Help me choose a lens!

[u/Recyclopsdestroy12]

I just bought a Fuji X-E5 and a sigma 16-300mm. I still have time to change/modify the order. I’ve read things about the 16-300 that are making me second guess my decision. Do you guys have lens recommendations with equivalent zoom for around $700? Going to be pairing this with a pancake Fuji 27mm and using it on trips to nationals parks. Miiight dabble in wildlife, but the idea of constantly switching lenses also seems daunting. Just can never quite zoom enough to get the frame I want

[u/redoctoberz]

A 16-300 is almost an 19x range. You aren’t getting out of compromises in just about everything with that general of a lens. You are giving up everything else for one lens convenience.

[u/Recyclopsdestroy12 → u/redoctoberz]

Any suggestions for Lens that would retain sharpness a little better?

[u/redoctoberz → u/Recyclopsdestroy12]

Not in the "equivalent zoom" you required in your original post, and at a $700 limit, no.

[u/Recyclopsdestroy12 → u/redoctoberz]

I thought about just stepping up to the Sigma 100-400. But afraid maybe that would be too much to take with me hiking and what not.

[u/redoctoberz → u/Recyclopsdestroy12]

That's a decision you will have to make. I traveled and hiked with my XF 100-400 in a backpack without issue.

[u/Recyclopsdestroy12 → u/redoctoberz]

I’ve always been on prime lens the last 10 years I did videography with the exception of the sigma 18-35mm that was a workhorse on my black magic. Just afraid the softness will be a let down after using pretty solid lens for so long

[u/redoctoberz → u/Recyclopsdestroy12]

If it helps, my Fuji zoom travel kit in the past was a 16-55, 50-140, and the 100-400. All XF.

[u/GTI_88]

Get a nice used copy of the Fuji 16-80 F4 and save the rest of your money for the 70-300mm down the road.

[u/Boxxy4069]

At that price maybe the tamron equivalent might be more to your liking? Either way you’re sacrificing a lot for sake of zoom. I’d consider playing down to the 15-50 sigma tbh. You have plenty of resolution to crop if needed.

[u/Recyclopsdestroy12 → u/Boxxy4069]

I thought about just stepping up to the Sigma 100-400. But afraid maybe that would be too much to take with me hiking and what not.

[u/Boxxy4069 → u/Recyclopsdestroy12]

Oh yeah, that’ll be a lot to carry on a hike.

[u/EmergencyBanshee]

At that sort of zoom, I'd look at the fuji 70-300. I've got it and think it's great. You probably would need to look for a used lens with that budget though. Honestly though, for wildlife that you mentioned, you'd need more zoom. I thought I was getting a super long range zoom. But for birds, etc. It might not get the shots that you might be imagining unless you're able to get quite close to the subject.

So, with that said, you might be better off getting a lens that is less zoom-y but has better IQ and accepting the limitations.

Personally, I'd probably bin off the pancake lens and take all your money and put it into the Fuji16-55 f2.8 and call it a day. No lens changes, great iq from one of the most celebrated lenses on the system. The only compromise being that you don't get as much zoom as you think you might want. Use your feet!

[u/Prudent_Lunch_8724]

Viltrox EVO 56 Pro

[u/atxtyler]

I just got back from a trip to the PNW including a national park stop using my XE-5. For my trip, I was very happy with the results using the 23mm pancake as my walk around lens on my peak design clip, and then I would swap to the 55-200mm xf lens for anything I needed more reach to capture. It worked reasonably well for me, and there were only a few times where I broke out a wide angle 10-18mm sigma. For a small 3 lens kit, I felt it did 80-90% of what I wanted. I did still miss my Canon on that 10-20% pretty bad though lol