Bought a GX85 body for my GF - which kit lens should I pair it with?

So I recently bought a GX85 body for my girlfriend (and myself too, honestly). I plan on buying a kit zoom separately, complementing it with a few primes. We'll be using it mostly for travel, hiking, and casual shooting.

Here are the lenses I'm looking at:

• 12-32mm - looks very lightweight and convenient, but lack of MF is a serious concern
• 14-42mm II - seen mixed opinions on this
• 12-45mm - heard good things, but is it still worth buying?
• 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 - weather sealing is great, especially since we'll be shooting outdoors, but it's the biggest and heaviest

Any suggestions? I just want to get something versatile and affordable that will handle nicely with the GX85.

Weather sealing of the 12-60mm is worth a lot less since GX85 is not sealed itself.

The 12-32 is very nice to have, as it is small and quite good, for a kit lens. But for me, it is often too short (use it quite often though). DIgital zoom / digital tele-convertor can help to extend the range, but I would go for:

- 12-60 (or even 14-140)

- Panasonic 20/1.7

The 20/1.7 will allow you to go small /semi-pocketable when needed, and take good picts in low light.

EastHastings said:

So I recently bought a GX85 body for my girlfriend (and myself too, honestly). I plan on buying a kit zoom separately, complementing it with a few primes. We'll be using it mostly for travel, hiking, and casual shooting.

Here are the lenses I'm looking at:

• 12-32mm - looks very lightweight and convenient, but lack of MF is a serious concern

Click to expand...

Mine came with GX85 (+45-150) bought last Nov.

EastHastings said:

• 14-42mm II - seen mixed opinions on this
• 12-45mm - heard good things, but is it still worth buying?

Click to expand...

You meant 14-45mm? I have a O14-42 II but don't use it at all. The 12-32 is sharper and better overall. I find the 12mm more useful.

EastHastings said:

• 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 - weather sealing is great, especially since we'll be shooting outdoors, but it's the biggest and heaviest

Click to expand...

WR lens on a non-WR body(which is the GX85) won't give you a complete WR setup.

EastHastings said:

Any suggestions? I just want to get something versatile and affordable that will handle nicely with the GX85.

Click to expand...

I was pleasantly surprised how much I like the 12-32 given that I prefer prime lens. I use it mainly on my GM1 (for smallest zoom footprint possible). IQ is very good in good light, so this is what I recommend.

As for prime, the 15/1.7 is a must-have. If budget doesn't permit, 14/2.5 is very good too (a used one goes for about $150). Others are 25/1.8 and 45/1.8 (sometimes available from Olympus outlet for less than $240 a piece).

Yeah I keep hearing good things about 12-32, other than lack of range. Has the lack of MF ever been an issue?

Also yes, I meant the 14-45.

EastHastings said:

Yeah I keep hearing good things about 12-32, other than lack of range. Has the lack of MF ever been an issue?

Click to expand...

For my use cases, lack of MF has not been an issue. I haven't found a need for it (yet). Maybe that's because I rarely use it in low lights. What're your use cases I'm curious.

addlightness said:

EastHastings said:

Yeah I keep hearing good things about 12-32, other than lack of range. Has the lack of MF ever been an issue?

Click to expand...

For my use cases, lack of MF has not been an issue. I haven't found a need for it (yet). Maybe that's because I rarely use it in low lights. What're your use cases I'm curious.

Click to expand...

Generally casual landscape and street photos, hiking and vacations, sometimes macro. I'd say the key factors are versatility and size/weight, to a degree. We're just hobbyists, so we dabble in everything.

EastHastings said:

So I recently bought a GX85 body for my girlfriend (and myself too, honestly). I plan on buying a kit zoom separately, complementing it with a few primes. We'll be using it mostly for travel, hiking, and casual shooting.

Here are the lenses I'm looking at:

• 12-32mm - looks very lightweight and convenient, but lack of MF is a serious concern

Click to expand...

I agree, lack of MF makes me avoid this lens.

EastHastings said:

• 14-42mm II - seen mixed opinions on this
• 12-45mm - heard good things, but is it still worth buying?

Click to expand...

You probably mean the 14-45 which is an old but good lens. The downside, though, is that it doesn't and won't support Dual IS.

Ah i see, I figured there was a reason it was replaced. Well that probably narrows things down a bit more. Any experience with the newer 14-42?

EastHastings said:

Ah i see, I figured there was a reason it was replaced. Well that probably narrows things down a bit more. Any experience with the newer 14-42?

Click to expand...

Sorry, no.

EastHastings said:

addlightness said:

EastHastings said:

Yeah I keep hearing good things about 12-32, other than lack of range. Has the lack of MF ever been an issue?

Click to expand...

For my use cases, lack of MF has not been an issue. I haven't found a need for it (yet). Maybe that's because I rarely use it in low lights. What're your use cases I'm curious.

Click to expand...

Generally casual landscape and street photos, hiking and vacations, sometimes macro. I'd say the key factors are versatility and size/weight, to a degree. We're just hobbyists, so we dabble in everything.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant to ask what are your specific use cases requiring MF? For me, general landscape, street, etc does not really require MF unless AF is totally useless which is not the case here.

If you would not prefer switching lens a lot, 14-140 M2 would be the best all-in-one lens in terms of IQ (my copy is very close to 12-35 f/2.8), not very large (similar to 12-60), very versatile zoom range.

Only drawback, lack of 12 wide end to which I use a lot.

If you would pair it up with a few primes, you should have the low lighting be sorted out (14-140 M2 and GX85 can indeed handle low light shooting very well unless you would shoot moving object in the dark).

EastHastings said:

So I recently bought a GX85 body for my girlfriend (and myself too, honestly). I plan on buying a kit zoom separately, complementing it with a few primes. We'll be using it mostly for travel, hiking, and casual shooting.

Click to expand...

I owned 12-32, 14-45 and IMHO:

EastHastings said:

Here are the lenses I'm looking at:

• 12-32mm - looks very lightweight and convenient, but lack of MF is a serious concern

Click to expand...

A good lens, Dual IS compatible, compact, very useful 12 start, AF fast and sharp but might be only under good lighting condition. If lighting going bad, it might produce wired result if not used cautiously.

EastHastings said:

• 14-42mm II - seen mixed opinions on this
• 12 14-45mm - heard good things, but is it still worth buying?

Click to expand...

Longer reach (good for portrait) but bit narrow to me (I have to reply on 7-14 f/4), having IQ close/marginally better than 12-32, but could be a more consistent lens for both good and poor lighting condition. Weakness, slightly large, 1~1.5 stops less stabilization than Dual IS compatible lenses, 14 only. If you could find one cheap, it might still be a nice deal. However, AFAIK it is still asking a lot (for a new one if you can find one), comparing to the US$100 12-32/14-42 M2 it is not that worth.

EastHastings said:

• 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 - weather sealing is great, especially since we'll be shooting outdoors, but it's the biggest and heaviest

Click to expand...

GX85 is not WR making WR useless.

EastHastings said:

Any suggestions? I just want to get something versatile and affordable that will handle nicely with the GX85.

Click to expand...

14-140 M2 is my wife's only lens on her GX85 for our travelling. A few snapshots from her combo from our recent trip:













--
Albert

I have the 12-32, and find it one of the fastest to focus lenses. Until now, it never occurred to me it didn't have MF

the 14-42 that has the zoom switch is great if you are shooting video and want to zoom in or out, so top marks too

one of my favourite lenses is the 12-60. It's a great focal length.

Also consider the 25mm f1.4. The equivalent to the 50mm f1.4, I wouldn't be anywhere without it in my bag. Fast, tack sharp. A near perfect lens

Just Another Photog said:

I have the 12-32, and find it one of the fastest to focus lenses. Until now, it never occurred to me it didn't have MF

the 14-42 that has the zoom switch is great if you are shooting video and want to zoom in or out, so top marks too

Click to expand...

I suppose OP was considering 14-42 M2 f/3.5-5.6, not the 14-42 PZ and so, does not support power zoom action like the PZ.

Just Another Photog said:

one of my favourite lenses is the 12-60. It's a great focal length.

Also consider the 25mm f1.4. The equivalent to the 50mm f1.4, I wouldn't be anywhere without it in my bag. Fast, tack sharp. A near perfect lens

Click to expand...

addlightness said:

EastHastings said:

addlightness said:

EastHastings said:

Yeah I keep hearing good things about 12-32, other than lack of range. Has the lack of MF ever been an issue?

Click to expand...

For my use cases, lack of MF has not been an issue. I haven't found a need for it (yet). Maybe that's because I rarely use it in low lights. What're your use cases I'm curious.

Click to expand...

Generally casual landscape and street photos, hiking and vacations, sometimes macro. I'd say the key factors are versatility and size/weight, to a degree. We're just hobbyists, so we dabble in everything.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant to ask what are your specific use cases requiring MF? For me, general landscape, street, etc does not really require MF unless AF is totally useless which is not the case here.

Click to expand...

AF is usually fine for me, however my girlfriend often likes to use manual for portraits or close ups, so I'm not sure she'd enjoy losing it.

What are your thoughts on the 12-60? Obviously water resistance isn't very useful with the GX85 but I like the zoom range on it.

Also, I already have the Olympus 25mm, so that should complement whatever I end up getting.

The 14-42ii is a dependably good little kit lens. Although u give up 12mm, it does have MF

My wife and I both have the G85 with the 12-60 kit lens. I bought her the 14-140 and she loves it and has not missed the loss of 2mm at the short end. She has not used the 12-60 since.