XF16mm vs. XF23mm

[jonas]

Hi

 

I'm going traveling this summer to Spain.

I've got the Samyang 12mm, XF35F2 and Fuji XF56mm.

 

I'm about to sell my XF35mm to get a little wider perspective, and I'm thinking about trading it for either the XF16mm or the XF23mm. I've lent the XF23mm before and just loved how it handled, rendered etc. That lens produces a fantastic set of photos.

 

I'll mostly take photos of my family (two kids and a dog) and casual "street" photography.

 

Since I've never have handled the XF16mm I would like some feedback to which one out of these you would recommend.

 

Whats important to me: bokeh /subject separation, autofocus, size and photo quality. WR is nice, but its not required. I've had the XF56mm for years and I've never been in a situation where it could be broken due to not beeing WR.

 

Thanks,

Jonas

[aceflibble]

Sounds like the 23mm is what you want.

 

The 16mm is bigger, the autofocus is very slightly slower, and obviously you get more subject separation with the longer focal length. Bokeh is identical. Optical quality is identical. In other words, the only thing the 16mm 'wins' on is that it is a slightly tougher lens, but not by much. Focal length is, of course, entirely subjective; though if you're looking for a something to replace the 35mm, the 23mm is obviously closer to that and a more suitable replacement.

[deva]

the 16 also has closer focusing and can function as something of a macro lens... works great for flowers for example. 

 

For the OP... I'd likely get the 23... the 12, 23 and 56 is a nice spread.

 

I love the 16... so would have a hard time leaving it behind. :-)

[jonas]

Its the close focus distance that intrigues me which will open a whole new area of creativity. I have seen some great examples taken with this lens.

 

I too think that the 12, 23 and 56 is a good spread, so I think that I will go for the 23mm. It'll be the "safeties" choice.

[deva]

Its the close focus distance that intrigues me which will open a whole new area of creativity. I have seen some great examples taken with this lens.

 

I too think that the 12, 23 and 56 is a good spread, so I think that I will go for the 23mm. It'll be the "safeties" choice.

 

 

later you can get the 16... :-)

[aceflibble]

If you want close focusing, just buy a pair of extension tubes. Don't bother with the official Fuji ones; there's no glass in an extension tube, so there's nothing to be lost from buying the much cheaper third-party ones. Then, when you want to do something requiring closer focus, you can put one of those extension tubes on any of your lenses and turn them into a semi-macro lens. And a pair of extension tubes is far cheaper than a whole new lens.

[eibr]

I just got the 16mm in the mail yesterday and haven't had the time to test it properly.

But I tried it briefly just to try out the close focus part. Not a portrait lens exactly, but really fun to use.

 

This example is shot wide open. Her right eyebrow is in focus - I aimed for the eye... So you get a narrow DOF even with this wide angle lens if you go close.

 

[jlmphotos]

As I've mentioned before here there are two lenses that are my "never leave home without".  They are the 18-55, and my 16 1.4  The 16 is truly amazing.  Fantastic bokeh and shallow DOF, can work wonders as a make shift macro, lovely wide, balances nicely on myX-T1,  And just FEELS GOOD.

 

I have many other lenses, but those two are my staple lenses.  Happy Travels

[toiyeumetre]

Its the close focus distance that intrigues me which will open a whole new area of creativity. I have seen some great examples taken with this lens.

 

I too think that the 12, 23 and 56 is a good spread, so I think that I will go for the 23mm. It'll be the "safeties" choice.

My gear are 12,23,60. Hope it helps

 

Sent from my LG-H818 using Tapatalk

[alazar1]

I've been torn between the two as well.

Is the 16 really slower focusing than the 23? I figured being newer it was the opposite.

I wish the 18mm was as good as both of them and I'd call it a day.. 

[alazar1]

16mm it is.. I couldn't pass up the instant rebate price.

Edited July 3, 2016 by alazar1

[eibr]

I don´t find the focus speed an issue with the 16mm.
I am going to France in a week - visiting the beaches and cemeteries in Normandie, If I only could bring one lens with me it would be the sweet 16. No doubt. 

 

(The only thing that bothers me is that Fuji does not deliver the lens with the LH XF16 lens hood as standard. Why would they leave that out on such a premium lens?)

Edited June 27, 2016 by eibr

[Tommyboy]

I can't help you. I have both, I love both. I use the 23mm far more often; it's my walking-around lens. The 23mm has a 63 degree angle of view, the 16mm is an 84 degree angle of view. In my opinion, the 23 sometimes feels not wide enough; on the other hand, I never feel that the 16 is too wide. For someplace like Spain, older parts of which have narrow streets and crowded conditions, I think I would choose the 16mm.

 

Good luck!

[JohanRS]

23 and 35 are a bit to close in angle for my photography. 18 and 35 would be a great duo. 14, 18 and 35 would be a great trio. If the 18 had been a good lens, that is.

 

Instead I'm using the 14, 16, 23//1.4 and the 35/2. Great lenses, but miss a good 18!  

 

Please Fuji, make a better 18! 

[shammer8]

Sounds like the 23mm is what you want.

 

The 16mm is bigger, the autofocus is very slightly slower, and obviously you get more subject separation with the longer focal length. Bokeh is identical. Optical quality is identical. In other words, the only thing the 16mm 'wins' on is that it is a slightly tougher lens, but not by much. Focal length is, of course, entirely subjective; though if you're looking for a something to replace the 35mm, the 23mm is obviously closer to that and a more suitable replacement.

Correct on many points and agree that the 23mm is the right lens, but I'd quibble with a few things—first off: in my experience the AF is actually a tad slower with the 23mm, but find both adequately fast even in very low light. I'd also say my 23mm hunts a little more when it's really dark, but that's partly due to it having shallower DOF at any given F-stop—which brings me to the second point: bokeh isn't really the same IMO. I would say the 23mm has a smoother creamier bokeh, especially in environmental portrait scenarios and working distances. The 16mm has VERY close focusing capabilities and can achieve spectacular pseudo-macro shots with LOTS of creamy bokeh, but so much for shooting people where you'll have to be far enough away that you lose quite a bit of the separation. The tighter FL of the 23mm makes it more practical for people pictures in more circumstances that I find myself in. I LOVE my 16mm, it's a beautiful lens and I'm glad I own it, but the 23mm f/1.4 is my "desert island" lens pic for sure—I would hate to have to choose only one XF lens, but if I had to this would be the one. It's versatile, fast, sharp, and has a very pleasing rendering (don't listen to anyone who calls it "clinical," it's just razor sharp at all apertures, but I think it has plenty of character).

 

23mm is also my preferred street shooting focal, though I also love my 35 f/1.4 and use it often for street too (especially in places that have wider streets/sidewalks and for street portraits or sniping intimate candids. I just got the 56 so I haven't tried shooting street with it, but I think the 23 and 56 pair together wonderfully, and if (when) I have a second body I would probably have those two on my cameras much of the time.

 

Lastly, because the OP has the 12mm rokinon (which I too have, and love), the 23 will slot in nicely as a three lens pair, whereas the 16 will feel more like a wide angle lens and is often a comparable rather than complementary lens to the 12 (even though the 12 is considerably wider and more at the narrow end of the UWA range).

 

If you get either, make sure you get the metal lens hood (I bought the expensive fuji one before these knock-offs came out, but they look identical and are far better than the cheap petal hoods that come with either the 16 or 23: https://www.amazon.com/JJC-Dedicated-Fujifilm-Replaces-Standard/dp/B071G7Q32T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516594738&sr=8-1&keywords=metal+fuji+23mm