I do not intend to rule the world, or bother going to see any more of the Tolkein movies for that matter, but the idea of one lens to take all my pictures is a rather attractive one - particularly when it means keeping it on one camera and not having to open the hatch to let dust in.
I will excuse studio illustration work as I have a dedicated camera, lens, adapter combination that does that right now. I feed batteries and cards into it and extract images and as long as it churns the pixels I am going to pronounce myself satisfied - but there are more shots than just upon a product table. I go out to dance shows, car shows, and general affairs. The dream of one focusing ring to cover all is tempting.
Did I use a full-frame DSLR or mirror-less body, I would opt for a 24-70 f:2.8 from whichever manufacturer I fancied and be satisfied with that. If I were using a small-frame DSLR I would ask for a 17mm or an 18mm to 55mm and again hope for f:2.8. With micro 4/3 I would seek out the best 12-25mm or thereabouts...and there are some German-designed lenses that are world-beaters.
As it is, the
Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f:2.8 R LM WR lens has certainly acquitted itself at the car show. I would have no hesitation taking it to any venue in Australia for this sort of work. Now to take it into a dim dance theatre and see what happens. That will come later in the year.
But right now a little diversion along Crestline Street. Let us see what the lens does when confronted with a Lincoln kit home and a black Chevrolet Bel Air. If I want to replicate shots taken on an old 35mm camera in 1959...and I think they were either taken with Kodak Verichrome Pan or Kodacolor...I will need to turn the ring to 35mm. We never had a wide-angle lens in those days - but then we were skinnier people and it didn't matter. The cars were wide enough.
To be perfectly honesty I do not think that there is a significant difference for me between a 35mm f:1.4 prime Fujinon and the 16-55 f:2.8 lens...with the advantage going to the zoom-in that it can slightly accomodate a different angle of view and that it does have an extra stop down to f:22.
The only score for the prime is the smaller diameter of the barrel - if you need to get down close to the surface holding the subject you can do it -the 16-55 is quite large. Still, you can arrange matters to accomodate this - like the business that Hollywood had to do when tiny Alan Ladd starred with a tall actress - they dug a trench for her to stand in for the love scenes.
All's fair in love and tabletop photography.
