finally managed to snag a used x-pro3 for a trip to london next month and im super excited to get into some street photography. ive been reading a ton of reviews and keep seeing the 23mm f2 and the 35mm f2 mentioned as the best starters. people say the 23 is the classic focal length but then others say the 35 is better for not being so 'in your face' with strangers. im mostly confused about the ovf though because i heard some lenses block the corner of the viewfinder or the frame lines get tiny. my budget is around $450 so i gotta pick just one for now. which one actually feels right on the pro3?
Honestly, you hit on the exact problem with the X-Pro series. The OVF is beautiful but it is such a pain when lenses get in the way. I was actually pretty disappointed when I first tried the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR because even though it is compact, that tapered design still clips the bottom right of your frame. It is not a total dealbreaker but it breaks the immersion when you are trying to nail a composition in a busy London street.
- The 23mm gives you a 35mm full-frame equivalent field of view, which is the standard for street work for a reason.
- The Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR is technically sharper wide open based on the MTF charts I have analyzed, but the frame lines in the OVF get so tiny it feels like you are looking through a pinhole.
- Autofocus on both is snappy, but unfortunately, the 23mm has some noticeable spherical aberration when you are shooting close-up at f/2, which was a letdown for my macro-ish street shots. I would say grab the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR for your trip tho. It is better to have the wider field of view in tight European streets. Just be prepared for that slight OVF blockage... it is just something we gotta live with on this body. If the blockage gets too distracting, you can always toggle the EVF, even though I know that is not as fun. Hit me up if you need help tweaking the OVF display settings to make the frame lines pop more!
