If you could only have one prime...

[FewButRipe]

It would have to be the Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2. It's not suitable for every situation, but when the focal length matches, it's unbeatable. It's breathtaking, just amazing for portraits, and is the best lens I've ever owned. I can take mediocre photos with any lens, but it's harder with this one.

You did say not to factor in price.

 

[brycesteiner]

Mine by order of most used:

45 1.8; 75 1.8; 20mm 1.7; 25 1.8

Depending on what you shoot--they each have a a very important purpose.

 

[Terminal Boy]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

I've only shot with the 25mm PanaLeica and I'm very pleased with it. I'm just throwing this out there to see whether I should invest in another or just stay content with what I own. Thanks!

15mm 1.7

This.

Have used a number of different M43 primes, but there's just something "extra" about the images I've captured with the 15mm PL...

 

[Valis89]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

I've only shot with the 25mm PanaLeica and I'm very pleased with it. I'm just throwing this out there to see whether I should invest in another or just stay content with what I own. Thanks!

I don't think one prime could handle all my shooting needs. But if I had to choose: First one that came to my mind was my beloved 20mm f1.7, since it's the one I mostly use anyway. It also seems like a good compromise between the "standard" 35mm and 50mm equivalent. However I feel that it works best with my 14mm and my 45mm 1.8, it's my main trio. I haven't tested the Oly 17mm f1.8, but that seems like a good overall choice, since the autofocus is faster than on the 20mm and it bridges the gap between my 20mm and 14mm.

P.S. Since you already own the 25mm and you're thinking about investing in another prime lens, I definitely recommend the 45mm 1.8, it's a bargain the image quality it delivers. Or a wide angle.

 

[jsaras]

Olympus 25mm f1.8. It's the most versatile lens I currently have.

 

[Alan WF]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

Well, the Olympus 8/1.8 fisheye of course, since I'm going to pair it with a body with an infinite number of pixels and the ability to crop to whatever longer effective focal length I desire without loss of resolution.

Oh, sorry, wrong thread.

Regards,

Alan

 

[Joe Sesto]

[No message]

 

[jrg]

ditto here

 

[dulynoted]

That's a hard question. I shoot with a 3 prime kit and being without the other two would be hard. After thinking about it though I think I would choose the 10.5mm nokton.

My first thought was the 25mm nokton but it is much harder to do my street work with flash using the 25 and that takes up alot of my shooting and produces results I really love. With the 10.5mm I can get wide shots, and If really needed I can crop in for something tighter. With the digital teleconverter shooting video I can use it as 2 prime video lenses as well so It would be very flexible with a wide and telephoto in one lens. The 25mm would never go any wider. The f0.95 aperture means I am always happy even in lowlight and can actually produce some nice shallow dof if I so desire.

Still I could live with either.

 

[Art_P]

No one lens would meet all my shooting needs.

General street shooting, the 17/1.8 is my choice.

But it's fairly useless for birding or stalking butterflies. So a long lens (300/4 since price is no object)

And if I want to do in camera stacking I need one of the lenses that allow it. So the 60 macro will do fine here.

And sometimes you just want to go wide, FE?

That would cover the essentials for me, but really I like my zooms... Don't take away my 9-18, 14-150, 100-300.

 

[dulynoted]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

That's easy.

Voigtländer 17.5mm.

But I prefer two… so, the 17.5mm and Voigtländer 42.5mm. I carry those two most of the time anyway, so it's a no-brainier combo.

I recently talked to a voigtlander rep. . Even including their m mount lenses they think the 42.5mm is the best lens they have ever made. Just a neat tidbit. I really wanna buy one but I have other things to get first.

 

[Mark Thornton]

I will take a fictional lens for m4/3...

Sigma 150 2.8 APO macro........if this lens was made in M4/3 mount it would sell like hotcakes.

I presume you know that it was made in 4/3 mount? I wonder how many they sold. I suspect that it didn't sell like hot cakes.

Mark

 

[neil holmes]

I will take a fictional lens for m4/3...

Sigma 150 2.8 APO macro........if this lens was made in M4/3 mount it would sell like hotcakes.

I presume you know that it was made in 4/3 mount? I wonder how many they sold. I suspect that it didn't sell like hot cakes.

Mark

yes, I am aware of that.......but different mount and different times.

 

[jeffharris]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

That's easy.

Voigtländer 17.5mm.

But I prefer two… so, the 17.5mm and Voigtländer 42.5mm. I carry those two most of the time anyway, so it's a no-brainier combo.

I recently talked to a voigtlander rep. . Even including their m mount lenses they think the 42.5mm is the best lens they have ever made. Just a neat tidbit. I really wanna buy one but I have other things to get first.

That's interesting. The 42.5mm is probably my favorite lens.

 

[Thin_Ice]

which one would you choose? No zooms. Just one prime to handle all of your shooting needs. Don't factor in price.

That's easy.

Voigtländer 17.5mm.

But I prefer two… so, the 17.5mm and Voigtländer 42.5mm. I carry those two most of the time anyway, so it's a no-brainier combo.

+ 1

The 17.5 is by far my most used lens. My other two lenses: 12 f2 and 45 f1.8 are complementary focal lengths and also great choices, but the voigt is more versatile.

the voigt is more difficult to use than the other primes. people tend to pick out the voiglander pictures as their favourite, because of color rendering and the somewhat typical look they can give.

When you like that look, you will end up as a fan like some of us. In the other case: hands off and stay with the oly 12 / 17 or your 25.

steven

 

[Peter Mathews]

At least then, I could stick it in my pants pocket.

If I had to choose just one for MFT, the 20/1.7 gets my vote. Just something about the images that thing produces. It's an amazing lens for being MFT's first attempt at something that small.

Like others have mentioned, I have gone the 12-40/2.8 route and no longer see any significant value in shooting with a prime, apart from size. It replaces at least two primes in the kit and rarely do I need to swap lenses. If size becomes an issue, I reach for the Coolpix A which has superior image quality to any MFT camera and it travels well.

 

[[email protected]]

my most used MFT lens. good for museums. good for candid street. good fun.

maljo

 

[berni29]

Hi

Just one lens would be the Voight 17.5mm followed by the Pana 20mm for convenience and compactness.

 

[Regor250]

[No message]

 

[baxters]

If I could only have just one prime, I'd have to move somewhere else with a government that is more permissive. Maybe Canada, but Italy would be better. They have prime ministers there, don't they?

For sure, I'd take the 7.5mm fisheye, 14mm and 20mm pancakes, plus the 75mm. Nothing wrong with the Oly 17mm and 45mm either.