Yes. Its one of those what lens…

So I can buy one lens. Goes to the happy wife, happy life type things. So, I am going to Cairo this year. It is an anniversary trip which is why I am in a quandary. So I have liquidated all my unused gear. I am down to: E-M1 (mk 1, E-M.1, however you wanna phrase it), 17/1.8, 45/1.8, 14-54/2.8-3.5 and 40-150/4-6.6. I normally have 3 batteries because the 14-54 is a battery hog. So, I am going to buy one lens. Which would you all recommend from this list?

• 12-100mm/4
• 12-200mm/3.5-6.3
• 12mm/2

I only want to bring 2-3 lenses.  The 12mm would be way smaller... but am I giving up to much?

NoTx wrote:

So I can buy one lens. Goes to the happy wife, happy life type things. So, I am going to Cairo this year. It is an anniversary trip which is why I am in a quandary. So I have liquidated all my unused gear. I am down to: E-M1 (mk 1, E-M.1, however you wanna phrase it), 17/1.8, 45/1.8, 14-54/2.8-3.5 and 40-150/4-6.6.

You already have too many lenses.  For a trip like Egypt, you probably only need the 17 f/1.8 and the 45/1.8.  Take the 40-150 just in case but  I doubt you will need it.

I normally have 3 batteries because the 14-54 is a battery hog. So, I am going to buy one lens. Which would you all recommend from this list?

• 12-100mm/4
• 12-200mm/3.5-6.3
• 12mm/2

None of those, too $$ and duplicates much of your existing range.

I only want to bring 2-3 lenses. The 12mm would be way smaller... but am I giving up to much?

Skip the 40-150 and try something really different, like a Samyang 7.5 mm or a rectilinear 8mm.  You could do some really creative things with interiors and landscapes with that.  Reasonably cheap too.

Tedolph

Buy the 12-100 f4.0 lens.  It is a great lens.  It is weather resistant,  this means also dust resistant, when on the E-M1.  Then add your 17/1.8 and 45/1.8 for low light. It will make a nice 3 lens kit.  I am assuming you are not planning on doing serious wildlife photography.

12-100, I doubt you will use much else. If you want, bring the 17 for night time but even then, the 12-100 works well at night unless you are trying to stop motion.

I would personally buy the 12-100. It has been long enough on my wish list.

I were you I'd leave everything at home but take a second (recovery) body with me.

So EM1+12-100 +M10. markII  which could come free with your pro zoom purchase

You do make me thing.  The most interesting is that you did 2/3 with you 12-40 and 1/3 with the 7-14.  Hmm.  But dust... definitely making me think here.  Can you by chance throw some tomb examples with settings in here?  I would love to see it.

Now you added two lenses to my quandary lol.

12-100/4 hands down, it’s the most versatile lens m43 has, and easily my all-time m43 favorite.

Thank you all for your input. Oddly I think this thread caused me extra questions I need to consider. As someone who had his widest ultra wide as an old zeiss 21mm/2.8 or Olympus 11-22mm... the idea wider is weird. It is also intriguing.

The consistent recomendations for 12-100mm also make things interesting.

Thank you.

NoTx wrote:

Thank you all for your input. Oddly I think this thread caused me extra questions I need to consider. As someone who had his widest ultra wide as an old zeiss 21mm/2.8 or Olympus 11-22mm... the idea wider is weird. It is also intriguing.

The consistent recomendations for 12-100mm also make things interesting.

A word about zooms, particularly narrow range zooms.

I often found myself shoot in at the extremes are rarely in the middle.  So I concluded that I was better off with two faster primes near the ends of the range, e.g. a 17mm f/.18 and a 60mm f/2.8 rather than something like a 12-100.

Thank you.

Tedolph

tedolf wrote:

A word about zooms, particularly narrow range zooms.

I often found myself shoot in at the extremes are rarely in the middle. So I concluded that I was better off with two faster primes near the ends of the range, e.g. a 17mm f/.18 and a 60mm f/2.8 rather than something like a 12-100.

Tedolph

My main thoughts are my time is also my wifes... and its a dusty place.  However, primes have ALWAYS been my preference.

If you had two bodies and were taking both of them, I might say buy the 8-18 for one and put your 40-150 on the other.  With only one body, though, that could result in too much lens switching, so I'd also recommend that you buy the 12-100, which is fabulous.

The above assumes that you truly can only buy ONE lens. Otherwise, buy both the 8-18 and the 12-100!

there is also the pl 10-25 f1.7 which would be be wide enough and bright enough ,but pricey enough ,although lacks on the tele side of things if it was cheaper I think I would own it myself.

paul cool wrote:

there is also the pl 10-25 f1.7 which would be be wide enough and bright enough ,but pricey enough ,although lacks on the tele side of things if it was cheaper I think I would own it myself.

Too big for my trip... but oh wow. I have gotta get a justification for that one lol.

tedolf wrote:

Skip the 40-150 and try something really different, like a Samyang 7.5 mm or a rectilinear 8mm. You could do some really creative things with interiors and landscapes with that. Reasonably cheap too.

Tedolph

You were the first to bring up a lens out of the line up.  Its got me thinking a lot.  So far this thread has totally screwed up my thought process LOL.

Now its:

• 12-100mm/4 Olympus
• 7.5/2 Laowa
• 8mm/4 SLR Magic

It is making me think of different directions...