Picked up the X-S20 recently and im loving it so far but my current kit lens is definitely not wide enough for this trip to Iceland im taking next month. Need something for those massive landscapes and waterfalls but im torn between a few options.
I was looking at the XF 10-24mm f4 because the zoom is super versatile but then I keep seeing the XF 14mm f2.8 mentioned for its sharpness. Budget is around 800 bucks max so that 10-24 is pushing it but might be worth it for the weather sealing? Or maybe the Samyang 12mm to save cash? Just worried about the manual focus stuff while traveling. Which would you pick?
Are you planning to shoot northern lights? The f4 on the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR is slow for night landscapes compared to the Samyang 12mm f2.0 NCS CS.
Just caught this thread and wanted to chime in because I've spent years testing the optical limits of these Fuji sensors. One thing people often overlook with the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR is the corner shading and diffraction at smaller apertures. When I was shooting the Lofoten Islands, I realized that while the zoom is nice, having a fast f2.8 constant aperture changed everything for those moody, low-light mornings. If you're worried about the budget and want autofocus, you really should look at the Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary. It is a technical marvel for the price and fits your X-S20 perfectly.
- Weight: It is way lighter than the Fuji 10-24, which matters when you are hiking to Skogafoss.
- Optics: The MTF charts on this thing are insane, staying sharper across the frame than the older Fuji zooms.
- Close focus: You can get really close to foreground elements like ice chunks on a beach. Since you mentioned waterfalls, save some of that 800 bucks for a solid Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Polarizer. Youre gonna need it to cut the glare off the wet rocks. Honestly, having that extra stop of light with an f2.8 lens makes a huge difference if the clouds roll in, and they will. Youll have way more flexibility with your shutter speeds without cranking the ISO too high on your X-S20. Just my two cents from dragging gear through the mud for a decade... its a solid setup if you wanna stay mobile and keep the technical quality high.
> I was looking at the XF 10-24mm f4 because the zoom is super versatile but then I keep seeing the XF 14mm f2.8 mentioned for its sharpness. Honestly, for an Iceland trip, you might want to consider environmental factors more than just peak sharpness. I have used the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR and that weather resistance is basically essential when you are standing near spray-heavy waterfalls. The 10mm focal length gives you a 15mm full-frame equivalent field of view, which is far superior for capturing those massive scale horizons compared to the 14mm. Be careful with the Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R since it lacks any weather sealing gaskets. In Iceland, moisture ingress is a real threat to your gear. Make sure to check the corner resolution if you go with the zoom, as it can get a bit soft at 24mm compared to a dedicated prime lens. I would suggest the zoom for the sheer versatility, despite the slower f/4 aperture.
