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Least used lens.


aceflibble

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Had this conversation with someone from Fuji earlier; there's a lot of talk on Fuji sites about which lens is the best/favourite/most used/whatever, but few people will speak up on what they've ended up not liking. It's actually a bit of a problem for certain Fuji departments; because so much of the feedback on lenses is nothing but praise, it makes it harder for them to know how to market new lenses. (Note: I've not heard that it makes it any harder for them to know which lenses to make next or revise, just how to advertise them/communicate their benefits to consumers.)

 

Also, as someone who has traded in/sold more lenses than he can remember owning, I'm often thinking of which lenses I don't need, rather than which lens I have to buy next.

 

So, with that in mind, I thought it'd be interesting to ask y'all: which one Fuji lens have you bought but ended up not using much, have outright hated, or have never been at all tempted to buy?

 

I made the thread, so I'll start: 56mm f/1.2. Bought one thinking it would replace the 60mm as my main Fuji portrait lens, hated it, sold it, thought I didn't give it enough of a chance, bought a second one, had it sit in my camera bag for a year unused and finally traded that one in. I think I'm definitely done with it now. Never thought the results at f/1.2 were that spectacular, and from f/2.5 onwards I found I was better off using the 60mm, especially in the studio where the 56mm hits diffraction much earlier and AF speed is basically irrelevant. I can totally see its use for other people, and I still advise other people give it a go, but for me, it just wouldn't 'click'.

 

Anybody?

 

(Disclaimer: no guarantee anybody from Fuji will read this, but it'll be fun to bring up next time I see them.)

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Definitely the 18mm (I'm not counting the 50-230mm because it's one of those "when I need it" lenses, for the odd time I want to shoot sports or wildlife).

 

The IQ is perfectly fine on the 18mm, but it is noticeably worse than lenses like the 23, 35 1.4, and 56. My biggest complaints are the f/2 aperture and the external focusing.

 

f/2 is still fast, but when you get used to 1.4, it's hard to go slower (especially at night or indoors). Another benefit to my other three primes is that I can keep both of my bodies at the same settings - this makes things less confusing when I'm switching between them on the go, and helps make sure I get a consistent look between cameras.

 

AF is my other main complaint. It's fast enough, but hunts a bit more than the newer primes. I don't like the external focusing, though. For work, I primarily shoot weddings and events, and like shooting concerts when I can. Both of those situations can be hard on gear, and having a beefier lens with internal focusing and less moving parts on the outside helps give me some peace of mind. At a wedding earlier this year I dropped my X-T1 with the 23mm onto a carpeted floor, and it landed lens-first. The camera and lens both seem to be fine, but I feel like if I'd dropped the 18 or 35, they probably would have been damaged. That's the main reason I'd like to upgrade to the 16mm this summer.

 

It's a bummer, because I really like the focal length. For portrait-oriented work, I prefer the 23/56 combo, but for events and everyday life, I find 18/35 to be more natural. My dream combo would be an 18mm 1.4 and ~35mm 1.0.

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14f2.8

 

I used to be 18mm user for quite a long time and when I switched to Fuji I picked up 14f2.8 thinking it would be a good choice. However I still hadn’t tried it on. As a matter of fact I never carry my photo-bag while shooting. I always leave it in the car and go along with a camera and a single lens (spare battery in a pocket). At first it were zooms – 18-55 or 50-230 but with the lapse of time my preferences of FL narrowed to 35mm/60mm, so my mint 14f2.8 is waiting for its chance….

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18-135mm

 

I used to split all my time between this and the 10-24mm a couple years ago, but the extra reach of the 55-200 made me go for that pretty frequently once I bought it late last year. Now that I have a Pro2 paired with my T1, the 18-135mm has sat unused for all of 2016 so far. Depending on where I'm shooting, I pick between the 16, 23, and 35 f/1.4 on the Pro2 and then use the 55-200 on the T1. I'll probably end up giving the 18-135mm to my father this summer because he's a big fan of zooms and doesn't like to change lenses very often.

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For me, the reason was probably that I had just started photography and working with the X system...so selling it was probably a bit premature. I was simply not used to use that focal length and primes in general. Actually liked the compact size and image quality.

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For me, the 18-55 gathers the most dust. I use the 18-135 slightly-super-zoom when the light is decent and swap to primes for low light. I do not have the 55-200, though I had been avoiding getting it because of the 100-400 that was on the roadmap for so long. As soon as the 100-400 goes on sale without the teleconverter, I am buying it. I do not think I will wait a year for the X-T2 to go on sale. I am still using an X-E1 but had decided long ago to only switch bodies for major sensor updates.

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Seeing as I have only bought the 35mm f/2 and the 55-200mm after nearly three years, one could say that I either don't have a least used lens or that all the others are in that category.

 

As for the rumoured 50mm f/2, I most definitely won't even give that lens even a first look.

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XF 14mm 2.8

 

I had the feeling I needed something wider than the 16 on my XC 16-50. Turns out that's not really the case. It just sits there in my dry cabinet. Might as well sell it. I was lucky to have bought it during one of the cashback promotions. Probably won't loose much if I sell it. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

My 35mm f1.4 never leaves me. My 18-55mm gets used on occasion. Bought the highly praised 16mm, but just couldn't find any use for it. I really like the tight cropped images from my 35mm. So I guess my least used lens is the 16mm. Will return it to the store. I am still considering the 23mm f1.4 as I am used to it from my x100s/t which I sold.

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Per my LR library Smart Collection my least used lens is the 55-200 @ 1725 images in my library.  Now keep in mind these are just the "keepers" not taken and thrown out.  This lens, my least used, is amazing and will remain in my inventory.

 

23mm 1.4 at only 2531 keepers.

 

MOST USED, or at least MOST KEEPERS:  The 18-55 has created 31,752 "keepers" alone for me.  Yeah...  Not bad for what many consider a crappy kit lens right?

 

And the FABULOUS 16 1.4:  9,123 images -- Three, of them taken just yesterday here... Of my new grandson and newest addition to the force.  Here is the link to the Flickr Page.  The three images here are with the 16 1.4

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14mm f2.8. Bought it to shoot Paris with, hardly used it. Not wide enough to make a difference! Used my 18-55 for pretty much all of it. It's magnificently free of distortion and all that, lovely well-built lens but just not me. My fault, not the lens. For sale. Looking for 12mm instead. Dreaming....

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The 56/1.2 I find the most difficult to use, and it's this one I leave home the most. Not because the images ain't great. But for indoors use, the field of view is too narrow, I prefer my 35/1.4.

For concerts it is a gorgeous lens, provided one can get close enough. But there, the unpredictability of the AF makes life hard.

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I have ended up with six lenses, for reasons of weight, too many to carry in a shoulder bag. They are:

 

  • 16mm f/1.4
  • 23mm f/1.4
  • 56mm f/1.2
  • 90mm f/2.0
  • 18-55 f/2.8-4.0
  • 55-200 f/3.5-4.8

 

Although I find it surprising, the 56 is the lens I leave at home. If I need to jettison two lenses, the 18-55 joins it. I use the 23mm the most. The 90mm is so scary sharp and works very well as a portrait lens. I never took it out of the bag on my last trip, though. The 55-200 is brand new, so it's still a novelty. Really, the whole kit is only about three months old, so who knows?

 

One might consider choosing between the 16 and the 23. The 16 is a surprisingly versatile lens. One might also choose between the 56 and the 90, though the former is the classic portrait length and the latter is perhaps a bit too long. I could consider losing the 18-55, but it is a very respectable zoom and it's hard to give up that security, to say nothing of OIS.

 

Too many lenses is a wonderful problem to have, but I'm always in a quandary when leaving on an excursion. . . .

Edited by Tommyboy
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I have ended up with six lenses, for reasons of weight, too many to carry in a shoulder bag. They are:

 

  • 16mm f/1.4
  • 23mm f/1.4
  • 56mm f/1.2
  • 90mm f/2.0
  • 18-55 f/2.8-4.0
  • 55-200 f/3.5-4.8

 

Although I find it surprising, the 56 is the lens I leave at home. If I need to jettison two lenses, the 18-55 joins it. I use the 23mm the most. The 90mm is so scary sharp and works very well as a portrait lens. I never took it out of the bag on my last trip, though. The 55-200 is brand new, so it's still a novelty. Really, the whole kit is only about three months old, so who knows?

 

One might consider choosing between the 16 and the 23. The 16 is a surprisingly versatile lens. One might also choose between the 56 and the 90, though the former is the classic portrait length and the latter is perhaps a bit too long. I could consider losing the 18-55, but it is a very respectable zoom and it's hard to give up that security, to say nothing of OIS.

 

Too many lenses is a wonderful problem to have, but I'm always in a quandary when leaving on an excursion. . . .

 

I too had the 56 1.2 but wound up returning it as I didn't like it due to lack of focus lock.  I don't find any problems when heading out on a trip.  I pretty much have a shot list ready either on paper or in my head so I know what I'm looking fork and what I'll need.  I haven't used the 90 but the 135mm (FF) coverage was very, very nice range when i used older Minolta gear way back in the day.  I just don't want to add any more lenses.  Also, since a possible MF FuJi may be on the horizon I need to see what that brings.  I was waiting for the X-T2 but now I'm not so sure.  Should I go for it and relegate my X-T1 to backup?  or just wait a while longer and go for MF?  Weight?  Lenses? Price?  Oh the decisions.....  But I digress.

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  • 2 months later...

It pains me to say it as I adore the results, but the 56mm 1.2 is my least used.   Apart form that, I currently only own the 18-55 and 55-200... and just find that 90% of the time the 56 doesn't even get an outing.

 

I just wish it focussed a bit closer... the quite long min focus distance on it feels too restrictive. (I've tried extension tubes and good quality close up lens to allow me to get in a bit tighter, but wasn't happy with the results).  I think ultimately I will sell it and get the 60mm macro, and probably the 23mm f2 when it's released also.

Edited by Gareth_E
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I only have 4 lenses. Least used is split between 16 1.4 and 50-140, but just because I tend to stick with one lens for generic shooting and for those purposes, 35 and 56 are better suited.

 

As far as least liked goes, that honour goes to the 56 apd because it will occasionally completely miss focus without reason.

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The only lens that I ended up selling was the 27mm.  I loved the lens for making a "tiny" camera, but found I rarely put it on when getting out of the car in an area I would use it.  Once I got the X100T, that lens wasn't used at all.  Of the lenses I still own, I would say the 55-200.  It produces great images and I like the reach, but for most of my shooting I don't need that much zoom.  I will hang on to it though for the occasions I need it.  

 

I wasn't going to get the 23 since I had the X100T.  It seemed redundant.  I couldn't resist though during one of the rebate periods and now it's my most used lens.  I found even though the field of view was like the X100T, they both have their purpose.

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