This is a subject isn't it - old v new? I've used Canon SLR & DSLR kit for years both as an amateur and professionally, it was only when I got totally fed up toting the whole heavy mess around in rucksacks with me that I decided it was time for a re think. I went to compacts for a while and have to say, I love them, but I've still got a Canon DSLR I use for motor sport, for which it's untouchable but for every day stuff and travels I found compacts a bit limiting, so went out & bought an Oly E-PL5. Of course going to a different system means more "investment" which doesn't come easily on a retirement pension.
The kit lens for the PL5 is ok as far as kit lenses go - better than the 18-55 thing I got with the Canon that's for sure - but as we all know, prime lenses rule. The cost of the Oly 75 & 45, both of which I considered buying, was well above what I was willng to pay for camera gear - so legacy lenses it was. The first was a Pentax 50mm f1.7 M SMC, listed on e.bay under a wrong heading (I look for stuff like that on e.bay and it sometimes pays off) was picked up for the princely sum of £15 and when it arrived here turned out to be immaculate, looks like new! I highly recommend this lens. A few test shots have shown it to be sharp as you like with excellent colour rendition straight OOC - in RAW. Second one was bought this very morning, a Carl Zeiss 135mm f3.5 Sonnar with 42mm mount - £40 complete with an EOS adaptor so I can use it with the Canon as well (I've got plans for that one). I'm now looking for a 28mm and a 35mm primes to complete the "stable". (there may be a 75mm at some point as well
) Total cost of this lot will eventually run to about £150 at most - not bad stacked against £1000 for two native Oly lenses - hey, I can manual focus, it's no big deal!
Manual focusing is something I never had a problem with back in the film days so it's not a problem now, and if it saves the thick end of £850 then I'm happy to do it. The two lenses I have bought so far have been well researched and offer great performance. The native Oly lenses may well be slightly better in sharpness etc but £1000 worth? I don't think so, especially when we have Photoshop at our disposal. Old kit still has lots to offer at affordable prices so Olympus, Sony and Pansonic etc would do well remember that before setting their product retail pricing.