XC 15-45mm is really amazing lens by its optical performance, but motorized zoom has some disadvantages like increased camera startup time (approx by 0.5-0.7sec longer than usual) and decreased battery life (drains power pretty significantly when you zoom or turn on/off your camera very often).
Why has this video only got 73 likes at the time of posting? This is the best review I've seen on these kit lenses, showing how to work around their (price) limitations. I was window shopping for a "better" lens, but instead I think I will just practice more with my 15-45 instead to see if I can get better images out of it. Thanks!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Quick question though: On the 15-45 how can you tell when its a 23-30mm as it doesn't show mm - at least not on my XT100 it doesn't. Is that a camera limitation or a lens one?
That's a lens one. I worked it out from the meta data. but as it is a power zoom I think you'll get 3 zoom little clicks even from the smallest amount of movement. And I'm very sore the first one is 23mm.
15-45 is absolutely a beast for what it is. To me it is better than the 18-55 because a) cheaper as a kit lens, b) smaller lighter and wider. Since both are not WR it doesn't matter.
Nice video. A couple of remarks though - the Fuji 27mm pancake (both versions) is lighter in weight than either the 18mm f2 or 15-45. The rattling sound when the lenses are shaken comes from the OIS mechanism.
Kia ora Tom. Great to see somebody reviewing the 'lower' end of the market with such enthusiasm! I am a 'serious' landscape photographer - on a tight budget - and my digital kit consists of the Fuji X-E2, 16-50 XC and 50-230 XC lenses. I love the images I get out of the 16-50mm for landscapes, at the wide end, from the f5.6 to f11 aperture range. As you said, it's about knowing, and working with, your gear and its 'limitations'. When I shot Canon I reviewed and compared the 18-55mm 'kit' lens with the 17-40mm f4 'L' at 10 times the price - and was surprised at how well the kit lens compared (at 18mm). As you said in your review, what you're really paying for is build quality and weather sealing - there's really not that big a jump in IQ nowadays with these computer designed optics. I've never felt 'limited' by the XC lenses, and the results I get from my system are stunningly good. The thought of spending $3,500NZ on a 8-16mm lens almost makes me feel physically sick! The next Fuji lens I'm most excited about getting my hands on is the 35mm f2 XC... Keep up the great work on the videos. I know how time consuming they can be. Have subscribed...
Thank you very much, don't get me wrong the 8-16mm is a fantastic lens, but with enough knowledge even the cheapest of lenses can totally kick ass. Cheers for the sub
tb- photography I totally get where you’re coming from. And agree. Of course the 8-16mm is a great lens. But is it $3000 better would be my question (that I ask myself)? Great to see someone giving them some serious consideration.
The simple answer is no, it's not worth the extra BUT it does do some things in certain situations that other lens just can't do. And if you making a living from Photography being able to do those very particular things can make the 8-16mm very much worth it.
Hypothetically, if they could get the 16-55 f/2.8 into the body and lightness of the 15-45, I dare that that would be the greatest lense ever. BUT, I don't live in a fantasy world too often, so with that being said thanks again for another great review on two lenes. I'll definitely pick up the 15-45 sometime this year since as you said the price is so darn cheap most of the time. I'm eating some tikka masala at the moment, so I'm gonna get back to that, but I hope you're enjoying whatever weekend you still have left and looking forward to those "getting the best with the worst" videos in the future. Also, it's channels like yours and the Fuji community that really makes me love these cameras and photography even more than I already do.
Thank you! It's comments like that, that make me love doing this so much. Nothing makes me happier than hearing about a quality curry (I'm a huge foodie) and a home cooked Tikka Masala is one of my favorite dishes to create, I hope yours is delicious. All the best!
I don’t think you’ve been harsh at all, just realistic. I like the way you’ve focussed on how these tools (for that’s what they are) perform at their best. Too many reviews nit-pick about the negatives of what are, after all, very cheap lenses without considering the benefits in balance. I think the XC lenses do suffer from “gear snobbery”, being seen as cheap consumer lenses for beginners. I have the XC50-230 and it’s phenomenal. It’s slow in focussing, so not great for wildlife but, as a landscape shooter, I find it a great lightweight way of getting those telephoto shots of sand-dunes, seascapes, etc. And it’s dead sharp. I’ve just seen the 15-45 factory-refurbished from Fujifilm for £145. As part of a lightweight travel kit it’s a no-brainer. That plus the 50-230 and maybe a fast prime like the 50, 35 or 23 f/2 depending on what you like to shoot, and you’re covered with an incredibly lightweight and compact package. And if they succumb to the weather or general wear and tear because of the cheap build quality, replace them. They’re cheap enough!
Glad i found your channel. I've been trying to figure out what sort of mid-range zoom to go with when i buy back in to the Fuji line again. I had the 18-55 before, used it for a good bit of time, and was never that impressed with it. Good to see there may be light, cheap alternatives to the 16-55 f2.8.
Nice review. You confirm what others have seen, and myself. The 15-45 is surprisingly sharp, especially the lower half of its range. And, it only cost me $50 when I bought it with the X-T30. The two are a great combination for all day and travel carry. In its range, I also have the 35 1.4 for low light and ...for the fun of it. I have considered the 16 1.4 (too big), 16 2.8 (maybe someday?), and 14 2.8 (?), but every time I get the urge, I ask myself... what am I gaining? If I'm honest with myself, I know I will not see a significant difference. Plus I get a very sharp, extremely light-weight zoom. By the way, I may have missed it in your review, but you aren't limited to using the power zoom. I rarely use it. In camera, you can change the manual focus ring to be a zoom ring. I find it easier to use. Sure there are down-sides... plastic, no aperture ring, 'beginner lens' stereotype, but I can't deny it's a hidden gem.
Thank you very much for your time and comment I really appreciate it. And I am very sure you will enjoy the last video of this wide-angle series (it's a while away yet)
A lot of people don't even consider 15-45 as an option because it's an XC lens and uses power zoom. Yes, as you said, the lens is quirky. The power zoom mechanism is sometimes stuck or not responding on the first try even with the latest firmware. The zooming is noisy and slow. The build quality sucks, almost everything about the lens feels cheap, with IQ as the exception. The AF is fast enough for most needs, and pretty quiet also (if we use 35 1.4 as the comparison). Work your way with the quirks, and you're in for a treat.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Oh yeah, in the secondhand market that lens cost next to nothing (for Fujifilm standard, ofc). Completely agree with your comment on that lens, I own that lens and I have the same feeling.
This is one of the best reviews I've watched so far👏 XC lenses are definitely underrated! I'm planning to get the 15-45 but the only bothering thing I've heard about it is that it's noisy and slow and sometimes it even gets stucked while zooming. Does that annoy you much? Would love to hear what do you think about that 😬
Yes I'd agree with all of those flaws so would never use it as a working professional. It all just depends on if those flaws would bother you? And thank you!!
Well, It's decent if you are not planning to pan or move your camera while recording. For static shots it's okay. Even better if you pair it with a body w IBIS
I didn't think that you were biased at all, in fact I actually found that video very informative. I like your "straight to the point, cut out the crap" style of reviewing! definitely earned a sub, great vid!
Brilliant timing mate! I'm currently looking at both of these on eBay! Can't afford an 18-55, even 2nd hand, and regret selling the 15-45 that came with my camera!
Saving this info for a future video but if it helps with your buying decision the 16-50mm is a bit better at Astro Photography, but I'd choose the 15-45mm for just about everything else.
awesome review! thank you! i bought the xt200 with the 15-45mm lens as a starter. its not the best lens. but like you said its not an excuse. im looking at buying the 16-55mm lens as an alternative to get better shots. nonetheless, the 15-45mm lens is really good!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I think xs10 is a great camera but I just cant get over the looks of the XT lines, those cameras are beautiful. Still waiting for your video comparison before pulling the trigger..haha.
Thank you for this! After a year of looking and pondering and almost buying sony A series APSC... I'm making the move from mobile to (more serious? ) mirrorless. A package for the x-t200 with 15-45, card, bag and mini tripod for CAN $670 caught my budget minded attention. It hasn't arrived yet and I didn't realize the xc/xf difference until after placing my order. I had an oh shit moment and was thinking that I just bought a shitty body with a shitty lens. After watching this I feel like I'm still on the right track. My master plan is learn learn learn. Buy better used lenses as I see them then upgrade the body if I'm still having fun. Hopefully this plan works. Maybe the plan is shit. Your vids are great. I'm learning a ton about the fujifilm lens family. Perfect. Fast paced full of great info. Thanks again!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography my x-t200 with the 15-45mm has arrived and the learning curve has begun. I picked up a six month old xc 50-230mm for $275.00. I fully understand the deficiencies here but it is more capable than the user at this point. 😁 I feel like this is a great step away from my phone camera for a reasonable CAN $1000.00. The same gear with x-30 would set me back 2x that. I might have a tiny tinge of regret not having dedicated dials. The customization of the dials is limited. The least intuitive thing is when changing from aperture priority and shutter priority the dials switch up what they control. Anyway with à bit of muscle memory I should be able to get more efficient at finding what I'm looking for. Look forward to more of your videos.
The only thing that bothers me with the XC15-45 is that i have to wait for it to retract all the way from whatever position it was in whenever I wanted to review the images i took. Thing is, my camera will wait for it to fully retracts before even going to the playback. What a wacko design, it is the same case when I move out from playback and into shooting, not only I have to wait the lens to retract from rest position (again) , it doesn’t even go back to its last zoom position. Using it on X-T3. From what I read up this feature is reserved on some older and more beginner bodies.
Thanks for this video, I really enjoyed it! I have the X-S10 bundled with the 15-45 and it's pretty good for my purpose (travel, some landscape and street photography). I was considering selling the 15-45 and getting a used 18-55 but now having second thoughts because of your video.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Do you think the 18-55 would make a huge improvement in terms of low light photography over the 15-45? Or would it better if I pair a fast prime with my 15-45?
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Yes, but more in-depth, comparing center and edge sharpness at different apertures. And compare to more lenses in the same category, 10-24 and older 16-50.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography agreed but I don't earn my keep from photography. I love my 18mm but there are def moments when I wish it could go a little wider and or I had the flex of a zoom... that it seems good for video is a bonus!
Another great video, thanks! I’m after getting a used 15-45 for my X-T30 and i’m assuming if you did a 2, 3 or however many shot panorama AND focus stacked the results would be awesome? I suppose there might be complications with stitching but I have a nodal slide to help minimise that. How large a print do you think would be achievable with say a 3 shot focus stacked panorama? Thanks for your time Tom, looking forward to more videos!
Billboard No worries at all. After a certain size of printing you need to stand further back to take the whole image in. So with that technique there wouldn't be a limit to print size
Thank you for this review. I have 18 and 35mm f2 fixes with my xt30 and cheap 50-230 as a telephoto option. I really like the quality of fixes, but it would be great to use the one lightweight lens and to have OIS for video. In your opinion is it makes sense to try 15-45 or 14-50 instead? It's an inexpensive experiment, but anyway maybe you have an answer before I start. Thanks!
Thank you for the comment. I'm going to assume you meant the 16-50. And between the 16-50 and the 15-45 I would pick the 15-45, specially if video is the main intended use.
Great overview! At 6:40 I noticed there was NO flickering or hard stepping aperture recorrection. A lot of the more popular fugis and lenses have that problem, but it seems like in this footage there was no problem with that. From what you say in the video it seems like you don't zoom a lot while shooting video but do you notice that there's no flickering while you zoom while recording? That would kind of be a holy Grail feature for Fuji lenses and has me very interested
damn ! just ordered the 16-50 . Should have watched your video before I ordered. Anyway ,I'll do mostly lowlight landscapes ,street and family portraits. will I be disappointed with the results ? And can I get any bokeh with this lens ? Anyway ,great review 👍👍
Sorry I was thinking of the wrong lens with my previous comment (deleted). For lowlight landscapes it's fine just always use a tripod (my advice for all lenses) and no I don't think you'll be disappointed with the results specially for how much of a bargain the lens is.
That will take too long to explain here sorry but that video isn't far away. And after that I plan to do some astro photos with what ever works out to be the worst astro lens just to prove they can all get great results.
I firmly believe the 15-45mm is not only good for general shooting and landscape. So much so that, for my beloved street photography, in my quest to go much lighter by moving from large DSLRs into mirrorless, I've just acquired my first (secondhand) Fufifilm body (X-T20) and this lens to go along with it, because, IMO, it is a perfect match for SP, due to: -My use of that old and tried technique by street photogs, which is using mostly f/5.6 or f/8 for aperture value, in order to make that DOF as wide as possible and minimize missing shots of passerbys, mostly; - Image stabilization; -Most importantly, it is by the lightes zoom for the x-mount one can put their hands on. And go street shooting light, IMHO, is waay more important to not losing that coveted 'decisive moment' than any pixel peeping one may do at home is!
It does depend on your personal standard, but if you find you're not having much luck with the XC lenses, try and borrow a 16mm f/1.4 for a little white, set that lens around f2.8-11 and I'm sure it'll please
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I had also the 18-55 before. I love to travel light and the 18-55 was already to heavy. Also choose the XC35f2 instead of the XF35f2. Thinking of replacing my Viltrox 23mm f1.4 with the Fuji 23mmf2 for more weight reduction
The change of sides of the two lenses is a bit irritating. Furthermore, the sound is in urgent need of optimization. Otherwise, the presentation is pleasing. Thank you.
the main difference between the 16-50 OIS and 16-50 OIS II is in autofocus performance/tracking and image stabilization. apparently the close focus motor goes a little closer too, but the image quality should be identical outside of those parameters.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography haha well whats the best solution then? the 10-24mm has warpy stuff at 10mm, maybe the rokinon 12 but than manual focus. maybe the 14mm who knows.
Exactly the review I was looking for👍🏾 Thanks! By the way is still the xc15-45 going to 15mm when you turn off the camera? Or after the firmware update it remembers its last position? Thanks a lot
Older Fujifilm bodies (X-M1, X-E1, X-T10 ...) do not remember the last position and - worsely - they retract the lens completely, even when you just want to control your last shot. You loose a lot of time, while zoom and battery have to work constantly. You cannot fix it with newer firmware. The X-T20 i.e. (or all newer Fujis) avoid this silly behavior. If the focal length would be shown in the display, it could be a very stunning little lens (I don't know the newest bodies).
Both lenses are much better than the standard kit lenses from Canon or Nikon. I’ve an image taken with an X-A1 and the 15-45mm printed on 50x60 cm (20x24 inch) and the sharpness is superb. Not as sharp as my XF 1.2 or 1.4 lenses or Fujicrons, but still amazing.
I have XA 10 with 16-50mm 3.5-5.6 lens. I like travelling with my family and like to take candid and landscape picture. Is this lens recommended for me to have? Or maybe you can suggest other budget lens. Thank you
Great review. I'm thinking of buying the Fuji x t30 with a 15 - 45mm lens for landscape work. Would this be good for photographing larger paintings? Like about A2 & larger? With normal point & shoots I have to stand back quite a bit in order to fit the whole painting in.
Hi great review! I’m a uni student in the UK and I am interested in mirrorless cameras due to the compactness yet good image quality. I have chosen the Fuji XT20 and was wondering which kit lens I should get. I can only get one ATM. The 15-45 or the 16-55? I want something compact as I would be travelling a lot (I am an international student) and would like to take photos of landscapes and scenery on trips. I do like hiking and taking photos of the jungle, rivers and waterfalls. Which lens would be better? With the situation we are in now, I can’t go out to test the cameras so your advice would be amazing!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography thank you for the quick reply! Currently watching your astrophotography video, hopefully the 15-45 does pretty well for stars. It's not a deal-breaker but it would be nice to be able to shoot some stars :)
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography just saw it! It's more than good enough. Probably just going to use it for my social media postings now. This would be my first camera and lens so I'm just starting to understand photography :)
hi thanks for the great review. I am planning to upgrade from XT100. I have a XC 15-45 lense, which i received as a kit. In my budget either i can get a XT 3 with 18-55 or XT4 body only and can use my existing 15-45 with it. Please help what should be the right choice.
If go for the cheapest option then as I think a upgraded zoom lens in the future for the wildlife would be more beneficial than swapping the 15-45 for the 18-55. In fact for street I think I’d rather have the 15-45
Great video, I just ordered an X-T2 with the XC 16-50mm and was starting to wonder if I should have spent the extra money on the XF 18-55mm but now I'm thinking it'll be fine. I'll mostly be using the camera for RUclips tech reviews/PC building and general family photos/videos. Your video was really helpful, thanks!
If I remember correctly OIS stabilisers all motion (up, down & left, right) Where OIS II only does up,down So if you are Photographing birds or sports and moving the camera left and right while panning with a subject the later is better.
Fuji really need more/better wide lenses! - The Samyang 12mm F2 is probably the best wide angle lens for Fuji, just a shame it is manual focus and colours don't look "Fuji". - I want a 15-45mm XF/2.8-4 lens :P
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography with not lens marking the only way I can find to show if you 15, 23, 35 or 45 is to read the exit data. On the xf lenses it’s marked so you know what you are shooting at. Great lens for the money though and congratulations on your channel it’s very, very good.
Ohhhh sorry yes I’m with you, being at exactly 23mm isn’t required for perfect sharpness, close enough is good enough. When I used i just took guesses about the mm range and looking at the exif later it wasn’t hard to get good at judging it. And thank you, I really appreciate the support
This is the second good review of the 15-45 I’ve seen recently. To be honest, I’ve never even considered XC lenses but maybe I should. This guy uses it for anamorphic video ruclips.net/video/pnewlxWob-Q/видео.html .
2:47 - LOL, are you kidding me? This is no "looseness", just the image stabilization mechanism. Attach the lens to the camera and turn the camera on - try to shake it now. Surprised? :P Christ, all these internet "experts"...
Yeah because I really dwelled on that point hahah, it was mentioned for all of a few seconds in a 10+ minute review. And the reason to bring it up is because compared to all other lenses these rattle far more (I’m guessing you haven’t held many lenses to be so passionate about this point) and I get lots of comments from people concerned about lens rattle. Mentioning that it has a rattle is all that is needed to set one’s expectations for this and not have them concerned that theirs is faulty. I do apologise for not going into full detail about this for you and for it causing you such stress and grief. It’s hard to please all these “keyboard warriors”
XC 15-45mm is really amazing lens by its optical performance, but motorized zoom has some disadvantages like increased camera startup time (approx by 0.5-0.7sec longer than usual) and decreased battery life (drains power pretty significantly when you zoom or turn on/off your camera very often).
I treat my 15-45 as a fixed wide angle 15mm F3.5 and so far served me well for landscape and exterior shot
Why has this video only got 73 likes at the time of posting? This is the best review I've seen on these kit lenses, showing how to work around their (price) limitations. I was window shopping for a "better" lens, but instead I think I will just practice more with my 15-45 instead to see if I can get better images out of it. Thanks!
Hahaha that's a very good question Nick, I'd like to know why as well 😄😄.
Cheers man and best of luck.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography
Quick question though: On the 15-45 how can you tell when its a 23-30mm as it doesn't show mm - at least not on my XT100 it doesn't. Is that a camera limitation or a lens one?
That's a lens one.
I worked it out from the meta data.
but as it is a power zoom I think you'll get 3 zoom little clicks even from the smallest amount of movement.
And I'm very sore the first one is 23mm.
The 16-50mm OIS II version is excelent value. I use it a lot as a pseudo macro at F7 and it's fantastic for the price.
15-45 is absolutely a beast for what it is. To me it is better than the 18-55 because a) cheaper as a kit lens, b) smaller lighter and wider. Since both are not WR it doesn't matter.
It is a beast for what it is you’re right
Nice video. A couple of remarks though - the Fuji 27mm pancake (both versions) is lighter in weight than either the 18mm f2 or 15-45. The rattling sound when the lenses are shaken comes from the OIS mechanism.
Kia ora Tom. Great to see somebody reviewing the 'lower' end of the market with such enthusiasm! I am a 'serious' landscape photographer - on a tight budget - and my digital kit consists of the Fuji X-E2, 16-50 XC and 50-230 XC lenses. I love the images I get out of the 16-50mm for landscapes, at the wide end, from the f5.6 to f11 aperture range. As you said, it's about knowing, and working with, your gear and its 'limitations'. When I shot Canon I reviewed and compared the 18-55mm 'kit' lens with the 17-40mm f4 'L' at 10 times the price - and was surprised at how well the kit lens compared (at 18mm). As you said in your review, what you're really paying for is build quality and weather sealing - there's really not that big a jump in IQ nowadays with these computer designed optics. I've never felt 'limited' by the XC lenses, and the results I get from my system are stunningly good. The thought of spending $3,500NZ on a 8-16mm lens almost makes me feel physically sick! The next Fuji lens I'm most excited about getting my hands on is the 35mm f2 XC... Keep up the great work on the videos. I know how time consuming they can be. Have subscribed...
Thank you very much, don't get me wrong the 8-16mm is a fantastic lens, but with enough knowledge even the cheapest of lenses can totally kick ass.
Cheers for the sub
tb- photography I totally get where you’re coming from. And agree. Of course the 8-16mm is a great lens. But is it $3000 better would be my question (that I ask myself)? Great to see someone giving them some serious consideration.
The simple answer is no, it's not worth the extra BUT it does do some things in certain situations that other lens just can't do.
And if you making a living from Photography being able to do those very particular things can make the 8-16mm very much worth it.
Thank you... This video helped me decide to keep my XC 15-45. I almost traded it for a XF 18-55 f2.8-4 and pay around $250-300 difference.
Don't get me wrong the 18-55 has some advantages, and the 15-45 feels like cheap crap, but yeah it is fantasticly sharp
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography yes, for the price (i got it bundled with my xt30 last yr during a sale for additional $50) def a keeper!
Hypothetically, if they could get the 16-55 f/2.8 into the body and lightness of the 15-45, I dare that that would be the greatest lense ever. BUT, I don't live in a fantasy world too often, so with that being said thanks again for another great review on two lenes. I'll definitely pick up the 15-45 sometime this year since as you said the price is so darn cheap most of the time. I'm eating some tikka masala at the moment, so I'm gonna get back to that, but I hope you're enjoying whatever weekend you still have left and looking forward to those "getting the best with the worst" videos in the future. Also, it's channels like yours and the Fuji community that really makes me love these cameras and photography even more than I already do.
Thank you! It's comments like that, that make me love doing this so much.
Nothing makes me happier than hearing about a quality curry (I'm a huge foodie) and a home cooked Tikka Masala is one of my favorite dishes to create, I hope yours is delicious.
All the best!
I don’t think you’ve been harsh at all, just realistic. I like the way you’ve focussed on how these tools (for that’s what they are) perform at their best. Too many reviews nit-pick about the negatives of what are, after all, very cheap lenses without considering the benefits in balance.
I think the XC lenses do suffer from “gear snobbery”, being seen as cheap consumer lenses for beginners. I have the XC50-230 and it’s phenomenal. It’s slow in focussing, so not great for wildlife but, as a landscape shooter, I find it a great lightweight way of getting those telephoto shots of sand-dunes, seascapes, etc. And it’s dead sharp.
I’ve just seen the 15-45 factory-refurbished from Fujifilm for £145. As part of a lightweight travel kit it’s a no-brainer. That plus the 50-230 and maybe a fast prime like the 50, 35 or 23 f/2 depending on what you like to shoot, and you’re covered with an incredibly lightweight and compact package. And if they succumb to the weather or general wear and tear because of the cheap build quality, replace them. They’re cheap enough!
Or even if you just need to take a dangerous (for your camera) shot, there a lot of advantages to have very cheap gear with great optics
Glad i found your channel. I've been trying to figure out what sort of mid-range zoom to go with when i buy back in to the Fuji line again. I had the 18-55 before, used it for a good bit of time, and was never that impressed with it. Good to see there may be light, cheap alternatives to the 16-55 f2.8.
Happy to have helped
You are wonderful, love to hear your cool accent. Cristopher Frost was my favorite reviewer, you are taking that place now.
Thank you kindly 😊
Nice review. You confirm what others have seen, and myself. The 15-45 is surprisingly sharp, especially the lower half of its range. And, it only cost me $50 when I bought it with the X-T30. The two are a great combination for all day and travel carry. In its range, I also have the 35 1.4 for low light and ...for the fun of it. I have considered the 16 1.4 (too big), 16 2.8 (maybe someday?), and 14 2.8 (?), but every time I get the urge, I ask myself... what am I gaining? If I'm honest with myself, I know I will not see a significant difference. Plus I get a very sharp, extremely light-weight zoom. By the way, I may have missed it in your review, but you aren't limited to using the power zoom. I rarely use it. In camera, you can change the manual focus ring to be a zoom ring. I find it easier to use. Sure there are down-sides... plastic, no aperture ring, 'beginner lens' stereotype, but I can't deny it's a hidden gem.
Thank you very much for your time and comment I really appreciate it.
And I am very sure you will enjoy the last video of this wide-angle series (it's a while away yet)
A lot of people don't even consider 15-45 as an option because it's an XC lens and uses power zoom. Yes, as you said, the lens is quirky. The power zoom mechanism is sometimes stuck or not responding on the first try even with the latest firmware. The zooming is noisy and slow. The build quality sucks, almost everything about the lens feels cheap, with IQ as the exception. The AF is fast enough for most needs, and pretty quiet also (if we use 35 1.4 as the comparison). Work your way with the quirks, and you're in for a treat.
And it’s price!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Oh yeah, in the secondhand market that lens cost next to nothing (for Fujifilm standard, ofc). Completely agree with your comment on that lens, I own that lens and I have the same feeling.
This is one of the best reviews I've watched so far👏 XC lenses are definitely underrated! I'm planning to get the 15-45 but the only bothering thing I've heard about it is that it's noisy and slow and sometimes it even gets stucked while zooming. Does that annoy you much? Would love to hear what do you think about that 😬
Yes I'd agree with all of those flaws so would never use it as a working professional. It all just depends on if those flaws would bother you?
And thank you!!
Nice one sir. That 15-45 has been tempting me as I’m lacking an OIS lens for video stuff.
As far as video goes I didn't get it a huge test but what I did was really surprisingly impressive
Well, It's decent if you are not planning to pan or move your camera while recording. For static shots it's okay. Even better if you pair it with a body w IBIS
That photo at 0.34😍
Great stuff. I got the 15-45 as a bundle kit with X-S10 just because it's cheap. I didn't know it's this good.
Hidden gem man, it's a absolute secret weapon.
I didn't think that you were biased at all, in fact I actually found that video very informative. I like your "straight to the point, cut out the crap" style of reviewing! definitely earned a sub, great vid!
Thank you! I really appreciate the support
Perfect.. Boss you should do more of these reviews..
Thanks Tom, another informative review. Appreciate your work. Informative and helpful. Keep these lens reviews coming 😊
Thank you! I really appreciate the small amount of time for the support and comment. Everyone helps.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography your welcome Tom. With your expertise and knowledge, and with access to lenses. You can make it happen.
Fingers crossed man
Brilliant timing mate! I'm currently looking at both of these on eBay! Can't afford an 18-55, even 2nd hand, and regret selling the 15-45 that came with my camera!
Saving this info for a future video but if it helps with your buying decision the 16-50mm is a bit better at Astro Photography, but I'd choose the 15-45mm for just about everything else.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I go to bed early so astro not my thing! Thanks for the reply!
15-45 on it's way. Cheers from England!
Congrats, awesome choice
awesome review! thank you! i bought the xt200 with the 15-45mm lens as a starter. its not the best lens. but like you said its not an excuse. im looking at buying the 16-55mm lens as an alternative to get better shots. nonetheless, the 15-45mm lens is really good!
Yeah I think bang for buck it’s the best first lens to get
The rattling sound from the lenses comes from image stabilisation. It’s the same with every lens brand.
On that lens in particular it is very easy to achieve that rattle and much worse than most other IS lenses.
Xs10 + 15-45 i think is the starter kit, and budget friendly too!
And while the 15-45 does have some flaws, I blood love that lens so much.
That's a awesome budget combo.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I think xs10 is a great camera but I just cant get over the looks of the XT lines, those cameras are beautiful. Still waiting for your video comparison before pulling the trigger..haha.
Filming it as we speak, hope you enjoy it.
Excellent review, thanks.
New sub from Scotland. Great channel..... you deserve way more subs.
Thank you!
i was looking for a good rev of this lens. cheap yet sharp for all around use.. thanks much! done subs ✅
No worries at all, and cheers I appreciate it.
Thank you for this! After a year of looking and pondering and almost buying sony A series APSC... I'm making the move from mobile to (more serious? ) mirrorless. A package for the x-t200 with 15-45, card, bag and mini tripod for CAN $670 caught my budget minded attention. It hasn't arrived yet and I didn't realize the xc/xf difference until after placing my order. I had an oh shit moment and was thinking that I just bought a shitty body with a shitty lens. After watching this I feel like I'm still on the right track. My master plan is learn learn learn. Buy better used lenses as I see them then upgrade the body if I'm still having fun. Hopefully this plan works. Maybe the plan is shit.
Your vids are great. I'm learning a ton about the fujifilm lens family. Perfect. Fast paced full of great info. Thanks again!
Thanks like a awesome plan to me man, thank you very much for the words of support and if ya ever have any questions please sing out.
All the best.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography my x-t200 with the 15-45mm has arrived and the learning curve has begun. I picked up a six month old xc 50-230mm for $275.00. I fully understand the deficiencies here but it is more capable than the user at this point. 😁 I feel like this is a great step away from my phone camera for a reasonable CAN $1000.00. The same gear with x-30 would set me back 2x that.
I might have a tiny tinge of regret not having dedicated dials. The customization of the dials is limited. The least intuitive thing is when changing from aperture priority and shutter priority the dials switch up what they control. Anyway with à bit of muscle memory I should be able to get more efficient at finding what I'm looking for.
Look forward to more of your videos.
Congrats and welcome to the Fuji club.
That's a awesome value for money little kit you have there man, congratulations.
The only thing that bothers me with the XC15-45 is that i have to wait for it to retract all the way from whatever position it was in whenever I wanted to review the images i took. Thing is, my camera will wait for it to fully retracts before even going to the playback. What a wacko design, it is the same case when I move out from playback and into shooting, not only I have to wait the lens to retract from rest position (again) , it doesn’t even go back to its last zoom position. Using it on X-T3. From what I read up this feature is reserved on some older and more beginner bodies.
Thanks for this video, I really enjoyed it! I have the X-S10 bundled with the 15-45 and it's pretty good for my purpose (travel, some landscape and street photography). I was considering selling the 15-45 and getting a used 18-55 but now having second thoughts because of your video.
The 18-55 has a lot of advanced as well, but yeah I’d keep the 15-45 forever
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Do you think the 18-55 would make a huge improvement in terms of low light photography over the 15-45? Or would it better if I pair a fast prime with my 15-45?
Much better to have a good prime
Excellent video. In future videos, please include more one-on-one Lightroom image comparisons.
Like the 15-45 vs the 8-16 comparision from this video?
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Yes, but more in-depth, comparing center and edge sharpness at different apertures. And compare to more lenses in the same category, 10-24 and older 16-50.
I've been lusting for a 10-24 since I bought into Fuji but just can't justify the purchase. That 15-45 may be the answer...
The 15-45 is a fantastic lens.
But there is a big difference between 10mm and 15mm as far as the feel and look of the image go
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography agreed but I don't earn my keep from photography. I love my 18mm but there are def moments when I wish it could go a little wider and or I had the flex of a zoom... that it seems good for video is a bonus!
A cheat lens! Get it before fuji rebadges it as an XF!! :)
Another great video, thanks!
I’m after getting a used 15-45 for my X-T30 and i’m assuming if you did a 2, 3 or however many shot panorama AND focus stacked the results would be awesome? I suppose there might be complications with stitching but I have a nodal slide to help minimise that.
How large a print do you think would be achievable with say a 3 shot focus stacked panorama?
Thanks for your time Tom, looking forward to more videos!
Billboard
No worries at all.
After a certain size of printing you need to stand further back to take the whole image in.
So with that technique there wouldn't be a limit to print size
Great review. Subscribed
Thank you for this review.
I have 18 and 35mm f2 fixes with my xt30 and cheap 50-230 as a telephoto option.
I really like the quality of fixes, but it would be great to use the one lightweight lens and to have OIS for video.
In your opinion is it makes sense to try 15-45 or 14-50 instead? It's an inexpensive experiment, but anyway maybe you have an answer before I start. Thanks!
Thank you for the comment.
I'm going to assume you meant the 16-50.
And between the 16-50 and the 15-45 I would pick the 15-45, specially if video is the main intended use.
Great overview! At 6:40 I noticed there was NO flickering or hard stepping aperture recorrection. A lot of the more popular fugis and lenses have that problem, but it seems like in this footage there was no problem with that. From what you say in the video it seems like you don't zoom a lot while shooting video but do you notice that there's no flickering while you zoom while recording? That would kind of be a holy Grail feature for Fuji lenses and has me very interested
Brilliant information.
damn ! just ordered the 16-50 . Should have watched your video before I ordered. Anyway ,I'll do mostly lowlight landscapes ,street and family portraits. will I be disappointed with the results ? And can I get any bokeh with this lens ? Anyway ,great review 👍👍
Sorry I was thinking of the wrong lens with my previous comment (deleted).
For lowlight landscapes it's fine just always use a tripod (my advice for all lenses) and no I don't think you'll be disappointed with the results specially for how much of a bargain the lens is.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Thanks . I just ordered the 35mm f2 . I hope I'll love the combo
The 35mm f/2 is fantastic as well, I'm sure you'll love it.
No.. You won't.. I Hav 16-50 coupled with xt20.. And it's beauty.. I did owned 10-24 but let go it becus this little champ did good job..
Great review as usual, what would be the problem with the 15-45mm for Astro?
That will take too long to explain here sorry but that video isn't far away.
And after that I plan to do some astro photos with what ever works out to be the worst astro lens just to prove they can all get great results.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Great, looking forward to it.
A LOT of work is going into the Astro video, I'm confident it will be great
I firmly believe the 15-45mm is not only good for general shooting and landscape. So much so that, for my beloved street photography, in my quest to go much lighter by moving from large DSLRs into mirrorless, I've just acquired my first (secondhand) Fufifilm body (X-T20) and this lens to go along with it, because, IMO, it is a perfect match for SP, due to:
-My use of that old and tried technique by street photogs, which is using mostly f/5.6 or f/8 for aperture value, in order to make that DOF as wide as possible and minimize missing shots of passerbys, mostly;
- Image stabilization;
-Most importantly, it is by the lightes zoom for the x-mount one can put their hands on. And go street shooting light, IMHO, is waay more important to not losing that coveted 'decisive moment' than any pixel peeping one may do at home is!
Thank you
Sold my 15-45 again because the corners were horrible in landscape pics. Bought a 16-50 now.
It does depend on your personal standard, but if you find you're not having much luck with the XC lenses, try and borrow a 16mm f/1.4 for a little white, set that lens around f2.8-11 and I'm sure it'll please
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I had also the 18-55 before. I love to travel light and the 18-55 was already to heavy. Also choose the XC35f2 instead of the XF35f2. Thinking of replacing my Viltrox 23mm f1.4 with the Fuji 23mmf2 for more weight reduction
What camera are you using?
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography X-T30
That's some very lite combos, I love that you're focusing on weight, it's a nice challenge and keeps the bank account in check as well
The change of sides of the two lenses is a bit irritating. Furthermore, the sound is in urgent need of optimization. Otherwise, the presentation is pleasing. Thank you.
I noticed you compared with the 16-50 OIS instead of the updated OIS 2 version of the same lens. Is there any difference?
the main difference between the 16-50 OIS and 16-50 OIS II is in autofocus performance/tracking and image stabilization. apparently the close focus motor goes a little closer too, but the image quality should be identical outside of those parameters.
keep making great content!
Thank you!
Nice sir. 23f2 and 35f2, please.
Is the 15-45 the best vlog lens? Maybe. The 18-55 is a little too close to the face for vlogs and the 16 2.8 while better costs more.
If walking and walking I find even 15mm to close for my tastes and always use the 10-24mm.
But yes for it's price the 15-45 is AMAZING!
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography haha well whats the best solution then? the 10-24mm has warpy stuff at 10mm, maybe the rokinon 12 but than manual focus. maybe the 14mm who knows.
Exactly the review I was looking for👍🏾 Thanks! By the way is still the xc15-45 going to 15mm when you turn off the camera? Or after the firmware update it remembers its last position? Thanks a lot
I'm not sure sorry, my guess would be back to 15mm still.
I read in another review that it remembers the last focal length and goes back to that value when you turn on the camera again.
Older Fujifilm bodies (X-M1, X-E1, X-T10 ...) do not remember the last position and - worsely - they retract the lens completely, even when you just want to control your last shot. You loose a lot of time, while zoom and battery have to work constantly. You cannot fix it with newer firmware.
The X-T20 i.e. (or all newer Fujis) avoid this silly behavior.
If the focal length would be shown in the display, it could be a very stunning little lens (I don't know the newest bodies).
Please make a video xc 16-50 vs xf 16-80 lens ❤️❤️❤️👍 in new xs 10 camera & share video & footage.
If I do I'll most likely add the 18-55 and 15-45mm lenses to the mix, to include all the kit lenses
Both lenses are much better than the standard kit lenses from Canon or Nikon. I’ve an image taken with an X-A1 and the 15-45mm printed on 50x60 cm (20x24 inch) and the sharpness is superb. Not as sharp as my XF 1.2 or 1.4 lenses or Fujicrons, but still amazing.
Couldn't agree more with you.
And cheers for the comment.
I have XA 10 with 16-50mm 3.5-5.6 lens. I like travelling with my family and like to take candid and landscape picture. Is this lens recommended for me to have? Or maybe you can suggest other budget lens. Thank you
I personally like the 15-45 better, but would only swap if it cost you nothing/very little.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography thank you
What would you recommend between fujifilm-xc-16-50mm-f3-5-5-6-ois-ii and Fujifilm 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 O.I.S. XC.For landscape stills.Thank you.
The 15-45mm very comfortably
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Thank you so much.
Great review. I'm thinking of buying the Fuji x t30 with a 15 - 45mm lens for landscape work. Would this be good for photographing larger paintings? Like about A2 & larger? With normal point & shoots I have to stand back quite a bit in order to fit the whole painting in.
It should be pretty comfortable I think
Hi great review! I’m a uni student in the UK and I am interested in mirrorless cameras due to the compactness yet good image quality. I have chosen the Fuji XT20 and was wondering which kit lens I should get. I can only get one ATM. The 15-45 or the 16-55? I want something compact as I would be travelling a lot (I am an international student) and would like to take photos of landscapes and scenery on trips. I do like hiking and taking photos of the jungle, rivers and waterfalls. Which lens would be better? With the situation we are in now, I can’t go out to test the cameras so your advice would be amazing!
Very easy, the 15-45mm.
It won't take a beating so be careful with it, but it is fantasticly sharp.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography thank you for the quick reply! Currently watching your astrophotography video, hopefully the 15-45 does pretty well for stars. It's not a deal-breaker but it would be nice to be able to shoot some stars :)
It's not near the top of the list, but the image shown at the time it's mentioned was taken with that lens, and I think it's more than good enough
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography just saw it! It's more than good enough. Probably just going to use it for my social media postings now. This would be my first camera and lens so I'm just starting to understand photography :)
I am excited for you and wish you all the best.
hi thanks for the great review. I am planning to upgrade from XT100. I have a XC 15-45 lense, which i received as a kit.
In my budget either i can get a XT 3 with 18-55 or XT4 body only and can use my existing 15-45 with it. Please help what should be the right choice.
What do like to shoot?
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography i love to shoot wildlife and street. I have a XC 50-230 also which i will retain for now.
If go for the cheapest option then as I think a upgraded zoom lens in the future for the wildlife would be more beneficial than swapping the 15-45 for the 18-55.
In fact for street I think I’d rather have the 15-45
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography thanks so XT 4 body is a better deal?
I think so
Great video, I just ordered an X-T2 with the XC 16-50mm and was starting to wonder if I should have spent the extra money on the XF 18-55mm but now I'm thinking it'll be fine.
I'll mostly be using the camera for RUclips tech reviews/PC building and general family photos/videos.
Your video was really helpful, thanks!
No worries at all, just because other lenses are better at certain things, doesn't make a lens bad.
Hope you love it.
Nice review, Can you do the 50-230mm?
I will but it won't be for a while yet sorry.
What type XC 16-50 you use on this video. OIS or OSS II?
If I remember correctly OIS stabilisers all motion (up, down & left, right)
Where OIS II only does up,down
So if you are Photographing birds or sports and moving the camera left and right while panning with a subject the later is better.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography You typed "loving the camera"
Hahahaha cheers, I've fixed that now
Cheap Lenses are like tic tacs, you can go through them and they only a few bucks...
Hahahahaha perfect saying bro
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography ahahaha isn't it just! cheap lenses still make great pictures with a good photographer, it's never the gear only the user
I very much plan to do a "getting the best with the worst" kinda series after I've tested all these lenses.
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I'm excited for that bro! damn your smashing the content! Whoop Whoop! I'm loving this!
Hahaha cheers buddy
Fuji really need more/better wide lenses! - The Samyang 12mm F2 is probably the best wide angle lens for Fuji, just a shame it is manual focus and colours don't look "Fuji". - I want a 15-45mm XF/2.8-4 lens :P
Is 15-45 mm lens have stabilization?
Yes
If only it was easier to tell you are shooting at 23mm with the 15-45.
I’m not 100% sure what your trying to imply or say sorry
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography with not lens marking the only way I can find to show if you 15, 23, 35 or 45 is to read the exit data. On the xf lenses it’s marked so you know what you are shooting at. Great lens for the money though and congratulations on your channel it’s very, very good.
Ohhhh sorry yes I’m with you, being at exactly 23mm isn’t required for perfect sharpness, close enough is good enough.
When I used i just took guesses about the mm range and looking at the exif later it wasn’t hard to get good at judging it.
And thank you, I really appreciate the support
@@ThomasBusbyPhotography it is genuine support, few people put the work and come across as well as you do. Keep it up and stay safe mate
The 16-50 having OIS...
This is the second good review of the 15-45 I’ve seen recently. To be honest, I’ve never even considered XC lenses but maybe I should. This guy uses it for anamorphic video ruclips.net/video/pnewlxWob-Q/видео.html .
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Pay for YT premium
2:47 - LOL, are you kidding me? This is no "looseness", just the image stabilization mechanism. Attach the lens to the camera and turn the camera on - try to shake it now. Surprised? :P Christ, all these internet "experts"...
Yeah because I really dwelled on that point hahah, it was mentioned for all of a few seconds in a 10+ minute review.
And the reason to bring it up is because compared to all other lenses these rattle far more (I’m guessing you haven’t held many lenses to be so passionate about this point) and I get lots of comments from people concerned about lens rattle.
Mentioning that it has a rattle is all that is needed to set one’s expectations for this and not have them concerned that theirs is faulty. I do apologise for not going into full detail about this for you and for it causing you such stress and grief. It’s hard to please all these “keyboard warriors”
no sample, no like.
Excellent review! Thanks.