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What lenses do we need?

Started Jun 4, 2014 | Polls thread
Franka T.L.
Franka T.L. Veteran Member • Posts: 8,161
That " we " is kind of misleading

Fortunately the mirrorless, M4/3 and all are no longer just small setup or niche, and its going main stream ( somewhat ) so the " we " part really do not apply as WE imply a single entity of more or less similar and same fashioned need here. Which is what its not nowadays.

The total mirrorless user community is now wider, and further apart from each other than before, so essentially to filla system, whatever kind of lens of all grade, and coverage , usage, and niche is really all needed to fulfill the lineup. So while all the suggested ones are perhaps all fitting to its own right, its also unfitting to just state that those are really just what's needed as there will and there are various others too. So my choice is really None of the above as its all to individual users.

But since I will have to answer ( as OP demanded ) I will state my 2 cents

  • A true optically well corrected Tele Macro. Sorry the 60mm don't count. Its perhaps short tele in term of coverage but not really tele in usage. And optically a Macro demands the best in correction and todays M4/3's Macro is at best very much margin to be acceptable as good quality Macro goes. The Tele is demanded because not everything we shoot are just flowers. We need that working distance both for lightning and a safe margin for ourselves as well as the subject ( ever try shooting a snake's portrait and you will know what I mean ). We need something like 200mm/4.0 , That would put us the photographer at a rather comforting safe distance and not to say the subject won't be so startled. That can easily also double as the quality mid range Tele 
  • The typical fast fix focal classic Trio and Quintet , that mean the essential Wide-Standard-Long Focal, and adding ( your specific 2 ) Tele, Long focal/short Tele Macro, Super-Wide, or. We are seeing some fulfilled but its far from even complete. BY that I also add that Most who care to take the trouble to go with a fix focal also demands optical quality so lens like the 12mm/2.0 ( which give distortion, CA and vignette even worse than zoom optically ) probably is not fitting to the group. Am seeing a slew of fast fix focals recently but the Mfr had miss part of what these lens are to be other than the Fast part. Credit where's credit due though, let's had a pet on Oly's shoulder for their effort on the 45 and 75, those are the kind of lens and optical quality that's really what's worth it. Instead of just gone wide and wider, a more reasonable choice would be making a 14mm/1.8 for the wide coverage and then give us something like 9mm/2.4 or 10mm/2.4 for the fast super wide. the current 45 and 75 really covers the long focal and Short Tele need and somewhat also the 60 Macro though its not intended to be so ( not a general purpose lens but a Macro and at 2.8 its certainly not fast ) Those coupled with the previously mentioned tele Macro could serve most of the more demanding needs
  • Long Tele , reasonably fast. Well Long Tele as long tele goes. even f/2.8 is fast And here we are speaking of lens of ( true ) focal length beyond 200mm, and this is also reflected in the many thread asking for such and one ( and more ) of Op's suggestion. Stated though this can be several different way to do it. fix focal or zoom, fast and reasonably fast. OIS or not ... One thing I would wagre is that the Mfr need to ditch their self imposed restriction on size and bulk. Lens of this long reach will be big, will be heavy and will require good usage technique. So go with that, place a tripod collar for us, better yet still place the tripiod socket right at the nodal point ( while at that, can Oly made an optional tripod collar for the 60mm macro where the socket sit on the nodal point also ). we are talking lens of 250mm, 300mm, 400mm, and perhaps even 500mm focal length here. A zoom say 200-400/4.0 is stable for FF, APS-C and equally would be stable for 4/3. On the other hand if Panny and Oly wants to go for the reach, so to speak, why not try a 250-500mm/4.0, and perhaps give us a version of the 4/3's 90-250/2.8.
  • We , and I mean a lot of us, really need a set of performing mid range nominal zooms. Not the WOW you f/2.8 or the kit lens .. but really something that deliver on all account, reasonable speed, constant aperture ( especially needed for Video ) Optical performance, and none too much as the f/2.8 ... Something like the good old 12-60/4.0 4/3 zoom ( oh yes we've had it again ) and a wide zoom as well a tele zoom to complement .. 
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- Franka -

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