Quick take: The Fujifilm 200mm F2 is my favorite lens of all time. After three years it hasn't missed a shot, it handles shooting into the sun with no ghosting and it pairs beautifully with the X-H2S. My one gripe is the hood: a small plastic wedge holds its metal locking bracket, and mine broke through. A replacement hood is about $200, and a metal part would fix the problem.
My Favorite Lens of All Time
The title is a little clickbaity, because the Fujifilm 200mm F2 does everything it's supposed to. It makes you look cool, and it makes every photographer around you a little jealous. I take it with me whenever I can, and I use it for some really unconventional portraits because it's so much fun.
For a lens that's roughly a 300mm F2.8 full-frame equivalent, it's surprisingly compact. If Fujifilm released every focal length with this build quality and autofocus performance, I'd fully invest in it.
Three Years of Use
I've had it for about three years. On the X-T3 it was too good for the camera. On the X-H2S it pairs and balances very well, and I still feel like there's more left in the tank. It doesn't miss, images look great even cropped, and it doesn't matter whether the teleconverter is attached. I had sports clients to justify the purchase, though honestly I was looking for any excuse, and I'm really happy with it.
It's also phenomenal against the light. I shot straight into the sun at Shenandoah on the X-T3 and got no ghosting or flare at all.
The Hood Design
The hood is the style common to super-telephoto primes. Instead of a twist-and-click bayonet that you can knock off, it's secured with a locking knob, which is much more secure. It's well made, matches the lens's pearlescent finish, isn't heavy and is about a third the length of the lens.
What Broke
The metal locking bracket is held in by a small plastic wedge. I'm not that strong, but maybe I tightened it a bit too much. It got stuck, I had to really work to peel it back, and the metal bracket broke right through the plastic. That little piece of plastic is all that was holding it, and it isn't robust.
Of course it happened on a day when I was far from home and flare could have been an issue, so I had to hold the hood on with bungee ties.
The Fix
I understand Fujifilm wants the hood to be light, but this looks like an oversight. Replacing that area, or maybe the whole ring, with metal would solve it and make this the perfect lens. I get that the design is already out and lots of people own it, so I don't expect a free replacement, but I'd happily pay another $200 for a hood that fixes it.
Replacement hoods were hard to get, so I bought a backup directly from Fujifilm. Buying used is risky because you might get one that's already broken. My broken hood is a $200 paperweight now. Maybe I'll turn it into a pen holder.
Final Thoughts
Fujifilm is doing great right now, and this lens doesn't need an update. It just needs a sturdier hood. For more with this lens, see the Fujifilm X-M5 paired with the 200mm F2.
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