Micro 4/3 E-M10 as a fixed lens

Hi Kevin,
I find I too like a wider view and that is why my u43rds kit is up for sale and investing in Sony/alternative lenses.
I'm not one to regularily question other people's decisions, but there's no real logic to this that I can see - the wide-angle solutions for :mu43: are generally superb and certainly a lot smaller than anything available for Sony - i.e. better suited for a general carry-around. I say this as someone who also shoots FF for various reasons - I'm not protective of :mu43: here, just trying to understand something I see as contradictory.

That said, I know that there are great solutions for FE - Sony 35mm, Zeiss Loxia 35mm, Sony 28mm, Zeiss Batis 21mm ... And for E-mount in general, though I find the size/quality ratio less compelling for the APS-C bodies. That was one of the reasons I never went for the Sony A6000 - the small lenses simply aren't that good (there are other issues, but those are definitely personal ones). I would have had to choose the Sigma 30mm - a lens I like, but it is rather pedestrian, and more or less a work-alike of the ... 20mm.

M.
 
^ I agree...from my brief experience with m43 there are quite a few affordable wide angle lenses. The Panasonic 12-32 is not a prime (obvs) but it's tiny, really sharp at 12mm and costs not a lot. Not as fast as a prime but I don't find that an issue at 12 mm.
 
^ I agree...from my brief experience with m43 there are quite a few affordable wide angle lenses. The Panasonic 12-32 is not a prime (obvs) but it's tiny, really sharp at 12mm and costs not a lot. Not as fast as a prime but I don't find that an issue at 12 mm.

Depends of your definition of wide. For any APS-C mirrorless, you can buy Samyang 12mm f/2 (~18mm EFL) which seems to be optically excellent. For Micro 4/3 there are no rectilinear primes wider than 12mm (24mm EFL) which is not very wide, in my opinion. And for me personally slow (f/4 or less) UWA zooms are more compelling when used on APS-C bodies, because despite recent advances Micro 4/3 is still behind any APS-C system in terms of S/N ratio at higher ISOs.
 
Depends of your definition of wide. For any APS-C mirrorless, you can buy Samyang 12mm f/2 (~18mm EFL) which seems to be optically excellent. For Micro 4/3 there are no rectilinear primes wider than 12mm (24mm EFL) which is not very wide, in my opinion. And for me personally slow (f/4 or less) UWA zooms are more compelling when used on APS-C bodies, because despite recent advances Micro 4/3 is still behind any APS-C system in terms of S/N ratio at higher ISOs.
Yep, as you say, it all depends on your definition... as with so many things! 24mm equiv is generally wide enough for me.
 
I'm not one to regularily question other people's decisions, but there's no real logic to this that I can see - the wide-angle solutions for :mu43: are generally superb and certainly a lot smaller than anything available for Sony - i.e. better suited for a general carry-around. I say this as someone who also shoots FF for various reasons - I'm not protective of :mu43: here, just trying to understand something I see as contradictory.

That said, I know that there are great solutions for FE - Sony 35mm, Zeiss Loxia 35mm, Sony 28mm, Zeiss Batis 21mm ... And for E-mount in general, though I find the size/quality ratio less compelling for the APS-C bodies. That was one of the reasons I never went for the Sony A6000 - the small lenses simply aren't that good (there are other issues, but those are definitely personal ones). I would have had to choose the Sigma 30mm - a lens I like, but it is rather pedestrian, and more or less a work-alike of the ... 20mm.

M.

Matt, my change is coming from a new shooting perspective. In the last couple of years I started more candid photography and street photography concentrating on graffiti and public art than people. Some venues, alleys and museums I could not get the distance needed to capture the view, literally back to the wall in some circumstances. Secondly, using mf lenses on the E-M5 was difficult for me. Using the A6000 was much easier to use and gave better results. I have the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 and use it often. Selling the m43rds now will let me use one mount and all lenses on two different bodies. The Olympus is a terrific camera, but has seen little use this past year.
 
Matt, my change is coming from a new shooting perspective. In the last couple of years I started more candid photography and street photography concentrating on graffiti and public art than people. Some venues, alleys and museums I could not get the distance needed to capture the view, literally back to the wall in some circumstances. Secondly, using mf lenses on the E-M5 was difficult for me. Using the A6000 was much easier to use and gave better results. I have the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 and use it often. Selling the m43rds now will let me use one mount and all lenses on two different bodies. The Olympus is a terrific camera, but has seen little use this past year.

I get this. Sometimes it is simply a matter of the right tool or combination of tools that allow you to do what you want. I get that a lot when people ask why I wont use adapted lenses on my m43 body. It's not that I think it CAN'T be done. There are reasons why I think it is not optimal but plenty of folks are shooting adapted on m43 with great success. I just don't like doing it. I think whatever allows you to get the images you like is the best choice.
 
Matt, my change is coming from a new shooting perspective. In the last couple of years I started more candid photography and street photography concentrating on graffiti and public art than people. Some venues, alleys and museums I could not get the distance needed to capture the view, literally back to the wall in some circumstances. Secondly, using mf lenses on the E-M5 was difficult for me. Using the A6000 was much easier to use and gave better results. I have the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 and use it often. Selling the m43rds now will let me use one mount and all lenses on two different bodies. The Olympus is a terrific camera, but has seen little use this past year.
Okay, this makes a whole lot of sense. The crop factor *can* be a bit of a bummer - though I actually use it to my personal advantage, producing (with the help of a focal reducer) very bright longer lenses, like a 256mm-e f/2.0 or a 70mm-e f/1.0. But I fully agree that for wide shooting, APS-C (or FF) is very helpful, and the Rokinon 12mm sure is a much more interesting deal on the Sony. Thank you for clearing things up!

M.
 
Okay, this makes a whole lot of sense. The crop factor *can* be a bit of a bummer - though I actually use it to my personal advantage, producing (with the help of a focal reducer) very bright longer lenses, like a 256mm-e f/2.0 or a 70mm-e f/1.0. But I fully agree that for wide shooting, APS-C (or FF) is very helpful, and the Rokinon 12mm sure is a much more interesting deal on the Sony. Thank you for clearing things up!

M.

Matt, yes, the crop factor creates new issues for me moving from m43 > APS-C > FF. I have wrestled with the DOF differences, a real tweak to my bad habits and readjusting to the different formats. Fun actually.
 
I've used mu43 long enough now that I don't convert FL anymore. 14 is moderate wide angle and 45 is short telephoto. I could probable go comfortably back to FF since I had so many years with film but I have to actively think about DX field of view.
 
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The Facade of Hermes
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graboids
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The P20/1.7 is a very versatile lens. It's part of the reason I have always liked it. A one lens kit is so much more doable when the one lens can do a lot of things well. FWIW I did end up breaking down a while back and picking up a second lens (P14/2.5) but the P20 still lives on the E-M10. I got it in anticipation of some traveling in Spring. The most significant problem with the E-M10 as a fixed lens is that you CAN switch lenses so passing up that sweet deal on the P14 wasn't happenin'.
 
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I've used mu43 long enough now that I don't convert FL anymore. 14 is moderate wide angle and 45 is short telephoto. I could probable go comfortably back to FF since I had so many years with film but I have to actively think about DX field of view.

The only time I think of it is when I have adapted lenses attached.
 
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