Fuji lenses: Hi everyone, been mulling over suitable travel lenses for a Fuji X T3. Interested to hear opinions on the 16 - 80 mm and the 18 - 130 mm. Anyone tried both? Open to other...

Millsy

Hi everyone, been mulling over suitable travel lenses for a Fuji X T3. Interested to hear opinions on the 16 - 80 mm and the 18 - 130 mm. Anyone tried both? Open to other suggestions too. Thanks in advance.

WillieWisconsin

For travel I’d want the 18-135mm lens, with a 27-206mm 35mm equivalent. Seems like a good range for anything you’d need it for.

kvijay

I used 18-135 with X-T20 at Mount Rashmore.Got some great shots .I found it a very effective travel lens.Rented the lens from Lens Rental.

BebuLamar

Does the aperture ring on the 16-80 mean anything to any of you?

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Millsy wrote:

Hi everyone, been mulling over suitable travel lenses for a Fuji X T3. Interested to hear opinions on the 16 - 80 mm and the 18 - 130 mm. Anyone tried both? Open to other suggestions too. Thanks in advance.

I have the 18-135 . Nice lens but slow to autofocus. For travel I want something very quick to respond. The 18-55 is still the best lens Fuji has in the x series in terms of price and usefulness.

D74M

Millsy wrote:

Hi everyone, been mulling over suitable travel lenses for a Fuji X T3. Interested to hear opinions on the 16 - 80 mm and the 18 - 130 mm. Anyone tried both? Open to other suggestions too. Thanks in advance.

On trips to Hawaii & Alaska I used their 18-135 mm lens on an X-T1. This covered almost all of my photo needs (a few times would have liked more reach) with very good results. Not sure how the auto focus speed compares to other lenses.

kenneil Loc: Jupiter, Fl, Ochlocknee, Ga, Iron Range, Mn

The 18-135 is a great walk around lens for convenience. It lives on my X-T3 unless I have a specific need for something. ;-)

lamontcranston

The Fuji 16-80 would seem to be the perfect travel lens. Lightweight, compact, and according to multiple reviews, excellent performance. I'm just not willing to buy one at $800. So for now I'll wait until they go on sale and be happy with the excellent 18-55mm.

Bob Smith Loc: Banjarmasin

Never need to use anything but the 18-135, brilliant image stabilisation great range and very sharp.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

CatMarley wrote:

I have the 18-135 . Nice lens but slow to autofocus. For travel I want something very quick to respond. The 18-55 is still the best lens Fuji has in the x series in terms of price and usefulness.

magpix Loc: St. Michaels, MD

I have the 16-80mm and use it only if I don't want to carry anything else. Sharpness is quite good until you get to the 75-80mm range. Then it's just a bit soft on the edges. Stabilization works extremely well. But for most travel, I still use the 18-55, 10-24 and 55-200. They make a fairly compact, low weight system with my XT-3. When I'm shooting an event I use the 16-55 f/2.8 and 50-140 f/2.8, both very sharp and fast. For low light situations I switch to an assortment of Fuji primes...from the 16mm f/1.4 to the 56mm f/1.2. All brilliant lenses. I haven't tried the 18-135 because I have found the 18-55 and 55-200 to be a terrific combo. Both are incredibly good especially for the money. But if you're looking for just one, lightweight, compact, travel lens, I think the 16-80 is a great choice.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

For general travel I use the 18-135 and take a prime. For Alaska you also need the longest lens you have.

AndyGarcia

Hi there,

I have 4 Fuji lenses. 14mm, 16-50XC, 10-24 and the 18-135. I have not tried the 16-80.

The 18-135 has received many critical reviews. It is my most used lens by far, followed by my 10-24. The 14mm which receives rave reviews is my least used lens. I find it produces very pleasing and sharp images. I use it with my XH1 & XT2.

I was very tempted by the 16-80 when it was released to have as well as the 18-135 but could not justify the expense. It appears from real-world reviews to be a very good lens.

I would recommend the 18-135 without any reservation at all. It's a terrific, weather-sealed lens.If you have any other questions just let me know.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Millsy wrote:

Hi everyone, been mulling over suitable travel lenses for a Fuji X T3. Interested to hear opinions on the 16 - 80 mm and the 18 - 130 mm. Anyone tried both? Open to other suggestions too. Thanks in advance.

I have the 16-80 lens and absolutely love it. Sold my 18-55, with no regrets. If you need more focal length I’d also bring the 55-200 which is another great lens you can buy, used. If you’re planning to take architectural shots, then I’d take the 10-24 which you can also buy used.

If I had to take just one, it would be the 16-80.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

BebuLamar wrote:

Does the aperture ring on the 16-80 mean anything to any of you?

The 18-55 also has an aperture ring. I was my impression that all the X class Fuji lenses have aperture rings, but the C class do not. But you can still use the c class lenses in Aperture priority on the X cameras using the rear dial to control aperture.