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Thinking through prime choices

Started Feb 11, 2017 | Discussions thread
Pan50 Contributing Member • Posts: 673
Re: Thinking through prime choices

Hey, I have the 35mm f1.4 and it is a very good lens. I know the world is raving about the 35mm f2 because it's weather sealed, faster autofocus etc, but that extra stop is important to me and I tend to use manual focus shooting landscapes and hyperfocal shooting street scenes.  It's basically a fast "nifty fifty" lens in 35mm format.  I like that 50mm full-format focal length for portraits and street photography.  This is my go-to lens.

I also have the 14mm f2.8 and love that lens as well.  Wide enough for landscape shots and has close focusing so I love using it inside as well.  And I have the 60mm macro. Not a true macro lens with 1:2 enlargement but it is very sharp and also good for portrait work, break bokkeh!  All three of these primes are super sharp, very well built and the 14mm has a hyperfocal scale on the barrel of the lens, very old school.

If I'm buying another prime I'd get the 23mm f2..I always loved the 35mm focal length when I was shooting film, is a great all-round lens to have and is also weather sealed. If I could trade any of my primes in for a different prime I'd swap the 14mm f2.8 for the 16mm f1.4 just because I want that extra stop or more of light.  The 16mm is often referred to as the nest lens Fuji makes.

So if I was starting from scratch with primes I'd likely want the 16mm f1.4, 23mm f2, 35mm f1.5, 60mm macro.  But add in a couple of zooms and you have a big bag of lenses so compromise is necessary sometimes!

 Pan50's gear list:Pan50's gear list
Fujifilm X100S Fujifilm X-E1 Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm X-H1 Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +9 more
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