Fujifilm XC 15-45 and Canon EF-M 15-45 compared
Opinions are divided on these lenses, sometimes praised, sometimes denigrated. Laboratory tests give a more objective assessment.
These two lenses with their full-frame equivalent focal length at 22.5mm are essential for any photographer. They each suffer from their own drawback, the Fuji with its fake "Power Zoom" which gets in your way rather than helping you, and the Canon with its superfluous lock as well. But they are compact and light, and of decent optical quality. It is that we will compare here.
When the same lens is tested by two testers, for example with the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM or the Fuji 16-80, we see that Optical Limits gives a score 30% higher than that of PCMag. The results must therefore be weighted to correct this difference in measurement.
Fujifilm XC 15-45mm F2.5-5.6 OIS PZ
Lens resolution test performed with Imatest software on a 24MP Fujifilm X-A5. (Source PCMag.com).
Center
| Imatest on Fuji X-A5 24MP | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 22 |
| 15mm | 2469 | 2658 | 2618 | 2496 | 2075 | 1538 | |
| 30mm | 2378 | 2467 | 2669 | 2522 | 2242 | 1652 | |
| 45mm | 2321 | 2483 | 2423 | 2199 | 1681 |
Borders
| Imatest on Fuji X-A5 24MP | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 |
| 15mm | 1473 | 1625 | 2090 | |||
| 30mm | 1474 | 2026 | 2400 | |||
| 45mm | 1858 | 2077 | 2173 |
Less than 1% distortion at 15, 30 and 45mm.
Canon EF-M 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM
Lens resolution test carried out with Imatest software on an M10 with a resolution of 18MP (Source PCMag.com).
Center
| Imatest on Canon M10 18MP | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 8 | 11 |
| 15mm | 2062 | 2083 | 2299 | 2328 | 2167 | ||
| 28mm | 1928 | 2408 | 2260 | ||||
| 45mm | 1966 | 2220 | 2186 |
Borders
| Imatest on Canon M10 18MP | 3.5 | 5 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 8 | 11 |
| 15mm | 1944 | 2125 | ||||
| 28mm | 1387 | |||||
| 45mm | 1925 | 2172 |
Distortion of 3.6 to 15mm, 0 to 28mm, 1.5% to 45mm.
Results corrected by a ratio of 16% to obtain the equivalent of 24mm (i.e. 50% of the difference in resolution of the camera).
We have figures much lower than those of Optical Limits below, which nevertheless uses the same software, but apparently not in the same way, so we add to the results of PCMag. the 30% weighting value indicated at the top of the page.
Canon EF-M 15-45mm weighted values
Center
| Imatest on Canon M10 18MP | 3.5 | 5 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 8 |
| 15mm | 3100 | 3470 | 3500 | ||
| 28mm | 2900 | 3870 | |||
| 45mm | 2900 | 3300 |
Optical Limits provides the following scores on a 24MP device.
Center
| Imatest on Canon M3 24MP | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 8 |
| 15mm | 3213 | 3232 | 3053 | ||
| 28mm | 3054 | 3107 | 2937 | ||
| 45mm | 2767 | 2820 |
Extreme borders
| Imatest on Canon M3 24MP | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 8 | 11 |
| 15mm | 1733 | 2706 | 2637 | 2371 | ||
| 28mm | 2354 | 2415 | 2574 | 2489 | ||
| 45mm | 2521 | 2582 | 2581 |
Comparing Fujifilm vs Canon on 24MP
The Fujinon XC 15-45 and the Canon EF-M 15-45 are compared on two cameras of the same resolution, ie 24 mega pixels with a weighting of 30% added to the Fujinon.
| Center F3.5 | Borders F3.5 | |||
| Fujifilm | Canon | Fujifilm | Canon | |
| 15mm | 3209 | 3203 | 1900 | 1733 |
| 28/30mm | 3090 | 3057 | 1900 | 2354 |
| 45mm | 3017 | 2767 | 2400 | 2521 |
The results of these tests, even by weighting the values, do not confirm the enthusiasm that some display towards the Fujinon lens, which they find extraordinary at 15mm. Either the lenses they used before were really poor, or there are very significant variations in quality between copies, which is not excluded in fact.
The Fuji suffers from little distortion, which is also an advantage for image quality, as the correction reduces it at the periphery. The Canon seems to obtain better results but on the one hand, the 2D laboratory tests do not perfectly represent the reality on the ground, on the other hand the calculations that must be made also add to imprecision.
The Fuji's field of view at 15mm is slightly wider than that of the Canon and approaches 14mm. At 45mm it is the same. In fact the Fuji at 15mm has the same field of view as the Canon 10-18 at 14mm adapted to the X-E3 with the Fringer. The image quality of the two 15-45s on the M6 and X-E3 doesn't show much difference with just a small advantage at the Fuji, at all focal lengths.
Fujinon 15-45 at 15mm has a wider field of view than Canon's at 15mm
The Canon 10-18mm + Fringer at 14mm on X-E3 has the same angle of view as that of the Fujinon 15-45 at 15mm
It is mostly important to know that these two lenses offer inexpensively a good quality wide angle, for photos of landscapes, architecture and interiors.