I finally pulled the trigger on the X-S20 and honestly my bank account is screaming at me right now. I spent way more than I originally planned because I really wanted that big battery and the better autofocus but now I am staring at my kit lens and realizing it is just not gonna cut it for this trip I have coming up. I am heading out to the PNW in about three weeks for a week of hiking and I really want to get those massive, dramatic landscape shots of the mountains and maybe even try some astrophotography if the clouds actually stay away for once but the problem is I am basically broke now after buying the camera body.
I have been scouring every corner of the internet and I am just getting more confused the more I read. Everyone says the Samyang 12mm f2 is the budget king but then I see people arguing about the autofocus version versus the manual one and saying the manual one has better glass? I am super anxious about using a manual lens because I am still pretty new to the Fuji system and I dont want to come home with a thousand blurry photos of Mt Hood. Then I saw the Fuji 16mm f2.8 which is small and looks great but then I read a bunch of comments saying 16mm on an APS-C sensor isnt actually that wide and I will be disappointed if I am trying to capture the scale of the forest.
I also looked at the Viltrox 13mm f1.4 which everyone seems to love but it looks massive and I am worried it will make my setup feel really front-heavy while I am climbing trails... plus it is pushing right up against the $400 limit I set for myself and I really need to stay closer to $300 if possible. Is there some other hidden gem for the X-S20 that I am missing or should I just take the risk on the manual Samyang and hope for the best? What is actually the best bang for your buck wide angle right now that wont leave me totally broke and crying over my credit card statement...
The Samyang 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS Fuji X manual lens is the most logical choice for your PNW trip. Focusing manually at 12mm is very simple because the depth of field is so deep... just stop down to f/5.6 for landscapes. Its the best balance of price and weight for hiking. Dont worry about blurry shots, at this focal length everything stays sharp easily.
Building on the earlier suggestion, are you open to used gear?
- Laowa 9mm f2.8 Zero-D Fuji X
- TTArtisan 10mm f2.0 ASPH Fuji X What is the absolute maximum weight you can carry on trails?
> Is there some other hidden gem for the X-S20 that I am missing or should I just take the risk on the manual Samyang and hope for the best? Just stumbled upon this discussion and had to jump in because that anxiety is totally real!! Honestly I was in the exact same boat when I first started hiking with my fuji. Stressed doesnt even begin to cover how I felt about missing shots on a trip to the coast because I was juggling a new body and a lens I wasnt sure about yet... The one I eventually got was chosen specifically for the weather sealing since things are just so unpredictable out there, and man, was I glad I did!! It poured for half the trip but my setup held up like a champ and the photos were amazing. The way it handled the mist was just fantastic! Reliability and peace of mind are worth so much when you are miles away from the car. Youre gonna love the X-S20 tho, the battery life is just fantastic for those long trail days and it really lets you focus on the scenery instead of worrying about your gear dying on you. Tbh once you see those mountain views through the viewfinder, it all clicks!
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Building on the earlier suggestion, the 12mm focal length is definitely the sweet spot for the PNW. I understand the hesitation with manual focus tho, so I have been very satisfied using the Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 Fuji X instead. It is a very reliable piece of gear and the autofocus is snappy enough that you wont have any issues with blurry landscape shots of the mountains. Plus, it has weather sealing, which is a big deal if you get caught in that typical Washington drizzle. When you compare it to the Fuji XF 16mm F2.8 R WR, the Fuji is a bit more robust and has a nice aperture ring, but 16mm often feels too narrow for those huge forest scenes. The Samyang is also much lighter than the Viltrox 13mm, so it wont make your X-S20 feel unbalanced or front-heavy while you are hiking. It fits right in your budget and provides that extra width you need for astro shots too. It is a safe, effective choice that works well without the stress of learning manual glass on the fly.
