{"id":240,"date":"2012-05-14T17:29:14","date_gmt":"2012-05-14T23:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/?p=240"},"modified":"2012-11-13T06:37:54","modified_gmt":"2012-11-13T13:37:54","slug":"olympus-omd-em-5-camera-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/olympus-omd-em-5-camera-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympus OMD EM-5 Camera System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Olympus OMD EM-5 Camera \u00a0 (15.3 ounces)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been using an Olympus PEN E-P2 camera for several years now.\u00a0 It\u2019s a micro 4\/3 system camera that accepts interchangeable lenses.\u00a0 The sensor is half the size of a full frame sensor, so the \u201ccrop factor\u201d provides the field of view equivalent to that of a lens twice length. \u00a0(For example, a 12mm lens on a micro 4\/3 camera gives the same field of view as a 24mm lens on a full frame dSLR or traditional 35mm film camera.)<\/p>\n<p>The micro 4\/3 system provides a great combination of excellent image quality, flexibility of interchangeable lenses, and compact size.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_284\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-284\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-284\" title=\"Lenses\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1-1024x513.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1-1024x513.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1-300x150.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1-500x250.jpg 500w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lens-1-of-1.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-284\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left to Right, Front Row) 20mm; 12mm; 45mm; 14-42mm; 9-18mm; 7-14mm; 12-50mm; 25mm. (Back Row:) OMD EM-5; 85mm; 135mm; 50-200mm; 85-300mm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although I\u2019ve been very happy with the Olympus PEN E-P2 camera I\u2019ve been using, (see \u00a0my PEN E-P2 thoughts<a title=\"Olympus PEN E-P2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.larsonweb.com\/photography\/id7.html\" target=\"_blank\"> HERE<\/a>) I was so impressed with the specifications and early buzz about the new OMD E-5 that I pre-ordered it as soon as it became available. \u00a0After months of waiting, B&amp;H Photo finally delivered it to me.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve had an Olympus OMD-E-5 camera for a few weeks now. \u00a0I&#8217;ve been shooting with it just about every day. \u00a0So far, I love almost everything about this camera.<\/p>\n<p>Build quality is excellent. \u00a0The magnesium body has appropriate heft, without being too heavy (15.3 ounces.) \u00a0Fit and finish are \u00a0terrific, and the weather sealed body has the feel of a precision instrument. \u00a0It&#8217;s a good looking camera too, with a design very similar to that of the classic OM-4T film camera that I have always admired.<\/p>\n<p>Ergonomics are likewise excellent, and the camera has a well-placed thumb rest that helps in holding the camera. \u00a0Knobs and buttons are well placed and for the most part are easy to manipulate. \u00a0 I really like the tilting screen on the back. \u00a0I can take pictures at odd angles and tilt the screen so that I can compose the shot without having to be directly behind the camera. \u00a0The buttons and options are configurable, so I can program the buttons and controls to fit my shooting style. \u00a0You really get the feeling that the engineers that designed this camera were also serious photography enthusiasts. \u00a0Everything about it seems designed to allow you to just take pictures instead of fiddling with the camera.<br \/>\nSome people have complained about the placement of the on\/off switch (on the back of the camera in the bottom right corner. \u00a0I think the placement is great. \u00a0It&#8217;s out of the way where it is. I like having only shooting controls on the top plate. Some other folks have complained about the &#8220;mushy&#8221; feel of the buttons. \u00a0The button feel doesn&#8217;t bug me either. I can tell by touch when I&#8217;ve depressed a button, even when wearing thin gloves. That&#8217;s really all I care about.<\/p>\n<p>Although the camera&#8217;s features are very configurable, the instruction manual that comes with the camera isn&#8217;t that great, and a lot of the camera&#8217;s features are hidden deep in the rather complex menu system. \u00a0I would highly recommend any user of the OMD EM-5 read <a title=\"User guide\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dpreview.com\/articles\/9115179666\/user-guide-getting-the-most-out-of-the-olympus-e-m5\" target=\"_blank\">this article<\/a> that explains some of the features of the OMD that are not readily apparent by reading the instruction manual. \u00a0There is another excellent blog\u00a0<a title=\"OMD\" href=\"http:\/\/www.photographyisfun.ch\/E-M5_Blog1\/EM5_Blog.php\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a> that addresses set up of your OMD EM-5 and many other issues.<\/p>\n<p>The back LCD screen is bright and easy to see, and with the touch-screen functionality, you can manipulate camera settings from the screen. \u00a0You can also set the camera to take pictures when you touch the screen, with the auto-focus targeted on the area that you touch. \u00a0This can be a very useful feature when you have a &#8220;target rich&#8221; environment and you want to make sure the camera focuses on the right subject.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of auto-focus, it&#8217;s really fast and accurate, even in low light conditions. \u00a0I haven&#8217;t used any pro-level dSLR cameras, but the auto-focus on the OMD is very fast and acquires targets faster than any other camera I&#8217;ve ever used. \u00a0It&#8217;s going to be great for taking action shots of skiing next winter.<\/p>\n<p>The built-in viewfinder is one of the major features that sets this camera apart from the PEN E-P2 camera that I&#8217;ve been using. \u00a0The PEN has an accessory view finder that mounts on the hot shoe, but the OMD&#8217;s finder is integrated into the camera. \u00a0This is great because I prefer to compose my photos using a viewfinder, and having a viewfinder is especially useful in high-glare environments such as snowfields, where the glare tends to render the rear LCD screen hard to use. \u00a0 I&#8217;ve found the viewfinder to be very high quality. \u00a0It&#8217;s bright, with good detail. \u00a0One very nice feature is that the viewfinder can be set up to show areas that are going to be beyond the dynamic range of the sensor. \u00a0With this option turned on, any areas that are too bright or too dark are highlighted in red or blue in the display. \u00a0This gives you a great tool for keeping your exposure within the boundaries you want.<\/p>\n<p>One of the truly outstanding features of the camera is the image stabilization capability. \u00a0It has a new image stabilization technology that is extremely effective at limiting camera shake. \u00a0 I&#8217;ve hand-held shots at one tenth of a second with no\u00a0discernible fuzziness from camera shake.<\/p>\n<p>Image quality is excellent. \u00a0I was pretty happy with the image quality coming out of my E-P2, and the OMD has raised the bar significantly from the level of the E-P2. \u00a0Colors are rendered very well, and I&#8217;ve seen minimal noise or other distractions even in less than perfect lighting.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things that\u00a0surprised\u00a0me about this camera is how small it is. \u00a0I thought it would be bigger than the PEN E-P2 I&#8217;ve been using. \u00a0In fact, it&#8217;s virtually the same size. \u00a0Slightly taller because of the viewfinder hump, but otherwise the same form factor. \u00a0 This means I can use the same small camera cases and other carrying options that I&#8217;ve come to rely on for the E-P2. \u00a0As with the E-P2, my cases of choice for the OMD are from the <a title=\"Optech cases\" href=\"http:\/\/optechusa.com\/soft-pouch-digital-d-series.html\" target=\"_blank\">Optech Digital D series.<\/a> \u00a0I use the Optech <a title=\"Compact\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OP-TECH-USA-7401084-D-Compact\/dp\/B0001TSSM2\/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1336797578&amp;sr=8-12\" target=\"_blank\">Digital D Compact<\/a>, the Digital D <a title=\"Shortie\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OP-TECH-USA-7401044-D-Shortie\/dp\/B004N6233Y\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1336797566&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Shortie<\/a>, or the Digital D <a title=\"4\/3\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OP-TECH-USA-7401174--Digital\/dp\/B00009R9BF\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1336797601&amp;sr=8-2\" target=\"_blank\">M-4\/3<\/a> depending on which lens I have mounted on the camera. \u00a0The Compact works well for most of the smaller primes, the M-4\/3 works well with the larger zooms, and the Shortie works well for the middle sized lenses.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_272\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-272\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-272\" title=\"omdep2size\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size-300x228.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size-300x228.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size-394x300.jpg 394w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-272\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OMD on top, E-P2 on bottom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_273\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-273\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-273\" title=\"omdep2size2\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size2-300x128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size2-300x128.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size2-500x213.jpg 500w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/omdep2size2.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-273\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OMD on left, E-P2 on right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For carrying the camera body and three prime lenses (12mm, 20mm, and 45mm) the entire kit fits nicely into the <a title=\"Small Zoom\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mountainsmith.com\/products.asp?productId=269&amp;categoryId=13&amp;subCategoryId=12&amp;subCategory2Id=0\" target=\"_blank\">Moutainsmith small zoom case<\/a>, with room for a few extra accessories. \u00a0I can easily attach this camera case to the shoulder strap of my back pack using lightweight carabiners. \u00a0It stays out of the way when not in use, and is quickly accessible when I want to shoot.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-242\" style=\"width: 264px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-242\" title=\"cameracase2\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase2-264x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"264\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase2-264x300.jpg 264w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase2-902x1024.jpg 902w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase2.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mountainsmith Small Zoom case clipped to pack strap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_243\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-243\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-243\" title=\"cameracase\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase-300x212.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase-1024x723.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase-424x300.jpg 424w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/cameracase.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Excellent way to carry micro 4\/3 camera and 3 lenses without interfering with your activities<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I&#8217;ve got a bunch of other cases as well, but when I&#8217;m \u00a0trying to keep the weight and volume down, I try to keep my gear limited to what will fit in this Mountainsmith small zoom case. \u00a0For carrying more stuff, there are a lot of options, including the <a title=\"Med Zoom case\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mountainsmith.com\/products.asp?productId=270&amp;categoryId=13&amp;subCategoryId=12&amp;subCategory2Id=0\" target=\"_blank\">Mountainsmith medium zoom<\/a>\u00a0case which allows you to carry the larger zoom lenses in much the same manner as the small zoom case (albeit with a bit more bulk and weight.) \u00a0 For my purposes, I find that the OMD body with the three primes (12mm, 20mm, and 45mm) pretty much covers all the bases I need when I&#8217;m in the backcountry. \u00a0Occasionally, I will take a 9-18 zoom and the 45mm prime as a change of pace, but the three prime combination in the Mountainsmith small zoom case is my go-to backcountry kit. \u00a0There is a short Youtube video clip of the Mountainsmith case and the three lenses I usually take with me <a title=\"Mountainsmith case\" href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/NyPfSbEvZAY\" target=\"_blank\">HERE <\/a>where you can get a better feel for the size of the case and how it works. \u00a0 The <a title=\"Clik Elite\" href=\"http:\/\/www.clikelite.com\/products\/infinity-case\/\" target=\"_blank\">Clik Elite Infinity Case<\/a>\u00a0is similar to the Mountainsmith small zoom case. \u00a0It provides a bit more room than the Mountainsmith, and allows a bit more flexibility about which lenses you bring. \u00a0 It&#8217;s slowly replacing my Mountainsmith as my backcountry case of choice, particularly if I want to bring a zoom lens instead of one of the primes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lenses:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the years, I&#8217;ve accumulated a number of lenses that I use with my E-P2 (and now OMD) cameras. \u00a0 \u00a0Here are the lenses I use with this system along with my thoughts on using them.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Native Micro 4\/3 lenses:<\/span><br \/>\n7-14mm f: 4. \u00a0Panasonic \u00a0 (11.1 ounces)<br \/>\n12mm f: 2 \u00a0 Olympus \u00a0(5.4 ounces)<br \/>\n12-50mm f: 3.5-6.3 Olympus (macro) \u00a0 (8.5 ounces)<br \/>\n9-18mm f: 4-5.6 Olympus \u00a0 (6.4 ounces)<br \/>\n20mm f: 1.7 Panasonic \u00a0(4.3 ounces)<br \/>\n25mm f: 0.95 Voightlander (manual focus) \u00a0 (16.3 ounces)<br \/>\n14-42mm f: 3.5-5.6 \u00a0Olympus \u00a0(4.3 ounces)<br \/>\n45mm f: 1.8 Olympus \u00a0(4.7 ounces)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Non Micro 4\/3 lenses used with adaptor (all weights include the weight of the adapter:)<br \/>\n85mm f: 1.2L Canon FD (27.7 ounces)<br \/>\n135mm f: 2.8 Canon FD (17 ounces)<br \/>\n50-200 f: 2.8-3.5 Olympus 4\/3 (47.7 ounces) (2 pounds, 17.7 ounces)<br \/>\n80-200 f: 4L Canon FD (28.7 ounces) (1 pound, 12.7 ounces)<br \/>\n85-300 f: 4.5 Canon FD (68.7 ounces) (4 pounds, 4.7 ounces.)<br \/>\nCanon FD are used with a Novoflex adapter and are manual focus, the Olympus 4\/3 lens uses an Olympus adapter and keeps automatic aperture and auto focus capability. (although auto-focus doesn&#8217;t work very well.)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The<a title=\"7-14 review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dpreview.com\/lensreviews\/panasonic_7-14_4_o20\" target=\"_blank\">\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Panasonic 7-14mm f:4<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0is a big lens. \u00a0It&#8217;s heavy and is pretty long and bulky compared with the primes or the compact Olympus 9-18. \u00a0However, I really like the extra angle of view and perspective of the ultra wide lens when it&#8217;s at 7mm. This isn&#8217;t really a good backcountry lens for going light and fast, but when weight and space don&#8217;t matter, this is my wide of choice.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_248\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-248\" style=\"width: 258px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-9-of-14.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-248\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-9-of-14-258x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"258\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-9-of-14-258x300.jpg 258w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-9-of-14-881x1024.jpg 881w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-9-of-14.jpg 1033w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 258px) 100vw, 258px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-248\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panasonic 7-14 at 7mm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The other two wide angle lenses in my arsenal, the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a title=\"12mm review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.photographyblog.com\/reviews\/olympus_m_zuiko_digital_ed_12mm_f_2_review\/\" target=\"_blank\">Olympus 12mm f: 2<\/a><\/strong><\/span> \u00a0and the<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a title=\"9-18 review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dpreview.com\/lensreviews\/olympus_m_9-18_4-5p6_o20\" target=\"_blank\"> Olympus \u00a09-18mm f: 4-5.6<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 zoom are much much smaller than the Panasonic 7-14. The 12 is a good lens, and is very sharp and very compact. For some reason, however, at the wide end, I find myself wanting zoom capability quite regularly, so I often will opt for a wide zoom instead of the 12mm prime. \u00a0The Olympus 9-18 zoom is very compact, and it&#8217;s what I take if I want a wide zoom and need to save weight\/space. \u00a0When I compare the size of the Olympus 9-18 with the size of the Panasonic 7-14, I have to marvel at the design and engineering that allowed Olympus to make a wide zoom in such a tiny package. \u00a0 All three of these lenses are high quality, and I have been pleased with sharpness and other characteristics of all of them. \u00a0 If I had to pick just one of them, I&#8217;d probably go with the Olympus 9-18. \u00a0I like the versatility of the zoom, and the lens manages to be compact and still produce reasonably sharp images.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_249\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-249\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Matt-Slope.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-249\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Matt-Slope-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Matt-Slope-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Matt-Slope-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Matt-Slope.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-249\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olympus 9-18mm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_257\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-257\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp121.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-257\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp121-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp121-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp121-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-257\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Olympus 12mm is pretty sharp edge to edge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lenses I tend to use the most are the<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong> <a title=\"20mm review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dpreview.com\/lensreviews\/panasonic_20_1p7_o20\" target=\"_blank\">Panasonic 20mm f: 1.7<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"45mm Review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.photographyblog.com\/reviews\/olympus_m_zuiko_digital_45mm_f_18_review\/\" target=\"_blank\">Olympus 45mm f: 1.8 <\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0These lenses are compact, sharp, and give me great results. \u00a0Most of the time, when I go out, I&#8217;ve got one or the other of these lenses on my camera. \u00a0The Panasonic 20mm is a truly tiny &#8220;pancake&#8221; lens that takes great pictures. \u00a0I pretty much always take it with me even when I&#8217;m planning on using other lenses because it&#8217;s so small that I can tuck it away into a very small space. \u00a0I&#8217;ve found that when I&#8217;m packing my kit, there&#8217;s always room for the 20mm. \u00a0 \u00a0The 20mm length is a great &#8220;standard&#8221; length, equivalent to a 40mm lens on full frame. \u00a0I really like this length, as I&#8217;ve always thought that the &#8220;standard&#8221; 50mm lens on a full frame was just a tad long. \u00a0The decently fast 1.7 f-stop allows for pretty good low-light performance, especially when coupled with the excellent image stabilzation of the Olympus OMD. \u00a0 \u00a0If I could only own a single lens for my entire micro 4\/3 system, the Panasonic 20mm would be my choice.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_250\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-250\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/horsecamp.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-250\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/horsecamp-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/horsecamp-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/horsecamp-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/horsecamp-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panasonic 20mm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even though the 20mm is probably the most useful, the Olympus 45mm is probably my favorite lens that I own. \u00a0For some reason, it seems that my favorite photos are often taken with this lens. \u00a0That may be because this lens is truly tack sharp. \u00a0Detail and sharpness are truly excellent, especially in such a compact little package.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_245\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-245\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp45.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-245\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp45-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp45-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp45-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/sharp45-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-245\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 45mm is a super sharp lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although I generally associate wide angle lenses with landscape photography, the effective length of 90mm of this lens has proven to be good for landscape shots, particularly when I want to tie together objects in the foreground with dramatic scenery in the background. \u00a0The 45mm has become one of my &#8220;must bring&#8221; lenses whenever I&#8217;m deciding what to pack.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-246\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20-300x222.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20-300x222.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20-1024x760.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20-403x300.jpg 403w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Teton-10-of-20.jpg 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">45mm as a landscape lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Multi-Purpose &#8220;kit&#8221; zooms<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Olympus makes two multi-purpose kit zooms for their micro 4\/3 system cameras. \u00a0The entry level option is the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a title=\"14-42 review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dpreview.com\/lensreviews\/olympus_14-42_3p5-5p6_o20\" target=\"_blank\">14-42mm f: 3.5-5.6<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0zoom. \u00a0The higher end option is the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"12-50 review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lenstip.com\/334.1-Lens_review-Olympus_M.Zuiko_Digital_12-50_mm_f_3.5-6.3_ED_EZ.html\" target=\"_blank\">12-50mm f: 3.5-6.3<\/a><\/span><\/strong> zoom. \u00a0 The 14-42 is a decent lens and is pretty inexpensive. \u00a0Although kit lenses are generally looked upon with disdain, this lens is actually not a bad option for a single lens kit. \u00a0It&#8217;s reasonably sharp, compact, and takes pretty good pictures. \u00a0In spite of the fact that I have so many other (more expensive) lenses for my system, I still find myself using this lens when I just want to mount one lens on the camera and not have to worry about switching lenses. \u00a0For me, it makes a good &#8220;tourist&#8221; lens for times when I just want photography to be as simple as possible.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_252\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-252\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-252\" title=\"London\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tower-1-of-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-252\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">14-42 makes a good &#8220;tourist&#8221; lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Olympus 12-50mm has received generally luke-warm or negative reviews, but I haven&#8217;t found it to be all that bad. \u00a0My biggest complaint about this lens is its size. \u00a0Its pretty big and\u00a0unwieldy, especially compared with the 14-42 which covers very close to the same zoom range. \u00a0In terms of performance, the 12-50 is\u00a0not as sharp as some of the other options, but it&#8217;s generally been adequate for my needs. \u00a0A couple of the things I really like about this lens (besides the very broad zoom range) is the fact that the lens is weather sealed. \u00a0This makes it a good combination with the weather sealed OMD body for shooting in foul conditions. \u00a0The other thing I like about this lens is its macro capability. \u00a0For a kit lens, it has a decent macro function.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_247\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-247\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-247\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may6-4-of-6.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-247\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olympus 12-50mm in Macro Mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_253\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-253\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-253\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may4-5-of-14.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-253\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">12-50mm Lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>\u00a0Manual Focus Lenses<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are three manual focus lenses that I use regularly with my micro 4\/3 system: \u00a0The <a title=\"voightlander review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.luminous-landscape.com\/reviews\/lenses\/voigtlander_f095_25mm_micro_43_nocton.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">Voightlander 25mm f: 0.95<\/a>, the Canon FD 85mm f: 1.2L, and the Canon FD 135mm f: 2.8<\/p>\n<p>Manual focus with the Olympus OMD is not too hard. \u00a0There&#8217;s no rangefinder prism or &#8220;focus peaking&#8221; feature on the OMD, but the viewfinder is clear enough to focus pretty accurately. \u00a0Additionally, a touch of a button allows for viewfinder magnification to help in fine-tuning the focus. \u00a0 Although the magnification will go to 10x, I&#8217;ve found that 5x magnification is the best setting for me. \u00a0Some folks complain about the difficulties of using manual focus with the OMD, but I \u00a0used manual focus exclusively on my film cameras for 30 years, so I&#8217;m pretty used to it and can generally capture my subject, even when it&#8217;s in motion.<\/p>\n<p>The Voightlander 25mm f: 0.95 lens is somewhat specialized. \u00a0Although it&#8217;s a new lens, specifically designed for the micro 4\/3 format, it&#8217;s manual focus only and has no communication with the camera&#8217;s electronics. \u00a0It&#8217;s made completely of metal and glass, and is pretty big and heavy as a result. \u00a0However, it has a solid, quality feel, with a silky-smooth focusing action, and f-stop adjustments that click into place with a\u00a0satisfying\u00a0tactile feel that speaks of old-school quality. \u00a0This lens&#8217; unique feature is its incredibly wide 0.95 maximum aperture. \u00a0This allows it to be used in very low light situations, particularly when paired with the OMD&#8217;s exceptional image stabilization. \u00a0Wide open, it&#8217;s a little soft, but pleasing. \u00a0With such a wide aperture, the lens can have a shallow depth of field, even though it has a fairly short 25mm focal length. \u00a0Overall, I tend to use it mostly for portraits. \u00a0I&#8217;ve never used it for backpacking or climbing. \u00a0I suppose it would be good for evenings around the campfire and the like. \u00a0Perhaps I will take it out into the backcountry a bit more in the future, at least on trips where weight doesn&#8217;t matter as much.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_276\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-276\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-276\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4-300x239.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4-300x239.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4-1024x818.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4-375x300.jpg 375w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may12-4-of-4.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-276\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Even in the light of a single, weak light bulb, at f: 0.95, the Voightlander allows you to keep shooting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Back in my film camera days when I was shooting with the Canon F1 body, the legendary Canon FD 85mm f:1.2L was one of my favorite lenses. \u00a0It has excellent sharpness even wide open, and the wide 1.2 aperture gives it impressive low-light capability. \u00a0I was really happy when I figured out that I could mount an adapter on this lens and use it with my digital micro 4\/3 camera bodies. \u00a0On the micro 4\/3 sensor, this lens has an effective length of 170mm, so it&#8217;s a medium\/long telephoto. \u00a0It&#8217;s a bit big and heavy for a general purpose backcountry lens, but what I use it for mostly is indoor event photography. \u00a0It&#8217;s particularly useful for taking pictures at various plays and musical\u00a0performances, where I have to make use of available light and I&#8217;m sitting back a ways from the stage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_254\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-254\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-254\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director-300x273.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director-300x273.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director-1024x932.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director-329x300.jpg 329w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/SLCA-Director.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-254\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canon 85mm f: 1.2L makes a good event lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Canon 135mm is a great street photography lens for the kind of street shooting I do. I tend to keep my distance from my subjects, and the 135mm acts like a 270mm telephoto when paired with the Micro 4\/3 sensor. \u00a0This gives me plenty of reach for taking &#8220;people pictures&#8221; without getting too close. \u00a0As a bonus, this lens is pretty compact and has decent brightness (f: 2.8.) \u00a0I&#8217;ve found it to be sharp as well. \u00a0It&#8217;s also very inexpensive to buy one used. \u00a0(I&#8217;ve seen them in excellent condition selling for less than $80.) \u00a0This is my go-to telephoto lens for street photography.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-255\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-255\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/may8-6-of-8.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">135mm allows for up-close pictures from far away<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Big Zoom Lenses<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong> <a title=\"50-200 review\" href=\"http:\/\/www.photozone.de\/olympus--four-thirds-lens-tests\/454-oly502002835\" target=\"_blank\">Olympus\u00a0Digital Zuiko 50-200mm f\/2.8-3.5 ED SWD\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span>is part of the Olympus 4\/3 line developed for use with their 4\/3 format dSLR cameras. \u00a0It&#8217;s a pro-grade lens, and has weatherproof construction. \u00a0The Olympus <a title=\"adapter\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/842941-REG\/Olympus_V3230500W000_MMF_3_Four_Thirds_Adapter.html\" target=\"_blank\">MMF-3 adapter<\/a> is used to adapt the lens to the OMD body, and has weather sealing to preserve the weatherproof nature of the lens, which combined with the OMD makes a completely weatherproof system.<\/p>\n<p>The 50-200 is a large lens, and pretty much dwarfs the diminutive OMD body. \u00a0However, considering the relatively large maximum aperture and the effective maximum focal length of 400mm on a micro 4\/3 sensor, it&#8217;s not outrageously huge. \u00a0(Although when the lens zooms out in use, it gets a lot bigger than when &#8220;at rest.&#8221;) \u00a0For wildlife and bird photography, sports, or any time when you need to &#8220;reach out and touch someone,&#8221; this lens is a good super-telephoto option. \u00a0 However, I have one serious complaint about this lens. \u00a0Autofocus sucks. \u00a0I don&#8217;t know how it functions on an SLR body, but on my OMD EM-5, the autofocus is close to useless, even in decent light. \u00a0It takes forever to get a lock, and hunts back and forth for a long time. \u00a0It often can&#8217;t get a lock at all. \u00a0 Because of this, I typically just use manual focus. \u00a0 I&#8217;ve found that my success rate when focusing manually is many times higher than my success rate when relying on the lens&#8217; autofocus mechanism.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_286\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-286\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-286\" title=\"Ibis\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis-1024x756.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis-1024x756.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis-300x221.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis-406x300.jpg 406w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ibis.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-286\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olympus 50-200mm lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_388\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-388\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-388\" title=\"Canon and Olympus\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/80200L-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-388\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canon FD 80-200mm f:4L and Olympus 50-200 f:2.8-3.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The\u00a0<a title=\"Canon FD Pages\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/fdzooms\/80200.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Canon FD 80-200 f:4L<\/a>\u00a0is a legacy, manual focus zoom lens that is part of Canon&#8217;s well respected &#8220;L&#8221; range. \u00a0It has excellent optical qualities, and is wonderfully sharp across \u00a0its focal range. \u00a0It is substantially lighter and less bulky than the Olympus 50-200mm, and therefore is a lot easier to pack and carry. \u00a0I take this lens along when I need a longer telephoto zoom, but I need to carry other lenses too, so the bulk and weight of the Olympus 50-200 is prohibitive. \u00a0The Olympus has a larger aperture than the Canon, but the constant f:4 aperture is fine for most daylight situations, and the lens is sharp even wide open. \u00a0One negative when using this lens (or any legacy zoom lens) with the OMD is that the image stabilization doesn&#8217;t work well and needs to be turned off. \u00a0This is because the image stabilization needs to factor in focal length of the lens in order to work correctly. However, with a legacy zoom, the camera body can&#8217;t communicate with the lens to ascertain the focal length, and (because it changes as you zoom in and out) you can&#8217;t manually set the focal length as you can with a fixed focal length lens. \u00a0I haven&#8217;t found this to be much of an issue, and I tend to get good results without image stabilization.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_387\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-387\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-387\" title=\"rhino\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino.jpg 1600w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/rhino-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-387\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taken with Canon 80-200mm f:4L<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For times when 200mm just isn&#8217;t enough, I&#8217;ve got the (monstrously big and heavy) <a title=\"Canon FD\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/fdzooms\/85300.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Canon FD 85-300mm f: 4.5<\/a> lens. \u00a0On the OMD, this lens has an effective length of 600mm, making it just about as long as I think I will ever need. \u00a0It&#8217;s so long, big, and heavy, that I seldom use it. \u00a0It&#8217;s probably my least utilized lens, but when you really need a super long lens, it definitely gets the job done.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_259\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-259\" style=\"width: 632px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Mauditclose.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-259\" title=\"Mauditclose\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Mauditclose.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"632\" height=\"949\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Mauditclose.jpg 632w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Mauditclose-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-259\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I hauled the 85-300 lens to the top of the Tour Ronde to get this photo of the Kuffner Ridge on neighboring Mont Maudit (Canon F1, 35mm Kodachrome) \u00a0I think this was the last time I ever took this 4+ pound lens climbing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Accessories:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, the little things can make a big difference in how easy it is to use a camera. \u00a0One of these little things is the lens cap. \u00a0I don&#8217;t like using the standard lens caps because I tend to drop and\/or lose them. \u00a0Particularly when wearing gloves, I hate having to figure out a safe place to put the lens cap when I&#8217;m shooting. \u00a0 So, I tend to replace my stock lens caps with caps that have keepers on them. \u00a0I attach the keeper cord to the camera by means of a double sided clip, and I&#8217;m good. \u00a0With the keeper attached, I can just take the lens cap off, and let it dangle, not having to worry about dropping or losing it. \u00a0The best aftermarket lens caps I&#8217;ve found are from<a title=\"Fotodiox cap\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fotodiox-Inner-pinch-Cover-Keeper\/dp\/B002KETE24\" target=\"_blank\"> Fotodiox<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_268\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-268\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/keeper.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-268\" title=\"keeper\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/keeper-300x261.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/keeper-300x261.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/keeper-344x300.jpg 344w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/keeper.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-268\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fotodiox lens keeper and keychain clip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The best lens cases I&#8217;ve found have been relatively inexpensive neoprene cases. \u00a0They don&#8217;t add much bulk, but they protect the lens from banging around. \u00a0There are tons of them on eBay. \u00a0Here&#8217;s a picture of the ones I like the best:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_269\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-269\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lenscase.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-269\" title=\"lenscase\" src=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lenscase-300x156.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lenscase-300x156.jpg 300w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lenscase-500x261.jpg 500w, http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/lenscase.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simple neoprene lens cases<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Olympus OMD EM-5 Camera \u00a0 (15.3 ounces) I\u2019ve been using an Olympus PEN E-P2 camera for several years now.\u00a0 It\u2019s a micro 4\/3 system camera that accepts interchangeable lenses.\u00a0 The sensor is half the size of a full frame sensor, so the \u201ccrop factor\u201d provides the field of view equivalent to that of a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4,76,10],"tags":[98,94,105,97,102,99,96,135,134,106,104,136,95,88,103,137,110,91,101,90,92,93,109,86,107,108,100],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":289,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240\/revisions\/289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}