I'm going to Japan for a holiday with wife and daughter in a couple of weeks and will be there for two weeks. We will be visiting Tokyo, Nara and Kyoto checking out cities, shopping, gardens and parks, temples and other tourist stuff.
I'll probably take the X-T5 and 16-55mm f2.8 ii and Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 as the core of my kit. I'll possibly take the X-E5 and a few small fast primes for times when i want to travel light and for night time - I'm thinking the 18mm f2 and either the Viltrox 25mm f1.7 or XF 35mm f1.4. In the past when travelling, I have taken a lot of gear in a backpack but picked two or three lenses for each day. My day bags are the Wotancraft Pilot 7L and Peak Design 3L sling.
My main question is whether to take any telephoto capability? I could take the XF 18-135mm and would be happy with it as a short tele but probably not as a complete replacement for the 16-55mm. Alternatively, i could take the XF 70-300 but it is bigger than I would like and probably less versatile.
My second question is whether to add a fastish prime in the 50mm to 75mm range? On the one hand it might complement the wider fast primes but on the otherhand I'm thinking the 16-55mm f2.8 will be enough.
I will also take a film camera but that is another story.
Geoff, I only been using Fuji for about 9 months, have a X-T5 and just added X-E5 in preparing for a trip to Thailand in about 60 days. My wife is Thai and we will be there for 2 months, so I always want a 2nd camera body with me. In my case I am a prime shooter and my Fuji gear consists of the 4 WR Fujicrons, the classic Fuji 14 f2.8, 35 f1.4 and 90 f2, plus the 2 Voigt 18/27mm pancakes and a Sigma 56 f1.4 I had converted from the Sony E mount to Fuji X. I do not have any zooms (yet), but the 16-55 II and Sigma 10-18 f2.8 are the two I would choose. Also have the Wotancraft 7L Pilot and am looking at the PD 3L or Pgytech 4L sling to carry my week old X-E5 and 3 Fujicrons plus 1 of Voigt MF as my lighter weight option. For our overseas trip I plan on bringing the 23 and 50 f2 Fujicrons, 1 Voigt MF and the 14 f2.8, 35 f1.4 and 90 f2. Though I may double up and bring the 35 f2 Fuji too because it is WR, as part of the time there it will be the monsoon season and it will rain.
In your case I would keep it simple and bring the 2 f2.8 zooms and the 18 f2 / 35 f1.4 primes for lightweight/night shooting. The nice thing about both X bodies being 40mp is the built-in tele crop feature. Since 2020 I been using this crop feature all the time when shooting with my Sony 60mp bodies, as it gives a prime lens 2 focal lengths with a simple button push and you can see the result while shooting (Not wait for PP). So your 18mm become a 27mm and the 35mm becomes a 52mm, although at 20 mp with the 1.4 x, more than enough mp for most uses (Sony crop is a 26mp result). Far as a tele, most times in cities a tele is used for 5% or less of my photos, I will bring my 90 f2 and use the 1.4x crop to get out to 200mm (FF). Seems the 18-135 zoom would be the most logical choice for you.
SpecFoto wrote:
Geoff, I only been using Fuji for about 9 months, have a X-T5 and just added X-E5 in preparing for a trip to Thailand in about 60 days. My wife is Thai and we will be there for 2 months, so I always want a 2nd camera body with me. In my case I am a prime shooter and my Fuji gear consists of the 4 WR Fujicrons, the classic Fuji 14 f2.8, 35 f1.4 and 90 f2, plus the 2 Voigt 18/27mm pancakes and a Sigma 56 f1.4 I had converted from the Sony E mount to Fuji X. I do not have any zooms (yet), but the 16-55 II and Sigma 10-18 f2.8 are the two I would choose. Also have the Wotancraft 7L Pilot and am looking at the PD 3L or Pgytech 4L sling to carry my week old X-E5 and 3 Fujicrons plus 1 of Voigt MF as my lighter weight option. For our overseas trip I plan on bringing the 23 and 50 f2 Fujicrons, 1 Voigt MF and the 14 f2.8, 35 f1.4 and 90 f2. Though I may double up and bring the 35 f2 Fuji too because it is WR, as part of the time there it will be the monsoon season and it will rain.
In your case I would keep it simple and bring the 2 f2.8 zooms and the 18 f2 / 35 f1.4 primes for lightweight/night shooting. The nice thing about both X bodies being 40mp is the built-in tele crop feature. Since 2020 I been using this crop feature all the time when shooting with my Sony 60mp bodies, as it gives a prime lens 2 focal lengths with a simple button push and you can see the result while shooting (Not wait for PP). So your 18mm become a 27mm and the 35mm becomes a 52mm, although at 20 mp with the 1.4 x, more than enough mp for most uses (Sony crop is a 26mp result). Far as a tele, most times in cities a tele is used for 5% or less of my photos, I will bring my 90 f2 and use the 1.4x crop to get out to 200mm (FF). Seems the 18-135 zoom would be the most logical choice for you.
I was just in Tokyo, and my advice would be: don’t take all that gear.
The streets are narrow, crowded, and tightly packed. The subways get extremely full in the main parts of the city—Shibuya, Ginza, Shinjuku, etc. Full enough that you often can’t move at all, shoulder to shoulder. You want a camera that can stay on you at all times and be ready to use, not tucked away in a bag. If you’re comfortable carrying larger zooms, go for it—but only if you can realistically keep them on your body, not in a bag.
I took two lenses—a 35 and a 50 on a full-frame body. The 50 was by far my favorite focal length in Tokyo. I did enjoy the 35 in markets and tighter spaces, but the 50 just seemed to pair really well with what Tokyo has to offer.
Any time I left the hotel, I usually brought just one lens and no bag unless I needed one for work. Even though I stayed at a very nice hotel, it was still quite small. Extra bags and gear become clutter very quickly.
Tokyo at night is beautiful and extremely safe. You’ll want to be out walking around with a prime lens. Personally, I’d value primes over zooms there.
I also hate talking about photography and giving opinions without showing photos, so here are a few of my favorite images.
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens50mmf/1.01/200s160 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens50mmf/1.01/1600s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens50mmf/1.01/180s1000 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens50mmf/1.01/4000s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:1.2/35 ASPH. lens35mmf/2.81/160s100 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:1.2/35 ASPH. lens35mmf/1.21/160s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:1.2/35 ASPH. lens35mmf/3.41/160s125 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-PNoctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens50mmf/1.01/1000s64 ISO0.0 EV
Envious of your trip to Japan! I visited there in 2000 and would love to go again.
I would take my E5 23 2.8 along with my X-T50/16-50. Looking forward to seeing your photos!
Not intending to be impolite, but, the answer to all of these questions is the same: bring what you normally shoot with. That's really the secret to achieving the best and most impactful photos wherever you go.
If you normally don't shoot landscapes with a telephoto lens, for instance, then you're probably not going to want to shoot them in Japan either. You know?
Anyway, I was in Japan for a couple of weeks last year so if you have any specific questions about the places on your list then feel free to ask.
One thing I should mention off the bat is try to avoid photos of people (esp. women and children) from a close range in public, and inside restaurants, shops, etc. It's just a cultural thing (as well as legal thing in some circumstances).
mdude85: "One thing I should mention off the bat is try to avoid photos of people (esp. women and children) from a close range in public, and inside restaurants, shops, etc. It's just a cultural thing (as well as legal thing in some circumstances)"
mdude85 wrote:
Not intending to be impolite, but, the answer to all of these questions is the same: bring what you normally shoot with. That's really the secret to achieving the best and most impactful photos wherever you go.
If you normally don't shoot landscapes with a telephoto lens, for instance, then you're probably not going to want to shoot them in Japan either. You know?
Anyway, I was in Japan for a couple of weeks last year so if you have any specific questions about the places on your list then feel free to ask.
One thing I should mention off the bat is try to avoid photos of people (esp. women and children) from a close range in public, and inside restaurants, shops, etc. It's just a cultural thing (as well as legal thing in some circumstances).
Good advice, but I normally take too much. Most trips I would normally take a tele but probably only use it 5 percent of the time for shooting mountains or some wildlife. But it sounds like no one thinks a tele is a must for Japan. I don't normally do street as in pictures of random people in cities who don't know they are having their photos taken, but I am sure I will want to do some streetscapes capturing the crowds and bright lights. Other than that, it will be temples, gardens, museums, etc.
If I were by myself I would probably take only primes, but my wife and teenage daughter may not have a lot of patience for me wanting to change lenses all the time .
Lived in Japan for quite a while and continue to travel there annually (going back again in July). Your 2 sigma zooms and the 35 1.4. The 16-55 will do really well in Kyoto gardens. The 10-18 you will be putting on your camera as you go inside temples and castles. They are tight, dimly lit and busy. Once you're in and moving through it's generally tough to retrace your steps so the fast zooms will help you frame fast (you'll want wide when you go inside to see Daibutsu in Nara. but the 16-55 will be great walking around outside in Nara...watch your step...deer poo everywhere). The 35 is on my camera when I'm just walking around and want to document my family doing random stuff. The focal length works really well and you'll want the speed.
I also highly recommend getting an action camera and clipping it to your backpack strap so you can record things as you walk around. They are light weight and let you record the everyday stuff and allow you to document things without having a camera in front of your face all the time.
Geoff D F wrote:
Good advice, but I normally take too much. Most trips I would normally take a tele but probably only use it 5 percent of the time for shooting mountains or some wildlife. But it sounds like no one thinks a tele is a must for Japan. I don't normally do street as in pictures of random people in cities who don't know they are having their photos taken, but I am sure I will want to do some streetscapes capturing the crowds and bright lights. Other than that, it will be temples, gardens, museums, etc.
If I were by myself I would probably take only primes, but my wife and teenage daughter may not have a lot of patience for me wanting to change lenses all the time ....Show more →
It sounds like you are more a documentary-type photographer, in which case you probably only need one lens, 16-55.
First trip was 4 weeks, spending a week in Hokkaido and then Honshu by train from North to South, including Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Hiroshima. On that trip I took the X-T3, 10-24mm, 23mm f1.4, 50-230mm and bought the 16-80mm over there as it was just released. I didn't use the 50-230mm much and I think actually never used it again on that trip after buying the 16-80mm.
The second trip was 2 weeks in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Hiroshima. This time I had the Nikon Z7 with the 24-70mm f4, 40mm f2 and two adapted M-mount lenses just for fun (Voigtländer 35mm f1.5 and 75mm f1.9). Didn't miss anything longer than 75mm.
From your kit I'd bring the X-T5 + 16-55mm f2.8, X-E5 + 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4. Whether you swap the latter pair of lenses for e.g. the 25mm f1.7 + 56mm f1.7 is a matter of personal preference, both would work, but I would not bring more than 3 lenses.
I would recommend not to have too much gear on a trip in Japan just for the convenience of having to carry less stuff around, but it's a quite personal preference matter. When I travel in Japan I usually bring a (full frame) Sony 16-35/4 G zoom and one fast but relatively compact prime, for example CV 40/1.2 SE or something else around 40 to 50mm and just one camera. I don't usually miss not having anything else. I think having good and versatile wide angle coverage on a zoom lens is useful for general sightseeing in Japan, around temples and big city centre areas that have lots of tall buildings. No need to change lenses while having a lot of room for different compositions. On smaller backstreets such as old style shopping streets I prefer ~28mm. On dinners and things like that the fast prime comes in handy. I wouldn't personally bring any tele lenses but it's again more of a personal preference thing.
To be honest, your 16-55mm would be enough, but having a ultra wide zoom (which is also compact) like your 10-18mm Sigma is a good addition. I would throw in the 35mm f/1.4 as well because that lens has so beautiful rendering, is small, compact and overall a beautiful lens. If you were to settle on only two lenses: 16-55 & 35mm IMO.
I have been to Japan several times and spent a total of 15 months in this country in the last 13 years. The next trip is approaching, on May 28, for 7 weeks.
After reading the other posts in this thread, I most agree with Juha on "not to have too much gear on a trip in Japan" as well as to "bring a (full frame) Sony 16-35/4 G zoom and one fast but relatively compact prime."
This is similar to what I am taking with me on the upcoming trip: the GFX100S II with two lenses: a wide zoom (GF20-35mm F4 - full-frame equivalent to 16-28mm) and a fast prime (GF55mm F1.7 - full-frame equivalent to 44mm). At the total 2.64 kg/5.8lb weight, this is not the smallest and lightest kit but it is also not excessively large or heavy, by my standards. I am used to carrying a camera I am shooting with in a light Manfrotto holster. I find this a most convenient option while hiking.
I am not familiar with the Fuji APS-C systems, but I believe there is no Fuji APS-C zoom that covers a full-frame-equivalent 20 to 40/50 mm range. This would be ideal for Japan. A fast prime in the full-frame-equivalent 40-55 mm range is all you need in addition to the zoom.
The question on whether a telephoto lens can be useful in Japan is tricky. This depends on whether you are interested in people photography. I do find this genre of photography interesting. There are two options: one is to engage with a "subject" and take pictures with permission. The other option, for candid photography, is to use a lens than has a focal length in the 200-600 mm range. This second option should be obviously exercised with full respect of the dignity of the human subjects (much more can be said on this). A technical challenge is that most telephoto lenses are (1) too large and heavy, and (2) are typically white. Both characteristics make such lenses not suitable for candid street photography. So far, the best and my top choice is the Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 (full-frame equivalent 80-300mm) internal zoom (on either OM-1 II or G9 II bodies). Another micro-four-thirds lens that I like is the M.Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro (full-frame equivalent 180mm).
I attached several pictures taken one year ago in Japan with the above mentioned lenses.
I don't know if there is non-white Fuji telephoto lens that has the characteristics similar to those of the Olympus 40-150mm (Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 3.13 x 6.30" (79.4 x 160.0 mm); Weight 31.04 oz (880 g))
OM-1MarkIIOM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/4.01/1000s200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkIIOM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/2.81/500s200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkIIOM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/2.81/60s3200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkIIOM 40-150mm F2.8 lens64mmf/2.81/60s320 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkII OM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/2.81/2000s200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkIIOM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/2.81/320s200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkIIOM 90mm F3.5 lens90mmf/3.51/1250s200 ISO0.0 EV
OM-1MarkII OM 40-150mm F2.8 lens150mmf/3.21/800s200 ISO0.0 EV
No way I (or anybody else) can choose lenses for you. From what you said in your OP however, why not take it all and choose before you leave the hotel? Simple and you have everything covered.
My personal take is based on how I feel before the trip. Normally I’d take my wide and normal zooms and one prime. I’m heading to Cabo next week and am taking only 2 primes, the Viltrox air 25 and 56. If I had the 9, I’d bring it as well, but this trip is partly to see if I really want it and/or the 15; and/or give up on travel photography altogether. We are all on different journeys.
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