Fuji Working on my own gear purge, but....

I’m no good to give advice on this.

I can rock a 3 lens kit.

But I do it twice

My APSC kit (in FF eqv) is 35/50/85

My FF kit is 35/50/90

For the APSC I also have 50-230 zoom, which I might use once every 10months or so!

Bobby, maybe you could look at the 18mm, which is a lot cheaper (than the 16) and might give you the opportunity to run it alongside the 90 to be sure you can live without it
 
Our kits are nearly identical. With the exception that I am running the f2 variants.

The 18mm would appeal a lot more to me if it would have weather sealing. Or wasn't so small that I could at least do the o ring trick. The other thing for me is I have always loved the 24mm FOV.

Back when I had made the move from the 16mm to the 23 f2, I was doing only working shoots. In that situation, 16mm was too wide. At the same time, the 35mm was too tight. So I made the move to the 23mm, not thinking about when the time would come that I would be doing more personal work. That time came and I found myself not being able to shoot wide enough. I made due with the 23mm.

The 90mm is an excellent lens. And a great focal length to work with. I picked one up when I sold my 50-140 because at the time my event crew was planning to cover some major music festivals. Now I think they are finally going to stay retired. Which I am all for. But that leaves me not needing the 90mm. It's now just an awesome lens I have. And take out to shoot with because I have it. Plus, selling it ensures that I won't have the gear if my friends change their minds and try to drag me to a huge music festival :D

I wish Fuji would make weather sealed 16-23 f2 and 35-50 f2 lenses. I don't even need the in between focal lengths.
 
Over the years I have gone from an "every mm of focal length MUST be covered" to trying to get a more balanced prime kit. I am trying to avoid going down the zoom route but also want to keep my kit bag simple (and light). I have allowed myself to get a 50-230, for the very few occasions when I need something with that kind of reach. I think that three lenses is my maximum, right now the main two are the 16/1.4 and 35/1.4 and I will probably look to add a 56/1.2 in the next couple of months (which will leave me with a dilemma about what to do with the 50-230).
 
Well I had the best of intentions to keep my kit light. Now I have a 16 1.4 ,35f2 ,18-55, 90f2 ,50-230. So I have now given up. I will be buying a Nikon kit within the next year which I have settled on the D500, 200-500, 70-200 and 24-70. That's the plan anyway. I will backpack these kits until I have to hire a Sherpa. At the moment I carry a 16 , 18-55, 50-230.
 
Over the years I have gone from an "every mm of focal length MUST be covered" to trying to get a more balanced prime kit. I am trying to avoid going down the zoom route but also want to keep my kit bag simple (and light). I have allowed myself to get a 50-230, for the very few occasions when I need something with that kind of reach. I think that three lenses is my maximum, right now the main two are the 16/1.4 and 35/1.4 and I will probably look to add a 56/1.2 in the next couple of months (which will leave me with a dilemma about what to do with the 50-230).

I was the same way for a long time. Then switched to shooting primes. But still had to have ultra wide, wide, standard, and telephoto focal lengths all covered. I always had that can't miss any shot opportunity mentality. Now, I have progressed as you have to just three lenses. Having more of a I shoot certain things and if I miss the occasional shot here and there, so be it. My current setup is similar being 16, 23, and 50. Although I can't rule out a future switch from 23 to 35mm. But time will tell. Right now I am settling into the 16/23/50 and it is working very well for the most part.

For times when we are at the beach and I want to shoot surfers or pelicans, my son has a 50-230 in his kit I can "borrow".
 
It appears fate has intervened and made a decision for me. After my last trip trail riding, I discovered two rusted body mounts during cleaning and inspection of my Jeep. Which is beyond my capabilities to repair correctly. So, I’m going to sell the 16mm I just got to cover the costs. Doesn’t help that we’re dealing with discovering 10 of our tress are dead and we are in the process of having those removed $$$.

So I am going to run with just the 23mm f2 and 50mm f2. Occasionally grabbing the 50-230 because it is fun to shoot with. This may be the universe’s kick in the pants for me to work 99% with just two primes. It should make me a better photographer.
 
Resurrecting this thread.

I went through a gear purge. Was happy with my gear and my photography. Then I let myself get sucked back into the working vortex. And before I knew I was back to a large kit. As of this past weekend having two camera bodies and 6 lenses. And back to figuring what lenses to take for everything. Even when walking out the door to do something with the family, I would sit there for several minutes thinking over what to take.

The Amazon fiasco was a catalyst for me to go back to a simpler kit. I sent back the 16 2.8. Sold the X-E3. Have the 16mm 1.4 for sale. Which will leave me with my Pro2, fujicrons, and 90 f2. I'm going to keep my kit at that. The 90 would get sold, but I want to keep it for when I shoot my friend's bands since I already have it. Then most of my personal daily stuff will be with the 23 f2 or 23/50 f2 pair. I grabbed a tiny Think Tank mirrorless mover which only holds 1 camera with a lens mounted and extra batteries. I considered flipping the 35 f2 I just got. But it seems many of my favorite portraits were shot with that lens. So it will stay for now.

I've been doing some talking with my Dad. We are both backing off of things we've been covering. With the plan to be not getting sucked back in to shooting so many things. Covering the majority of musicians and their related events. Just doing things for fun. The occasional charity show. And doing those just with the gear I have. Not acquiring gear to cover things. And I want to get more portrait time in. But not doing it for money and turning it into work.

Shipping stuff off today, I already feel like a weight has been lifted. I've been getting very inspired lately by the people who just shoot one body one lens for years.
 
1. kit with DSLR styled body (bigger grip) two 2.8 zooms (24-80 and 80-300) and a 1.2 prime 50. For event type situations.

2. (And favorite) kit: rangefinder type body, and 24, 35, 90 and 150 fast primes.

3. (And smallest) kit: ridiculously small body with small prime(s) or zooms
a) 40 prime
b) 30 and 85 primes
c) 24 - 64 and 70-200 mini zooms (depending on the occasion).
I love it about Fuji and M4/3s that you can achieve all three sets within the same system and shared lenses.
 
I've been eying my own gear again. The X-Pro3 and X-E3 both did away with the D-pad, and in reviewing how I use a camera, it seems I use the D-pad a lot. Although photography enthusiasts managed to survive for decades without weather sealing, I will no longer purchase gear that is not weather sealed. With Winter roaring its way into the mix, I'm looking at swapping everything I have (which really isn't much), for an X-Pro2. I know that camera has been highly praised in these forums. If I do that, then the question is which lens? I was the OP on the 23mm WR thread, and it was a brilliant lens, but could I live with that as an only lens? I have been shooting with an old Pen F manual lens a lot, so I'd likely get an adapter to play with that. I like m4/3, and have used it a lot in recent years, and my X100S is a nice little camera, but I think I'm ready to try something else.
 
You inspired both my purchase of the 23m f2 and doing my gear purge. Definitely miss you adding photos in the 23 f2 thread.

I agree about never going without weather sealing again. If it had been around in the old days, I would have used it then. I like having gear that I can walk into any shooting situation and not have to worry about.

The 23 f2 is definitely one of the lenses that you could have for an only one lens kit. Either that or the 35 f2. I’ve actually found myself going out with both of those for a 2 lens walk around kit. With the 23, I know I can shoot portraits, landscapes, and everything in between. I just did a senior portrait shoot where 95% of the photos were done with the 23.

The Pro2 vs Pro3 debate is an interesting one. I agree with all your points on the Pro2. The Pro3 has some great features. But it costs more, and gave up the d pad. It’s a hard call for me. If my Pro2 died right now. I’d get another Pro2. A year from now, I might lean towards the Pro3.
 
I love it about Fuji and M4/3s that you can achieve all three sets within the same system and shared lenses.

fun fact: it’s a year and a half later. Kit 1 and 2 are literally unchanged and give me everything I need. Kit 3 is my carry everywhere solution. The body and the two small zooms have been handed to a family member in the need of a camera. I hardly ever used the tiny zooms so I only replaced the small body with a slightly larger body with EVF.
 
Purging can take a while. I'm moving away from mu43 but I had a lot of lenses. In addition, some old bodies that aren't worth selling like an EPL1. I'm moving toward Fuji with a small Sony FF kit on the side.
 
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