are the two sharpest Fujifilm lenses I have ever used. VersatilityI was able to use the 56mm WR indoors and outdoors. However, the 90mm F2 is just a bit too long for everyday photography. My Final Ratings Fujifilm 90mm F2 On the bright side, during the discounts, you can find this lens for $600 used. I think Fujifilm actually recognizes that this lens is overpriced, which is why you’ve seen the MSRP drop from $1050 to $949. Reliability 4/5-1 for the aperture blades impeding on the ghosting and bokeh balls. Functionality 4/5We lost an entre point due to not being able to rely on this lens indoors. I understand that some people are going to be aware of this attribute when they purchase it. Style 5/5Total 17/20 or about 85%I think most people are going to be happy with the results from this lens, once you know how to use it. The 90mm F2 is sharp across the entire frame, the fringing is expected, and the bokeh is normal. It’s just hard for me to give a specialized lens anything above a 85%. Fujifilm 56mm WR Price 5/5It’s worth the price, period. Sharpness and build quality are top-tier. Reliability 3/5I hate deducting two points, but I found the autofocus to just make things and life difficult. Fujifilm is not keeping up with their peers, and it’s starting to show in their lens construction, too. Functionality 5/585 millimeters is a highly functional lens. Does it create some unnecessary balance on smaller cameras? Yes. Are people going to notice it too much? No. Style 5/5Looks good. Total 18/20 or 90%For Fujifilm photographers, the only downside is the autofocus. Otherwise, this is a perfect lens by Fujifilm.