Which prime lens + 16-80 for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

victorgm wrote:

Hello again!

Thank you very much for all the advice! I've been very short of time these weeks and I haven't been able to reply until now. The truth is that for the same reason I haven't been able to practice much with the X-S10 and I'm still undecided about the fixed focal length.

Precisely what I want to avoid is to hesitate between the 16-80 and the fixed lens I will buy when taking pictures on the trip, but to have a specific use for the fixed lens that avoids swapping every time and enjoy it more than stressing about using the most suitable one.

I understand that there would be two strategies to combine with the 16-80:

- Buy a bright prime that offers a different focal length, e.g. 12mm f2, 16mm 2.8 or a 50/70mm.

- Buy a bright prime in the mid-range of the 16-80, so that it is valid to go lighter and in different situations in low light, dusk or night.

I would say that most of my photos are landscapes, interiors and architecture, so a 16mm 2.8, 18mm or 23mm f2 would suit me well. You can check out my instagram at @victorguimeram instagram.com/victorguimeram (don't kick me out of the forum for that, I want to open a flickr soon

On the other hand, I could enhance my street/architecture/portrait photography (of my partner) on this trip in Hanoi/Bangkok if I took a 27mm 2.8 and 35mm 1.4, or for landscapes that require some zoom (like in halong bay with distant islets that with wide angle are lost in the distance), although for that the 16-80 could also defend itself well.

In short, I think I'm tending towards the 23mm f2, and I've seen one second-hand for 275€. But I have a specific doubt: for a daytime walk around the temples of Angkor Wat, would you use the 16-80mm f4 or the 23mm f2 first? I understand that the versatility of the 16-80 can be very good, but would a 23mm f2 offer better quality during the day with the same focal length? Or would it only stand out in low light like at sunset?

Many thanks again!

Victor

That's why I much prefer the 16-55 f/2.8, over the 16-80. it can almost always get the job done without having to hassle with swapping it out for a prime when the light drops. That leaves me with the option to carry a second lens (or camera/lens) with a complementary focal length (I'm liking the Viltrox 13 f/1.4 for that) rather than a redundant overlapping one. Being very wide, it's great in tight places or for grand vistas, and it's got amazing sharpness and lots of DOF to work with, even at its widest apertures, which really helps in low light where the super shallow DOF of a longer focal length would be limiting (often). Just my 2 cents.