L-MOUNT Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Lens buying advice

Ericopp

New Member
Joined
May 31, 2026
Messages
10
I’ve recently sold quite a few lot of Fuji gear to move completely into the full frame LUMIX lineup. It started with an s9 as an everyday carry camera, but liked the raw files and log video a ton. I also had a Fuji x-h2s video autofocus issue that cost me a re-shoot with a client.

My new kit: S9, s1iie, 18-40, 35mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8

My paid use case: it’s not my full time income, I do about 1 job per month. Senior portraits, headshots, corporate or church talking heads or interviews, hybrid event coverage.
My personal use case: landscape and travel. I do lots of local hiking, and a couple backpacking trips per year. I print a lot of images.

I still have about $1500 in credit from my Fuji gear. After a local vacation and doing a senior shoot last week with the 35 and 50, I really miss telephoto. I purposefully waited to see if the solution would present itself after use, and here are what I’m considering.

LUMIX 24-105mm - image quality looks great, and I think this could live on my s1iie for lots of my needs. 100mm at f4 would cover my desire for compression in portraits, handle my video jobs, and give me a versatile zoom for my personal stuff.

LUMIX 28-200mm + a portrait prime - lighter and versatile zoom range could be great for my leisure, and an 85 or 135 paired with my 35 would be a better 2 lens setup for seniors.

Sigma 28-105mm Art - image quality looks amazing…but I don’t think I’ll ever take it hiking. If I did more pro work it’d be a no brainer.

I also have a nice set of Kase Wolverine magnetic filters (CPL, ND, VND, and 1/4 mist), but they’re in 72mm, so could only use them on the 28-200 and primes.

Any thoughts on any of these? Will my prints suffer using a 28-200? What affordable portrait primes do you recommend? Do I just need to stop waffling and make a decision?
 
100mm at f4 would cover my desire for compression in portraits,
I have used the Lumix 100mm f/2.8 macro for portaits and it was very good. The Lumix 85mm f/1.8 is very good too. And for hiking you already have the 18-40mm, right? I don't know how much weight you want to carry, but another option I you only want to bring one lens could be the Sigma 20-200mm. There are many examples of very good photos made with this lens in this forum taken by Paul @pdk42 .
 
I have used the Lumix 100mm f/2.8 macro for portaits and it was very good. The Lumix 85mm f/1.8 is very good too. And for hiking you already have the 18-40mm, right? I don't know how much weight you want to carry, but another option I you only want to bring one lens could be the Sigma 20-200mm. There are many examples of very good photos made with this lens in this forum taken by Paul @pdk42 .
I hadn't considered the 100mm macro....that's really intriguing. I'll look into that one a bit more.
 
The 28-200 gets soft over 170mm or so, but if you stop it down to F11 it does OK.

How big do you print?

The Sigma 20-200 should also be on your list.
 
The 28-200 gets soft over 170mm or so, but if you stop it down to F11 it does OK.

How big do you print?

The Sigma 20-200 should also be on your list.
The largest I’ve done is a 20x30 for our bedroom, I think it was at 150 or 200 dpi. That was from a 26mp Fuji sensor and a 16-55 mk ii zoom lens, so a pretty sharp lens. I did see a few good reviews on the signs 20-200mm. FroKnowsPhoto really likes it, and he’s my not my favorite creator but I trust his lens reviews.
 
Any thoughts on any of these?
Of the lenses you mentioned, I only have the Lumix 24-105mm.

It's my most used lens primarily because the focal range is so versatile. I've found it to be great for what I shoot and the dual stabilisation you get on a Lumix body is really good.
 
If sharpness is important to you, then the 28-200 is not the best choice.
I have it, and it’s my most frequently used lens. Besides the obvious advantages, such as the focal length range and weight, few people pay attention to another advantage — this lens has a very decent blur pattern, which is usually not typical for lenses of this class.
P1253071r.JPG

I also use the Meike 85/1.8 Pro for portraits — it’s a fairly good lens for a very modest budget.
P1127939r.jpg
 
Back
Top