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X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

oguruma
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I'm looking to build a travel lens set for a Fuji X-T5. I primarily shoot Nikon Z-Mount, but I like Fuji X-Mount more for travel.

I have a few trips coming up: one to Cairo and one to Germany/France.

I'm going to limit myself to 3 lenses and one body. The body will be an X-T5 (unless the X-Pro 4 comes out before then).

I typically go out for some shooting in the early morning while the rest of the family is getting ready for the day, then the rest of the day I'm more focused on spending time with the family than I am on photography, but I still always have a camera at the ready. Unless I am going somewhere notable with the family (castles, museums, etc.) I'll typically just bring a single lens with me during the day, and leave the rest in the room. I'll also typically try to sneak out some time in the evening for a little bit to shoot some more.

I think I want to get:
A pancake for carrying around during the day
An ultra-wide zoom
Either Tele-zoom or tele-photoish prime (90 F2, for instance?).

Given that criteria, and price being no option, which 3 lens would you guys recommend?

Sep 28, 2023 at 10:40 AM

sebjmatthews
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

The 27mm f/2.8 WR is the obvious (well, only) pancake choice, though there's also the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 if you're happy to manual focus and would rather have more aperture options. You definitely aren't going to need weather sealing for Germany or France; I can't vouch for Cairo.

For the wide zoom, I'm going to say the 10-24mm f/4. It's 2/3rds the size and half the weight of the 8-16mm. I actually question why anyone other than news or wedding shooters ever even considers the 8-16; you have to be really desperate for the extra 2/3rds of a stop of light (it's not a fully stop, because of transmission loss) to justify the larger lens. Not to mention, the 8-16 is wrist-breaking to hold on anything other than an X-H body. It's far from the largest or heaviest lens I've ever had (I've had lenses 6x heavier), but the tiny ''grips'' on all the other Fuji bodies make it feel much heavier than it is.

For the tele, I wouldn't go for the 90 because it's simply not all that versatile, and obviously on the larger side. The 50mm f/2 is always my first choice for a flexible short-tele prime, since it has top build quality and the best AF of all the >35mm XF primes; its optics are probably also the fourth-best in the line, after the 90mm, 23mm f/1.4 WR, and 18mm f/1.4.
That said, the 56mm f/1.2 WR (not the original) is also a great choice as a medium-size lens with a flexible focal length. I don't even like 85mm (equivalent) much, and hated the original 56, but I was very impressed by the WR lens when I rented it for a couple of weeks just after launch. The f/1.2 isn't actually much of an advantage over the f/2 lens (about 3/4 of a stop, so still a lot more light, just not as much as you might expect), but every little helps.
Unfortunately, all of Fuji's tele zooms are quite large, and I can't bring myself to recommend any of them for travel alongside two other lenses. I do think you should consider a single more flexible zoom, something like the 18-120 or 18-135 (there's also the Tamron 18-300mm, but I won't vouch for that as I've not tried it myself; I'm just telling you it exists). All the strictly-telephoto zooms are the same size as those, and I know for me, 120/135 would be longer than I'd really use, anyway. At least in Germany and France, you're going to be using something wide-to-medium more than anything telephoto. Last time I was in Germany (Köln), I think the longest lens I used was a 50mm (on full frame), and that was only briefly. Most of the time I was shooting south of 35mm.

And heads up, while you can snap away as much as you like in nearly any castle, most EU (and UK) museums don't allow photography in most of their exhibits. (Again, I don't know about Cairo.) So you might want to temper your expectations there, and plan your kit accordingly.

Sep 28, 2023 at 11:12 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

oguruma wrote:
I'm looking to build a travel lens set for a Fuji X-T5. I primarily shoot Nikon Z-Mount, but I like Fuji X-Mount more for travel.

I have a few trips coming up: one to Cairo and one to Germany/France.

I'm going to limit myself to 3 lenses and one body. The body will be an X-T5 (unless the X-Pro 4 comes out before then).

I typically go out for some shooting in the early morning while the rest of the family is getting ready for the day, then the rest of the day I'm more focused on spending time with the family than...Show more →

I've been using a Fujifilm x-trans based kit of one sort or another for "travel" for over a decade.

("Travel" kit means different things to different people. For me it means a relatively small kit that can make photographs of excellent quality of the subjects I plan to photograph and in the circumstances I'll encounter. For me that usually means traveling light — we almost always limit ourselves to carry-on-only — and primarily but not quite exclusively photographing in more urban environments, with a focus on street photography, some done at night.)

I currently use the XT5. It replaces the XPro2 that I had been using since the time that camera was released.

I rely on the 27mm f/2.8 (v. 2, with the aperture ring) for the great majority of my photography in this situation. This past summer, on a 10-week sojourn to a bunch of places in (mostly) Southern Europe, I think I probably used that lens for 90% of my photographs. Needless to say, I like it a whole lot. The XT5 plus this lens fit into one of the small PacSafe bags that I usually carry. The small size of the package means that I'm not slowed down by heavier gear, and I can photograph without drawing as much attention to myself... which may be an issue with larger equipment.

Augmenting with a zoom can be pretty useful. I own the 16-55mm f/2.8, though I did not bring it on this trip. I've considered carrying only the zoom and the 27mm, using the zoom to replace a few other primes that I do usually bring. (More on that below.) If you are trying to keep weight, size, and cost down a bit, the 18-55mm f/2.8-f/4 "kit" zoom is also a very viable option. It is optically excellent. (My wife carries that lens, and I have used it, too.) If you are looking for a wider Fujifilm than that, I'm afraid that I have no experience with them. I do carry the 14mm f/2.8 prime, and it is wide enough for my travel needs.

As to the longer lens option, there are several interesting choices. None is perfect, so understanding the tradeoffs is important. I do carry the 90mm f/2. (You might be catching on that I like primes — but that won't work for everyone.) It is a fine lens and 90mm is usefully longer than the 27mm lens. A high-end alternative could be the 50-140mm f/2.8. I use it for other things and it is a really good lens — but that is starting to get kind of large and heavy for my approach. Other alternatives include the old 55-200mm and the new 70-300mm zooms. They don't have the f2.8 maximum aperture and they have a variable aperture design... but they are a lot smaller, lighter, and offer wider zoom range and longer maximum length. Construction and IQ wise they are OK... but not in the same category as the 90mm f/2 or the 50-140mm zooms. There are a lot of trade-offs to consider here.

My travel photography is probably different than yours, but here's my basic approach.

1. Most of the time, if I'm going out for a typical day, I carry only the XT5 and the 27mm f/2.8 prime. This lets me travel quite light, it produces good IQ, and it works very well for many urban/street subjects.

2. If I need more flexibility I had the 14mm f/2.8 and/or the 90mm f/2 and use a slightly larger shoulder bag. Do I ever miss having even longer focal lengths? Sure. Do I sometimes wish I had zooms to fill in the gaps? Yes. But do I want to be burdened with the extra bulk and weight? If've learned that for travel I do not. (Having said this, note that have considered using the 16-55...)

3. Because I do a lot of urban night street photography while traveling, I also bring along the 23mm and 35mm f/1.4 lenses. These normally stay in the hotel safe during the day, but when I go out and night I carry one or both of those _instead of_ the other lenses. (Though I've also found that I can phtoogarph well-lit urban areas at night with the 27mm...)

BTW, although I'm not currently using them, the "Fujicron" f/2 lenses —like the 50mm f/2 mentioned above, the 23mm and 35mm f/2 lenses and a few others — are also quite viable options here.

Hope that is useful information.

Sep 28, 2023 at 12:02 PM

curious80
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

Sep 28, 2023 at 12:28 PM

Pouncer
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

My three lens travel kit is the 10-24/4, 35/2, and 55-200.

The wide zoom works great in cathedrals, museums, castles, and tight streets. It's the workhorse lens.

The 35 is my casual walk around lens if there is no specific destination requiring a different lens.

I can fit my X-H1 with the 10-24 and 35 in a very small shoulder bag.

I don't use the 55-200 much. I might take it out once or twice in a week just to try something different. I've considered taking a 50/2 instead, but am concerned I'd regret not having the flexibility of the zoom.

Nov 14, 2023 at 06:30 PM

foto16
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

- A pancake for carrying around during the day

What is your favorite focal length? There is a small Fuji lens (not necessarily pancake) for almost every FL.

- An ultra-wide zoom

The new Sigma 10-18/2.8 seems to have received overwhelmingly positive reviews.

- Either Tele-zoom or tele-photoish prime (90 F2, for instance?).

The new Samyang 75mm f1.8 for Fuji is excellent and compact. For zoom you can have 55-200.

Nov 14, 2023 at 08:06 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I use the XT5 for travel and street photography, too, having recently moved to that body from the XPro2. I now prefer the newer style of body. I most recently used it on a 10-week jaunt through areas in (mostly) Southern Europe.

As someone whose orientation to travel photography is largely that of a street photographer, I carry a small set of primes, though I have used a zoom as part of the kit in the past, too.

My core lens is the second-generation Fujifilm 27mm f2.8 pancake. I probably use this for 80-90% of my photographs. IQ is very good, the lens integrates perfectly with the camera, and it is tiny. I recommend it highly.

I often include the 90nn f2 as well. This is one of Fujifilm’s best lenses, and it isn’t overly large, at least compared to the better zoom options.

At one point I used the 55-209mm zoom, and it could be a viable option if you are willing to sacrifice some IQ and low light capability for its focal length range.

I have no experience with Fujifilm ultrawide zooms. I carry the excellent 14mm f2.8, and it is wide enough for me.

Good luck.

Nov 15, 2023 at 09:09 AM

mdude85
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

oguruma wrote:
I think I want to get:
A pancake for carrying around during the day
An ultra-wide zoom
Either Tele-zoom or tele-photoish prime (90 F2, for instance?).

Given that criteria, and price being no option, which 3 lens would you guys recommend?

I've been traveling extensively throughout Europe and elsewhere with my Fuji kit, so I'd recommend:

Walkaround lens -- Sigma 18-50 f2.8, or the Fuji 18-55 kit lens are both good options. Fuji 23 f2 is good for a "normal" focal length prime, but the zoom lenses offer a lot more versatility in only a slightly larger package.

Ultrawide zoom -- Sigma 10-18 f2.8

Telephoto-ish -- I don't know much about these... if price is no constraint, maybe the Fuji 50-140 f2.8? I don't really see the need for a faster (sub f2.8) telephoto lens for travel photography when you also have IBIS on the XT5.

Nov 16, 2023 at 07:43 AM

SGinNorcal
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I love the 10-24 as a landscape lens but its pretty limiting for walking around in a city while traveling. If shooting primes, I use the 23f2 unless I expect low light, then the 18f1.4. Then the 50f2 for more reach. Pretty awesome combo for so small. But, more often, I just take the 16-80mm solo, its decently wide with good reach. I hear some complain about sharpness but I find it very sharp. F4 is a weakness in low light but I find it can easily go to 800 ISO and remain sharp. I don't see much use for more the 80mm in a city.

Nov 16, 2023 at 10:57 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

^^^
Regarding some comments in the last two posts.

The zooms, especially the fine Fujifilm 18-55 (I haven’t used the Sigma), are “slightly larger pagage(s)” if you compare to some othe larger primes like my old 23mm f/1.4. But if you compare to the “pancakes” like the Fujifilm 27mm and, to a slightly lesser extent, the 18mm there is a substantial difference in size. I have to agree that the zooms provide more flexibility, so there is a trade-off that folks might feel different about.

I have no experience wiht the 10-24 f/4, though I have a lot of experience with a comparable 16-35mm f/4 on my Canon full-frame system. Speaking for myself, I use such a wide lens less that you might expect — I’d estimate that no more than 5% or so of my photographs require something so wide. If I were taking a zoom I’d rather have my Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8. It’s not a small lens, but it covers a wide range of useful focal lengths and 16mm is wide enough for pretty much anything I’m likely to shoot.

If looking to save weight/bulk, I’d seriously consider the Fujifilm 18-55 for this sort of use, too. (I’ve used a couple of those over the years, and I’ve been pleased with their quality.)

Admittedly, that is a personal assessment that might not be the same for others.

Dan

Nov 16, 2023 at 03:41 PM

Deuxieme
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I can't imagine taking family snapshot-like photos in urban locations with anything narrower than 23mm. On the wide end I rarely go past 16mm, and prefer 18mm for less distortion (people and faces still look ok).

A telephoto lens of any sort I find very hard to justify in any capacity, unless you're around water which prevents you from moving. They tend to take up so much space and weight, irregardless of price, and in my practical experience never get used in a meaningful manner unless there is a known special circumstance you would like to prepare for.

Personally I can shoot a whole trip on a good 23mm, and have done so several times with little regret. The main items of regret was desiring an 18mm for use indoors a few times, but for more than 90% of the time I find 23mm is much more suitable. Outdoors the 18mm shows a lot of foreground, and the background gets very tiny.

Given that the only pancake lenses are 27mm and 18mm, both with significant handling drawbacks, I would advise against them. A small zoom and a faster 23mm or 18mm prime would be my baseline recommendation.

Nov 17, 2023 at 01:24 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

While I agree that 23mm (or thereabouts)on APS-C can be a pretty darned useful lens for travel photography, I personally would not dismiss the usefulness of longer focal lengths… and not just “around water.” There are actually quite a few situations in which the longer focal lengths can be useful —a desire to tightly crop around the subject, the subject in a location where you cannot get closer, wanting to focus tightly on a subject and throw the background out of focus, etc.

I think that the preference to shoot only with one wide angle prime — something that I can understand — is more a matter of personal preference, and that many photographers can find plenty of legitimate uses for longer focal lengths. There have been situations while traveling where having only the 23mm (or, in my case, 27mm) lens would have precluded some important photographs.

Nov 17, 2023 at 09:30 PM

Deuxieme
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

Given the context of family travel photography, usually you would opt for a FL that can record the story of the trip with the people and the location at the same time as your primary FL.

I won't dismiss telephoto, but it's hard to use even a 'standard' 50mm EFL as a primary for this type of photography. Thus, tele is nearly always relegated to special circumstances. If there is a reason for it, and some genres require it, then great; if not--it may be mostly or completely unused. That is my word of advice from experience. Just consolidate it with the other opinions here to get a vague consensus.

Everyone is free to use what they like, within personal tolerance for carrying extra bulk, weight, and the need to swap lenses.

Personally I tend to shoot the same way as the old photojournalists did, preferring speed of operation for candid shots. That drives the need for simplicity with as much performance and flexibility as you can get. The old discussions were usually centered on 28mm EFL vs 35mm EFL, depending on your preferences of how each FL would present a story in different contexts. I am a 35mm EFL person, probably because my heart is 50mm EFL (I have to admit it is a difficult FL for a lot of things). I don't think it's a coincidence the new R LM WR lenses fit the old paradigm of 28mm, 35MM, 50MM EFL.

Of course today there are no shortage of good standard zooms so you don't necessarily have to choose so specifically. However myself being a slow idiot when presented with too many options, I prefer less cognitive load with a prime so I can get to working a shot faster with less fiddling. But I frequently have a backup standard zoom as a contingency alternative.

Well, as far my family trips go, it is usually frenetic and unpredictable. It mostly ends up with far less time and energy to photograph as much as I like as I deal with a whirlwind of other things. That is my context.

Nov 18, 2023 at 02:44 AM

SGinNorcal
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I just finished a walk-around photo day in Dusseldorf Altstad. My 23mm got the most use but the 16-80 got some time too. I went up in the Rhine Tower and the 23mm would have been useless there. Shots there were between two vertical side of the windows and with long distances some reach needed. I didn't use my 50 much, I may slim down to just 23mm and the 16-80 in the future. Great day, great city.

Nov 18, 2023 at 02:58 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

Deuxieme wrote:
I won't dismiss telephoto, but it's hard to use even a 'standard' 50mm EFL as a primary for this type of photography. Thus, tele is nearly always relegated to special circumstances.

You have introduced a new notion here, the idea that there was a recommendation of a telephoto as the “primary” lens for “this type of photography.”

No one suggested that.

I did not. I was responding to your general dismissal of the value of including a lens with a longer focal length:

Deuxieme wrote:
A telephoto lens of any sort I find very hard to justify in any capacity, unless you're around water which prevents you from moving….

While a 90mm prime is almost certainly not going to be the primary lens for family photography — which no one suggested — there are plenty of potential uses for more than one prime and for longer focal lengths than 23mm as part of a travel kit,, something that our OP would seem to agree with.

To accomplish this yhe OP could consider something like the 90mm if it fits his approach (it works for mine) or any of several zoom options.

For my part, speaking as a photographer who uses a wider lens most of the time for travel photogrsphy, having a longer option, too, has been indispensable at times.

You also referred to operational problems with the 27mm lens without specifying what you think those are. In my experience it is an excellent option for the primary use you mention. A 23mm could be, too, depending on how the pluses and minuses of either option align with the photographer’s needs and preferences.

Nov 18, 2023 at 07:19 AM

Deuxieme
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

gdanmitchell wrote:
You have introduced a new notion here, the idea that there was a recommendation of a telephoto as the “primary” lens for “this type of photography.”

No one suggested that.

I did not. I was responding to your general dismissal of the value of including a lens with a longer focal length:

While a 90mm prime is almost certainly not going to be the primary lens for family photography — which no one suggested — there are plenty of potential uses for more than one prime and for longer focal lengths than 23mm as part of a travel kit,, something that our...Show more →

Sorry if I come across as anti-telephoto, but a tele, particularly the longer ones are rarely of equal value to the standard wide FLs in general photography. I think most people understand that. You can use a 50mm EFL, which is not considered tele, but I am recommending against it because I have had difficulties making it work for travel photography, similar to a short tele.

If the OP is asking for help in a selection with a fairly open criteria, then the most logical thing is to define what is most necessary within the given framework, then add in discretionary FLs later. To me that makes sense, so I outline my historically working guidelines. Again a standard zoom with either the 18mm or 23mm has worked well for all of my general travels. Tele, has not been useful to me unless I am unable to effectively move around. That's about it.

It's easy to add more, but if I don't think advice is needed for more. Just don't miss the things you will likely rely on.

The 27mm with its pluses and minuses has been discussed at length already in another thread, which we both made a number of comments as well, so no need to bulk up this thread.

Nov 18, 2023 at 10:25 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

oguruma wrote:
I'm looking to build a travel lens set for a Fuji X-T5. I primarily shoot Nikon Z-Mount, but I like Fuji X-Mount more for travel.

I have a few trips coming up: one to Cairo and one to Germany/France.

I'm going to limit myself to 3 lenses and one body. The body will be an X-T5 (unless the X-Pro 4 comes out before then).

I typically go out for some shooting in the early morning while the rest of the family is getting ready for the day, then the rest of the day I'm more focused on spending time with the family than...Show more →

When we get into certain exchanges I like to go straight back to the original question and see if we’re addressing what was asked or something else. (I’been guilty of doing both at times.)

Here, I’m reading the OP to be saying that he is working to create a kit with “ 3 lenses and one body.” He wants a wide-angle (or ultra wide angle) zoom lens, a small “pancake” prime lens for “carrying around during the day,” and a longer lens which could be a tele-zoom or a prime along the lines of the 90mm f/2.

Let’s take that at face value.

I cannot be of much help wiht specific recommendations for the ultra wide zoom as I do not use one on my Fujifilm setup. From my experience with such lenses on other systems, I get more use out of a (not ultra) wide lens that covers wide to “normal” or short telephoto. On my Fujifilm setup (also XT5-based) for street and travel I like to use primes, and the 14mm f/2.8 is my wide lens… and it is extremely rare that I feel I need something wider.

The small “pancake” prime options from Fujifilm are limited. Fortunately, the company does make a very small 27mm f/2.8 that is a very good performer… though some have a hard time believing that a small and relatively inexpensive lens can be good. It is. I’ve made thousands of exposures with mine and it is my most used lens for street and travel. There is also a slightly larger 18mm f/2 that seems pretty close to a “pancake.”

Fujifilm also makes some larger but relatively small (though not the “pancake” lenses that the OP mentioned) that can also be useful. These are sometimes known as “Fujicrons” — like the f/2 versions of the 23mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses and arguably a few others. These are also fine performers with one additional stop at f/2.

As to the longer lens there are multiple ways to go, and the “right”answer depends a lot of the photographer and how/where one will shoot. Some people really like the 16-80mm f/4 lens for travel, though some would argue that it may sacrifice some image quality and aperture size in order to get that range out of a single lens. But I can see how the OP might reduce the kit to two lenses: the 27mm f/2.8 plus this 16-80mm lens.

Others who prefer a larger aperture, primes, and/or a bit more optical quality might really like the excellent 90mm f/2. For smaller packed size and lighter weight — plus a larger zoom range coverage — there is the 55-200mm zoom. Here you trade smaller apertures, a lesser build quality, and (in my experience) less snappy focus for small packed size,IS, and a very large focal length range.

I understand that some like to travel with only a single prime. In fact, I’m actually doing that as I write this — I’m photographing in NYC with just the XT5 and the 27mm f/2.8. But more often I’m among those who prefer more than one lens and who find important (critical, even) uses for longer focal lengths for travel and street.

Dan

Nov 18, 2023 at 10:38 PM

Sharona
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

This is a sincere question to the OP, so please don't take offense: If you primarily shoot Nikon, why not just take your Nikon gear on your trip? Why do you prefer Fuji for travel? Again, sincere curiosity here.

If set on Fuji (nothing wrong with that!): I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but Sigma has come out with a Fuji mount zoom - I think it's 18-50? But it's f2.8, so maybe a bit more versatile than Fuji's 18-55 and lighter than Fuji's 16-55. I haven't tried it as I have the 18-55, but I do use Sigma's 56 1.4 lens, and it's wonderful.

Cheers and let us know what you land on!

Nov 19, 2023 at 06:48 AM

themb3life
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

For my X-H2, on the low end I have 13mm & 33mm Viltrox as well as Sigma 18-50. For an every day lens, that 18-50 is fantastic. It’s very small and light. The IQ is fantastic. I don’t have a 24-70 for my FF rig but this fits the bill. I did a couple’s photoshoot last weekend with it, images were great!

When I first got the 13mm, I shot it a TON as I love the 20mm FOV look. It has been months since I used it as I haven’t shot a setting that needs that level of a wide angle.

Nov 19, 2023 at 08:15 AM

vallejo
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · X-Mount Travel Lens Kit: Pancake, Ultra-wide zoom and ???

I've just run an very informal comparison between the 33mm 1.4, which lots of people regard as the best lens Fuji ever made (well...) and the 18-55mm at ~33mm, both at f4 or f5.6...while the 33mm is really slightly better at center, with better definition and contrast, that only holds true because I was looking at 100% magnification, SOOC jpgs, And as much as I wanted the 33mm to perform much better then the 18-55, in real world usage, specially if you're editing RAFs and printing, this is just not true. Sure shooting at f5.6 is not why I have bought the 33mm, and at 1.4 it's excellent and very distinctive, but just to say how good the 18-55 really is, and for traveling it's a great asset. Specially if you're into video too...
Even after 35 years into photography I still struggle with being objective and 100% realistic about gear influence on my real world photography, but hey, reality isn't everything in life, right? (8-)

gdanmitchell wrote:
^^^

If looking to save weight/bulk, I’d seriously consider the Fujifilm 18-55 for this sort of use, too. (I’ve used a couple of those over the years, and I’ve been pleased with their quality.)

Dan

Nov 19, 2023 at 09:28 AM

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