Best very compact normal zoom for Oly OMD E5 when 12-40 is too big

papillon_65 wrote:

It doesn't get any smaller or better, it's a no-brainer if you want a small but excellent lens.

I have the Panny f2.8 12-35 for my G6 and GX7 but my walk around lens is the diminutive 12-32.

The 12-32 has a huge advantage over the smaller 14-42 lenses -- it goes down to 12!!!

AND at 12 it is only half a stop disadvantaged in aperture compared with the 12-35 (or 12-40 in your case, Tom).

AND it produces excellent quality images.

AND you can get a JJC auto lens cap for instant opening and protection.

It does have barrel distortion at 12, but it is regular and can be removed in a second when necessary (most of the time it doesn't matter) with PTLens (PS compatible) plug-in in PP (I use it with PhotoLine) or manually.

The 32 at the long end is a touch short but given the IQ of the lens and the 16MPX sensor, you can crop to get that extra reach. With the Panny bodies, I use EX TELE which takes an 8MPX crop out of the center of the sensor, effectively a 1.4x tele extender for 45mm equiv. The 8MPX is good for top quality viewing on any screen and an A3 (tabloid) size print (or larger depending on viewing distance, of course).

Out for a ramble in the bush or suburbs, I have the 12-32 on the camera and the Panny 45-150 plus the Raynox 150 c/u supplementary lens in my pocket. The Oly 40-150 f4-5.6 is the Oly alternative, an excellent lens, although the Panny is just slightly smaller and lighter.