DPReview.com is closing April 10th - Find out more

Red label IQ vs others

Started May 20, 2021 | Discussions thread
Jerry-astro
MOD Jerry-astro Forum Pro • Posts: 19,920
Re: Red label IQ vs others

SeaSaltDarkChocolate wrote:

Hi,

I only want to travel with 2 lenses, one standard and one telezoom; those are the 2 options I was thinking of

* XT4 + 16-80 WR + 70-300 WR
607g + 440g + 580g = 1627g

* XT4 + 16-55 F2.8 WR + 50-140 F2.8 WR (potentially + TC => 70-196mm)
607g + 655g + 995g = 2257g
607g + 655g + 995g + 130g = 2387g (with TC)

For a few days I had the 50-140 and I must say I was very satisfied with the pictures I have taken. But it is really heavy, after a few hours I could even feel it in my arms...

What would you choose if money is not the problem? Will the IQ be really that different from red label lenses to the more recent lenses 16-80 / 70-300? Is it worth carrying the weight of red label lenses?

A lot of this is highly dependent on your tolerance for weight. I regularly tote around an X-H1 with grip, 100-400, and 16-55. I'm not a big guy, but over the years I've simply gotten used to the weight (and use a backpack to help make it easier to tolerate). So, you'll simply have to consider how important constant aperture is to your photography and whether the weight is tolerable for you. It's also worth noting that both of these lenses are red-badged and among Fuji's best. However, most all of Fuji's lenses are excellent and the alternatives you suggested would likely more than meet your needs as well.

-- hide signature --

Jerry-Astro
Fuji Forum co-Mod

 Jerry-astro's gear list:Jerry-astro's gear list
Fujifilm 16-55mm F2.8R LM WR Fujifilm X-H2S Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 XF 150-600mm Canon Pixma Pro-100 +1 more
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum PPrevious NNext WNext unread UUpvote SSubscribe RReply QQuote BBookmark MMy threads
Color scheme? Blue / Yellow