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iullian

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Hello,

I know that the topic might have already been covered but, I cannot find it.

I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system, as I am primarily a Sony FE FF owner with lots of lenses (I know is a different forum - don't shoot me).

I want this Pen to carry with me on daily basis and during holidays (I have 2 small but very athletic children, who are constantly running along) - so I want to stay as light as possible.

As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses - I am thinking one in the 10-15 mm range and the other in the 30-45 mm range (MFT mm, not FF equiv.). So, basically I am thinking for one moderate-wide lens for architecture, city, landscape... and one for normal-portrait use.

Budget wise - I don't have an issue with prices, as long as the lenses are relatively small and light. I don't want lenses bigger than my Sony FE FF lenses :), otherwise, I would stick with Sony system.

Thanks a lot in advance !
 
iullian said:
  1. Jiullian wrote:
Hello,

I know that the topic might have already been covered but, I cannot find it.

I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system, as I am primarily a Sony FE FF owner with lots of lenses (I know is a different forum - don't shoot me).

I want this Pen to carry with me on daily basis and during holidays (I have 2 small but very athletic children, who are constantly running along) - so I want to stay as light as possible.

As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses - I am thinking one in the 10-15 mm range and the other in the 30-45 mm range (MFT mm, not FF equiv.). So, basically I am thinking for one moderate-wide lens for architecture, city, landscape... and one for normal-portrait use.

Budget wise - I don't have an issue with prices, as long as the lenses are relatively small and light. I don't want lenses bigger than my Sony FE FF lenses :), otherwise, I would stick with Sony system.

Thanks a lot in advance !
Click to expand...
If it were me, I’d be adding the Olympus 12mm f/2 and 45mm f/1.8.
 
On the wide end, your two best options are likely the Panasonic Leica 15/1.7, or the Olympus 12/2, depending on whether you prefer 24 or ~28mm AoV ( the PL is actually 30mm). The PL is almost universally loved, and is quite a nice lens - though the aperture ring won't work on an Olympus body. The Olympus is expensive, and is often dismissed because it's nearly the same price as the 12-40/2.8 zoom, only one stop faster, and not really any sharper - though that last point really isn't a negative, as the 12-40 is arguably the sharpest zoom in the system, and it's sharpest at wide angle. I'd personally pick the 12/2 over the 15/1.7, as I prefer 24mm over 30mm, personally.

On the longer end, I've had good experiences with the Olympus 45/1.8, which is nice and sharp and has lovely rendering. The closest competition is the Panasonic 42.5/1.7, which is slightly larger, about equally sharp in the center, and supposedly slightly sharper at the edges. It also has a closer minimum focus distance. It's a bit more expensive (about $100 more), and the differences in IQ aren't huge. If you're willing to splurge, the PL 42.5/1.2 and Olympus 45/1.2 are both beautifully sharp, but both are very expensive and fairly heavy - if you already run an FF system, these may be overkill.

Outside your range, the Olympus 25/1.8 and PL 25/1.4 are very nice if you like the 50mm AoV, and the Olympus 75/1.8 might be the best lens in the system.

I personally sometimes go out with the 17/1.8 and 45/1.8, and am quite happy with that combo.
 
aliasfox said:
On the wide end, your two best options are likely the Panasonic Leica 15/1.7,
Click to expand...
Oly 12 would be better as he already has the Oly 17
aliasfox said:
or the Olympus 12/2, depending on whether you prefer 24 or ~28mm AoV ( the PL is actually 30mm). The PL is almost universally loved, and is quite a nice lens - though the aperture ring won't work on an Olympus body. The Olympus is expensive, and is often dismissed because it's nearly the same price as the 12-40/2.8 zoom, only one stop faster, and not really any sharper - though that last point really isn't a negative, as the 12-40 is arguably the sharpest zoom in the system, and it's sharpest at wide angle. I'd personally pick the 12/2 over the 15/1.7, as I prefer 24mm over 30mm, personally.

On the longer end, I've had good experiences with the Olympus 45/1.8,
Click to expand...
Yup, smaller than the 42.5 and quite a bit cheaper in my parts.
aliasfox said:
which is nice and sharp and has lovely rendering. The closest competition is the Panasonic 42.5/1.7, which is slightly larger, about equally sharp in the center, and supposedly slightly sharper at the edges. It also has a closer minimum focus distance. It's a bit more expensive (about $100 more), and the differences in IQ aren't huge. If you're willing to splurge, the PL 42.5/1.2 and Olympus 45/1.2 are both beautifully sharp, but both are very expensive and fairly heavy - if you already run an FF system, these may be overkill.

Outside your range, the Olympus 25/1.8 and PL 25/1.4 are very nice if you like the 50mm AoV, and the Olympus 75/1.8 might be the best lens in the system.

I personally sometimes go out with the 17/1.8 and 45/1.8, and am quite happy with that combo.
Click to expand...
 
iullian said:
Hello,

I know that the topic might have already been covered but, I cannot find it.

I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system, as I am primarily a Sony FE FF owner with lots of lenses (I know is a different forum - don't shoot me).

I want this Pen to carry with me on daily basis and during holidays (I have 2 small but very athletic children, who are constantly running along) - so I want to stay as light as possible.

As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses - I am thinking one in the 10-15 mm range and the other in the 30-45 mm range (MFT mm, not FF equiv.). So, basically I am thinking for one moderate-wide lens for architecture, city, landscape... and one for normal-portrait use.

Budget wise - I don't have an issue with prices, as long as the lenses are relatively small and light. I don't want lenses bigger than my Sony FE FF lenses :), otherwise, I would stick with Sony system.

Thanks a lot in advance !
Click to expand...
It really depends on your preferred shooting style, there are a lot of different combos you could do.

The Panasonic 15mm 1.7 and the Olympus 45mm 1.8 would be one good pair with probably the best overall combination of quality and flexibility. Very small, and reasonably priced. But if you preferred the lengths you could go with the Olympus 17mm 1.8 and the Olympus 75mm 1.8, it all depends.
 
biggles266 said:
iullian said:
Hello,

I know that the topic might have already been covered but, I cannot find it.

I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system, as I am primarily a Sony FE FF owner with lots of lenses (I know is a different forum - don't shoot me).

I want this Pen to carry with me on daily basis and during holidays (I have 2 small but very athletic children, who are constantly running along) - so I want to stay as light as possible.

As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses - I am thinking one in the 10-15 mm range and the other in the 30-45 mm range (MFT mm, not FF equiv.). So, basically I am thinking for one moderate-wide lens for architecture, city, landscape... and one for normal-portrait use.

Budget wise - I don't have an issue with prices, as long as the lenses are relatively small and light. I don't want lenses bigger than my Sony FE FF lenses :), otherwise, I would stick with Sony system.

Thanks a lot in advance !
Click to expand...
It really depends on your preferred shooting style, there are a lot of different combos you could do.

The Panasonic 15mm 1.7 and the Olympus 45mm 1.8 would be one good pair with probably the best overall combination of quality and flexibility. Very small, and reasonably priced. But if you preferred the lengths you could go with the Olympus 17mm 1.8 and the Olympus 75mm 1.8, it all depends.
Click to expand...
Oh, I see you are already getting the 17mm, in that case it still depends on you, but consider the Olympus 12mm instead of the Panasonic 15mm I mentioned.
 
Although I mostly shoot with primes like you do, you should consider the Panasonic 12-32mm pancake lens as the cheap way to add the 12mm to your kit. With its image stabilization, it's fast enough at f3.5 for the occasional interior shot and that's also more than fast enough if you are outdoors. If you want to go wider than 12mm that gets into a different altogether.
 
aliasfox said:
On the wide end, your two best options are likely the Panasonic Leica 15/1.7, or the Olympus 12/2, depending on whether you prefer 24 or ~28mm AoV ( the PL is actually 30mm). The PL is almost universally loved, and is quite a nice lens - though the aperture ring won't work on an Olympus body. The Olympus is expensive, and is often dismissed because it's nearly the same price as the 12-40/2.8 zoom, only one stop faster, and not really any sharper - though that last point really isn't a negative, as the 12-40 is arguably the sharpest zoom in the system, and it's sharpest at wide angle. I'd personally pick the 12/2 over the 15/1.7, as I prefer 24mm over 30mm, personally.

On the longer end, I've had good experiences with the Olympus 45/1.8, which is nice and sharp and has lovely rendering. The closest competition is the Panasonic 42.5/1.7, which is slightly larger, about equally sharp in the center, and supposedly slightly sharper at the edges. It also has a closer minimum focus distance. It's a bit more expensive (about $100 more), and the differences in IQ aren't huge. If you're willing to splurge, the PL 42.5/1.2 and Olympus 45/1.2 are both beautifully sharp, but both are very expensive and fairly heavy - if you already run an FF system, these may be overkill.

Outside your range, the Olympus 25/1.8 and PL 25/1.4 are very nice if you like the 50mm AoV, and the Olympus 75/1.8 might be the best lens in the system.

I personally sometimes go out with the 17/1.8 and 45/1.8, and am quite happy with that combo.
Click to expand...
I'd be careful getting the Panasonic 15/1.7 on an Olympus body. I've had issues with purple fringing with that lens along with the 12-35/2.8 and 7-14/4.0.
 
iullian said:
As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses -
Click to expand...
interesting statement, hate is a very strong word
 
3dwag said:
If it were me, I’d be adding the Olympus 12mm f/2 and 45mm f/1.8.
Click to expand...
Those would both match the PenF nicely. The Oly 25mm would be a good choice as well, if you like the equivalent of having the 35mm and 50mm lenses from yesteryear.

The most important thing is to consider why you're carrying the camera. It sounds like being small and light is important, so those Oly lenses are all excellent choices (and match well with the Pen). There are also some Pany options:
  • 14mm pancake (not great IQ, but tiny, weighs nothing, and has nice "character")
  • 20mm pancake (great IQ, tiny, very light, but perhaps a bit slower to focus than other lenses)
  • 25mm - the f1.7 version is light and inexpensive (mixed reviews), and the f1.4 is pretty light and very good IQ
  • 15mm - good IQ, small, light, good character
If macro is important, both Oly and Pany have a range of good macro lenses from 30-60mm.

I'd stay away from the Oly f1.2 lenses, the Pleica 42.5 f1.2, etc. because they're super big and heavy. That's the realm of the kit that you already have! (Great lenses, though!)

I'd strongly suggest a fisheye -- either the $200 Rokinon (small, light, great quality), or the Pany (much more expensive, with autofocus, but not dramatically better IQ). The Oly fisheye is brilliantly good, but weighs more than a Sherman tank, so again, it's not a good fit for the kit you're building.
 
iullian said:
Hello,

I know that the topic might have already been covered but, I cannot find it.

I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system, as I am primarily a Sony FE FF owner with lots of lenses (I know is a different forum - don't shoot me).
Click to expand...
45mm f1.8 and 75mm f1.8

My favorite walkabout kit are 17.5mm, 42.5mm and 75mm f2.5 (Voigtländers). Those 3 focal lengths are very flexible, with reasonable gaps between them; wide, short telephoto and longer telephoto for architectural details and whatnot.

You can't go wrong with the 17mm, 45mm and 75mm. All excellent lenses.
 
Last edited:
I personally suggest to just buy one lens, the 45mm f1.8. And, if you feel that the 17mm f1.8 that comes with the PEN-F is too tight, get the 12mm f2.
 
^^ This.

My Sony kit is all primes. My walkabout kit is either an EM1 with 12-40 or GM1 with 12-32.

In your situation, I would add the Samyang fisheye as a third lens. It has excellent IQ and a huge FoV is very useful. Once you get used to using a fisheye, being able to use different projections to adjust perspective is actually an advantage.

Yesterday I was out with my Sony kit and I added the GM1 and fisheye just in case.

Andrew
 
iullian said:
I am buying a PEN-F with Oly. 17/1.8 attached (the lens is free).

I intend to buy only 2 lenses for this system [...]

As I hate zooms (I don't use/own any), please advise me on 2 lenses - I am thinking one in the 10-15 mm range and the other in the 30-45 mm range (MFT mm, not FF equiv.).
Click to expand...
Since you already have the 17mm, the natural choice is Olympus 12mm f/2. It would definitely match the gorgeous design of PEN-F :-) Alternatively, a less wide and much cheaper option is Panasonic 14mm f/2.5. The lens is absolutely tiny, but I was personally quite surprised how good it is considering it's not exactly regarded as a super sharp lens (being a tiny pancake, the extreme corners are where the softness creeps in).

At the long end, I would suggest Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7 over Olympus 45, as it has a much better close focusing capability allowing for nice close-up shots. And it also comes with a lens hood in the box, unlike the older Olympus lenses (like the 45).

For a more extreme portrait lens, Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is an amazing option (no lens hood included). But that's a much less general purpose lens, as you need more distance between you and the subject, which can be an issue indoors. It's also not as tiny nor lightweight as the other ones (but the build quality is amazing).
 
bsas said:
I personally suggest to just buy one lens, the 45mm f1.8. And, if you feel that the 17mm f1.8 that comes with the PEN-F is too tight, get the 12mm f2.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I did, ( the 17 was also free) and I decided that I didn't need the 12.

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

Peter Del
 
the obvious choice for an oly buyer is the 45 1.8

I do enjoy my 42.5 1.7 from panasonic for such uses, but it would cost a little more.

I would get the oly 12 f2 because it is wider than the pana 14mm and you might have get more wider since you have a 17mm.

17mm may not be wide enough for you so you could consider getting a wider lens.
 
Definitely the Oly 45mm f1.8!!!

You will be a very happy camper!
 
I have a PEN-F and prefer primes too.

For WA, I use 14/2.5 + 0.76x wide converter - i.e. two lens in 1: 10.6mm/f2.5 and 14/2.5. Coming from film days, I was used to 28mm(equiv) as 24mm(equiv) were usually much more expensive then(and now). The WC screws on the filter thread.

For telephoto, the 45/1.8 is a gem. It was going for $199 last BF. You might be able to catch one for $249.

Here's how a 14/2.5 + WC looks(on a GM1):



 
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