Recommended starter OM lens?

[Ian]

What would everyone here recommend as a starter lens for use on a digital Pen? The 50mm f/1.8 does look like an obvious one, of course - ideal for low dof portraits. Is the 1.4 worth the extra? Are there any other recommendations - which lenses should one avoid?

Ian

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Recommended starter OM lens?

I no longer have a 50mm f/1.8 that I can do a comparison with, however the 50mm f/1.4 produces very good results. In low light situations when auto focus can be a problem the OM 50mm f/1.4 can really work well and you can very quickly get used to manual focusing and get excellent results.

The one I use most is the 24mm f/2.8 It produces excellent results and has a great "retro" feel that works well as a "standard" lens.

While not an OM lens, I visit the RSPB Rainham Marshes (very local) and the Sigma 600mm f/8 really pulls in some great shots. I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has an Olympus 500mm f/8 Mirror and how good the images are with that.

If you are going to get a "starter" OM lens, a lot will depend on which end of the focal length that you mostly work. The effective doubling of the lens makes longer lenses more attractive as they are much cheaper than the wide angle OMs.

[Ian]