Italy trip w/ GH4 and E-PL7

Olivia C wrote:

Just a question - how did you find the 17mm f1.8 on your trip there? I noticed that you used it for quite a few of your photos and took some fantastic shots. I myself am going to Italy during their winter and currently have the 9-18mm f4-5.6 and 45mm f1.8. I'm looking to find another lens (probably either a 17mm or 25mm) but can't decide between the two. Did you find that it would've been too cramped using a 25mm lens?

Olivia,

I kept the 17 1.8 on my E-PL7 at all times during this trip (except that I used other lenses when trying to do some Live Comp shots here and there).  I found that the combo was really handy because I always had a capable lens on this body when I needed something on the wider side and for low-light situations.  I generally always carried my messenger-style camera bag, which held my GH4 with long zoom (typically the 35-100 2.8) and my E-PL7 with the 17mm.  This minimized the need for me to change lenses.  Instead, I changed cameras as I needed, which I find easier and faster.

The Oly 17mm may not get the best reviews out there, but I think it is pretty sharp, at least enough for my purposes, especially given the fact that it's fairly fast both in terms of focus speed and aperture.  As a walk around lens, I think it's great and would be a lot more flexible than either the 45 (too long for a lot of situations) and the zoom (too slow for a lot of situations, particularly indoor shots in churches and restaurants).  I don't have a 25mm lens, but I would think the 50mm equivalent might also be too long for some indoor shots.  As they say, if you go wide, you can always crop to get a little more reach later (obviously, giving up some resolution in the process).

I hope this helps.  Have a great trip, and thank you for the kind comments!

Best,

Will