One lens one story, a new chapter begins: Zoom lens.
You would often find lens construction diagram in the lens catalog and other promotional materials. However, this isn’t enough to tell all about the particular lens.
For example, a typical lens construction includes only the inner part of the lens barrel. It doesn’t mention about the imager part where all the lights are condensed at the end. In such case you cannot see the difference between lens for mirrorless camera, compact camera like X100, and DSLR which contains a mirror box.
Let’s get back to today’s topic; XF18-135mm.
You will not learn the greatness of it, if you only look at the lens construction diagram.
There are several other lenses in the same category as the XF18-135mm currently available in the market from other manufacturers. The length, diameter, and the size of the lens are more or less the same, but all other lenses are for DSLRs.
The length is the same, but XF18-135mm is a lens for mirroless camera, which does not require a mirror box. The optical distance is 20mm shorter. This is the greatness of the lens.
The shorter optical distance realizes the comfortable use as a camera system. The compact size makes the multi-purpose lens even more convenient. And to achieve this, we have 3 aspherical lenses in it.
XF18-135mm differs in its character from all other XF lenses.
Other XF lenses are like sprinters or shot putters, they have their specialized field. On the other hand, the XF18-135mm is like a decathlete, an all round-player. But you cannot overlook the decathletes. The top players can sometimes surpass the national records.
Continue to read Episode 11
One lens one story – Episode 11: XF1.4X TC WR Part 1
