Newly born OM-D M-E5 Mark II searches for polygamy relationship with 2 or 3 lenses.

Hello, mates!

I’m a 41 y/o Brazilian lawyer who has shot film for most of his life, first with an Olympus PEN, later with a Pentax ME SLR with a 50mm M 1.4 SMC lens, Japanese version. Transition to digital was delayed until I couldn’t find film to shot.

The logical step was to buy a DSLR. Since gear here is too expensive, I’ve saved enough for a brand new Nikon D5200, bought 3 years ago, with the 18-55 kit lens. I’ve also added a 35mm 1.8G and a 70-300 VR to my lenses, and since then, I’ve been switching between the 35 and the 70-300, in a 70%-30% ratio.

I love my setup – I’m no pro; photography for me is not a career, just a hobby that I like a lot. Until now, post-processing, if needed, was briefly made via LR, just to correct shadows, light and exposure. The APS-C on the D5200 is good enough for my shots, and I tend to print little to none of the final results. Don’t get me wrong – it was all going well until August 2015, when I fall in love with a little camera recently launched, the OM-D E-M10 II.

Since then, I’ve been reading a lot, both here and in the MU-43, trying to learn the most about this new – at least for me – mirrorless technology. I’ve started to save again, this time to buy an E-M10 II, with the kit lens (14-42), the affordable 40-150 R zoom and the 17mm 1.8 prime. The more I read, the more I fall in love.

As I’ve stated before, gear in Brazil is too expensive and our Olympus branch, for unknown reasons, doesn’t sell photographical stuff here. So I decided to travel to US, spend a week having some fun in Florida, and return with a brand new E-M10 II! But life had other plans for me…

I ended up earning some more money and start considering M10’s bigger sister, the O-MD E-M5 II. Weather sealing, full magnesium alloy body, 40MP multi exposure – wow! Weather sealing itself had me, as I live in a city by the sea, with a high humidity index, and sand, a lot of sand.

So, to the forum again – this time to learn more about the E-M5 II! I have to admit, choosing the body was easy breezy, the real struggle lies on the glass. As my trip is scheduled to November only, I’ve changed my mind so many times that I’m losing it! Ergo, here are the options I’m willing to buy, both at the same price – almost!

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II + 12-40 2.8 PRO lenses + 40-150 R zoom + ECG-2 grip:

I’m fascinated by the construction and sharpness of the PRO lens and I’m pretty sure it would stay 90% of the time attached to my M5 II. But then I remember the ratio to film (24-80, 5.6) and I realize I’d get almost none DOF and bokeh, and the plot start to thick. Every review of the PRO states that, too. Plus, I really love the speed and size of prime lenses – but size is not a decision factor for me.

The 40-150 R is a no brainer: with almost all the budget spent on the M5 II and the PRO, the hundred dollar zoom is the way to go, even if it doesn’t have weather seal. Besides, if it lasts for a year or two, the money would be well spent.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II + Olympus Travel Kit (14-150 II 4-5.6 + 17mm 1.8 + hoods and pouches) + ECG-2 grip.

So, as I’ve said two paragraphs before, I love prime lenses, and this soon-to-be-launched Travel Kit has just the one I was looking for, the 17mm 1.8, bundled with a 14-150 all-range lens – the latter is even weather sealed. I know it’s not as sharp as the 12-40 PRO, but the range is versatile enough for the everyday use. The bundle is being sold with almost US$ 200 discount, comparing to the standalone versions of the lenses. Plus, they both come with the original Olympus hoods and pouches.

So, now you all know my story and my struggles, I’d really like some advice on the above options. Which one should I choose?

Other suggestions are more than welcome, as long they don’t break my bank.

Some other related questions:

Are the Hoya’s PRO CPLs and NDs still at the top of the benefit-cost ratio? I’ve been using them on the D5200 with no issues and excellent results.

Is the larger eyecup for the E-M5 II, the EP-16, really superior to the one shipped with the camera? I’ve read that it’s better for those who, like me, wear glasses.

I’m planning to use my old Pentax M 50mm 1.4 SMC with a Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter K to M43 mount. I’m no stranger to manual mode and manual focus, and I guess it would be an amazing portrait lens (100mm). But I’m worried that the Amazon reviews shows mixed opinions. Anyone has something on that?

Thank you very much and please excuse my somewhat broken English!

Luciano Sellera

TL;DR: I NEED HELP CHOOSING GLASSES AND OTHER STUFF FOR MY OM-D E-M5 II.