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Walk-around lens..17mm/1.8, 25mm/1.8 or 14-42 mm F3.5-5.6 II R Lens
It's a choice between image quality and versatility Dave; the 14-42 is OK but the image quality of the other two outshine it. I used to have the 17mm and now have the 25mm and like that focal length (nifty fifty), but if I just take that I sometimes yearn for something wider.
I’m packing my bag tonight for Walk the Wight tomorrow on the Isle of Wight.
Was toying with the 17, 25 or 14-42EZ. Have settled on the 14-42EZ on an EPL8, it slips nicely into my rucksack side pocket.
I bought my EPL8 with the 14-42EZ as an eBay open box for £299 I think (a few years ago). I couldn’t stomach buying the kit lens separately as it seemed so overpriced separately.
Actually I'd go instead for the Lumix 20/1.7 as it's tiny, I like the look of its images very much, and the focal length as a slightly wide standard works very nicely.
Hi, in most cases a prime will be better than a zoom at a given focal length although with in-camera processing and lenses like the Panny 10-25 f1.7, zooms can be outstanding.
Going back to 35mm SLR film days, a walk-about prime was often a 28mm, 35mm or 40mm lens which brings your 17mm into play. It's a nice focal length for landscapes or architecture. You can cheat on getting closer to an object if you are using a camera like the E-M1 III as you can opt for hand-held high resolution (50Mp) work which will allow you to crop the final image with no loss of resolution; even more so if you can pop the camera onto a firm surface as you can shoot at a whopping 80Mp.
I wouldn't pay NEW retail for the 12-42mm II R - it was bundled with lots of PEN series cameras and used to be available used for <£100.
Looks like prices have climbed recently.
I have this lens and the more compact EZ 14-42mm both are competent walk about lenses and give similar results.
The II R is a bit larger but has a manual zoom which I like
The EZ is much smaller but has an electronic zoom which is a bit less accurate and fast going from wide to tele
I stopped using either when I got the 12-40 PRO even though it's much bigger and heavier - the quality makes up for the negatives.
I have the Panasonic 25mm F1.7 which is an under rated lens and fantastic value for money - but I find 25mm is a bit long for general walk about duties.
The Olympus 17mm f1.8 is a cracking lens and is my minimal option for evenings/restaurants/museums etc.
If wanted a great walkabout then the 12-40 f2.8 or the 12-45 f4 would be my choice assuming you are happy to spend the money.
If I take my 12-100 for a day long shoot I often take the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 and the Olympus 45mm f1.8 along. They're both sharp; they're both small and light, and they provide more than two extra stops of light should it be required. They're also an occasional relief from the heavier zoom lens.
I’m going to retract (sort of) my previous statement about the 14-42EZ. The electronic zoom was a bit of a hindrance to use all day. I can see how as an occasional use it’s perfect due to its size but for more than one off shots, it was annoying.
I previously owned the other 14-42 version but the locking retraction thing bugged me also so I think the 12-45 f4 will be the best option or the 17 f1.8 (for overall focal length typical use).
I have a TT Artisans 17mm f1.4, it's a fully manual lens that's very well made and performs very well in my opinion and only costs around £113 on E-Bay
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