Short telephoto to pair with 35/2?

cedm · Aug 18, 2023

I need some help figuring out which lens to complement my XF 35mm f2. I already figured out the wider end, and I'll pick a XF 18mm f2, but I'm a bit overhelmed with the longer options.

I'm looking for a lens that gives me a look different enough from the 35mm that it doesn't feel like I could have just taken a couple of steps forward, but not too long that it becomes impractical. I want to get that "compression" look longer focal gives, but I know from past experience owning a 100mm lens that this is too long by quite a bit already.

Looking for a prime, as I want this lens to be as small as possible. I narrowed it down to the following options:

Fuji 50mm F2
Sigma or Viltrox 56mm F1.4
Fuji 60mm F2.4 macro
Samyang 75mm F1.8

Heard a lot of good things about the Viltrox 75mm 1.2, but it's too big for my liking. Same for Fuji's 80mm macro and 90mm f2: too big, and too expensive as well.

Fuji's 50mm f2 is everything I'm looking for: small, great build, aperture ring, decently fast, and quick autofocus. Alas I'm afraid its focal length is just too close to my 35mm to get a different look in my photos.

There's quite a few options at 56mm. I read a lot of positive reviews on the Sigma, especially the IQ and bokeh. F1.4 is a pretty nice aperture too. No aperture ring though. I read more mixed reviews on the Viltrox, so between these two, I'm more leaning towards the Sigma.

Fuji's 60mm macro is quite interesting. Longer focal is good and the 1:2 magnification ratio is appealing: I like to take close up shots of small objects, flowers, etc. Something I can't do at the moment without cropping in post. The downside is 2.4 aperture, and it seems it has quite a few QC issues. Not a very popular lens, little reviews and user experiences being shared. Makes me wonder if it's even worth its price.

Finally, the Samyang 75mm. Fairly recent lens, and not a lot of reviews available, so hard to judge it. Spec-wise, it looks interesting. Nice long-ish focal with a fast aperture. It's smaller and lighter than the 56mm options as well. Is it good? How's the compatibility of Fujis' body? I couldn't find any information on whether they reverse-engineered the communication protocols or licensed it from Fuji.

My use case is diverse and encompass a bit of everything: portrait, walkaround, street, anything where I want to "zoom in" and minimise background distraction.

Biggest question is figuring out the right focal length. Going by the 2x the focal length rule of thumb gives me 70mm, but there's no such prime as far as I know.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading

John 94 · Aug 18, 2023

Hi. I have owned the 18mm f2 and 50mm f2, and the 35mm f1.4 in the past. The classic pairing for these focal lengths would naturally be the 56mm. I found the 50mm f2 to be a good lens but not significantly different to the 35mm fov. I now have viltrox 13mm, 23mm and 56mm.

The 56mm gives a noticeable different view, compression and seperation to 35mm. I know that you are used to an older af design having the 18mm f2 but you may find the old 60mm a bit too slow unless you're specifically keen on having the macro/portrait capabilities.

And yes I too toyed with the idea of the new 75mm but in truth I don't reach for longer lenses too often so the 56mm suffices. If you were pairing the 50mm f2 with a 23mm it would work for me but then I found 23mm was too close to the 18! Everyone has different preferences but instead of having a bunch of lenses it is much better to learn your own preferences and change accordingly. I mostly buy lenses used as I can check them out before and there is less guilt/financial penalty if I decide it's not for me.

a_c_skinner · Aug 18, 2023

The Fuji 60mm is a very good lens. The only issue I know of is that a few had problems with the aperture sender coming unglued. I've not heard this for a while and assume it is fixed. It isn't the only Fuji lens where this has been reported and it isn't a common report by any means.

Meeces · Aug 18, 2023

I was going to initially suggest the Viltrox 75 when I saw the thread title, but agree that it is a bit on the large/chunky/heavy side. I want to use mine more often, but it sometimes gets left behind because of the weight/size issue.

I have no experience with the others on the list. However, I did find this review for the Samyang-

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/samyang-af-75mm-f18-x#section-handling

I also kinda like the suggestion of the 60mm if you're okay with the older design and only being f/2.4. Of course, at that point you're pretty close to the 56mm options out there.

Can you maybe rent something first to try out? See if a 56 would be enough of a difference against your 35?

a_c_skinner · Aug 19, 2023

Have you thought of the 55-200? Optically good, esp at the shorter end, not huge, has OIS too.

JohnS59 · Aug 19, 2023

cedm said:
I need some help figuring out which lens to complement my XF 35mm f2. I already figured out the wider end, and I'll pick a XF 18mm f2, but I'm a bit overhelmed with the longer options.

I'm looking for a lens that gives me a look different enough from the 35mm that it doesn't feel like I could have just taken a couple of steps forward, but not too long that it becomes impractical. I want to get that "compression" look longer focal gives, but I know from past experience owning a 100mm lens that this is too long by quite a bit already.

Looking for a prime, as I want this lens to be as small as possible. I narrowed it down to the following options:

Fuji 50mm F2

Sigma or Viltrox 56mm F1.4

Fuji 60mm F2.4 macro

Samyang 75mm F1.8

Heard a lot of good things about the Viltrox 75mm 1.2, but it's too big for my liking. Same for Fuji's 80mm macro and 90mm f2: too big, and too expensive as well.

Fuji's 50mm f2 is everything I'm looking for: small, great build, aperture ring, decently fast, and quick autofocus. Alas I'm afraid its focal length is just too close to my 35mm to get a different look in my photos.

There's quite a few options at 56mm. I read a lot of positive reviews on the Sigma, especially the IQ and bokeh. F1.4 is a pretty nice aperture too. No aperture ring though. I read more mixed reviews on the Viltrox, so between these two, I'm more leaning towards the Sigma.

Fuji's 60mm macro is quite interesting. Longer focal is good and the 1:2 magnification ratio is appealing: I like to take close up shots of small objects, flowers, etc. Something I can't do at the moment without cropping in post. The downside is 2.4 aperture, and it seems it has quite a few QC issues. Not a very popular lens, little reviews and user experiences being shared. Makes me wonder if it's even worth its price.

Finally, the Samyang 75mm. Fairly recent lens, and not a lot of reviews available, so hard to judge it. Spec-wise, it looks interesting. Nice long-ish focal with a fast aperture. It's smaller and lighter than the 56mm options as well. Is it good? How's the compatibility of Fujis' body? I couldn't find any information on whether they reverse-engineered the communication protocols or licensed it from Fuji.

My use case is diverse and encompass a bit of everything: portrait, walkaround, street, anything where I want to "zoom in" and minimise background distraction.

Biggest question is figuring out the right focal length. Going by the 2x the focal length rule of thumb gives me 70mm, but there's no such prime as far as I know.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading

I accumulated several Fuji lenses over the years. One of the first I bought was the 60mm f/2.4. And I still like it very much as a short all round telephoto lens (90mm FF equivalent). Especially on the X-Pro2. It is (without the hood!) a fairly compact lens. IQ is very good, better than the 35mm f/1.4 and the 18mm f/2.0. That's what Fuji told us when the lens came out when Fuji started the X-range with the X-Pro1, now 10 years ago. I have no problems with the aperture or too slow AF.

It delivers some compression and separation, so you immediately see that the picture is not shot with a phone or compact. The 56 mm is more a specialized lens, for portraits shot wide open or at night. Otherwise the 60 mm f/2.4 is just as good in my opinion and less bulky and also cheaper.

Maybe also the 50 mm f/2.0 but I have no experience with it. This is of course a more modern lens with better AF and weather resistance. Probably even slightly better IQ too/

Oscar Richard · Aug 19, 2023

The Sigma 56 is a great little lens optically, the AF is spot on and the price makes it a steal. I have to say that the lack of an aperture ring has been more of a hassle than I thought it would be. More often than not buying camera equipment is about making compromises, and I don't think in this case you have a 'perfect' choice. I know yousaid it's too big and expensive, but the 90 is SOOOOOO good and give you a totally different look from what you have already.

Nick on the Baltic · Aug 19, 2023

The XF60mm f2.4 is one of my most used lenses. I find it really versatile, and have no complaints about its quality. I bought mine when they were first released ca. 10 years ago, so if there have been QC issues since I know nothing about them, but mine is still going strong. I use it for landscape, portrait, close-up and to pick out architectural details in cities. Compact and light enough to go in a pocket and a great complement to the 35mm.

Some examples:

f2.4 is only half a stop away from f2. It's not Fuji's sexiest lens, which may be why it doesn't get mentioned so much. For me it's a solid workhorse; if I'm looking at low light indoors the XF35mm f1.4 is my go-to choice.

Edit: Focusing is a bit slow. For my use cases, that's not a problem.

--
Nick on the Baltic

Morris0 · Aug 19, 2023

cedm said:
I need some help figuring out which lens to complement my XF 35mm f2. I already figured out the wider end, and I'll pick a XF 18mm f2, but I'm a bit overhelmed with the longer options.

I'm looking for a lens that gives me a look different enough from the 35mm that it doesn't feel like I could have just taken a couple of steps forward, but not too long that it becomes impractical. I want to get that "compression" look longer focal gives, but I know from past experience owning a 100mm lens that this is too long by quite a bit already.

Looking for a prime, as I want this lens to be as small as possible. I narrowed it down to the following options:

Fuji 50mm F2

Sigma or Viltrox 56mm F1.4

Fuji 60mm F2.4 macro

Samyang 75mm F1.8

Heard a lot of good things about the Viltrox 75mm 1.2, but it's too big for my liking. Same for Fuji's 80mm macro and 90mm f2: too big, and too expensive as well.

Fuji's 50mm f2 is everything I'm looking for: small, great build, aperture ring, decently fast, and quick autofocus. Alas I'm afraid its focal length is just too close to my 35mm to get a different look in my photos.

There's quite a few options at 56mm. I read a lot of positive reviews on the Sigma, especially the IQ and bokeh. F1.4 is a pretty nice aperture too. No aperture ring though. I read more mixed reviews on the Viltrox, so between these two, I'm more leaning towards the Sigma.

Fuji's 60mm macro is quite interesting. Longer focal is good and the 1:2 magnification ratio is appealing: I like to take close up shots of small objects, flowers, etc. Something I can't do at the moment without cropping in post. The downside is 2.4 aperture, and it seems it has quite a few QC issues. Not a very popular lens, little reviews and user experiences being shared. Makes me wonder if it's even worth its price.

Finally, the Samyang 75mm. Fairly recent lens, and not a lot of reviews available, so hard to judge it. Spec-wise, it looks interesting. Nice long-ish focal with a fast aperture. It's smaller and lighter than the 56mm options as well. Is it good? How's the compatibility of Fujis' body? I couldn't find any information on whether they reverse-engineered the communication protocols or licensed it from Fuji.

My use case is diverse and encompass a bit of everything: portrait, walkaround, street, anything where I want to "zoom in" and minimise background distraction.

Biggest question is figuring out the right focal length. Going by the 2x the focal length rule of thumb gives me 70mm, but there's no such prime as far as I know.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading

You eliminated all of these as you want more than 50mm ish:

Fuji 50mm F2
Sigma or Viltrox 56mm F1.4
Fuji 60mm F2.4 macro

That leaves the Samyang 75mm F1.8. Before you eliminate the 90mm f2 which produces stunning images, I suggest you go to a store or rent one and see how it feels as it's not that heavy.

Morris

Clive99 · Aug 19, 2023

I recently got the samyang 75f1.8. I'm really enjoying it. Nice FL. I have to stop it down to f2.5 when I want really good sharpness. Reasonably fast AF. Good bokeh and "character". Smallish and lightweight. Not in the same league as the xf90, but few are. I like it a lot more than the 50F2 I had. More general purpose than the 56f1.2. Pairs very well with the 35f2. - recently took it and the 35f2 (plus 16-80 and 10-24) on a 5 day kayak trip. Lots of keepers with that lens.

Jon555 · Aug 19, 2023

cedm said:
I need some help figuring out which lens to complement my XF 35mm f2. I already figured out the wider end, and I'll pick a XF 18mm f2, but I'm a bit overhelmed with the longer options.

I'm looking for a lens that gives me a look different enough from the 35mm that it doesn't feel like I could have just taken a couple of steps forward, but not too long that it becomes impractical. I want to get that "compression" look longer focal gives, but I know from past experience owning a 100mm lens that this is too long by quite a bit already.

Looking for a prime, as I want this lens to be as small as possible. I narrowed it down to the following options:

Fuji 50mm F2

Sigma or Viltrox 56mm F1.4

Fuji 60mm F2.4 macro

Samyang 75mm F1.8

Heard a lot of good things about the Viltrox 75mm 1.2, but it's too big for my liking. Same for Fuji's 80mm macro and 90mm f2: too big, and too expensive as well.

Fuji's 50mm f2 is everything I'm looking for: small, great build, aperture ring, decently fast, and quick autofocus. Alas I'm afraid its focal length is just too close to my 35mm to get a different look in my photos.

There's quite a few options at 56mm. I read a lot of positive reviews on the Sigma, especially the IQ and bokeh. F1.4 is a pretty nice aperture too. No aperture ring though. I read more mixed reviews on the Viltrox, so between these two, I'm more leaning towards the Sigma.

Fuji's 60mm macro is quite interesting. Longer focal is good and the 1:2 magnification ratio is appealing: I like to take close up shots of small objects, flowers, etc. Something I can't do at the moment without cropping in post. The downside is 2.4 aperture, and it seems it has quite a few QC issues. Not a very popular lens, little reviews and user experiences being shared. Makes me wonder if it's even worth its price.

Finally, the Samyang 75mm. Fairly recent lens, and not a lot of reviews available, so hard to judge it. Spec-wise, it looks interesting. Nice long-ish focal with a fast aperture. It's smaller and lighter than the 56mm options as well. Is it good? How's the compatibility of Fujis' body? I couldn't find any information on whether they reverse-engineered the communication protocols or licensed it from Fuji.

My use case is diverse and encompass a bit of everything: portrait, walkaround, street, anything where I want to "zoom in" and minimise background distraction.

Biggest question is figuring out the right focal length. Going by the 2x the focal length rule of thumb gives me 70mm, but there's no such prime as far as I know.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading

Maybe get a new or used (there's a lot around) 18-55 f2.8-4 and use the 35 for lower light levels?

ialarmedalien · Aug 19, 2023

If you like shooting close-ups, the XF 60mm is the way to go. I find it to be a versatile lens with numerous applications outside close-ups, and it's compact enough to fit into a small bag or a pocket. The main moan I have seen about the lens is the slow AF, but unless you are shooting action, I don't think it will matter too much. It's easy to pick up a used copy of the lens cheaply now, so I'd say it is more than worth the price.

I love the 50mm f/2 - it's a super lens for portraits and it also has a low minimum focus distance and fast AF for close-up applications. However, if you have already dismissed it due to insufficient difference in FOV with your existing 35 mm, I won't try to sell you on it.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

a_c_skinner said:
Have you thought of the 55-200? Optically good, esp at the shorter end, not huge, has OIS too.

I have pretty much discarded all zoom options due to size. One of the main reason I went with Fuji and the X-T30 is the diminutive size. I used to shoot Canon DSLR (60D) and I was leaving the camera home more and more over time: I just no longer wanted to carry something big around.

The X-T30 paired with the 35/2 is such a game changer for me. It fits in my jacket> I can carry it anywhere, whether I plan to shoot or not, it's with me. I chose the XF 18/2 for that reason as well, and want something alike on the longer end.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

Nick on the Baltic said:
The XF60mm f2.4 is one of my most used lenses. I find it really versatile, and have no complaints about its quality. I bought mine when they were first released ca. 10 years ago, so if there have been QC issues since I know nothing about them, but mine is still going strong. I use it for landscape, portrait, close-up and to pick out architectural details in cities. Compact and light enough to go in a pocket and a great complement to the 35mm.

Some examples:

That's a nice picture. This is the kind of close up photograpy I'm after, and why I'm considering the 60mm macro. I don't need 1:1 macro, but I like to be able to get in close and not be limited by the minimum focus distance.

I do a lot of hiking, and like to take photos of the landscape, nature, plants, and some animals, so I need some reach and ideally be able to get close (or crop in post).

With my 35, I need to crop heavily and lose details.

Pixel8888 · Aug 19, 2023

I use a xf 27/2.8 or viltrox 23/1.4 combination with a xf 50/2. Works quite well. The 50/2 is a great lens, and the 27 tiny and tack sharp corner to corner at f5.6. I have a tiny manual Leica 90 thin Elmarit in case I have to go longer.

This combination works well for longer hikes, landscape and travel photography.

In Nikon's Film days an AiS 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and AIS /2.5 105 mm was a well used combination.

Just to give you an idea what gaps work well.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

Some examples of photos I take with the 35mm, where a longer focal would help:

Piwakawaka

Small bird about 2-3m away. Had to heavily crop in post to get that framing. Original photo is:

Quite a challenging subject. These birds can come close, but move quicklly and erratically. Not my most common subject, but one where decent AF matters.

Sheep

These are not so fast but quite shy and walk away easily if trying to get close. No crop, this is as far as I could get before he walked away. 5-10m away I think.

Backlit leave

Doing some speudo macro. I actually took this photo with my XC 15-45mm at 45mm. Heavy crop again to focus on the details. Original is:

This is where the Fuji 60mm macro appeals me. I don't think any of the other option would help with close ups.

But I also do portrait / environmental portrait / people of the main subject. This is probably 40 to 50% of my photos. This is an example taken with the 35mm again:

Portrait

I think a longer focal with a shallower depth of field and "compression" would give me a better result.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

Clive99 said:
I recently got the samyang 75f1.8. I'm really enjoying it. Nice FL. I have to stop it down to f2.5 when I want really good sharpness. Reasonably fast AF. Good bokeh and "character". Smallish and lightweight. Not in the same league as the xf90, but few are. I like it a lot more than the 50F2 I had. More general purpose than the 56f1.2. Pairs very well with the 35f2. - recently took it and the 35f2 (plus 16-80 and 10-24) on a 5 day kayak trip. Lots of keepers with that lens.

It does look like a nice option! How is the AF compared to the other lenses you have, like the 35/2 and 50/2? The 35/2 has the best AF of any lens I've owned, but I'm new to Fuji and can only relate to older Canon EF/EF-s lenses I had in the past.

I feel like it would pair nicely in term of focal length, but I have never use such a focal before. I only have experience with 50mm and 100mm.

Is it soft wide open that you prefer to use it at F2.5, or do you just want peak sharpness? I prefer to shoot wide-open unless I need the extra depth of field.

Feel free to share some photos taken with the Samyang. I'm very curious about this lens. Not many people own it apparently.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

ialarmedalien said:
I love the 50mm f/2 - it's a super lens for portraits and it also has a low minimum focus distance and fast AF for close-up applications. However, if you have already dismissed it due to insufficient difference in FOV with your existing 35 mm, I won't try to sell you on it.

Add 20mm to it, and I'm sold ;-)

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

Nick on the Baltic said:
f2.4 is only half a stop away from f2. It's not Fuji's sexiest lens, which may be why it doesn't get mentioned so much. For me it's a solid workhorse; if I'm looking at low light indoors the XF35mm f1.4 is my go-to choice.

Edit: Focusing is a bit slow. For my use cases, that's not a problem.

I'm trying to get a good grasp of this lens AF ability. Is it just slower to lock in, or does it hunt? In most situation, I don't need a spead daemon, but if the AF hesitates I don't think I'll be happy with it.

cedm · Aug 19, 2023

Pixel8888 said:
I use a xf 27/2.8 or viltrox 23/1.4 combination with a xf 50/2. Works quite well. The 50/2 is a great lens, and the 27 tiny and tack sharp corner to corner at f5.6. I have a tiny manual Leica 90 thin Elmarit in case I have to go longer.

This combination works well for longer hikes, landscape and travel photography.

In Nikon's Film days an AiS 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and AIS /2.5 105 mm was a well used combination.

Just to give you an idea what gaps work well.

Yes, I kind of came to the same conclusion: 23 and 50 pairs better together than 35 and 50. And you're right about FF 28-50-105. I read a lot about that, along with FF 35-85-135.

There's no 105mm equivalent for Fuji, so I'm debating 112mm (75) vs 85mm (56). Or 90mm (60) and give up some AF and aperture.

Short telephoto to pair with 35/2?

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