What two lens to buy?

[greybeard]

Don't you just love it when you write "I just bought a camera brand X" and everybody writes NO NO you should have bought camera Y or Z??? Actually, the selection of e mount lenses for the A6000 is pretty good. Some of the Sony kit zooms are so so but, Sony and Zeiss prime lenses are 1st class. I've ordered a Sony a6000 too and I'm probably going to get a Sony 35mm f/1.8 to go with it. The test reports on it are quite good. After that who knows. I have a bunch of Nikon and Minolta lenses I'm going to adapt and play around with.

 

[DaveEP]

Don't you just love it when you write "I just bought a camera brand X" and everybody writes NO NO you should have bought camera Y or Z???

It's true, but we have so many options nowadays we're spoiled for choice.

Sony is still fairly new to this market, so many lenses are still on the road map - but they will come.

Olympus and Panasonic have been building their lens collections for a while and micro-four-thirds is in a really good place right now.

If you want small, light and high quality you can't go wrong with:

• Olympus 12mm f2.0
• Olympus 17mm f1.8
• Olympus 45mm f1.8

All are fantastic lenses while remaining small. The 12mm starts to get on the pricey side, but it's worth it.

If you have more cash to splash then the Panasonic / Leica range are excellent, being the 15mm f1.7, 25 f1.4 & 42.5 f1.2.

You may also want to consider one zoom that is awesome but still light weight which is the Panasonic 12-35 f2.8. This is a cracking lens and for back packing would mean you're likely to only need to take the one lens with you.

 

[PropilotBW]

Now couldn't be a better time to buy an M. Zuiko M4/3 lens. Olympus is having an awesome Christmas sale, ending Dec 27.

I am primed to be buying the E-M10 very soon. The deal Olympus is running right now is $699 with 14-42 and 40-150 kits.

I just wonder if they're putting it on sale to reveal an E-M10 upgrade in a couple months??

 

[DaveEP]

The coming upgrade is reported to be an EM5-II with up to 40MP using pixel/sensor shift technology.

 

[greybeard]

I'd strongly consider buying a mirrorless camera from a company that can make some decent lenses. Fuji and Olympus IMMEDIATELY spring to mind. Buying a small-format camera that has so-so lenses doesn't make much sense.

uh, he already bought the camera

 

[greybeard]

Hi, I'm looking for some opinions as to what I should buy. Mind you, I only have a finite amount of money, so of the 3 lenses, I plan on only buying two.

I am purchasing a Sony a6000, which I will be taking with me on backpacking trips, as well as weekend trips across Korea/Japan. I am going to switch to full-time prime lenses, and would like some suggestions on which two I should buy between the 16/20mm, 35mm, and sony 50mm/Sigma 60mm.

I hear the 16/20mm are very soft at the edges, and comes out very...magenta-ish. 35 I hear great things, and same with the 50mm. I also read that the sigma 60mm is a good alternative to the 50mm.

I will be doing 3-4 week lightweight backpacking trips, from landscapes to portraits to orangutans. I like to do a wide variety of things.

I would love some thoughts as to which 2 I should buy.

I got one for Christmas and the 16-50 is OK for now. Wide angle looks like the Ziess 12mm f2.8 or the Sony 10-18mm f/4 would be the way to go. In the 30'ish range, looks like the Sony 35mm f/1.8 is the best choice. And the Sigma 60mm f2.8 for portraits. Sony NEX Lens Tests

 

[byegad]

As an EM10 owner I think you made a great choice. Take a long look at the Sigma ART lenses, I have all three, and they are excellent lenses sharp and with fast autofocus, they are relatively cheap and all f2.8. If I were to have only two I'd go for the 19mm and 60mm.

 

[buggz]

I have a sony a7r with over a dozen lenses... people who say there isnt enough lenses for sony are ... confused at best
for landscapes I use a zeiss 16-35mm f4. it has 5 elements and is the most crazy wide zoom I have seen. you will never use a 2.8 for landscapes. portraits I prefer a nikkor 105mm f2.5. otherwise I use legacy primes, such as carl zeiss jena, helios, samyang, tokina or nikkor.
the mirrorless system is able to use adapters for other lenses... try it out.

but seriously, people who say there isnt enough lenses for sony are ... confused at best

 

[Ron Evers]

I see this is/was a very old thread & the Oly 12/2 recommended by a few. However it is expensive & no better optically than the Samyang 12/2 manual focus lens @ far less money. Here are samples from the Samyang.

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