I have only five lenses for my OM-1 that make me ready for any situation. 1. MZ 12-200 for traveling 2. MZ 60 F2.8 for macro 3. PL 8-18 F2.8-3.5 for astro and wide angle. 4. PL 20 F1.7 for low light, indoor events. 5. PL 100-400 F4.0-6.3 for wild life. For my budget this is optimal and all I need.
Man, I switched to Sony FF for work a couple of year ago and this is making me miss my m43 kit. I had a bunch of zuiko pro lenses and I'd forgotten what a joy they were. Thanks for the reminder!
If your evaluation was ultimately decided by the process of elimination and you were comparing all of those lenses, feature by feature, wouldn't it be fair to note the lack of auto-focus functionality in the Laowa products? While it may not be necessary, it is absolutely a feature that every other lens on the table had. You eliminated the 40-150 f/4 not because it had any failings, or lack of features, but because it didn't have anything to "shout about" so that was the exception to the process of elimination. I have no doubt that the Laowa is a lovely lens but it is absolutely missing a feature that every other lens had and which most photographers today value to some degree. Oh wait, two features. It isn't weather sealed either, which at least some of the other lenses are.
and, not to forget: the 17mm f/0,95 Laowa has no electronics, no contacts, so no information is stored in the exifs and no automatic IBIS function, not to mention no focus assist funcion. IBIS has to be set manually and EVF magnification as well. The new 6mm Laowa lens is better in this regard.
@@mawavoy and which one is that? The 20mm f/1.4 is autofocus, the Summilux 9mm f/1.7 is autofocus, and the 40-150mm f/4.0 Pro is also autofocus. Other than the Laowas, those were the only lenses nominated in this video.
I have quite a few Olympus lenses and by far my favourite is the 40-150 F2.8 Pro lens. It is an outstanding lens very sharp and very useful focal length and the ability to use teleconverters make this my winner.
As a long time Nikon FX and Fuji X shooter looking to down size and lighten my workflow and discovering the virtues of the OM MFT systems, this video is very helpful going forward. I will refer back to this when I make the final leap into Olympus shooting. Thank you.
I work on a Sony A7M4. I decided to sell my Fuji system and I'm thinking of getting a Micro 4/3 as a second kit because it's lightweight, has great video capabilities, and is super practical. Really appreciate the helpful video, especially since I'm new to this system.
Dear Jimmy, thank you for the video. Your channel is thus far the best M43 channel I have had the pleasure to watch. Thank you for the informative content. Your video on the OM Systems 40-150 mm f4 was the decisive video for me adding it to my 12-40 mm f2.8. Let the lens manufacturers know that your videos are an important component in their sales , in particular videos like this one
@@weisserth You have a point but it’s disappointing you didn’t express it a little more eloquently. The lens is perfect for me but I can’t deny there are chromatic aberrations. Not that I really ever notice them. Even if I did, they could easily be dealt with in post.
Great idea for an annual event! One of the primary reasons I bought into micro 43 system was the lens ecosystem -- no system is perfect but we're pretty spoiled for choice, and it's wonderful to see manufacturers continuing to bring interesting and useful lenses to the system. I very much hope the trend continues into 2023! It's gotta be hard to pick a sole winner out of all these great candidates, and I think you made a very good choice. Congrats to Laowa! I really like the lenses they're bringing to m43. I do wonder if they might consider adding moisture and dust sealing to their lenses in the future, or whether this has been ruled out to keep costs down and avoid compromises with the feel and action of the focus and aperture rings. Perhaps you can inquire with your Laowa contacts to help us understand if this is a philosophical/engineering decision and the tradeoffs they're choosing. That said, for my first ultrawide prime purchase, this year I opted for the Panasonic 9mm f1.7. I considered the Laowa alternatives, but wanted something dust and weather sealed, I enjoy manual focus sometimes but like the option to use autofocus as well, and at this time I think 6mm (as wow as it may be) is just too wide for my tastes and what I like to shoot. Too much crazy tilt for me, even if lines are straight. Your criticism of the PL 9mm f1.7 is totally fair, there is quite a lot of barrel/fisheye distortion in the optical design which is corrected in camera / software. I find the very soft corners and slightly soft edges near the widest apertures the major faults, which you didn't mention directly. Of course, edges and corners quickly become tack sharp by f2.8 -- I just hoped for a bit better. Ah well, I guess it's truly hard to have it all, and I'm very grateful for what we do have.
Jimmy, I'm just sending back to B&H the Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95. It's a great lens that is very difficult to focus. I was successful photographing a model using a tripod with 14X magnification but that took time and the woman could not move. The only other method that worked was using CapturePro, ripping through 30 shots, while I turned the focus ring. This left me with 30 files I had to look through to find the one that was in focus. Both methods removed spontaneity which is a big part of my portrait sessions. Is the Laowa 18mm f/0.95 any easier to focus?
I love my 40~150 f4 Pro. Perfect companion for the 12~45. I still need a fast prime and would like it to be wider than 12mm. Been eyeing the 9 1.7 from Panasonic, but not yet comfortable with image quality. Need to see many more samples.
I love my Olympus EM1-x and EM1 mk2 bodies. I’ve travelled far, walked for hours with them and they’re great cameras. The weight savings over bigger DSLr systems like my monstrous Nikon D850 are impressive. That’s either a lighter kit bag on a day out- or more gear in the same bag!
I also just stepped in the MFT world coming from Nikon d700/850, which I still use. The OM-1 convinced me, after many years trying to find out what was the right system for me. After 6 months I can just say WOW! Yes the dynamic range is not on par with FX sensor, but enough for most of the situations, at least for me. The computational features, lightness and compactness of the system were game changers! And the quality is just stellar! Pro lenses are jewels and great value for money.
I disliked the 40-150mm Pro at first because there were already two lens of the same zoom range (but different F values). But now I change my mind after acquiring it recently. It is Pro grade lens (sharpness, weather sealed, etc) while keeping the size and weight reasonably small to match the philosophy of M43. But I still hope there will be a Pro level zoom lens of longer reach (e.g. 100-300mm) without increasing the weight too much.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions on these lenses. Think I will be happy with the 20mm I bought a few weeks ago. I do think OM should have included a lens hood more suited the focal length. The included is exactly the same as the one you get with the 12-45mm f4.
Thanks for that look at some great lenses. I assume the Laowas are manual focus? That's an important thing to mention for many of us who like autofocus. Have a happy and prosperous 2023!
I only have one of those, the 9mm Leica, and I love it for all the reasons you say. The wide aperture is fantastic for low light and the wide angle and close focussing are great for getting in the action. Everything I need when shooting live music. It’s almost a permanent fixture on one of my cameras. The other camera usually has the 25mm or 45mm f/1.8. The 9mm is also great when shooting fungi, especially the bigger ones as I can get some interesting perspectives with the close focussing. If I didn’t spend so much time shooting in low light, I would probably consider the 40-150 f/4, instead of using the f/2.8 version.
That 6mm F2 sounds great, but I already have their 7mm F3 manual lens and it does great for my needs, so I cannot justify the 6mm. That, the Olympus 17mm F1.8 and a recently purchased 12-100 pro covers my typical needs on the go.
Hi Jimmy, thanks as usual. I agree on the 9mm f/1.7, although I have it and am happy with it. I had question on purple fringing, as my copy exhibits quite a lot of it on the edges and I was wondering whether that's your experience too? I'm using it on an E-M5 mark II, so perhaps that's part of the problem, but it was nowhere to be seen on the same camera mounting the 8-18mm for instance. Nothing I can't resolve dialling +5 in Lightroom correction, but as you say... further work in post. Happy to say my copy seems to be sharp in edges and corners, despite all the naysayers that seem to exaggerate this issue.
Your 1st and 5th lenses really excited me! I love the look of the 18mm and think I'm leaning towards it. I thought I might be leaning towards the new 40-150 F4...but, its big brother still has my heart in most situations! Thank you for your zeal of production and sharing!
I am new to micro 4 thirds and i have bought a used olympus em10 mark ii do only Olympus lenses fit or do other manufacturers do the fitment. I have a 14- 42 and a 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R what else would be a good lens for a newbie.
I had the 17mm 1.2 and the 20mm 1.4. When you're close to the subject, the 20mm slightly deforms the face, not necessarily badly, but it changes. you have to know it if you like portraits.
Hi and thanks for the video, I've been following you with interest since I bought an Oly EM10 IV. I'm very intrigued by the Laowa 6mm, but I was wondering, apart from being even wider than the 7.5mm, what would you recommend? The field of view equivalent to 12mm intrigues me, but at the same time scares me a bit, while the 14mm would be more similar to the 16mm I already use on the Canon FF
Nice vid as always Jimmy! Btw. The 8-18 f2.8-4 Panaleica is focusing "internally", meaning that the front element subtrudes back into the housing while zooming and therefore you can use a Filter with this lens (67mm Filterthread). It's a bit pricier though than the 9mm 1.7. so the newer prime should be a better choice for many :)
Great video Jimmy v enjoyable. I must say u must really love that 6mm lens as u have taken some of my fav images of 2022 with it. Can I ask, where is that restaurant location at 7.23? It looks amazing & not one I recognise in London. Thanks in advance Rich
Just wondering. I've read and watched a few videos on the 20mm that claim it's not a good low-light lens. Below F4 it has a pretty bad sharpness drop. Any truth to the claims?
Great vlog - very useful. One comment that you made about the Panasonic 8-16mm - that lens does allow for easy mounting of filters unlike some of the other lens you referenced having issues.
Nice clip and award review. Never really looked at Laowa lenses as rarely do any street type photography. But at the price and quality they look pretty good to me. Best wishes for the New Year and maybe another photo walk if you have time. peace ✌️✌️😊😊
40mm equivalent is my favourite focal length and I used to have the Lumix 20mm 1.7. Had no idea about this new 20mm from OM. Generally use the 12-45 f4 pro and love it but would love a small prime. Shame about the purple fringing. Might have to check it out though. Sounds like it would make a great travel kit with the 40-150 f4 which I'm excited to say is arriving tomorrow 😅
My favororites are kowa 8.5mm, nokton 17.5mm and olympus 12mm. Images made with Kowa have very good details, but there is no "raisor sharpness" of a modern lens. It so relaxing. Nokton is almost at the failure point wide open, but not, after some correction in post, it's brillant. Olympus 12mm with a 1/4 BPM filter is so small, but the results match the results of much bigger lenses.
I use my mft as a compliment to my FF S1R. So why use MFT when I have FF? The answer is in the lenses. Panasonic 100-300 II gives about the same results as Signa 100-400 on FF after cropping the image, but weights as 1/3 of that sigma. And my second lens - ultimate ulra zoom - Olympus 12-100/4. So, for me, there 2 are the best. As for wide angle, MFT cannot shot even something comparable to high megapixel FF camera (in my case - Lumix S1R), so I use FF for whide angle, low light and shallow DOF portraits and MFT for tele and with a true universal lens.
No Laowa is optically corrected. The contacts is for aperture control and metadata. I have the 6mm T2.1, which is essentially the same lens and has the same characteristics apart from aperture design. that lens hasn't got contacts at all.
laowa 6mm f2, lumix 20mm f1.7(for ever), and olympus 40 150 f2.8 (+x1.4, x2) and my lumix gm5 and lumix g9 ii, i love thissssssssssssssssss mft for ever the my best carry gear
Thanks for this. You've actually answered several questions i have about some of these lenses Also, your review shows those people who keep hinting that mft is dead that they are wrong! Several new native lenses launched, OM Systems have launched 2 new cameras, Panasonic set to launch a new camera, 3rd party manufacturers still supporting the platform goes to show that mft is still strong and relevant
Great video and great initiative! It would be even nicer to be able to download some files of the 1st lens or even the others in high resolution where we can all see how they look in the photos. Yes there are also online but I mean not high resolution tablets so you can see sharpness, bokeh, colors, etc. Thank you
I appreciate your input, however, it's down to costs. Producing videos like this already taken many hours of my normal weekly life and while RUclips allows me to monetise the videos but the return is far from breaking even on the time I put in. If I have to do more, it would mean that I need to find ways to earn more from these videos, through memberships or merchandise. I am a full time photographer and videographer, and my living money is earned through those jobs and not RUclips. I do it for fun and to create a community. Yes, it would be my eventual goal to make RUclips full time when I near my retirement or if something suddenly changes in my life. I hope you understand. Hosting on websites or other space costs money on top of video productions.
I’ve saved enough for the new om5 but I think I’m gonna save up for that 20mm also even though I have the 17mm 1.2. And hope the om5 comes down a little in price
Hi! Are you planning to do a "versus" video on ultrawide lenses? I'm REALLY torn between the Laowa 6mm and the Lumix 9mm 🤔. My main doubts are about FoV vs WR (AF is obviously nice, but not my main issue), and I find very difficult to estimate their relative FoVs in a real-life scenario...
Great awards review👍 I’m not sure of the view on this but is it possible to review non m43 lens using a mount attachments to see what lens work well with Olympus so I can explore second hand market options for manual and AF options
Yes, absolutely. I will do a separate videos on non M43 but I will figure something out. It won't be an award, but may be great adapted lenses on M43 platform or something like that.
I picked up a Laowa 18mm F0.95 for $350, one of the reason I can't take this system seriously is lack of fast lens that can provide similar DOF control as my FF system, so while this Laowa still nowhere near what the Sigma 35 F1.2 can offer, but it's really one step closer, also the price....it's just ridiculously cheap, so I decided to try it out, to my surprise, it's in fact a pretty sweet lens, MF for me is piece of cake since I am still shooting totally 9 Zeiss/Voigtlander only FF regularly and bunch of Canon Tilt and shift lenses, so all Manual focus. image quality is as good as I can hope for from the MFT sensor , I can see the bottle neck is that tiny image sensor in my E-M1X not the lens, the lens is capable to resolve a lot more detail if a half decent sensor is provided, had the 17 1.2 before but didn't like it at all, and that damn thing was $1200 I think, the FF Sigma 35 1.2 was only $1500, so I sent that 17 back after I took some test shot, if I am using this system again for environment Portrait one day, this Laowa 18mm F0.95 would be my top choice, over any Olympus prime in that FL range.
"one of the reason I can't take this system seriously is lack of fast lens that can provide similar DOF control as my FF system" How much control you need? Remember, that depends your focus distance... So is a 2 cm or 5 cm differential matter? Do you need 1-2 cm difference? Do you need full DOF control, or just one direction, meaning you can't pull the DOF backward because something unwanted in front would be in focus or make rear part of DOF noticeable?
Have to agree on your top choice! I thought Laowa couldn't do better than the 7.5mm ƒ/2. Perhaps I missed it, but I think the 6/2 gets extra points its electronic aperture that you set from the camera, and which is then recorded in the EXIF data in the image - Laowa now has (I believe) three lenses like that, and I hope they keep it up! I shoot a lot of manual glass, and I'm tired of never really knowing the shooting aperture afterwards, or worse, forgetting to manually set the EXIF info.
Now do a video on the best BUDGET lenses (and cameras) for folks like myself who want good results at an affordable price. I'm using an: * Olympus EM-1 Mark I * Olympus 14-150mm II * Panasonic 20mm 1.7 * 0lympus 9mm f8 fisheye "bodycap" Total cost under $600. Everything was used gear in good to excellent condition purchased during the past few months. The EM-1 and 14-150 are both weather sealed which was important to me. I don't care about shooting video which helped keep my cost down.
Depends oh how far you like to shoot your subjects or what kind of portraits. Head shots, half length or full length. I would say 45mm 1.2 or 25mm 1.2. Then 75mm 1.8 for head shots or if you have room to use it
The OM 20mm and 40-150mm are still big. I agree that if you need weather sealing then they are the smallest options. But they don't have the pizazz of some older m43 lenses. But I am happy OM are making an effort. I take my hat off to Pany, the 9mm is in the spirit of m43. It is much lighter than the OM 20mm f1.4. The 9mm is smaller and still weather sealed. I know I will be in the minority here but I would also like to say that plastic is fine! If it is light, for a 9mm it makes sense because you might vlog with it. I am looking forward to 2023. These manufacturers like Laowa are doing great things. I like TTArtisan, a bit quirky 🙂
I do love the 9mm as I said many time :) This award goes to how I look at the lenses subjectively. Optically, the 9mm relies heavily on software corrections than actually optical design. So I give my nod to Laowa. Optical correction is very challenging especially in M43 lenses as they have a 2x crop. So to make that happen while keeping the costs down is a feast. But I do use the 9mm for vlogs :D
@@Red35Photography I didn't mean to sound like I was disagreeing with your assessment. I don't own any of those lenses so I know nothing! 😁 My comment was really more on the general direction of m43. Thanks for this video as it demonstrates the range of lenses and really, it is not easy to find a rubbish lens these days, the differences are minor. Or it is just balancing features when deciding what to get.
I prefer the 35-100/2.8 rather than the 40-150/4, one stop of aperture benefit a lot in lower ISO. And the 20/1.4 is too expensive for me, I love my 15/1.7 more. :)
I am sure they are all great choices. But seems to me that people choose the micro 4/3 system in order to get a budget and compact kit. Perhaps getting a bit away from that strategy here on both counts ??
m.zuiko 20mm f1.4, I believe it is an exceptional lens that I would be happy to buy if it had a built-in MF clutch and L-fn button. Without that, it's not a pro grade m.zuiko lens. I do not accept that this would necessarily increase the size of the lens itself. I'm sorry
I appreciate that you also point out the flaws of the lenses. The headline is a bit misleading, because you only cover lenses from 2022. The very best lenses -like, for instance, the 45mm/1.2- are not among these.
No, the Panasonic 8-18 does not suffer the same problem as the other wide zooms with convex front elements. It uses 67mm filters and they don't even have to be super thin. The 6mm Laowa looks great for the price and the low distortion is amazing. But so far, all the test reports are that the corners are pretty soft. Maybe that's the best you can hope for at 6mm.
D500/D850 owner...now waiting for my used E-M1 iii camera to arrive with 12-40 f2.8. I need portability and fun again. Modern gear is getting too heavy and bulky.
I love all film cameras :D My brother is the main Minolta guy back then. I saw his Dynax 9 and wanted one myself hahaha. I have all the last flagship SLRs apart from Nikon.
I just wish Panasonic would make a 17mm f1.7. The Olympus 1.2 pro is too large and their f1.8 needs updating. And for the next lens from Laowa, they need to make a small-ish MFT Tilt/Shift, preferably with macro.
Whilst you compare the new OM 20mm to the Leica 25mm, how does it compare to the even smaller Lumix 20mm f/1.7 (which is an unbadged Leica if you delve into its exif). The Lumix is an old lens and does have some AF limitations but it is a pancake. Purple fringing and magenta tingeing can be an issue with Olympus backs. The TruePic handles the violet end of the spectrum rather differently to the Venus even with identical sensor. This is alluded to in very small print in the camera manuals. It may de due to the way Olympus/OM deal with sensor heat. My criteria is not for ultimate glass but function, and factors will include weight and stabilisation. Where you favour the OM 40-150, I find 100 long enough, 150 too short and 200 long enough. I would pop on the Lumix 45-200ii f/4-5.6, not the heavyweight Leica 50-200 but very much lighter and absolutely fully stabilised rock steady on a Lumix G9 with Dual2 (the E-M5ii can only just about manage it with IBIS but will let it use its Power-OIS). Lens stabilisation becomes really important with longer lenses. Best glass, no, it's not even nano-coated, but gives good results. Choice of lens can depend on which cameras I'm running - G9 for insane stabilisation with E-M5ii as second cam (wildlife and/or landscape), GH4 for movie with maybe G7 on B-Cam (old G7 is good for V-Logging). PEN-F running solo & light, E-PL7 for pocket. Horses for courses. You favour UW, I'll probably only use the 7-14 for building interiors, I rarely want wider than 14mm. I favour long and extra-long. ;) I don't have to collect cameras and lenses, I can stop any time I want to.
"Unbadged Leica" you say? It's still made by Panasonic, just like the lenses with Leica badges on them. It doesn't really mean anything. The 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 has had two versions without a Leica badge and is now getting a Leica badge for the third version, but it's still the same lens.
If the Laowa 6mm F2.0 had weather sealing, I'd be very interested. Unfortunately, I don't believe it does so that's a deal breaker for me as a landscape photographer.
I have only five lenses for my OM-1 that make me ready for any situation.
1. MZ 12-200 for traveling
2. MZ 60 F2.8 for macro
3. PL 8-18 F2.8-3.5 for astro and wide angle.
4. PL 20 F1.7 for low light, indoor events.
5. PL 100-400 F4.0-6.3 for wild life.
For my budget this is optimal and all I need.
Where is mighty 12-100/4? :D
Man, I switched to Sony FF for work a couple of year ago and this is making me miss my m43 kit. I had a bunch of zuiko pro lenses and I'd forgotten what a joy they were. Thanks for the reminder!
If your evaluation was ultimately decided by the process of elimination and you were comparing all of those lenses, feature by feature, wouldn't it be fair to note the lack of auto-focus functionality in the Laowa products? While it may not be necessary, it is absolutely a feature that every other lens on the table had. You eliminated the 40-150 f/4 not because it had any failings, or lack of features, but because it didn't have anything to "shout about" so that was the exception to the process of elimination. I have no doubt that the Laowa is a lovely lens but it is absolutely missing a feature that every other lens had and which most photographers today value to some degree. Oh wait, two features. It isn't weather sealed either, which at least some of the other lenses are.
and, not to forget: the 17mm f/0,95 Laowa has no electronics, no contacts, so no information is stored in the exifs and no automatic IBIS function, not to mention no focus assist funcion. IBIS has to be set manually and EVF magnification as well. The new 6mm Laowa lens is better in this regard.
And the wow factor is; it’s half the weight of the eff two eight!
Christopher your statement about autofocus is not correct. One of the Olympus lenses is manual focus as well.
@@mawavoy and which one is that? The 20mm f/1.4 is autofocus, the Summilux 9mm f/1.7 is autofocus, and the 40-150mm f/4.0 Pro is also autofocus. Other than the Laowas, those were the only lenses nominated in this video.
Good point 👍🏻
I have quite a few Olympus lenses and by far my favourite is the 40-150 F2.8 Pro lens. It is an outstanding lens very sharp and very useful focal length and the ability to use teleconverters make this my winner.
but it's not from 2022!!
As a long time Nikon FX and Fuji X shooter looking to down size and lighten my workflow and discovering the virtues of the OM MFT systems, this video is very helpful going forward. I will refer back to this when I make the final leap into Olympus shooting. Thank you.
I work on a Sony A7M4. I decided to sell my Fuji system and I'm thinking of getting a Micro 4/3 as a second kit because it's lightweight, has great video capabilities, and is super practical. Really appreciate the helpful video, especially since I'm new to this system.
Dear Jimmy, thank you for the video. Your channel is thus far the best M43 channel I have had the pleasure to watch. Thank you for the informative content. Your video on the OM Systems 40-150 mm f4 was the decisive video for me adding it to my 12-40 mm f2.8. Let the lens manufacturers know that your videos are an important component in their sales , in particular videos like this one
Great shoutout video to all M43 alliance members! Good job, Jimmy!
Merci! Pour vos précieux conseils!
It’s the 20mm f/1.4 PRO for me. Such a perfect lens for the system . All great lenses though and I understand why you picked the Laowa.
*cough* chromatic aberrations *cough* *cough*
@@weisserth You have a point but it’s disappointing you didn’t express it a little more eloquently. The lens is perfect for me but I can’t deny there are chromatic aberrations. Not that I really ever notice them. Even if I did, they could easily be dealt with in post.
Great idea for an annual event! One of the primary reasons I bought into micro 43 system was the lens ecosystem -- no system is perfect but we're pretty spoiled for choice, and it's wonderful to see manufacturers continuing to bring interesting and useful lenses to the system. I very much hope the trend continues into 2023!
It's gotta be hard to pick a sole winner out of all these great candidates, and I think you made a very good choice. Congrats to Laowa! I really like the lenses they're bringing to m43. I do wonder if they might consider adding moisture and dust sealing to their lenses in the future, or whether this has been ruled out to keep costs down and avoid compromises with the feel and action of the focus and aperture rings. Perhaps you can inquire with your Laowa contacts to help us understand if this is a philosophical/engineering decision and the tradeoffs they're choosing.
That said, for my first ultrawide prime purchase, this year I opted for the Panasonic 9mm f1.7. I considered the Laowa alternatives, but wanted something dust and weather sealed, I enjoy manual focus sometimes but like the option to use autofocus as well, and at this time I think 6mm (as wow as it may be) is just too wide for my tastes and what I like to shoot. Too much crazy tilt for me, even if lines are straight. Your criticism of the PL 9mm f1.7 is totally fair, there is quite a lot of barrel/fisheye distortion in the optical design which is corrected in camera / software. I find the very soft corners and slightly soft edges near the widest apertures the major faults, which you didn't mention directly. Of course, edges and corners quickly become tack sharp by f2.8 -- I just hoped for a bit better. Ah well, I guess it's truly hard to have it all, and I'm very grateful for what we do have.
Jimmy, I'm just sending back to B&H the Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95. It's a great lens that is very difficult to focus. I was successful photographing a model using a tripod with 14X magnification but that took time and the woman could not move. The only other method that worked was using CapturePro, ripping through 30 shots, while I turned the focus ring. This left me with 30 files I had to look through to find the one that was in focus. Both methods removed spontaneity which is a big part of my portrait sessions.
Is the Laowa 18mm f/0.95 any easier to focus?
I love my 40~150 f4 Pro. Perfect companion for the 12~45. I still need a fast prime and would like it to be wider than 12mm. Been eyeing the 9 1.7 from Panasonic, but not yet comfortable with image quality. Need to see many more samples.
I love my Olympus EM1-x and EM1 mk2 bodies. I’ve travelled far, walked for hours with them and they’re great cameras. The weight savings over bigger DSLr systems like my monstrous Nikon D850 are impressive. That’s either a lighter kit bag on a day out- or more gear in the same bag!
I also just stepped in the MFT world coming from Nikon d700/850, which I still use. The OM-1 convinced me, after many years trying to find out what was the right system for me. After 6 months I can just say WOW! Yes the dynamic range is not on par with FX sensor, but enough for most of the situations, at least for me. The computational features, lightness and compactness of the system were game changers! And the quality is just stellar! Pro lenses are jewels and great value for money.
I disliked the 40-150mm Pro at first because there were already two lens of the same zoom range (but different F values). But now I change my mind after acquiring it recently. It is Pro grade lens (sharpness, weather sealed, etc) while keeping the size and weight reasonably small to match the philosophy of M43.
But I still hope there will be a Pro level zoom lens of longer reach (e.g. 100-300mm) without increasing the weight too much.
Ihave the 9mm f1.7 & 40-150mm f4. Both fabulous lenses.
Thanks for the good tips! The 8mm is quite rectilinear isn't it!
Sorry if I missed it but do the Laowa lenses work with autofocus on something like the panasonic g9x?
Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions on these lenses.
Think I will be happy with the 20mm I bought a few weeks ago. I do think OM should have included a lens hood more suited the focal length. The included is exactly the same as the one you get with the 12-45mm f4.
Really appreciate this great video comprehensive comparison of your top lenses
I have the OM 20mm and Leica 9mm - both super lenses. I keep the 20mm on my E-M5MkIII because it is small, sharp, and a great focal length.
Great information-thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for that look at some great lenses. I assume the Laowas are manual focus? That's an important thing to mention for many of us who like autofocus. Have a happy and prosperous 2023!
The panaleica 8-18mm f2.8-4 accepts standard filters. It's a great lens but it's a lot chunkier than the 9mm F1.7
You are the great! So helpful. Please, continue
Excellent idea for an annual lens award!
Super helpful info packed into a pleasant viewing experience. New sub!
I only have one of those, the 9mm Leica, and I love it for all the reasons you say. The wide aperture is fantastic for low light and the wide angle and close focussing are great for getting in the action. Everything I need when shooting live music. It’s almost a permanent fixture on one of my cameras. The other camera usually has the 25mm or 45mm f/1.8. The 9mm is also great when shooting fungi, especially the bigger ones as I can get some interesting perspectives with the close focussing. If I didn’t spend so much time shooting in low light, I would probably consider the 40-150 f/4, instead of using the f/2.8 version.
I have a 15mm f1.7 and will go for the 9mm next, is it enough for real estate?
Good video with great comments. Looking forward to my 6mm f2 laowa - should arrive this month, I hope!
eagerly awaiting the 2024 lens award
You're REALLY good at this stuff Jimmy - you're making me interested in KIT again
That 6mm F2 sounds great, but I already have their 7mm F3 manual lens and it does great for my needs, so I cannot justify the 6mm. That, the Olympus 17mm F1.8 and a recently purchased 12-100 pro covers my typical needs on the go.
Brilliant, New subscriber here Cheers from Western Australia
Hi Jimmy, thanks as usual. I agree on the 9mm f/1.7, although I have it and am happy with it. I had question on purple fringing, as my copy exhibits quite a lot of it on the edges and I was wondering whether that's your experience too? I'm using it on an E-M5 mark II, so perhaps that's part of the problem, but it was nowhere to be seen on the same camera mounting the 8-18mm for instance. Nothing I can't resolve dialling +5 in Lightroom correction, but as you say... further work in post. Happy to say my copy seems to be sharp in edges and corners, despite all the naysayers that seem to exaggerate this issue.
Your 1st and 5th lenses really excited me! I love the look of the 18mm and think I'm leaning towards it. I thought I might be leaning towards the new 40-150 F4...but, its big brother still has my heart in most situations! Thank you for your zeal of production and sharing!
Great to hear mate.
I am new to micro 4 thirds and i have bought a used olympus em10 mark ii do only Olympus lenses fit or do other manufacturers do the fitment. I have a 14- 42 and a 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R what else would be a good lens for a newbie.
Great list! I own the Laowa 17/1.8 lens and absolutely love it. My go to for my EM10ii. Wondered if you’ve had the chance to try that one out?
I had the 17mm 1.2 and the 20mm 1.4. When you're close to the subject, the 20mm slightly deforms the face, not necessarily badly, but it changes. you have to know it if you like portraits.
for low budget im still love my weapon (lumix 12 f/2 $340) (lumix 20 f/1.7 $150) (zuiko 45mm f/1.8 $154) (Epl 6 $80) ^^
great video :-) fantastic!!!
Great video as usual. Just one question for Laowa 6mm lens, is the a filter system for such a small lens? 🤔
Hi and thanks for the video, I've been following you with interest since I bought an Oly EM10 IV.
I'm very intrigued by the Laowa 6mm, but I was wondering, apart from being even wider than the 7.5mm, what would you recommend?
The field of view equivalent to 12mm intrigues me, but at the same time scares me a bit, while the 14mm would be more similar to the 16mm I already use on the Canon FF
Nice vid as always Jimmy! Btw. The 8-18 f2.8-4 Panaleica is focusing "internally", meaning that the front element subtrudes back into the housing while zooming and therefore you can use a Filter with this lens (67mm Filterthread). It's a bit pricier though than the 9mm 1.7. so the newer prime should be a better choice for many :)
Was going to say the same thing, sure i'm using filters on mine! 🙂
Why is nobody talking about the Nokton 60mm 0.95 released in 2020? That's crazy ! I've had it for 2 months and I find it great!
The 8-18 actually does have filter threads!
Great thanks, the Laowa especially seems to be a gem
18mm for me
Great video Jimmy v enjoyable. I must say u must really love that 6mm lens as u have taken some of my fav images of 2022 with it. Can I ask, where is that restaurant location at 7.23? It looks amazing & not one I recognise in London. Thanks in advance Rich
Cheers Richard. That restaurant is actually the Landmark Hotel by Marylebone Road in London.
@@Red35Photography thank you so much Jimmy
Just wondering. I've read and watched a few videos on the 20mm that claim it's not a good low-light lens. Below F4 it has a pretty bad sharpness drop. Any truth to the claims?
Great vlog - very useful. One comment that you made about the Panasonic 8-16mm - that lens does allow for easy mounting of filters unlike some of the other lens you referenced having issues.
Thanks for the info!
Perfect! I really want to buy the small Laowa. But it is not available in Germany yet.
Laowa is staring to look great! I just wish they would offer weatherproofing.
Nice clip and award review. Never really looked at Laowa lenses as rarely do any street type photography. But at the price and quality they look pretty good to me. Best wishes for the New Year and maybe another photo walk if you have time. peace ✌️✌️😊😊
40mm equivalent is my favourite focal length and I used to have the Lumix 20mm 1.7. Had no idea about this new 20mm from OM. Generally use the 12-45 f4 pro and love it but would love a small prime. Shame about the purple fringing. Might have to check it out though. Sounds like it would make a great travel kit with the 40-150 f4 which I'm excited to say is arriving tomorrow 😅
If the 40-150 f4 PRO was teleconverter compatible, I would buy it for sure. Too bad they didn't design that capability into that lens.
6mm seems great, but it is too close to my 7.5mm f2, hard to convince myself to get it
My favororites are kowa 8.5mm, nokton 17.5mm and olympus 12mm. Images made with Kowa have very good details, but there is no "raisor sharpness" of a modern lens. It so relaxing. Nokton is almost at the failure point wide open, but not, after some correction in post, it's brillant. Olympus 12mm with a 1/4 BPM filter is so small, but the results match the results of much bigger lenses.
the 20mm 1.4 I heard has a lot of CA is that the case from your usage?
Just curious are your video is taking by m43 as well? Since I am considering to buy a camera for vlog
Yes, I shot everything in this channel with my M43 cameras, mostly Olympus/OM
Great review. Helped me make a buying decision. Btw. It’s an ‘Achilles heel’.
I use my mft as a compliment to my FF S1R. So why use MFT when I have FF? The answer is in the lenses. Panasonic 100-300 II gives about the same results as Signa 100-400 on FF after cropping the image, but weights as 1/3 of that sigma. And my second lens - ultimate ulra zoom - Olympus 12-100/4. So, for me, there 2 are the best. As for wide angle, MFT cannot shot even something comparable to high megapixel FF camera (in my case - Lumix S1R), so I use FF for whide angle, low light and shallow DOF portraits and MFT for tele and with a true universal lens.
Beautiful photos ❤
Thank you!
I've been using 4/3 for 15 years. I still leave my Sony A7RV home and I've only recently tried to use it more lol Kind of dumb I know.
The Laowa 6mm IS corrected in-camera; hence, the contacts.
No Laowa is optically corrected. The contacts is for aperture control and metadata. I have the 6mm T2.1, which is essentially the same lens and has the same characteristics apart from aperture design. that lens hasn't got contacts at all.
@@Red35Photography Thank you for the information.
laowa 6mm f2, lumix 20mm f1.7(for ever), and olympus 40 150 f2.8 (+x1.4, x2) and my lumix gm5 and lumix g9 ii, i love thissssssssssssssssss mft for ever the my best carry gear
Thanks for this. You've actually answered several questions i have about some of these lenses
Also, your review shows those people who keep hinting that mft is dead that they are wrong! Several new native lenses launched, OM Systems have launched 2 new cameras, Panasonic set to launch a new camera, 3rd party manufacturers still supporting the platform goes to show that mft is still strong and relevant
Panasonic 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 does have a filter thread.
Great video and great initiative! It would be even nicer to be able to download some files of the 1st lens or even the others in high resolution where we can all see how they look in the photos. Yes there are also online but I mean not high resolution tablets so you can see sharpness, bokeh, colors, etc. Thank you
I appreciate your input, however, it's down to costs. Producing videos like this already taken many hours of my normal weekly life and while RUclips allows me to monetise the videos but the return is far from breaking even on the time I put in. If I have to do more, it would mean that I need to find ways to earn more from these videos, through memberships or merchandise. I am a full time photographer and videographer, and my living money is earned through those jobs and not RUclips. I do it for fun and to create a community. Yes, it would be my eventual goal to make RUclips full time when I near my retirement or if something suddenly changes in my life. I hope you understand. Hosting on websites or other space costs money on top of video productions.
@@Red35Photography I get it man, it was just an idea. Thanks for what you do. Do you make videos with Olympus?
@@stefanostefani4273 Thanks for your understanding. Yes, I do film with Olympus gear, sometimes adapted lenses.
Hope we will see the whole Pamukkale Video one day, such an amazing place
I’ve saved enough for the new om5 but I think I’m gonna save up for that 20mm also even though I have the 17mm 1.2. And hope the om5 comes down a little in price
Hi! Are you planning to do a "versus" video on ultrawide lenses? I'm REALLY torn between the Laowa 6mm and the Lumix 9mm 🤔. My main doubts are about FoV vs WR (AF is obviously nice, but not my main issue), and I find very difficult to estimate their relative FoVs in a real-life scenario...
Yes, that's in my pipeline. Stay tuned :D
@@Red35Photography Thanks for the answer... and for your planned video 🤩
5’03” I’m sure you meant ‘Achilles Heel’! 😊 great video; second time Ive watched it.
Love to hear more about vintage lenses on M43 system......
I wish OM would come out with a 12mm f1.2 or similar. I love my 17mm f1.2, and would love a good wide angle lens for low light shots.
Great awards review👍 I’m not sure of the view on this but is it possible to review non m43 lens using a mount attachments to see what lens work well with Olympus so I can explore second hand market options for manual and AF options
Yes, absolutely. I will do a separate videos on non M43 but I will figure something out. It won't be an award, but may be great adapted lenses on M43 platform or something like that.
@@Red35Photography perfect thank you. It opens up the options for armatures to explore some cheaper options to explore the format
You forgot Zuiko 60 macro, one of the best without any douth!
I picked up a Laowa 18mm F0.95 for $350, one of the reason I can't take this system seriously is lack of fast lens that can provide similar DOF control as my FF system, so while this Laowa still nowhere near what the Sigma 35 F1.2 can offer, but it's really one step closer, also the price....it's just ridiculously cheap, so I decided to try it out, to my surprise, it's in fact a pretty sweet lens, MF for me is piece of cake since I am still shooting totally 9 Zeiss/Voigtlander only FF regularly and bunch of Canon Tilt and shift lenses, so all Manual focus. image quality is as good as I can hope for from the MFT sensor , I can see the bottle neck is that tiny image sensor in my E-M1X not the lens, the lens is capable to resolve a lot more detail if a half decent sensor is provided, had the 17 1.2 before but didn't like it at all, and that damn thing was $1200 I think, the FF Sigma 35 1.2 was only $1500, so I sent that 17 back after I took some test shot, if I am using this system again for environment Portrait one day, this Laowa 18mm F0.95 would be my top choice, over any Olympus prime in that FL range.
"one of the reason I can't take this system seriously is lack of fast lens that can provide similar DOF control as my FF system"
How much control you need?
Remember, that depends your focus distance...
So is a 2 cm or 5 cm differential matter?
Do you need 1-2 cm difference?
Do you need full DOF control, or just one direction, meaning you can't pull the DOF backward because something unwanted in front would be in focus or make rear part of DOF noticeable?
I may not agree with your decision..but one thing i surely agree is i do envy of your lens collection 😅😅
Have to agree on your top choice! I thought Laowa couldn't do better than the 7.5mm ƒ/2.
Perhaps I missed it, but I think the 6/2 gets extra points its electronic aperture that you set from the camera, and which is then recorded in the EXIF data in the image - Laowa now has (I believe) three lenses like that, and I hope they keep it up! I shoot a lot of manual glass, and I'm tired of never really knowing the shooting aperture afterwards, or worse, forgetting to manually set the EXIF info.
Now do a video on the best BUDGET lenses (and cameras) for folks like myself who want good results at an affordable price.
I'm using an:
* Olympus EM-1 Mark I
* Olympus 14-150mm II
* Panasonic 20mm 1.7
* 0lympus 9mm f8 fisheye "bodycap"
Total cost under $600. Everything was used gear in good to excellent condition purchased during the past few months. The EM-1 and 14-150 are both weather sealed which was important to me. I don't care about shooting video which helped keep my cost down.
best olympus lens for portraits any suggestions ?
Depends oh how far you like to shoot your subjects or what kind of portraits. Head shots, half length or full length. I would say 45mm 1.2 or 25mm 1.2. Then 75mm 1.8 for head shots or if you have room to use it
The OM 20mm and 40-150mm are still big. I agree that if you need weather sealing then they are the smallest options. But they don't have the pizazz of some older m43 lenses. But I am happy OM are making an effort.
I take my hat off to Pany, the 9mm is in the spirit of m43. It is much lighter than the OM 20mm f1.4. The 9mm is smaller and still weather sealed. I know I will be in the minority here but I would also like to say that plastic is fine! If it is light, for a 9mm it makes sense because you might vlog with it.
I am looking forward to 2023. These manufacturers like Laowa are doing great things. I like TTArtisan, a bit quirky 🙂
I do love the 9mm as I said many time :) This award goes to how I look at the lenses subjectively. Optically, the 9mm relies heavily on software corrections than actually optical design. So I give my nod to Laowa. Optical correction is very challenging especially in M43 lenses as they have a 2x crop. So to make that happen while keeping the costs down is a feast. But I do use the 9mm for vlogs :D
@@Red35Photography I didn't mean to sound like I was disagreeing with your assessment. I don't own any of those lenses so I know nothing! 😁 My comment was really more on the general direction of m43.
Thanks for this video as it demonstrates the range of lenses and really, it is not easy to find a rubbish lens these days, the differences are minor. Or it is just balancing features when deciding what to get.
Just took pictures of my new grand baby with my em1x and panasonic 12mm f1.4 and pro capture high works I didn't think it would work
I need some help please, I'm trying to find some laowa lenses that aren't macro.. lowest mm/ F first please. you really have sold this brand to me
You can try their website, where they have a list of all lenses there.
I prefer the 35-100/2.8 rather than the 40-150/4, one stop of aperture benefit a lot in lower ISO. And the 20/1.4 is too expensive for me, I love my 15/1.7 more. :)
I am sure they are all great choices. But seems to me that people choose the micro 4/3 system in order to get a budget and compact kit. Perhaps getting a bit away from that strategy here on both counts ??
Nice
m.zuiko 20mm f1.4, I believe it is an exceptional lens that I would be happy to buy if it had a built-in MF clutch and L-fn button. Without that, it's not a pro grade m.zuiko lens. I do not accept that this would necessarily increase the size of the lens itself. I'm sorry
I appreciate that you also point out the flaws of the lenses. The headline is a bit misleading, because you only cover lenses from 2022. The very best lenses -like, for instance, the 45mm/1.2- are not among these.
Hi Jimmy can you do a video regarding about manual focus?
Absolutely, stay tuned. It takes time to make videos
Thanks for sharing Jimmy
Hey man, you might just have sold a lens. I'm 🤌 close to ordering it right now 🫠
No, the Panasonic 8-18 does not suffer the same problem as the other wide zooms with convex front elements. It uses 67mm filters and they don't even have to be super thin.
The 6mm Laowa looks great for the price and the low distortion is amazing. But so far, all the test reports are that the corners are pretty soft. Maybe that's the best you can hope for at 6mm.
I wanted a wide for astro. Softness on the edges at f2 kills it for me
D500/D850 owner...now waiting for my used E-M1 iii camera to arrive with 12-40 f2.8. I need portability and fun again. Modern gear is getting too heavy and bulky.
Is Jimmy is a old minolta user? I saw a Minolta Dynax 9ti form opening video.
I love all film cameras :D My brother is the main Minolta guy back then. I saw his Dynax 9 and wanted one myself hahaha. I have all the last flagship SLRs apart from Nikon.
Did you say Hercule's heel? :))
I just wish Panasonic would make a 17mm f1.7. The Olympus 1.2 pro is too large and their f1.8 needs updating. And for the next lens from Laowa, they need to make a small-ish MFT Tilt/Shift, preferably with macro.
Whilst you compare the new OM 20mm to the Leica 25mm, how does it compare to the even smaller Lumix 20mm f/1.7 (which is an unbadged Leica if you delve into its exif). The Lumix is an old lens and does have some AF limitations but it is a pancake.
Purple fringing and magenta tingeing can be an issue with Olympus backs. The TruePic handles the violet end of the spectrum rather differently to the Venus even with identical sensor. This is alluded to in very small print in the camera manuals. It may de due to the way Olympus/OM deal with sensor heat.
My criteria is not for ultimate glass but function, and factors will include weight and stabilisation. Where you favour the OM 40-150, I find 100 long enough, 150 too short and 200 long enough. I would pop on the Lumix 45-200ii f/4-5.6, not the heavyweight Leica 50-200 but very much lighter and absolutely fully stabilised rock steady on a Lumix G9 with Dual2 (the E-M5ii can only just about manage it with IBIS but will let it use its Power-OIS). Lens stabilisation becomes really important with longer lenses. Best glass, no, it's not even nano-coated, but gives good results.
Choice of lens can depend on which cameras I'm running - G9 for insane stabilisation with E-M5ii as second cam (wildlife and/or landscape), GH4 for movie with maybe G7 on B-Cam (old G7 is good for V-Logging). PEN-F running solo & light, E-PL7 for pocket. Horses for courses. You favour UW, I'll probably only use the 7-14 for building interiors, I rarely want wider than 14mm. I favour long and extra-long. ;)
I don't have to collect cameras and lenses, I can stop any time I want to.
"Unbadged Leica" you say? It's still made by Panasonic, just like the lenses with Leica badges on them. It doesn't really mean anything. The 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 has had two versions without a Leica badge and is now getting a Leica badge for the third version, but it's still the same lens.
The pancake panasonic 20mm was a good idea. But has the worst af of all my 10 MFT lens. I never use it. Too slow for street photography.
14mm 1.4pro would be awesome
20mm f1.4 pro is a huge lens, 20mm Pany f1.7 pancake for me all day long, THAT is a compact lens
If the Laowa 6mm F2.0 had weather sealing, I'd be very interested. Unfortunately, I don't believe it does so that's a deal breaker for me as a landscape photographer.
Good point. Did u try the 9 or 10mm from Laowa?
@@FrancoisMcinnes I haven't but if they have weather sealing, they may be on my radar along with the PanaLeica 9mm F1.7
ok laowa is the next target... omg my wife
Hmmm dont know which one is the best. I think you should send them to me, then i'll make a choice 🙂