Fujifilm has announced the XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR, which replaces the Fujinon 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R LM OIS. The 18-55mm f/2.8-4 is highly regarded as one of the best kit lenses ever produced. Much of Fujifilm’s success with entry-level photographers can be traced to the kit lens, which deviated from the standard by offering a fast and superb general zoom lens at an inexpensive price.

The XF16-50mm is a standard zoom lens with focal lengths ranging from wide-angle 16mm (24mm in 35mm format) to medium telephoto 50mm (76mm in 35mm format). It features high-speed and high-precision autofocus, with a magnification of 0.3x at the telephoto end (equivalent to a magnification of 0.45x in 35mm format), allowing the user to get as close as 4cm (1.4 inches) in minimum focusing distance throughout the zoom range, and as close as 15cm (approximately 6 inches) from the front of the lens to the subject.

The XF16-50mm has a weather-resistant structure (weather sealing is applied to thirteen areas of the lens barrel) and can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), making it suitable for usage in various settings.

The XF16-50mm lens has nine groups and 11 elements, including 3 aspherical lenses and 3 extra-low dispersion (ED) lenses, which suppress chromatic aberration and preserve good resolution performance throughout the zoom range. In addition to its high-resolution performance, the XF16-50mm has a close-up capacity of nearly half that of macro photography in 35mm format, making it suitable for capturing food, crafts, plants, and other ordinary scenes.

Here are some sample pictures: