Fujifilm XF 18-135mm vs XF 18-55mm + XF 55-200mm for travel photography

I was wondering if any one had recommendations for a a great travel lens to use with the Fuji X system. I usually take either landscape pictures or personal travel pics.

Fujifilm XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR (Weather Resistant) Lens

VS combination of

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS Zoom Lens and

Fujifilm XF 55-200mm (83-300mm) F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Lens

Any other suggestions or choices?

On travel trips you want to avoid changing lenses as to not miss the decisive moment

So the 18-135 is your trusted friend

I came back from a VN trip with the other 2 and immediately bought the 18-135 for next travel trip

I just didn't have the time to swap lenses so ended up shooting with the 18-55 most of the time

Either that or use 2 bodies with different lenses on each

The 18-135 being WR is quite suitable for all weather, genres

The 18-135 is my always on the Cam lense! I love the Output it delivers - all over the zoom Range. And I love it’s flexibility... No need to carry and change between different lenses, when hiking, biking or backcountry skiing! Yes, the 55-200 has more tele, but the 50-230 has even more - at the same IQ (as long as you have the light).

In dusty or wet and stormy regions, it is great to avoid changing lenses! That is when the 18-135 is the best choice. Used it a lot in SouthAfrica and Island! (And for sure during outdoor aktivities mentioned above!)

Just be sure to compare 2-3 of the 18-135 lenses, as sharpness on the long end can vary extremely between the lenses!

In general, multi purpose lenses like the 18-135 are a compromise. Slower and softer, especially on the long end. You can somewhat compensate for the softness by stopping down the lens.

Myself? I've used enough of these type of lenses and steer clear of them..the quality is not what I like/want. Your experience and expectations may differ. Optically, they tend to be compromised (too much in a small package). Why put a 2nd rate lens on a great camera? Remember, ultimately it's all about the glass. Buy and use the best glass you can find if possible.

Maybe these reviews will be informative:

http://www.opticallimits.com/fuji_x/888-fuji18135f3556

https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/fujinon/xf-18-135mm-f3.5-5.6-r-lm-ois-wr/review/

I've had all 3 lenses (now sold the 18-55).  For travel the 18-135 is a good size and weight, very flexible, water and dust resistant, has good stabilisation, and produces good images across both the focal length and aperture ranges.  Mine has been around Europe and to Alaska and Chile.

Airline restrictions on hand luggage encouraged my initial decision - and I've never regretted it.

I have bothh confuigurations

The choice between the two could be related to weight and size but also abilkty to safely change lens

The 18-135mm is a very good alrounder zoom, I have been using it now for years and even if it does not match other Fuji XF lenses it still delivers very goood to excellent results when  travelling

Never used the 18-135. My travel kit is the 18-55, 55-200 along with the 12mm Samyang.

This might answer your questions...

https://www.flickr.com/gp/chorge1972/m2A95h

All images shot with the XF18-135 (or some with the Samy 12/2). For my purposes when traveling more than enough IQ...

I ended up selling my 18-135 because the IQ just wasn't there. Nowadays I travel with the 16-55 and 50-140 (and maybe a prime for low light) since the weight doesn't really bother me. After a lot of lens juggling I arrived at the realization that if I'm going to bother lugging a 'serious' camera with me then I'm mostly doing it for the IQ (and maybe zoom reach). If photography were less important I would just use my phone or x70 and call it a day.

It’s interesting reading all the different answers so far in the thread with very different observations and opinions... some of which are diametrically opposite. My own experience with the 18-135 — which I rented for a period of time — was less than excellent. Long zooms like this are always a bit of a compromise, and as others have reported here, anything much above 90mm or so will suffer somewhat in terms of IQ. That said, the convenience might very much outweigh a small sacrifice in IQ depending on what you’re shooting, how much detail you’re dealing with in your images, and how picky you are about your final IQ.

I found the 18-55 to be an excellent lens with great IQ throughout its range. If most of your shooting is within that range, I might suggest that you might be better off going with that lens and then augmenting it with a tele, such as the XF 55-200 or XC 50-230, the latter being more of a consumer grade lens. There are plenty of choices and your decision will likely end up (as it always is with lenses) to be a tradeoff between IQ and budget.

BTW, the upcoming 16-80 f/4 might also be an excellent candidate if you can wait a bit.

18-135 is only lens from fuji that I did not like. 
It's big and really not that sharp from 70mm+ corners are terrible
I hike with two lenses 
16mm and 50mm f2 
Sometimes only 23mm f2

So for me 18-55 would be the only lens I need. 
You can keep 55-200 in the bag for those times you need a longer lens. 
--
https://www.instagram.com/tst4nic/

jonikon wrote:

If you can wait till next year then get the Fujinon 16-80mm f/4 which will be the ideal travel lens in the Fujinon lens line. Every single lens solution available right now is a compromise and changing lenses just to get beyond 55mm is a real PITA.

Yeah I wait for that one but still changing lenses is not that big of a deal 
and I only have prime lenses...

As you know I am a permanent defender of the 18-135mm Interestingly depending on reviews results are either average wit Photozone or on the contrary very good to excellent

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/fujifilm-xf-18-135mm-f-3-5-5-6-r-lm-ois-wr-lens-review--25914

So, as often, I think there are quite big sample variations. Obviously mine belongs to the top of the basket

This lens is well adapted for trekking light, fast AF 1:1 ratio reprod with a 150 Raynox Bonnette at 135mm with no vignetting and 5 stops OIS

Yes you cannot compare it to the Fuji primes but with a little of PP (clarity, sharpening)) you can easily lower the gap between very good and excellent

Last but not least highly recommended to spare your vertebras    

Good judgment comes from experience
Experience comes from bad judgment

Jerry-Astro

May I suggest an alternative to the 18-135 (which is still quite limited for long reaches. Use the Fuji and also buy a bridge zoom. I have owned the Panasonic FZ1000 and now have a Sony RX10 IV. My X-T3 and the 10-24 and 18-55 give me good coverage from 15-80 and the Sony is spectacular wide open, even at 600mm. The Fuji, two lenses and the Sony RX10 IV are a relatively light travel kit. Oh and the AF for both cameras is great !

Geekapoo wrote:

Jerry-Astro

May I suggest an alternative to the 18-135 (which is still quite limited for long reaches. Use the Fuji and also buy a bridge zoom. I have owned the Panasonic FZ1000 and now have a Sony RX10 IV. My X-T3 and the 10-24 and 18-55 give me good coverage from 15-80 and the Sony is spectacular wide open, even at 600mm. The Fuji, two lenses and the Sony RX10 IV are a relatively light travel kit. Oh and the AF for both cameras is great !

Certainly for some folks, that’s a very reasonable alternative.  I’m not personally a fan of hauling multiple kits around, even if one of them is fairly compact, and prefer to use a single body (for the most part... at least when traveling) and select lenses as needed.  But, that’s just my preference and I can see where folks who only need a longer zoom occasionally might prefer not investing in an expensive tele, but would would rather use a superzoom instead.