When I write posts for this website my aim is to give value to my readers in some way. It might be a shared resource that gives inspiration, a tip that I have found useful or ideas in my posts that might hopefully be motivational to someone who reads them.
My approach in trying to give value is to write purely from my own experience, which is that of someone who is passionate about photography as a hobby but who does not make a living from photography. As such, while I want to make the best images I can make, I don’t have an unlimited budget or a justification for buying expensive photography gear, and I think many of those interested in these posts may be in a similar position. I try to only buy something new when I find that there’s a gap in my equipment set-up, or for convenience, such as travelling with one lens rather than two.
It is the latter scenario that got me thinking about trading my Olympus 14-42mm pancake lens and my 40-150mm telephoto in exchange for an Olympus 14-150mm or even a 12-200mm. I reckoned I could have the same focal distance without having to change lenses, which is a big plus when travelling. I priced the two lenses and the prices ranged from €600 to €1000 new, although they can be purchased used for slightly less money.
During my time of indecision I came across this video from photographer Luke Taylor. After watching the video I realised that I had not fully discovered the potential of my 40-150mm lens so I decided to take it out for a day of monochrome landscape photography.
Does the 40-150mm f4-5.6 live up to the review it gets from Luke Taylor?
Have a look at the images below and decide for yourself.
A Day of Monochrome Photography With the ‘Plastic Fantastic’
My Conclusion
After my photography outing I again asked myself,
Will I be trading the 40-150mm along with my 14-42mm for one lens to cover the same focal length?
The answer is no.
While this landscape did not provide many subjects for good landscape photography, overall I am pleased with the way the 40-150mm lens performed. It is lightweight and the picture quality is sufficient for my needs.
My 14-42mm and 40-150mm cover the focal lengths that I need and the requirement to stop occasionally to change lenses is not enough to tempt me to spend €500+ for a heavier lens that may provide convenience only, not better picture quality or a better photography experience.
I just need to spend more time with this 'plastic fantastic' to find out what it is really capable of.