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Which lens for the Oly 5 MkII ?

A

Antonio Correia

New member
Do you know this site ? Interesting...
Between these two lenses which would you get regardless the cost ?
This lens - one of these I mean - is to be used with an Oly 5 MkII, Oly 7-14 f/2.8 and Oly 14-40 f/2.8 when traveling or in any occasion... when I feel like :)
I am tempted by the f/2.8. But I am also tempted by the smaller size of the one on the left, the 12-100mm
I understand that the 12-100 doesn't go as far as the 40-150 which may have others purposes. But the reach of both doesn't bother me as I do not shoot birds...
My main concern is the quality of the final images.
Comments ? Anyone ? Thanks ! :)

 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I had the 40-150 on the E-M1, and although it's very sharp, I found that it often rendered photos in a flat, 2-dimensional way and that bokeh could sometimes become very busy, particularly with complicated backgrounds. It's also very big, rather heavy and the lens hood is extremely bulky and will often extend on its own whe the lens is taken out of the bag.

I haven't tried the 12-100mm, but people talk nicely about it. If you buy it, I would leave the 12-40mm at home, since it covers part of the same focal length and is only one stop faster but without offering the dual IS that the 12-100mm offers. Instead, I would bring a fast prime as a supplement to 12-100mm, like the 25mm f/1.2 or the more compact but very good PL 25mm f/1.4.

But since you already have the 7-14 and 12-40, I would rather consider the Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 (just 305g), a fantastic lens in every sense, or the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8, which is more or less as sharp as the Zuiko 40-150mm, but with a more pleasant rendering and much more modest size and weight (357g vs. 760g for the 40-150). I own and use both of those lenses.

Taken with the Panasonic 35-100mm @ 89mm and f/2.8:



Taken with the Zuiko 75mm @ f/1.8:



 
ptomsu

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Jorgen Udvang said:
I had the 40-150 on the E-M1, and although it's very sharp, I found that it often rendered photos in a flat, 2-dimensional way and that bokeh could sometimes become very busy, particularly with complicated backgrounds. It's also very big, rather heavy and the lens hood is extremely bulky and will often extend on its own whe the lens is taken out of the bag.
Click to expand...
The one thing the 40-150 does for sure not at all is to extend - simply because it's all internal focusing and zooming!

I agree it is rather big - but then you need to compare it to a 2.8 100, 70-200 and 300 FF Nikon or Canon lens combo and then you easily can live with it's size!

The bokeh can be busy, but separation is perfect if you keep shooting wide open - which is more or less my fixed aperture on this lens anyway - why not shoot with 2.8 if it's available.

Conclusion for the 40-150 - it is one of the few lenses that keeps me shooting m43 and Olympus!

The 4/12-100 is a stellar all round lens and if you want one relatively small combination with any m43 camera for travel or occasional shooting then this is my definitive preferred choice, although best used on a Olympus camera to fully leverage dual IBIS.
 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
ptomsu said:
The one thing the 40-150 does for sure not at all is to extend - simply because it's all internal focusing and zooming!

I agree it is rather big - but then you need to compare it to a 2.8 100, 70-200 and 300 FF Nikon or Canon lens combo and then you easily can live with it's size!
Click to expand...
I compare it to the Panasonic 35-100mm, which doesn't extend either ;)
That's also the lens that I changed it for.



The Zuiko offers 150 vs. 100 mm at the long end of course, but for travel, it's a beast, and travelling is what I do. The Zuiko is slightly sharper wide open, but I still prefer the rendering of the Panasonic. At f/4 they are equally sharp.

For users of the excellent Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8, there's another bonus using the 35-100mm: they share filter size and lens caps. That actually makes lens changes faster, although I mostly have one of these lenses on each camera body.
 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Another lens to consider is the new PL50-200mm f/2.8-4. If I didn't have the 35-100mm and 100-300mm already, that is the lens I would buy. At a later stage, I might actually make the trade. The PL takes both of the new PL tele converters, 1.4x and 2.0x. The Zuiko 40-150mm takes the Zuiko 1.4x TC.

 
ptomsu

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Jorgen Udvang said:
Another lens to consider is the new PL50-200mm f/2.8-4. If I didn't have the 35-100mm and 100-300mm already, that is the lens I would buy. At a later stage, I might actually make the trade. The PL takes both of the new PL tele converters, 1.4x and 2.0x. The Zuiko 40-150mm takes the Zuiko 1.4x TC.
Click to expand...
If I did not own the 40-150 and be invested in Olympus with the EM1.2, I would have chosen the G9 and the future PL 50-200 today in a heartbeat.

But I am sure something similar will follow from Olympus pretty soon, so for me it is worth waiting anyway!
 
D

drofnad

Member
Antonio Correia said:
Do you know this site ? Interesting...
to be used with an Oly 5 MkII, Oly 7-14 f/2.8 and Oly 14-40 f/2.8 when traveling or in any occasion... when I feel like :)
...
My main concern is the quality of the final images.
Comments ? Anyone ? Thanks ! :)
Click to expand...
Earlier you wrote "I have been using Panasonic GX7 for a couple of years now" : do you continue to use that, along w/your newly got E-M5.2?
My Gx7 is pretty much married to the 35-100/2.8. I think that the 12-100's resolution strength, per Lenstip results at least, lies towards the short end, and the 35-100/2.8 thus will better it in the long? (My E-M5.1 carries something shorter --12-40, or 7-14/4(Pana), usually, though initially it also used the telephoto prior to my buying the Gx7. The stabilization of the lens is pretty good!

-d.
 
A

Antonio Correia

New member
I am sorry guys if I have not been here before to write you back. In fact, I have not been notified because I may have missed some settings on the forum. I will try to fix this little problem.

To begin with I would like to thank you all for the written words.
Now, I will answer your posts one by one ! It would be very rude not to do so... :)
 
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A

Antonio Correia

New member
@ Knorp
Thank you for the link.
I have been reading reviews and the lens seems pretty good...

@ Jorden
Thank you so much for all the trouble you had posting so much.
Jorden, I do not want to buy more Panasonic or Panasonic / Leica lenses. I do have two of them: the 15mm and the 42.5mm. This one is pretty good on the Panasonic GX7 but ... it doesn't focus manually on the Olympus 5 Mark II.
Well, it is not exactly like that: I have not customized the Oly camera so it focus manually. It also doesn't not connect with the aperture ring on both those lenses.
Moreover, I would like - would like - to move to the Oly 1 Mark II soon and it works better with Olympus lenses.
So, back to the 12-100 f/4.0
Next Saturday I will have one in my hands and I will be able to mount it on my 5MkII and on a 1MkII which I will be lent for a couple of days, so I hope.

The other lens. the 40-150 is too bulky and on... too bulky, too heavy, too cumbersome... no.

I do have made some shots with the fabulous 75mm Oly lens. Fabulous. Besides it is a beauty !

@ Peter
"... The 4/12-100 is a stellar all round lens and if you want one relatively small combination with any m43 camera for travel or occasional shooting then this is my definitive preferred choice, although best used on a Olympus camera to fully leverage dual IBIS."
Thank you Peter ! Beautiful daughter you have ! :) :)

@ drofnad
I think I will continue to shoot with the GX7 along with 5MkII, yes.

Thank you all guys for your patience.
:) :)
 
A

Antonio Correia

New member
This is a bit out of topic at this point.
But can you give me the link to the site that makes the views of the images with the lenses, if you please ?
Sorry for the trouble. Thank you ! :)

Oh by the way: I bought the Oly 40-150 and I do not like the lens shade. Not at all ! Complex pointless system !
 
Knorp

Knorp

Well-known member
Antonio Correia said:
This is a bit out of topic at this point.
But can you give me the link to the site that makes the views of the images with the lenses, if you please ?
Sorry for the trouble. Thank you ! :)

Oh by the way: I bought the Oly 40-150 and I do not like the lens shade. Not at all ! Complex pointless system !
Click to expand...
For reviews and sample images you may check LensTip or DPReview.

Over the years I've read many complaints about hoods/shades of some Olympus lenses, but my 40-150/2.8 is doing fine as yet (knock on wood).
 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Antonio Correia said:
This is a bit out of topic at this point.
But can you give me the link to the site that makes the views of the images with the lenses, if you please ?
Sorry for the trouble. Thank you ! :)

Oh by the way: I bought the Oly 40-150 and I do not like the lens shade. Not at all ! Complex pointless system !
Click to expand...
That hood is very annoying. It always extended by itself when I took the camera out of the bag. I sold it and went for the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 instead. Much smaller lens with shorter reach but equal or better image quality.

I mostly go to Flickr when I want to see how images from different lenses work. Just search for the lens in question.
 
A

Antonio Correia

New member
Jorgen Udvang this dam lens is gorgeous !

I mean the Oly 75mm... A couple of years ago I made shots with it. I was astonished with the superb quality.

I own the Panny Leica 42,5 f/1.2 which is as good. The other day I would have bought the 75 if I had not burned some Euros on a second 5 Mk II body...

But it is under my radar...

Cheers ! :)
 
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