- Location
- Seattle
- Name
- Andrew
I love that rendering!
-
Cameraderie, a friendly photography forum, join now for free!
Micro 4/3 Favorite walkabout prime?
- Thread starter Steve Noel
- Start date
-
- Tags
- m4/3 m43 micro four thirds mu43
Cederic
Regular
- Location
- Nottingham
Walkabout prime? I much prefer the flexibility of the excellent zooms, but..
Olympus 12mm f/2. Lets you get up close and personal with your subject, yet treats them with respect. It's an underrated gem.
Olympus 12mm f/2. Lets you get up close and personal with your subject, yet treats them with respect. It's an underrated gem.
kivis
Regular
- Location
- South Florida, USA
Love the Pany 15/1.7I'll list a couple I own or owned and love and will end with a tip:
If you buy used, all except the 15mm f/1.7 should be available around $200. The 15mm will set you back used between $300 and $350, I'd guess. From your description, I think the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 would fit the bill best - I own that lens and find it very rewarding; it's also the only lens I ever bought in two different mounts (Sony E,
- Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 - my current favourite, a great performer, compact, but probably too wide for you.
- Olympus 17mm f/1.8 - the 15mm's predecessor in my collection, pretty nice lens, just not quite as good across the frame as I'd wanted.
- Olympus 25mm f/1.8 - a small, light lens that performs very, very well; I think you'd be very happy with that one.
- Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - on the big side, but certainly not a lot bulkier than the adapted lens, very strong optically, and very versatile.
- Sigma 30mm f/2.8 - small, capable, but not the fastest in terms of maximum aperture. I loved that lens when I owned it, but it was superseded by the Olympus 25mm f/1.8 a little while later, and that lens is a better performer as well as faster ...
), and I've never regretted that decision, either. Other than that, the little 30mm f/2.8 is a charming lens in use - but it's a bit on the slow side for
However, if money's tight, the real sleeper is probably the Panasonic 25mm f/1.7 - it's the cheapest of all those I mentioned, focuses a lot faster than the 20mm f/1.7 you know and is optically pretty much as capable. It's cheaper new than even the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 used.
M.
Moonraker
Veteran
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
- Name
- Nigel
Olympus 17mm f1.2 Pro..
jdcope
Rookie
Since you already have the 20mm, I would say the Panny 14mm F2.5. Great little lens and dirt cheap used. I have used mine a lot for landscapes and some street photography. Aside from that, the Olympus 25mm f1.8 is a great lens as well.
If any, the PL15, I swapped out the Oly 17 f/1.8 for that. the Oly I had shot for some months, almost exclusively but that little PL15 just has something the Oly didnt, so off the Oly went after shooting them side by side for a short periode.
That said, I much prefer the zooms, after starting off as a prime shooter back when I got my first proper SLR back in 80/81 with 28/50/135...
Not that I dont have primes, but go-to choice are zooms, normally one of the pancakes for day to day stuff, and with the "big" boys for photography outings (Lumix 2.8s and PL2.8-4s). The primes I tend to treat as some sort of specialty item, when max light gathering, blown backgrounds and such are needed.
To each its own.
That said, I much prefer the zooms, after starting off as a prime shooter back when I got my first proper SLR back in 80/81 with 28/50/135...
Not that I dont have primes, but go-to choice are zooms, normally one of the pancakes for day to day stuff, and with the "big" boys for photography outings (Lumix 2.8s and PL2.8-4s). The primes I tend to treat as some sort of specialty item, when max light gathering, blown backgrounds and such are needed.
To each its own.
Moonraker
Veteran
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
- Name
- Nigel
I've generally adapted to whatever prime that I have.
Like on fixed lens cameras (35mm wide). Or if I only have ONE lens for the camera, like in my early days (50mm normal).
But I've become a zoomie, so a standard zoom of some sort is what I normally carry about; m43 = 12-60 and APS-C = 18-140.
However, I still have a niche for a prime. For m43, a fast wide, 17/1.8mm, or for APS-C, a fast normal, 35/1.8mm. That gives me a low light option. So when the light goes down, the zoom gets swapped for the fast prime.
Like on fixed lens cameras (35mm wide). Or if I only have ONE lens for the camera, like in my early days (50mm normal).
But I've become a zoomie, so a standard zoom of some sort is what I normally carry about; m43 = 12-60 and APS-C = 18-140.
However, I still have a niche for a prime. For m43, a fast wide, 17/1.8mm, or for APS-C, a fast normal, 35/1.8mm. That gives me a low light option. So when the light goes down, the zoom gets swapped for the fast prime.
Last edited:
