Fuji Fuji X-E1 : 18-55mm a must buy ?

asterinex

Regular
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Hi Guys,

Currently I own an Olympus E-P1. The camera is getting old and I need something new.
I almost only use legacy glass.
Now have an eye on the X-E1.
I have two opportunities :
1) a second hand X-E1 for 700 euros(with warranty)
2) a brand new X-E1 with Kitlens 18-55mm for 1200 euros.

How good is the kitlens ? Is it a must have or better buy to body and save for a good prime ?

Thx,
Gert
 
the kit lens is AMAZING. It's not even fair to call it a kit lens. Can you find a used zoom lens for less than 500 Euros would be my question. If you can't, I'd buy the new one. I think you'll love it.
 
I just got my XE1 kit and already have the 60mm, 35mm and 18mm. I'm pleasantly surprised by the kit zoom, it's very good indeed and at least in the UK, is very good value when bought in kit form. I guess it all depends on what you want to shoot. The 35mm 1.4 is said to be the best lens and retails at around £429 here.
 
Thx! I'm more a prime and legacy shooter, but a high quality versatile zoomlens can come in handy at some occasions.

@
Christilou. Is the kitlens comparable (sharpness, overall quality) to the the primes you have ?
 
I think it's plenty sharp, I love the 35mm though for it's ability to blur the background but again, depends what you want to shoot. I'm not sure how much I'll use the kit lens but only because I have the other lenses.
 
Hey All,

I have the xe-1 and the kit lens and I have used it for around a month now. The combo is still better than me but I luv it - after over two years of shopping and not buying Fuji got it 90% right and has a great path to the future. I right now don't think you will be disappointed and I can't wait until the 10-24 comes out and then the 55-200 and then I'll look at a portrait length/macro combo lens. Maybe they have it already. I am a zoom guy as I compose using a zoom when I can't zoom with my feet. I think the next generation XE-2 body will be phenomenal meanwhile I know the old adage is true - when you invest in a "system" you are really investing in glass (lenses) be happy with the lenses first then look at the body. From what I have seen the Fuji lenses are simply a "cut above" and as long as the body does what I want and I'm happy with the ergonomics - I'm in.

-Ed-
 
Thx for interesting response.

Well, I have a few very good primes. In the 35m range , I have a Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm f2.0 (know as Hollywood) and the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f2.8. Both very sharp with nice bokeh. Ofcourse no AF.

Maybe I could try it with the kitlens and my legacy primes and see what happens.
 
Well, nothing short of a pulse or breathing is a must have. But if you want to cover a range of focal lengths without doling out for the 18mm and/or 35mm (as good as the 35mm apparently is), the 18-55 is more than workmanlike, astonishingly good for what is dismissively called the "kit lens". In fact, instead of getting more lenses I got the X100S (Lol, now I rarely use the X-E1/18-55 combo!........but I will. I am just in thrall of the X100S)
 
Well, nothing short of a pulse or breathing is a must have. But if you want to cover a range of focal lengths without doling out for the 18mm and/or 35mm (as good as the 35mm apparently is), the 18-55 is more than workmanlike, astonishingly good for what is dismissively called the "kit lens". In fact, instead of getting more lenses I got the X100S (Lol, now I rarely use the X-E1/18-55 combo!........but I will. I am just in thrall of the X100S)
Is the output of 100s with new processor better dan the X-E1 ?
 
Better? Probably different rather than better, especially with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.


But, I think if I had got the x100s first, maybe I would not have got the X-E1
 
Can I conclude that the 18-55mm is a must have?:)
I think you can conclude that for a zoom lens in this range, it's a very very good lens, well beyond the typical "kit" lens. Whether its a must have is totally down to whether you want a zoom lens in this range. I have an X-Pro which I bought as much for the hybrid viewfinder as anything else and I really don't have a desire for a zoom of any sort (other than the ultra-wide that's coming, but if I could get a prime at the 10mm wide end of that range, I'd likely prefer that). I really don't enjoy shooting with zooms and I already have one for that very rare occasion when nothing else will do in my m43 gear. So, for me, not even remotely a must have - pretty much a don't even want. But it's clearly a great lens, pretty much incredible for what it is. So if what it is is what you want, you should clearly go for it! Does that make it a must have?

-Ray
 
I finally pulled the trigger. I just ordered the X-E1 with 18-55mm 'kitlens' for 1200 euros. The body alone would cost 860 euros. So it is a nobrainer to add the kitlens which costs seperately 650 euro. That's the main reason why included the lens.


Normally you pay 1399 euros for the kit but if you search very good, you here and there find cheaper ones. If someone is wondering where I bought it for 1.200 Euros in Belgium, please PM me.

Ray Sachs, I think you are right. It all depends what you want to do with it. I'm a prime shooter too. That's why invested a lot in legacy glass. So when I switch systems I'm always ready to shoot with high quality lenses.

This Fuji zoomlens must be so sharp that some even say it can replace all fuji primes.
I'm going to use the zoomlens for travel and movies and for my wife which can't handle manual focus legacy lenses.
For portrait en low light work I will use one of my many primes.
 
I just noticed that through the on-line greymarket retailers, the price of an X-E1 + 18-55mm kit just dropped down below $AUS1000 for the first time. If the launch price had been closer to this figure than the ~$1400 that it was I would probably have one more camera and be $1000 poorer right now. Thank goodness for early adopter's tax giving you more time to decide to decide whether you REALLY, REALLY want something or not :)
 
Back
Top