A Look At The Panasonic Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 Micro Four Thirds lens
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- Опубликовано: 16 ноя 2014
- This is a take on the Panasonic Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
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David's lovely voice will live forever in these videos talking about his passion: photography. I'm new to photography and I knew this channel and David's work after his passing.
Yes, although I do find myself wanting to have a bit of a chat with him. I thank hios family for keeping these very valuable videos on RUclips. They are a brilliant resource as well as a living reminder of the treasure he was.
Oh my god, i just knew that he is already passed away, deep condolence
I agree with everything that you said. I started listening to him before his passing. And I still listen to them today when I am considering a new lens. Like this Panasonic 15mm f1.7. His review still carries a lot of weight with me even though he is no longer with us. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead in the future as promised by Jesus Christ himself.
Rest in peace Mr Thorpe.
His voice is iconic and the way he reviewing the gears is so clear and very easy to understand.
You're the master of these reviews, David. Always a pleasure to see your work in my sub box!
***** That is generous praise and much appreciated - thank you.
A brilliant review David. Your semantics is like poetry in my ears!
Miss you David! Watching again!
David, thanks to you I have bought a Panasonic G7 + Olympus 45mm f1.8, your videos are so pleasant to watch and hear! keep on the good work.
Thank you for the reply, will look forwards to it with great pleasure as with all of your reviews .
❤️i hope this channel will be up forever 💪
Thank you for your thorough, well-crafted analysis of this lens. I found it very useful.
I appreciate you telling me, it is good to know. Thanks
Just got the 15mm silver version. It looks very great on my GX7 silver version. I do like the wider angle for landscape photography. For more normal angle photos I have the Olympus 25mn, also silver version. When I was younger my cameras were range finders with 50 mm lenses. I love your reviews, short, concise and to the point. Keep them coming.
John Clark I too had a Minolta rangefinder with a 35mm lens. Took fantastic photos with it.
What a great review. RIP Mr. Thorpe
dude thanks alot for your review!!! it helped me a lot!
rukremov Glad to hear that - thanks!
I have my eye on this lens for a G7 shooting video in 4k. I have the panasonic 20mm 1.7 but with the ever increasing crop factors especially in 4k, we need wider lenses to offset this problem. I'd really want panasonic to make a 1.7 or 2.0 12mm prime. Come on panasonic. Pretty please? BTW, every time I see a review that has the name David Thorpe, I say YEAAAA and can't wait to watch it! Really. David pays attention to details that real users want to know about.
+jeffhalebopp Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate them. Panasonic seem to have lost their way a bit with lenses, leaving the running to Olympus. Things like the f/1.2 42.5 are great headline grabbers but for most of us an f/1.7 12mm would be much more useful. Or a 75mm or 90mm macro.
I'd say the Leica 12mm 1.4 lens is decent for environmental portraits but it's definitely less "portrait" strong than the tiny 15 for the same genre. It's amazing as a documentation and landscape prime though.
I got this lens today. I'm in love! Haha
Great review! You are one of the reasons why I decided to get this instead of the 12mm. Thanks!
Glad I helped - thanks!
David is the reason I got into MFT, was definitely the best reviewer out there, I still haven't found anyone better. I was always looking forward to his new videos coming out back in the day. :(
Thanks David, great video and photos. Very helpful
Glad about that - thank you, Pete.
I bought this lens, love it. It's often on my G7, which is not really a walk-around camera, but I do love this lens rendering and it makes me take the G7 places I would ordinarily take a point-and-shoot. The G7 is so light that I can forgive it's mini-DSLR styling.
I quite enjoyed your review and very much agree with most of it, focal length being a personal perogative. On my other cameras I usually went with the 35mm equivalent lens and while this one is a touch wider, I'm still having fun with it.
+John Roberts Yes, it's a lovely lens. As I said, I do have a preference for 17mm which I feel is a little more versatile but probably also because fast lenses with that angle of view has been around since I can remember. But I could happily use this lens instead. I wideangle of this speed would have been either impossible to build or impossibly expensive not so long ago.
Bought it for my GX8, love it. Lot of people think it's an analogue camera & lens.
It's great when a camera and lens just feel and work right together.
I've moved from the Olympus 17 to the Leicasonic 15 for a reason that wasn't immediately obvious- on my Pen-F, the Leicasonic is like shooting a 35mm lens on a rangefinder. I get that little extra bit of information coming into and outside of my "shooting frame." I mentally crop to a 35mm equivalent when I shoot and then crop it in Aperture or LR. Works aces!
Interesting idea, Maggie and a good example of how we develop personal techniques to enhance our photography. When I was a press man, at riots and such, I'd use a 35mm set at 2.5m on my Nikon F# with a Leica bright line finder in the hot shoe. I'd look through that with my right eye but keep both eyes open. Once used to it, it gave great scope for anticipating situations and shooting fast.
Nice unbiased and objective review David. Still going for the 17mm Olympus.
Thanks, Edwin.
Thank you David for your excellent reviews, it helps a lot.
I really like my 15mm f1.7 at Lumix G7 particularly when recording 4K videos. Equivalens is 35mm f4 at 4K.
To me the combination 15mm, 20mm and 45mm covers a lot.
Kindly regards
J O
+Jan Olof Härnström Thanks Jan - yes, the lens combination you have covers most needs and with top quality too. When you look at the size of the lenses and camera and consider that you can do both high quality 4k video and stills, time lapse high speed sequences....it's ridiculous. isn't it?
Thanks David !
Great video, great photos, and great review. You are my favorite camera reviewer!
I'm flattered, Al, and thank you!
Pfew ! I am glad you agree.
Enjoyed watching !
Thx.
Amazing reviews, Thanks!
Glad you like them - thanks Paul.
Hello David. Great review. I think you had the Olympus 17mm on your mind when creating the intro title to this video. I'm buying the 15mm soon. thanks
Thank you for this nice review. There are a lot of talk about special rendering (mini contrst, 3d pop ...) of this lens. How different it is from olympus 17mm f1.8? Would it will be noticable in the prints (15"×10")? (I am thinking between oly em10iv+17mm1.8 and pan gx9+15mm1.7, which would have similar prise now). Thanks.
Thank you David for the great video! I just bought this lens, but it did not come with a lens cover. At 2.35 I see a lens cover that actually works on the lens with the hood. Where did you get that? I would like to order one too. Many thanks from across the pond.
Such a good review and comparison, I have been looking for this. I luckily owned 17 f2.8 by chance as my nearby camera store having a clearance, I got brand new 1 year gtd. around 70 ponds and it is petty good but contrast is not sharp so I am looking for a better one.. ♥️
Thanks! The 17mm f/2.8 is a very usable and compact lens and at £70 a real bargain. The 15mm is in a different class, really, as is the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. They're in a different price bracket, too, unfortunately!
A fantastic review! I like the aperture ring. I can change aperture faster than in the camera menu in M and A mode. So I really care about that
+Arne Løvaas Thanks Arne. The aperture ring didn't mean much to me but I am always aware that everyone uses things differently. And, after all, just because the ring is there does not mean you are forced to use it.
I first buy those senses and then sold it, today I re-buy it, my photography level arguably have risen and I finally learned to appreciate its quality. it's IQ is superb and better than oly 17/1.8. And YES, IS would be a treat, and YES, I prefer 17mm more - but IQ is so, that cropping it to 17mm gives comparable quality.
What's nice is to appreciate quality. Like everything else, that's a learning process but once you've learnt it, it's for ever. If the cost of it is selling then buying a lens, it is well worth it. Glad you are pleased with it even if it is the second time round!
Very detailed review just like this pana-leica lens itself.
+GFTryBest Glad you liked it!
Thanks for another enjoyable review David. Do you think the 15mm f1.7 is worth considering for landscapes (as an alternative to the 14mm f2.5), or is it perhaps not wide enough?
Michael Wrest I think it's wide enough for most landscapes but you are paying for the fast aperture which is not really needed for landscape. You'd need to stop down to f4/5.6 anyway for edge to edge sharpness so there's no real advantage over the 14mm. And, of course the little bit of extra angle of the 14 _can_ be useful.
Hi David, i love your review! One of the best for the M43 systems. For primes,between this and the olympus 17 1.8, which is better for video work?
Either will work well technically - I'd pick the 17mm because I like the angle of view and 15mm might be a bit wide for natural looking video. But otherwise, both sharp, both quiet - either one chosen on the focal length..
another nice review. i love how the out of focus area is not distracting at all on this lens. it looks a little too wide compared to the Oly 17mm, if only they made it 17.5mm it would have been perfect
Yes, that would have been my choice too.
Would have made more sense for a 17.5. That way you have the Panasonic equivalent 35, 50 and 85 in terms of full frame
nef li Yes, classic line-up
+John Clark I can't reply directly for some reason, John (does anyone understand Google+). I'm glad you like the reviews. Yes, nice lens and with the addition of the Olympus or Panasonic portrait lenses, you'd have an ideal prime outfit.
I do have the Olympus 45mm portrait lens. I am interested in the new Panasonic 42.5mm 1.7 don' t know if it is that much better than the Olympus to justify. I just ordered the Panasonic 30mm macro since I don't own a macro lens. Have you considered doing a review of the Panasonic 30mm and 42.5mm 1.7
John Clark I don't think I'd swap the Olympus 45mm for the Panasonic unless I desperately wanted the stabilization since IQ by all accounts is very similar. I'd like to review all those lenses but I get no help from anyone, so my only access to stuff is to buy it!
Agree on focal length, I also prefer 17mm and distortion has been a bit of a problem for me.
We miss you David TT
I miss you David! 🥲
Another great review David. For those OOC jpeg you using any special picture styles or just Standard all set to 0? On my GH3 I find the noise reduction to be extremely heavy handed to the point where I usually have it set at -4 or even -5.
Thanks Jason. I leave the jpg settings on the factory default settings. I haven't noticed the noise reduction to be particularly heavy handed on the GH3 or 4 but I am shooting these at 1920x1080 so some of the noise perhaps gets lost in the camera down-sampling, making noise reduction less necessary.
you are best reviewer out there !!!!
What can I say - thank you, Vishal!
Great review David (as always)! Have you tested the Oly 12mm f/2.0?
***** Thanks, Dawid. I haven't tested it because I sold it before I stared these videos. I liked it but after I bought the 12-35mm f2.8 Panasonic I found I didn't use it much. The Olympus 17 and 45mm f1.8s I'd never sell but somehow the 12mm didn't seem special. That's very, very subjective, though!
Miss you David.
Preciosas cámaras Olympus y excelente revisión del Zuiko 28mm. Habrás hecho las delicias de los Olympistas. Acuérdate de los que amamos también a las Nikon. Te rogaría que hicieras alguna revisión de un objetivo angular que fuera asequible sin comprometer demasiado su calidad para la montura Nikon . Los que voy mirando siempre los encuentro a precios muy elevados. Gracias mil por compartir tu pasión por la fotografía.
Gracias por las palabras amables. González. Siento decirle que sólo cubren las cámaras y lentes del sistema Micro Four Thirds. Me alegro de que te gusten mis videos, de todos modos!
if a camera's dial (OMD, Pen) can set the aperture
what's the use of a dedicated aperture ring?
David many thanks for your review of the pans Leica 15mm i had thought of purchasing but have decided on the Oly 17mm by the way what is that cord attached to the VF
You're welcome, Robert. The cord comes with the accessory larger EVF eyecup which keeps direct sunlight from making it harder to see the screen. I don't think you can get them now.
This lens on a GX8 is just fantastic - a real modern day Leica M6 street & reportage snapper. It forces you to be a more thoughtful photographer.
Yes, a combination for actually taking pictures - that's what it's all about.
Yes, these are the sharpest images I've ever seen on RUclips. I simply wonder how this lens on my Panasonic gx85. As always, thanks for the upload.
They make a nice combination - glad you liked the video.
Hi David, what editing software and codec you used on this video? Thanks in advance.
if you pair it with for example the lumix g85 which has Ibis body stabilization, it works great!
Yes, I had begun to wonder of Panasonic would ever add IBIS to their cameras, then they did and it rapidly got better until it's more or less on a par with Olympus. Makes a big difference to the viable lens choices.
David I enjoy your videos. I own 2GH3s, 1 GH4 and the GX7 bodies. I have the 12-35mm Panasonic, 35-100mm Panasonic, and the Olympus 45mm lenses. I want to add the 42.5mm Nocticron as well as the 15mm Summilux to my collection. I love the M43 systems. I bought the GH4 and GX7 based on your videos.
***** You certainly bought into it in a big way! The outift you mention, with the 42,5 and 15mm will be about as good as it gets.
Without image stabilization the 15mm Summilux should I use it moreso for the GX7?
***** Wide-angles show camera movement less than longer lenses simply because the detail is rendered smaller, so stabilization is less important. Nonetheless, it's good to have under most circumstances. Not only that but the 15mm looks really neat on it!
I love the fact that is has the aperture ring.
Yes, interesting idea of Panasonic's, that. I'd love to know what made them think of it.
Great review as always - thanks. I have my GX8 on pre-order - not that I expect the IBIS/IS 4/2 Axis in the GX8 to be as good as the 5 axis in Olympus or now the Sony A7m2/rm2 - but definitely good for 2-3 stops - I like using the Panasonic's, especially the GX7 over the Olympus EM5/EM1 - I do have the 20mm and yes it is a bit sluggish in focus when considering the speed on lenses now - so I am consider this lens -
jon hermannsson Thanks Jon. I'd like the GX8 IBIS to be improved over the GX7 too. I prefer the handling of Panasnic cameras but bought an Olympous because I wanted to use the 40-150mm f/2.8. This 15mm would be great on a GX8, I'd expect.
Hi, do you give me some advice on what is best for my needs? I have a Panasonic G80.
What do you recommend me between these two summilux: 15mm f1.7 or 25mm f1.4. The use is for photos and videos in low light conditions, portraits, interiors, excursions and fast focusing.
Thank you.
Hi - naturally no one lens is ideal or can do everything but both lenses are good for low light conditions. In terms of focusing, there's nothing in it and on your G80 it is effectively instantaneous with both of them.For portraits, the 25mm would be better. For excursions out and about it would simply depend on the subject but in general, I'd say overall the 25mm. For interiors the 15mm would be better. The 15mm is definitely a wide angle whereas the 25mm is more an all rounder. So, the 25mm and you've got a bit more speed too!
Hi, I know this is an old video but I just got this lens. I just wanted to know when you half press the shutter button to autofocus does the lens flicker/shake a lot? My copy of the lens seems to do that...
Hi - any Micro Four Thirds lens can give the impression of a slight flash or judder when it focuses because it is actually focusing in front of, then behind the subject many times to find the point of optimum contrast and thus sharpness. It's no more on this lens than any other, though. If your other lenses don't exhibit the same characteristics or they do but less so it may be a faulty lens. Certainly the act of focusing shouldn't be disruptive to taking a picture and I noticed nothing untoward with my copy of this lens.
Yet another excellent review, thanks! (Sorry to be boring, but the title card says 17mm not 15)
Very good review! Thanks! Do you found the autofocus as good as the 12-35 f2.8?
Yes - much the same. What was once exceptional speed has become the norm now.
Thanks David!
Excellent review, as always. The title screen of the video says 17mm instead of 15mm, a bit confusing. I think when it comes to it, I'll get the Olympus 17mm, though.
Zvi Meniker Thanks for pointing that out, Zvi.17mm Olympus,1.7 aperture... I must have 17 on the brain. I can't correct it without pulling the video so I've put in an annotation!
V much like both the Leica 15mm & Oly 17mm David. The 15mm seems more punchy & maybe better for those who want OOC JPEG’s & tbh it’s gorgeous. Sadly the 15mm also suffers from significant barrel distortion when not paired with a Pany body I believe which is why I felt I had to side with the Oly. 👍🙏🏼
Great review as always
Conrado Sosa Thanks, Conrado.
IS it good for video for the micro 4/3 lumix dmc-gh3 camera.?IT has no stabilisation but is it still good for photo and video for the lumix dmc-gh3 camera?
+Phillip Vastopoulos Yes, it's quiet and focuses well for video. Stabilization is not so important with such wide-angle lenses as this. Nonetheless, it is alwasy better to have it than not.
Great detailed review, thank! But there's a typo in the title card
I know - 17mm, f1.7, I had 17 on the brain. I've put a correction on a note at the top!
Hi David, I love your reviews a lot. I have a question and hope you can answer. I own a GH5, which I love a lot and own a speedbooster (0.71 Nikon mount). Now I need a lens for low light conditions and therefore I am looking at the 15mm (20mm) 1.7, but also consider with the speedbooster the Sigma 20mm F1.4 Art. The Panasonic would be a final 30mm F3.4 and the Sigma a 28.4mm F2, but will be only manual. Which one would you recommend and go for?
Thank you so much for taking your time to answer.
I'd go for the 15mm because it will couple in with all the auto settings and facilities such as Post focus on the GH5. Whatever its equivalence to DSLR lenses, it is an f/1.7 lens which is high speed by any standards. Equivalence is a bit of a red herring really because 36x24mm is not a standard, just one size of sensor, so if you take an f/2 DSLR lens, it is equivalent to an f/4 on a Hasselblad. It all ceases to make sense.
If the meter says 1/60th @ f/1.7, that is the light gathering power you get on MFT, not f/3.4 so in reality you are comparing an f/1.7 15mm 60 degree angle of view lens with an f/1 14mm 63 degree angle of view one.
Bear in mind that with the Metabones attached you'll want to stop down one to get the best performance and you have, for twice the price and more than twice the weight, a manual focus lens 3 degrees wider horizontally and a half stop faster than the fully auto Panasonic 15mm. I'd say the Sigma is a fantastic lens for the DSLRs it is designed for but doesn't make sense on an MFT body.
For a high speed lens with unbeatable sharpness, the 25mm f/1.4 Panasonic is hard to beat but it's not wide angle, of course.
wow David, thank you so much for taking your time in writing such a long answer. I really appreciate this. Until now I believed that also a mft lens will double up the aperture, so from 1,7 to 3,4. If not, then I will definitely go for the 15mm, which gives me then a 30mm 1,7 if I got you right. So nearly a 35mm for filming. Just need a good lens for low light in theatres
That's right, the widish the angle of view of a 30mm lens on FF but still a fast f/1.7.
Hi david.. I want to order this lens, but still curious, does the aperture ring works on creative movie mode?? I'm using gh5 btw, i just dont want it to accidently move the aperture ring and mess everything,, thanks.. 😁
You can use it in video but personally, I find it best to just the the ring to A and later the aperture from one of the wheels, as normal. Heresy, I know :-) - but less prone to accidental movement. Normally, you'd be in shutter priority for video anyway so the lens would operate automatically anyway.
In some ways it's a bit of a relief that there's a new Leica badged MFT lens I neither need nor want. I have the Oly 17 and the Panny 20 and that's probably overkill. 1/3 of a stop in speed really isn't much of an inducement, nor is the 4mm [eq] on AoV. On wides like these that one click isn't going to give any measurable limitation on DoF either - probably completely lost by the fact it is shorter.
That's possibly the one reason I've still got the 20mm, where the 1/3 adds to the gain in focal length to blur the background in reasonably close subjects. But that's also the reason my pick of the general purpose primes is that PanaLeica 25mm f1.4. Better low light performance and it does allow for subject isolation in shots of small groups, which the length is ideal for. If I owned none of these lenses the 15mm might be a consideration, but I doubt it. I can see its allure for those that like a reasonably wide AoV in low light. More useful as you say for Oly shooters ironically.
I'm very happy with the 17mm Olympus and I often carry it with my other prime, the Olympus 45mm which I find a generally more useful partner to the 17 than a 25 would be. Not for groups of people, though. But all of this is so much a matter of personal choice and what I'm with you on what you say.
David.
I see a Panasonic GX8 in some of your videos, will you be doing a review at some time ?
+Frank Langford I'm working on it now. It takes me a while because I like to get to know the camera and sort out in my mind what I think about it.
Hello!
I'm considering buying a Panasonic GX7 in silver, but the only issue is that I'm unsure about the lens. I'm not sure whether the 20mm would be better, as it's a fixed lens, or whether I should sacrifice image quality for zoom. I take both portrait and scenery shots, so, what would you personally choose seen as you own one? I'm totally mind-boggled at the moment, ha ha!
It's not your fault - the choice _is_ mind boggling. For one lens and given that you need some versatility, I'd go for a zoom. Top choice would be the 14-140mm which for many people is the only lens they'd ever need. It's not cheap though so if that's more than you want to pay, one of the standard 14-42s would suit you well. Or the dearer Panasonic 14-_45_mm, which has a good reputation. There is an inevitable sacrifice in quality but it is less than you might think.
I have a Panasonic G9 with the Panasonic 25mm f/1.7, Olympus 45mm f/1.8, and the Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6. I'm wondering if I should get the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 or a Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8. What do you think?
That's difficult. I think for overall versatility I'd have to say the zoom. It lacks the speed of the 15mm but 12mm gives such a useful angle of view. If you feel that you never need such a wide angle, then the 15mm, with its speed advantage. But I doubt that.
Hi David, would you please kindly let me know what editing software and codec used on processing this video? Thanks.
Hi - all very basic. Adobe Premiere Elements and exported from there to MP4, 25fps max bitrate 15mbps.
Thanks for the info David.
Hi David watched this a few times over the last few months, are you saying the the pany doesn’t have a manual focus ring? That would be a no no for me. Love your reviews thanks
Glad you like the reviews, Julian, thank you. To be clear, the lens certainly does have a manual focusing ring.
@@DavidThorpeMFT oh sorry i missunderstood thank you for that :)
Proud to have the Panasonic leica 15mm in my collection 😉
Good lens, isn't it, Mario?
Yes David it's a good tiny lens which is fun to use with a pl filter, nd , infrared r72 to get interesting shots, its a good selfie lens too 😅, I take the pl 15mm and my Olympus 12-40 2.8 on overseas trips 😉
David - love your videos. 2 quick questions: have you had a chance to use the SIgma 16mm 1.4, and if so, how does it stack up against the Leice 15mm and Oly 17mm (besides being much bigger)? Thanks for all your hard work.
Thanks! No, I haven't tried the Sigma but all my expereince with Sigma has been that they make lenses as good as and often better than the big makers. I'll have a word and see if I can get any Sigmas to try.
Thanks David! Would you still buy the Oly 17mm today?
@@evilgeniusentertainment Yes, it's as sharp as any and I do like the 17mm focal length. Plus it is nicely compact and made of metal, so feels solid and well made. It would still be my pick,
Thanks man! (looking at one for $290 used)
@@evilgeniusentertainment Sounds a good price.
I just cut a deal for this lens and another much much rarer and cooler Panasonic item that I'll find the video about and comment there for :-D Exciting, much better suited to street/travel than the 16mm Sigma 1.4 that I also have. Will go well on the GX9 and GM1 :-) Thanks for your videos!
Glad they are useful, fredio54!
Great review. Im looking at a lense for my G7 to shoot video in a gym which is a confined dark space and I want the background blurred, is something like this my best option?
+Daz Leighton You're never going to get a very blurred background with a wide-angle lens unless you are very close to the subject. Within those limitations, I don't think there is a better lens for what you want and you can certainly use this lens wide open with no worries about sharpness.
+David Thorpe Brilliant thanks for the reply. Yeh I figured as much but Its such a confined space you are right up on the subject anyway, even just a little background blur to make the subject pop a bit would be perfect.
+Daz Leighton In that case, I can't think of a better lens. Hope it works out how you want.
Besides the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 and that Olympus 17mm 1.8 there is the Panasonic 14mm f2.5. Why not included in the comparison? To small max aperture? Love the channel and would love to get your option on the Panny 14mm. (P.S. Your audio seems to be quieter than other youtube channels. Please turn up.)
Hi Paul - I buy my own equipment so can't have everything to hand - until I get rich, that is! The 14mm f/2.5 is in a category of one, really. Slower than the others but having the benefit of being truly compact. I wouldn't put it with the others in that 14mm is very much a wide-angle and not suitable for a lot of everyday subjects that the slightly longer lenses can take on. Portraits, for example. You would argue - rightly - that there's not much difference between 14 and 15mm but the 15mm is just that tad closer to a general purpose optic. This video was a little while back -my audio is a lot better now thanks to the expertise of Karol Walkowski, mentioned below.
Thank you David, I enjoy your reviews VERY much! Waiting for the newly announced GX85...vs gx7 or 8... For 50% the cost does one get half the pleasure...I think with the 15mm f1.7 that could MY go to in my pocket kit? WHAT say you ( ...when the time comes:-)
+Nadine Smoske Thanks, Nadine. Half the cost, half the pleasure - not with cameras but I might apply it to chocolate :-)
Hi David! I'm currently using my Olympus Pen E-PL7 with my Panasonic 20mm f1.7. Between the Panasonic 15mm and the 20mm, which would you say has the edge in sharpness and overall image quality?
Hi Gavin - at wide apertures the 20mm is technically better, especially at the edges. That's as you would expect from the differences in focal lengths, the 15mm being so much wider angled. Stopped own to f/4 the 15mm has the edge but it is quite academic and won't be much evident in actual photography. The real choice in these lenses is which focal length you prefer in the end.
+David Thorpe Alright thanks for the info, David! Have always enjoyed your witty and insightful vids on the various mft lens and cam, keep it up!
I called you Gavin in my reply - don't know how that happened, sorry. I'll keep 'em comin! :-)
i love your competence and your passion about photography! if I shoot jpg with olympus body..camera will correct automatically distortion and chromatic aberration? or it works just with panasonic bodies (shooting jpg) thank you:)
Thanks Camillo! Distortion is corrected on either make but Olympus didn't correct CA on Panasonic lenses until fairly recently, cameras after but not including the E-M5. It's easily removed in PP but if you want to use images straight from the camera it's bit of a nuisance.
David Thorpe thank you a lot!!!!
Thanks David - nice review as always. You are right that the nice 20mm F1.7 is a bit slow in focus compared to others -
I do like my 25mm F1.4 but would be nice if it was a bit smaller - but now I have also the LX100 so hard to justify getting the 15mm as it does 24-75mm F1.8-2.8 and IS -
I was wondering if you are going to spring for the LX100 - which to me is very nice but not perfect - and just amazing why Panasonic did not include Touch LCD ! - so many screaming out Sony to include it and yes some at Fuji - but we have been spoiled with Panasonic and Olympus but more so Panasonic -
I think also they could have included a Tilt-LCD - but otherwise a real joy and in my mind a very nice lens - I think IS is not as good as in say the 12-35 lens but still OK - compared to my Fuji X100s with no IS
It does fit in a winter coat pocket -
I also got the GM1 few months back - very happy with it - so small - will upgrade for sure if GM6 has IBIS as it would be really nice have IBIS for lenses like the Olympus 45mm F1.8 which is mostly on my GM1 -
The 15mm is larger then the LX100 lens - I suppose maybe a bit sharper at 30mm but for $300 more one gets a camera with a super lens and 4k video -
I'd love to try an LX100 - it looks a beauty. I don't think any GM will have IBIS. Panasonic is committed to video but it generates a lot of heat which means that it needs a bigger heat sink...which you can't have because for IBIS the sensor assembly needs to be light. Or so I am led to be believe. We can always hope, though.
A great review as always David. Your one of my top places online to get the MFT info I want. Keep up the great work 😀
lawrencejames Whyat can I say but thank you!? Thank you!
Hello David. I can’t seem to find out if this lens will be stabilized by my GX9. Still trying choose between the Olympus 17 or this 15mm Panasonic. What a choice it is. I think, if the GX7 would stabilize it then the GX9 would but maybe u can say if it does. It will be the first lens I get next to the 140mm but also the last for a while. General purpose inside the street. No 2nd hand of any of the two around and only 50€ difference. Would the GX9 body stabilize both of them? Regards,
The GX9 has in body stabilization, so _any_ lens fitted to it will be stabilized, John. I prefer the Olympus 17mm myself since I like the all round versatility of the focal length. But in reality, both are excellent lenses, it's just a matter of whether you want the wider angle of the 15mm or not. There's no bad choice!
Thanks, John. I wouldn't get the 17mm as well. The two lenses will do much the same job. A 25mm or 45mm would be a better additon when you do buy another lens.
I thoroughly agree, John.
You never mentioned the Panasonic 20mm which may well be one of the best of all Micro Four Thirds !?. Does everything the 15mm does and better. While not quite WA I have found it a great walk around.
+Bill Whelan For me the 15mm is too wide for a walkaround lens and the 20mm would be better. But 17mm or its equivalent has always been my choice probably because I've always had one in my bag, Nikon, Leica, whatever.
It really bugs me that Olympus do not include a lens hood with most of their lenses.
Anyway, great review, I still think I will go for the Oly 17mm soon
It annoys me too. Luckily there are plenty of cheap and good ones on eBay and Amazon. Glad you liked the review.
Great review as normal David, a question and if money isn't an issue (funds being available) is it worth buying this Panasonic 15mm Leica over the Olympus 17mm? From what I see if I brought the Olympus, I'd save $100-150. So if I have the money would the Panasonic 15mm be a better buy?
I'd use it on a Panasonic GX8..
Thanks again for yet another brilliant review..
Thanks Tim! My personal preference is for the 17mm focal length. It's a kind of wide standard lens and very versatile in general use. I'd buy the 15mm more as a wide angle than a general purpose lens. In terms of performance they are both as good as the Micro Four Thirds lenses almost uniformly are these days - that is, very good. The Olympus feels very solid and...well, it's one of my favorite Micro Four Thirds primes.
Thanks for your opinions and thoughts David, this is a real toss up for me, whether I get the 15mm or 17mm. Currently I don't have a Prime lens (Just sold a Sigma 19mm 2.8) and purchased a Olympus 12-40mm 2.8, and I don't see the real need to have both 15mm and 17mm....
I might need to toss a coin on this one...
Thanks again for your thoughts
Hi David; Nice video, as always... when are the poppies out?... haven't seen them yet... re; Cycling; Please ride with at least (3) ULTRA bright LED lights on the rear (too many reasons to explain why here, beyond the obvious)... Hate to lose one of the Best reviewers...
newportcycling Thanks for the kind words - and I hear what you say. The poppies have gone now, the last went three weeks ago.
Great review.
i was leaning on the Olympus gor my GX1 but there's a sale on the Summilux...
now i just can't decide.. please help :-)
Unless you have a strong preference for a particular focal length, I'd go on price. You can make a strong case for any of the different optics available at 14/ 15/ 17mm but the reality is that you get used to the focal length you have and none is intrinsically better or worse. That applies to IQ as well, they are all uniformly good.
Thanks David if found a Summilux for a bargin... i will run with it
many thanks
You're reviews are among the best reviews for anything on RUclips! And you sound like Jason Statham to boot!
It's great to hear that - thanks! And yes, the London accent does come through, doesn't it?
David Thorpe Oh yes it does! 😊
Thank you.
Glad you liked it - thank you!
I wish this had a stabilizer on it! Would be perfect for the Blackmagic pocket
I have never understood Panasonic's approach to stabilization. If you can do it with the 12-32mm zoom, I'd have thought there was room for it in any lens.
That's exactly what I thought. I think I am going to go with the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 instead.
Dear David, as much I enjoy watching your beautifully narrated tests I am left somewhat broody concerned for the focus on gear rather than photography.
I certainly appreciate the folks over at ePHOTOzine who entrust you for these reviews (and I admit I do occasionally browse the review section of their site) but I feel, given your experience as a pro 'tog, the attention should be more on the tool as the mean to a goal rather than the opposite.
Btw I don't even shoot m43 but I watch your videos because I enjoy your narrative style. I am a bit tired of the youngsters who approach photographic gear with a computer benchmarking like mentality. Greetings from Herts.
I know what you mean Andrew. When I talk with professional mates about photography the subject of cameras never comes up, just as plumbers don't discuss their tools as a matter of course. However, If you look at this review, I have gone out and shot a feature with the lens covering the kind of work I think it is best for. I can't do more.
Where the camera as a means to an end is concerned, I have no way of knowing what someone else's end would be. My end was always making pictures that I could sell for which my journalistic skills were more important than my pictorial ones. Someone else's might be winning competitions. But no one can tell you how to do those things. For that you pick up a suitable piece of equipment and do it until you succeed.
All I can do is give a hint at what the suitable piece of equipment might be.
Dear David, Thank you for your excellent reviews. I've recently discovered your work.
I have just acquired a GX9, upgrading from a GX1. I have been using the GX1 with the 20mm f1.7 for going 'commando' doing street photography and on travels. I'll like your advice if I should be upgrading to the 15mm f1.7 will result in any appreciable extra value above the 20mm f1.7. You've pointed out that the 15mm f1.7 is high-speed wide-angle (hence there'll be a bump in focusing speed, which is great). Nonetheless, since you own both the 15mm and the 20mm for 'commando' purposes, any comments about the difference between them in (1) low light performance, (2) shallow DOF bokeh, With the in body 4 axis stabilization on the GX9, I reckon on board stabilisation is not a big drawback, since I've been using the 20mm f1.7 on an obsolete GX1 body for so long, and have adapted to not having stabilisation in low light.
- PS. I am getting the Panasonic Leica f2.8-f4 12-60mm for as the kit zoom lens with the GX9
The 15mm focuses much more quickly than the 20mm but in terms of sharpness there's little if anything in it in day to day work. My preference would be for the 15mm for street work, It's not terribly wide but handily so for buildings etc. For people it may be a bit short. My preferred focal length for an all rounder is 17mm. I'm very fond of my 17mm f/1.8 Olympus which focuses quickly, too. The 12-60 will work well as your main lens. I think on balance, if the Olympus doesn't suit, the 15mm would be better for you. But do look at the 17mm as well.
Hi David!
Regards from Stockholm again where we've had windy weather, above 0 temps and not a trace of snow since Christmas! Horrible weather!
Lots of questions for you today - if you have the time to answer them! I'm hoping to get a GH5 by March or April. I"ve managed to pick up both the Leica 8-18 and the Leica 12-60, f f2.8 lenses for 100 quid.
But, my head is spinning researching low light alternatives.
Would you go the speedbooster route with something like a Nikon 50 mm f 1.4 which is, as I understand it, a lens meant for a mirrored camera, or this F 1.7 Leica which is, of course, a native MFT lens.
A guy at Scandinavian Photo here in Stockholm was of the opinion that putting lenses made for mirrored cameras on mirrorless cameras was never a good idea.
What do you do think?
I understand what the Photo guy was saying because film lenses have rather different characteristics from digital ones, especially with regard to edge performance light distribution. It's not so important with Micro Four Thirds and FF film lenses, though because you're only using the centre of the lens's image circle. And with the addition of the speedbooster the game changes and film lenses become highly usable (albeit manual). A Nikkor 50mm with the booster would be a stop faster than f/1.4 - that is fast! It would also be good and sharp. On the other hand, it would be a (50x.71) or 35mm in focal length so more of a short telephoto than a wide-angle like the Panasonic. I'd tot up the price of the booster with a suitable lens and compare it to a Panasonic 25mm f/1.4. Film lenses and and boosters are nice but they'll never be as seamless in use as native Micro Four Thirds lenses
Hi David,
There's this strange bright light shining outside, but since it's been so gray and dank, I'm hard pressed to recall what sunshine looks like!!
Thanks for your response. I do hope to get the camera soon - unless the rumour mill presents us with a GH6 that is too good to refuse.
But, it would still have to have 4 K cropping, still easily switchable between PALand NTSC and Syncro Scan, just to name a few!
All the best - hopping to get to England again. I have several colleagues working out of Dover.
@@312SES I think any GH6 will retain all the 4K features and system switching. I'm very familiar with Dover - used to work for the local paper than covers that area many years ago. The weather here is much the same as Sweden right now :-(
Very nice tripod at 5.30. Which one is it?
It's a little Manfrotto. The don't do that one any more but this amzn.to/2NTnMia (UK) amzn.to/2Ddc5Pg (USA) is the equivalent
Lol... I just ordered my GM5 with this lens, this very minute !
So, this better be good ;-)
Roll it !
You won't be disappointed!
If you had to choose between this lens and the Olympus 17mm 1.8, which one would you get on a Panasonic G7?
For an all round prime, I'd get the 17mm. Not that its better than the Panasonic in any way but I prefer 17mm as an all round usable focal length,. It's long enough not to look wide angle, so good for natural portraits of someone in their environment but wide enough for use in townscapes. I could make out a good argument for the 15mm but it's just the focal length, really.
I have a Panasonic G7 that I find amazing for the price. I'm using the kit lens 14-42, mainly at 14 mm as a wide angle to shoot landscapes and old villages in Europe. Here are my questions:
1-Considering that I shoot mainly outside in bright daylight
2-Considering that in my landscape and building pics I want everything in focus I always use f8-11 on the kit lens at 14mm.
3-Considering that I'm not after the light gathering capability of the 15 mm Summilux, what would be the real advantage of the Summilux used at f8 compared to the 14-42 then? Is there such a drastic difference in image quality at those apertures between the 15mm and the kit lens at 14mm. I find the kit lens remarkable, for its price, at the wide angle end.
At f/5.6 to f8 most lenses perform well. When you pay for wide aperture lenses, you actually are paying for the wide aperture, money wasted if you are going to use it stopped down beyond f/2.8. I don't see any purpose in you buying the 15mm since it's no sharper at f/8 than the kit lens. The particular kit lens you have is a very sharp example of its type anyway.
The 15mm is more solidly built and feel nicer to use but that is hardly important for landscapes. At f/11 Micro Four Thirds lenses in particular are below their optimum quality due to diffraction and f/8 is a good minimum working aperture though you'll only really see the difference at high magnification.
I love the comments that fitting the hood isn't as inconvenient as it could be because you'll probably lose the lens ring anyway. How true
It's just real life, isn't it?
I have my eye on this lens :) I was wondering - some reviewers say it has a metal body, is that true?
Timur Dzhambinov The body and mount are metal, the rest is plastic, focus ring and so on. Although metal feels nicer, I think ,modern plastics are probably stronger in that they absorb imact without permanent damage.
nice lens. thx 4 vid.
Thanks!
I think OIS is left out of high performance primes because it might require some weight to be saved elsewhere and the first place they'd do it is to the optics.
I don't know - the tiny 12-32mm has stabilization so it can't be that heavy. The 42.5 f1.2 prime has it too. I think maybe they feel that wide-angle and standard lenses don't need it.
I know David is not with us physically anymore. God Bless his soul. But I'd like everyone to know that I'm STILL waiting for an optically stabilized wide prime lens for the GM1 that I still use. 😁
Its a great lens but i agree 15mm is a bit odd size, i still struggle with that at times. It complements my 25 1.4 Summilux witch has been my only lens for some years on my EM-5. In my opinion the 15mm does not have the same magic as the 25.... The 15 renders similar and very much Leica style with colours and bokhe and so on... But somehow it does not manage to be as much an artists tool as the 25, perhaps just because of its wider angle who knows. Its still definitely worth its money and its a great piece of quality glass...
Personal choice is the main thing, really. You can justify or not justify any focal length or lens but it's what it feels to you personally that matters. I just love the 17mm length, others hate it, neither wide nor normal. Of course, helps to know I am always right :-)
I wonder why Leica designed it as a 15, must have been some reason... I had a panasonic 14 before i liked that focal length better than 15 as well.
I am looking for fast normal lens to be in the middle of the Olympus PRO 7-14 and 40-150. The 17 mm Olympus 1.2 is overpriced an unavailable right now. The 17 mm Olympus 1.8 seems pretty plain and not very fast. I am inclined to give the Sigma 16 mm 1.4 a try. It is not expensive, fast and seems to have a good performance. It would be an interesting lens for your appraisal. By the way, my G9 is coming.
Just got my G9 this morning! I'd have thought a Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 would fill the gap nicely. I have the Olympus 17mm, one of my favourite lenses. One thing to note is that an f/1.2 lens is often very little faster than an f/1.8 in the real world, because all those complex elements absorb light. Movie makers don't use f/stops, they use T stops. Those are simply measures of how much light reaches the sensor. You see it on some lenses which have both marked. It's an eye opener sometimes. The 16mm, it's bit too close to 14mm to make a big difference.
David Thorpe That’s great to hear that you got your G9. I will take mine in the end of the month when I will be on travel in Sweden, I will share my impressions later as I will be traveling up north to chase the northern lights. I do agree about the 25 mm filling the niche of focal length. I am more kind of extreme focal length guy. The more used focal length is actually the 14 mm of my Olympus. The 16 mm is on the wider side but it gives one more stop from the 2.8 zoom. I understand the hype of large apertures and that the real world differences are not significant. The 17 1.2 is expensive and big. I will also share my impressions of the Sigma 16mm on the real world.