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Advice for two lens starter/travel kit for OM-D E-M10 Mark II

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Aleisha89

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I am about to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II but would like some advice on which lenses I should get. I am primarily buying the camera for my upcoming 6 week trip to America (and also as my everyday camera as I don’t have one at the moment). This will by my first interchangeable lens camera, although I have used my Dad’s Canon 7d for a few years so am comfortable with these types of cameras. I’m not worried about getting the most high quality professional grade results, I just want to be able to get some decent photos of my travels.
I’m going to be doing a road trip down the west coast and will be visiting cities (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA), national parks (Olympic National Park, Mt Rainier, Columbia River Gorge, Yosemite, Big Sur).
Things I want to take photos of:
-Big wide landscapes
-Closer landscape shots in forest, beach etc
-Night sky/stars
-Architecture
-Cities
-Some general street photography during the day and possibly a bit at night
-A little bit of wildlife (not a big priority though), bears and deer if we see them and whales from our boat tour
I am probably going to buy the body alone and skip the 14-42mm kit lens as I’ve read that it’s not great. I can get the body for about $750 AUD. I ideally don’t want to spend more than $750 AUD total on lenses.
I only want to get two lenses, as I don’t want to be constantly changing lenses while I’m out and about and also have a limited budget. I’m not sure where my money would be best spent.
The options/combinations I’ve been looking at:
OPTION 1: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-150mm F4-5.6 II -$620 or packaged with the body for $1199 (not sure if this is for the older version of the lens though, and if it is, if that would matter considering the $171 of saving?)
This seems like the perfect option for what I want, but not sure if the quality is decent enough for my requirements? I’ve read some reviews that say it’s great and some that say it isn’t.
If I went with the $1199 package would I be best then to get a decent prime or wide angle such as:
Samyang 12mm f2.0 $517
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8 $308
Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH $372
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH $288
Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH II $534
If I were to go for this option which of the prime lenses would give the best results, suit my needs most, and be a worthwhile addition to the 14-150mm?
OPTION 2: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 -$659 AND
Olympus EZ-M4015-R 40-150mm $187
I know I would be missing the range between 18mm and 40mm if I went with this option, but not sure if that would be important or if there is an alternative?
OPTION 3: Kit package with the 14-42mm and 40-150mm and body for $1,199 and then maybe add one of the primes? Although that would bring me to three lenses and I’m assuming this would be the lowest quality combination.

If my zoom lens at it’s widest is 14mm or 9mm would there be much benefit to me of also having one of the prime lenses between 12mm and 25mm?
These are just a few of the combinations I’ve come up with and would love any suggestions of alternatives or advice on which option would suit me best.
 
The 14-150 is a fine lens for outdoor/daylight shooting - even version 1. It should serve you well as your "everyday" lens.

For wide-wide landscapes, the 9-18 is a good choice. Or, you might consider stitching a panorama by using the 14-150 in portrait @ 25mm or thereabouts. You might also consider a fast prime for evenings/indoor. I personally like the Oly 17/1.8, but I think any fast prime in the 15-25mm range will be good.
 
14-150 II has the benefit of being weather sealed. Add either 17mm 1.8 or 25mm 1.8 for indoor/night street and you have a nice kit.
 
Aleisha89 said:
I am about to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II but would like some advice on which lenses I should get. I am primarily buying the camera for my upcoming 6 week trip to America (and also as my everyday camera as I don’t have one at the moment). This will by my first interchangeable lens camera, although I have used my Dad’s Canon 7d for a few years so am comfortable with these types of cameras. I’m not worried about getting the most high quality professional grade results, I just want to be able to get some decent photos of my travels.
I’m going to be doing a road trip down the west coast and will be visiting cities (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA), national parks (Olympic National Park, Mt Rainier, Columbia River Gorge, Yosemite, Big Sur).
Things I want to take photos of:
-Big wide landscapes
-Closer landscape shots in forest, beach etc
-Night sky/stars
-Architecture
-Cities
-Some general street photography during the day and possibly a bit at night
-A little bit of wildlife (not a big priority though), bears and deer if we see them and whales from our boat tour
I am probably going to buy the body alone and skip the 14-42mm kit lens as I’ve read that it’s not great. I can get the body for about $750 AUD. I ideally don’t want to spend more than $750 AUD total on lenses.
I only want to get two lenses, as I don’t want to be constantly changing lenses while I’m out and about and also have a limited budget. I’m not sure where my money would be best spent.
The options/combinations I’ve been looking at:
OPTION 1: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-150mm F4-5.6 II -$620 or packaged with the body for $1199 (not sure if this is for the older version of the lens though, and if it is, if that would matter considering the $171 of saving?)
This seems like the perfect option for what I want, but not sure if the quality is decent enough for my requirements? I’ve read some reviews that say it’s great and some that say it isn’t.
If I went with the $1199 package would I be best then to get a decent prime or wide angle such as:
Samyang 12mm f2.0 $517
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8 $308
Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH $372
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH $288
Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH II $534
If I were to go for this option which of the prime lenses would give the best results, suit my needs most, and be a worthwhile addition to the 14-150mm?
OPTION 2: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 -$659 AND
Olympus EZ-M4015-R 40-150mm $187
I know I would be missing the range between 18mm and 40mm if I went with this option, but not sure if that would be important or if there is an alternative?
OPTION 3: Kit package with the 14-42mm and 40-150mm and body for $1,199 and then maybe add one of the primes? Although that would bring me to three lenses and I’m assuming this would be the lowest quality combination.

If my zoom lens at it’s widest is 14mm or 9mm would there be much benefit to me of also having one of the prime lenses between 12mm and 25mm?
These are just a few of the combinations I’ve come up with and would love any suggestions of alternatives or advice on which option would suit me best.
Click to expand...
The 9-18 seems like a special purpose lens to me; I don't have it, but I don't feel like I miss it either.

My own favorite 3 lens travel kit (for my Panasonic gM1) is the 14-140ii, 20, and 45 and if you had settled on the GX85 I would have recommended more or less the same (except that I would have recommended the 42,5/1.7 instead of the 45 and, possibly the 15 instead of the 20). Since you have already decided on the EM10ii, I suggest the 14-150ii (or the equivalent Tamron, or the 14-140ii, search the threads for comparisons, but I suspect that you can safely choose the cheapest of the three), 17, and 45.

I should add that my recommendation is based entirely on personal preferences. 45 is my favourite focal length (I like a tight focus), I find 25 boring, and if I want a wide frame I find the focal lengths between 14 and 20 more interesting (12 can be too wide), so I would recommend the 17 as a second prime.
 
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Instead of buying a 2 lens starter/travel kit how expensive is the 12-40mm f2.8 Pro where you live? IMO this would be the perfect lens for the vast majority of your needs.
 
rsmithgi said:
14-150 II has the benefit of being weather sealed. Add either 17mm 1.8 or 25mm 1.8 for indoor/night street and you have a nice kit.
Click to expand...
You need a weatherproof body as well as a lens because one without the other provides no benefit and you are not protected. The E-M10 Mark ll body is not weatherproof.
 
rsmithgi said:
14-150 II has the benefit of being weather sealed. Add either 17mm 1.8 or 25mm 1.8 for indoor/night street and you have a nice kit.
Click to expand...
No point in having weather sealed lens if camera is leaking;-)

OP didn't say anything about what she will do with images (size of prints, published in magazines, or just on FB ...). So I will presume a photo book, a few prints no larger than A3, and Facebook or some other online gallery.

For starters I would suggest buying a two lens kit + 9 mm body cap + spare battery. You will get the most bang for your buck with this combination. Both kit zooms are decent enough and conveniently small.

Of course one can spent much more money on lenses, but I doubt that in the hands of a novice the end results will be significantly better, if at all.
 
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I'm going to agree with several different posters with examples and then add an afterthought.

1) Don't have it, but the 14-150mmii f4-5.6 would be a good choice; I've seen some nice stuff done with it(see Flickr-Jacques B. Geoffroy)

2) I do have the 9-18 f4-5.6 and it does give you a nice wide angle option(see Flickr-Diego Garin Martin)at a reasonable price. The difference between 9 & 14mm at the wide end is fairly substantial and will make a difference in some landscapes. And you're usually stopping down to f4-5.6 anyway for landscapes.

3) Don't have the 17mm f1.8, but seeing as how the previous 2 lenses are both f4-5.6, you could probably use a faster lens for indoors/night shooting and it's a good one.

That is a 3 lens solution.

So my afterthought is this; when I travel, the 12-40 f2.8 spends the vast majority of the time on my camera; it is really sharp and really versatile; does decent macro too and is fairly capable in low light with the f2.8. And the used price has come down substantially with the release of the new 12-100. Picking up the cheapo 40-150mm f4-5.6(which is better than it's price suggests) would give you a 12-150 range, with the 12-40 being really excellent and the 40-150 being good.

If you feel really ambitious(or GAS happy) then...

Adding the 9-18 would give you an interesting wide angle option and the 17mm would give you a small, bright indoor lens. So my alternate solution involves 2-4 lenses, but I think you would enjoy all of them.

You might also really give some thought to the grip for the E-m10ii, as I found the E-M10 handled much better with it when using any of the medium/larger lenses. And the spare battery for sure!
 
Another vote for the combination of either 14-140 or 14-150 + a fast prime in the 15 to 20 range. The zoom because it gives maximum flexibility without changing lenses, the prime to cover low light.

Yes there are (more expensive) options that will give better image quality but you've set a budget and I think this is what fits best within it.
 
Another example of the 14-150ii in action; see Flickr-Michael Schwab(New Zealand).
 
From the description of your needs, it sounds like you'll want to go wide as possible. You'll probably appreciate the 9-18mm. The 14mm will probably not be wide enough.

I have the 12-40mm PRO and agree with the suggestions to go with that lens, but I too like wide landscapes and sometimes wish it were a bit wider. The 12mm at the wide end works in "most" situations, though.

Consider picking up the EM-1 package with the 12-40mm PRO and the 40-150mm on sale or used for around $100 USD. Perhaps, there will be enough $ for the 9-18mm.

Good luck!
 
You did say that you were not looking for fine art, just to bring back some happy snaps. My bet would be the Oly 12-50mm and the cheapo Oly 40-150mm, and spend what is left on the holiday. Why invest more than the minimum if you are new to mft. If after the trip you find you really like the mft format, you can buy some more expensive lenses and sell the cheap ones for a modest loss.


Ken C
 
Rssrsvp said:
rsmithgi said:
14-150 II has the benefit of being weather sealed. Add either 17mm 1.8 or 25mm 1.8 for indoor/night street and you have a nice kit.
Click to expand...
You need a weatherproof body as well as a lens because one without the other provides no benefit and you are not protected. The E-M10 Mark ll body is not weatherproof.
Click to expand...
My bad. I misread the original post as an E-M5 Mark II.
 
rsmithgi said:
14-150 II has the benefit of being weather sealed. Add either 17mm 1.8 or 25mm 1.8 for indoor/night street and you have a nice kit.
Click to expand...
But since the E-M10 mark II is not sealed, it isn't as important to the OP (a rain sleeve would help in the case of rain if the OP gets 14-150mm mark II). If you are buying the lens used, note that the first version of the lens was not weather sealed.

The 14-150mm is a great lens for vacation, since you don't have to change lenses. Sure it is a compromise in that it other lenses might be sharper, faster, etc. But the upside is you can concentrate on taking outdoor pictures.

I've taken indoor/no-flash pictures with the lens in reasonably lit rooms. Yeah, the ISO is a bit on the high side, but it is usable. I do tend to prefer the faster lenses (either my 12-40mm pro or a fast prime), but sometimes it is the only lens I have that that covers the range.

I would recommend getting the 14-42mm lens, even if you get the 14-150mm lens. The 14-42mm is rather tiny, and it allows for putting the camera in a jacket pocket (with a small prime in the other). Another thing is if you want to use the pop-up flash, the 14-150mm mark II might be too long, and the lens would cause a shadow in the external image. If you buy it as a kit with the E-M10 mark II, it generally is fairly cheap.

The 14-42mm comes in two varieties, the II-R version which is slightly bigger, and the EZ version which is smaller. I don't have much experience with the 14-42mm EZ lens, but it has an electronic zoom which can be useful for shooting movies (it makes the zoom smooth). If you wanted to get into remote controlled shooting, the 14-42mm EZ is one of two lenses (the 12-50mm being the other) that you can zoom in the Olympus app on your phone. This is a rather specialized usage.

I would recommend if you can getting a prime lens in the normal range (17mm through 25mm or 30mm) to allow you to do indoor shots without a flash. You do have to learn how to mentally frame the shots and get into the correct spot for taking the picture. I happen to have the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens.

If you are wanting to shoot outdoor portraits with the background out of focus, you might want to go with the Olympus 45mm lens. I primarily use it for shooting indoor performances where I'm further back in the audience. I suspect you probably want to save this for later, unless you know you want to shoot either of these two specialized subjects.
 
Aleisha89 said:
I am about to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II but would like some advice on which lenses I should get. I am primarily buying the camera for my upcoming 6 week trip to America (and also as my everyday camera as I don’t have one at the moment). ...

I’m going to be doing a road trip down the west coast and will be visiting cities (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA), national parks (Olympic National Park, Mt Rainier, Columbia River Gorge, Yosemite, Big Sur).
Things I want to take photos of:
-Big wide landscapes
-Closer landscape shots in forest, beach etc
-Night sky/stars
-Architecture
-Cities
-Some general street photography during the day and possibly a bit at night
-A little bit of wildlife (not a big priority though), bears and deer if we see them and whales from our boat tour
Click to expand...

I would go for the 14-150mm and the 17mm. If you have extra money left in your budget, add the 9-18mm as well (or maybe the Samyang 7.5mm).

The 14-150mm is an essential travel lens. Yes, I have the 12-40mm, and it is a beautiful lens, and I usually take it with me on trips. But, if I had to choose, I would definitely pick the 14-150mm over the 12-40mm for travel. I think you will appreciate the focal range of the 14-150mm more than the low light ability of the 12-40mm.

The 17mm is a nice prime for travel -- not too wide and not too long.

I always use the 9-18mm more than I expect when I am traveling, and I am glad I have it. If you are willing to consider a third lens, it's a good choice.

By the way, I took a trip to Italy a few years ago with my EM-10, the 14-42mm kit lens, the 40-150mm "fantastic plastic", and a 25mm prime. It worked out well. Starting from scratch, though, I would do what I recommended above.
 
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I don't know if you get similar offers where you are but right now Olympus has their travel lens kit on sale for $700US. It includes the 17mm 1.8, 14-150II, their cases and lens hoods, which I think are extra. Sweet deal if you can get it.
 
I bought the E-M10 II in September. Along with it, I got the Oly 14-150 and the Oly 45 1.8. At the time, those lenses were on sale with the body.

I've enjoyed them all. The 14-150 is a very nice all-around travle/hiking lens with good quality and a great range. The 45 is sharp and fast and tiny!

A bit after, I also got the Panasonic 20 1.7. I got it instead of the Oly 17 1.8 simply because I got a good deal on it --much cheaper than the Oly 17 1.8. And I wanted something faster than the cheaper Oly 17 2.8.

While the 20 1.7 is a nice lens, I do want a wider prime so I'll "upgrade" it in the future for the 17 1.8 or the 12 2.0.

I came from a Canon Rebel system with several lenses and am really enjoying it. The E-M10 II isn't perfect, and I miss a few things from Canon, but overall, I love the reduced size and weight!
 
As was mentioned earlier, this would be a great package:

Loading…

www.bhphotovideo.com
 
With my original OMD EM-10, I ordered the 9-18 mm zoom, the 14-42 mm zoom and the 75-300 mm. I use the 14-42 a lot and it is small. But I love that 9-18 outdoors.

With absolutely awful weather and short days---cloudy and iccky weekends---> used that 70-300 indoors to test out my new Dec 13 EM-1, mkii. I was stunned with being able to read the small print on a candy wrapper from a distance of 12 feet. (focal length about 140 mm)

I don't sense you have the urge that I do for the reach of the 70-300 mm. Thus, that 40-150 mm seems to make a lot of sense, added to the 9-18 mm and maybe one of the 14-42 mm.

Good hunting !
 
I vote for 1 lens kit - Olympus 12-40 PRO.
 
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