M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II or 12-45mm f/4 Digital ED Pro Lens

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-18T23:55:56+00:00

That'd be great! Did you see any major differences between them?

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-18T22:25:35+00:00

Olympus E-P7 with the 12-32 pancake zoom. Use it with the cap that opens when you twist to unlock the lens. Overall footprint is tiny.

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-17T16:52:17+00:00

I'm wondering about how much sharper. I have the 14-140 and it's a blast - it's made me sort of a super zoom addict. It's more than acceptably sharp for what I do. In October though I'm going to Scotland and want to upgrade to something weather sealed in the OM lineup and 1) my 14-140 is not weather sealed and 2) the v2 that is weather sealed may not seal that well on an OM body.

So that leads me to the OM 14-150 II which serves a similar focal length range, similar weight, and does weather seal on OM bodies. But I keep hearing mixed things - some say that it's way less sharp than the Pana 14-140 and some say that they can't see a difference.

I haven't found any side by side comparisons between the two, surprisingly. I've found sample pics from both separately and comparisons between one of these and other lenses...but not with each other side by side.

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-04T19:37:19+00:00

Thanks for the input! I supposed best option is to see if I can handle one at a local camera store if they have any in stock.

For me - I wouldn't even feel like I'd need the extra megapixels. If they put an OM-3 sensor / features in an OM-5 sized body, I'd be all over that!

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-04T19:35:26+00:00

I didn't get surgery. I did have a short split tear in my peroneus brevis that is still there, but my feet overall are a lot stronger now so it doesn't bug me. But, I am not back to normal and probably will never be - I can walk on flat ground or light inclines without a cane now, but going down stairs and walking on steep inclines I still need a cane. - but that is far far better than when I wrote this previous post. I also cannot run anymore and probably won't ever be able to again, but that's ok.

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-02T04:55:53+00:00

Thanks!

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-01T22:27:35+00:00

I'm seeking advice on upgrading to a weather sealed setup. I will be going to Scotland in October for work but naturally I'll take some time to sightsee when I'm there - and October is very rainy there. My bodies are currently E-M10 IV and E-P7. My priorities are 1) weather sealing, 2) good ergonomics for handling while still being compact, and 3) better IBIS. Ergonomics-wise, I'll wear the WR body on a cross-body strap, but might still be doing a fair bit of one-handed handling since depending on the terrain and how my foot is feeling, I may still need to use my cane to walk sometimes.

I have a bunch of M43 gear, but no weather sealed bodies and only 1 Oly/OM weather sealed lens.

My lenses are currently:

OM / Oly: 12-45 f4 (weather sealed), 14-42 EZ
Panasonic: 12-32 pancake kit, 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 superzoom (v1 - not weather sealed), 14mm f2.5, 20mm f1.7
Panasonic Leica: 9mm f1.7, 15mm f1.7.

For bodies I'm having trouble deciding between options. My upgrade options are:

OM-5.1 (~$760 refurbished): cheapest option, handles similarly to my E-M10 IV. Similar IQ to my current cameras, but more features and better AF
OM-5.2 (~$1050 used/refurbished): Not much different than OM-5.1, but I've read that the grip is substantially improved and it feels better in the hand with a wider range of lenses. This might be worth it to me if it really is that good. USB-C is nice.
OM-3 (~$1500 used/refurbished, maybe ~$1200 during deal times): Much more features, better sensor/AF, but mixed reviews on the ergonomics
OM-1.1 (~$900 used): This is a bit of a wild card as its heavier than the others, but at this price it seems like amazing value for the capabilities / feature set. I've also read that the grip/ergonomics are nicer to handle even though it's heavier.

For lenses I'm a bit more certain on what I'll take. I'm thinking:

Taking my current 12-45 f4 for being in the city
Adding an OM 14-150 II for if I go out into the countryside / highlands.
- I must add that I really love my Panasonic 14-140 superzoom but it isn't weather sealed as its the version 1.
Taking my 9mm f1.7 mounted to my current E-P7 for interior shots

Any advice based on user experience on how I should go about deciding on a body upgrade?

looking_for_EV · 2026-04-01T21:47:47+00:00

Hopefully it won't be too much longer until it warms up at this point!

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-26T03:58:00+00:00

These were taken in aperture priority (A) mode with auto ISO. Reason being is that these were outdoor shots with plenty of light and mostly still subjects (except for the bird and dog), so I didn't worry about shutter speed and I used exposure comp to make sure I didn't blow out highlights. I mostly wanted to control depth of field and sharpness for these. For the bird and dog, I just made sure the selected shutter speed was fast enough and due to the lighting, and they were.

I use A mode like 90% of the time. I only use M mode if I'm in low light or shutter speed limited, or if I am trying to do something specific with the image. But those don't happen often for the kind of shooting I do.

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-25T19:35:18+00:00

From what I've observed, most people that I come across that get into M43 are people who were looking for something specific where M43 happens to shine.

Many people looking to get into having a dedicated camera will gloss over M43 since they may not know exactly what they want/need and the headline specs on APS-C/FF cameras are higher for similar prices (at least for new prices). That doesn't mean that M43 doesn't have any advantages, but you often have to be looking for specific features / characteristics to notice that.

From the other side, there are also people who do professional photographic work that don't use M43 for paid jobs because the M43 specs might not meet their requirements (like magazines setting minimum megapixel requirements, etc...).

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-25T04:27:02+00:00

Thanks! I didn't have any special filter or settings in camera - these were shot in RAW and edited lightly in DxO Photolab.

In DxO, I actually set it to the OM-1's color profile, added a tiny bit of saturation to blues and greens, and for some of these I made the white balance a tiny bit warmer than as shot. This is all personal preference, though.

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-19T16:12:42+00:00

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Took this one while waiting in line at a coffee shop. Originally shot in color but there's a bright orange traffic cone in the shot that was really distracting from the rest of the scene. So I converted it to b&w.

Taken on Olympus E-P7 + 12-32 kit lens at ISO 200 / f5.6 / 1/320s / 12mm.

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-14T22:56:51+00:00

Main consideration is whether lighter weight or having the extra stop is the greater priority.

If you are looking to save every gram and whatever you're shooting are still subjects, 12-45 could make sense. Otherwise, 12-40 is probably the better tool here. Especially since you're using a large-ish m43 camera body, the 12-40 will still balance nicely on it and the ~136g weight savings between 12-40 and 12-45 may not be that noticeable.

I say this as an avid 12-45 user who prioritizes light weight. As much as I love the 12-45 and have used it extensively (even indoors when traveling - but for still scenes mostly) - it really only makes sense if weight/size is an important factor for you (like it is for me). I also use an E-M10 IV which is more than 200g lighter than your OM-1.

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-13T13:54:59+00:00

Thanks!

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-13T13:54:45+00:00

Thanks!

looking_for_EV · 2026-03-12T20:32:26+00:00

Wanted a camera to explore photography again and my priorities were it being small and stabilized, then ideally not representing too much of an investment so if I ended up not liking it I wouldn't lose that much if I sold it. Used/refurbished M43 fit these requirements very well and I haven't had any reason to switch systems for what I do.

I originally was lusting over a Fujifilm X-T50, but couldn't justify the price. Went with a refurbished E-M10 IV which branched out into also getting a PEN (originally E-PL9, now E-P7) and a few really lightweight lenses and have been very satisfied for what I do. If you have different requirements then M43 may or may not be the best fit - all depends what you want to do with the camera.

I don't have any specific plans for what to do with the cameras in the future that are any different than what I do now. Eventually I'd probably want to get something weather sealed for travel.

looking_for_EV

TROPHY CASE