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12-50mm vs 14-42mm II R

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dave92029

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The reviews of the new weather sealed 12-50mm appear to be disappointing when compared to the capabilities of the new E-M5.

I was wondering if there is a comparison of the new 12-50mm kit lens to the 14-42 IIR kit lens, both lens are options when ordering the E-M5?

The 12-50mm is physically much larger than the 14-42mm, and the weather sealing is not a feature that I feel I need. I currently have the Olympus macro lens converter, a 9-18mm, and a 40-150mm lens so the extra range is also not compelling.

What I want is a kit lens that is sharp, fast and will maximize the abilities of the E-M5.

It appears that the 14-42mm IIR may be a better fit on the E-M5 than the 12-50mm, and we save $200 that goes half way to buying a 45mm f1.8

Any comments or reviews on this subject before I place my order. Thanks
Dave
 
dave92029 said:
What I want is a kit lens that is sharp, fast and will maximize the abilities of the E-M5.
Click to expand...
Then you may not want either the 14-42 or the 12-50, because neither will do that. To be honest, there is no kit zoom from Olympus or Panasonic that will do this. That's why they are kit lenses....made to fit a price-point, not maximize image quality. Picking either is simply trading one set of weaknesses for another.

The only current lenses that will come anywhere close to maximizing the abilities of the E-M5 are the prime lenses. Maybe....some day....if they ever get around to actually offering them for sale.....the Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 and 35-100 f2.8 zooms will probably be the best zoom options if your main goal is the best possible image quality. Good luck waiting for them though.....
 
Many if us remember the rise of zooms in the eighties. Slow and crap iq but canon started to get them right , sigma and even tamron too.

A stable of three good primes sub f2 was prefered by many.

Here we are again
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dave92029 said:
The reviews of the new weather sealed 12-50mm appear to be disappointing when compared to the capabilities of the new E-M5.

I was wondering if there is a comparison of the new 12-50mm kit lens to the 14-42 IIR kit lens, both lens are options when ordering the E-M5?

The 12-50mm is physically much larger than the 14-42mm, and the weather sealing is not a feature that I feel I need. I currently have the Olympus macro lens converter, a 9-18mm, and a 40-150mm lens so the extra range is also not compelling.

What I want is a kit lens that is sharp, fast and will maximize the abilities of the E-M5.

It appears that the 14-42mm IIR may be a better fit on the E-M5 than the 12-50mm, and we save $200 that goes half way to buying a 45mm f1.8

Any comments or reviews on this subject before I place my order. Thanks
Click to expand...
The IMPRESSION I get from reading what reviews there are is that the new 12-50mm is equal in sharpness to the 14-42mm II, but has worse CA. So if you don't care about the longer zoom range, the weather sealing, and the macro ability, then there's no reason to get the 12-50mm.

However, there doesn't exist a really good scientific comparision online between those two lenses.
 
Gregm61 said:
dave92029 said:
What I want is a kit lens that is sharp, fast and will maximize the abilities of the E-M5.
Click to expand...
Then you may not want either the 14-42 or the 12-50, because neither will do that. To be honest, there is no kit zoom from Olympus or Panasonic that will do this. That's why they are kit lenses....made to fit a price-point, not maximize image quality. Picking either is simply trading one set of weaknesses for another.

The only current lenses that will come anywhere close to maximizing the abilities of the E-M5 are the prime lenses. Maybe....some day....if they ever get around to actually offering them for sale.....the Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 and 35-100 f2.8 zooms will probably be the best zoom options if your main goal is the best possible image quality. Good luck waiting for them though.....
Click to expand...
I think Greg is spot on. I'm not expecting much from the 12-50, but I'm telling myself that it will be nice to have a weather-sealed all purpose lens. The 45/1.8 and 25/1.4 figure to be the workhorses though, with plans to be patient until the 12-35/2.8 is a reality.
 
Personally because of the size, I'd opt for the 14-42mm, you get less reach but its physically a smaller lens. Also at the widest focal length there are reports that its not that sharp on the edges.
 
I feel they are the same optical quality. But I would pick 12-50 anytime for what it is at the current price...it's a bargain (weather sealing, video, macro, extended range).

for high IQ currently there are only primes.

Or, if you like zooms and not mad about AF speed, fit a ZD 14-50 MKII or any HG lens and will deliver very good quality.

For me, a combination will be the way to go: zd 11-22 + 45/1.8 + 60/2.8 macro. I will still buy 12-50 as walk around alternative ...it's too cheap to let it go.
This, until fast native zooms (my preference too) will be available.

Best

I still have some zd lenses that I might use occasionally: 40-150 MKII, 70-300, 35/3.5, 50/2. But these can go on sale to finance new m4/3 lenses.

--
Viorel
http://viorelp.smugmug.com/
 
I am in the same dilemma, getting the 14-42mm or the 12-50mm for the OMD EM5, but I feel I should go for the 14-42mm so I can save some money in order to half pay the 20mm 1.8 panasonic pancake lens as my first option or the 40-150mm as the second one.
 
I have briefly tested both since I have them.

What I can say between my versions is that the 12-50mm is a touch sharper than the 14-42mm II, and the latter has more CA (purple fringing around high-contrast lights).

The 12-50mm is better for video work as it has a power zoom, and the great thing is that it has a nifty three-way slider for manual zoom, power zoom and then macro. I have never seen this feature in another lens before.

The macro feature is very handy to have.

The 14-42 II is less than half the length of the 12-50mm when retracted, so it quite a compact fella.

--
Regards,
Tony

--------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26154011@N07/
 
Why not the Panasonic 14-45mm? It's still available, it's still great, and it still have an external IS on/off switch, which is really useful. Also comes with a reversible lens hood, so it's not much bigger than the Oly kit.
 
TonyinJapan said:
I have briefly tested both since I have them.

What I can say between my versions is that the 12-50mm is a touch sharper than the 14-42mm II, and the latter has more CA (purple fringing around high-contrast lights).

The 12-50mm is better for video work as it has a power zoom, and the great thing is that it has a nifty three-way slider for manual zoom, power zoom and then macro. I have never seen this feature in another lens before.

The macro feature is very handy to have.

The 14-42 II is less than half the length of the 12-50mm when retracted, so it quite a compact fella.

--
Regards,
Tony

--------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26154011@N07/
Click to expand...
Hi, Tony. Nice to know that you have a good copy of the 12-50mm. I just wonder whether it could mislead others, if your results just happened to be due to an extreme case of sample variations.

I do not have the new 12-50mm yet. I have however read other reviews and comments that suggest that the 12-50mm is noticeably less sharp than the 14-42mm MSC II, which is clearly better than the original 14-42mm (version 1). Most reviewers rate this new 12-50mm fair or acceptable and would recommend it for other unique properties. Even Robin Wong who showed some amazing photos taken with this lens said it was not so sharp, although the macro performance was very good for a zoom.

It is of course a great performer for a zoom within the 12-14mm range compared to any other zoom, and also when it rains, or when you cannot change lenses but need to take macro shots or quickly afterwards to take a tighter head shot or a video of a scenic place using the silent motorised zoom, something done by a street performer. I will buy it to get all those things in a single convenient and affordable lens, probably the only lens like it of any make anywhere.
 
It is also hard to believe that a lens that needs to do so much more than the 12-42mm II has not been compromised in its design and hence optical quality, especially considering that it is not particularly big or expensive (more use of big and special lens material).
 
emblema said:
I am in the same dilemma, getting the 14-42mm or the 12-50mm for the OMD EM5, but I feel I should go for the 14-42mm so I can save some money in order to half pay the 20mm 1.8 panasonic pancake lens as my first option or the 40-150mm as the second one.
Click to expand...
If you have limited funds, then you should absolutely get the 14-42mm and put your savings towards a good prime.

By the way, there's no such thing as the 20mm 1.8 (you either mean the 20mm 1.7 or 45mm 1.8).

I've shot with both of the zooms (14-42 IIR / 12-50mm) and both of the primes (20 1.7 / 45 1.8). Both of the zooms are okay and both of the primes are great.
 
viorel said:
I feel they are the same optical quality. But I would pick 12-50 anytime for what it is at the current price...it's a bargain (weather sealing, video, macro, extended range).
Click to expand...
I played with the 12-50 in-store and I was not impressed. It's nearly twice as heavy and twice as big as the 14-42 IIR (I did a side-by side comparison). To me, the costs (twice the money, twice the size, twice the weight) outweigh the benefits (4x zoom versus 3x zoom, macro, weather sealing).

If it was a bright lens with great image quality I'd definitely consider it, but the image quality barely equals the 14-42 IIR and it's one of the dimmest zoom lenses on the market.
viorel said:
for high IQ currently there are only primes.

Or, if you like zooms and not mad about AF speed, fit a ZD 14-50 MKII or any HG lens and will deliver very good quality.

For me, a combination will be the way to go: zd 11-22 + 45/1.8 + 60/2.8 macro. I will still buy 12-50 as walk around alternative ...it's too cheap to let it go.
This, until fast native zooms (my preference too) will be available.

Best

I still have some zd lenses that I might use occasionally: 40-150 MKII, 70-300, 35/3.5, 50/2. But these can go on sale to finance new m4/3 lenses.

--
Viorel
http://viorelp.smugmug.com/
Click to expand...
 
eyeruh said:
TonyinJapan said:
The 14-42 II is less than half the length of the 12-50mm when retracted, so it quite a compact fella.
Click to expand...
Hi Tony,

How do they compare when the 14-42 is extended for shooting? Is the 12-50 that much longer?

Thanks!
Ira
Click to expand...
I compared them in-store, and I thought the size and weight differences were considerable. The 12-50 is nearly twice as heavy as the 14-42 IIR, and when the latter lens is retracted it is much more compact.
 
NZ Scott said:
eyeruh said:
TonyinJapan said:
The 14-42 II is less than half the length of the 12-50mm when retracted, so it quite a compact fella.
Click to expand...
Hi Tony,

How do they compare when the 14-42 is extended for shooting? Is the 12-50 that much longer?

Thanks!
Ira
Click to expand...
I compared them in-store, and I thought the size and weight differences were considerable. The 12-50 is nearly twice as heavy as the 14-42 IIR, and when the latter lens is retracted it is much more compact.
Click to expand...
Is any lens twice the weight of the 14-42 really "heavy"?

The 12-50 is as heavy as the 40-150 M. Zuiko. About a 1 ounce difference.
 
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