A Practical Comparison of the Fujinon 16-55mm vs 16-80mm Lenses

Here’s a reasonable comparison of the Fujinon 16-55mm vs. 16-80mm lenses. We’ll look at the ten-thousand-foot view to find out which one of these lenses is best for you from a practical standpoint.

And both lenses are great. The 16-80mm lens obviously isn’t in the same class as the 16-55mm lens, which is an outstanding “red-badge” lens, but the 16-80mm is still a great lens.

I just wanted to get that out of the way now, because you’re not going to see “image comparisons” in this post, though I’ll include some sample images from the 16-80mm lens for the dubious folks. They’re both great choices for those photographers who just want to take pictures (and don’t analyze each pixel at home).

Is this lens the answer to those of us who wished the 18-55mm lens was a little extra wider and weather resistant? Or those of us who wished the 16-55mm lens was a little smaller and had image stabilization?

Let’s find out!

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Fujinon 16-55mm vs. 16-80mm Comparison Table

	Fujinon 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR	Fujinon 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR
Price (Apr 2020)	$1,199	$799
Max aperture	f/2.8	f/4
Min aperture	f/22	f/22
Focus	Auto focus linear motor	Auto focus stepping motor
Minimum focus range	11.8"	13.8"
Size	3.28" x 4.17"	3.08" x 3.5"
Weight	23.1 oz	15.5 oz
Filter size	77mm	72mm
Weather sealing	Yes	Yes
Image stabilization	None	Yes (6 stop)

What do R, OIS, LM, and WR mean? Learn how to decode Fujifilm lenses in this post.

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The main differences between the Fuji 16-55mm vs. 16-80mm

The obvious difference is the focal length. The Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm’s “flagship zoom,” has an equivalent focal length of 24mm to 84mm. The 16-80mm f/4 has a little extra reach, with an equivalent focal length of 24mm to 120mm.

Size & weight

The Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 is a beast of a lens. Its fast (for a zoom) fixed aperture of f/2.8 means it can’t get much smaller than it already is. At nearly a pound and a half, it’s heavier than every camera that it’ll mount to. And when mounted to Fuji X cameras, it certainly stands out. Like a pimple on your forehead that people can’t help but notice.

The Fujinon 16-80mm f/4 lens isn’t significantly smaller than the 16-55mm f/2.8; however, it weighs only 67% of the 16-55mm lens.

But you’ll see in the photo below that when the 16-80mm lens is extended to 80mm, it is quite long (much more than the 16-55mm lens, which has a hardly noticeable extension).

Here’s a comparison of the 16-55mm and 16-80mm lenses on my X-T2, with lens hoods attached:

Build & Ergonomics

Both of these lenses are constructed of metal and weather-sealed.

And when Fujifilm says their lenses are weather-sealed, believe it! I’ve taken my weather-sealed Fuji lenses into some crazy places full of fine dust and sea spray and have never had any problems. Not a single speck to remove after years of ownership, knock on wood.

Both lenses have a standard aperture ring at the rear of the lens barrel, marked in whole stops.

The zoom control ring on both lenses is wide, textured, and easy to grab. The zoom ring on the 16-55mm lens is more prominent than the focus ring, while the focus ring on the 16-80mm lens has the same outer diameter as the zoom ring. I personally prefer the way it’s set up on the 16-55mm lens because of how I’ve gotten used to refining manual focus, but no complaints about either.

Optics

You’ll get one extra stop of light with the 16-55mm f/2.8 – but again, you’re paying for it with added size and weight (and literally paying for it too).

But if you need a faster aperture because you mostly shoot in low light versus wanting extra shallow depth of field, the image stabilization of the 16-80mm lens will compensate for the slower aperture. It’s rated at an incredible six stops of stabilization, up from the five stops of the 18-135mm zoom.

So don’t worry about the fact that it’s “only” f/4. You’ll still be able to get some good subject isolation when zoomed in at f/4.

The image stabilization on this lens seems a bit louder than the OIS on the 18-55mm and 18-135mm lenses. Maybe it’s just my copy. Not annoying, but noticeable.

Both lenses have a nine-blade diaphragm. The 16-80mm lens has one extra-low dispersion element while the 16-55mm lens has three, one of the reasons why the 16-55mm lens is sharp everywhere, all the time! That’s not to say the 16-80mm lens isn’t sharp – it’s still plenty sharp.

Price

The price difference between the Fujinon 16-55mm and 16-80mm lenses is quite substantial, though neither is cheap. The 16-55mm f/2.8 is about $400 more than the 16-80mm f/4 (check current prices at B&H Photo).

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Some 16-80mm samples

I know that corner softness, diffraction, and aberrations do matter somewhat, especially with the “cheaper” 16-80mm f/4 lens, so here are a few sample images. Hopefully, they put those fears at bay. Standard Lightroom sharpening was applied.

Click on the images to view fullscreen.

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Which one of these lenses is better for your photography?

Casual photographers

If you’re taking pictures of your pets, family, and adventures, you’ll be plenty set up with the 16-80mm f/4.

There’s honestly no reason to pay for that f/2.8 aperture – save your money for another trip! The image stabilization will let you take photos in low light with slower shutter speeds, always a great thing to be able to do.

The smaller size and weight will also feel better if you’re going to be carrying it around for extended periods.

Documentary & travel photographers

I’ve absolutely loved taking my 16-55mm f/2.8 on international documentary trips. It’s incredibly sharp, and I love the fast aperture. But…it’s so damn big and heavy!

I’ve always complained that the 16-55mm lens just doesn’t reach enough. The 18-135mm lens is excessive and not quite wide enough. I always wished there was something in between. And the 16-80mm range is perfect.

Additionally, I’d often find myself indoors under low light or shooting at dusk, as most travel & documentary photographers do, when that f/2.8 just isn’t fast enough. I’d have to really bump up the ISO to be able to hand-hold images. But this is no longer an issue with the six stops of stabilization that the 16-80mm lens offers.

No, the 16-80mm lens isn’t as sharp from corner to corner at all zoom ranges. But this isn’t as much of a factor for this type of photography, where our images are viewed on computer screens and in magazines. That extra sharpness is unnoticeable on those mediums and thus unnecessary.

For environmental portraits with a shallow depth of field, an aperture of f/4 is just fine. You don’t want to blur your background too much because that takes the environment out of the environmental portrait.

Portrait photographers

If you’re primarily shooting portraits, you’re likely not schlepping gear around all day long. Weight isn’t as critical. And you’re probably also looking for sharp photos with a shallow depth of field. This is why the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens is the better portrait lens.

Landscape photographers

Landscape photographers are obsessed with pixel-peeping on the computer (I used to be like that, I know). And yeah, sharpness is vital because you never know when you’ll want to enlarge one of those gorgeous photos for display.

Landscape photographers also love their tripods, and OIS isn’t a necessary feature here (in fact, OIS should be OFF when using a tripod; the 16-80mm lens does this automatically).

I’d definitely sacrifice carrying the extra weight of the 16-55mm f/2.8 on backpacking trips (and I have without a problem) just to get that little boost of extra image quality that makes landscape photographs stand out.

Street photographers

Why aren’t you using the X100V? Haha, kidding.

Many street photographers use prime lenses, but you may like the versatility of a zoom. If that’s the case, I’d definitely recommend the 16-80mm f/4. The 16-55mm f/2.8 lens just stands out too much, and larger lenses tend to make strangers uncomfortable (one reason why primes are so popular for street photography). The 16-80mm f/4 isn’t that much smaller, but maybe it’ll make your subjects less uncomfortable than the 16-55mm f/2.8. Take advantage of the OIS for some cool slow-shutter shots.

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In conclusion, Fujinon 16-55mm vs. 16-80mm lenses

Hopefully, this post helped you see the essential differences between the Fujinon 16-55mm vs. 16-80mm lenses from a practical perspective. I’m sorry/not sorry I didn’t include MTF charts and detailed pixel comparisons.

I think that choosing the right lens for the job is more important than these things, although these things may be the job, as outlined above. All I’m saying is, don’t just go off the charts and numbers! It doesn’t make sense to take a Rolls Royce on a safari. Yeah, it’s nicer, but a dirty Land Cruiser is more practical.

The 16-55mm f/2.8 is the clear choice for serious portrait and landscape photographers.

The 16-80mm f/4 is a fantastic alternative for documentary, travel, street, and casual photographers.

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below.