anyone using 1 zoom lens only?

[Contarama]

I tried really hard to love the one zoom I used to have but eventually I kicked it to the curb. It was no match for the primes despite being pro grade fast constant aperture. It was probably good enough and more convenient but I just couldn't learn to live with it.

 

[keechoon]

I have been using the 16-55mm on my X-T2 (w/o grip) for travels, sometimes mixing in the Laowa 9mm when needed. Weight is manageable and it versatile to cover most of the stuff when travelling.

 

[markjwyatt]

Here is an article comparing the main three zooms we are talking about. I was considering the 18-135, but since travel was a consideration and I went to mirrorless for less bulk, decided to go with the 18-55. I like the OIS. I handhold amazingly slow shutterspeeds (1/10th s or even slower).

https://www.fujivsfuji.com/16-55mm-f2pt8-vs-18-55mm-f2pt8-4-vs-18-135mm-f3pt5-5pt6/

This shot is at 1/10th s at 55mm (I am shocked sometimes. With film cameras this did not work):


La Sagadra Familia Mass in Chapel by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

 

[Canyongazer]

I do have the 18-55 on an X Pro2 pretty much all the time.

But still have the 35mm 1.4 handy on another Pro2 'cause it's just so darned good. I use it purposely whenever I can .

 

[SolaresLarrave]

joe, as recently as two days ago I was about to order the 16-55 f2.8 for my X-Pro1... but decided to stick to my original plan (the 18-55 f2.8-4) for two reasons: cost and practicality.

Cost: right now, the 18-55 is really the best deal in town.

Practicality: if for some reason I chose to switch to a faster lens, I can sell the 18-55 and use some of the funds towards the 16-55.

However, the difference (at the wider end) is not terribly substantial (to me); you go from something like 24.7mm to 27mm.

In any event, my brand new 18-55 lens came in today, and it's already mounted in my X-Pro1. I really like how the VF changes as you change focal lengths, which adds versatility to the camera. I have also a 23mm f1.4 (a killer lens, let me add), but since I wanted my Fuji to be a light-weight digital, a zoom was my dream. Just give this one a try and then, later, you an always replace it with the luxury fast model.

 

[Sega]

I'm pretty much stuck with one for my DSLR as I've never got around to buying another lens for it, it did alright at the BMW festival and will probably be fine for basic stuff but I'd imagine my primes adapted would give me better results.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Just for comparison Joe, for a long, long time my only kit was a D7000 with an 18-200 zoom on it. Try lugging that around for a while.

 

[agfa100]

I guess I am a prime snob, but since I use a 35 mostly and sometimes a 20 when I want wide I went a little crazy in Oct. and pre-ordered that new Laowa 10-18. They just sent me a tracking number and I should have it on Tue. I got the bug after a friend lent me his 15mm lens to play with for a couple of weeks. Really liked the pic's I got but hated carrying it around it weighed a ton it was a older Leica R 15 the one that Zeiss made for them.

 

[Brian Atherton]

Back Alley,

I have fuji’s 16, 23 and 35mm lenses, used with my X-Pro2. Great lenses and I have always preferred primes. However…

Last week I bought the 16-55, for travel principally, so I have only to take one lens and don’t have to worry about changing lenses in dusty environments. Also, it is less weight to lug around than three primes. Another plus is that with the new restrictions on limiting airline carry-ons to one case, at a pinch, I can have just the camera and 16-55 lens slung over my shoulder, whereas with three primes in need another bag.

So far I have found the 16-55 to be an excellent performer, even wide open and at f2.8 and especially in the range of f4 to 5.6, and it is weather sealed - a big plus as I am out in all weather and I don’t baby my gear. The downside is that it is a little cumbersome but not unwieldy on the X-Pro2 (it’s front heavy compared to my primes) and it does not have image stabilisation.

All in all I am enjoying it… but I won’t be selling my primes.

 

[skucera]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with some zoom lenses that work really well. It's been fun reading this thread.

Effectively, I have three cameras that I use only with zoom lenses. Two of the cameras have prime lenses in their bags, but I use the zooms almost 100% of the time. The third uses a really good zoom lens as its only lens. They are:

Pentax Auto 110 with the 20-40mm zoom lens. I spent the leftover money after a year of college to buy this zoom lens as a personal reward for frugal living. Since all lenses on the Auto 110 have an aperture of f2.8, there's no penalty in light gathering to use this zoom lens, and it is just as clear as the prime lenses that I also own.

After my dad died, I inherited his beloved Konica Autoreflex T3n. He loved fast prime lenses, and the camera came to me with three good lenses. However, I'd read about the tremendous computational achievement that was the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zoom back in the early Seventies. My dad lusted after that lens when I was a teenager, but he never splashed out on buying one, so I found a really good used one with the Konica AR mount and bought it. I can see why he lusted after this lens... it is amazing. I've had it now for almost four years, and almost every time I take the camera out for a shoot, I put this lens on. It does really excellent macro shots too.

Last, I bought an Olympus iS-3dlx a couple of years ago for impossibly cheap. I'd had a boss 20+ years ago who owned one and bragged about it all the time. I figured that for $10 I could finally check it out and if it turned out to be a dud I wasn't out too much money. Well, he was right. It is amazing. I think half of the rolls of film I've shot this last year have been through this camera. And, yes, the zoom lens is amazing. There's that word again... amazing. You can't screw another lens onto it, but this zoom is so versatile that it doesn't matter. Also, with the external flash and the internal flash up, three different strobe tubes can illuminate vast areas at night.

I have a few other zoom lenses, like on a Lumix digital super-zoom and on several little P&S cameras, but they're merely adequate.


Scott

 

[narsuitus]

... I'd read about the tremendous computational achievement that was the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zoom back in the early Seventies. My dad lusted after that lens when I was a teenager, but he never spashed out on buying one, so I found a really good used one with the Konica AR mount and bought it. I can see why he lusted after this lens... it is amazing.

Yes, it is an amazing zoom. I adapted it for use on my Fuji X-Pro1 mirrorless camera until I replaced it with a Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8.


Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zoom by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[back alley]

i have owned the 18-55, the 16-50...i own the 15-45...all close to the 16-55 in what focal lengths i can use...i never really warmed to the 18-55 even though it's a very good lens, i liked the 16-50 and i find the 15-45 lens very good but not comfortable enough to use often...
if i can swing it money wise i plan to get the 16-55 for myself for the upcoming holiday.
i have a kit that has all the fujicrons and a kit that has most of the fast primes as well. i plan on staying with fuji so i also figure that i'll not be selling any of my fuji gear...so, af for gear, the more the merrier...i'm never going to be an accomplished, recognized photographer so i might as well enjoy the gear and keep on pressing for that one great image.

 

[Archiver]

For a couple of years, my main lens on the Canon 30D was the 17-55/2.8, which covered just about everything I wanted. The 35/1.4 came later, and switching was annoying. For a year or two after that, I carried a 5D II with the 24-105, another great combination. The 35L found use at night time.

I've since moved to much smaller cameras and lenses, but the facility of the most-used general focal lengths in one lens was great.

 

[agricola]

thinking about the fuji 16-55 zoom...it covers my most used focal lengths and is relatively fast at a constant 2.8 aperture.
would make choosing a lens set easy...just pick up the one lens and if some distance is required then my 55-200 could be called into service.
biggest con is size/weight.
would be kind of nice to have all of my favourite focal lengths with me all the time.

any thoughts or experiences?

I've just traded-in my Nikons and nikkor G lenses and have geared up with the Fuji XT3, 16-55 f2.8, and 90/f2. Since 2013 the X100s has been my constant companion, and I hope to get the X100F in a month or so.

Theatre work is my main thing. I ran a D810 + D600 and an assortment of zoom & prime lenses - but found myself mostly using the Sigma 35/f1.4 Art & Nikkor 85/f1.8G.

On going over to Fuji I first tried the 23/f2, 50/f2, 56/f1.2 and found them to be superb. However, theatre is like events - you don't really have time to change lenses. But you do need to do portraits, So I settled for the Fuji 16-55 f2.8 and the fuji 90/f2 - and before i did so I did one theatre gig with the "kit" 18-55/f2.8-4 on the XT3 + the fuji 56/f1.2. Apart from a loose aperture ring the 56mm was stunning. The kit zoom was ok (its aperture ring can be moved inadvertently and it's a pest having to check aperture on the LCD. The difference in the files from the 16-55 f2.8 - when I got it - was immediately noticeable.

I read the 16-55 2.8 was sharp. It certainly is. It's also smooth to work with. The weight? the size? Give me a break. I've been using FF Nikon zooms all my life. The XT3 + 16-55 is light by comparison. I don't have comparative weights, but it's light and I love handling this combo. I can't yet see any difference between 16mm right through to 55mm - and I have only shot it at f2.8 until today when I took a shot of my wife at the piano 'stopping down' (?) to f3.2! Couldn't see any difference from f2.8 - so I will stay with that as much as I can. The kit lens may be ok, but you really notice the intangible things when you have quality glass in your hands - for one thing there are no compromises to worry about, just compose, just shoot.

The OIS on the 18-55 is great. But in the theatre my subjects are moving, sometimes fast. I haven't shot at 1/15th/sec for longer than I can remember! I try to keep the shutter at 1/200 & above, letting the ISO float. The XT3 has been excellent at high ISO.

all the best
Dan

 

[dmr]

I do mostly zooms anymore.

I have both the 28-80 and 28-135 for the Pentaxes and an 18-55 (roughly 26-85) on the Fuji. Those handle almost everything I've ever encountered.

 

[back alley]

i'm still unsettled as to where i stand using a comprehensive zoom or a small number of primes. i like having focal lengths from 16 to 55 in one lens...it makes choosing which focal length to carry a snap as i can take them all with me. on the other hand i find it more fun to have a small bag with several lenses in it from which to choose.
awhile back i made the decision to only buy lenses and not sell any so there is no panic concerning what to sell or keep or what i might like in the future...

 

[Timmyjoe]

When covering events where I know I'm going to be able to work in close, I've relied solely on a Canon 6D and a 24-70 zoom.

Best,
-Tim

 

[skucera]

For me, the time to switch from zoom to fast prime usually comes as the light levels drop, especially if flash photography is not allowed, or a flash might bring unwanted attention. Low ASA film still requires an f2.0 or an f1.7 lens in a restaurant or wedding when the lights are low. Or, sacrilege, I pull out my iPhone....

Scott