X-E1: Native lens decision

burancap

burancap

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All,

I recently purchased an X-E1 body. I also picked up M and OM adapters to tide me over while perusing all of the fine image threads here. Two weeks in and I am at an impasse.

Discounting any other kit, I want to concentrate on this set: M3 with a 50, X100, and now the X-E1 with ???.

All of the natives look fantastic. I love the 35 and the 60, but also the wide 18 and the really wide 14. I would like to have one prime, but I keep finding myself drawn to the 18-55 zoom to cover almost every length I'm interested in, but how good is it? If I had to jump right now, I'd go 35 -but the 50 equivalency bothers me as being the same as the M3. I love that 14 and the great outdoors. I just want something that will balance the mentioned set and not be swapping lenses all the time.

Any thoughts?
 
Going to be in the same situation as you very soon. You may want to wait until the Fuji special holiday pricing (starts 11/24), regardless of which lens you pick. I'm probably going for the 18mm or the 18-55 when the time comes. 50mm equivalents and up will be covered by legacy glass with no problem, so you might as well go wider for the native stuff, IMHO.
 
What I can tell you is that the 18mm on the zoom delivers better results than the 18mm prime... with regard to sharpness, etc. However, the prime is small and f/2. The best lens I've used on the X-Pro1 is the 35mm. It is just great. I also use the 27mm pancake which is really good.
 
any choice will be a good choice…that's the good news.
the bad news…trying to pick only one.

the 18-55 is a great lens, very sharp…i just don't care for zooms all that much.
i love the 27, the 18 is better than most will give it credit for…the 35 is great…love the 60…

in your case, considering what you already have…i'd go for the 27.
 
Jeff,
Given what you already have, you should think hard about getting the 18-55. It is, judged by many online reviewers, the best 'kit' lens on the market. I have one and its superb. You've already got seriously nice prime lens kits with the M3/50 and X100/35. Having the X-E1/18-55 gives you that 'all-rounder' that is so useful for a one-lens kit to walk around in the landscape with. Or for family get-togethers. Or a trip to the zoo. Perfect.
 
I just purchased the Fuji X E-1 with the 18-55 zoom. I normally don't use zooms but the deal was too good to pass up. That being said, the 18-55 is a fine lens. My only complaint is its bulk, which may not be a problem for many but I do like small fast primes.
 
I have pretty much every lens Fuji makes; they are all good. You already have the 50mm covered with your Leica, and a 35mm equivalent with the X100. I really like the 18-55, and think it would be the right choice for you considering what you already have. It is very sharp, and the image stabilization is quite effective, making up for the loss of speed over a prime.
 
I've never though of myself as a "zoom guy," but if I had to keep just one lens for the X-E1, it would be the 18-55. I have the 35 and 55-200 as well and the Fuji M adaptor, a generic Canon FD adaptor (for a 50/3.5 macro I got for cheap) and a visoflex adaptor so I can use my Leica bellows for macro and a Leica 200/4 visoflex lens (it's nowhere near as good as the 55-200 at the 200 end, not by a long shot).
 
For me, the zoom is a bit too big for the xe1. Works better in terms of balance on the xp1. It is one of the better zooms out there.

The 27 pancake is semi-permanently on my xe1. It shares occasionally w/ the 14. For me the 21/40 combination on the xe1 is giving me back what I had on the Minolta/Leica CL.

The rest of the lenses that I own end up on my xp1.

Gary
 
My, this is tough. I certainly appreciate it folks! Hopefully, it will help others as well.

I had the 35 in "the cart" about halfway through this thread. That was my heart. My brain was saying 18-55, so I paused.

I am going to sit on my wallet through the weekend. I will watch this thread and the classifieds here, go back through the image threads, shoot some, and drink a little Scotch to clear my head (and heart).
 
I can't not believe this. All this talk, nobody mentioned the backordered 23mm f1.4????

All the primes are good, but most of them are bulky. The 14mm and the 23mm cost the same, and about the same size.

Here is a good option for now,
Get the X-E1 with the fantastic 18-55 lens, save some more later for the incredible 14mm.
Spend about $80 bucks more on a used X100s. ($950).

You will have 2 bodies, 1 useful 35mm eqv fixe lens. 1 body to host the versatile 18-55mm or the 14mm.

Two downside to this option.
1. You can always put the 23mm f1.4 on a 24MP body (XE3...) to gain resolution.
2. It looks like fuji will make a x200 with FF sensor and 35mm lens. It's much harder to sell a fixed lens body than a lens, if you want to move to another system.

EDIT: Sorry, when I finished reading all the posts, I had already forgot you have the x100. :D

The problem with the 18-55mm is that it's so good, unless you have two bodies, you won't have any reason to take it off the camera. (seriously). Then there is the rumored 10-24mm UWA zoom. But you should definitely get the zoom FIRST.
 
The 14/2.8 is an excellent lens. So is the new 23/1.4. The 35/1.4 is also excellent, but I think it is just a tiny bit behind the newer lenses. I really enjoy all three.

I agree the 18/2 is better than it's reputation. However it is a much better reportage lens than a landscape lens. The frame edges are affected by the large degree of software barrel correction. Truthfully, the issues with the corners would only be a problem with large prints. It's just that the frame edges are so good with the other lenses.
 
I don't know how you shoot but it strikes me you are lacking versatility. You have 35 and 50 covered with 2 different bodies and introduce yet a third body.

18-55 buys a lot of fl, at a decent price, for a high quality zoom. Lots of barrel distortion at the low end (same as the 18), otherwise very high optical quality. Reasonably quick and ois buys a lot of stops in low light. I find it a bit large for my xe1. Use it for travel only where's its superb.

18 is worth considering. Will focus much quicker than the X100 (I have both) and does not hunt near as much when the light gets low. I like to shoot wide and the 18 is my most offer used lens. Lots of barrel distortion, soft on the edges but draws a lovely shot.
 
The 18 is interesting though I figured having an X100 that I would just buy the wide adapter for that -until I saw the prices they bring! That and reports that the 18-55 is as good or even better than the 18.

Somewhere last night after the second or third tumbler of 'fiddich, I had one of those d'oh moments. Obvious, but with the X-E1 as an EVF predominant camera, it will have no issues with the zoom range. No need for external finders, optical or otherwise. That is really appealing!

So, now the 18-55 is in the lead. I am going to ride the weekend out.
 
I started out with just adapters and M Mount lenses. Then GAS got the better of me and I bought the 35/1.4. Oh my gosh, this is an awesome lens.
 
Yeah, the 35 would be the choice if the 18-55 did not fit my current bill. I still have not jumped yet, concentrating on Canon LTM presently -which shoot well adapted on the X-E1.
 
Any idea what the deal will be on the 24th? Will it be similar to the deal in the UK going now?

I have an XE1 (or 2) on my wish list and if there's a huge deal happening I'll sell a lung to get it sooner then later.
 
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