rappar Loc: Kingston Ontario

I recently purchased the OM-5 camera plus a kit lens. My reason for doing this was to travel as light as possible. I have owned both the M1X and the OM-1 and some OM/Olympus lenses. They were amazing cameras but just did not fit my current lifestyle, I am 76 and do not move as I once did. If I would like a lens to take with me for travel shots, what would you recommend? I would like to hear from others who use the 4/3 system before buying an extra lens.

Thanks.

Ron.

jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

If you don't already have it, I'd suggest the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 Pro Lens. The range is vast, 24-200 in full frame terms. The 4.0 across the range is excellent. The image stabilization in the lens will combine with the OM-5 IBIS to give an ungodly number of stops.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

You don’t say what the focal length(s) of the kit lens are.

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I have an embarrassingly extensive m4/3 inventory, plenty of zooms and primes. The 12-100/4.0 is the ringmaster, but I keep favoring primes, any pair tiny little primes. They remind me of M-leica RF lenses. 17 and 45 make a fine pair but I have many choices and it seems to hardly matter what pair I go with.

So thaz my advice. Consider if your style is compatible with toting a pair of primes. If it appeals to you, dont ask anyones suggestion about what pair to choose. Theyre all equally terrific. If you wanna be indecisive go with a trio, cuz theyre so tiny its no burden.

Whether pair or trio, I favor a ratio of about 2x to 2.5x between lenses. But Im not you. And maybe you want a do-it-all zoom. When I go there, if the 12-100 is looking too big, I have 12-60 and 14-140 flyweight zooms. Again the message is that you cant go wrong. Just buy on a whim, or buy whatever is on impressively deep discount or clearance pricing. You cant lose.

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You could simply recommend whatever works for you. No real concern whether theres any redundancy with his kit lens. Whether to avoid or allow redundant FLs is mainly a question of how attractive the recommendation seems to be.

I have the kit zoom for my Z. A few days ago Bestbuy had a "give away" clearance on the much better but redundant (in FL) option. (They beat the B&H clearance by $250.) Ill be keeping both. The kit lens is distinctly smaller and *sometimes* thaz the days priority.

Whatever youre currently using might be just what fits the bill.

bikerguy

My standard non-wildlife travel kit is the OM-1 (formerly the EM1-II) and the 14-150 and possibly the 9-18. This is a light and smallish kit. With today's noise reduction software I want small and light over fast.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When traveling I like a 24-100 something lens. So, if you go to B&H and put "Olympus Lenses" into the search you will find a few that will fit the bill, I like the 12-45 which would give you a 24-90, and the 12-100 which would give you a 24-200. And don't forget, many Panasonic lenses, some made by Leica will fit your OM-1 also.

sroc

I agree with a previous reply my Olympus ED 12-100 F4 is the lens I use most. The body I have it on is the new OM System OM1. The combination weighs 2 lbs 14 oz. I am 75 and have no problem carrying this combination ( I use a wrist strap). Before taking photos make sure the IS switch on the lens is slid to ON.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

It is always useful to know what lenses you have before giving you advice on what lens to buy. There is no way to go wrong with Olympus optics. I use Olympus and Panasonic optics and I could not be happier.
Each of us is different and we have different priorities when it comes to our photography. I am mainly a landscape photographer and I have done very well with the 12-40 f2.8 Pro. I also own the 17mm f2.8 which has been superseded by the 17mm f1.8 and f1.2, good lenses for landscape and urban shots.

I know of the 12-100 f4 and I have seen the results it is capable of but I have never used one. If there is dealer nearby that sells OM lenses it could be a great idea to pay them a visit. You could take your concerns to them and most importantly you could try those lenses that appeal to you for your type of photography.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

I would travel with one light lens. I am not currently a Panasonic guy but I was. I would recommend the 12-60 Panasonic for its wide range which will cover virtually any travel shot. At 76, or younger, you don't want to be lugging around a bunch of lenses and weight. I went to Europe twice with one light body and one lens and did not regret. Enjoy your travels and a great 2023 to all.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

12-40mm f/2.8 is excellent.
12-100 f/4 is very versatile.

Consider a couple of compact primes for low light work. I use the 42.5mm f/1.7 Lumix and the 15mm f/1.7 Panasonic Leica. The Lumix 20mm f/1.7 is also worth considering.

https://alikgriffin.com/micro-43-lens-buying-guide/

JBruce Loc: Northern MN

I have owned a variety of Olympus cameras for years, including an em5-2 very similar in size to your OM5. I have it permanently paired with an Oly 14-150 II, and find it to be an ideal size, weight and focal lengths for a grab and go, carry camera. It is water resistant and fits easily in my car glovebox. Incidentally, I bought both at Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, IN, used and at a very good price. Good luck on you photo adventures, from a 85 year old who is still buying and using Olympus. I recently bought the Oly 12-100 and find that it is a great lens but the 14-150 runs a close second in image color, quality and practical usability; pair it with an Oly 9-18 wide angle and you have a great kit. John

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I've had a couple of experiences this year that have really changed how I approach questions like yours as well as the counsel I give to folks.

In early summer, I attended an important meeting of the railroad history & modelling group that I'm a member of, and last month, I had knee replacement surgery for which I'm now doing physical therapy.

The bottom line is that a lot of what we perceive or claim as limitations really has almost nothing to do with what we are or are not capable of doing. Instead, we are governed (and limited) by habits that have become ingrained in our brains.

In an effort to "travel light," instead of taking everything I owned on the trip, I took two cameras, one DX, one FX, and two identical 24-120mm f/4 lenses. On each of our three days of outings, I carried one of those cameras. I did not miss a single shot that I wanted. I did wish for the wider view of the FX camera the day we were stuck in Kansas City Union Station, but I still got all the shots I wanted. Didn't need anything faster (wouldn't have had enough DoF anyway), and there were other ways to get the wide shots. I do have a couple of shots that I may someday decide to crop a little bit.

Also...do not worry about what some claim as redundancy. Or about covering every possible focal length. If you are travelling with one lens, the focal lengths of the lenses you have left at home do not matter one whit. In addition to the two lenses I took on the trip, I left a 24-70 (fx), 70-200 (fx), 17-55 (dx), 35, 50, 85, and 105 (macro) at home, along with some wider (to 14mm) and longer (to 500mm) lenses. They are invaluable for other times. They weren't missed at all on the trip.

Oh...the surgery lesson? The bad compensatory habits I've developed over the past 10 years or so are bigger barriers than most of the real physical issues I'm working through in physical therapy. The hardest work is mental, not physical. It's necessary to learn to turn loose.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

The four lenses I would suggest you look at are the 12-40 f2.8 Pro II, 12-45 f4 Pro, 12-100 f4 Pro IS, and 12-200 f3.5/6.3. All are weatherproof but each have they pros and cons.

The biggest range is the 12-200, but because of the variable aperture is not a Pro lens. Also it has a image "soft" spot at 100 wide open. Other than that, it is a good lens.

The 12-40 lens is f2.8, has the auto focus/manual focus clutch, and function button on the lens. But it's range is the shortest of them all and it is not the lightest, smallest, and cheapest lens.

One of the newest, smallest, lightest, and the cheapest Pro lens is the 12-45. It is a lovely lens I bought for my wife's usage. The 45 end offers a portrait length while the 12 covers almost all desired wide shots. But the reason that it is so small and cheap is because it is a part of OMDS's cheaper Pro line. It does not have the auto focus/manual focus clutch and has no function button on the lens (it can be set up for auto focus with manual focus follow up in the menu). But I can testify it is sharp and definitely a Pro lens. Because of size, weight, cost, and image quality, it makes a great travel lens.

The 12-100 lens is by far the best travel lens I have ever held in my hands. The IS is impressive, the image quality is superb over the whole range, it has the auto focus/manual focus clutch, it has the function button on the lens, and is a real pleasure to shoot with. Cons? It is the the biggest, heaviest, and most costly of the lenses. But in my opinion, it is the best of the lenses for travel making it worth the size, weight, and cost.

One more note: both the 12-45 and 12-100 are capable of 1/2 lifesize in 35mm terms. They will cover a lot of small subjects closeup.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Any lens that fits your OM-1 will also fit your OM-5