I am so sick of this kit lens honestly. I bought the X-S20 because everyone said it was amazing for travel but my photos just look flat and boring. Im currently in Seattle trying to take street shots at night but everything is either blurry or grainy as hell because I cant get the aperture wide enough on this 18-55mm thing. Its driving me crazy because I spent all this money on the body and now I feel like Im stuck with mediocre shots that my phone could probably beat.
I have a big trip to Tokyo coming up in like three weeks and I refuse to bring this zoom lens with me again. I just want something sharp that actually handles low light and gives me some decent bokeh for once. I have maybe $500 max to spend right now since the flights were so expensive. I was looking at the 35mm f2 because it is small but then people say the 23mm is better for street stuff? Or maybe a Viltrox? I dont know I just want one solid prime that can stay on my camera the whole time and not make me want to throw the whole setup in the trash. Which prime lens should I actually buy if I want to stop being miserable?
Ive been so happy with the Fujifilm XF 35mm f1.4 R lately. That f1.4 is a lifesaver for night street shots. Pro tip: shoot wide open to really see that bokeh difference.
Re: "Ive been so happy with the Fujifilm XF..." - if youre trying to stay under $500 before your trip, check these out.
- Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X: great for low light. That f1.4 helps a ton at night.
- Fujifilm XF 35mm f2 R WR: tiny and weather sealed. The Sigma wins on bokeh, but the Fuji is better for rainy Tokyo streets. Both are way better than that kit lens tho.
I totally get the frustration with that kit lens at night. I switched to the Fujifilm XF 23mm f2 R WR and havent looked back once. Its super fast and tiny for street stuff. If you really want amazing low light for Tokyo tho, look at the Viltrox 27mm f1.2 AF Pro XF. Im honestly so happy with mine... it makes night shots look effortless compared to that zoom.
^ This. Also, honestly, while those 35mm options are fantastic for portraits, I think they are way too tight for the narrow alleys in Shinjuku or Golden Gai! You need more field of view to capture the scale of Tokyo at night. I really think the Sigma 23mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary is the technical winner for your $500 budget compared to the slower Fuji f2 lenses. That f1.4 aperture isnt just about getting nice bokeh; its about keeping your ISO low enough to avoid all that nasty grain you are seeing on the kit lens.
- Light gathering: f1.4 lets in significantly more light than your kit lens at the same focal length, which is huge for night shots.
- Optical design: With 13 elements in 10 groups, it handles chromatic aberration way better than most older primes.
- Field of view: 23mm on your X-S20 gives you that classic 35mm equivalent look which is perfect for street. The light gathering capability of a true f1.4 lens is basically non-negotiable for night street work in a city like Tokyo. Ngl, you will be blown away by how much cleaner your files look compared to that Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS variable mess... it is a total game changer!
Same boat, watching this
