What is the best prime lens for street photography with Fujifilm?

Stumbled on this today! I had the same dilemma before my last trip. For $350, grab that Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR immediately!

• 23mm f2: Amazing AF speed and perfect for crowds. Only downside is slight distortion close up.
• Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR: Fantastic pancake alternative if you want to be discreet, tho its slower. I stuck with the 23mm... its just such a snappy, practical choice. Youll love it!

Quickly jumping in before my meeting. Technically, the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR wins for street because of that stepping motor focus is near-instant compared to the older glass.

• 23mm f2: 35mm equiv field of view is basically the standard for context.
• 35mm f2: 50mm equiv has better compression but requires more distance. I use the 23mm because its weather-sealed and tiny on an X-T30. For $350, its definitely worth it tbh.

@Reply #4 - good point! Choice paralysis is the worst but looking at the actual technical data usually helps me clear things up. If you're planning to get close to the action in Chicago, you're basically weighing field of view against close-up sharpness.

• Fujifilm XF 23mm f2 R WR: This lens offers a 63.4 degree angle of view. It has 10 elements in 6 groups, including two aspherical elements to help with the distortion you mentioned. Tbh, at typical street distances, you wont notice much distortion at all. The AF is rated at 0.05 seconds, which is insanely fast for a body like the X-T30.
• Fujifilm XF 35mm f2 R WR: You get a tighter 44.2 degree angle. It has better edge-to-edge sharpness wide open, but the 53mm equivalent focal length means you'll be stepping back into the street a lot more often. Since you want to be in the middle of things, the 23mm is the logical choice. The magnification ratio is 0.13x, which is decent enough for environmental portraits. Just snag that used deal before someone else does!

Like someone mentioned, that 350 price point is a solid find, but man... I feel your pain so much with the choice paralysis!! It is honestly so exhausting trying to balance a tight budget while obsessing over technical specs like the stepping motor response times and spherical aberration at close distances. I spend way too much time staring at MTF charts and worrying about whether I am making a massive financial mistake. It is seriously the worst feeling when you just want a reliable setup but every single lens feels like a huge gamble for your wallet!! I love the technical build of that 23mm tho, it is such an amazing piece of engineering with the 10 elements in 6 groups and that weather resistance. But the stress of picking between the 18, 23, and 35 is just... ugh. I get so frustrated that we cant just have one perfect lens that does it all for cheap. The struggle to get pro-level reliability without going totally broke is just so real!! I am totally with you on how stressful this gear hunt is.

Regarding what #5 said about "@Reply #4 - good point! Choice paralysis is..."

• I am literally dealing with this exact same issue right now and it is beyond frustrating. I have been obsessively researching these two lenses for my own trip next month and I still cannot make a decision to save my life. Every time I think the 23mm is the safe bet, I read another review saying the image quality is not as good as expected when you are shooting wide open. It is honestly so disappointing to put in all this DIY research time and still feel like I am going to make a massive mistake. I even tried using this Chrome extension to track price drops and read through older gear threads but the more data I find, the more confused I get. I have been stuck in this loop for weeks now and unfortunately I am no closer to an answer than when I started. It really sucks because you want to be hyped for the trip but instead you are just staring at lens specs and worrying about distortion... i feel your pain completely.

I've been using that 23mm for forever and I'm honestly so satisfied with how it handles street stuff. Tbh, you should probably avoid the 18mm for now unless you really know what you're doing. It's way too easy to get distracting junk in your shots or weirdly stretched faces at the edges. Stick with the 23mm, it works well and dont overthink it.