The Zoom Lens that replaced my Prime Lenses

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The Gear Overload

During a one-month trip across Asia, I found myself carrying quite a lot of equipment:

• X-E4 with my main prime lenses (50mm and 75mm equivalent)

• Ricoh GR III for the 28mm

• Panasonic Lumix G80 for more cinematic footage

It worked, but it wasn’t sustainable.

Thailand at 30°C with 90% humidity is not exactly the easiest environment to deal with when you’re carrying all that weight from morning to night.

On top of that, there’s a practical limitation.

I live in Europe, and I’m lucky enough to find very cheap flights between cities. Sometimes even under €60 round trip. But that’s only possible if you travel with carry-on luggage.

Adding a checked bag often costs around €30… which is basically another trip.

So everything, both gear and clothes, has to fit into a single backpack.

With that setup? Impossible.

The need for a “One Man Army”

I needed a camera that could do it all.

• IBIS (which the X-E4 unfortunately doesn’t have)

• Strong performance for both photo and video

• Preferably within the Fujifilm ecosystem

That’s when I found a well-used Fujifilm X-T4 at a great price. That alone solved the stabilization issue.

The X-T4. Purchase it here → AMAZON

But another question came up.

How can I replace all of the gear I previously mentioned with just a single camera body?

The obvious answer: a zoom lens

Simple. A zoom.

After some research, I landed on the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS. A great compromise.

The lens. Purchase it here → AMAZON

Below you’ll find some photos from my very first day using both the X-T4 and this lens.

First impressions

It felt natural almost immediately.

Even though I had never used a zoom lens before, adapting was easier than expected. The only real habit to rewire was the lack of a physical aperture ring, something I was used to with prime lenses.

Nothing major though.

I mapped aperture control to one of the X-T4 dials, and with a bit of practice it became second nature. The process is actually very similar to what I was already doing on the GR III.

Real-World Test!

Right after buying the camera, I had the perfect opportunity to test it.

Two events in Milan:

• Carnival

• A protest

A mix of chaos, movement, characters, and constantly changing scenes.

The biggest advantage

Versatility.

With the zoom lens I was able to capture the energy and movement of the crowd and small, isolated details within that chaos.

All without constantly moving forward or backward to adjust framing.

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to shoot everything with a single focal length. I’ve done it for a long time.

But in situations like these… it can become a bit repetitive.

Here, instead, I could react instantly. Or even anticipate what was about to happen.

A shift in perspective

This experience reinforced something I had already started to feel.

In the past, I would have instinctively chosen a wide lens for events like these.

Now?

Some of the images I liked the most were taken at tighter focal lengths.

This doesn’t mean wide lenses are worse. Not at all.

It simply confirms that everything depends on:

• what you want to represent

• how you approach the scene

• the mood you want to convey

Video performance

This was my biggest concern.

And honestly? It’s been great.

I paired the X-T4 with a variable ND filter that I basically leave on all the time. It allows me to shoot video without worrying about overexposure.

On top of that, switching between photo and video is seamless. No need to constantly adjust settings.

You can purchase the ND Filter I use here → AMAZON

The downsides

Size and weight

The zoom lens is noticeably bulkier and heavier than a prime.

• XF 18-55mm: ~310g

• Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR: ~170g

Almost double.

It’s also longer, and when extended it becomes nearly twice the size.

But realistically… it couldn’t be otherwise.

The real question is: how much more would it weigh to carry multiple lenses and bodies instead?

Image quality (to a degree)

It’s well known that zoom lenses don’t match the sharpness of prime lenses.

That’s true.

But is it that noticeable?

Personally, not really.

I wouldn’t be able to consistently tell the difference between a photo taken with a prime and one taken with this zoom. And I’m pretty sure many others wouldn’t either.

For my use, which is entirely subjective, the quality is more than enough.

Final thoughts

This setup simplified everything.

Less weight. Fewer decisions. More focus on actually shooting.

And at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.

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