Bill,
I would, without a doubt, pick the 150 F2 over the 7-14mm. The 7-14mm is an
incredible lens, but the 11-22 or the 9-18 make for more "usable" wide-angle
lenses. The 150 F2, from my brief testing, was so much into another league
as to be laughable.
I'll post a couple of pictures from the Iowa Zuikofest first chance I get.
Anybody who says that crop-format doesn't Bokeh is sadly mistaken.
And the Bokeh isn't just at F2. The beauty extends to stopped-down settings
too. The Bokeh has the most perfect feathering with nary a bubble or
doughnut ring. The "plane of focus" is extremely sharp and just blends
uniformely into creamy smooth bokeh both in front of and behind the plane of
focus.
The 50-200 is a nice lens and everything. It is actually quite decent in
the Bokeh department. But the 150 F2 is the stuff of legends. It has a
"look" which is the cross between Leica lenses and the Zuiko 350 F2.8.
Expensive? Sure. But you can see why. Oh, BTW, it's not a small lens.
It's essentially the size of a 300 F2.8 from the film days. It's a monster
lens, weighty, but not heavy. Personally, I'd get it over the 50-200.
Olympus has done quite well with their premium lenses. Unfortunately, the
premium lenses are the must unsung heros of the optical world. The 14-35 F2
is another lens in that category. If you are looking for the "Leica Look"
without buying Leica, the 14-35 F2 is your lens. The 14-35 F2, even stopped
down, has bokeh characteristics that betray the small format. Those lens
designers did the impossible. The "high grade" lenses are excellent, the
"premium" lenses are the Leica lenses that Leica would have made.
Yes, if I was in your shoes, I'd seriously consider streamlining the kit and
getting only the best. Get another E-3 or E-30 (for temporary use until the
new pro body comes out), the 11-22, the 14-35 and the 150 F2. Get the
50-200 if you need it, but you just might decide that it's completely
unnecessary.
Whatever you do, DO NOT check out the M9. That is one dark alley you don't
even want to flirt with going down. :)
AG
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|