If you are a new photographer, then, in my opinion, there are two “should-have” lenses that should be in your bag.
The second one, if a wide aperture prime lens. For my weapon of choice, that is the 23mm f/2 lens. For me, this is the perfect all-around walkable lens. It is perfect for street photography, it is really good for portraits. It is a light lens that you can take it anywhere without adding a significant amount of weight in your bag and it is small it enough so you can be inconspicuous when you do your street photography.
If you must have only one lens, then I suggest the first one of the two “should-haves”: a moderate zoom lens. If you bought a kit lens that came with your camera, then that is a good place to start.
But, if you want to have one of the absolute best zoom lens, if you have grown tired of the kit lens, if the kit lens that you got when you bought your camera is already limiting your creativity, and, needless to say, if you are using Fujifilm, then get the Fujinon 16-80mm f/4 lens.
But, if you want to have one of the absolute best zoom lens, if you have grown tired of the kit lens, if the kit lens that you got when you bought your camera is already limiting your creativity, and, needless to say, if you are using Fujifilm, then get the Fujinon 16-80mm f/4 lens.
It is a great lens, it is very versatile and it can satisfy most of your needs! It is wide enough for landscape photography and it is narrow enough if you want to get closer to your subject. It is perfect for portrait and the wide, fixed f/4 aperture means you can use it for low-light photography. It is significantly heavier than a kit lens though, so you will have to take that into consideration.
The build quality is great, as with all Fujinon lenses, and it is weather-resistant. If you pair it with a weather-resistant body, like the Fujifilm X-T3 then sand and water splashes should not cause any panic.
Focusing is fast and you get what you want to photograph most of the time. There is image stabilization built into the lens but there is no on and off switch - the lens figures it out on its own!
The Fujinon 16-80mm f/4 lens is one of the best lenses out there. It is highly recommended.
Sample photos here. Enjoy! :)
