Today, I sold one of my prized lens to a happy camper, who has taken it down south to the offshore platform where he is presumably producing razor sharp portraits of whoever works there.
That lens is the amazing Olympus M.Zuiko 75/1.8. And the simple, yet surprising, reason is it has been sitting in my cabinet for a good 2 months without even a single use. It is the red line in the chart below.
Call it laziness, or an emergence of a personal style, the only 3 lenses that were used at all in September were the two f2.8 zooms (Olympus 12-40mm and Panasonic 35-100mm) and X100S. Of the neglected ones, the 75/1.8 is one I never imagined parting with. Up until very recently, it was considered the sharpest lens in the micro four thirds system, and one of the sharpest on any systems, with little optical flaws. I enjoyed using it, but I struggled as many others. The reality is that it only comes out for a head shot, a concert/play, or when I felt smug and go out with a triple primes kit of 17/45/75.
Together with the fact that the 35-100/2.8 can easily stand in for it and just be a tad less sharp, but still stellar, and the conclusion dawns that I better find the 75/1.8 a new home.
The Panasonic duo 7-14 and 100-300 enjoys their monopoly of the extra-wide and long-tele ranges, so they are safe for now. The Olympus 17 and 45 are feeling slightly unsecured, but I can’t bear parting with more than one at a time so they will stay for now.
Here are 7 pictures I took with the Olympus 75/1.8. May it enjoys the new life.