Gonna be in Tokyo next month and need a tiny lens for my X-T5. I saw the 27mm pancake online but worry it's too tight for narrow streets. My logic was maybe the 18-55 kit instead? But that's kinda heavy for a $400 used budget... just cant decide if the prime is too limiting for a solo trip.
Been shooting Fuji for a decade and honestly, the 27mm is just a bit too narrow for those tight Tokyo alleys. Id grab the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R instead. Its basically a pancake too but gives you that extra breathing room you'll definitely want. Its light, fits your budget used, and looks great on the X-T5... trust me, you'll want the wider view for Shinjuku.
I would suggest being cautious with weight. Consider:
Id be a bit cautious about going too narrow in Tokyo, those alleys are tighter than you think. Since youre using an X-T5, you might want to consider these technical trade-offs for reliability:
If youre worried about the 27mm being too tight, the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR is a solid middle ground. Its wider for those Tokyo streets but stays pretty compact on an X-T5. Plus, the weather sealing makes it more reliable if you run into rain. It usually hits that 400 dollar used budget pretty easily too. Snappy autofocus is a huge win for street shots.