Trying to build up my lens stock for the GX1. I bought the 45-200mm on a whim but I just don't see myself shooting super telephoto with the GX1 (kinda felt odd). It's probably heading to the Buy/Sell Forums in a few days.
I have the Panasonic 20mm and the 14-42mm kit. So what next?
I find myself using the GX1 mostly for landscapes, pictures of the kids, and the general stuff. Here are a few lenses that I'm considering.
Panasonic 45mm Macro. I do dabble with macro but I can't help but think if I want to shoot macro, I'll grab my Canon 1D MKIII.
Panasonic 14-45mm. I see where it's built better than the kit and image quality is better. My hesitation is that the kit lens seems to hold its own.
Olympus 12-50mm. Don't know much about this one but worried that it would duplicate the 14-42mm too much.
Olympus 45mm. Lotsa good comments on this lens but I really wish it was a macro. It would complement the 20mm as another faster lens.
Shame there isn't a 12-60mm f2.8 (constant) lens out there. Then again, it would probably cost an arm, leg, and kidney.
Shame (part two) there isn't extension tubes for micro 4/3rds. If there were, I'd buy the Olympus 45mm and an extension tube.
For me, the two best companion lenses are the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 and the 12mm f/2. They are both really small, really fun, and really, really good optically. The 45/1.8 is one of the best lenses I've ever owned. It is pretty darn close to perfect, frankly.
The 12/2 has some quirks, but is quite sharp and that plus the GX1 are the combo that I find to be the most fun to walk around with of all cameras and lenses I've owned.
The Leica 25/1.4 is amazing, but if you have the 20/1.7, you need to be really sure you want its benefits over the smaller size of the 20. For me, the 25/1.4 is worth it over the 20/1.7, but that won't be the case for everyone.
I also own the Leica 45/2.8 macro, and it is a very good lens, and I enjoy shooting macro with my micro 4/3 kit more than I did with my Canon gear just because of the weight. It's a lot easier to hand hold a smaller camera and lens steady for a long period of time than a bigger rig. That said, with the GX1, I think you'd want the EVF for macro work, as it will simply help you keep the distance steady when handholding. (I have the EVF for the GX1, though I use my GH2 for most of my macro shooting).
