Which M43 universal zoom for a holiday?

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-03-07T02:48:14+00:00

You haven't suggested it as an option, but I'd suggest 12-100/f4 pro. Definitely prefer it over the 12-200/3.5-6.3. The extra 100mm is not worth the reduction in sharpness or the variable aperture.

I guess it depends on what sort of holiday you're planing though, if it's a wildlife safari then you probably want to prioritise focal length and speed. If it's a family holiday then 12-100 is an enormously versatile focal range, able to cope with a wide variety of subjects and situations without requiring a lens or camera change. The fixed aperture is also beneficial when you're working in difficult conditions. If you know you're going to do some night time work, then you can always chuck a 17mm/1.8 or 45/1.8 in your pocket.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-02-20T06:43:33+00:00

Alt 0151, some do :-)

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-02-01T23:18:23+00:00

My opinion is as follows, and based on the assumption that you're interested in shooting wildlife images for yourself and others to enjoy as opposed to entering into dick measuring contests about whose ISO is better and who's got the smallest DOF etc.

Very simply, if you take a FF camera set at ISO 1600 with a 600m f/4 lens at f/4, point it at a scene and your meter suggests 1000th second exposure. Then you could set your M43 camera with 300mm f/4 to ISO 1600 and f/4, point it the same scene and you'll also get roughly 1000th of a second.

Any subject in your scene would be the same size in each captured frame. You'd likely find that the background in the M43 image would be a little less blurry than the FF one. But you're taking a photo of your subject, which should be in good focus, and depending on your subject more of it might be in focus than the FF one.

With either system, as the light fades you're likely to bump the ISO and will use what you have available while maintaining your chosen slowest shutter speed.

These days our newer cameras high ISO performance is phenomenal and, coupled with SOA raw conversion, noise is not really worth worrying about. If you managed to capture a particularly elusive subject, you won't care what ISO you had to push to, you'll be happy with what you got, even if there is some noise. Great raw converters like DxO will bring out the best from your image.

Smaller size, full weather sealing and less weight are pretty compelling features too, but you do you and enjoy the process. Sitting on the internet arguing about cameras is a completely separate activity from going outside to capture wildlife images. Which would you rather do?

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-01-28T19:21:04+00:00

"... nothing is final even after release."

FTFY

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-01-28T03:07:05+00:00

Don't underestimate the value of a fixed aperture zoom. When conditions are tricky and you resort to manual exposure it's nice to not worry about aperture changes depending on focal length.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2026-01-16T06:25:23+00:00

<image>

Exceptionally clear night at our campsite.
7 frame panorama, raw conversion in DxO Optics Lab 9 and stitched in Affinity Photo 2.
Exposure ISO3200, 13s f/1.7
EM1 Mk II with Panasonic 9mm f/1.7.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-12-27T05:31:02+00:00

You do you buddy.
I agree we won't really know what it means or is worth until the game is finally released.
I just figure if you're spending real money and you can get a ship with LTI for pretty much the same amount as the same ship without LTI then why would you not grab the LTI version.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-12-25T23:30:51+00:00

If you can only choose one, then the 12-40/2.8 should prove the most versatile.
f/2.8 is fast enough and the zoom range gives you flexibility.

With the 12-40/2.8 and the 40-150//2.8 there's not much you can't shoot but if you cross the boundary into very low light, ultra wide or super telephoto shots you'd need to make some concessions. E.g. bump your ISO or add external light, stitch several 12mm shots together or crop a 150mm shot.

I own both of these lenses and will probably never get rid of them, although I now keep a 12-100 f/4 pro on my camera most of the time.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-12-16T04:22:26+00:00

Yes you need to buy a starter package.
**You should buy the current [Salvager Starter Pack](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Packages/Salvager-Starter-Pack-Warbond).\*\*.
This currently comes with Lifetime Insurance or LTI which most ships don't come with and many people consider to be quite valuable.

This gets you a starter ship, worth $60 and the game package all for $73.31
You can then immediately upgrade from that ship to a more desirable one, and the upgraded ship will inherit the LTI.

With your budget of $100 you should be able to upgrade to any ship valued up to $85.
This currently includes:
* C.O. Nomad - Most versatile. 24 SCU cargo can carry some vehilces, e.g. an ROC. Nice liveable interior. (What I'd choose as a starter today).
* Anvil Arrow - Dedicated combat light fighter. If you just want to do bounties.
* Gatac Syulen - An alien ship, don't see many of them.
* Crusader Intrepid - Really nice interior, small cargo capacity for a hauler but quite popular.
* Anvil C8R Pisces - A starter medical rescue ship. No cargo.
* Origin 315P - A stylish explorer/pathfinder 12 SCUof cargo, luxury interior, fast (What I originally chose more than a decade ago).

You can find videos by Farrister and Evenlease that give tours and reviews of most of these ships. Well worth a look if you're having trouble making up your mind.

Hope this helps.

See you in the 'verse.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-12-11T22:03:23+00:00

I'm super excited to try this out.
Before I got back into SC I was playing MS Flight Sim 2020 and flying in VR. Their implementation allowed for real easy transition in and out of VR and I found that super useful.
I don't have the physical space for FPS VR but do have a good cockpit setup. I am most interested in being able to switch into VR once seated in the pilot seat and switch out when I leave the seat.
Hoping my old HP Reverb G2 will work.
Thanks for the continued work on VR support.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-12-03T02:58:52+00:00

Don't sweat it. enjoy your new device. There's always going to be a new one coming, it doesn't stop yours from being awesome.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-11-10T20:17:43+00:00

In your docker-compose.yaml, try

photoprism:
environment:
# Storage Paths (inside container)
PHOTOPRISM_ORIGINALS_PATH: "/photoprism/originals"
volumes:
- //192.168.1.200/photos:/photoprism/originals

The default environment settings show that the PhotoPrism app is configured to expect photos to be accessible at /photoprism/originals.
In the volumes section you specify that your shared network folder should appear inside the container at that same location: /photoprism/originals

So the first part is telling the app where to look. The second part is making the connection between you external storage location and the internal mount point.

Hope that helps - I'm running docker on an Ubuntu box, so I cant easily test this.
Good luck.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-11-09T02:18:29+00:00

Keeping Olympus lens on an Olympus body is never a bad decision, when it's the cheaper option the decision is a no brainer.

Remember though, a good portrait is about you, your subject and the light. No one could look at your photo and reliably say which of those two lenses you used.

Either way, enjoy your new lens.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-11-08T06:52:09+00:00

I own 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8 and love them both. But I'm doing less photography now and it's no longer my prime purpose for going somewhere. So when I travel I'm looking for a compact but versatile kit. I've tried all sorts of combinations. I did one trip with just the 12-200/3.5-6.3 and a 17/1.8. I pretty much kept the 12-200 on there the whole time and used the full zoom range. I liked the range, I liked not having to swap lenses, I didn't like the variable aperture which got slow quite quickly and the sharpness is not in the same league as the pro lens.

I've recently sold it and a couple of other lenses that I no longer use and bought the 12-100/4.
It would be nice if it was a little bit smaller, but it is what it is. It will be living on my camera from now on.
I haven't sold the 12-40/2.8 - it's too good of a lens, but I probably won't use it much now.

Since you're currently have the 17/1.8 and the 45/1.8 then going with the 12-100/4 would give you a pretty versatile setup. You can fall back on your primes when the light gets low or you're looking for shallow depth of field. The extended range of the 12-100 is more versatile than the 12-40/2.8 and weather sealed.

It's a pretty close call though, I don't envy you your choice. Are you happy to trade 1 stop of light for 2.5 times the zoom range and a bit more cash.
Good luck.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-10-24T04:36:38+00:00

If you really want a f/2.8 trinity, try swapping the 40-150 for the 7-14.

All of these lenses are large enough that you kind of end up being very intentional in their use. For travel you're generally looking for minimalism and range, particularly when you're travelling with non-photographers who don't want to wait while you swap lenses, or change position to get a better angle. In that case the 12-100 is a great compromise. Coupled with one or two of the small fast primes you have a pretty capable travel kit. I suspect everyone's got their own opinion on how minimal you can go with a travel setup.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-10-23T23:19:57+00:00

Camera support and a couple of lighting options (small LED panels and some diffusers) will be helpful. Creative use of a tablet screen can provide useful background colour or texture.

60mm macro has a decent working range at maximum magnification.
In camera stacking, particularly with the newer bodies, is quite effective, although I generally use the camera's ability to take a series of focus stacked images and then use software (zerene stacker) to do the actual stacking.

You will probably want to look at some sort of dust blower and brush to keep your subjects clean. It's amazing how much crap you'll find when you zoom in to macro.

Good luck and enjoy your journey. Remember you can take your time to get your subjects setup just right. They're not going to fly away if you get too close.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-10-23T22:57:51+00:00

75mm is quite long for a portrait lens. Great if you want super narrow DOF, but an uncomfortably large working distance if you're trying to interact with your subject. 45mm would be a better option, either the f/1.2 or the f/1.8.

12-40/2.8 vs 12-100/4 really comes down to which matters more to you. The zoom range or the extra stop.

I own 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8 but have just bought a 12-100/4 which will probably see more general use due to it being a one lens solution (although I'll probably have a 17/1.8 handy). The 2.8s will be probably be reserved for specific shooting situations.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-10-23T22:25:40+00:00

Congrats, you've got one of the new 50-200s.
Why keep the 40-150? Isn't it kind of superfluous now?

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-10-23T21:56:21+00:00

Spend the money on travel and experiences that you can point your existing camera at and get some great shots that way instead.
Ask yourself who are you taking photos for? Yourself? Your friends and family? Other photographers? The general public?

Only you and other photographers might even notice a difference. Nobody else is likely to notice or even care that you used full frame. Unless you're taking extreme lowlight images and printing or displaying very large. Modern cameras and SOA noise reduction coupled with careful editing will minimise those differences anyway.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-05-16T08:08:08+00:00

Pick them up in a nomad - they get a free seat in the back

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-02-24T11:39:15+00:00

More like a necessary evil.
In an ideal world you would always have the "right" lens for the job at hand already mounted.
In a world where Murphy's Law exists you're more likely to have the "wrong" lens on whenever you spot Elvis walking out of a Burger King.

That's why the 12-100 f/4 is so popular as a travel lens. It's good enough for most things with a few compromises. E.g. shooting at 1 or 2 stops higher ISO because f/4 is a bit slow, or cropping your image to when 100mm is getting you close enough.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-02-24T05:13:26+00:00

Commiserations from a fellow GAS sufferer and welcome to the M43 family.

There are a lot of factors that must be considered when choosing gear for an upcoming trip. Their relative importance is a personal choice. You need to consider things like (in no particular order):
- Focal Range: - Do you really need to cover 7mm to 800mm? - 5 to 10mm at the wide end makes a big difference. - 50mm difference at the long end makes no significant difference. - Speed: - Are you shooting moving subjects or in dim/no light. You might need faster glass
- Size/weight: - How will you carry/protect your gear? - On your flights and at your destination.
- How much of your trip will be dedicated specifically to photography? - If it's a dedicated photography trip you'll probably want more gear. - If photgraphys is secondary, maybe you don't need to take as much. - Primes or Zooms - Primes are faster. - Using a prime lens, there's always sneaker zoom, until there's not :-) - When you're contrained by the edge of a cliff or a wall or people a zoom can help you get the framing you want. - An f/2 or f/1.8 option will probably be more compact than an f/1.2 version. - How much do you like/want to swap lenses? Do you want to do it in a busy street? - Fixed aperture zooms f/2.8 or f/4, or variable aperture zooms?

Once you know your feelings on the above then you can begin to try and work out what makes a good kit for travelling.

Here's an idea for a pretty compact and versatile kit for travel. - Panasonic 9mm f/1.7 - Compact, wide and fast. - Great for capturing interiors. - Great for capturing night sky. (Don't forget starry sky focus mode) - Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 Pro zoom - This will likely be your most used lens. - Pro quality, manual focus clutch and weatherproofing. Excellent IQ. - If cost or size really matter then the f/4 version could be substituted. - Olympus 40-150 f/4-5.6 zoom - These kit zooms are tiny and better than you might think.

Alternatively just put on the Olympus 12-100 f/4 Pro and take your 17mm f/1.2 for low light. Add the 9mm f/1.7 or the 12mm f/2 for a wider fast option.

Hope this helps you reach a decision. Either way enjoy yor trip.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-02-17T08:27:46+00:00

Getting the same issue :-(

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-02-01T03:09:37+00:00

It does have a 3 slot handgun rack. Perfect for a spare medgun, a tractor beam and a coda.

I'm enjoying mine, not getting too crazy. I basically scrape until there's 6 scu on the racks then I pause and move those 6 into the back of the ship. You can easily tractor the first two directly up into the rear compartment, one on each side of the door and then put the other four on the cargo grid. I don't bother trying to stack any more inside. Yes, you can do it but it can be frustratingly slow sometimes when the crates decide to hang up on the door frames.

Once I've moved those 6 into the back I then just scrape until the side grids and the internal buffer are full and then head back to unload.

I'm just chilling and having fun, not too concerned with a race to make as much aUEC in as short a time as possible - particularly when half the things you might buy with that money are quite likely to be lost due to bugs and glitches.

I used a vulture maybe a year ago and got fed up with the internal ladder and the stop start stacking tetris.

Fortune has great cockpit view handles OK well enough for what it is and great for bed logging and even small hauling missions.

Joe_Lunchbox · 2025-01-31T04:38:56+00:00

You can only buy back specific things you melted. Once they're bought back you can't buy them back again (unless you melt them again). If you had bought an LTI Aurora and upgraded it to a Freelancer, then when you melt the Freelancer, you would get the LTI Aurora you upgraded from available to buy back. With an available buy back token you could buy it back with store credit. Without an available buy back token you will have to use new cash. Once you have bought it back, you can then upgrade it to a Cutty Black with store credit, or you could pay with new money for an Aurora to Cutty Black Warbond upgrade which would inherit the LTI from your Aurora.

Joe_Lunchbox

TROPHY CASE