Micro 4/3 lens advice

lucien

lucien

Legend
Hi I've compiled a list of lens I would like to purchase down the road. Does anyone use these lens and what is the sweet spot for said lens?

1) Olympus 17mm f2.8

2) Panasonic 17mm f2.8

3) Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f3.5-5.6

4) Panasonic 45-175mm f4-5.6

the sweet spot I'm referring to is f...-f...


thanks in advance. Prime zooms can also be in the mix
 
lucien said:
Hi I've compiled a list of lens I would like to purchase down the road. Does anyone use these lens and what is the sweet spot for said lens?

1) Olympus 17mm f2.8

2) Panasonic 17mm f2.8

3) Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f3.5-5.6

4) Panasonic 45-175mm f4-5.6

the sweet spot I'm referring to is f...-f...


thanks in advance. Prime zooms can also be in the mix
Click to expand...
These things are subjective, but lens 1) from what I’ve seen renders lovely and will give you a file which doesn’t automatically look plastically modern. I didn’t know there is a lens 2), do you mean the Panasonic 14mm F2.5? If so, that’s definitely recommended, again, has its own character, you’ll find it hard to take off the camera as an everyday lens.
 
What's the "sweet spot" mean for you? If you are referring to the highest sharpness of the lens, then #1 might not be the best for you, as it has nice rendering but isn't super sharp. The Panasonic 20mm f1.7 might make your list, and it's pretty much sharp everywhere. The 12-60mm is pretty sharp but not sure it would have a sweet spot, that becomes less easy to pin down with zooms. #2 doesn't exist, and #4 I have no experience with.
 
agentlossing said:
What's the "sweet spot" mean for you? If you are referring to the highest sharpness of the lens, then #1 might not be the best for you, as it has nice rendering but isn't super sharp. The Panasonic 20mm f1.7 might make your list, and it's pretty much sharp everywhere. The 12-60mm is pretty sharp but not sure it would have a sweet spot, that becomes less easy to pin down with zooms. #2 doesn't exist, and #4 I have no experience with.
Click to expand...
The Oly 17mm f/2.8 is actually one lens I never owned, mainly because (as Andrew noted) it's know as a really sharp lens. The Pan 14mm f/2.5 and 20mm f/1.7 are better. I tend to use both wide open though the 20mm is probably better at f/2-2.8.

If you really want the 35mm eq I'd look at the Oly 17mm f/1.8. Like the Pan 20mm, the Oly 17mm is probably best in the f/2.0-2.8 range.

A Pan 17mm does not exit as far as I know.

The Pan 12-60 is a fine standard zoom, but again is there really a sweet spot of something like this? Some zooms are better at one end or another, but I don't think I've read anything about this one having that tendency. Again it's one I've never owned, I like the smaller 12-32 or longer 14-140 in the Panasonic lineup.

The Pan 45-175 is an OK lens. But that is how I would characterize all the zooms in this range. Fine in general use but probably not for the pixel peepers in the crowed. It does have the plus of not extending when zoomed. It also has the plus (or minus) of a power zoom. It's good for video but bad it you dislike zoom by wire. I fall in the latter category but I've still owned 3.

What body are you using? Both the Pan 12-60 and 45-175 don't have OIS on off switches and both are compatible with Panasonic's Dual IS. There really shouldn't be any issues using them on any body. But it's best to know how they will function and what setting you might have to change a head of time. For example some Olympus bodies have the option to like the lens OIS take over which you should do as I recall on those bodies since you can't turn it off at the lens.
 
gryphon1911 said:
If you want best of all worlds, I’d look at a used 12-35/2.8 Panasonic or a 12-40/2.8 Olympus.

if you want more reach, then I’d look at a used 12-60/2.8-4 Panasonic. That is what I’m using now and really like it. Got mine used for $400.
Click to expand...
Or the Oly 12-45mm f/4. While the Oly 12-40mm f/2.8 is very good, it does get a little better when stopped down a little. The 12-45mm is great wide open.

Is the PL12-60mm better a little stopped down? I can't remember the comments from the reviews.
 
John King said:
12-100 Olympus. Simply stunning lens at all FLs and apertures.

As @davidzvi asked "What body?". That is more than a little important ...
Click to expand...
I have both the Oly 12-45 and 12-100, but the 12-100 is in several different classes from the others mentioned so far.

Well optically the PL12-60 and Oly 12-100 Pro are pretty close. But $$$$ wise? You can find deals on the PL12-60 as Andrew mentioned. But I'm not sure I've seen the Oly 12-100 under $850.
 
rayvonn said:
These things are subjective, but lens 1) from what I’ve seen renders lovely and will give you a file which doesn’t automatically look plastically modern. I didn’t know there is a lens 2), do you mean the Panasonic 14mm F2.5? If so, that’s definitely recommended, again, has its own character, you’ll find it hard to take off the camera as an every
Click to expand...
 
the camera body is Olympus omd- em I , the questions regarding the body must be regarding the in body stabilization as well as the lens stabilization aka 2 forms of stabilization. shooting will be general all around not something sport, or wildlife specific

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

and a one fast prime for indoors/ low light
 
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Olympus 12-100mm, and for 100-200mm whom should I be looking at? And one all round prime from 17-25mm affordable? Now I know not to choose by what other people do with the lens in question. That's why I asked here first. I was going by sample shots by other people. Everyone has their working range their own sweet spot for what they want to render. No short cuts.

thanks one and all


Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8, I think this is the lens I was referring to but it's not 4/3​

 
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lucien said:
Olympus 12-100mm, and for 100-200mm whom should I be looking at? And one all round prime from 17-25mm affordable? Now I know not to choose by what other people do with the lens in question. That's why I asked here first. I was going by sample shots by other people. Everyone has their working range their own sweet spot for what they want to render. No short cuts.

thanks one and all


Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8, I think this is the lens I was referring to but it's not 4/3​

Click to expand...
The 12-100 is simply tge best lens I have ever owned. The 12-200 is an ordinary lens, at best.

The Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8. The "M" indicates that it is for micro Four Thirds. I have not owned this lens, but I understand that the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 is a better lens.
 
In case you are still interested in the 17/2.8, here is my review of it.

bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com

Olympus 17mm f/2.8 Lens Review

17mm mounted on camera next to the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Background This lens is not too well received in reviews. So why in the world would I (a) get one and then (b) review it. Why not? I wanted t…
bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com

and here is my review of the Panasonic 20/1.7

bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com

Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Lens Review

17mm mounted on camera next to the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Background I’ve always wanted to try this lens. Friends, forum members, everyone speaks very very highly of the P20/1.7. While it never got h…
bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com bestlightphotoblog.wordpress.com

of those 2 I still own the 20/1.7. Bottom line overall sharpness and rendering are better on the Panasonic. Also, because I already owned the Panasonic 12-60/2.8-4, the f/2.8 of the 17mm was just too close to the zoom aperture. The 20mm will be used for when I need the low light wide open aperture speed.
 
I read your reviews. Very good. I'm going to with 12-100mm Oly. Is there something after that without going into the 300mm range? I already have a 150-600mm G2 Tamron for birding. Is there a Pany 12-100mm tha's close to the Oly? Panasonic has a 35-100mm f4 is that good? Because the Oly is $1,100 kinda out of my budget. The Pany 35-100 is only $350 more reasonable. And I'll take the 20mm f1.7 for close up/indoor
 
The O17 is a nice compact lens that is great unless you want that really crisp sharpness. If you do, get the Panasonic 20. The two normal zooms mentioned above are great, but I prefer primes for walk-around on a small body. To be fair, I often shoot when I am doing something else, e.g., a street fair, so I favor small and light.
 
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the pany 20mm f.17 would fit that bill. Has anyone tried the sigma 16mm f1.4 that is the black sheep/sleeper lens I wouldn't mind 32mm equiv on aps-c and a f1.4. The price is very cheap. But it might be huge. Even the oly primes are huge
 
The Pana 20mm f:1.7 is a good one, I am currently working mine a bit on and off.

Got a second hand copy in January for about $150ish. I held out for the MkII version, its not much difference between MkI and II, but as it seems to be plenty of both around, I thought it couldn't harm to hold out for the newest one.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered the PL 15mm?

That one really shines! :)
 

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