Saw your post last night and figured I could break down those numbers so they actually make sense. Basically, the mm number is your focal length. A 30mm lens gives you a view thats fairly close to what your human eyes see naturally. A 56mm lens zooms in a lot more, which is usually better for portraits or tight shots. For a city like Tokyo, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X is honestly the best choice because it lets you capture the whole street scene without feeling too cramped. The f/1.4 part is the aperture, and for street photography, you want that number to be as low as possible. Since you mentioned youre a beginner, just know that a lower f-number lets in more light. This is huge for Japan because half the fun is taking photos at night under the neon signs. I use this lens regularly and am very satisfied with how it performs in low light compared to a basic zoom lens. It creates that nice blurry background you see on Instagram too, which helps your subjects pop. While the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X is a great lens, it might feel too restrictive for your first trip. Youll constantly be backing up into people or traffic just to fit a building in. Stick with the 30mm. It fits your 500 dollar budget perfectly and works well as an everyday lens that isnt too heavy to carry around Shinjuku all day. Its a very reliable piece of gear.

Quick follow up... ^ This. Also, after shooting in Tokyo for years, you really have to choose your trade-off. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary

• Versatile for crowded alleys.
• Lacks that blurry background look. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary
• Amazing for low light neon.
• No zoom capability. TL;DR: Zoom is safer for beginners, Prime is better for night. Quick question: do you see yourself shooting more during the day or at night? Tokyo really changes once the sun goes down...

Man, youre gonna love Tokyo with that X-T5! Its such a beast of a camera!! Since youre doing street photography and feeling a bit overwhelmed, you absolutely have to grab the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X. Its honestly the perfect beginner lens because it lets you zoom in and out. The numbers basically just mean how zoomed in you are... 18mm is wide for those big neon street signs, and 50mm is closer for portraits of people. This lens is super tiny too, so you wont look like a weird tourist with a giant setup lol. It fits right in your $500 budget and the f/2.8 aperture is amazing for those night shots in Shinjuku! If you really want that blurry background look tho, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Fujifilm X is also fantastic but you cant zoom with it. Stick with the zoom for your first trip!