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Best Lenses for the Fujifilm X-T5 in 2023

Wondering which lenses pair best with the Fujifilm X-T5's 40MP sensor? Here's a list of our current favorites for getting the most out of your new camera.

Camera Gear Guides | Fujifilm Lens Guides | Lens Guides | By Stephan Jukic | Last Updated: September 26, 2023

This is a guide to the best lenses for the Fujifilm X-T5 mirrorless camera.

With 40 glorious megapixels to play with, you need to be attaching the right glass to your X-T5.

I’ve been shooting with Fuji X-Series cameras for years now, and these are the lenses for the Fuji X-T5 I recommend.

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR
Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR

Great everyday walk-around lens for the X-T5. Versatile zoom range, weather-proof build and excellent optical performance.

Fortunately, you can’t really go wrong with any Fujifilm XF lens – they’re all that good.

(If you own the X-T4 and some lenses, remember that they should all work admirably with the X-T5 too.)

However, if you’re keen to find which lens works particularly well with a Fuji X-T5 body, keep reading.

What are the Best Lenses for Fujifilm X-T5 in 2023?

Image Product Features
shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WRBEST ALL ROUND
  • Twin Linear Autofocus Motor
  • Optical Design
  • Near Silent
  • Versatile
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 RBEST FOR PORTRAITS
  • Quick Focusing
  • Exceedingly Fast
  • Perfect Portaiture
  • Internal Focusing Mechanism
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WRBEST MID-RANGE ZOOM
  • Refined Focusing
  • Distinguished Design
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Weather-Sealed Construction
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8BEST BUDGET PRIME
  • Versatile Design
  • Precise &Responsive
  • Intuitive
  • Slim & Portable
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WRBEST FAST PRIME
  • Precise Results
  • Vibrant Colors
  • Stunning Detail
  • Portability & Performance
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WRBEST TELEPHOTO PRIME
  • Super EBC Coating
  • Sharp Rich Imagery
  • Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm
  • Quad Linear Autofocus Motor
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WRBEST WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM
  • Color Accuracy
  • Wide Zoom
  • Near Silent
  • Accurate Rendering
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shk2-table__imageFujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WRBEST LONG RANGE ZOOM
  • Fast Performance
  • Long Reaching Zoom
  • Versatile
  • Weather Sealed
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Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR | Best Walk-Around Zoom for X-T5

a camera lens sitting on top of a table.

Image: Bhagi Siva

Pros
  • Maximum image quality for a zoom lens
  • Highly versatile focal length
  • Superbly quiet autofocus
  • Rugged, weather-resistant design
  • Good low-temperature performance
  • Creates great Bokeh
Cons
  • Somewhat heavy for a walk-around lens (655g)
  • Somewhat expensive
  • No internal image stabilization

Fujifilm’s XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR may be on the bulky and heavy side, but it’s one fantastically versatile zoom lens with excellent focal length.

During testing, I found this to be the best lens for XT5 owners who want a variety of ‘looks’ in their shots. 16-55mm is from wide-angle to portrait, after all.

This little beast is ideal for photographers who want to step out into the field or go for a studio shoot while being sure of what they’ll need.

The XF 16-55mm achieves this by being capable of excellent sharpness at multiple focal lengths and thus makes you feel almost as if you’re carrying around several different prime lenses in one.

What’s more, the XF 16-55mm delivers truly superb image quality across the board right out to f8. We can’t stress this enough. It’s truly a razor-sharp piece of optical technology.

a group of men playing a game of basketball.

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm sample image: Simone Raso

Fuji invested heavily in the XF 16-55 mm design and the photo quality it produces showcases that effort.

It can even be used for reasonably decent macro photography, which is impressive for a Fuji wide-angle zoom lens.

Other excellent aspects of the Fuji XF 16-55mm include its whisper-quiet AF motor and the f/2.8 maximum aperture, making it great for low light.

This makes the XF 16-55mm a perfect match for your X-T5’s lightning-fast auto-focus capabilities.

Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R | Best Portrait Lens for X-T5

a Fujifilm camera lens on a pink background.

Pros
  • Superb, robustly metallic build quality
  • Responsive manual focus ring
  • Very good image quality, even wide open
  • Wonderful bokeh
Cons
  • Image quality less than ideal at the edges
  • Somewhat slow AF motor performance
  • A bit expensive

For professional portrait photographers working in a studio setting, the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R is a sturdy, robust and optically superb portrait lens.

No guide to the best lenses for Fuji XT5 owners should miss this beauty, most notably for that bokehlicious maximum aperture.

While its AF system is slightly on the slow side compared to certain other Fuji lenses (such as the Fujinon 90mm F2), the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R still operates more than adequately for most portrait shooting needs.

Whatever slowness its AF system does include is more than compensated for by the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R’s excellent image quality and large maximum aperture.

 

Your portrait shots will look fantastically sharp when captured with this impressive chunk of Fuji glass.

Specifically, the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R is a precisely corrected lens and produces minimal to zero haloing, chromatic aberration and very minor distortion.

It creates some wickedly beautiful bokeh at f/1.2. With the 56mm focal length, your backgrounds will turn to mush, making for some truly striking face shots.

On a final note, it’s hard not to love the robust build quality of the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R.

This is one precise, solid lens that almost feels like something made for a film camera (but with perfectly modern specs.)

Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR | Best Mid-Range Zoom for X-T5

a close up of a fuji camera lens on a black surface.

Image: Greg Cromie

Pros
  • Extremely versatile for a telephoto zoom lens
  • Highly effective optical image stabilization
  • Solid, weather and dust-resistant build
  • Smoothly responsive zoom functionality
Cons
  • Quite heavy and bulky at 2.2 lbs (0.99 kg)
  • Slightly expensive

The Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR has attracted rave reviews from happy users of all kinds, and with good reason.

This is just one fantastic telephoto lens across the full range of its expansive focal length.

Fujifilm XT5 lenses shouldn’t all be exotic primes, after all – long-range zooms like this one can really open up the opportunities to getting shots you’d otherwise have missed.

Fuji has given the XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR an extremely solid build that lets you use it comfortably in the field despite its bulky size and weight. It’s also highly weather-resistant.

a black and white photo of a cat.

Fuji 50-140mm sample image: Greg Cromie

In terms of focal range, this 50-140mm lens delivers the same magnification through your viewfinder as a 70-200mm would on a full-frame camera.

Despite being a huge lens, it fits the X-T5 nicely and delivers superb zoom control in the process.

Its optical image stabilization is also perfectly up to the job of handling shoots with the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR.

The only hesitation may be the price – it’s certainly an investment and probably not the first lens for the X-T5 to buy unless you have the budget.

However, if you’re using the Fujifilm X-T5 and want a solid medium-long-range zoom lens, this is the one you’ll want to add to your arsenal.

Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 | Best Budget Prime for X-T5

a Fujifilm camera lens on a tan background.

Pros
  • Very affordably priced Fuji lens
  • Extremely light, compact and tough
  • Versatile and great with low light
  • Good bokeh
  • Great for subtle street photography
Cons
  • The focus motor can be noisy
  • Tiny lens cap, easy to lose

The extremely compact Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 weighs in at just 2.75 ounces, unsurprisingly, since it’s less than an inch thick and just 2.4 inches wide.

During my tests, I decided that it’s the best lens for XT5 owners who want to keep the entire setup as small, lightweight and unobtrusive as possible.

Despite its diminutive specs, the Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 performs admirably and is handy for certain specific contexts with Fujifilm cameras.

Most notably, this pancake lens is fantastic for street photography, mainly because it’s just so unobtrusive, even less so than an average kit lens.

Another aspect of the ultra-compact 27mm is that although not a wide-angle lens, it provides a suitably wide viewing angle due to its 27mm FOV.

 

This lets you capture surprisingly broad shots without having to step back too far. Again, this is definitely useful for street photography and architecture shots.

Finally, the Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 is reasonably well-built and, due to its lightness, not a lens that you’re likely to easily damage. It’s also very affordable.

Pairing it with the Fujifilm X-T5 will make your camera feel like it’s completely lens-less, which is obviously great for all day shooting or remaining inconspicuous on the street.

It’s also one of the best lenses for Fujifilm X-E4 cameras due to its compactness.

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR |Best Fast Prime for Fuji X-T5

a close up of a camera lens on a table.

Image: John Platt

Pros
  • Combines both portability and performance as a prime lens
  • Exceptionally fast internal AF mechanism
  • Light-weight construction, but tough
  • Highly weather and dust-resistant
  • Superb optical performance
Cons
  • While not crazy expensive, it’s hardly cheap

Fujifilm’s XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR is a fast prime lens with virtually no flaws.

For one thing, the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR delivers wickedly sharp picture quality with minimal or no notable chromatic aberration.

On top of this, it will help your X-T5 deliver the best possible colors it can – don’t be tempted by the 23mm f/2 version  – it’s also a great lens, but the optics are far superior on this f/1.4 variant.

a man sitting in a chair in a room filled with toys.

Fuji 23mm f/1.4 sample image: John Platt

As a general wide-angle prime lens, the Fujinon XF 23mm offers a 35mm equivalent focal length for the APS-C cameras it’s built for. I love using this lens on my X-Pro 3.

This lens’s specs make it an ideal choice for so many different uses, from street photography to wedding and event shooting.

It’s also great for documentary photographers in the field and photojournalists. Further boosting its versatility is the rugged build of the XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR.

This is a solid weather and dust-resistant lens that has been built to withstand plenty of moisture and dirty settings.

In general, it’s practically a must-have lens for your Fujifilm X-T5 camera or any other Fuji shooter with similar specs.

Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR | Best Telephoto Prime for Fuji X-T5

a fuji camera lens sitting on top of a table.

Image: John Platt

Pros
  • Excellent image quality from center to edge
  • Very sharp shots at all aperture settings
  • Precise, firm aperture ring design
  • Good weight for its size
Cons
  • Uneven focus speed
  • No internal image stabilization

Like the rest of the best Fuji X lenses for the X-T5 we’re describing here, the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR is unsurprisingly excellent.

This telephoto delivers superb image sharpness right across its aperture spectrum right from center to edge. It does, however, require a bit of careful handling with its AF.

Specifically, while the focus speed in the XF 90mm is usually lightning fast, it can sometimes slip into focusing on the wrong subject or slipping up in contrast detection mode and slowing down a shot.

a woman in a suit is holding her hair.

Fuji 90mm f/2 sample image: Niko Villegas

The depth of field of the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR lets the lens deliver good background separation even at shooting distances of 20 feet.

It also facilitates great color saturation and crisp overall image quality.

With a focal length of 137mm equivalent in APS-C cameras from Fuji, the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR is a powerful and flexible choice for a telephoto prime lens.

Overall, it’s a well-built, weather-sealed lens that should give you little trouble if you’re using it in the field, even with inclement weather swirling or splashing around you.

Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR | Best Wide Angle Zoom for Fuji X-T5

a fuji xt5 camera attached to a tripod in a field.

Image: Matt Murray

Pros
  • Weather-sealed in 11 points
  • Capable of low-temp work down to -10 Celsius
  • Quick, precise AF
  • Low distortion even at 8mm
  • Excellent image quality
  • Very wide-angle shooting
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Large and heavy
  • No filter attachment

Fuji’s XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR is an X format lens with lots to offer photographers who want wonderfully crisp, vibrant wide-angle photos of landscapes and architecture. It’s also great for portrait shooting.

Another strong quality of this lens is the quality of the images it produces. They’re crisp, sharp and fairly easy to capture, thanks to a very fast AF motor.

the sun is setting over a barren area.

Fuji XF 8-16mm sample image: Matt Murray

Despite the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR’s wide-angle shooting specs, it features four aspherical elements inside its body to suppress distortions and excessive curvature of field.

Six extra-low dispersion elements inside the XF 8-16mm’s body help it deliver exceptionally high clarity and color accuracy.

On the negative side, the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR is a rather hefty and slightly clunky lens to work with, though if you need a truly strong wide-angle zoom, it’s a fine choice and worth its high price.

Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR | Best Long-Range Zoom for Fuji X-T5

a Fujifilm camera lens on a blue background.

Pros
  • Extremely well-built lens
  • Extremely sharp image quality
  • Uniform sharpness from edge to edge
  • Image stabilization
  • Fast AF for its size and bulkiness
  • Decently priced
Cons
  • Very large and heavy (it’s a 400mm telephoto after all)
  • Some AF weaknesses in low light

Fuji’s XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a hefty beast of a lens that weighs in at close to 5 lbs, but it’s a 400mm telephoto lens, so you can hardly expect less.

With that said, this is one superb long-range telephoto optic that delivers remarkably crisp, sharp photos with great color rendering making it perfect for shooting landscapes.

 

The Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR is also solid in terms of its AF performance, except if you’re shooting at the extremes of its range in low light. In this case, the AF gets a bit indecisive and slow.

With all of the above said, the options become rather limited when it comes to lenses with this model’s range of focal length and zoom.

If you own a high-performance APS-C camera like the X-T5 and need something that will let you crisply capture birds from half a kilometer away, the Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a superb option.

Honorable Mentions (Other Great Lenses for Fujifilm X-T5)

Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 R

a close up of a fuji camera lens on a table.

Image: Greg Cromie

Pros
  • Good AF performance
  • Great sharpness
  • Reasonably priced
  • Very, very versatile
  • Weather-sealed
Cons
  • Sharpness could be better at the extremes
  • Some optical distortion
  • Might be too large for some uses

While called a telephoto zoom lens, the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR is really a great all-purpose option that you can use for nearly any shooting need.

This lens weighs just 440g (1 lb) and is compact enough to let you use it fairly unobtrusively.

With the Fujifilm XF f/4 R OIS WR, you get a 16-80mm zoom range (24-120mm equivalent) that’s very flexible for diverse shoots and offers great telephoto capabilities at 80mm.

The Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR is also ideal as a field tool specifically because of its versatility, letting you replace multiple lenses at different focal lengths with one single optic.

It also delivers decent low-light performance despite its f/4 aperture, strong AF and reasonably strong image stabilization.

It’s a bit large for discreet photography and easy hauling in the field, but it compensates nicely with its truly exceptional versatility and is incredibly popular among Fujifilm lenses.

Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR

a camera sitting on top of a wooden table.

Image: Greg Cromie

Pros
  • Very accurate AF
  • High-quality optical image stabilization
  • Constant max f/4 aperture for consistency
  • Good for shallow depth of field techniques
Cons
  • No weather sealing
  • Some optical distortion and vignetting
  • Curiously loose lens mount

Fuji’s Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 R is another solid wide-angle zoom lens from the manufacturer, but it’s not quite as robustly built as the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR we listed above.

For one thing, this lens doesn’t have weather sealing, which could be a deal-breaker for some users who need this in their Fujifilm lenses.

Secondly, its image quality, though very sharp at the center and generally good, does suffer from some vignetting and optical distortion.

a woman in a white dress sitting on a pile of wood.

XF 16-80mm f/4 | 16mm | 1/125 SS | ISO 500 | f/4 | Sample image: Jens Burger

With the above details in mind, the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR offers a very flexible zoom range for all kinds of travel photography situations without switching optics on the fly.

Furthermore, the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm has a decent AF that quietly and precisely does its job while you focus on shooting and composition. Its internal image stabilization also helps here by being sturdy and precise.

The price of the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR also isn’t too bad considering this lens’s specs.

Overall, except for the lack of weather sealing, we really recommend this optic for its impressive image quality.

Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Macro | Best Macro Lens

a Zeiss camera lens on a purple background.

Pros
  • Very versatile lens
  • Macro shots look great
  • Shoots street scenes wonderfully
  • Light and reasonably sized
  • Decently priced
  • Good bokeh
Cons
  • AF could be faster
  • No real weather sealing

The thing to really like about this Zeiss Touit lens for Fuji cameras is that it’s versatile enough to be great for both deep-detail macro photography and for things like portraiture.

Its life-size 1:1 max magnification ratio and minimum focus distance of just 5.9” or 14cm make it useful for very close-up shots.

On the other hand, the Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Macro also comes with a floating element system for consistent image quality across its focal range.

The DC autofocus motor in the Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Macro is also very well-made, being both quiet and precise.

Other very likable things about this Zeiss Touit macro lens are its light weight and reasonable size.

These, combined with its portrait and telephoto capabilities, make it a surprisingly good lens for certain types of street photography too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Fuji lens is the sharpest?

If we had to pick any lens among the ones listed above as the sharpest, it would probably be the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR, but that’s a difficult call to make.

In reality, pretty much all of the lenses we’ve covered here offer very good to excellent sharpness. It’s why they’re all so highly rated.

What lenses work with the Fuji XT5?

All Fujifilm X Series lenses are designed to be compatible with the XF format of the Fujifilm X-T5 camera.

Also, keep in mind that any Fujifilm XF-format lens will work with the Fuji X-T5. In fact, many will work exceptionally well because of the camera’s 40MP sensor.

Do I have to use a lens that will resolve the full 40MP or can I use other Fujifilm XT lenses?

Nope. As long as you’re using an XF format lens with your Fujifilm X-T5 camera, it will work well with it even if it’s not designed to resolve the full 40MP of the X-T5’s sensor.

Some lenses will resolve only 30MP, or maybe 33, but they’ll all work better than if used with, for example, a 26MP Fuji shooter like that of the X-T4.

Final Words

I sincerely hope you enjoyed my guide to the best lenses for Fujifilm XT5 users.

If you own a Fujifilm X-T5 camera, what you have in your hands is one superbly good piece of shooting technology that absolutely can create professional photos for nearly any context.

Because of this, you want to give it the best Fuji lenses for its sensor resolution.

Which ones you obtain will depend on the kind of shooting you most like to do, but the ones we’ve ranked above are the best in their categories for exactly this kind of camera.

Yes, they can get expensive, but any one or two or more of the lenses ranked above will let you take your Fujifilm X-T5 shooting to new levels and contexts.

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR
Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR

Great everyday walk-around lens for the X-T5. Versatile zoom range, weather-proof build and excellent optical performance.

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