I did mention that my 12mm is the 'Limited Black' edition :) Yes, Olympus now has two colour options on all their premium lenses, silver and black, after the success (and demand) from the now sold-out Limited Black 12mm. Technically, there are no differences between the new black and my Limited Black, only the fancy little text engraved onto the lens itself. Another information about the Limited Black is that I mentioned in the video that the hood was optional and that's true for all premium lenses but my Limited Black does come with one, and a metal lens cap, a UV filter as bonus pack :)
Red35 Photography Jimmy: Great Job Again, 12mm Limited BK should the Collector choice, cos right now MIJ is no any more.... I hope can buy 1 set in Tokyo’s 2nd hand market >
Red35 Photography Old Contax GG-1/2 hoods and the Kiwi knockoffs are great and less of a hassle than the Oly OEM one with it's tightening knob, not sure if they come in black tho. There's even a slip on cap for said hoods, I kinda dig that (and the metal slip on cap that Oly makes for the hood-less lens, I've got both).
The Oly 12mm f2 and 17mm f1.8 are the unsung heroes of the Olympus lens line-up. I love their manual focus rings which Olympus now reserves just for their much-too-large and much-too-expensive Pro line. They are great pair that I love using on my Lumix cameras.
The beauty of this Len’s is the size. I have the 12-40 and 12-45 but the whole reason I added Olympus to my line up was compactness weight and handling. And Len’s quality. This one is on its way to me right now
I have both the 12mm f 2 and the 17mm f.8 really nice lenses . I don't understand why Olympus then cheaped out on the 25mm and 45 and why hasn't the 45mm got a 46mm filter thread like the other three.
If you had to choose between the 12mm or the 17mm for street photography? I am considering the Penf with one of these two lenses for my next trip to Japan traveling around via Train and skateboard.
@@samsen3965 The funny thing is it is too late because I actually moved to Japan so now I don't need it because I live here full time and I bought a Sony A7C.
I bought the 12mm 2.0 and the 17mm 1.8 now for my GX9 and the GM5. It fits perfect. The quality is outstanding. Would you get the lens hoods too? They are really expensive.
I bought a Zuiko 24mm f/2.8 for my OM1 back in 1980 (still have it and use it) and it was my favourite lens. It is a thing of beauty. Like most Zuiko lenses back then it took a 49mm filter, came with a metal hood and a leather case. All the lenses from 24 up to 50 were the same size and were all “pro” lenses. As much as I like shooting primes, I’m not made of money so probably won’t get this and will opt for the 12-40 Pro, but who knows.
Love this lens more and more. Especially using it with my Panasonic GX9 for street photography. I did just order that square lens. It definitely makes it looks sexy! :D. Thanks for this awesome review!.
Once again a triumph both information and cinematography ..... just a little sad we now have to wait a whole 7 long days before we see you again ..... I will confess i for one am missing your fun interactions with your models but specifically Charleen who you seem to always have fun with ..... big thumbs up from me.
Thanks mate for your kind words and encouragement! We are trying our best to make this channel! We certainly have lots of fun doing it and yet, both Tracey and I are working professionals and Charleen is also a model/actress who has a very busy schedule but don't worry, she will be back and many more to come! Thanks for staying tuned and we hope to bring more interesting videos for you!
Seen in the Micro Four Nerds FB group, nice vid - I think the one thing against this lens is that the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm F2 is so good, and almost half the price. Sure it's MF only, but for wide angle lenses that's not much of an issue, especially with the cameras today having aids like zoom in to check focus and coloured peaking
Thanks for the video. Yes, indeed, it's really a sexy combo with a black Pen-F. I own the 17mm and it's also a great combo, but I am so interested for the 12mm since a long time that I can't resist to get me one soon.
Just recently bought this lens from OM systems Easter sales For £289 absolutely a brilliant lens very happy with my purchase and delighted with this wonderful lens
Gorgeous lens but can't afford one at moment and I suppose a bit of a focal length that wouldn't get used as much as others. I use the Panasonic 12-32 for my wider shots which is a surprisingly good lens for its size.
Great video, and personally I think that the Olympus E-M1 Mark ii or the Olympus Pen cameras with the black Olympus 12mm F2 lens with the hood, looks much sexier than the dated looking Leica camera and lens, and it produces beautiful quality photos. Even though I have the Olympus 20-40mm F/2.8, it's nice to have this lens as a walk around lens, since it's so light.
Great review but please show us more of the stills you captured on video. The video shows you taking shots like in 2:18 but does not show the results which feels unsatisfying because it looks like you made a lot of effort to capture it.
I have the Pany 14mm f/2.5 with ~11mm adapter. It's super compact and I got it for a steal of a price. The Oly is definitely prettier, but it just didn't seem worth the price overhead.
Thanks Steve for watching mate. I think it depends on whether anyone needs faster aperture. But the good thing is that there are now tons of choices in the MFT platform and good for all us shooter :)
One of my fav m43 lenses, though mine is the plain ol' silver. :) It feels less wide to me than a 24mm on a "full frame" camera due to the more square aspect ratio. I've used it for astro a bit, stopped down to f/2.5 or so, with good results.
My second fave Olympus lenses (the other one is the 75mm F1.8). I love how 12mm F2 perform. Somehow makes the picture looks cleaner and increase sharpness. The sweet spot is on F4. About the rumour 12mm F1.2, i'm not interest since it sure gonna be a far bigger lens. This lens is good in term performance and compactness. By the way, thanks Jimmy for this review!
Cheers Reza! Yes, I all the premium lenses, 12mm, 17mm, 25mm, 45mm, and 75mm are so damn small and light, perfect for travel photography! But these are lenses for photographers who can afford the time to plan the shots. I like them but the pro lenses, even though they are bigger and heavier, are faster, both AF and aperture, suits super low light and quick reaction shots in demanding professional environment.
I find shooting with primes both really great and really frustrating. If often comes down the image you capture with the particular prime lens you have in place and maybe we can have too many prime lenses. Because my style is mainly Asian street, I now carry 2 cameras, the EM5 mk2 for my primes and the EM1 for my 40-150 2.8 Pro. I have taken fantastic images with all my lenses, but how many times am I switching my prime lenses over. Yes, for my portrait work I still need my 25 and 45, but for general street maybe I really just need the 12-40mm 2.8 Pro (and of course my Samyang 7.5mm fisheye)
Hahaha George, thanks for watching by the way. Well, I've grown to use only primes these days, one wide and one standard (have the medium tele like the 60 macro in my bag). And these pretty much do everything I need for my travel photography and documentary. I will take the 40-150 if I need more reach instead of the 60 macro. I just love the faster prime for low light photography.
If find that it has a refraction problem from f8 upwards (loss of sharpness and detail contrast; easy to compensate in raw conversion). Best used at 5.6 in my experience (perfect at this aperture).
Cheers Christian, well, I don't find refraction a problem but then again, I rarely shoot anything slower than f8 unless I want to slow the shutter down in bright day to get motion blur (for artistic purposes). Yes, I do think 5.6 and 6.3 is the sweet spot. I shoot RAW only so I never notice to much from JPG quality though.
Yeah, it is not that obvious. I'm a little bit picky when it comes to resolution, so I noticed it. No problem in "everyday use", it is a fantastic lens, and I kept it anyways (by MFT "goto primes" are 12 - 25 - 45, so this lens is always in my bag ;)). Definitely better than wide-angle zoom lenses in this range. Build quality is very pleasant - again (like Olympus bodies and especially the Pen F Digital) a good match for Leica-lovers, as you pointed out. BTW, I have the "Limited Black" edition too (it was a "kit" including the lens hood and a UV filter, bought used a while ago).
haha, I know right, us Leica fan can sometimes be very picky especially after using those god-like sharp lenses! But I do think Olympus lenses will give it a good run for the money and it's pretty pleasing and hence I use it on my shoots a lot (not that I don't use Leica but Olympus is just a tad easier for my deteriorating eyesight hhaha). Good on you and the Limited Black is definitely worth something and hang on to it! You will be lucky to even find one secondhand.
Enginering-wise, how close is the optical construction of this lens to Samyan 12mm F2 (Mechanical lens)? and is it the same lens or totally a different ball game? I ask this because I have that lens and unconditionally love it for all it does including astrophotography UW field, at best. If it is, then I need this Olympus too as it is AF.
Hey. I really did enjoy your last reviews, relating to the Olympus lineup. I got a PEN-F myself and I’m wondering whether they are gonna to bring a PEN-F Mk. 2 next year...
Another great video, thanks! One question though, you mentioned it being a premium lens, I’ve been looking at the 45mm 1.8 lately and will buy soon... but I’ve noticed that in some pictures/ads it says premium on the box and some it doesn’t?? Likewise some say PEN and some don’t? Are there different versions/production qualities of the 45mm 1.8 and this 12mm etc or does Olympus just have inconsistent packaging? Thanks!!
I think they used to refer to the metal primes (12/2, 17/1.8, 75/1.8) as the premium tier line, but yeah I don't think they're very consistent with it.
www.olympus.co.uk/site/en/c/lenses/om_d_pen_lenses/index.html#list-2 From there you can find what are the M.zuiko Premium lenses. It is about the optical quality, purpose and build. The only non-premium constant F-value lens is their first lens, 17mm f/2.8. So otherwise all M.zuiko Premium lenses are non-Pro and primes. No zooms, as m.Zuiko lenses are otherwise zooms than that single prime.
Hey. I have now the 12-50)(going to sell) and the 45mm f. 1.8 but think I will sell too in order to get a more versatile lens instead of staying with the portrait option that the 45 gives. So I thought about the 17mm f. 1.8 and the 12.f 2.0 what do u consider better? I want to have a lens that gives me more options without losing the bokeh Ingredient that I gave to almost all of my photos. Hope u respond and help me decide thanks a lot.
A easy answer is 17mm, it’s 1.8 and slightly tighter than 12mm, this will still give you some degree of bokeh :), with the 12mm, you will have to shoot a lot closer to get that lovely blur!
Hi Raphael, thanks for watching! Our 'theme' is from a great band called KAB, it's an except from their song 'Teddy Bear'. The music tracks in this episode all come from www.epidemicsound.com: in order, they are 'Storm Is Over' by Windshield, 'Morning Coffee 1' by Magnus Ringblom, 'Thrill Of It' by Siine, 'Please' by Kalle Engstrom, 'It Can Be Done' by Gavin Luke, 'April Sky' by Sebastian Forlund and 'Go With It' by Daxten. Hope you're enjoying our channel! t
Likely 150-4??mm f/4 to compete the PL100-400mm and to complete the super telephoto zoom range with 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverter compatibility to make it 210-???mm f/5.6 or 300-800mm f/8 range.
Oh tough tough, I do use the 17mm 1.2 Pro a lot due to its fast aperture and weather seal. But on the street and for some of my photoshoot, like family or groups and travel photography, I actually use the 12mm more! Yeah, London has been blessed with the sun lately (well we did have a pretty horrible March/April)
Well, not really, I don't think there are anything close to it at that price range... or actually none for that focal length, current leading 12mm for M4/3 is the PanaLeica 12mm 1.4 but it costs almost double and also double the weight and size. This 12 is the best compromise and suits the discrete street shooting, especially when pair with PEN-F or EM5 II, ohh yeah, it really does look sexy :)
Red35 Photography Maybe there isn't something comparable with AF for M4/3 (MF Samyang 12/2 aside, which looks optically better), but that's more of a hole in the system lineup than a valid justification IMO. It does pop up often on Oly's US refurb store for like $400-500 FWIW, which is how I ended up getting it (plus an additional 20% off refurbs promo). I think it's a lot more reasonable at a price approaching that of other slower system primes.
Incredible lens. The 3D look it produces, and beautiful tonal separation is outstanding, something which in the FF world would cost north of $3000. Your footage in the review, taken with 12mm f2, is the best looking part of review, btw: outstanding colour. Thank you.
Peter Villumsen Unless you want to sell cameras avoid all comparisons with Leica. Many will buy anything that is ”almost like a Leica”. I’m sure this is a very good camera, but it’s extremely far from a FF Leica (I own 1 and have owned several). I understand that it was in reference to the handling, which might be true, but I fail to see how that comparison is useful for anyone.
Thanks mate for watching our video :) Well, the 4/3 12mm is actually 24mm in FF. Well, there are many 24mm (or equivalent lenses out there but not one can match the size and aperture of this. The one that I can compare to, and yes, handling is Leica, which I also use. This isn't a comparison or a debate between Leica or other brands. Ultimate, it's how one uses his/her tools to make images. I use multiple format, M4/3, FF, Medium Format for different types of jobs. However, M4/3 is now my main workhorse, but then, it's me, and I still love my Leica of course
if you had only one camera to choose for a lifetime, which would it be, out of the Three ? 1. Olympus (M43) 2. Leica M10 (Fullframe Manual RF) 3. XPro2 (APSC, Electronic RF-styled, but not a true RF) thanks. also specify one or two favourite lenses with the system of your choice.
Gosh, I should do a vlog talking about this! Interesting question and I have answers already but it may be too long to type here :) Stay tuned and I will see if I can make a vlog.
Gosh, I should do a vlog talking about this! Interesting question and I have answers already but it may be too long to type here :) Stay tuned and I will see if I can make a vlog.
Love the size of this lens - however; the Oly 12-40 pro seems to have almost all of the advantages of this lens and provides greater flexibility. I've been musing on what you gain from having a prime like this when both Olympus and Panasonic make some great widish zooms... I can seen going with some of the better primes that are 1.2 or 1.4 - but other than cost I don't quite get this lens. I agree it's got a lovely aesthetic. :) Love your reviews Jimmy.
Darren Lewis Some people will take advantage of the extra stop and/or don't care for the size of the zooms. I use mine a lot on a GX850 and/or slip it in a waist pack where none of the 12-xx zooms will fit (outside the 12-32, which I also have). I do think the MSRP for the 12/2 is silly tho, I bought it refurb for like $385.
Hmm... there is a so big difference between *your* video quality and "Footage shot with Olympus 12mm f2" lens that I'm really not anymore that willing to buy it...
Thanks mate and wow, am I fashionable? I wouldn't even remotely consider myself as one or trend setter. Ok... I don't have much choice for straps as I don't normally look for one, just use the ones that came with the cameras :)
I personally think so. It's still one of the smallest primes Olympus lenses ever made with full metal barrel and manual clutch system. Looks good and central sharpness works great even with 25MP Lumix sensor. Edge is a little behind now but it's ok when you stop down.
I did mention that my 12mm is the 'Limited Black' edition :) Yes, Olympus now has two colour options on all their premium lenses, silver and black, after the success (and demand) from the now sold-out Limited Black 12mm. Technically, there are no differences between the new black and my Limited Black, only the fancy little text engraved onto the lens itself. Another information about the Limited Black is that I mentioned in the video that the hood was optional and that's true for all premium lenses but my Limited Black does come with one, and a metal lens cap, a UV filter as bonus pack :)
Red35 Photography Jimmy: Great Job Again, 12mm Limited BK should the Collector choice, cos right now MIJ is no any more.... I hope can buy 1 set in Tokyo’s 2nd hand market >
Lucky :) I do need to get a new hood to keep fresh as my original hood has been 'well used' haha
Red35 Photography Old Contax GG-1/2 hoods and the Kiwi knockoffs are great and less of a hassle than the Oly OEM one with it's tightening knob, not sure if they come in black tho. There's even a slip on cap for said hoods, I kinda dig that (and the metal slip on cap that Oly makes for the hood-less lens, I've got both).
There's also a difference with new black lens : EXIF show limited blk.It's an insteresting point. I am happy that I have one.
The Oly 12mm f2 and 17mm f1.8 are the unsung heroes of the Olympus lens line-up. I love their manual focus rings which Olympus now reserves just for their much-too-large and much-too-expensive Pro line. They are great pair that I love using on my Lumix cameras.
The beauty of this Len’s is the size. I have the 12-40 and 12-45 but the whole reason I added Olympus to my line up was compactness weight and handling. And Len’s quality. This one is on its way to me right now
I have both the 12mm f 2 and the 17mm f.8 really nice lenses . I don't understand why Olympus then cheaped out on the 25mm and 45 and why hasn't the 45mm got a 46mm filter thread like the other three.
Yes, that’s my go to lens for vlogging. I love 24mm look for vlogging.
Yet another great little video, Jimmy. You are inspiring!
Cheers Andy mate! Much appreciated your support and you have a nice day!
If you had to choose between the 12mm or the 17mm for street photography? I am considering the Penf with one of these two lenses for my next trip to Japan traveling around via Train and skateboard.
Too late but...
If on APC/s go 12mm if on FF, go 17mm. Neither way you will be disappointed.
@@samsen3965 The funny thing is it is too late because I actually moved to Japan so now I don't need it because I live here full time and I bought a Sony A7C.
@@ericguizzetti Enjoy and keep to your smile. Cheers.
wow. Id like to hear your story
I bought the 12mm 2.0 and the 17mm 1.8 now for my GX9 and the GM5. It fits perfect. The quality is outstanding. Would you get the lens hoods too? They are really expensive.
Hahah yes, I would get the hood, purely to complete the look. It is expensive but much better built than some 3rd options.
@@Red35Photography thank you, I hope I can get them on sale somewhere 😝
I bought a Zuiko 24mm f/2.8 for my OM1 back in 1980 (still have it and use it) and it was my favourite lens. It is a thing of beauty. Like most Zuiko lenses back then it took a 49mm filter, came with a metal hood and a leather case. All the lenses from 24 up to 50 were the same size and were all “pro” lenses. As much as I like shooting primes, I’m not made of money so probably won’t get this and will opt for the 12-40 Pro, but who knows.
Love this lens more and more. Especially using it with my Panasonic GX9 for street photography. I did just order that square lens. It definitely makes it looks sexy! :D. Thanks for this awesome review!.
Once again a triumph both information and cinematography ..... just a little sad we now have to wait a whole 7 long days before we see you again ..... I will confess i for one am missing your fun interactions with your models but specifically Charleen who you seem to always have fun with ..... big thumbs up from me.
Thanks mate for your kind words and encouragement! We are trying our best to make this channel! We certainly have lots of fun doing it and yet, both Tracey and I are working professionals and Charleen is also a model/actress who has a very busy schedule but don't worry, she will be back and many more to come! Thanks for staying tuned and we hope to bring more interesting videos for you!
Seen in the Micro Four Nerds FB group, nice vid - I think the one thing against this lens is that the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm F2 is so good, and almost half the price. Sure it's MF only, but for wide angle lenses that's not much of an issue, especially with the cameras today having aids like zoom in to check focus and coloured peaking
Thanks for the video. Yes, indeed, it's really a sexy combo with a black Pen-F. I own the 17mm and it's also a great combo, but I am so interested for the 12mm since a long time that I can't resist to get me one soon.
Just recently bought this lens from OM systems Easter sales For £289 absolutely a brilliant lens very happy with my purchase and delighted with this wonderful lens
I played with that lens back when it was introduced and it was my favorite mft lens...
Oh yes, it certainly my favourite street lens for MFT :) Thanks for watching mate!
Very informative and such creative gear review. Keep up the awesome work! Subscribed :)
Cheers Albert for your comment and glad you liked our review! Welcome to the fam and it means a lot to us :) Have a nice day!
Gorgeous lens but can't afford one at moment and I suppose a bit of a focal length that wouldn't get used as much as others. I use the Panasonic 12-32 for my wider shots which is a surprisingly good lens for its size.
Love this lens in 2024. Perfect for Pen-F.
Me to
Great video, and personally I think that the Olympus E-M1 Mark ii or the Olympus Pen cameras with the black Olympus 12mm F2 lens with the hood, looks much sexier than the dated looking Leica camera and lens, and it produces beautiful quality photos. Even though I have the Olympus 20-40mm F/2.8, it's nice to have this lens as a walk around lens, since it's so light.
Great review but please show us more of the stills you captured on video. The video shows you taking shots like in 2:18 but does not show the results which feels unsatisfying because it looks like you made a lot of effort to capture it.
Secret, point taken and the photo will be posted in our facebook page now
I have the Pany 14mm f/2.5 with ~11mm adapter. It's super compact and I got it for a steal of a price. The Oly is definitely prettier, but it just didn't seem worth the price overhead.
Thanks Steve for watching mate. I think it depends on whether anyone needs faster aperture. But the good thing is that there are now tons of choices in the MFT platform and good for all us shooter :)
One of my fav m43 lenses, though mine is the plain ol' silver. :) It feels less wide to me than a 24mm on a "full frame" camera due to the more square aspect ratio. I've used it for astro a bit, stopped down to f/2.5 or so, with good results.
Wow, astro is awesome! I would like to spend more time exploring it as Olympus system is pretty good at this.
Nice lens, nice review. Olympus do some superb glass. 😎😎😎
Cheers Mike! Much appreciated and yes, Olympus glass are great, not many people appreciate them as they never try them!
My second fave Olympus lenses (the other one is the 75mm F1.8). I love how 12mm F2 perform. Somehow makes the picture looks cleaner and increase sharpness. The sweet spot is on F4. About the rumour 12mm F1.2, i'm not interest since it sure gonna be a far bigger lens. This lens is good in term performance and compactness. By the way, thanks Jimmy for this review!
Cheers Reza! Yes, I all the premium lenses, 12mm, 17mm, 25mm, 45mm, and 75mm are so damn small and light, perfect for travel photography! But these are lenses for photographers who can afford the time to plan the shots. I like them but the pro lenses, even though they are bigger and heavier, are faster, both AF and aperture, suits super low light and quick reaction shots in demanding professional environment.
Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm f2.0 with Pen F is the Leica for me.
Another excellent vreview. Thanks
Cheers Peter! Much appreciated mate!
I find shooting with primes both really great and really frustrating. If often comes down the image you capture with the particular prime lens you have in place and maybe we can have too many prime lenses. Because my style is mainly Asian street, I now carry 2 cameras, the EM5 mk2 for my primes and the EM1 for my 40-150 2.8 Pro. I have taken fantastic images with all my lenses, but how many times am I switching my prime lenses over. Yes, for my portrait work I still need my 25 and 45, but for general street maybe I really just need the 12-40mm 2.8 Pro (and of course my Samyang 7.5mm fisheye)
Hahaha George, thanks for watching by the way. Well, I've grown to use only primes these days, one wide and one standard (have the medium tele like the 60 macro in my bag). And these pretty much do everything I need for my travel photography and documentary. I will take the 40-150 if I need more reach instead of the 60 macro. I just love the faster prime for low light photography.
Great review Jimmy as ever👍
Cheers John! Much appreciated and have a great weekend!
If find that it has a refraction problem from f8 upwards (loss of sharpness and detail contrast; easy to compensate in raw conversion). Best used at 5.6 in my experience (perfect at this aperture).
Cheers Christian, well, I don't find refraction a problem but then again, I rarely shoot anything slower than f8 unless I want to slow the shutter down in bright day to get motion blur (for artistic purposes). Yes, I do think 5.6 and 6.3 is the sweet spot. I shoot RAW only so I never notice to much from JPG quality though.
Yeah, it is not that obvious. I'm a little bit picky when it comes to resolution, so I noticed it. No problem in "everyday use", it is a fantastic lens, and I kept it anyways (by MFT "goto primes" are 12 - 25 - 45, so this lens is always in my bag ;)). Definitely better than wide-angle zoom lenses in this range. Build quality is very pleasant - again (like Olympus bodies and especially the Pen F Digital) a good match for Leica-lovers, as you pointed out. BTW, I have the "Limited Black" edition too (it was a "kit" including the lens hood and a UV filter, bought used a while ago).
haha, I know right, us Leica fan can sometimes be very picky especially after using those god-like sharp lenses! But I do think Olympus lenses will give it a good run for the money and it's pretty pleasing and hence I use it on my shoots a lot (not that I don't use Leica but Olympus is just a tad easier for my deteriorating eyesight hhaha). Good on you and the Limited Black is definitely worth something and hang on to it! You will be lucky to even find one secondhand.
Enginering-wise, how close is the optical construction of this lens to Samyan 12mm F2 (Mechanical lens)? and is it the same lens or totally a different ball game?
I ask this because I have that lens and unconditionally love it for all it does including astrophotography UW field, at best. If it is, then I need this Olympus too as it is AF.
your speaking is so nice to listen to
Cheers Joan :) No one says it before and you are then first!! Hurray! But people say I sing better.
Red35 Photography watched the extra content at the end, still enjoying your speaking and voice lol
This lens and 17mm with hood look amazing on Pen-F
They make people drool all over the place! So sexy!
Great work!
Cheers Fredrik! Have a nice day!
Hey. I really did enjoy your last reviews, relating to the Olympus lineup. I got a PEN-F myself and I’m wondering whether they are gonna to bring a PEN-F Mk. 2 next year...
Thanks Shiyang! I think everyone is waiting for EM5 III and PEN-F II as we all know they are going to be cracking cameras (not actually cracking 😂😂)
Dead in the water. No more pens. But everyone already knew that.
Great review! But how does it compare to the Oly 17mm f1.8 that I use as my default lens on my Pen-F?
Strangely but I use the 12mmf2 as my default, my other 17mmf1.8 stay useless
I don't know which is better, not that pro, can't tell why, just like it.
Another great video, thanks! One question though, you mentioned it being a premium lens, I’ve been looking at the 45mm 1.8 lately and will buy soon... but I’ve noticed that in some pictures/ads it says premium on the box and some it doesn’t?? Likewise some say PEN and some don’t? Are there different versions/production qualities of the 45mm 1.8 and this 12mm etc or does Olympus just have inconsistent packaging? Thanks!!
Olympus has a three lines for lenses. Normal (non-mentioned), Premium and PRO.
45mm belongs to Premium line.
In short, prime lenses are all premium and kit zooms, lens cap lenses are all 'normal', while the pro... well, they are the pro lenses.
I think they used to refer to the metal primes (12/2, 17/1.8, 75/1.8) as the premium tier line, but yeah I don't think they're very consistent with it.
www.olympus.co.uk/site/en/c/lenses/om_d_pen_lenses/index.html#list-2
From there you can find what are the M.zuiko Premium lenses.
It is about the optical quality, purpose and build. The only non-premium constant F-value lens is their first lens, 17mm f/2.8. So otherwise all M.zuiko Premium lenses are non-Pro and primes. No zooms, as m.Zuiko lenses are otherwise zooms than that single prime.
Hey. I have now the 12-50)(going to sell) and the 45mm f. 1.8 but think I will sell too in order to get a more versatile lens instead of staying with the portrait option that the 45 gives. So I thought about the 17mm f. 1.8 and the 12.f 2.0 what do u consider better? I want to have a lens that gives me more options without losing the bokeh Ingredient that I gave to almost all of my photos. Hope u respond and help me decide thanks a lot.
A easy answer is 17mm, it’s 1.8 and slightly tighter than 12mm, this will still give you some degree of bokeh :), with the 12mm, you will have to shoot a lot closer to get that lovely blur!
Red35 Photography tnank you very much for ur answer. Blessings
love the music. what are the titles?
I gotta ask Tracey hahah, she chose the music.
Hi Raphael, thanks for watching! Our 'theme' is from a great band called KAB, it's an except from their song 'Teddy Bear'. The music tracks in this episode all come from www.epidemicsound.com: in order, they are 'Storm Is Over' by Windshield, 'Morning Coffee 1' by Magnus Ringblom, 'Thrill Of It' by Siine, 'Please' by Kalle Engstrom, 'It Can Be Done' by Gavin Luke, 'April Sky' by Sebastian Forlund and 'Go With It' by Daxten. Hope you're enjoying our channel! t
A big fan of your channel. What camera did you use to shoot this video?
Thanks mate. We shot everything with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II in this channel! Right from the start :)
@@Red35Photography The video quality is amazing. Hard to believe folks who claim their FFs are better. Thanks mate!
@@snowwalker9999 Cheers :)
Should i buy olympus zuiko 38mm?? Is it worth it? Im still a student
What camera and lens is this video filmed with?
Hi Zhi, thanks for watching, all our gear that were used for this video was listed at the end of our video :)
We know the 12mm f1.2 pro lens is on its way, what I want to know is what is the new pro zoom lens going to be?
Ian Frazer probably something about 14 - 35 1.8. Or 12-30 1.8
Shhhhh ~~~~~
Likely 150-4??mm f/4 to compete the PL100-400mm and to complete the super telephoto zoom range with 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverter compatibility to make it 210-???mm f/5.6 or 300-800mm f/8 range.
Which would you rather shoot with though, the 17mm or this 12mm?
London looks great this time of year by the way!
Oh tough tough, I do use the 17mm 1.2 Pro a lot due to its fast aperture and weather seal. But on the street and for some of my photoshoot, like family or groups and travel photography, I actually use the 12mm more! Yeah, London has been blessed with the sun lately (well we did have a pretty horrible March/April)
Nice combo with the Pen F! But the 12mm is rather expensive for it's optical quality - just my opinion.
Well, not really, I don't think there are anything close to it at that price range... or actually none for that focal length, current leading 12mm for M4/3 is the PanaLeica 12mm 1.4 but it costs almost double and also double the weight and size. This 12 is the best compromise and suits the discrete street shooting, especially when pair with PEN-F or EM5 II, ohh yeah, it really does look sexy :)
Red35 Photography Maybe there isn't something comparable with AF for M4/3 (MF Samyang 12/2 aside, which looks optically better), but that's more of a hole in the system lineup than a valid justification IMO.
It does pop up often on Oly's US refurb store for like $400-500 FWIW, which is how I ended up getting it (plus an additional 20% off refurbs promo). I think it's a lot more reasonable at a price approaching that of other slower system primes.
Incredible lens. The 3D look it produces, and beautiful tonal separation is outstanding, something which in the FF world would cost north of $3000. Your footage in the review, taken with 12mm f2, is the best looking part of review, btw: outstanding colour. Thank you.
PixelMagic Thank you mate! Much appreciated for your comment! Yes, this lens is very nice and thank you again for your compliments. Have a lovely day.
what's the sharpest aperture? f5.6?
Yes
What song/artist is the first song in this video, with the girl singing? Thanks in advance.
limerot The song is by Windshield, called ‘Storm Is Over’. Thanks for watching! t
Should i have this or the 7-14mm f2.8?
it depends on your shooting style. prime and zoom debate really :)
Thank you.
A 4/3 AF with 12mm similar to a FF Leica MF with 35mm. There must be thousands of cameras that are equally or more similar
babarfyi not really, no. The pen f. Fujix100 maybe. What else?
Peter Villumsen Unless you want to sell cameras avoid all comparisons with Leica. Many will buy anything that is ”almost like a Leica”. I’m sure this is a very good camera, but it’s extremely far from a FF Leica (I own 1 and have owned several). I understand that it was in reference to the handling, which might be true, but I fail to see how that comparison is useful for anyone.
Thanks mate for watching our video :) Well, the 4/3 12mm is actually 24mm in FF. Well, there are many 24mm (or equivalent lenses out there but not one can match the size and aperture of this. The one that I can compare to, and yes, handling is Leica, which I also use. This isn't a comparison or a debate between Leica or other brands. Ultimate, it's how one uses his/her tools to make images. I use multiple format, M4/3, FF, Medium Format for different types of jobs. However, M4/3 is now my main workhorse, but then, it's me, and I still love my Leica of course
In terms of feel and handling on the street, yeah, or may be X-Pro series with a small 23mm or 35mm lens
This made me miss london
come back :)
Red35 Photography working on it...
if you had only one camera to choose for a lifetime, which would it be, out of the Three ?
1. Olympus (M43)
2. Leica M10 (Fullframe Manual RF)
3. XPro2 (APSC, Electronic RF-styled, but not a true RF)
thanks. also specify one or two favourite lenses with the system of your choice.
Gosh, I should do a vlog talking about this! Interesting question and I have answers already but it may be too long to type here :) Stay tuned and I will see if I can make a vlog.
Gosh, I should do a vlog talking about this! Interesting question and I have answers already but it may be too long to type here :) Stay tuned and I will see if I can make a vlog.
sure will wait. Thanks for consideration.
Love to see review on Pana Leica 12mm f1.4 by you....
Yes, that's a beast I know but much bigger and heavier :)
Love the size of this lens - however; the Oly 12-40 pro seems to have almost all of the advantages of this lens and provides greater flexibility. I've been musing on what you gain from having a prime like this when both Olympus and Panasonic make some great widish zooms... I can seen going with some of the better primes that are 1.2 or 1.4 - but other than cost I don't quite get this lens. I agree it's got a lovely aesthetic. :) Love your reviews Jimmy.
Darren Lewis Some people will take advantage of the extra stop and/or don't care for the size of the zooms. I use mine a lot on a GX850 and/or slip it in a waist pack where none of the 12-xx zooms will fit (outside the 12-32, which I also have). I do think the MSRP for the 12/2 is silly tho, I bought it refurb for like $385.
Hmm... there is a so big difference between *your* video quality and "Footage shot with Olympus 12mm f2" lens that I'm really not anymore that willing to buy it...
Another great review, Jimmy. You are very fashionable, except for when it comes to camera straps.
Thanks mate and wow, am I fashionable? I wouldn't even remotely consider myself as one or trend setter. Ok... I don't have much choice for straps as I don't normally look for one, just use the ones that came with the cameras :)
is it still worth it in 2024?
I personally think so. It's still one of the smallest primes Olympus lenses ever made with full metal barrel and manual clutch system. Looks good and central sharpness works great even with 25MP Lumix sensor. Edge is a little behind now but it's ok when you stop down.
Спасибо!
you still picked the wrong color. :p
😂 I should start a poll to see which colours do people prefer! I bet I am right hahahaha
Black is great ;-)
A sexy lens? Really?
Speak Japanese