Image courtesy: ePhotozine.
ePhotozine had the pleasure to “play” a bit with the Leica 15mm f/1.7 and Panasonic 35-100mm lenses. But still no image samples or price info yet 🙁
Meantime Hardwarezone tested the superb Nocticron 42,5mm f/1.2 lens:
At an eye-wateringly US$1,599, the Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH is really either a specialist lens for the professional or a nice addition to the library for the well-heeled. No matter what, it’s a decidedly great lens; well-made, with excellent optics and the brightest lens in the Micro Four Thirds stable with auto-focus. This is one lens that’s going to be a classic.
The Nocticron is in Stock at Adorama (Click here) and at BHphoto (Click here).
40 Responses
Panasonic…. I’m waiting for Leica DG 17.5mm/F1.0 and 25mm/F1.0 (or at least F1.2). Pleaseeee be hurry.
i should sell my 20/1.7 + 12/2 and buy this lens if this lens is a keeper. what do you think?
Aren’t those keepers? I don’t see much point having an aperture ring on this…
GM1 is a small camera. For me, I found that it’s quite difficult to change the setting, such as aperture or shutter speed. Having aperture ring on the lens is a good thing for people who like to use A mode or manual mode.
aperture ring is a good thing. Because GM1 is lack of control (like GF serie) and the aperture ring is welcome.
Of course, yes 20/1.7 and 12/2 are keepers. But before, i got many lens. I sold some and now, i have 7.5FE, 12/2, 20/1.7 and 45/1.8. And when i think Leica are so sharp wide open especially 42.5/1.2. I hope it will be the same with this 15/1.7. If it’s very sharp then it’s perfect for landscape and perfect also to replace my 20/1.7, and then i will crop pictures. i was always looking for compactness. i have GX7, i plan to get only two lens, 15/1.7 and 45/1.8.
The GM1 is a very small camera, changing the setting is not easy. Having the aperture ring on the lens is very useful, especially for people who always use A or manual mode.
If it’s by wire, I’d personally prefer that ring to be customizable.
Shutter in S mode, aperture in A mode, etc.
This is a mock up lens. Lens size might be different on the final product, like a Leica 42.5mm/1.2. However its shouldn’t be much different since they want to build it for Lumix GM1.
For your question. It depends on your personal style. If you just want 1 lens, and you think 20mm is not wide enough, whereas 12mm is too wide for you. Well, you can consider this 15mm lens (actually you have to think about the perspective differences too) .
See, we’re many in the same situation. i think 15/1.7 can replace our 12/2 and 20/1.7 and then avoid us to switch lens and use more ours foots.
I was traveling with a 12mm T1.6 and 25mm f0.95 and it was driving me nuts… the 12mm was too wide mostly and the 25mm a bit too tight.
For my next trip, I picked up a 17.5mm and it was the perfect balance. The 12mm was still very handy in tight spaces with too little light for my 7-14mm.
The 15mm looks like a good way to replace a 14mm and 20mm with one lens!
You got my point.
-Got 14/2.5 and 20/1.7, love compactness but wanted more IQ.
-Replaced 20/1.7 by 25/1.4. It’s a good lens but regret this lens was bulky and less sharper than 20/1.7 at f/1.7, f/1.8 and f/2. I was a little disappointed.
-Sold 14/2.5 because it was too soft and bought the wonderful 12/2.
-Sold 25/1.4 and got back 20/1.7.
i wanted to streamline my lens.
Now, i will waiting for 15/1.7 reviews. If it will be a keeper, then i will sell 12/2 a,d 20/1.7 and get the 15/1.7 and to keep 45/1.8, i will be done.
I can see 14 being quite close to 15 and I also expect the IQ of the 15 to be a bit better, even though I can’t complain about the 14 IQ. Then there is the 1.7 vs 2.5 advantage, but I would still hesitate to sell the 14, just because sometimes the small size is a reason to take it out. Ah, well, let’s just wait for the reviews, it may be the price tag that can help to convince me I don’t need this 15. But I definitely see no reason to sell the 12 nor the 20.
I have had very good results with the pana 14mm, the panaleica 25 mm is sharp at every setting, the 20mm is so convenient on small bodies and yes, it could be a bit faster but still does the job. I keep all of the lenses including the oly12mm, 45mm, 60mm. might get the oly 25mm too….
..but it is too close to your 17.5mm. Hee hee
I have 25mm, 17mm, 14mm, 12mm & 7-14mm…I am betting that the new 15mm is going to have better IQ than the 17mm or the 14mm….but it is also going to be expensive, I bet. I may just keep my line up or…if the lens is really great I may sell the 14mm and the 17mm and give it a go…need some reviews.
I can see myself getting this and dumping my 14mm and 20mm. As much as I love the 20mm it is just to noisy and slow to focus and it is too close to my 25mm.
Make it sense to wait for the 35-100 – or better get myself the 14-140? Opinions?
If 14-140 – which of them? Panny 14-140 Power OIS vs. 14-140 Mega OIS? (I gather for GX7 it is better to have an in-lens OIS, thus Oly 14-150 is off the table.)
The newer 14-140mm is smaller, lighter, sharper, higher aperture than the old one. Don’t know about its OIS, but I wouldn’t be concerned about it. Great lens for a superzoom.
35-100mm will be much less expensive, will be lighter, smaller, possibly will be sharper (because of reduced range) than either superzooms. The 45-150mm Lumix is also nice and cheap. Unless you own or plan to own a GM1, I wouldn’t care about the new 35-100mm. 45-150mm is already small enough for the GX7, cheap and good IQ.
I would definitely go with the updated version of the lens. It is smaller, has a slightly faster aperture, and is not that much more expensive than a used version 1. I don’t think there is a point in buying the older one now. I do have an excellent copy of the first version and it is my one and only zoom and it is a very versatile lens. I don’t use mine enough to justify upgrading it though.
What’s the filter size of this tiny 35-100? Now I’m curious… 🙂
maybe 46mm like 15/1.7 because it was designed for GM1.
I’d rather have a new 20mm 1.7 that isn’t the Volkswagon Beetle of focusing.
Hey…I use to own a turbocharged”New” Beetle…that car was FAST,…unlike the focusing of the 20mm. I sold mine after I picked up the Oly17mm, f/1.8…that lens makes more sense if you own a 25mm, (which I do). The 17mm focuses waaay fast and gives more range compared to a 25mm. The 20mm for me didn’t fit my lens needs…It wasn’t normal perspective and was not really wide? It is small, sharp and has a fast f/stop so it is still a popular lens…why after being re-released it still focuses dog slow is perplexing?
Dont really see the point on 15mm when there is small 14mm. Ok it is faster but not that much.
I agree with you. The Leica will be a LOT more expensive as well, and longer than the 14mm pancake. The 14 is an excellent little lens.
When I’m weighing something like this up, I often use a DOF calculator, and a typical use scenario. Comparing these two lenses taking for example an image of a plate of chicken kebab, wide open: at a focus distance of 30 cm, the 14mm@ F2.5 will have a DOF of 3.32cm, vs the 15mm@1.7 will have a DOF of 1.92 cm. In other words, one cube of chicken will be in focus with the 15mm, two with the 14mm! I guess that’s meaningful to some…
The Panny 14mm is an excellent little lens…for snapshots or web use. For more serious work, I’ll be getting the Leica 15mm
this is what I call DoF measurements. Mine is longer than yours 😀
Seriously, to those this lens appeals to, I believe DoF is the least of the worries.
It’s 1 stop faster. The difference is like f/1.4 vs f/2. To some, this increase in speed is important and it’s still reasonably small (though not a pancake anymore).
I am looking forward to this lens and the Schneider Kreuznach 14mm f2 (which seems to be vaporware at this point). I find 24mm-equivalent (Olympus 12mm f2) can be too wide for on-location studio work, especially if you get up close and the distortion makes noses look big. 35mm-equivalent can be a little too tight for some situations (Oly 17mm f1.8). Both Olympus cameras use a ton of distortion correction, which works quite well but also compromises resolution and sharpness.
The Schneider mockup looks like it is of a rectilinear design and has a large objective lens, which should theoretically optically correct for distortion. The Leica 15mm 1.7 looks a lot like the Oly 17mm 1.8, so I am not expecting much in the way of distortion suppression.
Both lenses should be superior to any MFT lens in the 12-20mm range in terms of color rendering, which is why I am looking forward to the release of both lenses (though I am not especially hopeful for the Schneider).
Anyone think that 35-100 is an f4 lens? It looks very small, would be amazing if they can still keep the f2.8 (maybe f3.5)
AFAIK, it’s intended as a partner for the 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 so I’d expect it to be a very similar speed.
Ahhh, I hadnt read that… Not sure the advantage over the 45-150 panasonic or the 40-150 Olympus beyond a little size (which while bigger also has more range)
Yes, I believe a little size is primarily the advantage they’re going for. From what I understand the GM1 is so small around the mount that most lenses with bodies that would regularly be considered compact are still large enough to prevent that camera from resting flat on its base. The kit 12-32mm, 15mm Leica, and 35-100mm previewed here all [will] have bodies of sufficiently compact diameter that they won’t have that problem.
Definately some reasoning there. I stuck my 17mm on the GM1 the other day at the camera store and felt it was a pretty good fit (no hood though). But boy is that camera small!!
It will may be f/3.5 at 35mm and f/5.6 at 100mm like 12-32 f/3.5-5.6 and it’s the sharper standard zoom. Very amazing. I think and trust Panasonic will doing same thing for 35-100.
Although i don’t care about the so called “pro” m43 bodies, i will have to restrain my self a lot not to by the 15mm + GM1 combo. As a huge 28mm lover, i can’t wait to see the first sample !
Any chance we’ll ever see the automatic/manual focus clutch mechanism on a lens with a dedicated aperture ring? I’m also dreaming of weather-sealed metal-bodied construction. Just add firmware to give a live view split-focusing area in the EVF…
Would be awesome if the 35-100 was constant f4.0. There’s a reason Panasonic isn’t talking about aperture. I hope it’s not because they are deciding between 3.5 – 5.6 and 4.0 -5.6.
I really do not think about f/4 constant.
The whole point of the 35-100 is to be compact. Constant f/4.0 is impossible at that size.
Must be a error, a weird one (great if is true), but the Panasonic Rep says that the small 35-100 will be 2.8? no constant aperture and of course extendable, i think!
Go straight to the 8 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XCPXjUVHzg