Need help deciding which lens to get next.

What do you want to take pictures of and what lenses do you have?

 

The Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8 can be found much cheaper. I don't think I've ever seen one for more than £50 on eBay. They're usually nearer £30.

 

I don't see why you'd ever put an old 24mm f2.8 on the camera when your gear list says you already have the 25mm f1.4. Same story with the Sigma 30mm f2.8. It's a nice lens, but the 25mm f1.4 is just magic and two stops faster.

The 40mm f1.8 might offer something a tiny bit different, but it certainly should not cost you $150. And you have 2 50mm lenses already. 40 and 50 aren't so different I'd worry about owning them both.

 

I think the Olympus 25mm is more consistent across the frame than the PL. The PL is all about light gathering, bokeh and acceptable centre sharpness IMO, not across the frame sharpness.

 

You aren't going to get wide open sharpness on an old lens, that is for sure.

 

If your 25 is not sharp until f/4 you should take it back/return it. If that is not an option and you sell it you should disclose that fact. Soft wide open is not expected performance.

 

I would sell the P25mm and use the 20mm in its place. Then, just pay up a little more and get the native Oly 45 /1.8. This will be far superior to the 40mm legacy glass and much easier to use. They are 299 new. Used prices should be lower of course.

With this, you will have two nice primes with enough difference in focal length to cover a wide range of scenarios.

 

I would send the P25 to Panasonic or another service to have a look and calibration. Yes, it gets better at f4, but the P20 does too.

I agree that no cheap adapted lens is going to give you better results wide open.

 

I tend to agree with the others. I like my Super Takumar 50mm/1.4 for specific uses, but it's also got 2/3 of a stop advantage compared to the native 42.5/45 lenses, and is nearly as sharp when stopped down. I have sometimes considered buying a 40mm/1.8, but it's definitely not sharp wide open, so it at least has some practical advantages. Unless you can find one for well under $100, I wouldn't consider the 40mm/1.8 since it's got basically no advantage over the native lenses. A used 45/1.8 should be pretty cheap, and useful.

You've also got a focal reducer, don't you? In that case, why not use your 58/f2 with it, then you'll have a 40mm/f1.4 that you already own? That's the other reason why I could never justify the 40mm/1.8 in the cold light of day, because my 50/1.4 becomes a 36/1.0 with the focal reducer.

 

Actually I think your best option would be to hold off right now, save up just a little bit and find a nice used Oly45mm