Advice on first prime lens please...

[markymark]

Hello,

 

I've just got a X-T10 with the 18-55mm lens and I'm new to photography so a vast amount to learn.

 

I want to get my first prime lens but unsure of which one to go for. I'd like it for street / travel / landscape and to be fast, sharp and give great bokeh.

 

My shortlist is as follows:

 

XF 35mm f/2 - £370

XF 23mm f/2 - £420

XF 23mm f/1.4 - £650

 

Any help and advice on the best one to start with would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks

 

 

 

 

[Gatopardo]

Markymark,

 

you've already been owning the XF18/55. Reading the exifs of your photos, you can verifie your personally most often used focal length...

 

Btw, I also suggest the XF 35/1.4 with a very nice rendering and Bokeh, the XF 27/2.8 for its minimalistic character and astonishing optical qualities and last but not least the often underestimated XF 18/2.0 for its wide angle and aperture (especially for street).

 

To be honest, It's your decission which kind of viewing angle you prefer most... nobody will be able to tell you... you'll have to find out yourself...

 

All those lenses listed up above can be had for much less money if you buy a used copy.

 

 

Another way to find a wonderfull 23mm/2.0 prime lense ist to think about a used copy of the X100S/T...

 

 

Good luck

 

 

Gato

Edited November 2, 2016 by Gatopardo

[sacherjj]

Lock your 18-55 at 35mm and go shoot.  Then lock at 23mm and shoot.  Then lock at 18mm.  Or 27mm.

 

Get a feel for what focal range you like best.

[siudar]

Don't overlook a used X100 either - just make sure you get a later serial number to avoid sticky blades - anything over about 130k is fine

 

Over time I've had all X100 cameras - and the original hold up well with latest firmware imho

[mdm]

Lock your 18-55 at 35mm and go shoot.  Then lock at 23mm and shoot.  Then lock at 18mm.  Or 27mm.

 

Get a feel for what focal range you like best.

 

It may work and it may not...

 

I have 23, 27 & 35 and use all three of them. 27 has just one disadvantage for me - lack of aperture ring, but it gives me unbeaten compactness. 23 and 35 though close enough in FL are quite different lenses. One is normal-wide and another is normal-tele so their images look rather differently and while someone prefer one lense over the other, I like both to the same degree. When I've choosed what to get I considered: 1.size&weight, 2.AF speed, 3.price, 4."loudness" and in last turn f-number as f2 is enough for me.

[Tom H.]

Travel/street/landscape, either 35 will be a fine all purpose lens.

[frankinfuji]

My favourite prime is still the 35 f1.4, but if I'm going travelling I like to pack light, and always reach for the trusty old 27mm f2.8. It's sharp and the focal length works well for travel, when the 35 can be a bit long for street and general scenery shots. And I can always zoom with my feet.

 

It's cheap too!

[Warwick]

I vote for 23mm f2. The 35mm f2 is great too, but if you're indoors or standing one or two arms' lengths from your subject it's a bit tight, unless you like head-and-shoulders close-ups.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Naddan28]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new hobby. I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say none. If you've only just picked up your kit and completely new to photography then I'd say hold off buying a lens for at least three months. My reasoning is:

- you'll be so new and excited, you don't/won't know what you want to shoot yet (travel, portraits, landscapes etc) working this out will help pick the "right" focal length. When I started out I shot sport and nature loads, can't think of the last time I shot anything sporty!

- you might hate photography or the Fuji system (unlikely but we're all biased here!) so why sink more cash in so early and when your still learning?

- you might find the funds better spent elsewhere e.g. Tripod, filters, bags, lessons, software the list goes on. Photography is not cheap, but the good news is xmas is around the corner!

 

Not trying to be difficult, just suggesting some alternatives.

[bradsarno]

35mm f1.4 !!!

 

It's a lens of historic proportion, truly a signature Fuji XF flagship design. Just absolutely spectacular. Dive in and have the magic. Then expand and try others. 

 

B

[Nero]

My two lenses that I shoot with probably 90% of the time are the 23mm and 35mm, both in the f/1.4 versions. Considering your X-T10 is not weather resistant, I would be inclined to go with the f/1.4 versions unless you have plans to get a WR body in the near future. They may cost a little more brand new, but you can find a lot of good used copies that would balance it out in terms of cost. Nothing necessarily wrong with the f/2 versions, but I prefer the f/1.4 personally. Just think about how wide you prefer to shoot before buying your first one. 23 and 35 are both versatile, but they are quite different from one another.

[markymark]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice, I think I'm going to lock the lens off at 35mmm and 23mm and get a feel for what I like before taking the plunge.

 

Cheers

 

MM