XF 23mm f/2 or a faster zoom (18-55 f/2.8-4 / Sigma 18-50) for my X-T30 III?
Hey everyone,
I'm looking for some real-world advice on where to take my kit next. For context: I live in the Netherlands, where the weather can be humid and rainy. I mostly shoot travel, street, and everyday walk-around stuff, sometimes in low light (evening streets, indoors). I don't have a strong preference on size if the tradeoff (OIS, aperture ring, build) is worth it.
Right now I'm shooting an X-T30 III with two lenses:
- XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 (lightweight walkaround)
- XF 35mm f/2 R WR (love this for low light and street)
I've got a budget of ~€400 (open to used) for a third lens, and I'm torn between different directions:
Option A: Add a new prime, XF 23mm f/2 R WR
I love the compact build, tactile aperture ring, and rendering of my 35mm f/2. In some situations the 35mm feels a bit too narrow, so adding the 23mm f/2 sounds like a good next step, it shares the same form factor and aperture ring as the 35mm, and it's wider, so it feels like a logical addition to the kit.
Option B: Upgrade the zoom instead
I've used the XC 13-33mm for a while now and quickly feel "blocked" by its slow aperture. Since getting the 35mm prime, I don't reach for the 13-33mm as often anyway (because of the slow aperture). After some research, I've narrowed it down to (not limited to):
- XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 (well-known kit lens, not WR, but has OIS and an aperture ring)
- XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR (newer, weather-resistant, no OIS, apparently optimised for 40MP sensors)
- Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 (constant aperture across the whole range, which is great)
I've been in the Fuji system for almost a year now, what would you recommend?
Note: added some recent pictures taken with both lenses I have to illustrate the post