Fujifilm Week Day Three - The 16-55 f:2.8 Lens

The Fujifilm customer who has come in to get a small mirrorless camera may well find themselves looking at a general-purpose zoom lens to go with the X -series body. We think in these term: " I don't know what I will be taking, so I better get something that does everything...".

Fair enough, but everything is some cases is more everything than it is in others...I'll propose several scenarios:

1. You are a small person with small hands and you will be travelling. You want a zoom lens for townscapes and scenery. Most of what you do will be in the daylight.

Step up to door no. 1 and collect your Fujinon 18-55mm f: 2.8-4 lens. It will be as small a zoom as you can find, and perfect for the subjects you need. If it gets dark, turn on the flash. PS: There is an anti-shake mechanism in the lens.

2. You are medium sized person who will be going to Africa and Alaska. You want a zoom that can bring the animals visually close while you stay far away. ( The lions and bears would prefer this too...)

Step up to door no. 2 and receive your Fujinon 18-135 f:3.5-5.6 lens. It has an anti shake mechanism as well, and this is more useful to you at the long end.

3. You area sturdy sort with one of the larger Fujifilm X cameras. You need to do interior shots in churches, restaurants, and theatre. You need all the width you can get and all the light that they won't give you... you need to...

Step up to door no. 3 and try the Fujinon 16-55 f:2.8 lens.

Constant aperture, so that if you are zooming you do not get a drop in exposure - and your flash work can be consistent. f:2.8 so you have another stop of light feeding into the sensor and better focusing. 16mm so you get a wider interior shot - considerably wider than the 18mm - each additional millimetre in wide angle increases the angle of view more and more.

No anti shake on this one - you'll have to be steady. And it's going to be heavier than the others.  More glass, more weight. But it does have a hidden advantage - extra sealing in and behind the lens - that's the rubber gasket you see.

Is one lens more "pro" than another? No. The user may be, for what it is worth. They are extremely well-made optical tools - the photographer just needs to know how to use them.