Micro 4/3 Holy Trinity

[D7k1]

For me - 7.5mm, 12-35, and PL100-400mm - the 100-400 with/without Canon 500D is also a "macro".

 

[srhphoto]

PL 15mm f1.7, PL 25mm f1.4 and Panny 42.5mm f1.8 covers most of my shooting now. A wonderful trio of lenses

Simon.

 

[damianmkv]

for me, my most used the 012-40, 040-150 + TC and the sigma 30mm f1.4 when i want less DoF.

most of my shots are rubbish anyway so it doesn't really matter how big the lenses are..

 

[JDK504]

PL 15mm f1.7, PL 25mm f1.4 and Panny 42.5mm f1.8 covers most of my shooting now. A wonderful trio of lenses

Simon.

My trio is the same as yours with the exception of the Nocticron. Honestly I mostly shoot with my 15mm. I am thinking of picking up the 12mm 1.4 and maybe selling off the 15 and 25.

Hmm, tough decisions! The 15 is just so wonderful I am torn. I"ll wait until reviews and sample photos emerge to make a more educated decision.

 

[roelwillems]

My trio is the same as yours with the exception of the Nocticron. Honestly I mostly shoot with my 15mm. I am thinking of picking up the 12mm 1.4 and maybe selling off the 15 and 25.

Hmm, tough decisions! The 15 is just so wonderful I am torn. I"ll wait until reviews and sample photos emerge to make a more educated decision.

I would give it a good thought, the difference in field of view between 15 and 12mm is quite substantial. I bought the Olympus 12mm and Panasonic 14 2.5 although I have experienced that the field of view is quite different which makes them not as interchangeable as I expected (obvious differences as size, aperture and quality of optics not take in to account).
In my experience the 12mm is more a specialty lens where 14/15mm is more an all purpose FOV.

 

[JDK504]

I would give it a good thought, the difference in field of view between 15 and 12mm is quite substantial. I bought the Olympus 12mm and Panasonic 14 2.5 although I have experienced that the field of view is quite different which makes them not as interchangeable as I expected (obvious differences as size, aperture and quality of optics not take in to account).
In my experience the 12mm is more a specialty lens where 14/15mm is more an all purpose FOV.

Good to know. I was looking at the Olympus 12mm thread and the PL 15mm threads and it seems like the 12mm is used for landscapes and starscapes and less for people. I was afraid the 12mm might be too wide to
take pictures of my kids/family, etc.

 

[roelwillems]

Good to know. I was looking at the Olympus 12mm thread and the PL 15mm threads and it seems like the 12mm is used for landscapes and starscapes and less for people. I was afraid the 12mm might be too wide to
take pictures of my kids/family, etc.

I guess there isn't a hard rule regarding which FOV you should or shouldn't be using for different subjects (using a less obvious FOV can be creative and really working of an image).

Although a 12mm is quite wide and I personally am also using it mainly for landscape (with 20mm and 45mm) and the 14mm and 25mm and 45mm for people (14/25 for street) and 14 and the 20mm also for snapshots of family and friends.

Although this obviously is highly personal but I wouldn't pick a lens based on sharpness or performance but primary for its FOV (and having choice in performance on equal FOV is great of course). Ymmv of course

 

[JDK504]

I guess there isn't a hard rule regarding which FOV you should or shouldn't be using for different subjects (using a less obvious FOV can be creative and really working of an image).

Although a 12mm is quite wide and I personally am also using it mainly for landscape (with 20mm and 45mm) and the 14mm and 25mm and 45mm for people (14/25 for street) and 14 and the 20mm also for snapshots of family and friends.

Although this obviously is highly personal but I wouldn't pick a lens based on sharpness or performance but primary for its FOV (and having choice in performance on equal FOV is great of course). Ymmv of course

I definitely agree. I shoot a lot of indoors and in low light so the 12mm 1.4 would be a great help. My main concern with shooting people is distortion.

I think I'll just wait for it to come out and check the photos out. I'm sure someone will have both lenses or be moving from one to another. I'll get their opinion as well.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[anoly]

Well I received my third lens the other day, so I have no choice but for the following to be my "holy" trinity

17mm 1.8 12-40mm 2.8 & pano 45-175mm. I've only had my 4/3 kit for a limited time, so I'm still trying to get my head around it all. But I have no complaints with any of these lens, with the 12-40 being me favorite. Its a real gem!!

 

[emergo]

I would say the most versatile kit is: O12 - O17 - O45.

I use the O17 1.8 for 90% of the stuff I shoot. Love it. This is often the only lens I take out with me, and if I was allowed to own only one lens, this would be it.

The O75 is a great lens, however, I don't like taking large lenses around much and the O75 is about at my upper limit on size. I also find that its FOV is a bit too restrictive for everyday use, and would rather use the O45 instead. The O75 is a bit of a special purpose kind of lens for me. ("A Special Purpose? I have one of those!")

I also rarely use the O12. It's very nice, but I don't need that wide a lens unless I'm traveling.

The O25 is a nice lens as well, but I've never really cared for the 50mm equivalent FOV (not even in the film days). I use this lens almost solely for photographing items I'm selling on ebay, as it has a nice, close focusing distance - way closer than the 45...

 

[JDK504]

I would say the most versatile kit is: O12 - O17 - O45.

I use the O17 1.8 for 90% of the stuff I shoot. Love it. This is often the only lens I take out with me, and if I was allowed to own only one lens, this would be it.

The O75 is a great lens, however, I don't like taking large lenses around much and the O75 is about at my upper limit on size. I also find that its FOV is a bit too restrictive for everyday use, and would rather use the O45 instead. The O75 is a bit of a special purpose kind of lens for me. ("A Special Purpose? I have one of those!")

I also rarely use the O12. It's very nice, but I don't need that wide a lens unless I'm traveling.

The O25 is a nice lens as well, but I've never really cared for the 50mm equivalent FOV (not even in the film days). I use this lens almost solely for photographing items I'm selling on ebay, as it has a nice, close focusing distance - way closer than the 45...

How do you like the 12mm FOV? Do you think it's too wide for taking pictures of children, family stuff, tight spots (theme park rides, elevators, etc)?
I have the 15mm PL and love it. I was thinking of maybe getting the newly announced 12mm 1.4. I do a lot of low light shooting and indoor stuff.

I would appreciate your insight.

Thank you.

 

[Holoholo55]

Well, now that I have an O25 and O45, I guess I could say I have a Quadruple!

O17 f1.8, O25, O45, and O60 macro.

Although, I don't usually go out shooting with four primes. It's usually 1 or 2 zooms plus 1 or 2 primes.

 

[wjiang]

How do you like the 12mm FOV? Do you think it's too wide for taking pictures of children, family stuff, tight spots (theme park rides, elevators, etc)?
I have the 15mm PL and love it. I was thinking of maybe getting the newly announced 12mm 1.4. I do a lot of low light shooting and indoor stuff.

I would appreciate your insight.

Thank you.

12mm is starting to get sufficiently wide that you have to be careful with faces towards the edge of the frame, and for really tight spots it isn't wide enough. I personally prefer this focal length on a zoom for video and travel documentary purposes.

For family stuff I'd rather have a moderate wide angle 14-18mm, at personal interaction distances this gives a good balance of subject intimacy and environmental context. I've got the PL15 but kind of wish it was a little closer to 17mm actually. For 16:9 video though, a similar feel is achieved with a 12mm due to the extra cropping.

 

[emergo]

How do you like the 12mm FOV? Do you think it's too wide for taking pictures of children, family stuff, tight spots (theme park rides, elevators, etc)?
I have the 15mm PL and love it. I was thinking of maybe getting the newly announced 12mm 1.4. I do a lot of low light shooting and indoor stuff.

I would appreciate your insight.

Thank you.

I think the 12 is probably a bit wide for snaps of the kids. Close in, where your subject would be larger in the frame, the wide angle FOV will tend to distort, and the closer to the edge of frame that distortion would be even greater. It might be good for group shots indoors, however.

for natural looking shots of people, you're better to stick to lenses in the normal range - the 17, 20, 25, 30 mm lenses.

If you love the 15 and it's working for you, I don't think the extra few degrees of view are going to get you much more than you're already getting.

 

[dornblaser]

Due to my recent acquisition its 17/45/75.

However, my dreamkit is 12/17/25/45/75. Though 12-40mm (which I dont own either) and 75mm might be a great choice, too. Good to have (growing) options, isnt it?

My trinity has changed to the 17/45/75 as well. I have the 12-40/12/17/25/45/75.

 

[Nate8833]

RIGHT NOW it's the PL line... PL15, PL25, and the PL45. haha This could easily change... but I have to say that this combination is just fantastic with the GX7. What an underrated camera!

 

[Phocal]

Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Pro
Olympus 150mm f/2.0
Olympus 300mm f/4.0 Pro

 

[woollyback]

Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Pro
Olympus 150mm f/2.0
Olympus 300mm f/4.0 Pro

That would work well for me

 

[Phocal]

That would work well for me

It's perfect. I have the middle, just need the two ends.

 

[JensM]

If I could pick freely and top shelf, I would have the 12-35, 35-100 and the new 100-400 Panasonic. It would probably cover about 99,3 or more of all my photographic needs and still be a reasonable small package.