Ok so, welcome to the MFT club! The GX85 is a total gem, seriously. Before diving into specific lenses, basically, the reason primes matter so much for ur setup is the 2x crop factor. To get that 'creamy bokeh' u want, u really need a wide aperture like f/1.8 or lower to compensate for the smaller sensor. In my experience, here’s how the top budget contenders stack up: Panasonic LUMIX G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH. vs Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Micro Four Thirds The Panasonic is the king of value. It’s light, cheap (usually ~$150), and the AF is lightning fast. It’s basically the perfect street lens cuz u can just point and shoot without thinking. Sharpness is decent, tho it’s a bit soft wide open at the edges. Now, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Micro Four Thirds is a different beast entirely. It’s significantly sharper and that f/1.4 aperture is huge for low light... it actually lets in way more light than the f/1.7. It pushes ur budget a bit—check used prices—but for portraits, it’s lowkey much better than the Panasonic. If u really wanna save cash, the TTArtisan 25mm f/2.0 for Micro Four Thirds is dirt cheap—like $60. It’s fun for that vintage feel, but honestly, for street scenes, manual focus is a struggle on the fly if ur subjects move at all. So yeah, I’d suggest the Panasonic LUMIX G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH. as ur first prime. It’s a solid all-rounder that won't break the bank and just works. GL!

Finding a good balance between price and performance is key for MFT bokeh. Primes help cuz kit lenses are pretty slow. I’d HIGHKEY recommend the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 for portraits; it’s sharp and cheap used. Alternatively, the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 is a steal for manual fans, tho focusing fast is harder. The Oly is way more practical for daily use tbh. GL!

Sooo I basically went through this exact same dilemma a few years back when I first picked up my kit. I remember being super torn between getting the "safe" plastic AF prime that everyone recommends and trying out those fast third-party options. Honestly, back then I was obsessed with technical sharpness but over the years I've realized that character matters way more for street stuff, right? In my experience, comparing the standard plastic prime vs the heavier glass vs the fully manual metal ones taught me a lot:
- Option A (the plastic one): It was super light and snappy, but honestly, the bokeh felt kinda busy sometimes and felt a bit cheap in the hand.
- Option B (the faster third-party glass): The low light performance was literally on another level compared to the kit lens, but the technical trade-off was definitely the size. It made my setup feel really front-heavy.
- Option C (the manual ones): Kinda cool for that vintage feel and super cheap, but I missed so many street shots cuz I couldnt focus fast enough lol. Looking back at my data from all those years, the "best" choice for my specific journey ended up being the AF glass because the cameras IBIS works way better when the lens can actually talk to the body, you know? It basically makes the whole system feel like one unit instead of a frankenstein monster... anyway, i guess it really comes down to whether you value that electronic connection or just want the cheapest glass possible. Just sharing my experience, peace!