Another Lens question, different though

I've been debating some over 2 lenses, the 14-54 and the 70-300.
I would love both lenses really bad, but my question is, how much sharper will the 14-54 be, being a high series lense, over my 14-42 and the 70-330? The 70-300 is a steal right now with the sale going on, but will the difference in lens grades make my images that much sharper? I shoot alot of surfing, so sharpness and detail is key in the pictures.
So my basic question, how much sharper and better is the image from the High Grade Series over the standard grade?

It is hard to say how much sharper but it is. It is noticable. The 14-54mmm also does macro and the sharpness can really be seen in that area. The 14-54mm out performs the 14-42mm quite a bit. It is weather sealed and focuses lightning fast. I think as far as Olympus glass the 14-54mm offers the best bang for the buck. As far as the 70-300mm. It takes stunning pictures too. It is in performance where it lets me down. In low light and I don't mean real low. It hunts and struggles to nail focus. The 70-300mm performes just like the 40-150mm. It just reaches longer. I think it is an excellent portrait lens.
To your basic question. Yes with each step up the lenses gets sharper. The 14-54mm is a very nice jump up from the kit lens. In sharpness and performance.
I was actually thinking of selling my 70-300mm but then for some reason the bottom fell out of the used market, it is certainly a buyers market going on right now. But I think I will just hang on to it.

i have the 14-54 and had the 14-45, unfortnately, not at the same time so i can't really compare images. i would have to go back and find images i took with the 14-45, but i'm sure as far as sharpness, the 14-54 is better, by how much, i don't know.

as far as the 70-300, i've seen some stunning photos taken with that lens. when i had my E520, i HATED that lens, i couldn't get a decent shot. however when i used it with the e620, my mouth dropped. sadly, i put it on ebay and now i want it back, even though i have the 50-200.

i think decent and even great images can be taken with the 14-42 and the 70-300 as long as they are used in the right environment. yes, the 70-300 can hunt, but so does my 50 at times, so i didn't bother trying to make it work in low light, i took it outside. when inside, i used a flash and gave it as much light as possible. no problems on the 620. if b&h gets the 70-300 back in stock, i'm going to buy it, yet again.

if $$ is no problem, i probably would be leaning toward the 14-54 and you can't go wrong with the 70-300

Hmm. It's a hard choice, as Greg said theres such a little amount of used items out there right now, i've been scavenging, I'd even be happy with a first gen 14-54. My biggest issue is trying to justify the near 500 bucks on a lens right now. Its not that I'm not happy with the 14-42, I have a few older OM-2 Lenses as well but the kit lens just doesn't deliver the sharpness and detail I really want.

lens choice is and was very difficult for me, i had to think about what images i normally shot and i narrowed it down to three lenses that would cover me, 14-54, 50, 50-200. i'd love the 7-14, but do i need it. no. i'd love to have the 70-300 back though. it's too cheap not to have it. :)

if the 14-42 is doing okay, but not giving you the sharpest results AND you don't want to spend the money, might you be able to make up the sharpness in post processing? i don't know anything about sharpening an image other than sliding a lever, but i'm sure there's more than one way to do this - i've been meaning to look into it actually - where you can sharpen your images. maybe it's just about finding the sweet spot (aperture)within that lens and working around it?

which olympus camera do you have?

i'm off to look at your images if you have any posted......

I shoot with the E-620, I beleive theres some images under my user images from both my old camera and new one. I've actually never used the in camera sharpener on the control menu. I'll give it a wing.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...o_Digital.html

a used 14-54 for $299 @ B&H? Huh? Not the Mark II.

thanks for that link. I will order that tomorrow night since their system is down till then. I was looking for that lens also but was not sure on version 1 or 2. At that price I will get the version 1.

How about trying to get a 12-60? It may cost a little more but does better than both the 14-42 and 14-54.