Panasonic 14mm, Olympus 17mm, Sigma 19mm, Olympus 9-18mm, Which would you recommend?

adamandbean wrote:

Hello,

As I have decided to stay with micro four-thirds, I have decided to buy a lens or two. I currently only have the Olympus 25mm 1.8

I am looking to buy myself a Christmas present from the above lenses either new or used. In Japan here there are plenty of used lenses for reasonable prices.

I want something short in focal length to compliment the 25mm. I do not need a long reaching zoom lens at this stage. A general walk around lens for street shots and travel is my preference.

Weight is also a factor; this why I sold the d7000. I do not want something heavy. I had considered the 12-40 pro instead of buying the 25mm but the total weight would have been 780 grams which for me is too much.

Thanks for your advice in advance,

Adam

14mm: A good complement to your 25mm as far as focal length. Fast focus but, aperture-wise, it's a bit slower (f/2.5).

17mm: Also a good complement to your 25 as far as focal length, though some would argue that there's not quite enough difference in field of view. Just as fast as the 25, but a slightly different character (center-sharp, but needs a fair bit more stopping down to sharpen borders and corners.)

19mm: Too close to the 25mm in focal length IMO.

9-18mm: The M.Zuiko, micro-4/3 version is quite small and light for an ultra-wide angle lens. I've been pleasantly surprised by its IQ, particularly at the wider end. There's no substitute (among the lenses you've listed) for the field of view this lens can give. You may love the perspective, or find you can take it or leave it. It's a much slower lens. For optimal IQ, I generally shoot at 5/.6, and perhaps f/8 at the 18mm end.

Olympus 12mm. Not on your list, but can sometimes be picked up used or reconditioned for about the same price as a used/recond. 9-18. It's fast when you need it, and nicely wide. There's quite a jump in field of view between it and the 25mm, but I often found the 14mm wasn't quite wide enough for me.