Which Fuji Zoom Lens Should You Buy First? COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Thanks for watching. Link to the calculator is here: denaeandandrew.com/lenses I did make a couple errors: The 100-400 is 1375 grams, not 1905 At 3:55 I mislabeled the 55-200.

[@lillynana1]

Are these compatible with crop mirrorless bodies?

[@DEFACTO9]

Stunning work here guys. Award winning. Many thanks. Speechless.

[@youtubeisforlovers]

I truly appreciate how comprehensive this is. Your content provides so much value for people with seemingly basic questions but that can result in expensive mistakes when trying to piece together an informed decision from too many quick-churn videos from people of varying skill levels and interests. Thank you for your time, clarity and effort.

[@jackiechow860]

I think OIS is a must on any lens! I’d pay the extra bucks for it too. Thanks for your videos, they have guided me through my new Fuji and photography journey and really gave me a hobby that I am passionate about.

[@DLCSpider]

Actually the plastic mount is a good thing according to Lensrentals. In normal conditions there's no difference between the two but when a camera gets dropped, the plastic mount breaks while the metal one might warp. A broken mount is easily replaced (just screw a new one in) but a warped one can damage other parts (mostly the screws which hold everything together).

[@SteveWilson27]

I loved this video and replayed it several times to let all the details sink in. As an engineer, I appreciate the details and reasoning behind a number like build quality. I am adding a Fuji XT4 camera and lenses kit to my Sony A7Rm3 kit and needed this detailed discussion. The Fuji kit will be for travel and the Sony kit for landscape and portraits. Those big Sony GM lenses were cutting into my enjoyment of travel. I look forward to a lighter APS-C Fuji system. Excellent work on this video. This video has a nice affiliate link for purchase of gear, some other of your videos, not so much. You need to make it easy for us to help you.

[@MrCochise71]

Not a Fuji shooter but regardless buying the right glass can drive you crazy! Great video.

[@toopkarcher]

Can't believe the 50-230 is sharper than the 16-55. Also very surprised the 18-55 is the least sharp considering the praise it gets for being such a great kit lens!

[@anonymousl5150]

It's not really. You have to look at MTF charts and see how they change from center sharpness to corner sharpness. The 18 to 55 has great center sharpness (so do the rest) but do suffer in the corners. That said, the only lens here that is superbly sharp is the 50-140.

[@treetheoak8313]

Man you put a lot of work into your videos! Thanks for doing this you and Omar are probably my favorite camera channels since the golden age of digitalRev. (shout out to Kai and Lok).

[@andiaw]

agree!

[@dex6865]

The calculator is very accurate, I was thinking of buying the 18-135mm f3.5 for so long, I fill up my requirements in the calculator and BAM! 18-135mm came out!

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Nice!

[@RezaAliMN]

This is amazing. I'm thinking of switching from Sony to Fuji and the calculator is so useful. Effort much appreciated.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@ashavari]

Can you do a video on the vintage / film lenses and adapting them to a Fuji mirror less body

[@zipp4everyone263]

16mm macro ring with the 16-50 gives you autofocus macro shooting on a really neat budget!

[@ClaytonMarshallRay]

Seen this at least three times over the past year. Each time I’ve walked away with a different conclusion for my photography, so thanks for posting this and being helpful. ✌🏼

[@Roysphotos8]

i have a 23mm F2 and a 56mm F1.2 These lenses are absolutely amazing. I shoot alot of ppl, alot of nature and some city stuff. I do all of this for fun not professionally. I find my self tho when im inside the city and out hiking, the 23 F2 just is not wide enough half of the time. So my question is, should i get the 16mm F1.4, or shoudl i get the 10-24 zoom, or the 16-55 F2.8? thanks for all the help

[@justintongol7581]

Typo @ 3:53 there's two 50-230mm(the other is 55-200mm right)

[@Whatisright]

10-24mm and the 16-80mm and a couple of f2 primes for me.

[@dalattar]

Thank you sooo much for this video 👍🏻 Really appreciate all the time and effort creating content that has diffently made choosing a lens as easier journey for many of us.. I am torn apart between the 18-135 and 55-200 😅

[@thedondeluxe6941]

I only have one Fuji body, and it's a full spectrum converted XT-100. So I mostly use it with older, manual focus lenses and an adapter. But I bought a second hand 15-45mm standard kit lens super cheap just to have one with auto focus, and I was pretty impressed with the optical quality. Reminds me of the Canon kit lenses, cheap build quality but good optics. And of course, now I want a 23mm F2 :-)

[@humbertomorales6559]

Really helpful video, would you review the 16-80 f4? I'm about to buy my first fuji camera and I'm choosing between that one and the 18-55 kit lens

[@Auhana50]

16-80 f4 can’t go wrong because I own one and I’m extremely happy.

[@Bloggerky]

Thanks so much; that was obviously a lot of hard work. As an outdoors enthusiast, I have limited my selection to those zooms which are weather resistant. The 16-55 is my workhorse on either the X-T3 or the X-H1. Happy turkey to you and your family....

[@scott2100]

This probably isnt exactly in your wheelhouse; I'd love to see content of adapted Canon EOS mount lenses on Fuji bodies

[@KillTheARCANE]

I've seen mixed reviews on the 16-80. Looking forward to yours! Sounds really interesting.

[@danielfalin]

hello Andrew, great work, really enjoying your channel. I have one quick question, why is Fuji 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS rated 0 for sharpness in the calculator? Is it a typo or it is that bad? It is the only 0 for sharpness in the entire zoom lineup, but I see very sharp pictures from reviews. Thanks a lot for your work, it is very helpful!

[@danielwieman9341]

You vids are on point. Thank you for the honest reviews of the lenses. I'm still stoked on my XT3 purchase :) I have a 35mmF2, 50mmF2 and just found an 18-135 for a decent price

[@andiaw]

"stoked" lol Thanks. I just learned a new word in English. I am excited too as I will purchase the xT3 this week! :)

[@PankajKumar6493]

@@andiaw HOw's it? I have x-t200 but it gets warm and feels cheap. Worth the upgrade? x-t3 doesn't have the articulating screen as well.

[@themadgreek]

Andrew, I took your advice and ordered the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8 lens (for the X-T4 I ordered) at a substantial savings over new cost. Rating (which I'm not familiar with) is "EX+", or 90-96% of original condition. QUESTION: How low do you go on the rating and still feel comfortable you're getting a good lens for your money? Or do you stop at EX+?

[@ewoutgsa]

Thank you for this really helpfull video! I discovered your channel just in time, as I am about to enter the Fuji ecosystem. For years I have been an Nikon shooter (DSLR and compact), but I fear Nikon may not survive the current crisis we are all in. So I started looking for other options to replace my 10 year old D7000, and the Fuji user interface really resonates with me. It reminds me of the Pentax my father had in the 1970's. Still remember the sound and feeling of turning that aperture ring... Already decided I will wait for the X-T4 to come out, and now considering which lenses to buy with it. Your methodical approach really helps with this. Stay safe, and thanks again!

[@derbaan673]

dude you are awesome! just bought a X-T20 and you really helped me

[@Nicole-zr1me]

Thank you! you're channel has been super helpful to me! Love your calculator too

[@alexfrederickson1540]

Thanks, Andrew for the obvious time and effort that went into this. I had a 16-55 which I absolutely loved but found heavy so I sold it and got a 35f2 and 18-55. For me that was a huge mistake so I’m going back to my ‘brick’. That lens has everything I need in one package so this time it’s staying. All this is very subjective though so your guide is a great idea 😁

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

16-55 is larger than I'd like as well. But yeah, it's hard to beat it. And I do love the 18-55, but the optical quality and even having that slighter wider focal length with the 16-55 gives it just enough edge in many cases.

[@alexfrederickson1540]

Denae & Andrew and the low light capability and the fixed aperture... 😁

[@mab3900]

Same here, I'll have to stick with my brick!

[@electrolyteblend]

My setup is 16-55 and the 27f 2.8 for when size and weight really need to be small

[@bjorngb]

Thanks for all your work. My plan was to upgrade my EOS 7d as I owned 3 L series lenses and the 50/1,4. The guy at my local gear store asked me to look into switching to Fujifilm as one of my comments were on size. I saw a lot of YT vids over a weekend (you’re welcome for the view boosts in end of October) and ended up with selling my Canon gear and getting the X-T3 with kit and 23/2. Now I have a second hand 50/2 coming in 2 days. I really like the smaller size/weight as I hope to carry the camera with me more and love the shooting which reminds me of shooting with the Pentax ME super in my youth. I also have to give you credit for not focusing on technical perfection, but focusing on the feelings both shooting and the result.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I'm very pleased to hear you found my content helpful! All the best with your transition.

[@alexisrivero6790]

Its better get the fujinon 16 55 or the sigma 18-35+fringer adapter? Im using and xt3 moistly for video work

[@WS-bk7uu]

Yay another Denae and Andrew video! I'm thinking of swapping my 16-55 for the 10-24 plus 18-55. The 16-55 is a great lens but it's huge!

[@Tmanpuncher27]

I was looking at zoom lenses. And I was pretty interested on getting a 18-135. I did the test. And it’s the one in recommended. 😂

[@rishabhjain-uf2kz]

What is the difference between bokeh and shallow depth of Field pls.

[@martinwolf2619]

I really want to say thank you for your lens tools. Very useful but must have been a lot of work for you. Great! 👍

[@mrbankole]

I came here looking for your opinion on the 16-80mm F4...for all the good it'll do, since I already ordered it -____-

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Haha. My experience with it is limited so far. I haven't had time to really get to know it. But I plan to.

[@harmonichue]

Andrew, this one is not as good as the Prime Lens selection. You didn't talk about wildlife photography OR did I miss it somehow? Do you have a specific video on wildlife and birdwatching?

[@GeoffreyEduard]

Great video. I think one little mistake. All lenses, regardless of the sort of aperture ring, are aperture by wire. Some just have a hard stop and some don't. Keep up the great videos. Take care.

[@Kid2holy]

What zoom lens would you recommend for Fuji x-t3 for video only or mainly just for family and maybe social media?

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I prefer the 16-80 f4. Just wish it didn't do funny things when zooming.

[@IanInChengdu]

I bought the 18-135mm based on two big KZbinrs recommendation videos. Never again I regret buying it I just do not enjoy this lens. Then again I love the 18-55mm kit lens perfect for my family holiday photos and videos.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Bummer. What did you hate about it?

[@gregoryoutdoors]

Yeah I wonder as well whats wrong? Is it not sharp or too soft? I like 18-135 from the look, seems smaller then other zooms and not so heavy IOS WR etc. I was thinking of buying this one or 55-200.

[@costinbalint7517]

Hi everyone. I had the 18-135 and I went 5 times out and the 6th time I put it for sale. I have the 50-140 and there is no comparation between these two lenses. 50-140 has very sharp photos comparing with soft photos on 18-135. Portraits at 140 zoom range with f2.8 looks amazing. Save more and take the 50-140 even if it's a bigger lens. I went for the 18-135 for big zoom range and size... It was a mistake. Jus my opinion. Regards Costin

[@australienboy1233]

Hey guys I need help, i want to pick up a Fuji camera, probably the xt3 in used condition. Now I’m looking for a lense with following stats: A Zoom, with wide and mid range focal length, up to 50mm. Also I think OIS would be useful cause the xt3 got no IBIS. But also wish it had weather resistance, because I love the ‘bad’ weather. So the 18 ton 55 would be perfect if it had weather resistance... but I can’t find a lense that has all 3 things. Would shell I do?

[@RememberTheTrees]

Have you looked at the 16-80mm F4?

[@LawrenceLivingstone]

That is the video I'm searching for thank youuuuuuuuuuu!!!!

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

You're welcome!

[@LawrenceLivingstone]

@@AndrewGoodCamera ❤️

[@steveschnetzler5471]

Nice Calculator, thanks. I had to make a spreadsheet of my MFT lenses just so I can remember what I have and what they can do.

[@stevemanch5674]

This is very interesting, but the two lenses that you recommended at the end are wide angle zooms. Is there a telephoto zoom lens that do you particularly recommend? Thanks

[@elementarytechie6449]

55-200 is pretty cheap used (relatively). 70-300 is pretty good for new, and 50-140 if you need fast aperture

[@benwoods7622]

The XC 50-230mm, with the plastic lens mount, I can confirm it is not super durable. I dropped my X-T2 with this lens on it. It fell maybe 30cm to the ground and the entire lens mount sheared off. Luckily the camera was fine, the lens was also fine (apart from the mount being gone) and I continued to use it on my trip getting some great shots just holding it onto the camera. Once home again I was able to get it repaired with a new mount and it's still good.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Interesting! How much did the repair cost?

[@benwoods7622]

@@AndrewGoodCamera NZ$150 for the repair by Fujifilm. For context, the RRP of that lens here is NZ$500. I did contemplate trying to buy the part from somewhere online and do the repair myself but in the end couldn't be bothered with the hassle and potential of stuffing it up, especially knowing that the lens still functioned fine.

[@keepitreal3363]

Great review and advice Denae & Andrew!! Its a tough choice choosing a correct lens for your needs,i have all the red badge zooms and they the best but they are heavy and expensive.

[@jzayas5698]

Hi Andrew. Love your videos, very helpful as always. I was hoping I could get some advice on my next purchase. I am thinking on doing an investment on the platform, I currently own an XT100, so anything I buy pretty much will be a big upgrade. I was thinking on an XT3/XT30 + X100V. I also love the looks of the Xpro3 (I prefer EVF shooting rather than LCD) but an Xpro3+X100V may be kind of redundant (?). I want an interchangeable lens camera and a more light/portable/discrete camera for situations that require it, just wanted some advice from someone who actually owns both. I am an enthusiast btw, I don't live or work on this.

[@mauistevebear]

choosing which zoom was difficult for me, mainly because I so wanted the 50-140, but the cost was hard to justify, so I ended up with a used 55-200. It was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up and I have to say after using it now for a week, YAY! Even the bokeh surprised me...and FYI There was a mistake on your price comparison 'chart'(3:59 )...the 55-200 is there in the picture but you have duplicated the 50-230 nomenclature. No biggie, I got it, but you might want to know. I love you guys and have become my #1 Fuji site on youtube! Thx so much and keep 'em coming!

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Thanks Steve! I've pinned a note about that error.

[@TonyReidsma]

Well done. The best lens is the one attached to my camera ;-)

[@jccaronan446]

Can you please elaborate on build quality based on the country of origin and can you give some concrete examples pls. Thank you.

[@Scott_Graham]

I’m here for that sweet sweet 50-230 content.

[@tomlopata]

I want to make sure I'm not misinterpreting things... Is the 50-230 very sharp in Andrews analysis because it's so slow and has a narrow aperture by design, leading to an overall sharp image across the frame? And since the mtf tests are shot wide open, your comparing sharpness across the frame with one lens at f2.8 and this one at 4.5, which isn't really apples to apples. Not that I'm disagreeing with his methedology, just trying to better understand why this lens is coming out so sharp in his findings.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

My sharpness score is solely based on MTF data published by Fuji. This only gets you so far, and depending on how / what you shoot could be considered worthless. But if you shoot wide open on zooms most of the time, it's probably a solid indicator.

[@gotja]

Man wanting OIS and WR for my zoom lenses are a struggle... hopefully xt4 or XH2 soon with IBIS. For my set up is 10-24, 18-55, and my favorite 50-140 - works great for my use case.

[@gotja]

I’m referring to 8-16 and 16-55 (yes I know you talk about it in the video)

[@truebro77]

wish you'd said what your personal favourite was mate

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

16-80 f4

[@1spitfirepilot]

Clear and thorough - many thanks.

[@panopsata3038]

The 100-400 is 1375 grams not 1905 grams. I own it and is not that heavy.

[@francescorota2982]

It's just big

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Thanks. And I thought I was being so careful. 🙄

[@francescorota2982]

@@AndrewGoodCamera everyone makes mistakes

[@andreasschroder7880]

Will you make a detailed review of the 16-80 F4? I heard good and I heard bad about it and I'm interested in one more trustworthy opinion. ;) Thanks in advance!

[@chrisscott-mckenzie548]

Have you purchased one? I'm looking now at this lens and it's all over the place from what I can see.

[@andreasschroder7880]

@@chrisscott-mckenzie548 Actually, Andrew made a review for the 16-80 and I go along with pretty much all he is saying. I bought mine in late November 2019 and sold it in September 2020. Overall I'd say it's a good lens for what it is. But people seem to have very high expectations no zoom like this could ever meet. I'd say it performs on the level of the Canon EF 24-105 F4 USM L or the Nikon AF-S 24-120 F4G. It's for sure better than the 18-55. But although I know it's a decent lens, perfectly capable for what it is and absolutely worth the 700 Bucks you pay for it these days all the negative reviews got into my head and I overanalyzed every image. That's a little bummer... I finally sold it because for travel and my personal stuff I downgraded to Micro-Four-Thirds. I use Fuji only for work these days. But If I would travel with Fuji, I'd buy the 16-80 again without a question. Sorry for the additional confusion... :D

[@chrisscott-mckenzie548]

@@andreasschroder7880 Thanks heaps for the feedback, I guess I'm just looking to purchase a setup that works and I'm not buying and selling all the time, which I have done in the past being a noob in photography before I came to Fuji. I like primes and I like zooms so ill eventually and slowly buy as I need, right now I'd like a decent zoom I can use in any situation, the kit is good, I was just interested in this for the extra reach but dammmm it's all over the shop in some reviews......Lol

[@andreasschroder7880]

@@chrisscott-mckenzie548 I used to carry the 18mm F2 and the 35mm F1.4 as my primary lenses. The 16-80 to me was backup, weather sealed and stabilized option and something I used when I needed reach. It’s true that it gets softer at 80mm. But I think it’s still pretty good at that focal length. If you worry about it know that at 70mm IQ is excellent. So you still get good image quantity up to 105mm Full Frame. If I was you I’d buy a used version from B&H or MPB. If you don’t like it you can sell it with little loss.

[@bjorngb]

A question on your lens guide - you give the xc 50-230 a 5 on sharpness , but the xf 55-200 a sharpness score of 3. Is this really the case in your mind, or is this the Fuji data talking?

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

100% based on MTF, as I said

[@johnnydee7480]

I'm looking for a great price on the 16mm 2.8.

[@marktalley2550]

Johnny Dee my favorite compact lens. I used one for a couple of days, and loved it. I’m offloading my 18mm (which I loved) to do it. The 16mm 2.8 is really 15mm, btw

[@luisalberto7417]

Do you think fuji is gonna release a 10-24 WR soon?

[@GoranSlika]

It's not on their official lens roadmap, and they just released the 8-16mm, so I really doubt anything in the near future.

[@RememberTheTrees]

Yes :D

[@Aksunkuvat]

Mine 18-55 is japan version and its hella sharp

[@gregoryoutdoors]

Hey Andrew great video! Just want to say...Maybe not related to this video but for me the best video was about overrated bokeh when it comes to choosing lenses/primes as well. I watched it and some other videos on youtube and decided I will go with 35 F2 and 50 F2 instead of 35/56 F1.2/1.4. Smaller, better in my opinion overall with WR seems much better for streets and carrying around in the bag. Especially in rainy Scotland. I think you should add this video to yuor list heh ;D I am still not sure about zooms lenses it super hard to choose one.

[@tjkrueger2655]

I think the lack of OIS on the 8-16 and 16-55 f2.8 makes them more viable for landscapers and natural light shooters, who need maximum IQ... on the wide end, stabilization is less necessary too. The new 16-80 OIS seems to be suffering from shutter shock even after firmware updates. No thanks.

[@rumporridge1]

Prime or zoom......got both!

[@MartinArgg]

5:07 I've taken pictures with that cheap kit lens that I can't believe how sharp they are. The lens is dull and you should get rid of it asap, but it definetely is sharp.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

It's all relative. Compare it side by side with one of the higher quality primes to really see the microcontrast difference. But I would never say it's dull. As I said, all these lenses are plenty sharp for most anyone's needs.

[@MartinArgg]

@@AndrewGoodCamera I agree! That lens was my first contact with fuji's system, and I was impressed with the sharpness. When I bought and tried better lenses I started to feel that the 15-45 was dull as a creative tool, very personal, and Im not referring to the image quality wich was pretty good. I love the channel, keep up the good content!

[@fransilva69]

Great video. 👏👏👏

[@oneharry_og]

Are you enjoying life without glasses Andrew?

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I don't like how I look without them, honestly. But I love not having to deal with them :)

[@samsstreets8684]

Denae & Andrew did you get surgery?

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

@@samsstreets8684 Yes. I had LASIK last month.

[@samsstreets8684]

Denae & Andrew cool, how did it go? I keep thinking about doing it but also kind of scared! Maybe you could do a video - a complete LASIK buyers guide 😂

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

@@samsstreets8684 Not a bad idea. LASIK, from a photographer's point of view.

[@AydenGraceMusic]

Hey guys!! :D

[@วัชรจาตุประยูร]

YOU DID NOT MENTION Fuji 10-24mm f4 R OIS at all but U rate no.1 ??? i would say FROM watching and listening as U COMENT Around it would be Fuji 50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS but maybe U DONOT like the RANGE OF THE ZOON and the second would be Fuji 8-16mm f2.8 XF R LM WR monster glass loveit

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Not sure where you're getting that I rated it #1. It's a great lens. But it's not my favorite. If you're talking about the lens calculator, that will give you a different rating based on what you enter. I'm trying to be helpful. But I certainly can't be perfect for all needs. Take it or leave it.

[@daniellefernandes8423]

The Fujifilm 55-200 lens was actually made in Thailand

[@terjeaudio4308]

my copy is made in Japan

[@daniellefernandes8423]

TerjeAudio hmm that’s odd mine is Thailand. I wonder why?

[@Heckler1337]

Mine is also made in Japan

[@daniellefernandes8423]

Heckler1337 ok yeah I’m very confused. Especially since I bought my lens from Amazon and it was sold by them

[@terjeaudio4308]

@@daniellefernandes8423 I've had mine for quite a few years now when they were still made in Japan. Your's was assembled in Thailand, the lens parts were still made in Japan. A lot of info about that out there, it's a great lens

[@laurencegr9978]

The cheapest.

[@burritobrosvideos8060]

Where is the 55-200? C'mon man

[@tomasmikeska]

comparing the sharpness of the lenses based on its averaged MTF charts? Quite innovative I have to admit, but not useful at all

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Very useful if you plan to shoot these lenses wide open most the time, which many younger and portrait photographers do. Otherwise, slightly less useful, but still indicitive.