Olympus primes: which to keep?

Now I have got a set of Olympus prime lenses, all are f/1.8: 17, 25, 45 and 75mm. I am sure that I will not have enough time to use all of them. Of course I have some slight preferences already, but preferences change sometimes.

Other Micro Four Thirds lenses I have are excellent 12-32/3.5-5.6 and 35-100/4-5.6 Panasonic zooms, which are the perfect match with my Panasonic GM1 (I will use this body for sure with all my lenses). They are sharp and stabilized.

From my experience I know that 12-32 is better in low light than 17/1.8 thanks to OIS. I think that I will use primes mainly for portraiture (not only head and shoulders portraits, but also environmental), but maybe also for street photography.

So the question is, which lenses would you keep and why?

I would think the 25 & 45 are ideal for what you intend to use your primes for... The 75 is more of a specialist but it's FL still makes it unique. The 17mm is the only one that could be considered semi redundant focal length wise, some people like shooting with both a 35 & 50 equivalent but I've noticed most people prefer one or the other.

The 12-32 gives you an even wider view and OIS, tho sometimes it won't always be the best substitute for a wider aperture, still, the 17 seems like the most likely candidate to shed.

I didn't force myself to choose between 17/25 since I chose the 20/1.7, I do borrow a 25/1.4 sometimes for it's unique look and AF speed but I don't think I'd like the mental juggling involved with constantly choosing between a couple primes in that range. I've lusted after the 75 but I'm not sure I'd use it enough to justify the price...

My trio of primes are the 12/2, 20/1.7, and 42.5/1.7 but I do like shooting wide in general. Having three for low light and social situations seems like enough to me tho, again, more would involve more decisions.

My 2c, it's ultimately personal preference but hearing other's tendencies definitely helps at times.

Atsel wrote:

Now I have got a set of Olympus prime lenses, all are f/1.8: 17, 25, 45 and 75mm. I am sure that I will not have enough time to use all of them. Of course I have some slight preferences already, but preferences change sometimes.

Other Micro Four Thirds lenses I have are excellent 12-32/3.5-5.6 and 35-100/4-5.6 Panasonic zooms, which are the perfect match with my Panasonic GM1 (I will use this body for sure with all my lenses). They are sharp and stabilized.

From my experience I know that 12-32 is better in low light than 17/1.8 thanks to OIS. I think that I will use primes mainly for portraiture (not only head and shoulders portraits, but also environmental), but maybe also for street photography.

So the question is, which lenses would you keep and why?

If you don't have plan to acquire another m43 body with IBIS, then the 17mm (because you already said the 12-32 is better) and 75mm because being longer in FL and physical size, it's going to be worse than the 17mm on a non-IBIS body (like your GM1).

Paulmorgan wrote:

I`d keep the 17 and 45mm.

+1

17 because you say you are interested in street photography. 45 for portraiture.

Atsel wrote:

Now I have got a set of Olympus prime lenses, all are f/1.8: 17, 25, 45 and 75mm. I am sure that I will not have enough time to use all of them. Of course I have some slight preferences already, but preferences change sometimes..

So the question is, which lenses would you keep and why?

17mm, 45mm and 75mm.

That's close to the set of primes I usually carry. That gives me a wide array of focal lengths, but not too close together. I don't use the 75mm quite as much as the 17.5mm and 42.5mm, but I'm always glad when it's there!

I tend to use my 25mm when going out with only one lens.

Frankly i wouldn't sell any of those. But if i had to, maybe just one of the 17mm or 25mm and keep the other. Another option is to sell both the 17 and 25 if the zoom satisfies your needs enough.
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Atsel wrote:

Now I have got a set of Olympus prime lenses, all are f/1.8: 17, 25, 45 and 75mm. I am sure that I will not have enough time to use all of them... So the question is, which lenses would you keep and why?

My first thought is to solve the problem by shooting more but I understand if that may not be possible.

My second thought is to look at what you have used the most.  If you have Lightroom or something similar you can filter your shots by lens and quickly see which lens gets the most use or produces the most "keepers". Your style is unique to you and your actual usage is more important than random opinions on the internet.

If you still want random opinions on the internet, you've come to the right place!  Personally, I'd say sell the 75mm.  It's likely worth the most so you'll get the most money back, and it's also (in my opinion) the most specialized lens with the narrowest usage patterns.  I'd keep the others as an excellent, versatile trinity of primes.

I would keep all of them.

If I'm going on a trip where I'll have time to shoot, this is what I would bring:

- One lens: 25mm. Best all-rounder for me.

- Two lenses: 17mm and 45mm. Better for wide shots on narrow streets, 45mm good for longer shots.

- Three lenses, in a city: 12-32, 17, 45. 12-32 outdoors, 17 and 45mm for indoors or night time. Faster aperture freezes motion, IS does not.

- Three lenses, outdoors/hiking etc: 12-32, 40-150, 25mm. Broader FL coverage for daylight, favorite focal length for night.

- Four lenses: 12-32, 40-150 (in your case, 35-100), 17, 45mm. Two lenses each for daylight and night time.

I rarely bring the 75mm along, but when I do use it, it's glorious.

Basically, my opinion would be to keep all of them.

I pretty much agree with the folks saying keep 'em all.

Nice problem to have, actually.  But if it were me, I'd probably ditch the 45 and keep the 75, both being excellent but the latter being hailed as one of the best lenses on the market PERIOD.

I would keep them all.  I have the 3 Olympus kit lenses and the 25mm, along with manual 18mm, 24mm, 50mm (2), 135mm, and 500mm primes.  You can never have enough lenses - unless of course you're looking to sell them so you can buy more lenses.

The 45 is optically excellent, tiny, very fast focusing - and it's also quite cheap, which is good when buying, but means that you get less when selling. It's a good reason to keep it.

With that as a starting point you have to assess: do you need the 75? It's a great lens, but really depends on the need to dispose of some.

Personally, assuming no zoom lenses, I would probably be happy with just the 45 and the 17. I've found that 25 is too constraining in a number of situations.