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Prime Lense Suggestion for Olympus OM-D E-M10

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Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
 
Last edited:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
The 25mm f/1.8 is probably more like what you have in mind as an all-purpose prime. It should have reasonable out of focus and still be practical for indoor/outdoor use.

You really should get familiar with the focal lengths based on the 14-42 before you invest in a prime. You might be partial to a specific focal length. A couple mm with m4/3 can make a big difference, and some m4/3 lenses have their own unique features that might make you choose one over another for different reasons.

I wouldn't get in a rush, but if I had to pick an all-purpose prime today, it would be the 25mm f/1.8. I'm quite comfortable with that focal length.
 
The Other Old Pentaxian just bought one of these little beauties-- what a charming little camera it is. Since its particular purpose is to be the best large sensor point and shoot ever, it wears the collapsible kit zoom.

But I, of course, am already plotting to "borrow" it and turn it into a mini art monster for walkaround with a couple of used primes. The two lenses I have picked out for this project are the Olympus 25mm f/1.8 and the Olympus 45mm f/1.8. I'm leaning toward the latter, since I really love a short tele and the idea of a genuinely compact 90mm equivalent kit is extremely attractive to me. But the 25mm is an appealing lens as well-- I've seen gorgeous work done with it and 50mm is a classic general purpose field of view that I know well.

(Not that there's anything wrong with the 17mm, but I have an X100T that says everything I could want to say about the 35mm equivalent fov, so that lens would be redundant for me.)
 
Last edited:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
Dont overlook the Panasonic 20mm F1.7, or 25mm F1.4.

Both are stunning. Used to have the 25mm and really loved it.
 
BBbuilder467 said:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
The 25mm f/1.8 is probably more like what you have in mind as an all-purpose prime. It should have reasonable out of focus and still be practical for indoor/outdoor use.

You really should get familiar with the focal lengths based on the 14-42 before you invest in a prime. You might be partial to a specific focal length. A couple mm with m4/3 can make a big difference, and some m4/3 lenses have their own unique features that might make you choose one over another for different reasons.

I wouldn't get in a rush, but if I had to pick an all-purpose prime today, it would be the 25mm f/1.8. I'm quite comfortable with that focal length.
Click to expand...
Thans guys

I cant seem to find a way to tell in the current 14-42mm what is 17mm and what is 25mm.. there is no physical marker on the lense or any indicator on the viewfinder

Still confused between the two.. or any other lense recommendation based on my current setup
 
I agree with the suggestion to get familiar with your zoom first before you invest in a prime especially if you don't have money burning a hole in your pocket at the moment.

For some years, the conventional wisdom has been that people are generally 35mm or 50mm shooters (in full frame equivalent terms) and it's a matter or personal preference. The 17mm is the 35mm equivalent and the 25mm is the 50mm equivalent so its best to identify what your natural eye or shooting style prefers. You can just use your 14-42 and look at the exif data of your files after you have taken hundreds of shots to see if the focal lengths you prefer using are closer to 17 or to 25. Just about any photo editor can show this data.

I am more of a natural wide angle shooter and if I look at the exif data for my shots with a standard zoom, I often find almost none are around 50mm equivalent. For other people, 50mm is their preferred fl.
 
its said:
BBbuilder467 said:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
The 25mm f/1.8 is probably more like what you have in mind as an all-purpose prime. It should have reasonable out of focus and still be practical for indoor/outdoor use.

You really should get familiar with the focal lengths based on the 14-42 before you invest in a prime. You might be partial to a specific focal length. A couple mm with m4/3 can make a big difference, and some m4/3 lenses have their own unique features that might make you choose one over another for different reasons.

I wouldn't get in a rush, but if I had to pick an all-purpose prime today, it would be the 25mm f/1.8. I'm quite comfortable with that focal length.
Click to expand...
Thans guys

I cant seem to find a way to tell in the current 14-42mm what is 17mm and what is 25mm.. there is no physical marker on the lense or any indicator on the viewfinder

Still confused between the two.. or any other lense recommendation based on my current setup
Click to expand...
Sorry about that. It never occurred to me that you wouldn't be able to see the focal length.

17mm would seem a lot like the 14mm end of your 14-42. 25mm might seem like you zoomed 1/2 way.

You might be able to tell by watching the aperture change, if someone with the lens knows where 25mm is.

I never gave that a thought.

You might have to spend a day just taking photos and then check the exif data to see what you used most often.

25mm is going to have a little more of the bokeh-like effect as opposed to 17mm, if that's your bigger concern. A 45mm f/1.8 would have the shallowest DOF, but it would be like using the kit lens at maximum zoom all the time.

Personally, I could live with a 25mm f/1.8 on the m4/3 as my only lens if I needed to. The 50mm on a 35mm film camera is really all I ever had, so it would seem perfectly normal to me.

FWIW, there are any number of Panasonic users who have never had any lens but the 20mm f/1.7, but they are overpriced right now.
 
Last edited:
its said:
I cant seem to find a way to tell in the current 14-42mm what is 17mm and what is 25mm.. there is no … indicator on the viewfinder
Click to expand...
That's odd. Olympus cameras have the focal length written in the upper-right corner while zooming the lens. Perhaps you didn't look in the right place, or only looked when you didn't change the zoom position?

Here is a quick snap of the LCD on my E-M5, while zooming the 12-50 lens:

OR2Sact.jpg


It's also shown in the other display modes, not just the SCP view, and also in the EVF. Just zoom a little and you should see it.
 
Ido S said:
its said:
I cant seem to find a way to tell in the current 14-42mm what is 17mm and what is 25mm.. there is no … indicator on the viewfinder
Click to expand...
That's odd. Olympus cameras have the focal length written in the upper-right corner while zooming the lens. Perhaps you didn't look in the right place, or only looked when you didn't change the zoom position?

Here is a quick snap of the LCD on my E-M5, while zooming the 12-50 lens:

OR2Sact.jpg


It's also shown in the other display modes, not just the SCP view, and also in the EVF. Just zoom a little and you should see it.
Click to expand...
Thanks didn't notice that.. Don't know how to get to SCP mode (still going through the ebook) but even the normal view shows it on top right..

17mm (35mm) seems so nice indoor... 25mm (50mm) seems to close up.. 17mm seems better although need to take outdoor..

If I do decide 17mm for a camera between the two options above.. should i then get the Olympus 17mm f1.8 ? or any other recommendations?
 
Last edited:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
While your choices are excellent, don't forget to look at the best deal in micro four thirds, the Sigma Art lineup of primes:

Loading…

www.bhphotovideo.com

You can get all three primes 19/30/60mm for about $600 or two for around your budget of $400. It's a rocking deal for high quality art primes, and I can personally attest to the sharpness of these lenses. They are not quite as fast as the lenses you have listed, but personally I'd rather have two f/2.8 lenses than one f/1.8 lens unless you plan on doing a lot of low-light shooting (in which case you should go with the f/1.8 lenses).
 
MinAZ said:
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
I am not sure atm which one to go for..

Any suggestions.. or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
While your choices are excellent, don't forget to look at the best deal in micro four thirds, the Sigma Art lineup of primes:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Sigma&ci=17912&N=4196380428+4099560916+4291220258

You can get all three primes 19/30/60mm for about $600 or two for around your budget of $400. It's a rocking deal for high quality art primes, and I can personally attest to the sharpness of these lenses. They are not quite as fast as the lenses you have listed, but personally I'd rather have two f/2.8 lenses than one f/1.8 lens unless you plan on doing a lot of low-light shooting (in which case you should go with the f/1.8 lenses).
Click to expand...
 
its said:
Don't know how to get to SCP mode
Click to expand...
Nothing really special about it. SCP is the acronym of “Super Control Panel”—a useful quick-menu of sorts in all Olympus mirrorless cameras—which can be brought up by pressing the OK button in the middle of the 4-way directional pad/buttons. Because I usually use the EVF and only seldom use the rear screen, I pushed the button on the left edge of the EVF hump to disable the live image in the rear screen. In this mode, the screen shows the SCP, which is why I called this “SCP view.”
its said:
but even the normal view shows it on top right..
Click to expand...
Yes, I’m pretty sure I mentioned it...
its said:
17mm (35mm) seems so nice indoor... 25mm (50mm) seems to close up.. 17mm seems better although need to take outdoor..
Click to expand...
No reason to talk equivalence here. You use one sensor format and you’re looking for a lens for that format alone, not any other, so just use the real focal lengths.
its said:
If I do decide 17mm for a camera between the two options above.. should i then get the Olympus 17mm f1.8 ? or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
Panasonic has a relatively new lens, the Leica-branded 15mm f/1.7, which should be excellent. It has an aperture ring on it, but I think it does nothing on Olympus bodies.

If you find it hard to decide between the two focal lengths (15mm and 25mm), zoom your lens to 20mm and see how that looks. If you like it, great—there are two Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lenses. They should be identical optically, while the second model (II) has a tougher, higher-quality build, as far as I'm aware. It appears they both cost roughly $300, so it makes more sense to get the second version, but if you find a good deal on a used one, go for it! The first version was released in 2009, and I think it was the first fast prime lens for MFT, so it's been out long enough so that probably a ton of them are in the used market.
 
its said:
Hi Guys

New to photography. Bought my first camera after reading reivews - Olympus OM-D E-M10 (I know II came out)

Came with the following kit lenses
Still going through menus, books, videos to get hang of it.. liking it. Still trying to get my head around all basic stuff like Aperture / Focal Length / ISO etc..

I am going for a trip and going to basically going to use the gear ocassionally for trips / baby pics / general use

I was thinking to complete the kit for next 3-5 years and for the trip (remmeber n00b so not going to be a pro user for first few years) to get a prime lense. We likes bokeh affect as well. Putting budget of around $400 USD.

After some reading I was thinking of one of the following
Click to expand...
It's really a matter of personal preference, and you can't go wrong either way. I have both lenses. The 25mm is a tad sharper, but the 17mm has a manual focus clutch that can be really handy for street shooting.

As others have said, shoot with the kit lens for a while and see which focal lengths are most comfortable for you.

The 25mm may be the more versatile lens. If you are planning to live with just one prime for a long time, I would go for the 25mm. If you are thinking about adding another prime later, I would get the 17mm now and the 45mm later.
 
its said:
Ido S said:
its said:
I cant seem to find a way to tell in the current 14-42mm what is 17mm and what is 25mm.. there is no … indicator on the viewfinder
Click to expand...
That's odd. Olympus cameras have the focal length written in the upper-right corner while zooming the lens. Perhaps you didn't look in the right place, or only looked when you didn't change the zoom position?

Here is a quick snap of the LCD on my E-M5, while zooming the 12-50 lens:

OR2Sact.jpg


It's also shown in the other display modes, not just the SCP view, and also in the EVF. Just zoom a little and you should see it.
Click to expand...
Thanks didn't notice that.. Don't know how to get to SCP mode (still going through the ebook) but even the normal view shows it on top right..

17mm (35mm) seems so nice indoor... 25mm (50mm) seems to close up.. 17mm seems better although need to take outdoor..

If I do decide 17mm for a camera between the two options above.. should i then get the Olympus 17mm f1.8 ? or any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
The Sigma 19mm f2.8 is my most used prime. I also have the lovely 45mm f1.8, but I find it too restrictive for everyday all-time use. The Sigma is bigger than the Oly 17mm but considerably cheaper last I looked and really is a nice sharp lens. It doesn't open as bright but I seldom find it wanting. What I'm saying is that I find that a focal length around 20mm, give or take, to be the most versatile for a prime everyday lens and it complements the longer of the two zooms you have nicely.



For best bokeh and shallow depth of field you need the 45 or 60mm portrait lenses though.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys.. after reading the responses.. more confusion.. so by all the replies.. have complied the following list recommended with ascending price of what i could find
  • Sigma 19mm f2.8
  • Panasonic 20mm f1.7 Make II
  • Olympus 25mm f1.8
  • Olympus 17mm f1.8
  • Panasonic 25mm f1.4
  • Panasonic Leica 15mm f1.7
Still tilting towards the 17mm Olympus but just can't decide.. Hopefully have not missed any other lense in the range..
 
its said:
Thanks guys.. after reading the responses.. more confusion.. so by all the replies.. have complied the following list recommended with ascending price of what i could find
  • Sigma 19mm f2.8
  • Panasonic 20mm f1.7 Make II
  • Olympus 25mm f1.8
  • Olympus 17mm f1.8
  • Panasonic 25mm f1.4
  • Panasonic Leica 15mm f1.7
Still tilting towards the 17mm Olympus but just can't decide.. Hopefully have not missed any other lense in the range..
Click to expand...
All of those lenses fall within the focal length range of your 14-42mm zoom, so the main differences will be in size and aperture. I can't comment on their individual characters.

In your original post you said 'we likes bokeh effects'. That means you want shallow depth of field. For that the obvious candidate is the 25mm f:1.4 because it is the longest and the fastest of your options. It gives you a good 3 stop advantage in shallow depth of field compared to using your zoom at 25mm.

The 19mm f:2.8 gives hardly any benefit that I can see. The others will give you about 2 stops advantage in shallow depth of field compared to your zoom
 
its said:
Thanks guys.. after reading the responses.. more confusion.. so by all the replies.. have complied the following list recommended with ascending price of what i could find
  • Sigma 19mm f2.8
  • Panasonic 20mm f1.7 Make II
  • Olympus 25mm f1.8
  • Olympus 17mm f1.8
  • Panasonic 25mm f1.4
  • Panasonic Leica 15mm f1.7
Still tilting towards the 17mm Olympus but just can't decide.. Hopefully have not missed any other lense in the range..
Click to expand...
All great lenses. But I would also bear in mind what you may want to buy in future... ie. If you know you in future you will definitely want a 28mm lens (14mm M43) then maybe the 34mm (17mm Oly) is too close to that?

Just confusing you even more.

If it were me I would buy the Panasic Leica 25mm 1.4 - I have owned one for two years and its a stunning optic. Shallow DoF and pin sharp wide open!

I would then also but the Oly 17mm F1.8 - 35mm is my favourite focal length. End.
 
So my mind was nearly made for Olympus 17mm f/1.8 but now I am also being suggested Panasonic 15mm f1.7 becuase apparently its more sharper than Olympus? There is a full article on it

Loading…

www.cameralabs.com

Any thoughts between the two

Hope I don't have to bring any other lens into contention now.
 
its said:
So my mind was nearly made for Olympus 17mm f/1.8 but now I am also being suggested Panasonic 15mm f1.7 becuase apparently its more sharper than Olympus? There is a full article on it
Click to expand...
Sharpness is something you should see, not read about. Inspect sample images and find out yourself if there's any meaningful difference between them.
 
its said:
So my mind was nearly made for Olympus 17mm f/1.8 but now I am also being suggested Panasonic 15mm f1.7 becuase apparently its more sharper than Olympus? There is a full article on it

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/P..._f1-7_H-X015/Leica_15mm_vs_Olympus_17mm.shtml

Any thoughts between the two

Hope I don't have to bring any other lens into contention now.
Click to expand...
To my eyes, I don't see a difference in the sample images. Perhaps because I have average eyesight not eagle eyes. Do you pixel peep? I don't and I don't think it is necessary to pixel peep unless you are printing gallery size images. It's all up to you though whether the Leica name is worth the extra coin. Also, the extra width might be worth it for some people if they shoot a lot of landscape, but if you do the 12mm f/2 might be better.
 
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