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Opinions on a cheap and lightweight street kit

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Ansago

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I currently have the X-T1 with the 18-135mm zoom, which is great for hiking around outdoors and getting a wide range of shots, however it's also really large and heavy. I'd like to pick up one or two smaller and lighter lenses for carrying around town or on short trips.

What I'm looking at right now is picking up a used 27mm f2.8 and used 16-50 f3.5-5.6 II on eBay, with both together coming in at ~$340, which seems like a great price to me. This would give me a versatile zoom range, and also something a little sharper and brighter (and smaller) when needed.

While I do really like the look of, for example, the 23mm f1.4 even used that comes in at almost twice the cost of those two other lenses combined. To me that and the 35's or 10-24 feel more like down-the-road lenses, once I've gotten more comfortable and established in Fuji's X world. I've also looked at the 18-55 f2.8-4, but the extra width on the 16-50 is important to me.

What say you all? Thank you for any input!
 
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Ansago said:
I currently have the X-T1 with the 18-135mm zoom, which is great for hiking around outdoors and getting a wide range of shots, however it's also really large and heavy. I'd like to pick up one or two smaller and lighter lenses for carrying around town or on short trips.

What I'm looking at right now is picking up a used 27mm f2.8 and used 16-50 f3.5-5.6 II on eBay, with both together coming in at ~$340, which seems like a great price to me. This would give me a versatile zoom range, and also something a little sharper and brighter (and smaller) when needed.

While I do really like the look of, for example, the 23mm f1.4 even used that comes in at almost twice the cost of those two other lenses combined. To me that and the 35's or 10-24 feel more like down-the-road lenses, once I've gotten more comfortable and established in Fuji's X world. I've also looked at the 18-55 f2.8-4, but the extra width on the 16-50 is important to me.

What say you all? Thank you for any input!
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The 27mm plus a new or used X-M1 or X-A2 and you've got a nifty street companion, sleek, competent and nearly invisible.
 
I have done some street work with the 27 on both an X-A1 and X-E1.

It's wonderfully compact, but woefully slow to focus.

The 16-50 is quicker to focus.

The 27 is a marvelous lens, but slow to focus for street work.

Good luck.
 
If cost is you concern, then you have identified the best bang for your buck in Fuji's lens lineup.

The 27mm 2.8 gets lots of good reviews around here.

I have the 16-50mm zoom, and it is optically a very nice lens. I'm not a fan of zoom lenses for street shooting, though, as it adds a big variable that you have to be constantly thinking about. With a prime lens, you learn to be the right distance from your subjects without having to worry about zooming.

Another option is to look for a used x100/x100s. The main issue with this is shooting with two different cameras and two different control setups. Some folks are good at it, some are not.
 
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Hi,

If you have a preference for the WA end of the spectrum and small, how about the new X70? With optical finder. I'm thinking of one as a back up to my XT1 that will double as a standalone for ultralight uses.

Regards, Rod
 
If you can swing $400, get the 35 f/2. Primes are awesome for street work, as others have noted.
 
If you must use AF then the X-E2 with the 18mm f/2.0 and the 27mm f/2.8.

If you can handle MF and know how to zone focus the the X-E2 with the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 and Samyang/Rokinon 21mm f/1.4.
 
I would not consider the 16-50 or the 18-55. You would just be duplicating what you have. A couple of primes would give you the light kit you are looking for and compliment your 18-135 as well. Which primes depend on your preference and pocketbook.

I have the 18-135, 14 and 35 f/2. It makes for a very versatile kit. Both prime lenses do things that the 18-135 can't. When I want to go light, I leave the 18-135 behind (which is most of the time).

If you want to go a little cheaper, the Samyang (Rokinon) 12mm f/2 is a less expensive alternative to the 14. I love the 35 f/2, but a good used 35 1.4 can be had for around $300 and, in some ways, is a better lens.
 
I use an 18~55 if I'm travelling with family, but if on my own and I have time to change lenses I use a 27mm and 18mm f2. Both very small and both nice quality. Excellent for street.
 
I second that. 14 & 35 make a compat and high grade combo AND they fit very well to your 18-135.

16-50 + 27 may not be bad for you either. The 27 is a little slow in AF and max aperture. But it makes a nice take everywhere size on a camera. I could imagine using the 16-50 during the day and switching to the 27 for the evening. At least this is a versatile, portable and dirt cheap combo.

However if I use primes I usually prefer them to have some impact on my setup like a much brighter lens or much better quality. This is where I would come back to 14&35. Sorry. :-D

I have a 27 in my collection as well but other then as a single lens option for the pocket I do not use it. I would not have bought it for the initial price though.
 
Ed Steichen said:
I have done some street work with the 27 on both an X-A1 and X-E1.

It's wonderfully compact, but woefully slow to focus.

The 16-50 is quicker to focus.

The 27 is a marvelous lens, but slow to focus for street work.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Is the slow focus the result of the lens or the camera body? Perhaps the 27mm on an X-E2 (with updated firmware) will meet the needs.
 
Thanks so much for all the opinions everyone! Definitely giving me lots to think about. Something I should have mentioned but forgot is that I also currently have an X100 classic, which I'm also debating between keeping or selling and putting the money towards the 23mm f1.4 for the X-T1.

Regarding the other lenses there seem to be a wide range of opinions. When I'm in the city I'm primarily shooting buildings and things of that nature, which is why the wide-end of the 16-50 is appealing to me. I don't do a lot of portraits (at least at this point), which is why the 35mm+ primes didn't seem like they would be as useful. Autofocus is important, but I've been teaching myself to use the manual focus mode (with back-button AF) more and more recently, so it doesn't scare me nearly as much as it used to, especially with the useful MF assists on the X-T1.

There is definitely no shortage of options :D
 
It's a little faster on newer bodies, but it's just not a snap focus lens for quick street work.

It's not terribly slow, but noticeably slower than other options.

But of the few Fuji primes I've tried, none of them felt very quick to focus. (14, 23, 27, 35 f1.4)

The new 35 f2 is supposedly far quicker than it's siblings.

A Sony Rx100 MII was recently passed on to me, and that is often what I use for street work now because of it's focusing abilities.

But the 27 feels great on the smaller Fuji bodies. It's a charming and loveable little lens.

Can you rent it for a week and try it out?
 
If you're primarily shooting static buildings in the city, then give the 16-50 a go. It's a great walk around lens and I guarantee you will find that added width (compared to the 18-55) very useful in tight urban environs.
 
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