Old kit lens, new kit lens or a pro zoom?

Elmokki wrote:

As I stated on another post, I framed my question badly: I have 25mm, 45mm and 60mm primes. What I need is a wider lens to replace my 14-42mm R II. The question is whether that should be another 14-42mm R II or some other kit lens offered with whatever camera I end up buying or something else like the pro zoom. The kit lenses seem to cost substantially more than I thought they would which makes this hard. If they were less than 100€ compared to body only I would just get whatever.

Currently I don't think the 12-40mm f/2.8 would be fast enough for low light since I find f/1.7 to be almost too slow and that's 1.5 stops faster. That said, when I buy a new camera, maybe the proper IBIS compared to the near worthless 2 axis IBIS in E-PL6 would compensate that much for anything that doesn't move. That said, the size does intimidate me, considering I plan on buying GX80 or E-M10 mark II, even if I haven't truly experienced anything like it, so maybe I'd better just scrap that off the list.

The 12mm f/2 would be neat too but I feel like that's too expensive and I think I can deal with using flash, tripod or a longer focal length in low light.

Since you already own a trio of primes, unless you want 12mm covered then the 12-40mm f/2.8 might not offer you much more than the convenience of having a zoom that rivals your primes for IQ.  If I don't need to shoot quickly I will switch to my primes for indoor stuff. I use the 12-40mm f/2.8 for indoor shots as well, but usually only when there is enough light or when I don't have time to switch lenses (or when I'm shooting with a flash gun). The 12-40mm excels at event photography where the fast AF and zoom are handy. I also use the L-Fn button to temporarily switch from my flash preset (with an external flashgun mounted) to my available light Auto-ISO preset. I sometimes also use the MF clutch to toggle between MF and AF.

The size of the 12-40mm f/2.8 is not that significant to me coming from my previous DSLR shooting experience, but it is significant when compared to many m4/3 lenses and the smaller m4/3 bodies. Carrying and shooting with a GX80 or E-M10 with a 12-40mm attached is a different experience from using one of those cameras with a smaller/lighter zoom or prime. The center of gravity shifts to the lens more than it did when I shot a Nikon D200 with a 17-55mm f/2.8. It doesn't bother me while shooting because I always support the weight of my kit with my left hand under the lens and operate the camera controls with my right. It's not a lot to carry, but you won't carelessly hang an E-M10 with a 12-40mm attached around your neck as comfortably as you would with a lighter and smaller lens. This is one reason I enjoy using the 20mm f/1.7 and the Oly 9-18mm as walkaround lenses. I look like a tourist, but the camera is resting comfortably around my neck and is always ready to shoot. When I walk about with the 12-40mm attached, I usually carry the camera in my hand while not shooting, or in my camera bag. With the 12-40mm f/2.8 my m4/3 kit is still way more portable than my old DSLR gear.

If you can try the lens out before you buy. It's a beautifully engineered and built lens that will tempt you, but try to envision where it fits in your lens lineup and where/when you might use it over your other lenses. It is a beautiful chunk of lens, but it's definitely a chunk compared to featherweights like the 9-18mm and 45mm f/1.8.

Sean