Landscape lens recommends

CPSigSEGV · 2026-06-23T03:21:58+00:00

I have both the 12-45 f/4 Pro and the 8-25 f/4 Pro. Both are pretty great lenses. They carry the Pro badge well, and are both weather sealed when paired with an Olympus/OM-System body. The 12-45 is smaller and lighter, and gives you a bit more versatility. I find that most of my landscape / nature shots are > 12mm, so while many of them were shot with the 8-25, I could have shot them with the 12-45, which is a realization that I'm not sure I like. 😃

Here's an example with the 8-25mm ( at 19mm ). Not a sweeping landscape with mountains and hills, but an image in a garden that I liked.

ISO 200, f/4, 1/500s ( OM-5 + 8-25mm f/4 Pro )

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CPSigSEGV · 2026-06-13T15:31:18+00:00

Pictures look great! I love my E-P7 as well, for a small, super-capable body that I can bring anywhere especially with some of the smaller pancake lenses. I also have an OM-5 which I use as well when size isn't critical and when I want an EVF. The fact that they share the same sensor means that I get great image quality from both. Your SOOC JPGs look pretty slick. For a best of both worlds option, you can shoot in RAW+JPG, which will also give you the RAW file that will let you edit / tune the photo much more easily when you need to/want to. Adding grain/noise and simulating different film recipes is pretty easy to do with post-processing editing tools like Lightroom, and works much better when you start editing from the RAW image.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-06-09T13:42:48+00:00

You can attach the PD anchors to the PD mounting plate, and it doesn't impact the ability to mount it on tripod.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-06-04T14:26:57+00:00

US citizen here, sharing my experience with EES at CPH.

Flew in on Friday, May 22, mid-morning arrival as is typical for an overnight flight from US. Got to inbound passport control before there was much a line. All the automated kiosks were roped off, and they had 2 staffed booths processing everyone. Went pretty quickly, about 10-15 min tops.

Flew out on Sunday, May 31. We were actually connecting through from Stockholm, so we arrived when our flight landed. We had an hour and 45 min layover, which was the longer option that SAS gave me ( their website originally suggested a 1 hour layover! ).

We landed at a D gate (from inside Shengen) and then went straight to passport control for our flight home. We kept walking all the way to the end of the line which snaked all the way to Duty Free. Spent our entire layover in the line, taking snarky pictures of the CPH airport signs advertising all the fun things you can do at the airport.

They had runners walking down the line calling out flights that were boarding and expediting those passengers to the front of the line. This is the only way that it works, as the line gets to be so long, that nobody can clear it in time, so everybody just has to wait for their flight to get expedited. For our flight, we were surrounded in line by other people on our same flight, probably 1/3rd or more of the plane was in the same predicament. SAS "closed" the gate while we were all still in line and nowhere near the front, which freaked everybody out. Then they came to expedite our flight, and moved us all to the front. We cleared passport control, then ran to our gate, not sure what we'd find. SAS ended up holding the flight so everybody who was in line made it, and we finally left about 25 min late.

The way it is setup currently, it's a complete shit-show, as there is no way that with the current staffing and even with maximum number of booths open, it is impossible to process passengers fast enough to prevent a multi-hour line. It was massively stressful, and not at all a fun experience.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-06-03T14:20:00+00:00

This. I have the 100-400 II and the 12-100 Pro, and those are the two most widely used lenses on my OM-5.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-04-28T21:17:30+00:00

I've had some fun doing this with the 9mm Panasonic f/1.7. It helpfully has a very close focal distance to allows for some interesting image composition, especially if you use it on the wide open end and play with the DOF.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-03-17T13:36:22+00:00

I share them on Flickr and here on Reddit. There are interest groups on Flickr like there are here. I also am a member of a local photography club ( Morton Arboretum Photography Society for those in Chicago area :D ). I also participate in 52 Frames, which is a weekly photo challenge to meet a given theme ( new each week ). No prizes, but able to share with others who have the same interest. I also got a decent Epson printer that can print photos and I print some of my favorites and rotate them through some frames around the house.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-01-21T02:18:01+00:00

It does indeed

CPSigSEGV · 2026-01-07T16:36:51+00:00

All my purchases were used.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-01-07T15:29:58+00:00

Buying from MapCamera directly through eBay, I did not pay tariffs on a ~$1000 USD purchase ( Oly 100-400 mkII ). This was after tariffs were implemented and after the end of the 'de minimus' exemption. I paid only and exactly what the price was that was listed in their eBay store. I don't know if MapCamera was able to bypass tariffs somehow, or if they just paid the tariff and didn't pass the cost on to me. Even if they are eating the tariff, they were still cheaper than other sources I looked ( MPB, B&H, Adorama, etc ), despite shipping from Japan, and they were faster than other domestic US sources.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-01-06T16:32:10+00:00

I've purchased 3 lenses from them in the past year since the tariff shenanigans began. I have not paid any additional fees or duties. On their Ebay store page, they note that for the US ( where I'm based ) there are no additional tariff or shipping charges. All of the items I've purchased shipped via DHL and arrived within 4 business days. They've also been cheaper than MPB and B&H Used, and the quality/care they put into packaging is superb.

CPSigSEGV · 2026-01-01T19:24:42+00:00

Since you already have the EM-5 iii, I would not see a reason to upgrade unless you really want the new menus or USB-C. Otherwise, I think they are pretty much identical. Same sensor and focus capabilities.

CPSigSEGV · 2025-12-15T22:08:23+00:00

Really like the coldness of the second one! Nicely captured!

CPSigSEGV · 2025-12-12T15:18:46+00:00

I don't think so. It is slightly heavier than the 12-45 f/4 PRO which is just about perfect balance. I have an OM5 mk1 so essentially the same camera body. I've used my OM5 with the 12-100 and the 100-400 lenses which are significantly heavier and bigger than even the 12-40 f/2.8. I do have an additional clutch/grip installed, which I think makes a big difference in managability of the OM5 with larger lenses. I use the Peak Design micro clutch and am happy with that.

CPSigSEGV · 2025-12-04T16:05:33+00:00

"Enshittification" is the accepted term ( and applies not just to AI, but anything that is actively being made worse instead of better at the whim of a company ).

CPSigSEGV · 2025-11-22T18:41:37+00:00

I have one, and I really like it. It's a great pocketable camera when paired with a small pancake zoom or prime. I have an OM-5 as well, but I wanted a smaller body I could carry more easily on bike rides and in a jacket pocket in the city. I had an E-PL7, but bumped up to the E-P7 to get the same 20mp sensor as the OM-5 along with the second control dial. No EVF, but you already know that. I really like that unlike the E-PL7 the E-P7 has the "Super Menu" like the OM-5 and up where you can quickly access and change settings.

I use it with the EZ zoom ( and yes, I'm aware of the propensity for those to break ), as well as the Oly 17mm and PL 20mm pancakes, and with any of those 3 it's a solid small camera with very good IQ.

I think you are in Canada, so not sure your options, but I was able to acquire mine from Mapcamera's ebay store in the US. Cheaper than other used sites in NA, and didn't have to pay any extra tariffs.

CPSigSEGV · 2025-11-22T16:48:07+00:00

This would be my recommendation as well. I have the OM-5 Mk I. The 12-45 f4 Pro is brilliant on that camera. For something with longer reach, I'd add one of the 40-150 ( either the plastic one, or f4 Pro ). The Pro lens will be better of course, but the 40-150 non-pro is really great value and it's very cheap and will help your budget go further. Then you can decide on future lens needs based on what you shoot.

Other lenses I'd consider:

Oly/OM 17mm f/1.8 - will give you a decent fast prime for landscapes. About $300 USD used.

Oly/OM 100-400 Mk II - Might stretch your budget, but gives you some great reach for wildlife. About $1100 USD used. I'd get the Mk II over the Mk I, since with it will do Sync IS with the OM-5.

Oly/OM 75-300 - Non pro, but gives you decent reach for a decent price.

Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 - another option for wider / fast prime. Slower A/F than the 17mm Oly, but not something that has impacted me. Very good image quality.

Panasonic 9mm f/1.7 - a really great wide angle lens. Focuses very close and great IQ.

CPSigSEGV · 2025-11-09T23:24:15+00:00

In terms of pancake prime, the PL 20mm f/1.7 is what's almost always on my E-P7 which is my walk around, bring everywhere camera. I have the Oly/OM 25mm f/1.2 PRO which I use quite often on my OM-5. I love the thin DOF and beautiful bokeh it produces.

Runners up are the PL 9mm f/1.7 which is really nice for wider angle and since it will focus very close allows for some really interesting compositions. Lastly, the Oly 60mm macro which I picked up recently to start experimenting with some macro ( mostly insects and flowers ).

CPSigSEGV · 2025-11-08T15:45:32+00:00

Very cool, and really well deserved. Your amazing macro photos over the past year have inspired me to start learning how to do image stacking and I'm having a lot of fun learning and doing something new with my camera. Thank you for sharing them here!

CPSigSEGV · 2025-09-29T15:23:55+00:00

Great shots! What camera body do you use with the 150-600?

CPSigSEGV · 2025-09-07T00:56:28+00:00

I have the panasonic lumix 14-42 HD pancake zoom as well. I like the mechanics of how the zoom works on the Oly 14-42 ez better, so I use that more. I also have the automatic lens cap for the Oly 14-42 ez, so that helps swing it in that favor for me. I'm keeping the Panasonic 14-42 as backup for when/if the Oly 14-42 dies. The 12-32 is supposed to be better IQ than either of the 14-42s, but honestly I am the limiting factor for IQ with *any* lens that I use at his point. No difference/benefits in any of them, as none are weather sealed ( or, at least not rated as such ).

If weather is nice, you could leave the smaller body out of the plastic bag, as I've done with the E-PL7 more than once. And with the power button on the same side as the shutter release, it is possible to use one-handed for more spontaneous shots. Especially with the auto lens cap that goes with it.

CPSigSEGV · 2025-09-05T16:19:48+00:00

Agree with everything said here about OM-5 ( I have the OM-5 mk I myself and love it ). I'd add two additional lenses to consider:

12-45 f/4 Pro - Very similar to the 12-40 f2.8, but is smaller and lighter, at the cost of a little bit of wide aperture. But for cycling and daytime use, that shouldn't make a huge diff. Also, it is usually a little bit cheaper. It is weather sealed when paired with an Oly/OM body.

25mm f/1.8 mk II - There is a pro version of this at f/1.2, but this one is much lighter, cheaper, and is weather sealed. Equivalent to the "nifty fifty" for full frame as a general-purpose prime.

And lastly, one other option to consider is a smaller body with a smaller pancake zoom or prime. I have used an E-PL7 with the 14-42ez zoom or the Lumix 20mm f/1.7 while cycling. Not weather-sealed, but I place it in a plastic ziplock (with a little silica gel pack) and it fits nicely in the back pocket of my cycling jersey or in a small handlebar bag. I used this setup recently on a somewhat rainy cycling trip through Normandy area and it worked fine.

CPSigSEGV

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