To plug a focal length gap: 75mm or 50-200mm?

[G_N]

All,

I’ve got an 12mm Samyang, 18-50 mm Sigma and Fuji 100-400 mm for my Fuji X-T5. I’d like something to cover the 50-100 mm gap.

There is the Fuji 55-200 that I can get used, but I’m wondering if the new Viltrox 75mm f1.4 (c.112 mm equiv.) might be a good prime option? New (none used yet) it would be about £100 more than a used 55-200 mm.

Obviously I wouldn't get the versatility of a zoom, but I quite fancy another prime lens, and the Viltrox is meant to be very good.

The Viltrox is often said to be a portrait lens, but I'd be using it more for events like motor racing paddock shots, and aircraft on the ground at airshows, where the 50 mm Sigma might not have the reach. I know that I could crop the 50 mm images, or if necessary fit the 100-400 mm lens for this kind of thing, but walking around in a crowd with a 100-400 mm lens attached isn't much fun.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Astigmatism]

I think your question is, simply, do you like primes or zooms best?

I really like primes, and I have a bunch. I have some zooms, too, but it's the primes I really treasure. So, if I were in your shoes, I'd go with the prime.

FWIW I have the Fuji 80 mm macro, and it is really great for quite a lot. It's a perfectly nice telephoto, and focusing down to fill the frame with a postage stamp is a great ability, which AFAIK is missing from your set. I do also have the 50 mm f/1.0, which is amazingly fast -- it's not one of those graded aperture ones (f/1.2) that is made IMHO a bit weird just to exploit the bokeh. It's just fast fast fast.

BTW I also have the Fuji 100-400. I like it very much, though now I wish I had waited to get the 150-600. I also have the 2X tele-extender, which works on both the macro and the long zoom, so I actually cover up to 800 mm. This gets as far, in angle, as the old Canon FD lens line that included a 1200 mm that I only daydreamed of in the '70s.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Astigmatism

[Fuji-bob]

On 7/7/2023 at 5:37 PM, G_N said:

All,

I’ve got an 12mm Samyang, 18-50 mm Sigma and Fuji 100-400 mm for my Fuji X-T5. I’d like something to cover the 50-100 mm gap.

There is the Fuji 55-200 that I can get used, but I’m wondering if the new Viltrox 75mm f1.4 (c.112 mm equiv.) might be a good prime option? New (none used yet) it would be about £100 more than a used 55-200 mm.

Obviously I wouldn't get the versatility of a zoom, but I quite fancy another prime lens, and the Viltrox is meant to be very good.

The Viltrox is often said to be a portrait lens, but I'd be using it more for events like motor racing paddock shots, and aircraft on the ground at airshows, where the 50 mm Sigma might not have the reach. I know that I could crop the 50 mm images, or if necessary fit the 100-400 mm lens for this kind of thing, but walking around in a crowd with a 100-400 mm lens attached isn't much fun.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Hi, have you looked at or considered the Fuji 90mm? I wasn’t sure I could afford the 55-140 and didn’t want such a large lens even if it’s good. The 90mm can be got cheaper, is around used, is lightish, larger than most primes but not so huge to worry about. I’ve used it quite a bit now, not had it all that long, I bought a refurbished model from Fuji UK.

One thing I can say is it has amazing IQ, totally outstanding! It’s shame it doesn’t have modern features like IS but don’t let that put you off, it’s a joy because the images are so good. I ditched the huge hood and use a metal one I had around that protects the front - but isn’t big. It’s a lovely lens to have and I really enjoy the images.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Olaf W.
Quote corrected