FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Considering the jump to Micro 4/3
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Old Jan 12, 2013, 10:10 pm
  #7  
IMOA
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,512
I went over to the OMD this year for my travel photography (and basically all photography really) and as you're saying the big benefit is not so much the body but the size, variety and quality of lens available. When travelling I take the following:

UWA
Olympus 9-18 f4-5.6 - Medium cost with really quite good quality, biggest benefit is the size/weight as with it's collapsible design it's tiny. Takes a 52mm filter.
Alternate - Pana 7-14 f4 wider, a bit better quality, twice the size/weight and doesn't take a filter. I believe there is a version 2 coming for this very shortly

General Zoom
Pana 12-35 f2.8 - When travelling this is probably the lens I use most often. Excellent quality, weather sealed, constant aperture zoom and quite small compared to the full frame 24-70 f2.8s. It is an expensive m43 lens though with a street price around $1000
Alternates
Oly 12-50 - the jack of all trades master of none lens. If you get it bundled with the body it can make sense but if you continue building up you lens collection this will end up gathering dust. It is weather sealed which gives you something to use in the rain but it's also quite big for what it offers which is a consideration
Kit zooms - the kit zooms are very cheap, quite small (especially the oly 14-42, make sure you get the latest one as it's smaller than the first one). Quality is good for a kit lens but it is a $100 lens, you have to have realistic expectations

Low Light/Street
PL 25mm f1.4 - this lens is just wonderful on the OMD, fantastic quality, fantastic colours, takes just gorgeous photos. In the mid-range for price and is a stellar performer on the OMD
Alternates
Pana 20mm f1.7 Pancake - Allows the OMD to jacket pocketable and image quality is very good. It's biggest weakness is the auto focus speed, it's a generation behind here and is a bit slow. A bit cheaper than the PL 25mm but not by much
Voightlander - given I said low light the Voightlander f0.95 17 and 25mm pair should be mentioned. Manual focus only, very expensive for m43 but both are a brilliant lens

mid range Tele zoom
Oly 42-150mm II - this is the kit zoom, it's good quality up to 100mm and average from 100-150. It is very small so for me it's a case of it does the job as I don't shoot much in this range (I'm either wider or longer for motorsport). So it's small and bang for buck quality-wise
Alternates
Pana 35-100mm F2.8 - This is probably the next lens I'll buy, weather sealed, very high quality and tiny for what it delivers (about a quarter the size of the full frame equivalent). It is one of the most expensive m43 lenses so I'm waiting to pass through Japan before I get one as they are a lot cheaper there if you shop in the right place

Long tele zoom
Oly 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 - If I'm going to shoot motorsport this is the lens I take. It's quite good quality from 75-200mm and good quality above that. It's much smaller than the alternates but is also very expensive for what you get. Looks like it's being replaced atm
Alternates
Pana 100-300mm f4 - 5.6 - very similar in terms of image quality, much larger (about double the size and weight) but much cheaper (about half the cost) than the oly.

Portraiture
I don't carry a portrait lens but a couple are worth mentioning
Oly 45mm f1.8 - on the cheaper end of the mid priced lens and 'L' quality optics. Very small and light and an absolute no brainer for anyone who wants to take portraits
Oly 75mm f1.8 - An expensive m43 lens but optics which can run with any lens on any system. Quite specialised in it's use but arguably the best lens in the M43 lineup

Macro
I don't carry a macro lens atm but might very soon
Oly 60mm f2.8 - midpriced macro with excellant image quality, if you want to take macro this is the no brainer choice right now imo.
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