Lens for X-T3

Congratulations on your X-T3 purchase!

I had the 18-55 2.8-4 zoom with my X-E1 and it worked great for general purpose shooting. I think it is a good starter lens but it isn't weather resistant. I understand it is plenty sharp enough for the X-T3.

I don't have that lens anymore, and have gone on to third party non-electronic non-weather-resistant manual primes mostly. However, I do have the Fuji 50mm F2 WR lens, bought at the same time I bought my X-T3. It's excellent. DPR says the 16mm F2.8 WR is even better, but any of these small Fuji weather resistant primes are great.

If you are new to cameras generally, lack of OIS can be an issue for you. To get maximum image quality from the X-T3 or any recent Fuji except the X-H1, you really need to hold the camera completely still while the shutter operates. Even a slight amount of camera movement will show up in the images, and when there is very little movement it will look like the image is a little bit out of focus.

So, my advice is to start with the 18-55 with OIS. At least you will have the choice to turn off OIS. Once you get the hang of shooting with OIS on, you will appreciate the greatness of the X-T3. By the way, it's always a good idea to check lens firmware and update it to the latest version, and this usually goes for the body, too.

Next step is to go out on the internet and get a few 24"x36" prints just for fun. This is the best part, at least for me. I can recommend Nations Photo for good quality at a reasonable price.

If you then turn off OIS and you can still easily get clear and sharp images at 55mm (maximum zoom), think about going further, to a Fuji prime like the 50mm F2 WR, or even a manual third party prime such as the Rokinon 85mm F1.8 (a challenge), or the Rokinon 21mm F1.4 (easy and versatile, and no need for OIS).