The well known german website photozone tested the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 Four Thirds Lens
is a legend here) which means that it is exceedingly sharp at large apertures but it doesn’t really get much better when stopping down. In fact the lens broke the old resolution record of our previous 4/3 tests and that’s by QUITE a margin … at f/2!”
Read the review: http://www.photozone.de/olympus–four-thirds-lens-tests/509-leica25f14
Check out the lens on Amazon.
Message to Panasonic: Make a MicroFourThirds version of that lens and I bet that many of our readers will buy it!
13 Responses
this is the “must have lense” if your using four thirds or micro four thirds with adaptor, I can shoot all day with it and when I’m not using it stays safely tucked under my pillow 🙂
Pity that it’s not pure M4/3.
if panasonic re-made an m4/3 native version of this lens, not only could it be smaller, it could be faster, like f1.2. Either way, 1.4 or 1.2, I would buy it. I would love it ^-^
Interesting. These MTF results are broadly consistent with the results obtained by the folks at Optyczne.pl, but important details are different — especially the aperture-mtf relationship at the edges (the Poles see improvement to f/8, while the Germans do not).
http://www.lenstip.com/173.4-Lens_review-Leica_D_Summilux_25_mm_f_1.4_Image_resolution.html
It’s also highly informative to see the comparison of this lens to the Zuiko 50/2 macro, the Zuiko 25.2 pancake, and the classic Leica Summicron-M 50/2.
http://www.lenstip.com/205.4-Lens_review-Leica_Summicron-M_50_mm_f_2.0_Image_resolution.html
(And no, I don’t work for any of the interested parties!)
Actually, Pana-made Leica lenses are of ultra-high quality, while the performance-to-price is also very competitive compared with Leica’s own lenses and other brands, just like its Lumix DG Macro lens.
I don’t personally see the need for this lens in M43 format. The Lumix 20mm f/1.7 has got almost as good speed, and much better size and weight. Some would say that the Lumix 20 even has better image quality.
And why get a 25mm lens when you have a 20mm? Just crop the centre to get a ~9Mpixel corresponding image. That should be enough for most.
Had they introduced a 45mm f/1.7 lens in M43 format, then we’re talking!
To second M43Photo’s thoughts, I would be more interested in either a fast wide or short telephoto prime. Getting the former on the market is a priority, as there are no options in either m43 or 43 worlds for fast wide primes. Due to the 2x crop factor legacy lenses won’t work either.
The most desirable 43 import for me is Zuiko Gigital 14-35 f2.0 standard zoom or Panaleica 14-50 2.8-3.5 redesigned with constant (2.8) aperture. With the upcoming release of AF100 m43 system needs fast sharp standard zoom, in addition to critical primes.
I also agree with M43Photo that with the small 20mm f/1.7 this lens is not really needed (at least at that size and price). What I do hope is that Olympus makes the 50mm macro based on the f/2.0 Four Thirds one, only smaller.
Serge, a 12mm f/2.5 pancake is on the way, for wide angle. I don’t understand the use of zooms in m43 cameras. Why would you use a zoom? They are big and slow (and if they are fast, then they’re VERY big). Once you attach a zoom to a mirrorless camera, the body size doesn’t matter anymore (a DSLR would serve you better). And with slow zooms you lose the ability to shoot in low light and to control the depth of field, so for images in daylight and large depth of field, you might as well use a compact camera (smaller, cheaper) and the quality won’t be very different in those conditions for normal print sizes.
m43 + fast primes = joy
m43 + slow zooms = no joy (buy a compact better)
m43 + fast zooms = no joy (buy a DSLR better)
Why don’t manufacturers realize that mirrorless and zooms are NOT a marriage made in heaven?
Zonkie, the upcoming wide angle is actually a 14mm one https://rumors.limboint.dev/wp-content/uploads-legacy/43rumors/2010/03/Bild-6.png. I own a 7-14 zoom and tend to use it more at the wide end. It is an outstanding lens, but in certain situations I have a need for faster apertures. Also, a bulging front element prevents the use of screw-in filters. For landscape photography polarizing and ND filters are a frequently used. Based on these factors I am of opinion that a sharp fast 8 or 9 mm prime accepting filters will have a good market reception.
Now, as far as why would anyone use zoom lens with m43 the answer is the same as to why would anyone use zoom lens in general: convenience and versatility. “Compact” bodies dominate m43 sales currently, but introduction of AF100 shows that Panasonic is committed to expanding into the high-end market as well. They will need high end lenses to complement the high end body.
In addition, time and again, Panasonic and Olympus showed that lens designed specifically for m43 format can be made significantly smaller and lighter than equivalent APS format lens due to smaller sensor size and even 43 due shorter flange distance. So, using your analogy, some of us who have gotten “married” to m43 format are not looking for ‘made in heaven” but for “made to be practical”. 😉
I don’t deny the usefulness of zooms, but the whole concept of the mirrorless (and specially the m43) system is to reduce size and make the camera more portable (as compared to DSLRs). If you attach a zoom to it, it’s not too significantly different from using an E-620, for example, with a 4/3s zoom. And even if a m43s version of the 14-35 f2.0 could be smaller, it would still be too big to make it easily portable (and way too big for a PEN camera).
So yes, that zoom is a lovely one, probably the best wide zoom one can get. But it doesn’t match a m43 camera. Better would be to buy a DSLR and use it having better ergonomics and faster autofocus.
Of course, once manufactures had a good lineup of fast primes (4-5 would be more than enough), they could start making zooms too for the people who already have that system and sometimes want to use a zoom. But staring by making zooms won’t win new users, since they won’t see the real advantage vs. a DSRL.
Just my opinion of course. I guess they know what they’re doing if they’re making zooms from the start.
I’m guessing that Panasonic will announce at least one new lens alongside with the GH2, which I believe is due in the autumn. They need a fast, HD video optimized standard zoom lens. Something like 14-50mm f/2.8 HD OIS. It will probably cost around the same as the 14-140mm lens, and be a somewhat smaller.
(All this is just pure guesswork.)
For a serious video camera, you simply need a good zoom lens. The 14-140mm HD lens is a good superzoom, but it is not really fast enough.
Zonkie, as you noted, ultimately it’s about choice. I can buy one body (GH1) with 20 f1.7 or 9 f2.8 for situations where portability is key. When convenience and versality is key (and portability becomes a secondary consideration), I can put on my performance zoom and snap away. The benefits for me is that I don’t have to buy another bulky DSLR body and learn how it works just to get access to high performance lens. I already bought into a GH1 and got some m43 glass. Now I would much rather spend my cash on better glass, which holds value better anyway, than another DSLR body + APS performance glass.
@Zonkie: Because they are hard at work trying to attract people upgrading from compacts, many of which have zoom lenses and are marketed on their zoom range. Also, m43 is competing for an upgrade market currently comprised of superzoom bridge cameras and low-end DSLRs, which also have zooms. Someone looking for an upgrade is most likely going to go for a zoom lens since that’s what they are accustomed to, and might see a fixed focal length as a disadvantage.