Lens Advice

Reskr wrote:

Thank you all again for your ideas. I'm really glad I asked as otherwise I would've just followed the hype surrounding all these lenses and not really considered my actual needs. Checking through my photos over the last two years, I've found maybe a handful of shots over 50mm and an even smaller number of shots where I would've wanted anything approximating 80 or more. My interactions with wildlife tend to be by chance rather than deliberate, and while there is the possibility that I just don't bother trying to take photos outside of my equipment's capabilities, I think I'd be lying to myself if I said I'd use something like the 50-140 or the 80 a lot.

Do you have a deadline?

None, other than the end of the rebate period, but I'm returning to my home country for a few weeks next month and was hoping to purchase the new kit there.

Why can’t you do macro on your 16 1.4? Fuji calls it a wide angle macro lens.

You're absolutely right. I've had some really nice close-up shots with the 16 with really pleasing background blur.

In light of this, would a better path perhaps be to get the 56 to satisfy my desire for a portrait lens, and to update my body to the XT2 or XT3 to open up cropping room? If so, which would you recommend for someone who rarely takes video? I liked the look of the touch to focus on the XT3, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it as I almost always shoot using the viewfinder. Is the new processor significantly better?

I didn’t get the X-T3 because it doesn’t offer me anything that my X-T2 can’t do for the way I shoot. I bought a used X-E3 instead because I wanted smaller but I turned off the touchscreen functionality because it’s not for me. I’m a VF only guy myself. You can crop and still get great detail on the X-T2. If you want a portrait lens then get the 56, I opted for the 50 f2 instead and lenstip tests show the 50 f2 is Fuji’s sharpest lens to date. So if that and WR is important to you the 50 might be another viable option for you. Since the 16 is already a great macro/landscape/street/indoor/architecture lens then save your money and go for the 56 or 50 for portraits. But if you like bigger lenses then the 50-140 is also a great portrait lens and you won’t need the 56/50.