I stayed with Olympus when they announced the 150-400tcpro. No other system would have anything like it. I waited 3 years and it was worth it :) And now I have an OM1mkll to attach to it and it’s better then I thought would be possible back then.
When I switched from Canon to MFT about three years ago, the step up in build quality was very apparent. My Canon L glass was rugged and served me well, but the exquisite engineering (especially of Olympus glass) and the light weight was astounding. For me, MFT is the sweet spot between quality, creativity, practicality, and affordability.
Emily - I love your work. Well done. For me the Lumix 14-140mm is the exemplar MFT lens. It is a one stop shop for travel, family etc., and it is really sharp. Add a prime like the 25mm f1.4 or a 42.5mm etc and one is set!
why not the 14-150 olympus it's cheaper and good too. Your choice is really awesome too. For me id say a travel kit would be 12-35, 35-100 (2.8 ones) , 100-400 (if I need telephoto), and 42.5 1.7. Or if I have to make it only 3 lenses, id rather go 12-35, 42.5, 100-400 this should solve all my major needs
Yeah reviews say the 14-140 is sharper. It costs more so it should be. I love the plastic fantastic from Olympus but it's instantly noticeable that it's not as sharp even when viewing at a very small photo size. Maybe the 14-150 is better than the 40-150 but I couldn't be happier with the Panasonic lens.
I compared the Lumix to the Olympus in-shop (both used, comparable condition, comparable price). The Lumix was ever so slightly sharper. The images had a snap to them that the Olympus didn't have. And the IS for my Lumix cameras made it an easy choice.
I switched to MFT almost two years ago, mainly because I needed a smaller and lighter kit (than my previous 5D mark iv) in my profession as a journalist on the go. Soon I discovered another advantage as well: I can use my 17mm 1.2 fully opened without blurring everything in the image but the focal plane. After all, I do no nonsense documentary and reportage work, often in low light. A purely aesthetic/cliche bokeh bonanza is not what I'm after. My regular indoor setup is two OM-1 bodies, the 17mm 1.2 on one of them and a 75mm 1.8 on the other. I seldom need anything more than that. I love your channel, by the way. Inspiring and useful.
agreed, MFT can be advantageous if one needs to have big aperture but still provides context. Although it can be mitigated by stopping down and increasing ISO in larger format, MFT still have the size advantage (and the IBIS is usually better)
For me it is the Olympus 45mm 1.8 and the 12-40mm 2.8. The 45mm is so tiny, it makes even analog era 85mm lenses seem huge, but it is tack sharp, has a gorgeous bokeh and is dirt cheap. The 12-40mm is rugged, weather sealed, tiny, sharp, affordable, gets you incredibly close for such a lens and is an awesome all round performer. Both together give me all I need for almost every situation with just a really small camera pouch.
Just recently got a Lumix GF1. First time on the MFT system and im loving everything that makes it unique. Glad i found this channel, helping me learn more about the system and loving it more each day
I bought the Pana Leica 12mm a few months ago. I was uber impressed. I had a lot of pro lenses at the time and thought the 12mm was in a different class. I was persuaded to buy the Pana Leica 10-25mm f1.7. I used that for less than a day and had to order its twin brother. I traded much of my existing pro lens collection (to MPB, as it happens) to fund the 25-50mm f/1.7. The twins are utterly, utterly fabulous, to the extent the size if forgivable and the cost is understandable. I have kept my Olympus 12-100 Pro f/4 because it is so handy and I have to give high praise to the tiny Olympus 12-45mm Pro f/4 and it brother the 40-150 Pro f/4 - incredibly sharp and incredibly small. Some of the plastic fantastic kit is stellar - Pana 25mm f1/7 and the Oly 75-300mm which is astonishing in the right light. I am 65 (or is it 66?) and have been taking photos since I was 6. I have used everything in those 59 or 60 years and MFT is a wonderful system with something for everyone. I am NOT buying any more lenses. How does the Pana Leica 200 f2/8 compare with the Oly 300 f/4?
That's a really thought-provoking question - and you've given me some ideas of new toys to try... My answer[s], in no particular order, [and not repeating any you selected] would be:- 1. Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f1.7 Pancake prime - tack sharp, lovely tones, good bokeh, tiny, light weight 2. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.8 prime - tiny, sharp, fast, light... Usable for portrait at a pinch and bringing landscapes closer when needed 3. Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f0.95 prime - all-manual, insanely sharp, built like a tank; so gorgeous it's a work of art and the output is sublime 4. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm - a "plastic fantastic" lens that perfect for travel given its range. Super-fast to focus and sharp for a zoom 5. Panasonic Lumix Leica DG 25mm f1.4 prime - only a smidge bigger than the Oly 45f1.8, but fast, sharp focus, glorious bokeh, light weight... The thing that first appealed to me when I started my M43 journey [with a Panasonic DMC-GX1] was the range of tiny, lightweight, fast and affordable primes. It's possible to put together a "day camera bag" that includes a body, spare batteries and cards and 3-4 lenses [say a 25, 45 and the 75] in primes... for less than the weight/bulk of a single Canikon [sic] lens... and still get sharper images that are more fun to take. Yes, a good quality zoom - like say the excellent Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 "kit" lens - is more versatile for walkabout work... but you'll learn so much more if you take the 3-4 primes and really think about what you're doing.
I have three lenses that I bought to use with my Pen F: the Oly 17 f1.8, the Lumix 12-32 f3.5-5.6, and the Lumix 35-100 f4.0-5.6. I carry all three lenses and the camera in a Tenba Insert 7, which fits in my daypack, while still leaving lots of room for sunglasses and other things. Gives me pretty much anything I need when traveling at minial weight. The Tenba also holds extra batteries and cards.
My favorite is the Lumix 20mm f1.7 pan cake. Small, light but well built, fast, sharp, and very affordable. The 40 mm full frame-equivalent is perfect for me. 50 mm is a bit tight, and 35 mm is a bit too wide for me. This lens is on my Olympus E-PL8 the most!
I love the shallow depth of field in M43, the bokeh is so smooth on the Olympus 25mm and 45mm 1.8s without blurring the background into oblivion. I much prefer it to full frame.
Lumix 12-32mm pancake any day of the week. The 35-100mm f4-5.6 also pairs up nicely as cute little telephoto lens where I have no hesitation of bringing in the first place.
This 12-32mm lens is amazing! It stays on my GX85 for every day carrying. Lack of manual focus is my one frustration. (Yes, you can step focus in the menus, but then I miss the moment in street photography.)
@j_taylor for street photo and manual focusing, look up about zone focus, where you set the focus to somewhere in front of you (e.g 2 meter), and you always take photo by maintaining that distance to object. By stepping down the aperture, you'll get sharp pictures.
My landscape kit is my E-M1 ii with Olympus 14-150mm and 9-18mm. If the weather is particularly bad then I take my 12-40mm Pro instead. My travel kit is my E-M10 iii and the 14-150mm and 9-18mm. I am also attached to the Olympus 75-300mm mk2. As for Lumix lenses, I like the 12-60mm (not the Leica version) on my GX80 and I used the first version of the 14-140mm for quite a few years.
A great list of lenses and I can't take issue with any of them. Two of my favorite everyday/everything lenses are the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 and the Olympus 12-100mm IS f4.0 PRO. Both have superlative IQ, lifetime build quality, and are fully weather sealed. I find mid-range zooms which top out between 35 and 45mm are just too short for me, and that the 60mm reach of the Leica covers so many more situations. Yet it's no bigger than the (magnificent) Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 PRO. The Olympus 12-100mm f4 PRO is - to me anyway - like one of those amazing weapons superheroes have that can handle any situation. With it's IS and and IBIS Olympus bodies you have SyncIS which goes a long way to offsetting the f4.0 aperture, and the whole rig - covering a 35mm film equivalent of 24 to 200mm - can drop into a very compact holster bag. I shot a four day motorcycle rally with just that setup and only used my Leica 9mm f1.7 super-wide angle lens once or twice. Really, there are so many more amazing MFT lenses than you were able to cover that it's almost confusing. Modern software tech can address just about all sensor limitations (for any format) but it can't replace the right glass used to make the photo, and MFT is awash in wonderful lenses of all sizes and prices.
I think this is actually a very important and underappreciated topic and definitely a hallmark of MFT's unique attributes. The 75 mm 1.8 Olympus is surgically sharp.. but yeah the price and the niche focal length drove me to the Sigma 56 mm 1.4 which I would rate as a very worthy alternative. For Another MFT unicorn I would suggest the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12-50mm F/3.5-6.3 EZ ED. Where else can you get an equivalent 24-100 zoom with ED glass, weatherproof, manual focus clutch mechanism, very good macro and a power zoom all for around $200 used. I've shot this next to my 12-45 Olympus Pro and many of the shots are indistinguishable.
as someone who wants more depth of field, MFT is a dream system for me. Currently stuck in aps-c, but the G9ii and GH7 is definitely on my current "endgame" wishlist. Having crazy telephoto range while maintaining DoF and lower aperture is also a big plus for both macro and long range needs.
The Olympus 12-100mm F4 is another stellar lens. Incredibly sharp for such a versatile range, with the added benefit of Sync-IS. A bit heavy/bulky however. It was my first MFT lens and a key factor for me to switch (from Canon) to the MFT platform.
Gonna agree here, also ditching Canon now for this lens. Used to used a Canon 24-105mm on a crop body, but being limited to 38mm on the wide on (FF equivalent) really sucked. For travel, the 12-100mm is the holy grail of lenses.
For me it's been the trifecta of the Panasonic Leica 8-18, 12-60, 50-200 with a 1.4 or the 2.0 teleconverter. That gives me the full range for anything I want to do. I also have the 14 - 140 that I take with me on extended backpacking trips. But when I do that I miss either the 8 -18 or the 50 - 200 at some point!
Love this video - 35-100mm f2.8 (mk. 1) is probably my most used lens, I've got three for livestreaming and event recording, and paired with the 12-35 I'm covered for most situations. These are all really great value second hand.
Another great video Emily. The Panasonic 9mm f1.7 is a must have. Also the Pana 12-32 is a great kit lens, is so light, versatile and sharp. Just wish Panasonic will give us nice new small full of features camera with all the bells and whistles like an OM5.
One of the issues I sometimes see with full frame is making lens faster then they sometimes always need to be. For example back in the film days a lot of companies made a 135mm f2.8 and even 135mm f3.5. Not everything needs to be f1.4 or even f1.2 but its good to have those lens also. Also I don't think any client will care about sensor size if you are good with composition and lighting if they see your portfolio. Only advice I would give people that are switching to M43 from full frame is don't have a portfolio of f1.2 or f1.4 portraits that look like people are cut out and start using M43 lens. Bring M43 and full frame to your jobs and then switch out new photos. You can use Luminar and Lightroom now to add in more bokeh. But sometimes the software can have issues with some photos. You can put something in your contract that your style of photography is always evolving. This will protect you if change things about.
Emily I've watched your videos for a couple years now. I didn't have a M4/3 camera but just love your personality and photography. I now own a OM-D EM1 mkiii. Everything you have been excited about has been true. I have the 17mm, 14-150 and 75-300 in the kit. This lens list will help make my next choices. thanks.
This is a great video. I am devoted to micro 43 as an "adventure / travel" system. Too often micro 43 fans get carried away by a "full frame / bright lens" mentality. That has happened to me on occasion. Every time I have gone "big" with micro 43rds (whether by going for the OM-D 1 over an OM-5 or a "pro" zoom over the 12-50 3.5 - 6.3) I use the entire system less and just go full frame. Nothing can allow Micro 43rds to slug it out optically with full frame. The 60mm 2.8 macro is great because it is small and light. Wide apertures aren't really important to macro shooting. The 8mm 1.8 fish eye Is great too. It is a bit heavy but while backpacking, it can do magic in the great outdoors. I have had a few "longer lenses" and have sold them. I think the 75-300 might be perfect... 400 gram range? Perfect.
On the other hand, something like the 35-100 2.8 might probably gather more light than similarly weighed APS-C zooms (and 400g FF lenses don't exist with this zoom range. Other than the 28-200 probably. There simply isn't a full frame 5.6/6.3 lens with only 200mm and 'good' image quality. You either get a massive F4/F2.8 or you must accept the 300mm range extra mass/size for some reason.) I got this thinking it's one of the most lightweight ~200mm zoom setup with better light gathering ability, and while it still isn't 'superb' at night it works pretty well enough for a ~800g single lens+camera kit.
I bought into MFT for macro work but was soon drawn to the telephoto advantages. The Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is a fantastic event lens for candid shots, in addition to portraits, and the 40-150mm f/2.8 is my default lens for nature photography. The fact that I can throw a couple of extra small and fast primes in my bag, just in case, makes the system unbeatable for my purposes.
It’s great for insects too, focussing as close as 3 feet, but I find standing about 5 feet away doesn’t scare the subject and you get fantastic results handheld, the stabilisation is amazing.
Yep. I'm strictly a hobby photographer, and while I can afford, carry, and justify owning a 100-400mm lens for m4/3, there's no way I would ever own something approaching that size if I had a 'full frame' camera. I've taken my 100-400 on overnight mountain backpacks where my camping gear have been in a 30l rucsac (GX8 + 12-60mm pd capture clipped to rucsac strap, 17mm prime in pocket for low light, and long lens in a Lowepro strapped to the side of the rucsac). That just isn't possible with an equivalent lens for a 35mm camera, where your whole set up has to be geared around carrying it.
Just mounted up my 4/3 14-45mm f2.8-3.5 lense on my "new" G7 body. Compared to the old 4/3 body it feels like I'm just carrying the lense. An inexpensive 4/3 to MFT adapter opens up a huge market in used lenses, some of the best glass ever made. Love your channel, looking forward to seeing your backlog as time allows. FWIW I'm eagerly anticipating using my Zeiss T* 50mm F1.4 manual lens. It's a C/Y mount so I'll have to use two adapters (for now)... which ought to make it pretty nice as a macro.
You are so pleasant to watch. To me, the Olympus 12-200 is one of the best examples of why MFT beats full frame in certain ways. It isn’t the brightest lens, but it takes nice photographs throughout a very wide range of focal lengths and it is extremely portable.
I'm glad you covered the 10-25 and 25-50. I use a g9 w the 10-25 it's truly remarkable the results for m43, let alone an aging body (esp for AF) I may try to get/rent the 25-50 soon or maybe I'll wait to see if they come out with something else. Thanks for the great video 😊
I have that same exact combination of the G9 with the 10-25 1.7. I really felt like I had arrived as far as the level of pro equipment when I started using this set. I love my primes.. but if the size and weight is not prohibitive this combo will knock your socks off.
Dear Emily, I love my Olympus lens set 7-14 mm, 12-40 mm, 40-150mm /2.8 and both converters 1.4 and 2.0 and seldom need more. For macro I use the Nisi 77mm Close up lens in combination with the 40-150mm, love the results. Ton
The sheer versality of the system means that pretty much anything one could mention would qualify under this title, but the 45mm Olympus is one of the two lenses that make the argument for me. The supposed disadvantage of m4/3 is its lack of really shallow depth of field compared to 35mm sensors. True, but for a lot of the things I shoot (landscapes, for example), you don't generally want f2. Where you do want shallow depth of field is for portraits. The Oly 45 1.8 is only half a stop slower than a 50mm 1.4 on 'full frame', is probably sharper, and so small that if I have any camera with me, the 45mm can come along unnoticed in a pocket just in case. If I want to take an unexpected portrait, I'm good to go, and I get the same shallow dof as a 'full frame' nifty fifty, with a more sympathetic focal length for portraits. Sure, it isn't as good for portraits as a dedicated 90mm portrait lens for 'Full frame', but what 35mm landscape photographer is carrying around a 90mm f1. 4 with them just in case? The Oly 45mm is barely bigger than a 35mm film canister, so there's no reason not to carry it on spec.
Depends what you're shooting and how you're looking at the pictures later. When I travel, the Oly 14-150 non-pro (on an EM5iii) is fine for 95% of my photos and a wonderfuly light combo, even by M43 standards. And printed up to A4 on or a computer screen is perfectly sharp. Why go for extra detail (and expense) that you can't actually see?
If I had to choose a few lenses which would solve all my needs in any range, may it be wide or telephoto (aka my perfect complete kit) then they would be: 9mm 1.7 lumix - wide/vlog lens 12-35 panaleica (mk 1 if used) - video lens 1 35-100 mk ii Lumix (mk 1 if used) - video lens 2 (+ some potraits) 30mm 1.4 sigma/ 25mm 1.4 lumix (potrait lens 1, can be used as a video prime) 42.5 1.2 olympus/nocticron (but if budget is lower then 42.5mm lumix 1.7 or if i wouldnt mind a bit tighter of a focal length then 56mm 1.4 sigma) (Potrait main lens) 60mm 2.8 macro olympus (macro lens) 100-400 mk ii lumix (if budget is an issue then 100-300 mk i) (telephoto lens) + Bonus if I can afford, or keep as extras then 75mm 1.8 olympus (awesomeness), 6mm laowa (ultrawide) I don't shoot fisheye so i didnt mention a lens for that.
I've acquired a fantastic MFT lens library. Thank you MPB and KEH. Only one lens was purchased new (40-150 f4), the rest were purchased used at substantial discounts. I think you talking about MFT lenses is key. This is the primary strength of the system IMO. WELL DONE!
I have owned a lot of micro four thirds lenses and my go to seems to be the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm 2.8-4. I can't seem to take it off my gh5. I have used faster lenses and more specifically designed lenses, but I always end up going back to the 12-60. I love the color pop that the lens creates. The olympus 12-40 is amazing as well, but I don't like the results as much. There is something to that 12-60 that I can't seem to get anywhere else. I also love the little tiny olympus 45mm 1.8. The results are fantastic for such a small, light and cheap lens! Micro four thirds is an awesome system, but not the only one I use. I think it is the ultimate system to take with you everywhere. That's why I enjoy the zooms more because of the versatility of the system.
This! We have the same taste :). I sold all my other lenses and kept the 45mm 1.8 + 15mm 1.7 as a prime couple and the 12-60mm for my all round zoom. All 3 of them render special
@@krkzv Camera Conspiracies talks about that 3d pop from older lenses and he has a point, but I like the image stabilization and image quality from the Leica Panasonic lenses.
@@Centauri27 the 12-60 Panasonic Leica isn't a replacement for both of those Olympus Lenses. Those Olympus Lenses are super high quality. The coating on the Leica creates a different effect with colors and it is smaller, but I wouldn't bother with getting it if you already have two great olympus lenses.
Lately I used m43 and ff during photography workshop, and really most ppl couldn't tell a difference. And used all F1.8 lenses on M43 nothing faster (all basic olympus line of F1.8).
My go to lens for everyday use is the Olymous 12-40mm F2.8 Pro, such a great all round lens. My favourite lens has to be the ultra light 45mm f1.8 just love the results from that lens and it's super lightweight and such good value.
For me, the reason I finally bought a MFT camera is the versatility, with an adapter you can just about use any lens you want. I was quite pleasantly surprised how well it works with autofocus Canon EF lenses.
For wide angle, I use the SLR Magic 8mm f/4.0 Rectilinear. Cracking little lens with 100mm close focus and infinity from 1m. As a walk-about it is simply a case of setting it to infinity and firing away !
Panasonic Leica 12-35 F.2.8 is by far my new favourit lens for G9II and GM1. The stabilisation on GM1 or the dual stabilisation on G9II is wonderful and also the sharpnes and close focusing distance. It's so small but have everything a 24-70mm lens would need including stabilisation, which a lot of 24-70mm dont have.
Thank you for mentioning the Pentax, I wasn't really aware of that camera brand till now and I'm starting to find some good deals on the K series of complete kits with a handful of lenses! Still outta my budget rn but still nice to know there's that option.
I owned and liked the 9-18 for a few years until I got a 12-45/4. Got tired of f5.6 with collapsing design...replaced with Laowa 10/2 for those wider than 12mm shots. At the other end the Sigma 56/1.4 is superb...
I was surprised and delighted to see my comment on the Lumix-Leica 25-50 shared. Thanks for sharing that and for sharing your thoughts here! Very good topic and one I enjoy hearing your thoughts on. As for the lens... so chonky and beautiful!
Hi, the pros and cons of M43 depth of field vs FF depth of field depends a lot on your subject matter. I dont shoot portraits so I dont need very blurry bokeh for subject separation. Sometimes wish I had more bokeh for wildlife, but dont shoot it that much and have workarounds. In fact, I like sering some context of the background, not a completely mushed bg where you dont have context of the location. Landscape is by far what I shoot most, and for that deeper DOF is perfect! I think medium format's super shallow DOF would be a real pain for me for that reason .
I've come to really love my Panasonic 42.5mm 1.7. I've realized that it gives the same look as a 50mm would on Full frame just cropped into an 85mm. The lens that makes MFT worth it for me is the 12-35mm 2.8. The size difference versus a FF 24-70, is insane. And for video the smaller lens means less rebalancing on a gimbal vs. the FF equivalent.
The Lumix 35-100 f4-5.6 is fab. The Oly 60mm f2.8 macro is my favourite, the images from it are beautiful. The Oly 45 f1.8, you forgot it, how!?! It was my first m43 lens because I was wanted to get bokeh. Another great lens is the Leica 9mm f1.7. Plus many more 🙂
The Lumix12-60 2.8-4 is my "everyday" lens. If I just want to take one camera / one lens while out and about that's the lens I always take. The wide range of 24-120 FF allows so much coverage from close up to a small zoom. Not to mention its a great quality lens.
There is some wisdom in this video! Today I‘ve been out with my primes (from 6 to 75mm) and I think, I used the Laowa 10mm most often. Not as extreme as it’s 6mm sister, but tiny and very sharp,with pleasant bokeh on close-up shots. My best lens is the Oly 45mm Pro, but surprisingly, I use it least often.
Although it goes against everything I like about my M4/3 use, I have grown to really like the Olympus 7-14 2.8 pro that I recently took a punt on. I take quite a few landscapes while/with mountain biking and I like the quality and build of this lense - it's just bleeding heavy! Previous to that I loved the Oly 12mm F2 for everyday travel piccies.
Having recently suffered a bad back, I’ve begun to use the little Olympus primes and am pleasantly surprised. The weight of course, is down, but the lenses are sharp and clear. So much so, I’ve ordered the 9mm Lumix, which should be on the doorstep shortly. I also went for the 14-140mm Lumix and absolutely love it as it’s smaller and lighter than the 12-200mm and 40-150mm f4 Oly’s, even though their focal length is better. Love your video’s, Emily🇦🇺
My main lenses for the G9-II are the Leica 12-60 for most cases, the 9mm/1.7 as wide angle and for low light, the 12/1.4 especially for low light and indoor. Just in case, I have the 20mm/1.7, Laowa 7.5mm/2 and in rare cases the Lumix 100-300 for the range if needed. The 14mm/2.5 lives on the GX80 and for this camera I also use the smaller lenses from above. I would like to use the two 1.7 zooms but I don't like to carry them around so I'm staying with what I have for now.
The M.Zuiko 9-18 is my main wide angle zoom for infrared photography. Works amazingly good for IR. Also use the 12-32 pancake for IR. And another advantage is that I'm using the G95 for IR so I don't have to deal with the risk of PDAF lines in the images - CDAF sensors are much better for IR.
I own the Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye Pro, and I'm never going to sell it! I do use it both for the fisheye effect and digitally corrected to be rectilinear...or here's something interesting: partially corrected. It also has close focus and good looking bokeh wide open. So it's actually a versatile lens.
I just picked up the Lumix 100-300 4.0-5.6mm and it's a ton of fun. The price point is perfect for anyone with a M43 camera body wanting to try a telescopic lens. I might want to upgrade it at some point, but that'll be several years out.
For me, I'd probably have to say it's my Leica-Lumix 15mm f1.7 and the Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 that really hit the mark for me. They're rather versatile, but I definitely love the 15mm f.17 the most out of all the lenses I own. I've been tempted to try out the 20mm pancake, since I've heard a lot of praise for such, and I suspect I would love it almost as much as the 15mm since they're both right around where all my favourite childhood photos are (one film camera was 28mm, the other was 38mm). For Olympus lenses, there's definitely the 25mm f1.8 (I bought it for hubby so he has a prime for nighttime, but boy oh boy, do I love that lens and I keep stealing it from him), and the 40-150mm f2.8 was one of the hardest to put back down at the camera shop given just how handy it is. That 40-150mm is literally on my wishlist as the prime zoom candidate for "the only lens I go out with". Don't care it's bigger and chonkier than the current daily zoom (the Lumix 12-60 f3.5-5.6), I'm more than willing to accept the size and weight tradeoffs since I'm constantly wishing I had something longer when I go out with a zoom. I know there's the Leica-Lumix 50-200mm, but that's a variable aperture, and is totally missing the feature I absolutely LOVE on the Olympus Pro lenses - the manual focus clutch. I would have one of the f1.2 Pro's in my list, but as much as I'd love them, they're almost the same price as the 40-150 Pro, and I know I'd get a lot more use out of the 40-150 Pro, not just for it's flexibility, but also because of the simple fact that it also has something like a 0.43x macro.
I love this video. It is a terrific rundown highlighting the versatility of the system. Now everyone has their favorites, but mine are the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and the Lumix 20mm f1.7. These two cover just about everything I shoot with my GX85. For me it's all about fast, compact and light, and that means primes. I carry a tiny Canon SX720 point-and-shoot as a supplement for super-telephoto.
I didn't buy a camera when I adapted m43. I bought the 40-150 used. The oly EM1ii, and other stuff just came with the box. I prefer the 2x on aperture on long tele lenses, makes it much easier to get the whole bird in the focus.
Without a doubt, as you say, the greatness of the MFT system is its deployment of lenses 😁. But we also have another great advantage to achieve very angular or very bright lenses, we always have one tool left: a speedbooster (we can adapt other third-party lenses and increase their luminosity while respecting their original focal length), a brilliant invention. PS: Deciding on a particular lens is a really difficult task, because I fall in love every time I use one. I recently acquired the MZuiko 12-40 2.8 and I have wondered why I had not bought it in a while... (another zoom that I love, the unique M.Zuiko 8-25MM, I love the Lumix 20mm 1.7 and it reminds me of the Summarit 40mm 2.4 of the Leica Minilux...)
I really love using toy cameras as well as disposable film cameras. I wanted to create a similar look digitally. The Yi M1 camera, along with the Olympus 15mm f8 pancake lens or the Artisan 18mm 6.3 lense (both fixed aperture), give me that toy/disposable camera look I can carry in my pocket.
I just bought the EM10 IV with the 14-42 EZ lens and the Olympus LC37 lens cap. It acts like a point-and-shoot in that set-up, I can fit it into my pants pocket and it weighs less than a bottle of water. I can walk around with it, take photos and no one even pays attention to me. The sensor quality is superb, it has an EVF, a flippy screen and the 14-42 lens is very sharp considering it is a pancake lens. I don't even notice any distortion when shooting Raw or JPEG. It is the best small camera I have ever used in my life and the only comparison is the Fuji X-E4 with the 27mm F2.8. Yes, the fuji might take slightly better photos, but it is three times more expensive and I can only get a used one even at triple the price. You can't get a better small camera than the EM10 IV, imho, for the money.
I know it’s not exclusively a m43 lens, but the reason I’d never move from the system is the sigma 56 f1.4. To have a 112mm f2.8 ff equivalent in that small of a package is mind blowing for me. Can’t beat it anywhere else.
For weddings for me I like the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 I like the extra 5mm over the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 for portraits when you need to work fast and really don't have time to swap lens. My second lens is the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 and I went with this lens for two reasons its cheaper then the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 and its liter. I do have some other lens Olympus 45mm f1.8 that when I do have time for swapping lens I will use it and I have the 75mm f1.8 also. Sometimes when you working by yourself at a wedding and lugging your bags around there is only so much time to do so many things. I like like zooms the most over primes for weddings.
I'm totally with you with zooms for weddings. I'll use primes for portraiture but you just can't beat the versatility of a zoom on such a fast paced day!
THE lens that make me switch my nature/wildlife photo gear from Canon DSLR to m43 is the Leica 200mm f2.8, a real gem ! But I bought my first m43 (GM1) because of compactness and interchangeable lenses, and the 12-32mm was a great qualitative surprise, so I soon bought the tiny 35-100mm to match it, what a combo !
Pentax Super Takumar 1.2 is excellent for portraits... If i wasn't so radioactive. It's so radioactive I keep it out in my shed. Got some great shots off this.
The Leica 42.5mm F1.2 and Olympus 45mm 1.2 are more than shallow enough for portraits, and I've had to stop down plenty of times to get a subject's nose in focus when the eyes are tack sharp.
Great choice of lenses, there are so many good ones to choose from. I know you covered a lot of other great lenses in previous videos. I started out with the Panasonic 20mm f1.7, even though the AF is slow compared to new lenses. Small pancake for a smaller body. I also like the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro For anything in between I have the Olympus 12-40 Pro f2.8 I am lacking a telephoto lens since I sold the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm F4-5.6 Mk1
I've just joined the M4/3 game and love the compact system. I have a 9-18 mzuiko, a 12-40 g2.8 MK2 and a 40-150 f4-6.3 r plastic fantastic. I'm blown away by how such a cheap lens performs. Yes it has a few issues, but£80? I've used it on my om1 and it's great not a pro lens to be sure but £80? Staggering. Love the channel
Best lens for the GH7 if budget is not a problem and you want only 1 lens? I ordered the $1500 one BH suggested but after watching your video I was thinking I should have looked at some of these smaller alternatives? Newbie here. Thx.
If you miss the Olympus full frame fisheye, have you tried the Samyang/Rokinon 7.5mm f3.5. It’s very small and very sharp. Best results at f5.6 at which focus is redundant due to DOF.
DOF is twice for example FF 2.8 is 4/3 a 1.4 therefore less lens options 😢. Also Voigtländer has a fantastic lenses repertoire with ultra fast 0.95. Manual focus but has electrical contacts with camera. 😮. Nissi offers a manual 9mm 2.8 lens sunstar ASPH.
I recently tried the Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye with the GM1 body and it's such a perfect match. Not a lens you use all the time but soo convenient for getting cramped spaces and nearly entire rooms in a shot. The size, weight, build, and image quality is all pretty great. Just NOT a lens you want to use on bodies with large grips because it will show up in all your pictures. Also I sold the 35-100mm f/2.8 to get the 50-200. Even though I'd say the 50-200mm is sharper overall.. I miss the swirly bokeh look and internal zoom from the 35-100mm.
Yes, good choices. As I've been collecting MFT lenses for several years, I think you build up knowledge of what each lens will do and its drawbacks if any. There are no poor native MFT lenses. Even the plastic fantastic kit lenses are good glass. Favourites - For the smaller cameras the PZ14-42 and PZ45-175. For the larger cameras the 12-35/2.8 and 35-100/2.8 pair. The rectilinear Panny 7-14/4 for room interiors. The Panny 45-200ii, which might seem and odd choice but is lighter than the PL50-200 and longer than the 45-150. The PL100-400, which is a big lens and not one you want to lug around all day. I'm not a big fan of wide primes, the zooms cover their ranges nicely. The must-have Ollie 45/1.8. The tack-sharp Leica 25/1.4 and Ollie 75/1.8
The Lumix f1.2 Nocticron. Meant for portraits. Bokeh for days...... 85mm ff equivalent. (42.5mm M43.) Has a problem when shooting into the light. purple fringing. Absolutely great for portraits. different color balance to M.Zuiko lens. j. PS: also have the M.Zuiko 75mm prime. sharp as..... minimum focussing distance is a bit long. can't get close enough.
The f1.7/f1.8 primes in general for m43 are what makes the system so good. They are so small and light, fairly inexpensive, and they punch far above their weight class. I've always wanted that 75mm. I need to find an excuse to pick it up...
My Olympus 12-40mm 2.8 PRO is my favorite lens of them all. While it sort of ruins the form of the PenF mine basically lives on that camera. It is my go to combo for all those quick grab shots or for just walking around
Watch next! My review of "Big White" the most expensive M43 lens ever made... ruclips.net/video/28yh1yJhR-E/видео.htmlsi=miZjKzIJhda7eAt5
I stayed with Olympus when they announced the 150-400tcpro. No other system would have anything like it. I waited 3 years and it was worth it :)
And now I have an OM1mkll to attach to it and it’s better then I thought would be possible back then.
When I switched from Canon to MFT about three years ago, the step up in build quality was very apparent. My Canon L glass was rugged and served me well, but the exquisite engineering (especially of Olympus glass) and the light weight was astounding. For me, MFT is the sweet spot between quality, creativity, practicality, and affordability.
Nailed it.
So true! I can't believe how some RUclipsrs are saying FF is the "sweet spot".
Emily - I love your work. Well done.
For me the Lumix 14-140mm is the exemplar MFT lens. It is a one stop shop for travel, family etc., and it is really sharp. Add a prime like the 25mm f1.4 or a 42.5mm etc and one is set!
why not the 14-150 olympus it's cheaper and good too. Your choice is really awesome too. For me id say a travel kit would be 12-35, 35-100 (2.8 ones) , 100-400 (if I need telephoto), and 42.5 1.7. Or if I have to make it only 3 lenses, id rather go 12-35, 42.5, 100-400 this should solve all my major needs
@@ProbablyAnAmateur Correct. Also the reviews comparing the two favour the LUMIX. An Olympus I would like however is the PRO 12-40mm f2.8!
Yeah reviews say the 14-140 is sharper. It costs more so it should be.
I love the plastic fantastic from Olympus but it's instantly noticeable that it's not as sharp even when viewing at a very small photo size.
Maybe the 14-150 is better than the 40-150 but I couldn't be happier with the Panasonic lens.
I compared the Lumix to the Olympus in-shop (both used, comparable condition, comparable price). The Lumix was ever so slightly sharper. The images had a snap to them that the Olympus didn't have. And the IS for my Lumix cameras made it an easy choice.
This is exactly my combo. I use the 14-140mm for almost everything, and the 42.5 for specific shots like portraits. They’re both beautiful lenses.
I switched to MFT almost two years ago, mainly because I needed a smaller and lighter kit (than my previous 5D mark iv) in my profession as a journalist on the go. Soon I discovered another advantage as well: I can use my 17mm 1.2 fully opened without blurring everything in the image but the focal plane. After all, I do no nonsense documentary and reportage work, often in low light. A purely aesthetic/cliche bokeh bonanza is not what I'm after. My regular indoor setup is two OM-1 bodies, the 17mm 1.2 on one of them and a 75mm 1.8 on the other. I seldom need anything more than that.
I love your channel, by the way. Inspiring and useful.
agreed, MFT can be advantageous if one needs to have big aperture but still provides context. Although it can be mitigated by stopping down and increasing ISO in larger format, MFT still have the size advantage (and the IBIS is usually better)
THIS! As someone who shoots editorial photog., I have to agree.
For me it is the Olympus 45mm 1.8 and the 12-40mm 2.8.
The 45mm is so tiny, it makes even analog era 85mm lenses seem huge, but it is tack sharp, has a gorgeous bokeh and is dirt cheap.
The 12-40mm is rugged, weather sealed, tiny, sharp, affordable, gets you incredibly close for such a lens and is an awesome all round performer. Both together give me all I need for almost every situation with just a really small camera pouch.
Just recently got a Lumix GF1. First time on the MFT system and im loving everything that makes it unique. Glad i found this channel, helping me learn more about the system and loving it more each day
I bought the Pana Leica 12mm a few months ago. I was uber impressed. I had a lot of pro lenses at the time and thought the 12mm was in a different class. I was persuaded to buy the Pana Leica 10-25mm f1.7. I used that for less than a day and had to order its twin brother. I traded much of my existing pro lens collection (to MPB, as it happens) to fund the 25-50mm f/1.7. The twins are utterly, utterly fabulous, to the extent the size if forgivable and the cost is understandable. I have kept my Olympus 12-100 Pro f/4 because it is so handy and I have to give high praise to the tiny Olympus 12-45mm Pro f/4 and it brother the 40-150 Pro f/4 - incredibly sharp and incredibly small. Some of the plastic fantastic kit is stellar - Pana 25mm f1/7 and the Oly 75-300mm which is astonishing in the right light. I am 65 (or is it 66?) and have been taking photos since I was 6. I have used everything in those 59 or 60 years and MFT is a wonderful system with something for everyone. I am NOT buying any more lenses. How does the Pana Leica 200 f2/8 compare with the Oly 300 f/4?
That's a really thought-provoking question - and you've given me some ideas of new toys to try... My answer[s], in no particular order, [and not repeating any you selected] would be:-
1. Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f1.7 Pancake prime - tack sharp, lovely tones, good bokeh, tiny, light weight
2. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.8 prime - tiny, sharp, fast, light... Usable for portrait at a pinch and bringing landscapes closer when needed
3. Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f0.95 prime - all-manual, insanely sharp, built like a tank; so gorgeous it's a work of art and the output is sublime
4. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm - a "plastic fantastic" lens that perfect for travel given its range. Super-fast to focus and sharp for a zoom
5. Panasonic Lumix Leica DG 25mm f1.4 prime - only a smidge bigger than the Oly 45f1.8, but fast, sharp focus, glorious bokeh, light weight...
The thing that first appealed to me when I started my M43 journey [with a Panasonic DMC-GX1] was the range of tiny, lightweight, fast and affordable primes. It's possible to put together a "day camera bag" that includes a body, spare batteries and cards and 3-4 lenses [say a 25, 45 and the 75] in primes... for less than the weight/bulk of a single Canikon [sic] lens... and still get sharper images that are more fun to take. Yes, a good quality zoom - like say the excellent Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 "kit" lens - is more versatile for walkabout work... but you'll learn so much more if you take the 3-4 primes and really think about what you're doing.
I have three lenses that I bought to use with my Pen F: the Oly 17 f1.8, the Lumix 12-32 f3.5-5.6, and the Lumix 35-100 f4.0-5.6. I carry all three lenses and the camera in a Tenba Insert 7, which fits in my daypack, while still leaving lots of room for sunglasses and other things. Gives me pretty much anything I need when traveling at minial weight. The Tenba also holds extra batteries and cards.
I hadn't thought about the 9-18mm Olympus before so going to check it out.
My favorite is the Lumix 20mm f1.7 pan cake. Small, light but well built, fast, sharp, and very affordable. The 40 mm full frame-equivalent is perfect for me. 50 mm is a bit tight, and 35 mm is a bit too wide for me. This lens is on my Olympus E-PL8 the most!
I love the shallow depth of field in M43, the bokeh is so smooth on the Olympus 25mm and 45mm 1.8s without blurring the background into oblivion. I much prefer it to full frame.
You just change aperture to get less/more bokeh 😂
@@JuanAuribusBut if you stop down, you negate any of the lowlight benefits touted by FF
Lumix 12-32mm pancake any day of the week.
The 35-100mm f4-5.6 also pairs up nicely as cute little telephoto lens where I have no hesitation of bringing in the first place.
The 12-32 is cool because its so small but you cant do manual focus with it. I dont like that
@castielvargastv7931 Actually, you can. But, it's fiddly because you use a d-pad or touchscreen to move the focus in Panasonic body (Idk on Olympus)
This 12-32mm lens is amazing! It stays on my GX85 for every day carrying. Lack of manual focus is my one frustration. (Yes, you can step focus in the menus, but then I miss the moment in street photography.)
@j_taylor for street photo and manual focusing, look up about zone focus, where you set the focus to somewhere in front of you (e.g 2 meter), and you always take photo by maintaining that distance to object. By stepping down the aperture, you'll get sharp pictures.
Panny/Leica 15mm 1.7 and 42.5mm 1.2.both are so special!
I bought the 15mm 1.7 before I even had an MFT body.. no regrets..
My landscape kit is my E-M1 ii with Olympus 14-150mm and 9-18mm. If the weather is particularly bad then I take my 12-40mm Pro instead.
My travel kit is my E-M10 iii and the 14-150mm and 9-18mm.
I am also attached to the Olympus 75-300mm mk2.
As for Lumix lenses, I like the 12-60mm (not the Leica version) on my GX80 and I used the first version of the 14-140mm for quite a few years.
A great list of lenses and I can't take issue with any of them. Two of my favorite everyday/everything lenses are the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 and the Olympus 12-100mm IS f4.0 PRO. Both have superlative IQ, lifetime build quality, and are fully weather sealed. I find mid-range zooms which top out between 35 and 45mm are just too short for me, and that the 60mm reach of the Leica covers so many more situations. Yet it's no bigger than the (magnificent) Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 PRO. The Olympus 12-100mm f4 PRO is - to me anyway - like one of those amazing weapons superheroes have that can handle any situation. With it's IS and and IBIS Olympus bodies you have SyncIS which goes a long way to offsetting the f4.0 aperture, and the whole rig - covering a 35mm film equivalent of 24 to 200mm - can drop into a very compact holster bag. I shot a four day motorcycle rally with just that setup and only used my Leica 9mm f1.7 super-wide angle lens once or twice.
Really, there are so many more amazing MFT lenses than you were able to cover that it's almost confusing. Modern software tech can address just about all sensor limitations (for any format) but it can't replace the right glass used to make the photo, and MFT is awash in wonderful lenses of all sizes and prices.
I think this is actually a very important and underappreciated topic and definitely a hallmark of MFT's unique attributes. The 75 mm 1.8 Olympus is surgically sharp.. but yeah the price and the niche focal length drove me to the Sigma 56 mm 1.4 which I would rate as a very worthy alternative. For Another MFT unicorn I would suggest the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12-50mm F/3.5-6.3 EZ ED. Where else can you get an equivalent 24-100 zoom with ED glass, weatherproof, manual focus clutch mechanism, very good macro and a power zoom all for around $200 used. I've shot this next to my 12-45 Olympus Pro and many of the shots are indistinguishable.
You are so right about the crazy 12-50 f/3.5-6.3. If I am on an ultra light backpacking trip, nothing can compare.
as someone who wants more depth of field, MFT is a dream system for me. Currently stuck in aps-c, but the G9ii and GH7 is definitely on my current "endgame" wishlist. Having crazy telephoto range while maintaining DoF and lower aperture is also a big plus for both macro and long range needs.
The Olympus 12-100mm F4 is another stellar lens. Incredibly sharp for such a versatile range, with the added benefit of Sync-IS. A bit heavy/bulky however. It was my first MFT lens and a key factor for me to switch (from Canon) to the MFT platform.
Gonna agree here, also ditching Canon now for this lens. Used to used a Canon 24-105mm on a crop body, but being limited to 38mm on the wide on (FF equivalent) really sucked. For travel, the 12-100mm is the holy grail of lenses.
For me it's been the trifecta of the Panasonic Leica 8-18, 12-60, 50-200 with a 1.4 or the 2.0 teleconverter. That gives me the full range for anything I want to do. I also have the 14 - 140 that I take with me on extended backpacking trips. But when I do that I miss either the 8 -18 or the 50 - 200 at some point!
Hi another panasonic lumix lens l use and love is the G X Vario pz 45-175mm 4.0/5.6 a fantastic len with a power zoom .
I adore my 45mm f1.8 it's a great portrait lens too
Just picked one of these up. £139 'like new' used from MPB, and the size of an egg. Amazing results.
Love this video - 35-100mm f2.8 (mk. 1) is probably my most used lens, I've got three for livestreaming and event recording, and paired with the 12-35 I'm covered for most situations. These are all really great value second hand.
Another great video Emily. The Panasonic 9mm f1.7 is a must have. Also the Pana 12-32 is a great kit lens, is so light, versatile and sharp. Just wish Panasonic will give us nice new small full of features camera with all the bells and whistles like an OM5.
One of the issues I sometimes see with full frame is making lens faster then they sometimes always need to be. For example back in the film days a lot of companies made a 135mm f2.8 and even 135mm f3.5. Not everything needs to be f1.4 or even f1.2 but its good to have those lens also.
Also I don't think any client will care about sensor size if you are good with composition and lighting if they see your portfolio.
Only advice I would give people that are switching to M43 from full frame is don't have a portfolio of f1.2 or f1.4 portraits that look like people are cut out and start using M43 lens. Bring M43 and full frame to your jobs and then switch out new photos.
You can use Luminar and Lightroom now to add in more bokeh. But sometimes the software can have issues with some photos.
You can put something in your contract that your style of photography is always evolving. This will protect you if change things about.
Emily I've watched your videos for a couple years now. I didn't have a M4/3 camera but just love your personality and photography. I now own a OM-D EM1 mkiii. Everything you have been excited about has been true. I have the 17mm, 14-150 and 75-300 in the kit. This lens list will help make my next choices. thanks.
Amazing! Thanks so much for watching ☺️
This is a great video. I am devoted to micro 43 as an "adventure / travel" system. Too often micro 43 fans get carried away by a "full frame / bright lens" mentality. That has happened to me on occasion. Every time I have gone "big" with micro 43rds (whether by going for the OM-D 1 over an OM-5 or a "pro" zoom over the 12-50 3.5 - 6.3) I use the entire system less and just go full frame. Nothing can allow Micro 43rds to slug it out optically with full frame. The 60mm 2.8 macro is great because it is small and light. Wide apertures aren't really important to macro shooting. The 8mm 1.8 fish eye Is great too. It is a bit heavy but while backpacking, it can do magic in the great outdoors. I have had a few "longer lenses" and have sold them. I think the 75-300 might be perfect... 400 gram range? Perfect.
In total agreement. I tend to use the primes because of size and weight savings.
On the other hand, something like the 35-100 2.8 might probably gather more light than similarly weighed APS-C zooms (and 400g FF lenses don't exist with this zoom range. Other than the 28-200 probably. There simply isn't a full frame 5.6/6.3 lens with only 200mm and 'good' image quality. You either get a massive F4/F2.8 or you must accept the 300mm range extra mass/size for some reason.) I got this thinking it's one of the most lightweight ~200mm zoom setup with better light gathering ability, and while it still isn't 'superb' at night it works pretty well enough for a ~800g single lens+camera kit.
I bought into MFT for macro work but was soon drawn to the telephoto advantages. The Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is a fantastic event lens for candid shots, in addition to portraits, and the 40-150mm f/2.8 is my default lens for nature photography. The fact that I can throw a couple of extra small and fast primes in my bag, just in case, makes the system unbeatable for my purposes.
LUMIX 100-400 is an absolute beast for wildlife, smaller than my friends 70-200 APSC lens and superb image quality
It’s great for insects too, focussing as close as 3 feet, but I find standing about 5 feet away doesn’t scare the subject and you get fantastic results handheld, the stabilisation is amazing.
Yep. I'm strictly a hobby photographer, and while I can afford, carry, and justify owning a 100-400mm lens for m4/3, there's no way I would ever own something approaching that size if I had a 'full frame' camera. I've taken my 100-400 on overnight mountain backpacks where my camping gear have been in a 30l rucsac (GX8 + 12-60mm pd capture clipped to rucsac strap, 17mm prime in pocket for low light, and long lens in a Lowepro strapped to the side of the rucsac). That just isn't possible with an equivalent lens for a 35mm camera, where your whole set up has to be geared around carrying it.
Just mounted up my 4/3 14-45mm f2.8-3.5 lense on my "new" G7 body.
Compared to the old 4/3 body it feels like I'm just carrying the lense.
An inexpensive 4/3 to MFT adapter opens up a huge market in used lenses, some of the best glass ever made.
Love your channel, looking forward to seeing your backlog as time allows.
FWIW I'm eagerly anticipating using my Zeiss T* 50mm F1.4 manual lens. It's a C/Y mount so I'll have to use two adapters (for now)... which ought to make it pretty nice as a macro.
You are so pleasant to watch. To me, the Olympus 12-200 is one of the best examples of why MFT beats full frame in certain ways. It isn’t the brightest lens, but it takes nice photographs throughout a very wide range of focal lengths and it is extremely portable.
Just bought my first micro 4/3 camera so these videos are very useful so thankyou:)
I'm glad you covered the 10-25 and 25-50. I use a g9 w the 10-25 it's truly remarkable the results for m43, let alone an aging body (esp for AF)
I may try to get/rent the 25-50 soon or maybe I'll wait to see if they come out with something else. Thanks for the great video 😊
I have that same exact combination of the G9 with the 10-25 1.7. I really felt like I had arrived as far as the level of pro equipment when I started using this set. I love my primes.. but if the size and weight is not prohibitive this combo will knock your socks off.
The 42.5mm F1.2 lens also complements the 10-25mm and can be purchased inexpensively at times.
@@candyartstv I've looked at it. Same with the 200mm. Both are great but I often don't have the ability to zoom with my feet
Thanks!
Thanks so much! ☺️
Dear Emily,
I love my Olympus lens set 7-14 mm, 12-40 mm, 40-150mm /2.8 and both converters 1.4 and 2.0 and seldom need more.
For macro I use the Nisi 77mm Close up lens in combination with the 40-150mm, love the results.
Ton
Laowa 7.5mm, Olympus 45mm and the Lumix pancakes (20mm is my personal fave). Such incredible quality in a nearly pocketable kit.
The sheer versality of the system means that pretty much anything one could mention would qualify under this title, but the 45mm Olympus is one of the two lenses that make the argument for me. The supposed disadvantage of m4/3 is its lack of really shallow depth of field compared to 35mm sensors. True, but for a lot of the things I shoot (landscapes, for example), you don't generally want f2. Where you do want shallow depth of field is for portraits. The Oly 45 1.8 is only half a stop slower than a 50mm 1.4 on 'full frame', is probably sharper, and so small that if I have any camera with me, the 45mm can come along unnoticed in a pocket just in case. If I want to take an unexpected portrait, I'm good to go, and I get the same shallow dof as a 'full frame' nifty fifty, with a more sympathetic focal length for portraits. Sure, it isn't as good for portraits as a dedicated 90mm portrait lens for 'Full frame', but what 35mm landscape photographer is carrying around a 90mm f1. 4 with them just in case? The Oly 45mm is barely bigger than a 35mm film canister, so there's no reason not to carry it on spec.
Depends what you're shooting and how you're looking at the pictures later. When I travel, the Oly 14-150 non-pro (on an EM5iii) is fine for 95% of my photos and a wonderfuly light combo, even by M43 standards. And printed up to A4 on or a computer screen is perfectly sharp. Why go for extra detail (and expense) that you can't actually see?
If I had to choose a few lenses which would solve all my needs in any range, may it be wide or telephoto (aka my perfect complete kit) then they would be:
9mm 1.7 lumix - wide/vlog lens
12-35 panaleica (mk 1 if used) - video lens 1
35-100 mk ii Lumix (mk 1 if used) - video lens 2 (+ some potraits)
30mm 1.4 sigma/ 25mm 1.4 lumix (potrait lens 1, can be used as a video prime)
42.5 1.2 olympus/nocticron (but if budget is lower then 42.5mm lumix 1.7 or if i wouldnt mind a bit tighter of a focal length then 56mm 1.4 sigma) (Potrait main lens)
60mm 2.8 macro olympus (macro lens)
100-400 mk ii lumix (if budget is an issue then 100-300 mk i) (telephoto lens)
+
Bonus if I can afford, or keep as extras then 75mm 1.8 olympus (awesomeness), 6mm laowa (ultrawide)
I don't shoot fisheye so i didnt mention a lens for that.
I've acquired a fantastic MFT lens library. Thank you MPB and KEH. Only one lens was purchased new (40-150 f4), the rest were purchased used at substantial discounts.
I think you talking about MFT lenses is key. This is the primary strength of the system IMO.
WELL DONE!
I have owned a lot of micro four thirds lenses and my go to seems to be the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm 2.8-4. I can't seem to take it off my gh5. I have used faster lenses and more specifically designed lenses, but I always end up going back to the 12-60. I love the color pop that the lens creates. The olympus 12-40 is amazing as well, but I don't like the results as much. There is something to that 12-60 that I can't seem to get anywhere else. I also love the little tiny olympus 45mm 1.8. The results are fantastic for such a small, light and cheap lens! Micro four thirds is an awesome system, but not the only one I use. I think it is the ultimate system to take with you everywhere. That's why I enjoy the zooms more because of the versatility of the system.
This! We have the same taste :). I sold all my other lenses and kept the 45mm 1.8 + 15mm 1.7 as a prime couple and the 12-60mm for my all round zoom. All 3 of them render special
Talking about colors I still love 50mm f\2 from original FT more than 60 mm f\2,8 from MFT...
@@krkzv Camera Conspiracies talks about that 3d pop from older lenses and he has a point, but I like the image stabilization and image quality from the Leica Panasonic lenses.
Though I already own the Olympus 12-40 and 12-100 (which I love, but it's big and heavy), the Leica 12-60 f/2.8-4.0 is starting to intrigue me...
@@Centauri27 the 12-60 Panasonic Leica isn't a replacement for both of those Olympus Lenses. Those Olympus Lenses are super high quality. The coating on the Leica creates a different effect with colors and it is smaller, but I wouldn't bother with getting it if you already have two great olympus lenses.
Lately I used m43 and ff during photography workshop, and really most ppl couldn't tell a difference. And used all F1.8 lenses on M43 nothing faster (all basic olympus line of F1.8).
My go to lens for everyday use is the Olymous 12-40mm F2.8 Pro, such a great all round lens. My favourite lens has to be the ultra light 45mm f1.8 just love the results from that lens and it's super lightweight and such good value.
For me, the reason I finally bought a MFT camera is the versatility, with an adapter you can just about use any lens you want. I was quite pleasantly surprised how well it works with autofocus Canon EF lenses.
For wide angle, I use the SLR Magic 8mm f/4.0 Rectilinear.
Cracking little lens with 100mm close focus and infinity from 1m. As a walk-about it is simply a case of setting it to infinity and firing away !
Panasonic Leica 12-35 F.2.8 is by far my new favourit lens for G9II and GM1. The stabilisation on GM1 or the dual stabilisation on G9II is wonderful and also the sharpnes and close focusing distance. It's so small but have everything a 24-70mm lens would need including stabilisation, which a lot of 24-70mm dont have.
Thank you for mentioning the Pentax, I wasn't really aware of that camera brand till now and I'm starting to find some good deals on the K series of complete kits with a handful of lenses! Still outta my budget rn but still nice to know there's that option.
I owned and liked the 9-18 for a few years until I got a 12-45/4. Got tired of f5.6 with collapsing design...replaced with Laowa 10/2 for those wider than 12mm shots. At the other end the Sigma 56/1.4 is superb...
I was surprised and delighted to see my comment on the Lumix-Leica 25-50 shared. Thanks for sharing that and for sharing your thoughts here! Very good topic and one I enjoy hearing your thoughts on. As for the lens... so chonky and beautiful!
Hi, the pros and cons of M43 depth of field vs FF depth of field depends a lot on your subject matter. I dont shoot portraits so I dont need very blurry bokeh for subject separation. Sometimes wish I had more bokeh for wildlife, but dont shoot it that much and have workarounds. In fact, I like sering some context of the background, not a completely mushed bg where you dont have context of the location. Landscape is by far what I shoot most, and for that deeper DOF is perfect! I think medium format's super shallow DOF would be a real pain for me for that reason .
I've come to really love my Panasonic 42.5mm 1.7. I've realized that it gives the same look as a 50mm would on Full frame just cropped into an 85mm. The lens that makes MFT worth it for me is the 12-35mm 2.8. The size difference versus a FF 24-70, is insane. And for video the smaller lens means less rebalancing on a gimbal vs. the FF equivalent.
The Lumix 35-100 f4-5.6 is fab. The Oly 60mm f2.8 macro is my favourite, the images from it are beautiful.
The Oly 45 f1.8, you forgot it, how!?! It was my first m43 lens because I was wanted to get bokeh.
Another great lens is the Leica 9mm f1.7. Plus many more 🙂
The Lumix12-60 2.8-4 is my "everyday" lens. If I just want to take one camera / one lens while out and about that's the lens I always take. The wide range of 24-120 FF allows so much coverage from close up to a small zoom. Not to mention its a great quality lens.
There is some wisdom in this video! Today I‘ve been out with my primes (from 6 to 75mm) and I think, I used the Laowa 10mm most often. Not as extreme as it’s 6mm sister, but tiny and very sharp,with pleasant bokeh on close-up shots. My best lens is the Oly 45mm Pro, but surprisingly, I use it least often.
Thanks. Enjoyed the shots of Liverpool, too!
Although it goes against everything I like about my M4/3 use, I have grown to really like the Olympus 7-14 2.8 pro that I recently took a punt on. I take quite a few landscapes while/with mountain biking and I like the quality and build of this lense - it's just bleeding heavy! Previous to that I loved the Oly 12mm F2 for everyday travel piccies.
As a macro and landscape photographer I love the DOF and hi res modes. Hard to beat given the weight advantage.
I have the 9-18 oly, super lens. Recently I picked up the LEICA DG 12-60/F2.8-4.0 2nd hand at less than half price and I love it.
Having recently suffered a bad back, I’ve begun to use the little Olympus primes and am pleasantly surprised. The weight of course, is down, but the lenses are sharp and clear. So much so, I’ve ordered the 9mm Lumix, which should be on the doorstep shortly. I also went for the 14-140mm Lumix and absolutely love it as it’s smaller and lighter than the 12-200mm and 40-150mm f4 Oly’s, even though their focal length is better. Love your video’s, Emily🇦🇺
Great video the range of prime 12 - 50 mm lenses are absolutely superb!
My main lenses for the G9-II are the Leica 12-60 for most cases, the 9mm/1.7 as wide angle and for low light, the 12/1.4 especially for low light and indoor.
Just in case, I have the 20mm/1.7, Laowa 7.5mm/2 and in rare cases the Lumix 100-300 for the range if needed.
The 14mm/2.5 lives on the GX80 and for this camera I also use the smaller lenses from above.
I would like to use the two 1.7 zooms but I don't like to carry them around so I'm staying with what I have for now.
I am looking at getting the Laowa 7.5, what do u think of it??
The M.Zuiko 9-18 is my main wide angle zoom for infrared photography. Works amazingly good for IR. Also use the 12-32 pancake for IR. And another advantage is that I'm using the G95 for IR so I don't have to deal with the risk of PDAF lines in the images - CDAF sensors are much better for IR.
Love your enthusiasm thanks.
I own the Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye Pro, and I'm never going to sell it! I do use it both for the fisheye effect and digitally corrected to be rectilinear...or here's something interesting: partially corrected. It also has close focus and good looking bokeh wide open. So it's actually a versatile lens.
I just picked up the Lumix 100-300 4.0-5.6mm and it's a ton of fun. The price point is perfect for anyone with a M43 camera body wanting to try a telescopic lens. I might want to upgrade it at some point, but that'll be several years out.
I think there are some great pancake that make M4/3 so interesting, so compact and light!
Been loving my lumix 9mm f1.7 for my GX85. It’s a lovely small video/vlogging combo
I recently purchased the same lens. It's quite good
The missing one in this review. Its amazing!!
For me, I'd probably have to say it's my Leica-Lumix 15mm f1.7 and the Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 that really hit the mark for me. They're rather versatile, but I definitely love the 15mm f.17 the most out of all the lenses I own. I've been tempted to try out the 20mm pancake, since I've heard a lot of praise for such, and I suspect I would love it almost as much as the 15mm since they're both right around where all my favourite childhood photos are (one film camera was 28mm, the other was 38mm).
For Olympus lenses, there's definitely the 25mm f1.8 (I bought it for hubby so he has a prime for nighttime, but boy oh boy, do I love that lens and I keep stealing it from him), and the 40-150mm f2.8 was one of the hardest to put back down at the camera shop given just how handy it is. That 40-150mm is literally on my wishlist as the prime zoom candidate for "the only lens I go out with". Don't care it's bigger and chonkier than the current daily zoom (the Lumix 12-60 f3.5-5.6), I'm more than willing to accept the size and weight tradeoffs since I'm constantly wishing I had something longer when I go out with a zoom. I know there's the Leica-Lumix 50-200mm, but that's a variable aperture, and is totally missing the feature I absolutely LOVE on the Olympus Pro lenses - the manual focus clutch. I would have one of the f1.2 Pro's in my list, but as much as I'd love them, they're almost the same price as the 40-150 Pro, and I know I'd get a lot more use out of the 40-150 Pro, not just for it's flexibility, but also because of the simple fact that it also has something like a 0.43x macro.
The Oly 8-25 f4 is pretty amazing.
I love this video. It is a terrific rundown highlighting the versatility of the system. Now everyone has their favorites, but mine are the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and the Lumix 20mm f1.7. These two cover just about everything I shoot with my GX85. For me it's all about fast, compact and light, and that means primes. I carry a tiny Canon SX720 point-and-shoot as a supplement for super-telephoto.
12-60 Lumix Leica is such a workhorse. Such a good lens.
My Pan/Leica 12-60mm is the nicest len I've ever put on any camera, and I've tried so so so much gear at this point. It's just Magical!
I didn't buy a camera when I adapted m43. I bought the 40-150 used. The oly EM1ii, and other stuff just came with the box. I prefer the 2x on aperture on long tele lenses, makes it much easier to get the whole bird in the focus.
Without a doubt, as you say, the greatness of the MFT system is its deployment of lenses 😁. But we also have another great advantage to achieve very angular or very bright lenses, we always have one tool left: a speedbooster (we can adapt other third-party lenses and increase their luminosity while respecting their original focal length), a brilliant invention.
PS: Deciding on a particular lens is a really difficult task, because I fall in love every time I use one. I recently acquired the MZuiko 12-40 2.8 and I have wondered why I had not bought it in a while... (another zoom that I love, the unique M.Zuiko 8-25MM, I love the Lumix 20mm 1.7 and it reminds me of the Summarit 40mm 2.4 of the Leica Minilux...)
I really love using toy cameras as well as disposable film cameras. I wanted to create a similar look digitally. The Yi M1 camera, along with the Olympus 15mm f8 pancake lens or the Artisan 18mm 6.3 lense (both fixed aperture), give me that toy/disposable camera look I can carry in my pocket.
I just bought the EM10 IV with the 14-42 EZ lens and the Olympus LC37 lens cap. It acts like a point-and-shoot in that set-up, I can fit it into my pants pocket and it weighs less than a bottle of water. I can walk around with it, take photos and no one even pays attention to me. The sensor quality is superb, it has an EVF, a flippy screen and the 14-42 lens is very sharp considering it is a pancake lens. I don't even notice any distortion when shooting Raw or JPEG. It is the best small camera I have ever used in my life and the only comparison is the Fuji X-E4 with the 27mm F2.8. Yes, the fuji might take slightly better photos, but it is three times more expensive and I can only get a used one even at triple the price. You can't get a better small camera than the EM10 IV, imho, for the money.
I know it’s not exclusively a m43 lens, but the reason I’d never move from the system is the sigma 56 f1.4. To have a 112mm f2.8 ff equivalent in that small of a package is mind blowing for me. Can’t beat it anywhere else.
For weddings for me I like the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 I like the extra 5mm over the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 for portraits when you need to work fast and really don't have time to swap lens. My second lens is the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 and I went with this lens for two reasons its cheaper then the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 and its liter.
I do have some other lens Olympus 45mm f1.8 that when I do have time for swapping lens I will use it and I have the 75mm f1.8 also. Sometimes when you working by yourself at a wedding and lugging your bags around there is only so much time to do so many things. I like like zooms the most over primes for weddings.
I'm totally with you with zooms for weddings. I'll use primes for portraiture but you just can't beat the versatility of a zoom on such a fast paced day!
Excellent video! I'm new to this channel, but learning a lot!
THE lens that make me switch my nature/wildlife photo gear from Canon DSLR to m43 is the Leica 200mm f2.8, a real gem ! But I bought my first m43 (GM1) because of compactness and interchangeable lenses, and the 12-32mm was a great qualitative surprise, so I soon bought the tiny 35-100mm to match it, what a combo !
I am hoping I can loan that 200mm for the puffins next time I go to the Faroe Islands! I will definitely review it if so 😁
Pentax Super Takumar 1.2 is excellent for portraits... If i wasn't so radioactive. It's so radioactive I keep it out in my shed. Got some great shots off this.
The Leica 42.5mm F1.2 and Olympus 45mm 1.2 are more than shallow enough for portraits, and I've had to stop down plenty of times to get a subject's nose in focus when the eyes are tack sharp.
And the Oly 45mm 1.8 is so small that you can choose to carry a dedicated portrait lens in pretty much any situation.
Great choice of lenses, there are so many good ones to choose from. I know you covered a lot of other great lenses in previous videos.
I started out with the Panasonic 20mm f1.7, even though the AF is slow compared to new lenses. Small pancake for a smaller body.
I also like the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro
For anything in between I have the Olympus 12-40 Pro f2.8
I am lacking a telephoto lens since I sold the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm F4-5.6 Mk1
I've just joined the M4/3 game and love the compact system. I have a 9-18 mzuiko, a 12-40 g2.8 MK2 and a 40-150 f4-6.3 r plastic fantastic. I'm blown away by how such a cheap lens performs. Yes it has a few issues, but£80? I've used it on my om1 and it's great not a pro lens to be sure but £80?
Staggering. Love the channel
Best lens for the GH7 if budget is not a problem and you want only 1 lens? I ordered the $1500 one BH suggested but after watching your video I was thinking I should have looked at some of these smaller alternatives? Newbie here. Thx.
The Panasonic lumix 100/ 300 is a nice lens also the 45/175 is good for videos
The Panasonic 25mm 1.4 summilux is incredible on my Olympus pen f
If you miss the Olympus full frame fisheye, have you tried the Samyang/Rokinon 7.5mm f3.5. It’s very small and very sharp. Best results at f5.6 at which focus is redundant due to DOF.
DOF is twice for example FF 2.8 is 4/3 a 1.4 therefore less lens options 😢. Also Voigtländer has a fantastic lenses repertoire with ultra fast 0.95. Manual focus but has electrical contacts with camera. 😮. Nissi offers a manual 9mm 2.8 lens sunstar ASPH.
I recently tried the Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye with the GM1 body and it's such a perfect match. Not a lens you use all the time but soo convenient for getting cramped spaces and nearly entire rooms in a shot. The size, weight, build, and image quality is all pretty great. Just NOT a lens you want to use on bodies with large grips because it will show up in all your pictures.
Also I sold the 35-100mm f/2.8 to get the 50-200. Even though I'd say the 50-200mm is sharper overall.. I miss the swirly bokeh look and internal zoom from the 35-100mm.
Oly 1.8 primes, oly 60mm macro, oly 75mm, all the longer teles. 🙌
Love my SLR Magic 8mm F/4. Tiny and zero barrel distortion.
Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 and 15mm f/1.7 are lovely lenses, The Lumix 12-32 pancake is one of my favorites.
What...no mention of the 200mm f2.8 or 50-200mm?
The Oly/OM 8-mm f/1.8 fisheye is outstanding for star trails.
Trying to convince myself to buy the used 9-18 F4 Oly zoom. Some of those zooms look interesting.
Yes, good choices. As I've been collecting MFT lenses for several years, I think you build up knowledge of what each lens will do and its drawbacks if any.
There are no poor native MFT lenses. Even the plastic fantastic kit lenses are good glass.
Favourites -
For the smaller cameras the PZ14-42 and PZ45-175.
For the larger cameras the 12-35/2.8 and 35-100/2.8 pair. The rectilinear Panny 7-14/4 for room interiors. The Panny 45-200ii, which might seem and odd choice but is lighter than the PL50-200 and longer than the 45-150. The PL100-400, which is a big lens and not one you want to lug around all day.
I'm not a big fan of wide primes, the zooms cover their ranges nicely. The must-have Ollie 45/1.8. The tack-sharp Leica 25/1.4 and Ollie 75/1.8
The Lumix f1.2 Nocticron. Meant for portraits. Bokeh for days...... 85mm ff equivalent. (42.5mm M43.) Has a problem when shooting into the light. purple fringing. Absolutely great for portraits. different color balance to M.Zuiko lens. j. PS: also have the M.Zuiko 75mm prime. sharp as..... minimum focussing distance is a bit long. can't get close enough.
The f1.7/f1.8 primes in general for m43 are what makes the system so good. They are so small and light, fairly inexpensive, and they punch far above their weight class. I've always wanted that 75mm. I need to find an excuse to pick it up...
My Olympus 12-40mm 2.8 PRO is my favorite lens of them all. While it sort of ruins the form of the PenF mine basically lives on that camera. It is my go to combo for all those quick grab shots or for just walking around