What is worth to mention is that the 16-80mm has incredible optical stabilization, way better than 18-55 or 18-135. You can shot 1/6s handheld with steady hands without a problem. Additionally the lens has an exceptionally good bokeh for a zoom lens, you can shot pleasing portraits at f4. I was sceptial as well before I bought it but now its glued to my xt3. I honestly dont believe there are so many bad copies on the market. I think people are just nitpicking and blaming the lens for their lack of skill and Andys work show's that clearly, images are exceptional and the lens is abslolutely capable you just need to know how to use it. Andy, amazing work and great review!
Two takeaways: 1. Andy is a phenomenal landscape photographer with a keen eye for composition and final edit. His work makes kit lenses look like masterpieces. 2. Lens choice is extremely subjective. I once owned the 16-80 and, while I enjoyed its versatility, the difference in image quality from the 16-55 was a significant downgrade for my use case. Perhaps it was just my copy, but the upgrade to 16-55 was worth it.
Thanks for the comment. I can’t speak to the first part, but totally agree with the second point. Lens choice IS extremely subjective. Everyone has a different level of “good enough” and we all come to things with different levels of expectation.
Much the same experience with image quality here… the bokeh of this lens is horrible- relative to other Fuji lenses with amazing bokeh! I’ve had it since its release, but probably only taken 100 photos with it, none of the of any special note… in any case, on XF I’ve transitioned to Voigtländer manual focus lenses, which are amazing, and the long 150-600, also really really good! For everything else I shoot on GFX…
Thank you, Andy for another excellent video. I have an X-T3 and use the 16-80mm when I just want to go out with one lens for landscape. It's easily my favorite zoom lens. When I carry three lenses I have the 10-24mm, 16-80mm, and the 55-200mm and this covers an excellent range. I would say these three lenses are optically equivalent and well paired to the X-T3's sensor resolution.
Nice review as always, Andy. I got my 16-80 as a kit with my X-S10 and it stays on that camera 90% of the time. For general walk around use, the benefits of it’s versatility outweigh any compromises. It is one of my favorite Fujifilm lenses.
Nice to see this lens not get bashed. I really like it as a walk around lens when I'm not sure what to expect. I feel like mine is best wide rather that at long end. For extended, alpine hikes, I take the 10-24 and 70-300 just because I don't want to carry 3 lenses and I need the extra wide. It would be nice to have it and an astro lens, but too much to carry. Enjoy Utah and the PNW, can't wait to see the results. Utah is amazing!
Great review and just another reminder that composition and light are way more important to create a good image than any gear you use. I wish you compared the 16-55 when cropped to 80mm with the 16-80 too, since I've always thought the cropping potential is where the 40mp sensor would be benefical when paired with the sharper lenses. Regardless, for landscape weight is an important factor and hopefully people can see they can still can get fantastic photos with the 16-80 even though it might not be the most luxurious of Fuji lenses.
Thanks for your review! I bought this lens with xs10 cause this kit was the only available version at that time. Once I watched reviews criticizing how poor it performs I felt like to upgrade it, but after bringing it out during a trip I just love it. Its convenience totally overweigh the slight incompetence in image quality. Since I only shoot for fun, not for money, quality doesn't matter that much and it's just an adequate lens for my trip. Your excellent photographs prove that beautiful landscapes and brilliant skills are far more important than the choice of lenses.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. It's a very useful lens....I just took it to the USA for a 3 week trip and used it a lot. It performs perfectly well
Another great review, Andy. It just shows again what really matters is how you use the tool, not the tool itself. Today’s lenses are far better than the old ones. Yet people today - myself included - tend to spend less time looking before pressing the shutter button. There are too many reviews online that include poorly composed images with uninteresting subjects as sample photos. Looking forward to your next video!
Great vid and images, as always Andy! I own both lenses, but prefer the 16-55: sharper, better IQ, premium workmanship, because of the 2.8 better for portraits and in lowlight situations and also (hardly ever mentioned) it produces nicer sunstars. It’s really a bag of primes.
I'm so glad to see a new review on this lens, especially by a photographer like Andy Mumford, who's work I appreciate very much. I bought this lens as a kit lens with my XT3 years ago, could have bought the 18-55 2.8-4 instead but preferred this one for the same reasons already mentioned by Andy. The versatility, the built quality (OIS as I didn't have it on my XT3, WR, dedicated aperture ring). I have found my use for this lens which is NOT night photography or portrait photography, nor anything that would need a nice Bokeh. But for hiking trips, landscape pictures, even city trips, during daytime, the aperture needs to be set smaller than f4, I usually try to be between f5.6-f11, that's when the lens produces the nicest pics to me. And the WR is absolutely working, used it also numerous times under rainy conditions and it continued performing well. So I'm just very curious and looking forward to the results from your US trip!!! :) Cheers
What impressive photographs you make! My Gosh! I will but the set very soon and hope that one day, I could shot those pictures shown in your video, the set comes with the lens you are talking about. Many greetings from Germany, Alfredo
Thank you Andy. I have been planning a trip to Italy in 2024 with my XT5 and kite your upcoming trip I will be bringing only two lenses, a prime and the 16-80. This video has given me reassurance in my lens selections.
Thanks for sharing your review. I like how your images are so striking, it feels somewhat ironic to pixel peep given how well composed and visually interesting they are. Nonetheless, your clinical analysis is always reassuring, and your creative results are always inspiring. I have this lens, and I love it for the video work I do, as well as when I'm shooting in a more photojournalistic way--it's a great storytelling lens. I've rock climbed mountains, rowed through rivers, bushwhacked for trail building, cycled up and down hills, and traveled throughout Turkey with it--It's been reliable in every effort. Though I do think it's a fantastic all-in-one lens, pairing it with something either more compressed or wide is a great point to bring up. Your suggestions move me closer and closer to finally getting the 70-300. Keep up the great work!
Got this as a kit with my X-T5 since it was shipping faster than the body only, thinking I’d just sell it. Ended up being my favorite zoom lens I own. My go-to lens when I’m not reaching for a small fast prime. Love it for everything from landscape, to street, to travel. Sure hope Fuji rev it at some point to take full advantage of the sensor, but I’m honestly not upset with the results I already get!
Thanks for this review Andy. It seems that the bottom line is that for landscape (and I’d add general travel) photography, this is a good lens, trading a bit of sharpness for focal range and portability. I recently substituted an XT-5 and 16-80 for my Canon 80d and EFS 15-85, a combo I was very happy with. I took the Fuji gear on a recent trip to London and the Lake District and was more than satisfied with the results at all apertures and focal lengths. Plenty sharp for me, especially if I sharpen with Topaz instead of Lightroom. But then I’m not a pixel peeper and don’t see the point in examining a tree on a mountainside two miles away at 200% magnification for sharpness.
It is rare that a reviewer does not compare shots of brick walls (or whatever) and then decides which lens is sharper wide open, in the corners, etc. I appreciate how you show what can be done with this lens and answer the only relevant question: is this a viable lens for this kind of photography. I found your review because I am deciding to replace my 18-55 with this one in my Fuji XT20 travel kit. The 18-55 is great (I shot a book cover with it), but I am tempted by the flexibility of the 16-80. Great video!
Another well produced no nonsense video😁 What are your thoughts on trading my 10-24 & 18-55 for a 8mm and 16-55? I am very happy with the 10-24 but i wonder if the 8mm will be a better perfoming lens and the 16-80 has as you mentioned that bit extra zoom. I have the 55-200 and its possible this could go too.
I've not used the new 16-55mm f2.8, but I have used the new 16-50mm kit lens and it's really really good, and a big improvement over the 18-55, as well as being sharper than the 16-80mm. The 8mm is an excellent lens, really sharp, but on the occasions that I've travelled with it and the 16-80mm, I've really missed having something to cover the distance between those two lenses, as there's a very big difference between framing with 14mm and framing with 10mm, so I personally wouldn't buy it. I've switched to the Sigma 10-18mm f2.8, which is only slightly bigger than the 8mm
@@AndyMumford hmmmm that's another possibility, I previously own a Laowa 9mm MFT lens and yes I did find the ability to be not able to zoom a bit of a pain. Thanks for the reply more thinking to be done.
Still tending towards the 16-80 as I understand it's as sharp as the 18-55 and I am looking for the 80 as I rarely use the full 200mm on the 55-200mm. Having said all that the defining factor will be what the change over figure will be🤣
This past summer, I realised I needed a walk around lens. The 18-55 doesn’t have enough range, meaning I found myself swapping lenses and so didn’t bother to bring it. Bought the 16-80 a couple of months ago and loving it so far. I won’t be selling my 16f1.4 etc, but as a walk around, this is unequaled.
This lens is amazing for landscapes: versatile, compact and weather-sealed. Looking beyond the pixel peeping, this lens performs decently from 16mm to 70mm. Where I see a noticeable drop off is at 80mm. However, I consider the added reach from 55-80 as a bonus that the 16-55 simply cannot offer, while the latter being also significantly heavier, more expensive and unstabilised. If you are looking for a versatile standard zoom and do not need maximum light gathering capabilities, the 16-80mm is the lens for you. Given the lens now comes in a kit with many cameras, there are also many second hand copies available on the market making this lens a steal for what it offers.
I agree with comments about the good bokeh and outstanding OIS. In fact, on my XT-3 I preferred this lens over the 16-55 f2.8. However, things changed with the X-T5 where it now seems outclassed by the -T5's 40 mp sensor, while the optics of the 16-55 f2.8 shine. All things considered -price; size; performance- I think this is a surprisingly good lens.
Due to quite some bad reviews on youtube, it seems there are good and bad copies on the market. I got mine, second hand, and it is perfect. I use it on X-T2, also used one, both together under 1000 eur. I sold 18-55 as I don't like variable apertures and the out of focus area is nicer to my taste. Nice: with 10-24 they share the same filter size.
I got mine as a kit lens with my X-T4, but wasn't really happy with the images I got and it went back in the box while I tried other lenses. When the X-T5 was released soon after, I traded them in as part-exchange - but the lens was rejected due to internal concentric circle scratches on one of the lens elements... I returned it to Fujifilm for warranty repair, and they swapped out that group of elements altogether. Unfortunately, I haven’t even taken it out of the box to try it. It's still in there while I play with primes... I enjoyed the video, though; so maybe I'll give it another spin.
I never quite understand the bashing about this lens . It's in my backpack every time I travel and i'm hicking and a lot more I finaly sold my 16-55, I will never trade versatility for a tiny bit of sharpness and this lens has a lot. If I want sharpness and crazy bokeh I use prime lenses. Your work is outstanding. Thank you!
Excellent! And it shows also clearly that a non recommended lens by Fuji for the 40mp sensor is highly capable at a XT5 in certain circumstances! Cool. 😊 But Andy I do have a question please. Even with the 40mp sensor you stick to Lightroom. Some time ago you did a review/comparison with Capture One Pro. Most of your reviews are done with Lightroom. What’s the main reason why you decided mostly for Lightroom? Your workflow? Overall functionality?
I prefer Lightroom, it's more intuitive to use and nowadays I think it's features exceed Capture One with the range of masking tools. In C1 images look better right out of the camera, but it only takes a few seconds to match that in LR, and I can more easily get the look I want for my image in Lightroom than I can in C1
Thanks so much for this informative review Andy, currently looking at the x-t5 and I know if comes as a kit with that lens. This video has definitely helped me made my decision!
Another great video, Andy! I was waffling about getting this lens and eventually decided to buy one on eBay. While there were some shipping issues, I finally got this lens and I must say I really love it! The stabilization on my X-S10 is amazing, and I am finding it sharp enough for me in most situations. I am not printing huge anymore, so on my X-S10 and X-T3 this lens will be a keeper! I can't wait to shoot some video when we go to Budapest and then take a river cruise to Amsterdam! I am thinking of leaving my tripod at home, but I better take it for night shots. Anyway, I continue to appreciate the hard work you put into these videos, and I love your sample images. Maybe one day I will join you on a tour! All the best from British Columbia, Canada!
Glad you finally reviewed this lens. I've been asking about it for over a year by now. :D I got this lens with my xt4 and I love it. I used to hike a lot last year and I pretty much only take this lens out with me. It's great for travel and hiking, or pretty much any scenario where you care about weight and versatility. Apart from this lens, I also take the 33mm f1.4 as a versatile prime for portraiture, low-light, street, etc. The next lens I'm going to go for is going to be the 70-300 for telephoto shots, and then if I need it I'm going to get the viltrox 13mm. But I don't have much time for photo trips this year so my camera has been mostly been gathering dust, which is quite a shame.
Andy, great review and interesting comparison with the 16-55 f2.8. I have an XT-5 and my go to all purpose lens is a 18-135 f3.5-5.6. This lens is also not on Fuji's list for the 40mp sensor. Do you have any experience with the 18-135 and if so, does the 16-80 perform better overall in terms of optics, sharpness, etc? - i.e. would it make a better all purpose lens. I could opt for the 16-55 f2.8, but the weight and limited range is holding me back.
Thanks for this video Andy. I bought the 16-80 when I bought an x-t20 as I was on a pretty tight budget. There’s been a lot bad comments on line, the images being soft etc. but I love it, and I have no problem with it even on the x-t20. Yes, you can get sharper images, but not by too much and the range gives you a lot of flexibility. Yes, the focus ring is too loose but ok if you are careful. I now have the 10-24 and the 70-300 will give me all I want…but I bet a buy a wide prime for some very sharp images.
It may be a brilliant Landscape lens, but it is also Ace for Travel or Events. I generally carry three identical bodies when covering events (currently X-E4s) one with the XF10-24/4, one with the XF16-80/4 and one with an assortment of fast primes. Ready for just about anything (I rarely shoot long tele...I have the XC50-230 always in the bag just in case anyhow.) I'm almost always using f/5.6 with my multi-focal lenses for events and that is a sweet spot with both the XF10-24 and the XF16-80. I wish it were as small as my former Nikkor DX16-85/3.5-5.6, but with a nice grip on the X-E4 body, these lenses aren't too unwieldy. Good review. I agree with your assessments.
Hello Andy. This is a great versatile lens. I took thousands of images. Imo this lens performs best at 5.6 at all focal lenghts. I avoid to go above f8. The only grape i have that after 3 years of use is that the zoom friction is very low now, especially at the wide between 16 and 30mm.
New to the channel and really enjoying. Looking at getting a Fuji XT# or XS20 but I have a question. The photo in this video at 2min 37sec (says that it is shot on XT5) looks to be the same as the thumbnail from the XS20 video. Just given that that photo was used as an example in the XS20 of the detail that can be achieved with the XS20 in that video, I wanted to confirm what body the photo was taken with. Perhaps you got similar shots with both bodies or I have misunderstood something. Thanks!
Thanks for the review Andy I really enjoy this lens I’ve had it since it was released must be several years ago now. In fact It’s actually my second copy as the first one ended up at the bottom of a lake. It’s seems a bit of a chalk and cheese lens with people, particularly with sharpness but both mine have been great only showing a slight drop of at it’s longer focal range. But to be honest what do you expect. But I’m pleased with the results I get from it and it’s pretty compact and I think the build quality is great. The difference for my usage with the 16-55 in my experience is minimal and I prefer the 16-80 personally for my needs. Like yourself I also use the 10-24 and 55-200 both of these are also great lenses for landscape photography.
I got this lens with my XT4 years ago. I remember choosing it because the dealer said for the kit lens package, I could grab either the 18-55 variable aperture or the 16-80 fixed f4 to take and they wouldn't raise the price. Guess they had an abundance of 16-80s? I simply looked at the prices and went "Oh I'll take the more expensive one then!" Haha. I think at the time the 16-80 was maybe even more than $800? People HATED it back then! I had no idea what I was walking into with it. "It corners are unusable! Everything but the center is blurry!" etc. etc. Fast forward to 2024 when Fuji has routinely put this for sale for under $600 (used even around $300!) now everyone is absolutely loving the lens. Probably my favorite "set it and forget it" lens. I've used it on beaches, traveling, at conventions, at concerts, and more.
Well balanced review Andy with some amazing images. Have you had a chance to check out the 16-50 lens for use on an XT5? I’m hovering about whether to go for the XT5 with 16-80 or the 16-50. Any thoughts. I do primarily landscape and am now finding the weight of my Nikon Z7ii and 24-120 too heavy on hikes
Thanks so much for watching, I've just picked up the 16-50mm now and will be testing it over the next couple of weeks with a review to come in couple of months. So far it looks really nice, and its very small and light.
Great review as always. As I listen, I was wondering why the 18-120 seems to have gotten very little traction in the Fuji community. True no aperture ring nor OIS and few gimmicks devoted to video (which I don’t do), but great range, fantastic optical quality and focus capabilities and very light. It makes the perfect walk about lens, travel and yes landscape. You can now pick one up for $600-700. You should ask Fuji to send you one to review. Ciao
Thanks Andy. I'm new to Fuji, having just bought the X-S20 with the 15-45 power zoom. I'm wanting to quickly upgrade and was set on the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, Fuji 50-230 and then maybe getting the Sigma 10-18 in the future. Would you have any advice whether this or getting the Fuji 16-80 would be a better way to go?
I just found your channel and its amazing! After my first time taking photos on a vacation (1600 single shots at Disney), I'm excited to get more into photography. I'm going to Alaska in June, will be upgrading my gx85 to a Fuji, and your videos have been super helpful and inspiring. I cant wait to get better and hopefully take amazing landscape photos like you someday.
I have this lens on the xt-2 and I have to say it is a pretty good lens. Perhaps a little softer than the 18-55 but I also think that hyper sharp images should not always be the goal anyway. I love the stabalization and the colors it produces. I think it works pretty well for video too. For the cost used especially, with its focal range, I can't see why it isn't a good buy. I am happy with it and of course your photos look great as always! The lens helps as does the camera but the guy/girl running the camera and the lens matter more I think. Nice work Andy.
Thanks so much for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. And yes, the desire for every lens to be "hyper sharp" is a mystery to me, especially if people are not printing large Not every lens can perform like a €1500 prime, and what this lens does, it does really well
It's great for both as it's so flexible, but the 18-120mm is designed for videography (it has motorised zoom, so it's much smoother), and is probably the best choice.
Thanks Andy, great to see your review. I'm using the 16-80 for both photo and video and am very happy with it. Used to have the Nikon 24-120 and always had much fun and benefits from this zoom range. You use Lightroom, would there be a benefit using Capture One for Fuji raw? Or has Lightroom getting better processing the x-trans files? Would love to read your insights, thanks! Greetings from The Netherlands!
This has been my most shot lens for woodland on my XT2 and XH1. Its just so versatile and combined with the IBIS on the XH1y tripod hardly gets a look in.
Thanks Andy for your excellent videos; particularly enjoy your highlighting the differences of 2 lenses, specifying the type of shooting you do over the mid-aperture range. Just purchased a XH2 to save weight over FF and debating this vs the 16-55 which seems to get all the accolades; will give this lens a try given the versatile range. Much appreciate your mention of how a 3 lens combo can be assembled for 1.2kg total, vs the 3 FF lenses that are 1.0kg each weighting down in my bag...
Thank you Andy for your interesting and illuminating video. I am very happy with my 16-55mm lens and it is not easy to sell this lens in my country and buy then the 16-80mm . It is not worth to have both. Best regards.
Hello, incredible pics here. If possible, I would like to have an advice from you. In april I will go in Nepal and I would like to catch pics and vids about this adventure. My question is: I need to be lightweight. What you I take? Iphone 15 pro is with me anyway. Gopro? Xt30 with this lense? Xs10? I can’t spend a lot of money for new stuff, but I would like to come home with good pics and usuable vids. Sorry for the long question and for my bad english. Cheers.
It really depends on what you want to shoot. For video the X-S10 is a better choice than the XT30, then something like the 16-80mm gives you a lot of range. Nowadays the DJI Action 4 is a better choice than GoPro (bigger sensor and so better low light performance), but if you're on a stick budget what will an action camera give you that your iPhone 15 doesn't?
@@AndyMumford Many, many thanks for your reply. Appreciated. I have only the xt30, with the kit lens 15-45 with in fact I never used, preferring the prime I have. I have a xt1 as well that could come into consideration for the weather sealing and the nice sensor. But I still have to think about a zoom (18-55? 16-80?]. I never really thought about the dji... nice. And what about a dji pocket 3? Thanks again for your time and kindness. Cheers.
People say at 80mm sharpness is weak. Do you think the sharpness at 80mm is good enough for landscape shots? If not, at what focal length, 75mm, 70mm, 65mm, etc. does sharpness becomes good? Thanks.
I pretty much explained everything I think about whether the lens is good enough for landscapes in the video and showed examples at 80mm. It’s sharp enough for me, but you might feel differently
Thanks Andy. Always a good review. As primarily a landscape photographer, I appreciate your comments and comparisons in the “middle” of the range. The 16-80 is my walkabout lens on a trip, the last one to Cape Ann, MA, where I had the 10-24, the 16-80, and the 70-300. I was happy. I may look at the 8mm given your comments. What do you think of the upcoming Fuji release 16-55? It seems it would leave a gap in the mid range. Thanks again. Geoff
Thanks for the comment. I’m travelling with the 8mm and 16-80 right now and do find that I miss that gap a lot as I often seem to need something in the 10-13mm range. I’ll be checking out the Sigma 10-18mm soon. Not sure what you mean about the upcoming Fuji 16-55 release
Good review. I actually sold mine this very day. Perhaps I had a bad copy, but the corners were really, really bad at 16mm (especially the left edge of the photo, oddly enough), even at smaller apertures, and that's a focal length I shoot at relatively often. I am going to miss the lighter weight and the flexibility of the focal ranger, however. Hoping they'll make a v2 some time in the future with better optics.
I agree with you on the softness - I tried to like this lens for the 4 months that I owned it - but I ended up hating it as the IQ was just never there. I'm much happier with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8.
@@AndyMumford You are right, of course. But they have announced a "successor lens" to the 18-55mm kit lens without specifying the focal range ; and the 16-80mm is a kit lens sold with the new 40MP sensor that is not optimized for said sensor. So one can hope that they will announce a new lens around a similar range with better optics, even if not exactly a 16-80mm mark 2.
Thanks for this review, Andy. Very helpful review for landscape use cases. Do you still prefer 55-200mm? Did you ever purchase the 70-300mm since you reviewed it?
I think they’re both excellent, although the 70-300 is sharper. Which I prefer tends to depend on what other lenses I take. Right now I’m in the US with the 16-80 and so the 70-300 works really well with that, but if I just have something like the 10-24 or 160-55 then I really don’t like to have a gap between 55 and 70, so I’d take teh 55-200
While not my favorite lens, the 16-80 is by far my most used lens. This in spite of a couple of weaknesses. Wide open not so sharp, but one notch below 5.6 is / distortion at full wide angle can mess with shots of people on the periphery and be difficult to fix. I use it for performance b&w - perfect range. Great lens.
Thanks Andy for another brilliant video. I've used this lens extensively on an XT3 body mostly on vacations and have no complaints. I moved up to an XT5 and I haven't tried it with the new body yet. I considered selling it and getting a 16-55mm but after reviewing my 16-80mm in Lightroom I decided to keep it.This lens and a fast prime,I use the 33mmf1.4, make an awesome vacation kit. Landscape I bring the 10-24mm,16-80mm and 70-300mm.
Thanks for the review of the 16-80mm - I've owned this lens in the past for about 4 months and shot it with the X-T4. Initially I liked the lens but after a while I grew to not trust it for the kind of photography that I do. I've been shooting with Nikon since 2012, mainly nature photography. Earlier this year I picked up a Fuji X-T4 and love the camera along with my other Fuji lenses. I have to say that I might have had a bad copy of this lens but my experience was that this lens was too soft for my uses. The last straw was my sons graduation while shooting in good lighting. When I got home and began post processing in Lightroom the results were plainly unacceptable and I wouldn't even share them with anyone. That was the last straw. My comparable Nikon equivalent 24-120mm blows this lens out of the water in sharpness and versatility. I sold the 16-80mm and bought the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 and haven't looked back.
@@AndyMumford I think you're right - coming out in 2019 and production during Covid may have produced quite a few dud lenses - It's unfortunate - I love all my other Fuji Glass.
Enjoy monument valley. I stayed in the valley at the old lodge. That was really sweet. They have a restaurant and it's staffed by local l Navajo people. Out of season is the best time to see the valley. Good luck not buying any turqoise...
We spent a night in the hotel at Monument Valley, it was really impressive. We’re traveling pretty much out of season and almost everywhere we’ve shot we’ve been the only people there.
Hi and thanks for the video. I am very tempted in getting the xf 16-80mm f/4 r ois wr lens for my x t-30 II for the versatility in focal lengths. I would use it mainly for streetphotography. Do you think for the same budget I should go for something else, like a fixed lens? Or is the quality of this zoom more than worth it? (I currently only have a 27 mm 7Artisan f2.8)
It’s impossible to say because it really depends on what matters most to you. A prime for sure will be sharper than this, but you loose so much flexibility that this lens has, so you have to decide what’s most important to you
I sold mine in favor of a Sigma f2.8 18-50mm. Certainly not a direct comparison focal length wise, but I shoot a lot of events where the wider aperture is handy and the image quality on the 40mp bodies was better. The sigma zoom is also insanely tiny for an f2.8 zoom. I've since added the XF 50-140mm f2.8 to the kit for events. It's an awesome lens but it's hefty. (Now that I've purchased an XF 50-140mm sigma will probably release one at half the size and weight).
Thanks for the comment. Seems like a lot of people are happy with the SIgma. I’m just about to get the 10-18mm f2.8 and hopefully it’s the same level of quality
I had this lens when I moved to Fuji and whilst I had a decent copy (there is evidence out there that quality control is an issue) I sold it and bought a Tamron 17-70 F2.8 which is a cracking lens. Sharp and with very little CA wide open plus the stabilisation works well in conjunction with the X-T 5 IBIS. Although one loses 10mm at the long end, I found that was where the 16-80 was weakest. The Tamron and Fuji 70-300 and I'm good to go with a very nice quite light set up. (Also the Tamron has the same filter thread size as the 70-300).
I checked two copies of the praised 17-70 vs my 16-80 and honestly i sold both. The first copy of the tamron was comparable in IQ, maybe a tad better borders at 17mm. The second was clearly worse. AF very inconistent on my X-T3 and X-T4. I just got accepatble results with zone focus and AF-C. Single AF was almost unuseable. Ois is much better on the 16-80 imo, albeit not noiseless. If one doesn't need the f2.8 i would clearly prefer the 16-80.
@@hejakma4682 I can only speak as I find. On the X-T5 I've photographed somebody coming fast towards me on a very long zip wire. I should have been using something longer. First shutter press at about 200 meters. Using CAF and face detect with the subject spinning it pretty much locked onto the head all the way down. Not used it on my X-E4 for annoying as radical.
I've been using this lens for a year now. Because I hike a lot here in the alps and the weight is always a critical factor. Now I'm only carrying 2 lenses this one and a telelens and I'm more than happy with the result. Meaning I can hike longer. But the one thing that bothered me is that it uses a lot of battery. Never forget a spare one.
Thanks for the vid, Andy. Different brand, but similar scenario, just traded my Nikon DX 17-55 f/2.8 all metal, for a Nikon DX 16-80 f/2.8-4. Image quality marginally better on the former, but the newer one has VR/IS, is much lighter, a bit smaller and has a bigger focal length. Happy to just take that one lens on some trips now.
One thing I’ve learned from my gear reviews is that everything is subjective. People use lenses for different things and have different expectations, and so very different feelings about whats good enough
Very good #Andy. After a beautiful video about the sharpness of the Viltrox 16mm with better sharpness against the Fujinon, I was thinking about purchasing the XF16-80mm. See in this video that most of the photos were between @30-50mm. Do you think a Viltrox 27mm 1.4 Pro lens would do the trick? I think of the following configuration: Vitrox 13mm f1.4 Viltrox 27mm f1.2 Pro Viltrox 75mm f1.2 Pro Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f5.6 I thought about the evolution in image quality in Viltrox lenses. Andy, thank you very much. Your videos are always a learning experience.
Finally a review from the perspective of a landscape photographer. I've long been sorta-kinda considering this lens for landscape… and I only really shoot at more narrow apertures there anyway, but all the reviews have been like ”it's so unsharp wide open”. So thanks! A question though: how do you think 40mp Fuji X body + XF 16-80mm f4 compares to a 50mp IBIX-equipped GFX body with the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR?
Hi, I am just starting to get passionate about photography; I have a Fuji Xs10 and the 15-45 lens that came with it but I don't really feel satisfied by it. Do you think this could be a clever investment as a first lens or do you think I should focus on something else? Thank you very much!
Great video, I've been using this lens almost exclusively. Only wish it was jusssst a little wider. Maybe a more conceptual question but: are you typically aware of what focal length you're shooting these zoom lenses at? Do you see a scene and think, "Yes I will do 35mm here." or do you just zoom and unzoom until you get the framing that you want?
Andy, how is this lens for travel video? I remember when it was just release - there was problems with focusing when you zoom. Is the problem still there? What is the latest firmware available?
Hey Andy, Beautiful pictures! Must have been amazing to have the opportunity to get on a helicopter to take pictures in Namibia (assuming that's the reason you were up there). You also seem to be very enthusiastic about the 16-80mm. I have a question about the 16-55mm you showed at 10:15. In a previous review you mentioned you have loaned the lens from fuji. You do own the 18-55mm. Does the price make more sense to you, as you've mentioned that you don't use mid-range zoom all that much? Thank you for the review and showing us your pictures!
As you said, I don't really use mid ranges much, so I don't think the 16-55 is worth it (despite it being a great lens). I've sold my 18-55 and this is my go to mid range zoom. It goes with me on most trips. If I used the mid range a lot though, I'd have a look at the 16-55
I experienced that on the high resolution X-T5 I loose sharpness if I stop down to F8 because of the tiny pixles and the circle of confusion. I get my sharpest results at F5.6.
If it is good enough for Andy, I suppose it’s good enough for me. I am surprised by how much of a difference 16mm vs 18mm is, and how little the difference between 80mm and 135mm is. Plus the constant f4. This lens has kept me from switching to the Sony 6700.
Hello Andy Sir …. I’m from India 🇮🇳 which is very hot, humid n dusty most of the time of the year, Sir By profession I’m a Columnist but doing Street photography is becoming very attractive to me. Sir would you recommend XT4 with this kit lens for Streetphotography and for daily shooting purposes (as both camera and lens are Weather Resistant) ? Need your help 🙏
I had this before the XT5 it is quite a nice lens, bit sad it isn't "optimized" for the 40megapixel but i am still quite happy with it overall. It pairs well, with the 70-300. I now only have 4 lens, the 18mm f1.4 for night shots, 16-80, 70-300, 150-600. Most of which are optimized, wish they upgrade this and make a mark 2 that is optimized. Makes no sense to sell it as a kit lens with the XT5 when it isn't optimized.
Kit lens are always mid range zooms and the 16-55 is too expensive to sell as a kit. Kits are designed to be good value to pull people into the system and there’s really no other lens Fuji could offer.
I've used the 17-70 and it was a fantastic lens. Excellent focal length, faster aperture. However, for me, the extra size and weight were a problem when I was traveling and needed to carry it for 10-12 hours a day. But if the extra weight and slightly reduced focal length aren't a consideration, it could be a good option.
I personally love it, its great paired with the 70-300 Fuji, it is a little bit long for what i would ideally want but the weight is negligible compared to other similar lenses in my opinion. The size is the biggest flaw i have with it, but I find i either use 17-35 or 50-70mm focal ranges (landscape vs portrait/nature at f2.8), and no other lens could fill both those niches for me (while also being reasonably bright) without having to carry two lenses around, so it was a no-brainer compared to the more expensive 16-55 f2.8 with less range. However, this is my second copy, as my first copy had a very very loose zoom ring, to the point where if i held it vertically (i.e., lens facing 90 degrees up), it would spin and zoom out from 70mm to ~23mm, so be careful with that. My second copy is immaculate, and the build quality feels good with the focus and zoom rings being tight. Happy to answer anything else to do with it as well.
I bought it a while back, but then quickly found it too big/heavy to sit on my camera by default when hiking, per my comfort level. I’m gonna sell mine; it’s nearly unused.
Agrée. Too big. The whole Fuji range is becoming too large and losing the advantage of apsc over FF. Now using my R5 much more often. Have bought the Sigma 18-50 2.8 as my last effort to preserve the Fuji system in my arsenal
@@AndyMumford Years ago, I had a super-zoom. Got tired of the weight and compromises. So sold it and got Laowa 9/2.8, Fuji 16/2.8, Fuji 35/2.0, and Laowa 65/2.8 APO 2:1 macro primes. They carry easy, whichever one is mounted. But then I’m switching lenses a lot. So I thought I’d try the 16-80. Right away reminded me of the super-zoom even though it was a little less heavy and a bit sharper. But I still carried the Laowa 9 in my pocket. But then Sigma offered their 18-50 f/2.8 in x-mount, so I switched right away. I’ve also ordered Sigma’s 10-18. I’m selling the Laowa 9 and the Fuji 16-80 for these two Sigmas. Sometimes, I’ll also carry my old trusty 55-200 for when I want long. I am considering to move to the 70-300, though. But Sigma might also come with something nice in the tele end. I do more than landscapes, so wide aperture is in play for me. I’ve bought the Sigma 56/1.4 and am very happy with it.
I currently have a XT-4 setup with Sigma 10-18mm, 18-55mm, 70-300mm and Viltrox 13mm for astro. Do you think its really necessary to swap out 18-55 for 16-80?
I can't say whether it's necessary or not, only you know what you need. Personally I thing the 16-80 pairs better with the 70-300mm because it leaves no focal range gap
I came for a review but left astonished by your photos. Respect.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the images
What is worth to mention is that the 16-80mm has incredible optical stabilization, way better than 18-55 or 18-135. You can shot 1/6s handheld with steady hands without a problem. Additionally the lens has an exceptionally good bokeh for a zoom lens, you can shot pleasing portraits at f4. I was sceptial as well before I bought it but now its glued to my xt3. I honestly dont believe there are so many bad copies on the market. I think people are just nitpicking and blaming the lens for their lack of skill and Andys work show's that clearly, images are exceptional and the lens is abslolutely capable you just need to know how to use it. Andy, amazing work and great review!
Thanks for the comment. I’m using the lens now travelling around the US SW and it’s excellent
I am capable and I did not like this lens. Versatile, amazing stab, terrible distortion on the wide end.
@@doptimisthow does it work between 24mm and 80mm at f5.6-f10?
@@victormanuelsanchezsanchez2344 It was good as far as I recall. I just could not get over how bad it was at the wide end. Unfixable distortion.
Two takeaways:
1. Andy is a phenomenal landscape photographer with a keen eye for composition and final edit. His work makes kit lenses look like masterpieces.
2. Lens choice is extremely subjective. I once owned the 16-80 and, while I enjoyed its versatility, the difference in image quality from the 16-55 was a significant downgrade for my use case. Perhaps it was just my copy, but the upgrade to 16-55 was worth it.
Thanks for the comment. I can’t speak to the first part, but totally agree with the second point. Lens choice IS extremely subjective. Everyone has a different level of “good enough” and we all come to things with different levels of expectation.
Much the same experience with image quality here… the bokeh of this lens is horrible- relative to other Fuji lenses with amazing bokeh! I’ve had it since its release, but probably only taken 100 photos with it, none of the of any special note… in any case, on XF I’ve transitioned to Voigtländer manual focus lenses, which are amazing, and the long 150-600, also really really good! For everything else I shoot on GFX…
agree re last fom you but also agree with awake at your skills. Agree with 16-80 + 70-300 and now added Viltrox 27mm matched with X T5@@AndyMumford
Thank you, Andy for another excellent video. I have an X-T3 and use the 16-80mm when I just want to go out with one lens for landscape. It's easily my favorite zoom lens. When I carry three lenses I have the 10-24mm, 16-80mm, and the 55-200mm and this covers an excellent range. I would say these three lenses are optically equivalent and well paired to the X-T3's sensor resolution.
Thanks for the comment, that’s an excellent trio of lenses
That tree shot took my breath away. Really nice pictures. Review is good too but damn the pictures are inspiring.
Thanks so much for the comment, really glad you enjoyed the review
Nice review as always, Andy. I got my 16-80 as a kit with my X-S10 and it stays on that camera 90% of the time. For general walk around use, the benefits of it’s versatility outweigh any compromises. It is one of my favorite Fujifilm lenses.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review
Nice to see this lens not get bashed. I really like it as a walk around lens when I'm not sure what to expect. I feel like mine is best wide rather that at long end. For extended, alpine hikes, I take the 10-24 and 70-300 just because I don't want to carry 3 lenses and I need the extra wide. It would be nice to have it and an astro lens, but too much to carry. Enjoy Utah and the PNW, can't wait to see the results. Utah is amazing!
Thanks so much for the comment. Utah is amazing and this is turning out to be my most used lens on the trip
Great review and just another reminder that composition and light are way more important to create a good image than any gear you use. I wish you compared the 16-55 when cropped to 80mm with the 16-80 too, since I've always thought the cropping potential is where the 40mp sensor would be benefical when paired with the sharper lenses. Regardless, for landscape weight is an important factor and hopefully people can see they can still can get fantastic photos with the 16-80 even though it might not be the most luxurious of Fuji lenses.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. I no longer have the 16-55 so I couldn't make that comparison unfortunately
Your Landscape Photography is made in heaven. Some of these pictures are out of this world. 🫡
Thanks so much 🙏
Thanks for your review! I bought this lens with xs10 cause this kit was the only available version at that time. Once I watched reviews criticizing how poor it performs I felt like to upgrade it, but after bringing it out during a trip I just love it. Its convenience totally overweigh the slight incompetence in image quality. Since I only shoot for fun, not for money, quality doesn't matter that much and it's just an adequate lens for my trip. Your excellent photographs prove that beautiful landscapes and brilliant skills are far more important than the choice of lenses.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. It's a very useful lens....I just took it to the USA for a 3 week trip and used it a lot. It performs perfectly well
Another great review, Andy. It just shows again what really matters is how you use the tool, not the tool itself. Today’s lenses are far better than the old ones. Yet people today - myself included - tend to spend less time looking before pressing the shutter button. There are too many reviews online that include poorly composed images with uninteresting subjects as sample photos. Looking forward to your next video!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the review
Great vid and images, as always Andy! I own both lenses, but prefer the 16-55: sharper, better IQ, premium workmanship, because of the 2.8 better for portraits and in lowlight situations and also (hardly ever mentioned) it produces nicer sunstars. It’s really a bag of primes.
Fair enough!
I'm so glad to see a new review on this lens, especially by a photographer like Andy Mumford, who's work I appreciate very much. I bought this lens as a kit lens with my XT3 years ago, could have bought the 18-55 2.8-4 instead but preferred this one for the same reasons already mentioned by Andy. The versatility, the built quality (OIS as I didn't have it on my XT3, WR, dedicated aperture ring). I have found my use for this lens which is NOT night photography or portrait photography, nor anything that would need a nice Bokeh. But for hiking trips, landscape pictures, even city trips, during daytime, the aperture needs to be set smaller than f4, I usually try to be between f5.6-f11, that's when the lens produces the nicest pics to me. And the WR is absolutely working, used it also numerous times under rainy conditions and it continued performing well.
So I'm just very curious and looking forward to the results from your US trip!!! :) Cheers
Thanks so much for the comment. I’ve been using the lens a lot on this trip
a lot of reviewers use it for 2-3 days and hate on it. but it's a very good lens. do it all. best at videos and landscape photography
Thanks for the comment. Indeed, I find it to be a really useful lens, and almost 2 years later it still goes with me on most trips
What impressive photographs you make! My Gosh! I will but the set very soon and hope that one day, I could shot those pictures shown in your video, the set comes with the lens you are talking about. Many greetings from Germany, Alfredo
Thanks so much for the comment, really glad you enjoyed the video and my work
Thank you Andy. I have been planning a trip to Italy in 2024 with my XT5 and kite your upcoming trip I will be bringing only two lenses, a prime and the 16-80. This video has given me reassurance in my lens selections.
Thanks for the comment, glad you found the video useful
Oh my lord your images are out of this world 🫠
Thanks so much 🙏
Thanks for sharing your review. I like how your images are so striking, it feels somewhat ironic to pixel peep given how well composed and visually interesting they are. Nonetheless, your clinical analysis is always reassuring, and your creative results are always inspiring. I have this lens, and I love it for the video work I do, as well as when I'm shooting in a more photojournalistic way--it's a great storytelling lens. I've rock climbed mountains, rowed through rivers, bushwhacked for trail building, cycled up and down hills, and traveled throughout Turkey with it--It's been reliable in every effort. Though I do think it's a fantastic all-in-one lens, pairing it with something either more compressed or wide is a great point to bring up. Your suggestions move me closer and closer to finally getting the 70-300. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for watching
Got this as a kit with my X-T5 since it was shipping faster than the body only, thinking I’d just sell it. Ended up being my favorite zoom lens I own.
My go-to lens when I’m not reaching for a small fast prime. Love it for everything from landscape, to street, to travel. Sure hope Fuji rev it at some point to take full advantage of the sensor, but I’m honestly not upset with the results I already get!
Hi Joe. Yeah, same foe me…it came with a kit on the XT5 and I thought I wouldn’t use it, but it goes with me pretty much everywhere now
Thanks for this review Andy. It seems that the bottom line is that for landscape (and I’d add general travel) photography, this is a good lens, trading a bit of sharpness for focal range and portability. I recently substituted an XT-5 and 16-80 for my Canon 80d and EFS 15-85, a combo I was very happy with. I took the Fuji gear on a recent trip to London and the Lake District and was more than satisfied with the results at all apertures and focal lengths. Plenty sharp for me, especially if I sharpen with Topaz instead of Lightroom. But then I’m not a pixel peeper and don’t see the point in examining a tree on a mountainside two miles away at 200% magnification for sharpness.
Yep., that’s pretty much it. Thanks for the comment
I have this lens and I mostly use it with my xt3. Love it actually. Very sharp and feels rigid.
Thanks for the comment
It is rare that a reviewer does not compare shots of brick walls (or whatever) and then decides which lens is sharper wide open, in the corners, etc. I appreciate how you show what can be done with this lens and answer the only relevant question: is this a viable lens for this kind of photography. I found your review because I am deciding to replace my 18-55 with this one in my Fuji XT20 travel kit. The 18-55 is great (I shot a book cover with it), but I am tempted by the flexibility of the 16-80. Great video!
Thanks for the comment, glad you found the review useful
There is something about it though!!! I love taking it out and covering so many focal lengths, knowing the results will be very good!!
Absolutely, this lens goes with me on every trip
Another well produced no nonsense video😁
What are your thoughts on trading my 10-24 & 18-55 for a 8mm and 16-55?
I am very happy with the 10-24 but i wonder if the 8mm will be a better perfoming lens and the 16-80 has as you mentioned that bit extra zoom. I have the 55-200 and its possible this could go too.
I've not used the new 16-55mm f2.8, but I have used the new 16-50mm kit lens and it's really really good, and a big improvement over the 18-55, as well as being sharper than the 16-80mm. The 8mm is an excellent lens, really sharp, but on the occasions that I've travelled with it and the 16-80mm, I've really missed having something to cover the distance between those two lenses, as there's a very big difference between framing with 14mm and framing with 10mm, so I personally wouldn't buy it. I've switched to the Sigma 10-18mm f2.8, which is only slightly bigger than the 8mm
@@AndyMumford hmmmm that's another possibility, I previously own a Laowa 9mm MFT lens and yes I did find the ability to be not able to zoom a bit of a pain. Thanks for the reply more thinking to be done.
Still tending towards the 16-80 as I understand it's as sharp as the 18-55 and I am looking for the 80 as I rarely use the full 200mm on the 55-200mm. Having said all that the defining factor will be what the change over figure will be🤣
This past summer, I realised I needed a walk around lens. The 18-55 doesn’t have enough range, meaning I found myself swapping lenses and so didn’t bother to bring it. Bought the 16-80 a couple of months ago and loving it so far. I won’t be selling my 16f1.4 etc, but as a walk around, this is unequaled.
Thanks for the comment, it's a great lens
This lens is amazing for landscapes: versatile, compact and weather-sealed. Looking beyond the pixel peeping, this lens performs decently from 16mm to 70mm. Where I see a noticeable drop off is at 80mm. However, I consider the added reach from 55-80 as a bonus that the 16-55 simply cannot offer, while the latter being also significantly heavier, more expensive and unstabilised. If you are looking for a versatile standard zoom and do not need maximum light gathering capabilities, the 16-80mm is the lens for you. Given the lens now comes in a kit with many cameras, there are also many second hand copies available on the market making this lens a steal for what it offers.
I’m pretty much in total agreement with that. Thanks for the comment
The 16-55 has noticeably richer color too, but It's a chunk, so I'll be taking the 16-80 to Ecuador.
Thanks for the comment
The XF 16 to 80mm is a great lens,. Since I've owned this lens, it rarely comes of my camera. A great for both photo and video work!
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
I agree with comments about the good bokeh and outstanding OIS. In fact, on my XT-3 I preferred this lens over the 16-55 f2.8. However, things changed with the X-T5 where it now seems outclassed by the -T5's 40 mp sensor, while the optics of the 16-55 f2.8 shine. All things considered -price; size; performance- I think this is a surprisingly good lens.
Thanks for the comment
Due to quite some bad reviews on youtube, it seems there are good and bad copies on the market. I got mine, second hand, and it is perfect. I use it on X-T2, also used one, both together under 1000 eur. I sold 18-55 as I don't like variable apertures and the out of focus area is nicer to my taste. Nice: with 10-24 they share the same filter size.
Thanks for the comment. There does seem to be a significant quality variance…glad you got a good copy
I got mine as a kit lens with my X-T4, but wasn't really happy with the images I got and it went back in the box while I tried other lenses.
When the X-T5 was released soon after, I traded them in as part-exchange - but the lens was rejected due to internal concentric circle scratches on one of the lens elements...
I returned it to Fujifilm for warranty repair, and they swapped out that group of elements altogether. Unfortunately, I haven’t even taken it out of the box to try it. It's still in there while I play with primes...
I enjoyed the video, though; so maybe I'll give it another spin.
Thanks for the comment
I never quite understand the bashing about this lens . It's in my backpack every time I travel and i'm hicking and a lot more I finaly sold my 16-55, I will never trade versatility for a tiny bit of sharpness and this lens has a lot. If I want sharpness and crazy bokeh I use prime lenses. Your work is outstanding. Thank you!
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video
Excellent! And it shows also clearly that a non recommended lens by Fuji for the 40mp sensor is highly capable at a XT5 in certain circumstances! Cool. 😊
But Andy I do have a question please. Even with the 40mp sensor you stick to Lightroom. Some time ago you did a review/comparison with Capture One Pro.
Most of your reviews are done with Lightroom. What’s the main reason why you decided mostly for Lightroom? Your workflow? Overall functionality?
I prefer Lightroom, it's more intuitive to use and nowadays I think it's features exceed Capture One with the range of masking tools. In C1 images look better right out of the camera, but it only takes a few seconds to match that in LR, and I can more easily get the look I want for my image in Lightroom than I can in C1
Thanks so much for this informative review Andy, currently looking at the x-t5 and I know if comes as a kit with that lens. This video has definitely helped me made my decision!
Thanks for the comment, glad you found the video useful
Great review, exceptional photos...truly aspiring to my old eyes. Look forward to more of your videos...thank you!
Thanks again, really glad you're enjoying the videos
Another great video, Andy! I was waffling about getting this lens and eventually decided to buy one on eBay. While there were some shipping issues, I finally got this lens and I must say I really love it! The stabilization on my X-S10 is amazing, and I am finding it sharp enough for me in most situations. I am not printing huge anymore, so on my X-S10 and X-T3 this lens will be a keeper! I can't wait to shoot some video when we go to Budapest and then take a river cruise to Amsterdam! I am thinking of leaving my tripod at home, but I better take it for night shots. Anyway, I continue to appreciate the hard work you put into these videos, and I love your sample images. Maybe one day I will join you on a tour! All the best from British Columbia, Canada!
Thanks so much for the comment, glad the video was useful. Enjoy the new lens
Glad you finally reviewed this lens. I've been asking about it for over a year by now. :D
I got this lens with my xt4 and I love it. I used to hike a lot last year and I pretty much only take this lens out with me. It's great for travel and hiking, or pretty much any scenario where you care about weight and versatility. Apart from this lens, I also take the 33mm f1.4 as a versatile prime for portraiture, low-light, street, etc. The next lens I'm going to go for is going to be the 70-300 for telephoto shots, and then if I need it I'm going to get the viltrox 13mm. But I don't have much time for photo trips this year so my camera has been mostly been gathering dust, which is quite a shame.
Thanks for the comment, hope the video was worth the wait
Andy, great review and interesting comparison with the 16-55 f2.8. I have an XT-5 and my go to all purpose lens is a 18-135 f3.5-5.6. This lens is also not on Fuji's list for the 40mp sensor. Do you have any experience with the 18-135 and if so, does the 16-80 perform better overall in terms of optics, sharpness, etc? - i.e. would it make a better all purpose lens. I could opt for the 16-55 f2.8, but the weight and limited range is holding me back.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. I’ve not used the 18-135 so can’t make a comparison
Thanks for this video Andy. I bought the 16-80 when I bought an x-t20 as I was on a pretty tight budget. There’s been a lot bad comments on line, the images being soft etc. but I love it, and I have no problem with it even on the x-t20. Yes, you can get sharper images, but not by too much and the range gives you a lot of flexibility. Yes, the focus ring is too loose but ok if you are careful. I now have the 10-24 and the 70-300 will give me all I want…but I bet a buy a wide prime for some very sharp images.
Thanks for the comment. Indeed the lens does seem to get a bad press but I’ve been really happy with it
It may be a brilliant Landscape lens, but it is also Ace for Travel or Events. I generally carry three identical bodies when covering events (currently X-E4s) one with the XF10-24/4, one with the XF16-80/4 and one with an assortment of fast primes. Ready for just about anything (I rarely shoot long tele...I have the XC50-230 always in the bag just in case anyhow.) I'm almost always using f/5.6 with my multi-focal lenses for events and that is a sweet spot with both the XF10-24 and the XF16-80. I wish it were as small as my former Nikkor DX16-85/3.5-5.6, but with a nice grip on the X-E4 body, these lenses aren't too unwieldy.
Good review. I agree with your assessments.
Thanks for watching
Hello Andy. This is a great versatile lens. I took thousands of images. Imo this lens performs best at 5.6 at all focal lenghts. I avoid to go above f8. The only grape i have that after 3 years of use is that the zoom friction is very low now, especially at the wide between 16 and 30mm.
Thanks for the comment
New to the channel and really enjoying. Looking at getting a Fuji XT# or XS20 but I have a question. The photo in this video at 2min 37sec (says that it is shot on XT5) looks to be the same as the thumbnail from the XS20 video. Just given that that photo was used as an example in the XS20 of the detail that can be achieved with the XS20 in that video, I wanted to confirm what body the photo was taken with. Perhaps you got similar shots with both bodies or I have misunderstood something. Thanks!
Thanks for the review Andy I really enjoy this lens I’ve had it since it was released must be several years ago now. In fact It’s actually my second copy as the first one ended up at the bottom of a lake. It’s seems a bit of a chalk and cheese lens with people, particularly with sharpness but both mine have been great only showing a slight drop of at it’s longer focal range. But to be honest what do you expect. But I’m pleased with the results I get from it and it’s pretty compact and I think the build quality is great. The difference for my usage with the 16-55 in my experience is minimal and I prefer the 16-80 personally for my needs. Like yourself I also use the 10-24 and 55-200 both of these are also great lenses for landscape photography.
Thanks for the comment, I pretty much agree with everything you said
I got this lens with my XT4 years ago. I remember choosing it because the dealer said for the kit lens package, I could grab either the 18-55 variable aperture or the 16-80 fixed f4 to take and they wouldn't raise the price. Guess they had an abundance of 16-80s? I simply looked at the prices and went "Oh I'll take the more expensive one then!" Haha. I think at the time the 16-80 was maybe even more than $800? People HATED it back then! I had no idea what I was walking into with it. "It corners are unusable! Everything but the center is blurry!" etc. etc. Fast forward to 2024 when Fuji has routinely put this for sale for under $600 (used even around $300!) now everyone is absolutely loving the lens. Probably my favorite "set it and forget it" lens. I've used it on beaches, traveling, at conventions, at concerts, and more.
Thanks for the comment. It's an incredibly useful lens
I love your work, Andy! So inspiring. And thank you for this video, makes me feel validated in my lens choices, haha.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed it the review
Well balanced review Andy with some amazing images. Have you had a chance to check out the 16-50 lens for use on an XT5? I’m hovering about whether to go for the XT5 with 16-80 or the 16-50. Any thoughts. I do primarily landscape and am now finding the weight of my Nikon Z7ii and 24-120 too heavy on hikes
Thanks so much for watching, I've just picked up the 16-50mm now and will be testing it over the next couple of weeks with a review to come in couple of months. So far it looks really nice, and its very small and light.
Your landscape images are gorgeous. 👌
Thank you so much
Great review as always. As I listen, I was wondering why the 18-120 seems to have gotten very little traction in the Fuji community. True no aperture ring nor OIS and few gimmicks devoted to video (which I don’t do), but great range, fantastic optical quality and focus capabilities and very light. It makes the perfect walk about lens, travel and yes landscape. You can now pick one up for $600-700. You should ask Fuji to send you one to review. Ciao
I think it’s because it’s a lens optimized for video, and it’s also quite heavy
I love the 16-80 and it basically lives on my XT5. It works perfectly for me for street and architectural photography. A great walking around lens.
Yep, I’m currently out in Utah and it’s one of my most used lenses on this trip
Thanks Andy. I'm new to Fuji, having just bought the X-S20 with the 15-45 power zoom. I'm wanting to quickly upgrade and was set on the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, Fuji 50-230 and then maybe getting the Sigma 10-18 in the future. Would you have any advice whether this or getting the Fuji 16-80 would be a better way to go?
I’ve not used the Sigma, but a lot of people in the comments say it’s excellent
Andy, thanks for the interesting lens comparison and the great landscape photos. 👍👍👍
Thanks for watching
I have found the lens very good indeed and it is on my camera most of the time. Great shots, loved the street shot, plenty of detail.
Thanks for the comment
I just found your channel and its amazing! After my first time taking photos on a vacation (1600 single shots at Disney), I'm excited to get more into photography. I'm going to Alaska in June, will be upgrading my gx85 to a Fuji, and your videos have been super helpful and inspiring. I cant wait to get better and hopefully take amazing landscape photos like you someday.
Thanks for the comment, really glad you found the videos useful
I have this lens on the xt-2 and I have to say it is a pretty good lens. Perhaps a little softer than the 18-55 but I also think that hyper sharp images should not always be the goal anyway. I love the stabalization and the colors it produces. I think it works pretty well for video too. For the cost used especially, with its focal range, I can't see why it isn't a good buy. I am happy with it and of course your photos look great as always! The lens helps as does the camera but the guy/girl running the camera and the lens matter more I think. Nice work Andy.
Thanks so much for the comment, glad you enjoyed the review. And yes, the desire for every lens to be "hyper sharp" is a mystery to me, especially if people are not printing large Not every lens can perform like a €1500 prime, and what this lens does, it does really well
Hey! Loved your video!
Is 16-80mm lens better than 18-55mm lens for videography too?
It's great for both as it's so flexible, but the 18-120mm is designed for videography (it has motorised zoom, so it's much smoother), and is probably the best choice.
Thanks Andy, great to see your review. I'm using the 16-80 for both photo and video and am very happy with it. Used to have the Nikon 24-120 and always had much fun and benefits from this zoom range. You use Lightroom, would there be a benefit using Capture One for Fuji raw? Or has Lightroom getting better processing the x-trans files? Would love to read your insights, thanks! Greetings from The Netherlands!
Capture One does have better out of the camera processing, but I find I can get the images looking the same in Lightroom with a bit of effort.
Amazing Work. Videos like this brings me back to nature photography from product photography.
Thinks so much, glad you enjoyed the video
@@AndyMumford is there a way to share photography work to get your reviews?
This has been my most shot lens for woodland on my XT2 and XH1. Its just so versatile and combined with the IBIS on the XH1y tripod hardly gets a look in.
Thanks for the comment, it’s a really useful lens
Thanks Andy for your excellent videos; particularly enjoy your highlighting the differences of 2 lenses, specifying the type of shooting you do over the mid-aperture range. Just purchased a XH2 to save weight over FF and debating this vs the 16-55 which seems to get all the accolades; will give this lens a try given the versatile range. Much appreciate your mention of how a 3 lens combo can be assembled for 1.2kg total, vs the 3 FF lenses that are 1.0kg each weighting down in my bag...
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video
Thank you Andy for your interesting and illuminating video. I am very happy with my 16-55mm lens and it is not easy to sell this lens in my country and buy then the 16-80mm . It is not worth to have both. Best regards.
Keep the 16-55mm - It's a better lens.
Thanks for the comment. The 16-55mm is a great lens
Hello, incredible pics here. If possible, I would like to have an advice from you. In april I will go in Nepal and I would like to catch pics and vids about this adventure. My question is: I need to be lightweight. What you I take? Iphone 15 pro is with me anyway. Gopro? Xt30 with this lense? Xs10? I can’t spend a lot of money for new stuff, but I would like to come home with good pics and usuable vids. Sorry for the long question and for my bad english. Cheers.
It really depends on what you want to shoot. For video the X-S10 is a better choice than the XT30, then something like the 16-80mm gives you a lot of range. Nowadays the DJI Action 4 is a better choice than GoPro (bigger sensor and so better low light performance), but if you're on a stick budget what will an action camera give you that your iPhone 15 doesn't?
@@AndyMumford Many, many thanks for your reply. Appreciated. I have only the xt30, with the kit lens 15-45 with in fact I never used, preferring the prime I have. I have a xt1 as well that could come into consideration for the weather sealing and the nice sensor. But I still have to think about a zoom (18-55? 16-80?]. I never really thought about the dji... nice. And what about a dji pocket 3?
Thanks again for your time and kindness. Cheers.
Terrific review. Thank you. Andy, can you say if the work you have shown are single exposures or multiple ones stacked etc? Thank you
except for the heli shots, obviously
They're pretty much all single exposures as far as I can remember
People say at 80mm sharpness is weak. Do you think the sharpness at 80mm is good enough for landscape shots? If not, at what focal length, 75mm, 70mm, 65mm, etc. does sharpness becomes good? Thanks.
I pretty much explained everything I think about whether the lens is good enough for landscapes in the video and showed examples at 80mm. It’s sharp enough for me, but you might feel differently
Thanks Andy. Always a good review. As primarily a landscape photographer, I appreciate your comments and comparisons in the “middle” of the range. The 16-80 is my walkabout lens on a trip, the last one to Cape Ann, MA, where I had the 10-24, the 16-80, and the 70-300. I was happy. I may look at the 8mm given your comments. What do you think of the upcoming Fuji release 16-55? It seems it would leave a gap in the mid range. Thanks again. Geoff
Thanks for the comment. I’m travelling with the 8mm and 16-80 right now and do find that I miss that gap a lot as I often seem to need something in the 10-13mm range. I’ll be checking out the Sigma 10-18mm soon. Not sure what you mean about the upcoming Fuji 16-55 release
Good review. I actually sold mine this very day. Perhaps I had a bad copy, but the corners were really, really bad at 16mm (especially the left edge of the photo, oddly enough), even at smaller apertures, and that's a focal length I shoot at relatively often. I am going to miss the lighter weight and the flexibility of the focal ranger, however. Hoping they'll make a v2 some time in the future with better optics.
My copy is terrible from 16 to 35mm but I'm finding it hard to let it go due to that useful (and pretty good quality) upper range.
I agree with you on the softness - I tried to like this lens for the 4 months that I owned it - but I ended up hating it as the IQ was just never there. I'm much happier with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8.
It’s a relatively new lens so I think it’ll be a while till we get a V2. Especially when you think the older 16-55 still hasn’t been updated
@@AndyMumford You are right, of course. But they have announced a "successor lens" to the 18-55mm kit lens without specifying the focal range ; and the 16-80mm is a kit lens sold with the new 40MP sensor that is not optimized for said sensor. So one can hope that they will announce a new lens around a similar range with better optics, even if not exactly a 16-80mm mark 2.
Same here… bought this, terrible corners, sold it again and rebought the 18-55.
Thanks for this review, Andy. Very helpful review for landscape use cases. Do you still prefer 55-200mm? Did you ever purchase the 70-300mm since you reviewed it?
I think they’re both excellent, although the 70-300 is sharper. Which I prefer tends to depend on what other lenses I take. Right now I’m in the US with the 16-80 and so the 70-300 works really well with that, but if I just have something like the 10-24 or 160-55 then I really don’t like to have a gap between 55 and 70, so I’d take teh 55-200
While not my favorite lens, the 16-80 is by far my most used lens. This in spite of a couple of weaknesses. Wide open not so sharp, but one notch below 5.6 is / distortion at full wide angle can mess with shots of people on the periphery and be difficult to fix. I use it for performance b&w - perfect range. Great lens.
Yeah, I think that's pretty accurate. It's not an amazing lens, but it's a very useful one
Great review Andy!
Thanks for watching
Just ordered the XH2 kit with this lens during the sale. Looking forward to it even more now ; )
Thanks for the comment. Enjoy the new camera and lens
Thanks Andy for another brilliant video. I've used this lens extensively on an XT3 body mostly on vacations and have no complaints. I moved up to an XT5 and I haven't tried it with the new body yet. I considered selling it and getting a 16-55mm but after reviewing my 16-80mm in Lightroom I decided to keep it.This lens and a fast prime,I use the 33mmf1.4, make an awesome vacation kit. Landscape I bring the 10-24mm,16-80mm and 70-300mm.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the review
Thanks for the review of the 16-80mm - I've owned this lens in the past for about 4 months and shot it with the X-T4. Initially I liked the lens but after a while I grew to not trust it for the kind of photography that I do. I've been shooting with Nikon since 2012, mainly nature photography. Earlier this year I picked up a Fuji X-T4 and love the camera along with my other Fuji lenses. I have to say that I might have had a bad copy of this lens but my experience was that this lens was too soft for my uses. The last straw was my sons graduation while shooting in good lighting. When I got home and began post processing in Lightroom the results were plainly unacceptable and I wouldn't even share them with anyone. That was the last straw. My comparable Nikon equivalent 24-120mm blows this lens out of the water in sharpness and versatility. I sold the 16-80mm and bought the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 and haven't looked back.
It’s possible you had a bad copy, there does seem to be quite a bit of quality variance with this lens
@@AndyMumford I think you're right - coming out in 2019 and production during Covid may have produced quite a few dud lenses - It's unfortunate - I love all my other Fuji Glass.
Enjoy monument valley. I stayed in the valley at the old lodge. That was really sweet. They have a restaurant and it's staffed by local l Navajo people. Out of season is the best time to see the valley. Good luck not buying any turqoise...
We spent a night in the hotel at Monument Valley, it was really impressive. We’re traveling pretty much out of season and almost everywhere we’ve shot we’ve been the only people there.
Hi and thanks for the video. I am very tempted in getting the xf 16-80mm f/4 r ois wr lens for my x t-30 II for the versatility in focal lengths. I would use it mainly for streetphotography. Do you think for the same budget I should go for something else, like a fixed lens? Or is the quality of this zoom more than worth it? (I currently only have a 27 mm 7Artisan f2.8)
It’s impossible to say because it really depends on what matters most to you. A prime for sure will be sharper than this, but you loose so much flexibility that this lens has, so you have to decide what’s most important to you
I sold mine in favor of a Sigma f2.8 18-50mm. Certainly not a direct comparison focal length wise, but I shoot a lot of events where the wider aperture is handy and the image quality on the 40mp bodies was better. The sigma zoom is also insanely tiny for an f2.8 zoom.
I've since added the XF 50-140mm f2.8 to the kit for events. It's an awesome lens but it's hefty. (Now that I've purchased an XF 50-140mm sigma will probably release one at half the size and weight).
Thanks for the comment. Seems like a lot of people are happy with the SIgma. I’m just about to get the 10-18mm f2.8 and hopefully it’s the same level of quality
Great review, trying to decide between this and the 18-55 f/2.8-4.
I would say I prefer this because of the flexibility
I had this lens when I moved to Fuji and whilst I had a decent copy (there is evidence out there that quality control is an issue) I sold it and bought a Tamron 17-70 F2.8 which is a cracking lens. Sharp and with very little CA wide open plus the stabilisation works well in conjunction with the X-T 5 IBIS.
Although one loses 10mm at the long end, I found that was where the 16-80 was weakest.
The Tamron and Fuji 70-300 and I'm good to go with a very nice quite light set up. (Also the Tamron has the same filter thread size as the 70-300).
I checked two copies of the praised 17-70 vs my 16-80 and honestly i sold both. The first copy of the tamron was comparable in IQ, maybe a tad better borders at 17mm. The second was clearly worse. AF very inconistent on my X-T3 and X-T4. I just got accepatble results with zone focus and AF-C. Single AF was almost unuseable. Ois is much better on the 16-80 imo, albeit not noiseless. If one doesn't need the f2.8 i would clearly prefer the 16-80.
@@hejakma4682 I can only speak as I find. On the X-T5 I've photographed somebody coming fast towards me on a very long zip wire. I should have been using something longer. First shutter press at about 200 meters. Using CAF and face detect with the subject spinning it pretty much locked onto the head all the way down.
Not used it on my X-E4 for annoying as radical.
Thanks for the comment. Not used the Tamron at all
I've been using this lens for a year now. Because I hike a lot here in the alps and the weight is always a critical factor. Now I'm only carrying 2 lenses this one and a telelens and I'm more than happy with the result. Meaning I can hike longer. But the one thing that bothered me is that it uses a lot of battery. Never forget a spare one.
Thanks for the comment
You made very good observations, thank you for your efforts.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the vid, Andy.
Different brand, but similar scenario, just traded my Nikon DX 17-55 f/2.8 all metal, for a Nikon DX 16-80 f/2.8-4. Image quality marginally better on the former, but the newer one has VR/IS, is much lighter, a bit smaller and has a bigger focal length.
Happy to just take that one lens on some trips now.
One thing I’ve learned from my gear reviews is that everything is subjective. People use lenses for different things and have different expectations, and so very different feelings about whats good enough
What’s your opinion on tamron 17-70 f2.8
It’s cheaper than the 16-80
I’ve not had chance to use it
See the details. 16-80 has a satisfying result😊
Thanks so much 🙏
Very good #Andy.
After a beautiful video about the sharpness of the Viltrox 16mm with better sharpness against the Fujinon, I was thinking about purchasing the XF16-80mm.
See in this video that most of the photos were between @30-50mm. Do you think a Viltrox 27mm 1.4 Pro lens would do the trick?
I think of the following configuration:
Vitrox 13mm f1.4
Viltrox 27mm f1.2 Pro
Viltrox 75mm f1.2 Pro
Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f5.6
I thought about the evolution in image quality in Viltrox lenses.
Andy, thank you very much. Your videos are always a learning experience.
Thanks for the comment. I’ve not used the Viltrox 27mm so I can’t say, but they certainly produce good lenses
Finally a review from the perspective of a landscape photographer. I've long been sorta-kinda considering this lens for landscape… and I only really shoot at more narrow apertures there anyway, but all the reviews have been like ”it's so unsharp wide open”. So thanks!
A question though: how do you think 40mp Fuji X body + XF 16-80mm f4 compares to a 50mp IBIX-equipped GFX body with the GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 WR?
Thanks so much, glad you found the review interesting
Hi, I am just starting to get passionate about photography; I have a Fuji Xs10 and the 15-45 lens that came with it but I don't really feel satisfied by it. Do you think this could be a clever investment as a first lens or do you think I should focus on something else? Thank you very much!
I've not used the 15-45, but this is a good lens, and one that I use a lot
Great video, I've been using this lens almost exclusively. Only wish it was jusssst a little wider. Maybe a more conceptual question but: are you typically aware of what focal length you're shooting these zoom lenses at? Do you see a scene and think, "Yes I will do 35mm here." or do you just zoom and unzoom until you get the framing that you want?
Thanks for the comment. Typically I’ll zoom until I’ve got the framing I want
Andy, how is this lens for travel video? I remember when it was just release - there was problems with focusing when you zoom. Is the problem still there? What is the latest firmware available?
I can’t say…I never really zoom while I’m shooting video so I’m not aware of what the problem is
Curious what colour profile you use in Lightroom? Just the standard adobe color, or a camera matching one? Thanks
Standard Adobe colour
Hey Andy, Beautiful pictures! Must have been amazing to have the opportunity to get on a helicopter to take pictures in Namibia (assuming that's the reason you were up there). You also seem to be very enthusiastic about the 16-80mm.
I have a question about the 16-55mm you showed at 10:15. In a previous review you mentioned you have loaned the lens from fuji. You do own the 18-55mm. Does the price make more sense to you, as you've mentioned that you don't use mid-range zoom all that much?
Thank you for the review and showing us your pictures!
As you said, I don't really use mid ranges much, so I don't think the 16-55 is worth it (despite it being a great lens). I've sold my 18-55 and this is my go to mid range zoom. It goes with me on most trips. If I used the mid range a lot though, I'd have a look at the 16-55
Very fair and practical review
Thanks so much
I experienced that on the high resolution X-T5 I loose sharpness if I stop down to F8 because of the tiny pixles and the circle of confusion. I get my sharpest results at F5.6.
Interesting. I tend to stick at 7,1 or 6,5
If it is good enough for Andy, I suppose it’s good enough for me. I am surprised by how much of a difference 16mm vs 18mm is, and how little the difference between 80mm and 135mm is. Plus the constant f4. This lens has kept me from switching to the Sony 6700.
Thanks so much the the comment, glad you found the video useful
Hello Andy Sir …. I’m from India 🇮🇳 which is very hot, humid n dusty most of the time of the year, Sir By profession I’m a Columnist but doing Street photography is becoming very attractive to me. Sir would you recommend XT4 with this kit lens for Streetphotography and for daily shooting purposes (as both camera and lens are Weather Resistant) ?
Need your help 🙏
I’ve used this lens in all kinds of conditions, rain, sandstorm, mud, and it’s fine
Patiently waiting for your review of Sigma 10-18 f2.8 😊
I’m hoping to pick one up at the end of this trip, but then I don’t think I’ll have chance to test it probably before February
@@AndyMumford thanks for letting me know. I don’t have to refresh my feed daily for a while lol.
Great shots!
Thanks so much 🙏
I had this before the XT5 it is quite a nice lens, bit sad it isn't "optimized" for the 40megapixel but i am still quite happy with it overall. It pairs well, with the 70-300. I now only have 4 lens, the 18mm f1.4 for night shots, 16-80, 70-300, 150-600. Most of which are optimized, wish they upgrade this and make a mark 2 that is optimized. Makes no sense to sell it as a kit lens with the XT5 when it isn't optimized.
Kit lens are always mid range zooms and the 16-55 is too expensive to sell as a kit. Kits are designed to be good value to pull people into the system and there’s really no other lens Fuji could offer.
Great lens. Got it today and shot NYC at night, amazing detail with XT30II
Thanks for the comment, glad you met enjoying the lens
Please tell me What film simulation you are using. Thans for the video
It’s all filmed in f-log
Have you used/tried the Tamron 17-70mm zoom?
I've used the 17-70 and it was a fantastic lens. Excellent focal length, faster aperture. However, for me, the extra size and weight were a problem when I was traveling and needed to carry it for 10-12 hours a day. But if the extra weight and slightly reduced focal length aren't a consideration, it could be a good option.
I personally love it, its great paired with the 70-300 Fuji, it is a little bit long for what i would ideally want but the weight is negligible compared to other similar lenses in my opinion.
The size is the biggest flaw i have with it, but I find i either use 17-35 or 50-70mm focal ranges (landscape vs portrait/nature at f2.8), and no other lens could fill both those niches for me (while also being reasonably bright) without having to carry two lenses around, so it was a no-brainer compared to the more expensive 16-55 f2.8 with less range.
However, this is my second copy, as my first copy had a very very loose zoom ring, to the point where if i held it vertically (i.e., lens facing 90 degrees up), it would spin and zoom out from 70mm to ~23mm, so be careful with that. My second copy is immaculate, and the build quality feels good with the focus and zoom rings being tight.
Happy to answer anything else to do with it as well.
I’ve not tried it
I bought it a while back, but then quickly found it too big/heavy to sit on my camera by default when hiking, per my comfort level. I’m gonna sell mine; it’s nearly unused.
It’s pretty small and light for the focal range it has
Agrée. Too big. The whole Fuji range is becoming too large and losing the advantage of apsc over FF. Now using my R5 much more often. Have bought the Sigma 18-50 2.8 as my last effort to preserve the Fuji system in my arsenal
@@mcelliot I also bought the Sigma 18-50. And I’ve pre-ordered the Sigma 10-18. Wish they had aperture rings, but otherwise pretty perfect for me.
@@AndyMumford Years ago, I had a super-zoom. Got tired of the weight and compromises. So sold it and got Laowa 9/2.8, Fuji 16/2.8, Fuji 35/2.0, and Laowa 65/2.8 APO 2:1 macro primes. They carry easy, whichever one is mounted. But then I’m switching lenses a lot. So I thought I’d try the 16-80. Right away reminded me of the super-zoom even though it was a little less heavy and a bit sharper. But I still carried the Laowa 9 in my pocket. But then Sigma offered their 18-50 f/2.8 in x-mount, so I switched right away. I’ve also ordered Sigma’s 10-18. I’m selling the Laowa 9 and the Fuji 16-80 for these two Sigmas. Sometimes, I’ll also carry my old trusty 55-200 for when I want long. I am considering to move to the 70-300, though. But Sigma might also come with something nice in the tele end. I do more than landscapes, so wide aperture is in play for me. I’ve bought the Sigma 56/1.4 and am very happy with it.
I currently have a XT-4 setup with Sigma 10-18mm, 18-55mm, 70-300mm and Viltrox 13mm for astro. Do you think its really necessary to swap out 18-55 for 16-80?
I can't say whether it's necessary or not, only you know what you need. Personally I thing the 16-80 pairs better with the 70-300mm because it leaves no focal range gap