Is the fujifilm xf 16 50mm f 2 8 4 8 r lm wr good for portraits?

It's a usable starting lens for portraits, but I wouldn't pick it as your main portrait lens. On APS-C it frames like 24-75mm full frame, so the 50mm end lands around 75mm equivalent, which is a flattering portrait distance. The catch is the aperture: at that end it's only f/4.8, so backgrounds won't blur much. It's also not stabilised.

For portraits, I'd look for a fast prime. The Portraits guide suggests a 56mm f/1.2 to f/1.4 on APS-C as the equivalent of the classic 85mm. If you want a zoom that keeps a constant f/2.8, the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR is more flexible, though it's larger and heavier. For a broader starting point, see your first lenses.

Written by Claude from this site's pages.