(19 Oct 2017, 2:54 pm)Dan wrote I personally don't think I could cope with a 12-40mm lens.

I have a 18-140 lens - provides me with a very good range of both zoomed out and zoomed in photographs.

I current have two -
A 14-42 kit lens
A 45-200 pro lens

(Both are 4/3, as my body is a Lumix G10). There aren't many lenses at a sensible price (or quality) that cover the lower ranges that I generally prefer. I feel the larger lens is extremely clunky and I never really get the opportunity to use it. I can always take it with me, but normally shots at those ranges are ones you study and plan, rather than just spontaneously snap in a fairly unique scenario. I think I could easily swap them over if I needed to for that reason.

The kit lens is inferior. It's decent (a lot of my most recent photos use it). It's as good as my mobile phones unless there's sufficient lighting.

Nightbuses: N21 & N56 by Jamie MP, on Flickr

N20 | NK62CYC / 6066 - Volvo B5LH by Jamie MP, on Flickr

NK66EWM / 5461 - Wright Streetlite by Jamie MP, on Flickr



These are all taken with my kit lens. The quality can be decent if I get conditions right, but I think I'm really pushing the ability of it. It's a very small unit and dark pictures generally aren't amazing quality. My bigger lens is great but I can't ever get myself in a suitable position. I've managed it twice, and it's been great, both situations required planning - this gave me the ability to change lenses.

NK15EMX / 5392 - Wright Streetlite by Jamie MP, on Flickr

My point (isn't to get flickr plugs... I promise), but I can't ever find a point-click situation with my larger lens, or any time I wish I had the larger lens on. Therefore, I only find it logical to save myself a boat load of cash (4/3 lenses really are anything but cheap, especially with larger range) where I can be getting an amazing quality in all situations (planned or point-click, low-light or day time). Perfection is not possible, but I see some of my point-click photos, and I know that I finally have outgrown my tools when I compare it to other people's pictures. I take night pictures because I'm never really satisfied with my daytime ones, with the decent quality point-click lens, rather than amazing. It's an expensive hobby, this, but it's one I want to pursue to a higher level on a day-by-day basis. 

TL;DR - For what I do and have, I just need to upgrade my day-to-day tool, rather than encapsulating both into one ($$$).