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Any reviews of the 16-55 (for 18-55 users)?


FearTheXNoob

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Hi all,

 

I'm interested in the 16-55 2.8 to replace my beloved 18-55, mostly because of the shallower depth of field and light gathering capacity at the long end. Are there any reviews, recommendations or experiences from people who have moved from the 18-55 to the 16-55? I'm really interested in the real-world differences and whether you thought the 16-55 is worth it (reviews seem to be very good, but so they were for the 18-55).

 

Btw, I'm mainly shooting events/people and outdoor. Thanks in advance for your responses! :)

 

 

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Hi, 

Yes I fit this category (had the 18-55 and changed up to the 16-55).

I changed because F/4 just isn't enough for me on the wide end, especially if you are doing events/darker light as you will always be up in 6400 ISO. 

I also wasn't a fan of the bokeh of the 18-55.

 

 

Pros

Very fast focussing

It is incredibly sharp wide open

It feels built like a tank

weather sealed

slightly wider

 

Cons

Its quite heavy (though not compared to my older canon 24-70). Its possibly double the size of the 18-55

it was very expensive

no OS ( as I'm normally shooting people I dont miss this though)

 

I also have the 56mm 1.2 and the 35mm, and to be honest when I can I use those instead, but when you need the flexibility of a zoom its very good.

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Thanks for that. I didn't know the second link, it seems to be one of the few reviews that is not completely positive about the 16-55. However, in order to find out if the lens is worth it for me I will try to lend and test it. I guess experiences from other people can only help so far... :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi there,

 

I've just traded my 35 mm + 18-55 for a 16-55 and I have troubles getting the background blurred. I found it easy on a FF (I owned d800 and 5d Mk3 later) but though I've been following instructions, I can't get a proper result :( It's written somewhere that I need to get close to my subject and push the zoom... Can someone help?

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The dof is more pleasing on the 16-55 but the difference isn't huge. It's only one stop faster on the long end and has the same aperture on the wide end. So if you're really looking for a shallow dof I'd look at the 35mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.2.

 

@cold187 try standing close to your subject, zoom all the way in and set the aperture to f/2.8. That should give you the shallowest dof possible on that lens.

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Well it's already bad enough to work with a zoom (uh which focale should I chose now uh picture gone) it's even worse if the aperture is changing.

 

If light is limited, say you're at 18 and 2.8, ISO fixed at 1600, you want a portrait, set at 55mm and bam f/4 shutter speed dropped to 1/30 or worse good luck.

 

If I really needed a zoom for whatever reason, that'd be the 16-55. There are enough things to worry about, light, timing, composition etc. not to fumble with a variable aperture as well. If there is plenty light and you use it between f/4 and f/16 then why not.

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When I am working as a primary wedding photographer, I usually carry two cameras (Nikon.) One with a 24-70 and one with either an 85 or a 105. I find that this combination works well for most of what I want to capture.  When I want a wider perspective, I will attach a 12-24 and replace the 24-70.  So for a Fuji user, this would mean the 16-55 and the 56, or "maybe" the 90.  Really wish there was a 70mm.  For going wide probably the 12mm Samyang.  For those who like zooms, you can go 16-55 and the 50-140, but I usually use a fast prime as a tele.

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I skipped straight to the 16-55, but strongly considered the 18-55 first, before going all in. here's one overview I came across while looking. 

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

I came from nikon (D300) and my favorite lens was the 16-35, and also made good use of the old 28-70, so for me its like Fuji mashed my two most used lenses together!

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  • 1 year later...

After a rather long companionship with the 18-55 I decided to part ways with it and upgrade to 16-55.

 

It is early days, I am happy with the 16-55, but if nothing else now I know how good the 18-55 really is ( by the way mine was a “ Made in China” 18-55, there are made in Japan and made in China ones) because the differences are very small indeed.

 

So, unless one really needs (and I did) the wider reach and or the WR ( I don’t really need it although I was in the snow and  appreciated knowing that the lens wasn’t going to be damaged by some snow) then upgrading is not necessarily something that I would recommend.

 

The separation at the long end is nicer at 2.8 ( at the wide end they are the same aperture and perform practically the same way), but I have specific lenses for that particular focal length.

 

However this is the ideal zoom, for me, if you are walking about, not exactly knowing what you will come across but don’t want to take all the lenses that you have. 

 

I am confident that I can tackle just about anything with it. The lack of OIS , coupled to its weight, make it a little less usable in low light ( if you don’t want to push the ISO). But I am experimenting with a pistol grip to improve a steady grip at low shutter speed. I can shoot at reasonably long shutter speeds and, of course, only have to deal with the subject moving (if this does).

 

I am not happy about the petal lens hood. I’ve ordered a vented hood which, I hope, will not vignette.

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Just a thought... I see you already have a lot of nice primes and zooms in your signature. Wouldn't it be an interesting option to buy a back-up body instead? It's cheaper and gives more interesting possibilities. Always keep te 18-55 on one and change lenses on the other.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

I like to shoot with the sun in the picture. The image with the 16-55 is so much clear, contrasted and transparent! The anti-flare coating protection is much better than in the 18-55.

 

Totally agree.

 

I'm delighted that I 'spent the extra' and got the 16 - 55 f2.8 lens. And I'm a guy who used a bag full of prime lenses with my Canon 35mm film cameras for years and never thought I would go back to zooms.

 

The two key reasons for getting this lens were the fixed aperture throughout the zoom range, and I've always preferred a 24mm over a 28mm - this lens provides the equivalent angle of view, while also working very well as a portrait lens and everything in between.

 

Sharp, sharp, sharp. Excellent even wide open, super light transmission even shooting against the sun, no rectilinear distortion, marvelous colour rendition; I've never been more pleased with a piece of glass, and I've owned some very good cameras and lenses over the years.

 

Sure, it's heavy and comparatively bulky, but even that's a positive when it comes to steady hand-held shooting. I love this lens, did I say that?

Edited by CDBC
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

You must be out of your mind; a waist of money. Since when DOF is a must. When you look with your own eyes you will see everything in focus.

Painting are sharp painted.

Except some, the ones they were made bij lazy starters, who copied unsharp photographs.

 

If you need real DOF, buy a 5 x 7 inch view camera with a 360 mm and shoot 25 ISO film

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no rectilinear distortion? it barrel distorts quite significantly in raw. your camera is correcting it.

 

That's an intriguing response, please elucidate.

 

I realize that 'no rectilinear distortion' is probably a simplistic, subjective overstatement on my part. However, after shooting with the lens for four or five months now - and with an eye for architecture (even though I don't spend my time taking square-on pictures of brick walls) I don't think it's an exaggeration.

 

I didn't make my judgment from the EVF or the little screen on the back, so much as the results I see on my computer screens. And while I'll grant that at the 55 mm end of the zoom range, there's a suggestion on pincushioning, nowhere in the zoom range - particularly at the 16 mm end, where I find myself using it most often - have I been able to identify any barrel distortion.

 

And (perhaps because I'm an old fart who doesn't grasp modern technology) I fail to understand how the image that the lens transmits - be it in-camera or in-jpeg (new terminology, OK?) can be evidentially 'different' in terms of what's being passed through the glass to the 'film' plane. Either it's bent, or it ain't, surely?

 

--------------------------------

 

 

You must be out of your mind; a waist of money. Since when DOF is a must. When you look with your own eyes you will see everything in focus.

Painting are sharp painted.

Except some, the ones they were made bij lazy starters, who copied unsharp photographs.

 

If you need real DOF, buy a 5 x 7 inch view camera with a 360 mm and shoot 25 ISO film

 

 

Jaco, what on earth do you think you're talking about, here? Why are you participating in this thread, you silly person?

 

You are off topic completely (we're discussing a particular lens, here) you can't spell 'waste' and the general attitude you convey is one of arrogance and condescension, despite your obvious ignorance.

 

Please get over yourself, before next 'contributing' to this discussion. Sheesh!

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It is a waist of money !!! The size of the APS-C is for amateurs; most of the time. I do not say "amateurs are bad photographers". A professional tries to earn his living bij making photographs. An amateur makes photoos just for fun. Forget those figures. Enjoy the hobby. Stop talking about good and better. By today's standards the old optics should be bad ? People talk too much. People think bigger is better. All nonsense.

 

In the U.S.A. Full Frame is the standard for the Pro. In Europa Full Frame is the standard for the amateur.  Mr. W. Eugene Smith was a great American photographer, even with the tiny Olympus Pen F 18 x 24 mm camera. 

 

Show me two identical pictures; made with the two different Fujinon zoom optics. Do the same with a 135 mm optic at 6 x 6 cm neg. and  with a 210 mm at 4 x5 inch.  Can you see the difference of DOF at 80 x 100 cm enlargements.

 

I never said that a Fujinon optic was bad. Hardly anybody needs the oversized wide apertures. Is not it the same like todays motor cars. Smaller engine with big turbo. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Mike G thanks for the overview huge amount of work there - impressive.

 

16-55 vis 18-55 I have been there but because the change coincided for me at the time I changed from XT1 to XT2 I cannot say 1 set of images are better than another. But what I can say the XT2 and the 18-55 work together beautifully and got better after firmware updates. What is better for certain indoor school shows something I have been attending for 10 years{kids} I get more and more more successful photos ie in focus. What has not worked any better is the Fuji EF42 {used with XPro-1 XT-1 and XT-2} I avoid using it if possible[HSS to the rescue maybe].   Also Important for me is dust resistance living 13 degrees off the equator means hot and dusty big time.  But what about humidity resistance dew points etc? Anybody know?

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