Fujifilm Fujinon 16534730 50mm

The TCL-X100 II turns your X100F into a 50mm equivalent without losing the f/2.8 aperture. Build quality is solid and the auto-detection is slick, but optical performance is mediocre at the 19th percentile. Worth it only if you're all-in on the X100 system.

The TCL-X100 II does exactly what it promises. You get a 50mm equivalent field of view without changing the f/2.8 aperture, which is the whole appeal. Portrait shooting is where this thing shines, scoring 54.1 out of 100 in our testing. Street work is decent too at 52.9. But the optical quality lands at the 19th percentile, which is a weak spot. You're adding glass in front of an already excellent fixed lens, and there's some softness and character loss compared to shooting the X100F bare. Autofocus sits at the 54th percentile, so it's fine but not snappy. No stabilization here, and the 36th percentile ranking for that reflects it. If you're shooting in low light, you'll feel the lack of it.

Stacked against the competition, the TCL-X100 II is a weird one. The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN is a zoom that covers this focal length and more, with better optical performance, for a similar price. The Tamron 28-300mm gives you massive range if you're on a full-frame body. Even the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS offers stabilization and versatility this converter can't touch. But none of those work on an X100F. That's the whole point. You're not buying this because it's the best 50mm lens. You're buying it because it's the only 50mm option for a camera you already love.

At around $400 USD, this is a tough sell unless you're deeply committed to the X100 system. You're paying a premium for a lens adapter that only works on one camera line. For that money, you could buy a used 50mm prime for an interchangeable lens Fujifilm body and get better optical quality. But if the X100F is your only camera and you want that 50mm look without buying a whole new system, the convenience factor is real. The 4.5 out of 5 rating from the few owners out there suggests people who buy it tend to be happy with it.

The Fujifilm TCL-X100 II is a screw-on teleconverter that turns your X100F's fixed 23mm lens into a 50mm equivalent. It's a niche accessory for a niche camera, but if you love the X100 series and want a tighter frame for portraits, this is the cleanest way to get it. The lens keeps the same f/2.8 aperture, so you don't lose light like you would with a traditional teleconverter on an interchangeable lens camera.

At 227g, it adds noticeable heft to the front of the camera but nothing crazy. The X100F recognizes it automatically and adjusts the viewfinder guides, which is a nice touch. Build quality is solid, sitting at the 78th percentile in our database. But this is a single-purpose accessory, and the optical performance doesn't blow us away.

Skip this if you don't own an X100 series camera, because it's useless on anything else. Also skip it if you care about sharpness above all else. The optical hit is real, and for the same money you can get a dedicated 50mm prime on an interchangeable lens body that will embarrass this converter in image quality. And if you shoot macro or need stabilization, this thing is a non-starter.

Buy this if you own an X100F and you're tired of the 35mm equivalent field of view for portraits. It's a well-built, easy-to-use accessory that does what it says. Skip it if you're looking for optical excellence or if you have any other camera body. This is a convenience purchase, not a performance purchase.