With an ever-growing selection of lenses from both first- and third-party manufacturers, how do you know which lens will be right for you and your needs? Articles like this on Fstoppers and YouTube videos are all helpful in your search, but how do you narrow your search to the best lens for your requirements?
All photographers use their lenses differently. This has to do with their artistic eye and compositional elements. So when you see or read a review, you must remember that the image is created by the eye of the photographer, not the lens. You’ll get the same sharpness and quality the lens delivers, but the compositional elements are up to the photographer. This, I’m sure, you’ll know, and I mention it only for those who are just starting out in photography, as we’ve all been there from the start, buying a lens because of the reviews and image, only then found it. t exactly match our requirements.
Considerations about lenses
As for myself, I was looking for a compact, lightweight travel lens for X-T5, and to be honest, I’ve had some lenses in mind, but I don’t want this to cloud my judgment. I’m not a travel photographer, but I wanted a versatile and discreet fixed focal length lens that I could carry around all day, so I searched as much as I could to collect as much as possible. as reliable information and experiences as possible. I made a list of requirements and started reading reviews and watching videos.
- Compact
- Light
- Excellent
- Large Aperture
- auto focus
- flexible
- weather tight
- Good price
These are the criteria that lenses must have, and you will notice I have omitted sharpness, simply because that is a certain criterion. With these considerations in mind, it’s time to start looking.
Please, borrow, or steel
For starters, it’s not a typo. I’m referring to the all-metal lens construction, not plastic simply because metal lenses are more durable. If the price range is tolerable, it must be weather sealed to protect it in inclement weather. Fortunately, my colleague kindly lent me Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 CHEAP the lens while he tested me Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, so now it’s time to take pictures of different subjects when out and about to see how it performs in all situations. While it’s not weatherproof, the focal length will allow me to see if this fits my requirements.
Construction and handling
This small and compact lens has an all-metal construction and weighs only 187 grams. There are 8 elements in 6 groups and the minimum focusing distances are 0.8 m and 28 cm for normal and macro, respectively. The f/1.4 minimum to f/16 maximum aperture will cover all bases for a wide variety of subjects, from portraits with isolated background bokeh and detailed shots, to photographs Streets and locations have full depth.
The 35mm APS-C lens is equivalent to 53mm in full frame and features a 52mm diameter filter thread. The aperture ring has a similar clatter to other Fuji lenses, but feels a bit looser than more recent lenses. I can only assume this is due to age and use of the lens, and this has no bearing on it, as I have never taken it out of the aperture setting once. The focus ring is moistened just enough to allow manual focus, with good friction on the notch allowing for manual fine-tuning.
The lens looks and feels at home on the X-T5 and is discreet, which is what I’m also looking for in a travel lens. This lightweight and compact combination is perfect for all-day carry. Yes, I could simply attach a quick release camera strap, but since I don’t have a strap right now that’s enough for now.
Not a major point, but I was quite impressed with the metal rectangular lens hood he bought for the lens. This is easy to remove and when attached holds the lens cap in place. The lens comes with a lens hood when purchased.
Performance
Normally, my main focus is on the landscape and I currently have two lenses for that purpose, so, in my mind, capturing random subjects would allow me to see how the lens works. like for all situations and surface textures. If it works well here, then I’ll narrow it down to see how it works for wider landscapes. Well, this lens performs beautifully and is sharp.
Every subject I shoot produces excellent results at every aperture. It even performs better than some of the more modern lenses I’ve had the chance to try, so right away, I was impressed. The minimum focusing distance of 28 cm is useful for finer details, and the lens produces buttery-soft blur at the widest aperture.
The images below were taken during various outings to see how the lens would react in different lighting conditions and it has never let me down even once. Each photo is snapped in a run-and-gun fashion, where if something catches my eye, the thing is captured. I think this will test me and how I make the best use of the lens. The lenses work great.
What I like
- Compact
- Sharp image
- Wide aperture
- Fast focus
What I don’t like
- The lens is not weather sealed, but other than that, it works flawlessly.
Final thoughts
If you’re considering it for your Fuji camera, you’re buying a great lens. The image is sharp, the focus is quick, and although it’s not affected by the weather, I won’t let that stop you from reviewing it. This is a fun lens to use, but it also combines that fun with incredibly sharp images. The lens is versatile, compact and unobtrusive, so it’s a win in every way. Is this the travel lens I’m looking for? Well, unfortunately not, and that’s simply because now that I’ve had time to try it out, I realize I’m after a slightly wider focal length, so I’ll take a look now. fixed prime lenses in the 23mm range to go with me. XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR . Lens.
