First prime: XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR or XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro Lens ?

ntldbg wrote:

I have an X-T2 and the 18-55 and want to get a prime lens.

Primarily it would be for daytime and nighttime street photography around NYC.

The macro is a bit wider and adds some close-focusing versatility, but the 33mm gives me the versatility of 2 more stops. It's hard to decide what to prioritize, and even harder now that the 33 just went on sale.

Any wisdom is appreciated.

Dave

If I were doing nighttime street photography in NYC (which I do), the excellent 30mm f/2.8 would not be my first choice. It is a very nice lens if you do a lot of macro and like the relatively short 30mm focal length, but it isn't ideal for your purposes.

I have used the 35mm f/1.4 lens for more or less the purpose you describe since I first got into Fujifilm x-trans cameras for my street and travel photography a decade ago. Despite what you may hear — often from folks who aren't aware of how well this older lens works — it is an excellent lens. It is also relatively small (and inexpensive!) for a f/1.4 lens, and that small size is important, in my view, for street photography.

If someone offered me the 33mm f/1.4, even knowing that it is a fine lens, but required me to give up my 35mm f/1.4... I'd keep the 35mm lens.

The only possible downside here is that 35mm (angle-of-view equivalent to a full frame focal length of about 52.5mm) is a bit long for street photography, at least if it is your only prime.

If cost is an issue and you like the idea of a smaller lenses for street, I'd also look at the 35mm f/2. Contrary to expectations, most often you won't shoot at f/1.4 at night, since the very narrow depth-of-field (DOF) is often not your friend. And in the urban environment of NYC there is often plenty of light at night to get by at f/2... or even f/2.8 in a lot of cases.

For daytime street photography, there's little question about the appeal of the f/2 lens — or even f/2.8 lenses- — over the larger aperture lenses.

Speaking of which... my favorite prime for street photography of the sort you are thinking of is... the 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens. It is great in optical terms and it is really small — in my view, a distinct advantage for street. (You cold get this lens AND the 35mm f/1.4 for the price of the 33mm f/1.4...)

As to focal length, while this is subjective, if I had only one prime for street I would prefer a short lens than 35mm on APS-C. That's partly why I like the 27mm, and the 23mm focal length might be a better bet. Here you also have options. There is a fine 23mm f/1.4, though it is even larger than the 35mm f/1. 4. There's also an excellent and small 23mm f/2.

If you are really new to this and still trying to figure out what meets your needs the best, I have some recommendations. First, to the extent possible, shoot with that excellent 18-55mm zoom a lot before you guess what primes might work.That experience will make you a lot smarter when it comes time to shop for primes. Second, think about starting with the smaller and less expensive f/2 and f/2.8 primes once you get an idea about focal length.

Good luck,

Dan