rappar wrote:
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.
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.