- For your situation, I’d suggest a midrange Fujifilm standard zoom (the kind that covers wide-to-short-tele) as the true “do-it-all.” I used one on my X body for years—super happy, no complaints.
- Option A (faster/aperture-focused): better evening street + portraits, but heavier and pricier.
- Option B (bigger range travel zoom): lighter, more reach, but low-light gets meh.
- If you wanna swap less AND shoot evenings, I’d lean Option A… i think?

Exactly what I was thinking

Just sharing my experience: I ran Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR as my “one lens” on an X body for trips and it was honestly the first zoom that felt like… no compromises. f/2.8 + the X-S20 IBIS made evening street totally workable, AF is snappy, and the rendering is super consistent. Only real downside is it’s kinda chonky, so I used a comfy strap and was happy. cheers

For your situation, I’d grab the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR if you want the safest “one lens” travel pick. Used it’s usually like $450–$650, new often $750ish depending on sales. It’s not the brightest, but between OIS + the X-S20 IBIS, evening street is actually workable if you’re not expecting freeze-everything shutter speeds.

- Range is perfect for travel (wide landscapes to casual portraits)
- WR matters imo… dust/rain happens, and it’s less stress
- Reliability: stabilized, consistent AF, not a weird edge-case lens
- Money tip: buy used from a reputable shop + add a cheap clear/protect filter + hood to avoid front element damage

If you want more low-light, you’ll pay in weight/$$. cheers

Anyway, just catching up on this thread and there's a solid spread here between the 16-55 and the 16-80. But if you want to be a bit more *technical* about your budget, the real win is going third-party with the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD. Tbh, while the native Fuji lenses are great, you're often paying a huge premium for the name. As someone who prefers a more DIY enthusiast approach to gear—optimizing for specs rather than just brand loyalty—I’d suggest grabbing the Tamron used. You can usually find them in the $550-$650 range. It gives you the f/2.8 you need for those evening shots, but with way more reach than the Fuji 16-55. The technical trade-off? You’ll want to handle the firmware updates yourself via their software to ensure the AF tracking plays nice with the X-S20’s newer AI autofocus. It’s a tiny bit more effort than just 'plug and play' native glass, but the performance-to-dollar ratio is insane, right? It basically gives you pro-level low-light specs on a tighter travel budget. Definitely the move if you don't mind a slightly larger lens body for that extra reach.

My buddy told me the exact same thing last week. Guess he was right lol.

+1

Any updates on this?

@Reply #5 - good point! Honestly, I’m in the exact same boat with my X-S20 and it’s been driving me nuts for the last three weeks. I’ve been scouring every DIY gear mod and forum thread trying to find that one perfect 'do-it-all' zoom that doesn't compromise on low-light for evening street shots, but nothing seems to fit the bill perfectly within that budget. It’s frustrating because I’ve been dealing with this indecision since I picked up the body, and every time I think I’ve found the right specs, I find another trade-off that makes me hesitate. Speaking of DIY, I actually spent all of yesterday trying to 3D print a custom thumb grip and a modular cable management rig for my travel tripod setup because the off-the-shelf options are always overpriced for what they are. I get way more satisfaction out of machining my own small rig components than just buying brand-name accessories. But yeah, still haven't solved the lens dilemma either.

^ This. Also, I would suggest being a bit careful with the third-party route regarding how the lens actually talks to your camera. I remember picking up a lens that looked amazing on paper for a trip last year, but once I got there, the autofocus kept hunting whenever the sun started going down. It was super frustrating... I missed a few great street shots because of it. My current setup is much more reliable, but I learned the hard way that sometimes the electronics dont play as nice as you'd hope, especially in dim light. TL;DR: Be careful with third-party compatibility in low light and make sure the weight doesn't make the whole thing feel lopsided on a smaller body like the Fujifilm X-S20.

> What travel zoom would you recommend for the X-S20, and why? Honestly, I'm a huge fan of the one-lens approach and I'm super satisfied with sticking to a single fast zoom for travel. But man, trying to find one that fits a reasonable budget these days is just a nightmare. Like someone mentioned, the prices for glass are getting honestly ridiculous. Its such a scam how much they charge now while the build quality feels like it's actually going downhill. It drives me crazy that we're expected to pay pro prices for stuff that feels like cheap plastic. It’s so frustrating trying to find something that handles low light without breaking the bank or weighing a ton. Feels like the big companies just dont care about regular shooters anymore, they just want to squeeze every cent out of us. Such a headache dealing with the current market... honestly frustrating as hell.