Pro lens

Are Pro lenses better?

Olympus 12-40mm 2.8F Pro

 I shoot with Pro grade lenses, a question I am often asked is are they better?
Pro lenses are built for heavy use and usualy weather sealed, and I shoot nearly everyday under all kind of weather situations. I leave my 12-40mm f2.8 pro lens on my Olympus OM-D  E-M1 all the time, I also have the consumer grade 40-150mm f4-5.6 in my camera bag for when I need extra reach.

My 40-150 lens is plastic and feels cheap compare to my metal built 12-40 lens, of course one cost me $1040 and the other $199.   Pro grade lenses are sharper, yes, faster and offer much better auto focus in low light situations. For general outdoor daytime use consumer level lens can do the job at a fraction of the cost of a pro grade lens.

Bellow are two photos shot at 40mm with the same camera, in ideal situations the difference is minimal.

12-40 f2.8 Pro

 

 

 

 A cropped view of the above image shot with a 12-40 f2.8 pro lens at 40mm, iso 200, f14, 1/125 sec.

40-150mm f4-5.6

 The second shot is a cropped version done with the 40-150mm R lens at 40mm that cost $199. In this case the difference is minimal because of the size of the photo. At just 190 grams and under 4 inches high, I carry this lens with me in my camera bag at all times. A great little lens for the price.  When purchasing lens, always buy the latest version, even if it cost a bit more.  The newer versions are always improved over the later versions and worth the small extra cost.