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Archive 2016 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)

  
 
killagbear
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


Hello all! I'm new to the Fuji community and would love to get a few lens recommendation. I'm coming from a Canon and after hiking in Tasmania with a 6D, 17-40 and a 24-70 for 6 hours I swore I'd make the jump to mirror less

Most of pictures these days are centered around landscapes or food (especially when I travel). When I do freelance work it's usually portraits. Here's what I was thinking for a gear setup -

23mm f/2 WR - for general walk around, architecture, landscape, museums, food, and full body portraits

56mm f/1.6r - for free lance portraits (I still haven't decided if this merits keeping around or if I should rent it when I need it for the bokeh)

18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 WR - for backup walkaround, traveling and hiking.

I've purchased the 23 and 56 already and am holding off on the 18-135 until my vacation in June. So what do you think? Will I need the 56 1.6? Should I have opted out of the primes and gone the zoom route with with a 10-24 and 18-135??

Ultimately I want something light enough to take hiking or camping with if I need to without comprising too much on IQ



Dec 15, 2016 at 09:55 PM
Delatant
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I have the 18-135. I bought it for my travel photography as it has such FL latitude. However after a couple of trips, in reviewing my images, I have come to the conclusion that they are rather "flat" compared to my other primes (23, 35, 56). I am having to re-think my travel lens(es). My wife loves it on her T1!


Dec 16, 2016 at 09:14 AM
Lken
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I think you will love the two primes especially the 23. I also found the 18-135 not quite as sharp. The 18-55 was a lot sharper for me.


Dec 16, 2016 at 09:23 AM
killagbear
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


Oh no.. that was not the answer I was hoping for lol.

Do you have one narrowed down? I considered 18-55 but it just doesn't have the range I'd like.I also considered an extender but I'm not sure if that will impact IQ?



Dec 16, 2016 at 12:54 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


killagbear wrote:
Oh no.. that was not the answer I was hoping for lol.

Do you have one narrowed down? I considered 18-55 but it just doesn't have the range I'd like.I also considered an extender but I'm not sure if that will impact IQ?


This is a normal tradeoff. Those zooms with the very large focal length ranges virtually always have some downsides in terms of resolution, distortion, and/or aperture. If you need to go with a one-lens wide-range solution, they may be OK, but you can't have that and the best image quality.

Dan



Dec 16, 2016 at 01:07 PM
flash
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


The closest direct replacements for your gear would be the 10-24 and 16-55mm lenses. You could save weight and get IS with the 18-55mm.

The 18-135, I find disappointing in a generally stellar Fuji lens system. I would get the 18-55 and 55-200. More range, better optically and IS. You could leave the 55-200 when you really need to travel light.

Gordon



Dec 16, 2016 at 02:33 PM
Squinty
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I use a 14mm for landscapes and an 18-55. Both have 58mm threads (to share NDs and a circular polariser) and both accommodate the inexpensive Hitech 85 filter system. That's not to say a longer lens isn't good for landscapes - better than a wide angle to isolate a subject - but I find the 18-55 to be long enough and is almost as sharp as my 56mm 1.2 and that's high praise. I wouldn't swap the IQ of my 18-55 for the extra coverage and WR of the 18-135.

Like you OP, I just bought a 23mm WR as a walkabout lens, but wouldn't use it specifically for landscapes, as the diameter of the front element is too small for optimal coverage of graduated filters, even hard grads.

I used to own the 10-24 and I can't tell you how much I HATED it. I bought it for a specific architectural job in London, but it left me feeling that anything wider than 14mm (or 21mm in old money) is just too wide for my tastes. Glad I swapped it for the 14mm.



Dec 16, 2016 at 04:30 PM
killagbear
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


It's funny how both you have brought up the merits of the 18-55 with a 55-200. I was seriously considering getting them or even the 50-140 as I don't see myself really needing up to 200. However my fear is the weight. If i'm scrambling up a mountain for 4 hours I'd prefer to keep my pack as light as possible so I can store water and etc

If I do get the 18-55 I'm worried I lose out on that range and more importantly I feel like I would only use the 18-55 when i'm hiking?

Squint - I'm curious why you hate the 10-24? Was it more IQ? Or you just preferred the 14mm?




Dec 16, 2016 at 06:15 PM
Lken
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I have the 10-24 , 16-55 , 14 and the 100-400. I find that I mostly shoot the 10-24 around 20 to 24 range. Now that I have the 16-55 the 10-24 and 14 do not get used much. The 100-400 is used for wildlife. If you don't mind the size and weight I would go for the 40-150. That will probably next purchase.


Dec 16, 2016 at 06:43 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


killagbear wrote:
It's funny how both you have brought up the merits of the 18-55 with a 55-200. I was seriously considering getting them or even the 50-140 as I don't see myself really needing up to 200. However my fear is the weight. If i'm scrambling up a mountain for 4 hours I'd prefer to keep my pack as light as possible so I can store water and etc

If I do get the 18-55 I'm worried I lose out on that range and more importantly I feel like I would only use the 18-55 when i'm hiking?

Squint - I'm curious
...Show more

The 55-200 is a very small and light lens, especially when packed. Unlike the 50-140 its lens extend/retracts when zooming, so at wider angles it is quite short.

18-55mm on a 1.5x crop sensor camera is often a very useful range. Combining these two lenses covers a lot of range with a minimum of size/weight.

Dan



Dec 16, 2016 at 08:04 PM
millsart
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I find my 10-24 is quite good over the entire range. As such, I often find it gets a lot of use, even though I also own the 14, 16mm and 23mm primes, and the 18-55 as well.

As much as I do enjoy lenses like the 16 and 23mm, if I'm not trying to get some subject isolation or low light shooting needs, the 10-24 gets the job done, especially if I'm shooting at f5.6 or so.

I've owned other ultra-wide zooms that weren't very good over much of the range so they were essentially just a ultra wide, but the 10-24 covers a lot of ground.

Very useful for being able to at one moment shoot at 10mm, and then just zoom in to 24mm instead of swapping lens all the time.

I don't always shoot it at 10mm but its great being able to go that wide when needed, and its also got a pretty good OIS system which also comes in handy.














Dec 16, 2016 at 09:47 PM
millsart
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


Don't forget the 50-230mm zoom as well. Its just $199 right now and while rather slow, its quite good optically, and weights next to nothing (plastic build). I wouldn't want it as my only telephoto option, but for hiking or landscapes that would be stopped down anyways it provides lots of reach for little weight/cost


Dec 16, 2016 at 09:49 PM
Tony B
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


What Dan says re 18-55 & 55-200.My 2 lens combo.

My personal preferences are 10-24(410g), 18-55 (310g), 55-200 (580g) , 35fi.4 (187g). Total weight 1.49 kgs (same as 70-200 f2.8vII). IQ on all is very good.
No 50-140 (995g) which for me is heavy by comparison & not worth the price difference , 100-400 (1.37kgs) Not for me.
I also prefer the 18-55 over the 16-55 for bang for buck & weight saving. Hardly any difference in IQ to my eyes.
If you want primes the 16 (300g), 35fi.4 (187g) or f2 (170g), 56f1.2 (405g) & 90 f2.8 (540g) are as good as it gets. Total weight is 1415g for 16-90mm focal range.



Edited on Dec 17, 2016 at 07:52 PM · View previous versions



Dec 16, 2016 at 10:53 PM
Delatant
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


Let me update something on the 18-135. I said above that I find my pictures flat when I use it for travel. However, I failed to mention that I have a friend that is a professional photographer - he is also a Fuji X Professional. The 18-135 is glued to his XT2 90% of the time. He finds the lens very satisfying - and his images are excellent of course. Perhaps I have a less than average lens, or perhaps he has an exceptional copy, or perhaps I am just too picky with my personal photos and not as experienced with the zooms. Whatever, I shouldn't have presented just one side. I am a "dilettante" - he is a "pro" - gotta be a good lens for him to use it so much!


Dec 17, 2016 at 08:01 AM
millsart
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


More than likely that he 1) has a good eye for finding a great image 2) has the experience to know the best times of day to get good light/color, how to meter the scene and other camera settings to capture the best shot, and most of all, 3) has the experience to post-process his images to enhance colors, local contrast and tonality, and sharpness.

A "kit" lens like the 18-55 is capable of producing stellar images when wielded well, and even the most highly regarded lens Fuji makes are capable of producing some, for lack of better term, dull and boring duds.

It really all comes down to the photographer. Look at the Fuji image thread on this forum and you'll see amazing images from each and every lens they make. Look at a Flickriver for a given lens, like the 16/1.4 and you'll see some nice stuff, and also some less than inspiring stuff.

Fuji honestly does not make a "bad" lens. You can do great stuff with the 16-50 and 50-230, the 27/2.8, the 18/2 and the 18-135. People think that some of those lens are "bad", because they aren't as good as a lens like the 16/1.4 or the 56/1.2 APD etc which are beyond stellar.

Its like if you were an All-American collegiate track and field sprinter and ran a race against Usain Bolt. You would lose, and probably by a good margin. However, your still faster than a good 99% of other runners. Its just than your not the fastest man alive.

The stuff low on the Fuji totem pole equals or exceeds a lot of mid-level offerings from other brands honestly.



Dec 17, 2016 at 10:42 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


As has been pointed out from time to time, photography is not about lenses.


Dec 17, 2016 at 12:35 PM
dhachey
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


I recently bought into the Fuji system with a X-T2, and after some consideration I went with the 18-55 f/2.8-4, 56mm f/1.2 and 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 lenses. The somewhat better f/2.8 lenses are heavier, but I was after a light weight system for travel. I also have the surprisingly nice Samyang 12mm f/2.0 wide angle. The overall quality of the images is competitive with my Canon gear, except for low light work >ISO 6400. The weight savings made it all worthwhile. The 56mm f/1.2 is a delightful lens for portrait work. The main deficiency is the lack of a pro grade TTL flash system like Canon's 600EX RT.

killagbear wrote:
Oh no.. that was not the answer I was hoping for lol.

Do you have one narrowed down? I considered 18-55 but it just doesn't have the range I'd like.I also considered an extender but I'm not sure if that will impact IQ?




Dec 17, 2016 at 09:44 PM
itai195
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Lens critique/input for Fuji XT2 Newbie (Landscape/Travel/Food/Portraits)


This is such a subjective topic — I don't think anyone can give you the answer because it depends on what's comfortable for you.

That said, if I were you I'd probably go 10-24, 35/2, 55-200. That's probably the best coverage in a lightish setup in this system. Replace one of the zooms with a smaller prime if you don't need to go all the way to 10mm or 200mm. My reasoning on this is that if the 18-135 isn't wide enough or fast enough to cover the situations you'll encounter, then you'll end up supplementing it with one or two more lenses, so why not just commit to three? The 10-24mm is a good, versatile lens, and in combo with a normal prime and telephoto zoom forms a great landscape / travel lens setup. Personally, I am a bit of a snob and use the 50-140 instead of the 55-200, but the 55-200 is a pretty good lens and you save quite a bit in weight and cost.



Dec 18, 2016 at 02:01 AM





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