p.2 #2 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
gdanmitchell wrote:
That lens hasn’t been on my radar, but after reading a few reviews it sounds interesting.
Dan, you may not like it as it these compact, lightweight f1.7 AIR Viltrox's have no aperture rings; how they save weight and cost, as well as some added weather resistance.
p.2 #3 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
gdanmitchell wrote:
That lens hasn’t been on my radar, but after reading a few reviews it sounds interesting.
Worth checking out the Meike 55mm f1.4 then. It's the lens I settled on in that class. It is also quite small, has an aperture ring and is razor sharp from wide open. It's about the same size as the Fuji 60mm f2.4 macro.
p.2 #4 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
I'd highly recommend NOT diving in head first with a bunch of lenses. Get your favorite focal length and start shooting the hell out of the camera.
Fuji has its strengths and weaknesses like any other camera. You'll likely figure out pretty quickly that you're not saving much weight and size compared to other APS-C offerings, and will need to decide if the Fuji pain points are livable.
p.2 #5 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
RoamingScott wrote:
I'd highly recommend NOT diving in head first with a bunch of lenses. Get your favorite focal length and start shooting the hell out of the camera.
Fuji has its strengths and weaknesses like any other camera. You'll likely figure out pretty quickly that you're not saving much weight and size compared to other APS-C offerings, and will need to decide if the Fuji pain points are livable.
If I were that sensible, I wouldn't have bought the camera in the first place. But yeah, I don't expect weight savings vs. APS-C, just vs. full frame.
Also, I'll get the Viltrox 56mm, and the TTArtisan 27mm 2.8 for now and see how it all works. I'll wait on the Fuji 23mm 2.8 until I see them filter in the B/S forums here.
I don't plan to hurl a lot of money at this (other than the initial pain of these insane Fuji body prices)... the 'f__ you money' is reserved for full frame.
I think the first trip where it will all get put to the test is Lake Tahoe... really don't want to be lugging around a lot of gear for that.
p.2 #8 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
For folks who don’t yet know what focal lengths they need/prefer, I usually recommend getting a zoom lens that covers moderately wide to a bit longer — the old 18-55mm lenses were great on APS-C. Today there are lenses that are close to that available.
Other brands also produce usable alternatives. However, tne thing that Fujifilm offers that the other don’ is a very full range of lenses designed specifically for APS-C — rather than asking you to adapte the larger FF lenses.
And, of course, Fujifilm offers the old-school manual interface, it that is your thing.
p.2 #9 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
gdanmitchell wrote:
For folks who don’t yet know what focal lengths they need/prefer, I usually recommend getting a zoom lens that covers moderately wide to a bit longer — the old 18-55mm lenses were great on APS-C. Today there are lenses that are close to that available.
Other brands also produce usable alternatives. However, tne thing that Fujifilm offers that the other don’ is a very full range of lenses designed specifically for APS-C — rather than asking you to adapte the larger FF lenses.
And, of course, Fujifilm offers the old-school manual interface, it that is your thing.
The op has another APS-c system with good coverage of lenses, so I expect he knows what focal lengths he is after. And pretty much everyone ends up with a normal zoom and a few primes covering wide, normal and short tele.
p.2 #10 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
Geoff D F wrote:
The op has another APS-c system with good coverage of lenses, so I expect he knows what focal lengths he is after. And pretty much everyone ends up with a normal zoom and a few primes covering wide, normal and short tele.
I think you are right. I was thinking of another post in this thread when I wrote that... ;-)
p.2 #11 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
Oh, yeah, sorry if it wasn't clear. I'm rather familiar with the look and feel of each focal length, and I do have preferences, but curious about how well regarded certain lenses are.
I see there is an 18mm f/2, but people seem to dislike the sharpness from f2 through f5.6. I'll read more on that option too, but perhaps due to the age of the lens, the Viltrox 15mm f1.8 might win out.
p.2 #12 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
nineblade wrote:
Oh, yeah, sorry if it wasn't clear. I'm rather familiar with the look and feel of each focal length, and I do have preferences, but curious about how well regarded certain lenses are.
I see there is an 18mm f/2, but people seem to dislike the sharpness from f2 through f5.6. I'll read more on that option too, but perhaps due to the age of the lens, the Viltrox 15mm f1.8 might win out.
I have the 18mm f2 and sharpness is fine across most of the frame from f2. It never gets super sharp in the corners, so its not recommended for landscapes. It renders really nicely. There are as many review saying the negative reviews are wrong as there are negative reviews. It doesn't have the latest linear focus motor, which might bother some.
p.2 #14 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
For me, the knock against the 18/2 isn't that lens, its that the 18/1.4 exists and is awesome. I really like the idea of the tiny APSC lenses but I feel that in use, I don't really feel a difference if I am using a 1.4 prime or the 16-55II over the F2's. I carry cross body on a strap and when the lens gets heavy enough to begin to tilt the camera downward, the whole thing starts to bounce off my body when walking. But in my case that's really heavier lenses like the 16-55 original, 80mm macro, or 70-300. I use the smaller f2's when I know it will be going into a case often - street, rainy day, want to keep a low profile. Or if they are special use lenses in my backpack that don't get a ton of use, like the Fuji 8mm or Sigma 12/1.4, those don't add much weight.
p.2 #15 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
SGinNorcal wrote:
For me, the knock against the 18/2 isn't that lens, its that the 18/1.4 exists and is awesome. I really like the idea of the tiny APSC lenses but I feel that in use, I don't really feel a difference if I am using a 1.4 prime or the 16-55II over the F2's. I carry cross body on a strap and when the lens gets heavy enough to begin to tilt the camera downward, the whole thing starts to bounce off my body when walking. But in my case that's really heavier lenses like the 16-55 original, 80mm macro, or 70-300. I use the smaller f2's when I know it will be going into a case often - street, rainy day, want to keep a low profile. Or if they are special use lenses in my backpack that don't get a ton of use, like the Fuji 8mm or Sigma 12/1.4, those don't add much weight. ...Show more →
This is, of course, one of those places where there is going to be a lot of subjective difference of opinion — namely how big seems too big for travel. (Which was the original context for the thread.)
I have the 16-55 f/2.8 and the 80mm f/2.8 macro. (I have some other larger lenses like the 50-140 f/2.8 and the 100-400, too… and some f/1.4 primes at 35mm and 23mm.) But to me all of those seem excessively large for my “travel photography,” which I think of as mostly urban travel with some less urban side trips thrown in, often on trips of 1 to 10 weeks in length, on which we try to travel rather light, often limiting ourselves to carry-on luggage.
So, context matters a lot here!
On one of these trips a year and a a half ago we included a one-week walk in Scottish highlands, so I was thinking that, as a landscape photographer, I’d want to have more precise control over focal length. So I altered my kit to include the 16-55 instead of relying solely on my three-primes kit.
It worked well on the walk, and I even used it on occasion in urban locations. But I realized that I preferred the smaller primes (again, subjective opinion) for the city stuff, where I preferred to not carry larger bags of photo gear and where I’m often working quickly in street photography style. So, for me, the zoom wasn’t ideal there… but I can understand how others might feel differently.
p.2 #16 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
gdanmitchell wrote:
This is, of course, one of those places where there is going to be a lot of subjective difference of opinion — namely how big seems too big for travel. (Which was the original context for the thread.)
Most definitely, that's why I threw out my comment with context. With the way I carry my camera, if I was blind folded, I'm pretty sure I couldn't differentiate between my 50f2 and 18f1.4. But there are other reasons to go small of course. I'm going to see the Warriors upset OKC tonight in San Francisco (please don't rain on my delusion) and the rule is no pro cameras with detachable lenses over 3" long. My only option is the X-T5 with 50f2 (only 2.5" long).
p.2 #17 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
The one thing the OP never clarified, although alluded to, was primes vs zooms. By his original post we all "assumed" he was looking for primes; and I think that was the right assumption
p.2 #18 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
Jack Flesher wrote:
The one thing the OP never clarified, although alluded to, was primes vs zooms. By his original post we all "assumed" he was looking for primes; and I think that was the right assumption
Both actually. To clarify 2 points:
- I do primarily want to use the pancake primes: 18, 23, or 27... I'll probably pick 1 or 2 of them. But I want to pick a decent wide zoom for when the occasion calls for it.
- For perspective, other than the full frame stuff I have, when I travel around with the Sony A6500, I usually take the 24 1.8, 50 1.8, and the 16-50 kit zoom along with me. So the reason I'm focusing on the pancakes is because they are smaller than those Sony 1.8's.
p.2 #19 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
nineblade wrote:
Both actually. To clarify 2 points:
- I do primarily want to use the pancake primes: 18, 23, or 27... I'll probably pick 1 or 2 of them. But I want to pick a decent wide zoom for when the occasion calls for it.
- For perspective, other than the full frame stuff I have, when I travel around with the Sony A6500, I usually take the 24 1.8, 50 1.8, and the 16-50 kit zoom along with me. So the reason I'm focusing on the pancakes is because they are smaller than those Sony 1.8's.
With this clarified I will add to my earlier recommendations. The Fuji 18/2 is a surprisingly good lens, even wide open very good centrally with just a touch of softness in the corners -- IMHO it's a better lens than the 27/2.8. However again, my issue with it was simply it was either too wide or not wide enough, ditto the 35/1.4, and hence my migrating to the Viltrox Airs, specifically the 25 as my all-around prime (just the right focal for all-around) and the 56 for tighter candids. I have not added the Viltrox 15 Air yet, but it's next on my list. In zooms, the 16-55/2.8's are just so darn good optically, even wide open and across the entire zoom range, I simply wouldn't look at anything else. My .02...
p.2 #20 · New User to the Fuji System - Travel Kit suggestions needed
Jack Flesher wrote:
With this clarified I will add to my earlier recommendations. The Fuji 18/2 is a surprisingly good lens, even wide open very good centrally with just a touch of softness in the corners -- IMHO it's a better lens than the 27/2.8. However again, my issue with it was simply it was either too wide or not wide enough, ditto the 35/1.4, and hence my migrating to the Viltrox Airs, specifically the 25 as my all-around prime (just the right focal for all-around) and the 56 for tighter candids. I have not added the Viltrox 15 Air yet, but it's next on my list. In zooms, the 16-55/2.8's are just so darn good optically, even wide open and across the entire zoom range, I simply wouldn't look at anything else. My .02......Show more →
While my choice of FLs is a (little) bit different, I can see how combining a 25mm and a 56mm would make for a useful combo. I think the 15mm FL would be useful with those two, also.
