Your thoughts and experience: Oly 75mm or Pana 35-100?

Navegador wrote:

Hi everyone. I'm ready to purchase a new tele lens for my m4/3 set-up (GX1 and E-PM2, Pana 7-14, Pana 20, Pana 12-35, Oly 45).

A very intelligently planned lens collection!

Thing is, I'm really torn between the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 prime and Panasonic's 35-100 f/2.8 zoom.

You got shallow DOF for portaits with your 45, so for additional range, the 35-100 would be the lens of choice.

I was thinking hard about getting the zoom, but then I researched a bit and realized that for about $400 less, if you figure the OEM lens hood in, the Olympus 75 does look like an appealing lens that would complement my set-up so that I could get roughly the same photography I'd get with the 35-100 zoom. *Roughly*. I already have 70mm equivalent covered with the 12-35, 90mm with the 45 and would get a longer focal length (150 equiv.) with the added benefit of a lager aperture. On the flip side, I'd be switching lenses a lot more and losing everything between 70-90, then 90-150, and from 150-200mm (equivalent).

This talk about "loosing FLs" is rather obsolete. The difference in perspective between a 150, 170 and 200 mm is minimal and nothing you could not compensate with a few steps in the right direction, at least in situations where you need a tele lens.

I think, reach is what may count: if 75 is not enough. get the 35-100.
But even there you will soon find out, that what you can't get with 75 you can't get with 100 either.

What might be another point with your cameras: with longer FLs you might be in need for IS, and there again the 35-100 might give you a small advantage (1-2 EV considering the smaller max aperture) with the Pana body.

Peter.