Finally also the new Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 pancake is in Stock at Amazon (Click here). A little bit weird that it has taken so long to have it in Stock in US stores. By comparison, the Panasonic 100-300mm lens is in Stock since a few weeks.
P.S.: DCfever tested the Panasonic 14mm lens.
14 Responses
i see a few ones at Ebay, where i am following an EP2 auction, hopin to get it as a 2nd body…2 hours left. If i loose, i will go for a “direct buy” 14mm 2.5
….prices range from 300 to 50 euros.
l mean 300 to 350 euros
Well done to think of soemitnhg like that
Honestly, this lens is not worth its price. I haven’t found a single review that is favorable of that lens. It’s only sharp in its center, considering that this is a wide angle lens who would want that?
http://www.dcfever.com/articles/news/2010/12/101220_14mm_28m.jpg
it does perform good enough for me, and most importantly, it does this in an amazing compact way. i admit its not cheap, but its not really overpriced, and there is no alternative at this moment anyway. I just bought one, it will make my EP1 compact at last.
Just looked at your pic Ulli. I was thinking of getting this lens but Tobias’s comment put me off. Now I’ve seen your pic it would be certainly good enough for me. A superb pic full of atmoshere.
its not my photo 🙂 just a link from the mentioned test.
Ulli’s profile pic is nice though. 🙂
“it does perform good enough for me”
Which means the kit lens is good enough for you too.
Unfortunately this lens is overpriced for what it offers: (1) a mere half-stop more exposure compared to the 14-45mm kit lens, (2) same image quality as the kit lens, (3) 140g (5 ounces) lighter. It really is no better in image quality than the kit lens, a half stop is effectively meaningless, and 5 ounces doesn’t make it that much smaller unless you have a GF1 and a big jacket pocket.
It offers too little for too much money unfortunately. It’s a prime and they couldn’t even make the image quality better than their kit lenses? Not worth the money.
It’s actually one stop faster than the kit lens. And lighter or not it’s far smaller than the kit lens, which if you have the GF1 or 2 with big pockets or not it’s a far smaller package, even if the image quality is similar — which in the samples I’ve seen doesn’t bear out; they look a good deal better than the kit lens. In any case, if it’s not worth if for you based on all those things then so be it, but I suspect for many many people is not the case.
Mat did already answer for me,just want to add that i don’t like zoomlenses. I just needed a 14mm. I don’t see why some people keep complaining about the optics, is it because the MTF graphic or any photos of brickwalls aren’t satisfactory? Maybe you could keep in mind that with such short flange distances, wide angles do expose more falloff to the edges because of the extreme angle the light hits the sensors at those areas.
Yeah, you’re paying for the size and the fact that it weighs 50 grams. And considering that, I think the photos look great.
i work for Pro Photo Supply here in Portland, OR USA and we’ve had them in stock for about a week now:
http://www.prophotosupply.com/
also i personally own the lens and after trying it extensively i can report that it is VERY sharp all the way to the edges even fully open at 2.5:
http://cl.ly/3E1Y3S3k141r360R1s09
… ordered 14mm f2.5 today
the big selling point: I can have my E-P1 + 14mm in my jacket pocket and a 20mm f1.7 in the other.
What is the famous quote (?): “the best camera in the world, is the one you have with you”
(the one stop (at 14mm) and two-or-more stops (at 20mm) slower kit zoom is also a little too big for pocketability)