Leica 12mm f1.4 review: LUXURY wide lens for M43
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- In-depth review of the Leica 12mm f1.4 wide lens for Micro Four Thirds!
Check prices on the Leica 12mm f1.4 at B&H: bhpho.to/2JKVdSR
Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs
Gordon's In Camera book at Amazon: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ
Like Cameralabs? Get the T-Shirt: redbubble.com/people/camerala... 
Наука
That lens with the G9 is a stonkingly good vlogging combo. Quite pleased with that stabilisation + focus performance that wide open.
It's pretty nice, isn't it?
I love this lens, shooting wide open with my E-M1 Mark II.
Excellent and informative review. Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome!
Thank you Gordon.
Thanks Gordon, great video as usual.
Thanks, you're very welcome!
Love the 12mm f1.4 on the G9. Feels good and produces beautiful images. Love the relatively close focusing distance and was surprised this wasn’t looked at in the video beyond mentioning that it focuses to 20cm.
Thank you for another excellent review!
Thanks for the review and comparison of all the lens in this video. I ejoyed it very much. On useing the lens with the G9 which lens managed a stable exposure on you when move from light to shade when vlogging as it seemed to me you were sometimes over.
This lens is absolutely worth the money! It produces stunning colors!
Really loving your reviews!
Thanks!
This is a fantastic lense.
I love the Aperture ring but I wish they would make the clutch-type focus rings like in the Olympus lenses.
Just got it. I have a few PanLeica lenses and none of then disappoint. I did consider the Olympus. I love that size but I've never had anything but good with the Leica so I'll stick with that.
What a great review. Thanks 👍🏻🇦🇺
I think I might get one for my g9. I like the extra bit of sharpness that it has over the Olympus lenses.
Thanks for the video Gordon. Did you notice any chromatic aberration in high contrast areas when shooting on an Olympus body? I found that to be a problem with the 25mm 1.4 and I am hoping the 12mm is better
Thank you for making this review! :)
You're welcome!
Excellent review 👍
Thanks!
Cracking results on the G9. Might need to get this lens ;-)
It is really nice!
Thanks Gordon
You're welcome!
Thanks as usual Gordon. Curious to know if this lens was tested with vers. 2.0 firmware on the G9. (I saw a few miscues with autofocus when using the G9 in your video.) Em5 III seemed rock solid.
I updated to v2 during my tests, but can't recall if it was before or after the vlog test. I'm hoping to do another set of tests showing before and after results.
You’re great Gordon, have been following you for 10+ years. Between the g9 and Olympus em5 iii with this lens for vlogging, which camera would be your personal choice?
Thanks! Definitely the Em5 III due to its more confident AF.
@@Da_Man_1221 I'm going to make a separate video about the G9 firmware update hopefully
Gordon, always enjoy your reviews. During the vlogging segment of your test, what auto-focus settings where you using with the G9? It looked surprisingly reliable.
Just face detection with AFC
@@cameralabs Was that without the new firmware?
I absolutely love my 12mm/1.4 I use it for short films where the fast aperture is critical. It is also better suited for gimbal use due to the smaller size/weight relative to the 10-25mm/1.7
That's very true!
Could you test the difference between the 10-25mm and the 12mm 1.4 ? The 9mm 1.7 is also a good lens for the price but the Panasonic Leica 12mm seems better built with maybe better optics too
What a coincidence I was just looking at this a few days ago and now I really want one 😳
I was too!
@@cameralabs It looks like a great vlogging lens as at the minute the kit 12-60 doesn't really offer enough shallow depth of field at F3.5
The price is the stumbling point though. How badly does one need that shallow depth of field is the question...
Brilliant combined with the Olympus. Shame the Olympus doesn't have auto iso in video - something I use a lot.
I think, dust and splash proofing is key advantage over Olympus 12mm f/2.0, at least for me filly justifying such a high price tag. Another thing, it has 62mm filter thread same as f/1.2 pro primes for olympus. So, having Olympus 17 Pro, 45 Pro and this gem makes total sense, covering all my favorite focal ranges and keeping everything consistent. But in general, very nice review!
Thanks!
Great review, Gordon! What is your overall favorite camera for everyday use?
Crikey! For which system? If we're talking M43, I'm fond of a compact prime like the 17mm f1.8 or 25mm f1.4. For a general zoom, the 12-60s are nice, and for a bigger body like the EM1 II, maybe the 12-100mm
@@cameralabs Mercy did say "camera."
Gordon many thanks for your great reviews (another long time follower!). I got to try the 12mm Leica a few months ago for astrophotography and it was very sharp with minimal vignetting right at f1.4. Sadly though bright stars showed a lot of purple fringing at f1.4 which put me off the lens, especially at the price they are asking. Have you tried the lens for astrophotography by any chance?
I am into astro but didn't get to try this lens for it - I do find some of the Leica Lumix lenses can show some fringing.
What camera did you use with leica 12mm for astro? I've heard that this fringing is a problem with leica 12mm 1.4 + olympus body...
@@ProSpeedflying em1 mk2 .
Did you have a look at how it compares to the 10-25mm from Pana/Leica? I am on the fence of buying the 12mm, but the versatility of the zoom is quite nice as well. Weight and cost aside, of course.
I didn't compare them side-by-side, but I have fully tested both lenses, so check out my reviews of them for comparison. the zoom is certainly very tempting too!
I do simple youtube videos on a tripod with my GH4 and am debating on getting this 12mm Leica or the Voigtlander Nokton 10.5mm lens. Which one should I get??? I have the Voigtlander 17.5 and absolutely love it but I need something just a tad wider since the camera is so close to my face.
Do you need autofocus or not?
Thank you very much for a good review!
One thing that can't really me measured with lenses is the character of a photo and this is where Panasonic Leica lenses shine. If I compare my Olympus Pro lenses with Panasonic Leica the Pro lenses are sterile, sharp and somewhat boring (but excellent of course). Panasonic Leica on paper are about the same and sometimes slightly less sharp but the actual image quality they put out is far ahead of Olympus and most other brand of lenses. Compared my friends PL 50-200 F2-4 and 200 F2.8 with my Oly 40-150 F2.8 and 300 F4 and those PL lenses made me wanna switch right away.
May I ask, do you have any comparison at 12mm with the Panasonic Leica 10-25? Did you feel the 12mm F1.4 wins this fight at 12mm as well or is the 10-25 just that good?
Regards
Rasmus
It's seems to be a great lens, but I will buy the Olympus 12 f/2 for it's smaller size, I think it will be perfect in size on my PEN-F.
Yes, on smaller bodies, the Olympus 12mm would look better.
The Leica DG 12mm f/1.4 still balances well on medium sized rangefinder style bodies like PEN-F or Lumix GXs.
The more practical reasons that I can think of to back up your decision are: 1. Panasonic aperture rings do not work on Olympus bodies; 2. PEN-F itself is not a weathersealed body.
I personally am using the Olympus 12mm f/2.0 on a GX8, and at times feel quite temped to switch to the DG (so far the price still isn't in my range yet, fortunately). I have a feeling that I would start to miss the MF clutch on Olympus very quickly if I did switch.
Kent Bergström - I have the Oly Zuiko 12mm f2 on my Pen-f with lens hood, and it is an amazing combo- works great! A+ lens!
I have the Olympus 12, which is an excellent lens, and it works for me for general purposes. Just not sure if the extra sharpness in the corners and f1.4 is worth the big jump in price and size/weight. I can throw the Olympus in a pocket, and it keeps any camera much more compact when in use.
The Olympus is nice and compact
more videos like this please :p
Thanks!
03:56
It's interesting to see at f/2.8 and f/4.0 the bokeh balls get a bit "cornery"―less rounded, more nonagon, which kinda reminds me of the Olympus 60mm Macro that boasts a similar character.
Some may dislike this feature or "flaw", I actually quite like this kind of uniqueness. Seeing perfectly round bokeh balls all day is just boring.
Fantastic review. One thing I would love for you to do is test pany lens on Oly body as I’m sure many Oly users (including myself) will consider this lens and so it’s good to know how it performs (in terms of autofocus) on a non Panasonic body.
I always try to include some tests on both types of bodies where possible - I did a big vlog test with the 12mm on an OMD EM5 III for instance.
Gordon Laing oh, did you include that in the video? I thought your vlog test was done on a G9.
@@Seanonyoutube There are TWO vlog tests in this video.
@@Seanonyoutube as Hank says, there are two vlog tests in this video and the second one is with the EM5 III.
Gordon Laing Gordon Laing whoops, I missed that but saw it now. Thanks! It would also be great to see an autofocus test for stills with an Oly body.
Hi Gordon, fantastic review. The sound from the mic was fine to me. I shoot 80% photography (mostly landscape) and 20% video (of objects, not of myself). In your experience would the Summilux 12mm f1.4 or 15mm f.1.7 ASPH be a better lens? I also want to take more street photos and video walkthroughs of gardens and interiors. Which lens would be more suitable. I thought the wider focal length of the 12mm might be better, it’s very expensive since I don’t do vlogging often.
It really depends if you prefer a 24 or a 30 equivalent. The 30 equiv would be more general purpose and less geared towards wide angle. But walkthroughs work well with wider lenses. Do you have any other lenses with the same focal length you can check to see which is your preferred coverage?
Have you noticed any difference to the face tracking auto focus since the firmware upgrade? I have the GH5 with the 12-60 Leica it appears to have been improved at detecting people with specs on!!
I haven't done any formal comparisons yet...
Great video! Able to do a revisit of Olympus 12mm f2?
Maybe! I find it quite hard to get hold of.
I have this lens already 1 year on my G9 and could never miss it anymore... thanks for the nice review... did you use the G9 2.0 update already in this video?
Of course!
Hi Gordon! Have you ever reviewed the voigtlander 17mm f0.95 for mft?
nope!
I use the 12-35 f2.8 - excellent - especially when
matched with the 35-100. I find no difference in quality when used on the G9 or G90
I really wanted to love this lens! However, I had to return it because it does not have a smooth ramping aperture when shooting video. When using auto aperture, unlike Sony lenses, this lens will land on 1/3 stop increments and open/close in stair steps. In 2019, why don't all native lenses have a smooth aperture?
Good point...
Anyone can help between the Olympus 12mm f2 and the Leica 12mm 1.4 on a GH5? The only advantage I can find in the Leica is it’s better low light capability (must have on mft-s) but reportedly has chromatic abberation and lot’s of lens flare. On the other hand Olympus costs only half the price, is half the size and weight and doesn’t have these issues mentioned. BUT It’s only f2. I’m also wondering about continous AF. Anyone? 🥺
The Leica is my favorite lens for filming in the evening and other low light situations. I made a lot of shots that would have been impossible with the 12-60/mm. The two stops lower ISO are essential but also enough to get the atmosphere in a city after dark by using the available light. I also take a lot of pictures in this situations and I love the aperture ring. I had Nikon SLR and DSLR for 20 years before I switched to Panasonic, so no wonder I'm happy with aperture rings.
On the other hand, I wouldn't buy the lens for photography only. With today's stabilization, the F2.0 of the Olympus would be enough to get hand hold pictures with much longer exposures and the one stop more of the Leica is not that important for the DOF in a 12mm lens. I would take the lower price and weight of the Olympus.
oh here it is XD I didn't realize it was a panasonic
Man this lens always pushes me down the rabbit hole, for it is already big -, heavy - and expensive enough to consider the 10-25 1.7
especially when you prefer not changing lenses that often... what do you think? has anyone tried the 10-25 with the new firmware (GH5/G9)?
I was thinking exactly the same and was surprised Gordon didn’t mention it.
@@imcheaperthanyou9805 I didn't have both lenses at the same time, but yes, I should have mentioned it! I have fully reviewed the 10-25 though, so check out and compare my results from it...
I would love to see a direct comparison between the 10-25mm, 12mm 1.4 and 12-60mm 1.4 at 12mm (distortion, sharpness, CA and overall IQ)
Hi Gordon. Do you feel the 12mm f1.4 has an IQ advantage over the Leica 8-18 f2.8-4 or is the advantage solely in the larger maximum aperture?
It's been a while but I recall the 12 was a little crisper in addition to the larger aperture.
@@cameralabs many thanks for the super fast response Gordon 🙏🏼
@@JeevesTCW no problem, I'd also recommend visiting my reviews of both at cameralabs.com and comparing some of the sample images of similar subjects...
@@cameralabs fabulous, will do you are a gent 👍👍🙏🏼
I was wondering why I had forgot about this old lens then I saw the price and was like oh that's why
Also, is the 1.4 a true 1.4? As in, does it let in the same amount of light as a 1.4 full frame? I know the Oly Pro lenses are called 1.2 but the light gathering isn’t the same as a 1.2 FF.
it is the same whether it is fullframe or not. But arriving at the same ISO (same shutter speed and 2x aperture), fullframe is already better than 4/3 (eg: 1600 iso in fullframe is more than 2 stops cleaner than 1600iso in micro 4/3)
Khanh Nguyen The I heard otherwise...
In terms of exposure, f1.4 on one system is the same as f1.4 on another. BUT in terms of depth of field, f1.4 on a larger format, like full-frame, will deliver a shallower DOF than f1.4 on M43. But then the full-frame lens and body will also be bigger, heavier and more expensive. There's pros and cons to both.
Gordon Laing after digging a little deeper, this is what I was referencing:
DXOMark measures the actual T Stop after accounting for the loss of light due to light transmission:
www.dxomark.com/glossary/transmission-light-transmission/
Here’s the results of the actual amount of light that reaches the sensor for the Olympus 25mm 1.2 PRO (click on transmission tab):
www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Olympus/Olympus-MZUIKO-DIGITAL-ED-25mm-F12-PRO-mounted-on-Olympus-OM-D-E-M1-Mark-II---Measurements__1136
And for comparison, here are the results for the Canon RF 50mm 1.2:
www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Canon/Canon-RF-50mm-F12L-USM-mounted-on-Canon-EOS-R---Measurements__1262
As you can see from these results, although they are both technically 1.2 glass, due to differences in lens construction, by the time the light makes its way to the sensor, more light is lost on the Olympus as compared with the Canon.
@@Seanonyoutube Kudos to you for digging into things. Note that the discrepancy is specific to those two tested lens NOT due to any T-stop advantage inherent in either format.
There are plenty of very good lenses for micro 4/3 cameras. However after Panasonic joined the L mount, only Olympus really supports the micro 4/3 lenses. Of course Panasonic will continue to make micro 4/3 cameras for videographers and other companies like the Blackmagic produces micro 4/3 cameras for videographers too.
I believe that micro 4/3 which initiated the mirrorless revolution in cameras will survive mostly by travel photographers. Most micro 4/3 cameras and lenses are significantly smaller and lighter than full frame and APS-C cameras and lenses of similar angle of view and aperture.
Hmmm....your initial argument is null and void considering the very recent release of the 10-25mm. No manufacturer develops and releases such a lens for a format they are abandoning.
If it wasn't that expensive, I would buy it tomorrow...
I am not sure about plenty. Look for primes wider than 12mm. Look for constant aperture zooms. Apparently Panasonic DFD doesn't work on Olympus lenses. Panasonic dual IS doesn't work with Olympus lenses, and vice versa.
📝
De 12mm f2 looks good, sad that here in brazil she is about the same price than the leica 1.4
Hi Gordon, Im thinking of trading in my Leica 8-18mm for the 12mm Leica. What do you think? I mainly photograph landscapes and architecture but also quite a lot of video.
Depends if you want to swap the flexibility of a zoom for that brighter aperture. I think i'd prefer the zoom.
@@cameralabs ok thx 4 your input.
A nice lens, I got mine a few months before and I love it, ok, blabla...more important: What about the Bison Beer...😂🤣
A really good local beer shop and bar!
The focus ring uses a flight by wire system? sure it's not a focus by wire ? :D well, for the high price I could also buy a drone
A slip of the wire...
Interesting but the tiny Olympus 12 f2 is a gem and much less expensive and you can that lens at a decent discount making the gap far wider. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
It's a £430 now, the little thing. My hands are itching and my credit card is shaking, terrified in the corner... :)
1400$ Leica for mft vs sharper Sigma 16mm f1.4 for larger sensor apsc for 400$? Why would anyone get mft?
It would be interesting to compare those lenses side by side, I do like the Sigma 16 1.4. A lot depends on which bodies you prefer too, remember the MFT bodies typically have better IBIS.
@@cameralabs If Leica is sharper than Sigma, it cant be significant difference because Sigma is already ultra sharp. Regarding camera, i want to buy new camera this year and since i dont have a lot of lenses, changing system isnt big deal. I have Nex F3 for couple of years now and i like its apsc sensor (dr, iso, dof) but i realy like MFT cameras, yes they have better IBIS, better controls and ergonomics for me at least, but since i shoot a lot indoors and portraits, high iso low light and shallow depth of field is important for me. If only MFT had a bit better high iso capability and was a bit cheaper, i would decide easier. This way i think it will be a6400.
@@cowboybebop3322 if it helps, I shoot all of my videos with a 6400.
@@cameralabs Yes, i will get a6400. You are great reviewer, very informative videos. Thank you very much! Best regards!
1/100 of a second and F1.4 appears too much for bright indoors videos. :)
hi Gordon, I believe this lens is equivalent to 2.8 full-frame. So actually this lens is not 1.4.
0.7 would be the equivalent of 1.4
If this knowledge is true, there is a kind of disappointment in it. best.
You are half wrong and half right.
The most expensive 24mm f2.8 equivalent! :) M43 lenses are great and sharp, like the Olympus PRO models (still expensive compared to real equivalent in size and focal).. but the sensor is the real downside, IQ and noise not on par with modern apsc and ff cameras. We need a new advanced m43 sensor, still the old 16 and 20Mp are into the market and it's 2020 now. Bring a revolutionary new m43 and it's over for most of bigger sensor competitors.
Jeeez, 1100 bucks… in Canon FF land, you get the 24mm 2.8 IS USM for 400 bucks and that is stabilized. Or the 24mm 1.4 for almost the same price. Hard to swallow and I never used full frame, but always crop. But at least, there is the option for a wide aperture wide-angle.
Yes it certainly isn't cheap, but as you say, it's about having choices...
That’s not stable at all. It’s very shaky handheld. I guess you really need that 12-35 if you want handheld vlogging to be acceptable.