What is the best all-around travel lens for Fujifilm X-mount cameras?

Question

I am so lost and honestly getting really frustrated with all these numbers and letters. I just got an X-T30 II because I wanted better photos for my trip to Italy in three weeks but now I am staring at lens listings and I have no idea what I am looking at. My logic was that I should just get one lens that does everything so I dont have to carry a bunch of gear around Rome and risk dropping something or getting dust inside the camera while I am trying to eat pizza. But every time I think I find a good one someone online says it is too heavy or the aperture isnt good enough. I dont even know what aperture really does yet I just want the background to be blurry sometimes for portraits. I saw the 18-55mm and then a 16-80mm and then some 18-135mm thing and the prices are all over the place. Does a bigger number mean it zooms more? Or does it mean it is wider? I have about $700 to spend and I just want one lens that can stay on the camera the whole time and take pictures of big cathedrals but also my pasta at dinner without me having to stand on a chair. Sorry if this is a total noob question I just feel like I am drowning in technical stuff and I just want to take nice pictures...

olfmkyhnit · Accepted Answer

Just catching up on this thread. Re: "Building on the earlier suggestion, I found a..." - honestly, I had a similar journey and it was pretty frustrating. I took the Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR to Venice last year and unfortunately, it was a mistake. It felt totally unbalanced on my small camera and the image quality was a letdown at the zoom end.Size: On an X-T30 II, these big zooms are a pain to carry. My wrist was hurting by noon.Light: I also tried the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR but that f/4 aperture just wasnt good enough for dim restaurants. Not as good as expected for those blurry background shots you want.Range: The Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS is okay, but 18mm is rarely wide enough for massive cathedrals. Maybe look at the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD instead. Its bulky, but that f/2.8 helps with the low light issues... I spent way too much money learning that there really isnt a perfect single lens without compromises.

OrdinaryPierre · Answer

Honestly, finding that perfect everything lens is kinda a trap. I went through this exact same spiral when I first got into Fuji and its frustrating how many compromises you have to make. I bought one of those big super-zooms thinking it would be the ultimate travel companion, but unfortunately it was a massive disappointment. It was heavy, the images looked soft, and I just didnt get that pro look I wanted for my vacation photos. It felt like I was carrying a brick for mediocre results. The problem is that lenses that zoom a huge amount usually arent very good at that blurry background thing you mentioned. You end up with a lens that does everything poorly instead of one thing well. Tbh, I ended up hating how bulky my setup was in the heat. Its a lot of money to spend on something that might just make your neck ache while you are trying to enjoy your trip. Before you drop your cash, I gotta ask: are you more worried about getting close-up shots of far-away architectural details, or do you mostly care about getting that blurry background for portraits and food? Also, how much weight are you actually okay with carrying around for ten hours a day? Because some of these options are way heavier than the camera itself and might be overkill. TL;DR: Super-zooms often trade image quality and blur for convenience, and they can be really heavy. Decide if you want zoom range or that blurry look more before buying.