kim

The OIS 'issue' I find interesting on the 16-55 lens. I have never noticed that it needed it but I guess I generally don't drip the shutter to below what is needed for it's focal range to induce enough shake to blur an image. Sure OIS makes sense on longer lenses like the 50-140 or 55-200 but on the wide to mid tele the shutter speed of 1/24 to 1/84 seems low to me.... As for the softness I think I must have a good version of this lens my corners are nice and sharp and very little distortion at 16mm [ a slight stretching ] unless your angels are 'interesting'. It is a relatively heavy lens & I find if I have two cameras with light lenses like the 2/18 & 1.4/35 there is a saving there but once the 1.4/23 & 1.2/56 go on that saving is well gone, there is also the build of having two cameras to deal with. I like primes over zooms, a lot, however I find myself using the 16-55 for all kinds of shoots, it has yet to let me down.

The 16-55 f2.8 has great speed of AF and is wonderfully sharp [like all fuji lenses] is a good allrounder and a lens I use a lot for all kinds of different shoots, from sports to events and weddings to food and portraits. It is big and is relatively heavy though. The 35 f1.4 is slower to focus but gives a really nice look for that slightly wider portrait. The 56 f1.2 is something special for portraits [just got my own one yesterday - finally]. The falloff of focus and the way it renders details, hubba hubba hubba. Not quick to AF although MF is easy on this one. First X camera I had was a used X-E1 that I adapted some old Zeiss lenses to, first shot and I was sold, after a few months I bought an X-T1 with the 16-55 f/2.8. The X-E2 is a better camera [than the XE-1], faster AF and a much faster EVF, along with a few other improvements. I guess you should try to decide what angle you like to shoot at, as in how wide? A 23 & 56 is a classic split of wide[ish] to tele[ish]. But remember you don't have to get it all at once. I think all fuji glass is good and most of them are great.

Push an AF selector button, so you see the selection available, and twist the front or rear dial to change the size of the AF square

I find the AF faster on the 16-55, it handles portraits very well and is sharp through the range. If you don't need the wide aperture in your shooting it's a good choice, as long as you are OK with the much bigger size and weight. I had mine 'borrowed' by another shooter during on event he preferred it there to his 56 or 35 due to the speed and flexibility.

That would be the reflection of the food [ & me+camera ] in the silver counter back. I had to shoot these in a tiny working kitchen, not ideal but that's how it goes sometimes. The counter was only about 30cm wide made of marble.

One with a 120 Octa camera left, YN-560iii @ 1/32. X-T1 with XF16-55 @ 55mm f/3.2 1/180 ISO200 2HS08883 by Kim Farrelly, on Flickr

X-T1 with the 16-55 f/2.8 @44mm. Window light. Colin by Kim Farrelly, on Flickr

Bought my first digital camera in Singapore, a Canon 350D, never had any issues with it. But if I had it's a long way to go to get warranty cover... That is the balance in the saving you need to figure out is worth to you

That little flash is one of my favourite features of the X-E2, I use it quite a lot as it turns out. Love the fact that it can be pointed up. It's great at adding a little bit of fill as needed, just dial in your EC and shoot.

Depends on how much light you need? You'll need a big LED panel on a bright day if you need to shoot wide, if you can get it close, fine. in darker enciroments LED Panels just make light so no real difference in using a Fuji than any other camera. As a plus you can see the results so it can be a more simple way to get the light the way you want it but you'll not necessarily have the Lux you require/want with an LED unless you get close. Also modifying an LED Panel can take a bit of a different turn for you equipment, scrims will become your friends.

For work I usually Roll with a Think Tank Airport Security 2 with a LowPro Urban Reporter 250 slid over the top. This holds all my cameras and lenses along with the usual flashes and batteries/cards etc... I use my Ona Bowery [antique cognac] to hold my holdfast moneymaker. Once at the venue, the bowery is used to carry a couple of lenses/flashes and batteries/memory cards/business cards while two cameras are on the moneymaker. I tried the canvas bowery but after one night my mind was made up. It's a dust magnet & really hard to clean so it's leather from now no. Loads of good comments and conversation starters about the bag and straps during the day. Normal day to day, I can fit a small portrait kit in the bowery, Fuji camera, lens & a YN5603 flash with trigger and flash bracket [Manfrotto 026]. I can slide in a small elinchrom umbrella under the flap to, not perfect but close enough. That or just whatever, It's a great size for a few items as an extra carry bag, Camera strapped around your shoulder and the bag on the other, set. Yes it's quite expensive but looks so good at weddings & when meeting clients, it's well worth the money.

On the banding problem you noticed, are you using electronic shutter? I have only noticed it when using the E-Shutter never in mechanical shutter. I find the 16-55/2.8 [my copy anyway] very sharp from 16mm right up to 55mm as well as fast to lock focus, there have been a few times when it simply fails to lock, as has my 5D3, but I just grab the focus ring and twist, it zooms in & I shoot. I'd never manage to get that going on the canon.

http://www.fuji-x-forum.com/topic/2491-fuji-x-lens-autofocus-speed-leaderboard

Item not as described, if you are unhappy get a refund at no cost to you. It will be as rough when you sell it even if you treat it with kit gloves so that will effect your sale too. I'd probably call them out on twitter too along with Fuji_USA

Your forgot bragging rights down the pub

I seem remember when Hasselblad launched it's H1 it was said that Fuji made a lot of it including, as you pointed out, lenses so I guess they have the experience for MF if they wanted to. Two stops from f1.4 is only f2.8 sounds like MF territory to me. I agree they would probably utilise their MF lens tech if a new camera appears.

Here it the XF 16-55 F/2.8 free lensed into a 5D3 at 55mm. 16mm wouldn't focus as no mechanical focus available.

Yes the 'SpeedBooster' is designed to make the lens wider. Nothing to say one could be designed the other way, probably not, though it might be nice if a good quality one made it's way into the world along with a new camera. I know in the past when I've stuck on APS-C lenses on a FF camera you get a huge amount of vignette, although a zoom, zoomed tight, filled the sensor well. As I have no way of mounting a Fuji lens on a FF body I can't say.

PP at it's finest I think that Fuji's cameras can make the most of their really wonderful lenses, as can Sony's new cameras. With Sony you get 42Mpx with Fuji you get 24Mpx. Which do you think can produce a sharper image containing more detail? Neither the A7R-ii or the Fuji X-Trans cameras have AA filters so both can maximise the potential. If you are looking for a camera that can produce the sharpest images you also need to look at the lenses. Given the same optical quality of the lenses the Sony will produce a finer detailed image, it has almost twice the resolution. Having said that and for a little perspective nice and sharp 4K video is only ~8Mpx so Fuji at 16 or 24 should be loads for you.

Leica make some very tiny lenses for their bodies, some very good tiny lenses. They don't always have to be giant & I think Fuji is getting with at least a little bit of that with their 2/35. My wonder would be using Fuji's existing lens line up with a medium format body/sensor through a speed booster of sorts, could the quality be good enough?