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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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 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?
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!
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.
Great video, but no mention of the Olympus 8-25 f/4 Pro? It's a borderline unicorn lens. Yes, Sony has their 20-70 and 17-50, but they are no where near as sharp as the Olympus lens.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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)
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.
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.
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.
My leica 15mm 1.7 is great. Its almost too sharp. My most loved lense is the olympus 12-40 2.8 pro because image quality is something else. I love my 14-140 mm as well even tough image quality is average but still good. The lumix 42,5 1.7 has great image quality but the autofocus is painfully slow in pictures and video. If i would buy agaun i would buy lumix leica or olympus pro lenses only plus my lzmix 14-140 as you cant beat the range for streetphotography
M43 has literally everything from big expensive pro lenses and bodies to tiny bodies with toyish but still sharp lenses. Wish they'd go back to making small original bodies though. If you want more Bokeh, pick up a speedbooster/focal reducer and add any FF or APS-C lense. You will gain a stop of light and get shallower DOF, while not losing any quality. The only real downside other than price is that the constant autofocus sucks.
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...
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.
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!
MPB is great, but the prices have gone up for most mft gear in the last 2 years (since I've been in the system)... I got my GX80+12-32 2 years back (local resale website) for 300eur, now the body only costs more than that... The sigma 56mm prices are near new prices... There is a FF hype nowdays, but MFT is still getting a lot of attention if you look at the used prices.... My second system is Nikon APSC, I like to see the price drop on used body/lens gear of them, since I still prefer its final output for landscapes...
All I want is a 12-300 f2.8 lens. I don't care how massive it has to be. I just don't like swapping lens... 10-27 1.7 best I've used. perfect images... Oly 45 1.8 next best. never misses a shot... Leica 12 1.4...technically amazing but 24mm always either too wide or not wide enough
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.
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 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.
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'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.
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 .
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 🙂
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.
Hello, Many thanks for review. I have 2 questions: 1) when you spoke about the portrait 85mm FF, why did you haven’t talked about the Pana-Leica 42.5mm f1.2.? Amazing lens in my opinion. I also have FF 85mm Lumix 85mm f1.8 but I feel much more happy with the 42.5… 2) you have not mentioned much small lenses like 10mm to 25mm with large aperture. I am trying to find m4/3 equivalent to FF equivalent to my FF 35mm f1.8 Lumix. This is mainly for video, looking for a versatile single small lens allowing to get as much bokeh as possible. Any suggestions? Many tanks
Definitely Panasonic 35-100mm F2.8. As already mentioned in your video, FF 70-200mm F5.6 that is comparable to this lens in size and weight still does not exist. Such a stunning lens. However, I want to see Panasonic provide major updates for their compact primes like 20mm F1.7. There is almost no major update in the MFT lenses from panasonic for years, only one exception would be release of 9mm F1.7. For all the other lenses, the update is so minor.
The 20mm f1.7 is an essential part of any EDC. I have taken my gx85 every single day whenever I leave the house for the last 6 months. I don't think that would be possible with any of my other lenses. I live in downtown Chicago and I don't go a day without taking at least a few shots if not a few hundred.
All the lenses you mention here are great. For me, the Sigma 56mm f1.4 and the Panasonic Leica 9mm f1.7 would also make the list. I own both and they are brilliant.
Sorry too many questions: #1: If I already have an Oly 12-40mm F2.8pro, does it make better sense to get a 7-14mm than an Oly 9-18mm? #2: If I go for a 7-14mm, would a F4 be a better choice than a F2.8? My camera bodies are GH4 and G100. Thank you.
You can sort of get all those shallow depth of field by just slapping those full frame Canon L glass on a speedbooster, specially the Ultra x0.64 is pretty much insane when it comes to the depth achieved and gives you a stop and a half more light onto the sensor which can be both beneficial or a curse on a bright day. For the price of an used mark 1 L glass, you usually end up paying less than anything similar on the M4/3 system anyway with added bonus that L glass can be used on virtually any mirrorless system or Canon EF mount so hardly a bad investment, Nikon F exist too but then thats all manual focus but the Nikkor glass is also a lot cheaper, even same lenses on Canon EF are usually cheaper on Nikon F.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Build quality is such an underrated comment. I rented a Canon EOS R8 with the RF 35mm f/1.8 and RF 24-240 out of curiosity. Pardon my language, but my reaction was "what the fuck is this shit?". The RF 35mm f/1.8 *still* has an extending barrel when focusing and it wobbles around. The EOS R8 has nasty, course plastic that would be out of place on something like a G100. We really are spoiled by quality on this system.
Compact travel kit Zuiko 9-18mm f4-5.6 mk 1, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ, Leica 25mm f1.4 shallow DOF/low-light. You can get the 9-18mm mk2 which is much better build quality. I have the non Pro and Pro version of the 50-150mm Zuiko but I'd like to trade then in for a 50-150mm f1.4.
The 10-25mm and the 25-50mm make no sense at all. Compare them to, let's say, the sony 20-70mm, the tamron 20-40mm or most 24-105mm. MFT should be about convenience. Equivalence comparison should stop at FOV. Them is convenience - not equivalence - that is what will play in favor of MFT. Otherwise, it will always lose. And considering this, nowadays not even GH5/GH6/G9 and cameras alike make much sense if you intend to reproduce a FF DOF look. What makes MFT make sense are GX85/EM5/GM1 type of camera paird with lenses such as 14mm 2.5, 17mm 2.8, 20mm 1.7, 12-32mm, that colapsible 35-100mm, etc. It has to be at least pocketable in a jacket for the camera + 2 lenses. If you have to carry it in a bag, then FF cameras will start to make more sense.
hiiiiii I'M DESPERATELY trying to find a lens with vignetting that mimics the lomo LC-A... the overpriced lomography one doesn't cut it and while i love the olympus 15mm f8 cap lens is on the same vibe but ZERO VIGNETTES :( i'd like to have analog/natural vignettes versus post created....any thoughts?
I sold my reflex apsc camera and lenses. I have 12-40 35-100 2.8 7-14 f4 (i love it) 60 mm macro 75 ❤ - 45 - 25 - 15- 9 - 8 mm Prime lenses 1.8 - 1.7 100-300 pana. I've begun with pen f gx9 and em5 mk iii. I work with the system people don't care about our system problems, instead someone use to ask if are film cameras 😂 think at pen with 75 mm silver what a look.
Hi, great article thanks :) I am a filmmaker, using the BMPCC 4K, and I want to use longer focal length lens for some shots to help with fight scenes and also to separate characters from the background and get a really blurred background. My question is, if I bought, say, a Meike 65mm or 85mm lens - which would equate to I assume 130mm or 170mm on the APSC BM - or a Sirui 75mm lens, would they have the same characteristics of their original focal length, or would the depth of field improve due to going from 85mm to 170mm ? Or would the lens characteristics stay the same ? Hope that makes sense ! Any info or advice would be great, thanks : )
Thought provoking video, thank you! I’m considering whether to get back into m4/3. I bought an Oly EM-5 mkii ages ago, bundled with the 12-40 f2.8 pro. I’d convinced myself that I needed weather sealing because I mainly did landscape photography in the Lake District. I also bought the 17mm f1.8 but have never used it in anger. I stopped using the camera partly because I didn’t like the controls much and partly because of the size of the lens. I now use FF system with tiny manual focus lenses but the EM-5 is still in the cupboard. I don’t think I really need weather sealing and while the 12-40 is an amazing lens, I doubt I really need that image quality. Any ideas for a much smaller zoom lens covering the same sort of range? I don’t want primes as I have that covered off already and can use them on the Oly with an adapter.
I came from Sony full frame system, but looking for a light weight system for travelling & hiking. Previously I was in a torn between OM and Panasonic. If OM Digital Solutions made more lenses with IS and Sync IS. If OM Digital Solutions made smaller telephoto lenses for travelling. If OM Digital Solutions did not convert a full frame lens, changed the mount to m4/3 body, then doubled the price. (Referring to 150-600). If only OM Digital Solutions did not keep using the same old sensor, made a little improvement (which could be done via firmware update), then selling the new camera at higher price. So I decided that Panasonic is the Way. Does it make sense? 😹
My pick would be the Oly 12-100/4. I just don’t know of any other lens that covers 24-200mm equiv. With that kind of quality over the entire range. And with Sync IS… 🤯❤
One unique lens you've missed is the Olympus 8-25mm f/4. There is no other zoom lens equivalent that goes from an ultra wide to a normal lens AFAIK on any system. It's great for traveling in places with lots of architecture where you would normally be constantly switching between the UW for the architecture and a normal lens for an extension-distortion-free shot of everything else.
Despite being niche you would have to pry my Oly 75 1.8 out of my cold dead hands lol. It was my first ever lens funnily enough to shoot ice hockey with an Em-1 12 years ago and now I often take it out for portraits and even for some fun landscape / cityscape stuff.
The lens I miss most with my Fuji kit is the Olympus 12-100. I have taken that lens only (obviously with an Olympus body) and it is a perfect travel lens. If only Fuji made a similar lens. Yes they do the 18-135 but it is not as good as the 12-100.
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 !
I'm sadge about missing out on a recent 35-100mm 2.8 second hand lens deal :( Guess I'll continue to use the 12-35mm 2.8 for now (my only MFT lens at the moment haha)
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.
i am currently getting back into photography and i initially wanted to go with sony because a7 type bodies can bereally cheap used too and i allways wanted a ff because i never had one. but the more i think about it, the more it becomes a ''i want it... but i dont actually need it prob. 95% of the time'' on the other hand there are so many advantages to m43 that i actually really want. from the ibis, to the weather sealing, the smaller lenses, the sheer amount of lenses you can use and adapt and on top i dont really used that much ultra wide angles anyways so something like a 17mm oly would be more than fine. on the top end however it gives me loads and loads of flexibility going forward, even going as far and making certain types of photography possible i would never thought about. like wildlife or macro photography, where the 2x crop becomes your advantage even. want to do wildlife? but you cant afford this massive 600mm ff lens? well... a 300mm m43 lens is way smaller and actually affordable and it gives you the same 600mm range. and on top i just love how big and flexible the ecosystem is too since everything is interchangable, i can get a small pocket camera, a lumix one, something for videos, a big bulky body for studio, olympus bodys for ibis... and all of them share the exact same lens mount wich makes every lens i purchase basically double in value because all of my cameras can use it. on top: yes there are cheap lenses for other systems too, but if you want to go for the higher end glass, its damn near ridiculous in price. with m43, its different. PRO lenses like the zuiko 14-40 2.8 are actually really affordable. you can get those used for like 350 ish. same with the awesome 60mm 2.8 macro lens, you can get this guy for 250-300 used. for like 1000$ you can pretty much build yourself a fully working lens lineup covering almost everything you ll ever need. with FF you might get 1 good lens. 2 and you re already spending more than 1000$ thinking of it, m43 might even the most flexible plattform there is period. and there are so many benefits like size, weather sealing and others and almost no downsides that would affect me too much. a little bit more noise on smaller sensor... well for those occasional times when you really need to crank it up... LR has ai denoise and its great.
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
I chose a G9 with the 100-400 Leica as the only lens, because birds. I would have needed a princely purse and porters to carry my gear to get similar full-frame results.
Bonjour et merci pour cette vidéo, j'ai l'olympus EM -5 mark III avec 12-40 2.8 pro et le 40-150 f4/5.6 0r, avec ces deux ojectifs, je couvre un sacré champ de vision😃
I can attest to that fisheye lens being sharp: tested it against all of my lenses, and it was by far the sharpest lens I own; runner up is the Olympus 17mm f1.2
Is it possible to make very beautiful photos using for example g7 and without editing on the computer ? To be honest I love taking stills but I don't like to edit too much. I prefer to do other things :) like birds observation - going in to the nature instead of sitting behind computer screen
My only M43 is the GX80/85 and the only lenses that make sense are the ones I purchased😝. Ok it’s a small body and small lenses are the best fit. I bought it used with the 12-32 and added the 45-175 power zoom. I am very impressed with this humble consumer zoom. Better than it has a right to be. My daily users though are the Olympus 12mm F2, Olympus 45mm 1.8. I have on order a soon to arrive Panasonic 20mm 1.7II. All compact lenses that are fine performers. Maybe I will add a macro lens in the future. Thanks for the vids.
I do street photography. As a result, the GX8/85/9 are perfect bodies. The small primes are perfect for these bodies. The PL15 seems like the perfect lens for these bodies. I’m also partial to the 20&25mm lenses. Surprised that I like the kit P12-60mm lens on these bodies. Who knew? Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Watch next! My review of "Big White" the most expensive M43 lens ever made... ruclips.net/video/28yh1yJhR-E/видео.htmlsi=miZjKzIJhda7eAt5
Whats all this bokeh talk? I only know what Toneh is.
Hahhah
I know that reference 😂
Me too! Need the t-shirt! 😂🎉
Where’s the lake?
Tonehliciouus 😂
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 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!
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".
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!
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..
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 😂
Great video, but no mention of the Olympus 8-25 f/4 Pro? It's a borderline unicorn lens. Yes, Sony has their 20-70 and 17-50, but they are no where near as sharp as the Olympus lens.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Panasonic 9MM F1.7 ， 75 F1.8 etc，the problem is both panasonic and om system stop renew their small and compact cameras
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.
Would like to own 75mm F1.8, but it's to expensive for 2-3 photos a year :D
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Panasonic 14-140mm for the win.
That lens is way better than it has any right to be. Brilliant “good light” travel lens on a stabilised body.
10-25 1.7 is my boss lense
I love my 1.7 Twins ;)
My leica 15mm 1.7 is great. Its almost too sharp. My most loved lense is the olympus 12-40 2.8 pro because image quality is something else. I love my 14-140 mm as well even tough image quality is average but still good. The lumix 42,5 1.7 has great image quality but the autofocus is painfully slow in pictures and video. If i would buy agaun i would buy lumix leica or olympus pro lenses only plus my lzmix 14-140 as you cant beat the range for streetphotography
M43 has literally everything from big expensive pro lenses and bodies to tiny bodies with toyish but still sharp lenses. Wish they'd go back to making small original bodies though.
If you want more Bokeh, pick up a speedbooster/focal reducer and add any FF or APS-C lense. You will gain a stop of light and get shallower DOF, while not losing any quality. The only real downside other than price is that the constant autofocus sucks.
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...
Olympus 12-100 f4. The one lens that works almost all of the time.
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.
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!
MPB is great, but the prices have gone up for most mft gear in the last 2 years (since I've been in the system)... I got my GX80+12-32 2 years back (local resale website) for 300eur, now the body only costs more than that... The sigma 56mm prices are near new prices... There is a FF hype nowdays, but MFT is still getting a lot of attention if you look at the used prices....
My second system is Nikon APSC, I like to see the price drop on used body/lens gear of them, since I still prefer its final output for landscapes...
All I want is a 12-300 f2.8 lens. I don't care how massive it has to be. I just don't like swapping lens...
10-27 1.7 best I've used. perfect images...
Oly 45 1.8 next best. never misses a shot...
Leica 12 1.4...technically amazing but 24mm always either too wide or not wide enough
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??
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 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.
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'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
12-60 Lumix Leica is such a workhorse. Such a good lens.
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 .
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 🙂
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.
Hello,
Many thanks for review. I have 2 questions:
1) when you spoke about the portrait 85mm FF, why did you haven’t talked about the Pana-Leica 42.5mm f1.2.? Amazing lens in my opinion. I also have FF 85mm Lumix 85mm f1.8 but I feel much more happy with the 42.5…
2) you have not mentioned much small lenses like 10mm to 25mm with large aperture. I am trying to find m4/3 equivalent to FF equivalent to my FF 35mm f1.8 Lumix. This is mainly for video, looking for a versatile single small lens allowing to get as much bokeh as possible. Any suggestions?
Many tanks
So which lenses make micro four thirds make sense to you??
Definitely Panasonic 35-100mm F2.8. As already mentioned in your video, FF 70-200mm F5.6 that is comparable to this lens in size and weight still does not exist. Such a stunning lens.
However, I want to see Panasonic provide major updates for their compact primes like 20mm F1.7. There is almost no major update in the MFT lenses from panasonic for years, only one exception would be release of 9mm F1.7. For all the other lenses, the update is so minor.
The 20mm f1.7 is an essential part of any EDC.
I have taken my gx85 every single day whenever I leave the house for the last 6 months. I don't think that would be possible with any of my other lenses. I live in downtown Chicago and I don't go a day without taking at least a few shots if not a few hundred.
Its got to be the f4 - 300mm Lens nice one 👍
All the lenses you mention here are great. For me, the Sigma 56mm f1.4 and the Panasonic Leica 9mm f1.7 would also make the list. I own both and they are brilliant.
Meike 25mm T2.2 is my favorite lens for anything cinematic, takes a little work since everything is manual but the quality is hard to beat.
Sorry too many questions:
#1: If I already have an Oly 12-40mm F2.8pro, does it make better sense to get a 7-14mm than an Oly 9-18mm?
#2: If I go for a 7-14mm, would a F4 be a better choice than a F2.8?
My camera bodies are GH4 and G100.
Thank you.
You can sort of get all those shallow depth of field by just slapping those full frame Canon L glass on a speedbooster, specially the Ultra x0.64 is pretty much insane when it comes to the depth achieved and gives you a stop and a half more light onto the sensor which can be both beneficial or a curse on a bright day.
For the price of an used mark 1 L glass, you usually end up paying less than anything similar on the M4/3 system anyway with added bonus that L glass can be used on virtually any mirrorless system or Canon EF mount so hardly a bad investment, Nikon F exist too but then thats all manual focus but the Nikkor glass is also a lot cheaper, even same lenses on Canon EF are usually cheaper on Nikon F.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
What...no mention of the 200mm f2.8 or 50-200mm?
Build quality is such an underrated comment. I rented a Canon EOS R8 with the RF 35mm f/1.8 and RF 24-240 out of curiosity. Pardon my language, but my reaction was "what the fuck is this shit?". The RF 35mm f/1.8 *still* has an extending barrel when focusing and it wobbles around. The EOS R8 has nasty, course plastic that would be out of place on something like a G100. We really are spoiled by quality on this system.
Compact travel kit Zuiko 9-18mm f4-5.6 mk 1, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ, Leica 25mm f1.4 shallow DOF/low-light. You can get the 9-18mm mk2 which is much better build quality. I have the non Pro and Pro version of the 50-150mm Zuiko but I'd like to trade then in for a 50-150mm f1.4.
The 10-25mm and the 25-50mm make no sense at all. Compare them to, let's say, the sony 20-70mm, the tamron 20-40mm or most 24-105mm.
MFT should be about convenience. Equivalence comparison should stop at FOV. Them is convenience - not equivalence - that is what will play in favor of MFT. Otherwise, it will always lose.
And considering this, nowadays not even GH5/GH6/G9 and cameras alike make much sense if you intend to reproduce a FF DOF look.
What makes MFT make sense are GX85/EM5/GM1 type of camera paird with lenses such as 14mm 2.5, 17mm 2.8, 20mm 1.7, 12-32mm, that colapsible 35-100mm, etc. It has to be at least pocketable in a jacket for the camera + 2 lenses. If you have to carry it in a bag, then FF cameras will start to make more sense.
hiiiiii I'M DESPERATELY trying to find a lens with vignetting that mimics the lomo LC-A... the overpriced lomography one doesn't cut it and while i love the olympus 15mm f8 cap lens is on the same vibe but ZERO VIGNETTES :(
i'd like to have analog/natural vignettes versus post created....any thoughts?
I sold my reflex apsc camera and lenses. I have 12-40 35-100 2.8 7-14 f4 (i love it) 60 mm macro 75 ❤ - 45 - 25 - 15- 9 - 8 mm Prime lenses 1.8 - 1.7 100-300 pana. I've begun with pen f gx9 and em5 mk iii. I work with the system people don't care about our system problems, instead someone use to ask if are film cameras 😂 think at pen with 75 mm silver what a look.
Hi, great article thanks :) I am a filmmaker, using the BMPCC 4K, and I want to use longer focal length lens for some shots to help with fight scenes and also to separate characters from the background and get a really blurred background. My question is, if I bought, say, a Meike 65mm or 85mm lens - which would equate to I assume 130mm or 170mm on the APSC BM - or a Sirui 75mm lens, would they have the same characteristics of their original focal length, or would the depth of field improve due to going from 85mm to 170mm ? Or would the lens characteristics stay the same ? Hope that makes sense ! Any info or advice would be great, thanks : )
Thought provoking video, thank you! I’m considering whether to get back into m4/3. I bought an Oly EM-5 mkii ages ago, bundled with the 12-40 f2.8 pro. I’d convinced myself that I needed weather sealing because I mainly did landscape photography in the Lake District. I also bought the 17mm f1.8 but have never used it in anger. I stopped using the camera partly because I didn’t like the controls much and partly because of the size of the lens. I now use FF system with tiny manual focus lenses but the EM-5 is still in the cupboard. I don’t think I really need weather sealing and while the 12-40 is an amazing lens, I doubt I really need that image quality. Any ideas for a much smaller zoom lens covering the same sort of range? I don’t want primes as I have that covered off already and can use them on the Oly with an adapter.
I came from Sony full frame system, but looking for a light weight system for travelling & hiking.
Previously I was in a torn between OM and Panasonic.
If OM Digital Solutions made more lenses with IS and Sync IS.
If OM Digital Solutions made smaller telephoto lenses for travelling.
If OM Digital Solutions did not convert a full frame lens, changed the mount to m4/3 body, then doubled the price. (Referring to 150-600).
If only OM Digital Solutions did not keep using the same old sensor, made a little improvement (which could be done via firmware update), then selling the new camera at higher price.
So I decided that Panasonic is the Way. Does it make sense? 😹
My pick would be the Oly 12-100/4. I just don’t know of any other lens that covers 24-200mm equiv. With that kind of quality over the entire range. And with Sync IS… 🤯❤
One unique lens you've missed is the Olympus 8-25mm f/4.
There is no other zoom lens equivalent that goes from an ultra wide to a normal lens AFAIK on any system.
It's great for traveling in places with lots of architecture where you would normally be constantly switching between the UW for the architecture and a normal lens for an extension-distortion-free shot of everything else.
Despite being niche you would have to pry my Oly 75 1.8 out of my cold dead hands lol. It was my first ever lens funnily enough to shoot ice hockey with an Em-1 12 years ago and now I often take it out for portraits and even for some fun landscape / cityscape stuff.
The lens I miss most with my Fuji kit is the Olympus 12-100. I have taken that lens only (obviously with an Olympus body) and it is a perfect travel lens. If only Fuji made a similar lens. Yes they do the 18-135 but it is not as good as the 12-100.
About the con of maximum aperture, I regularly use f1.8 for most subjects, even small groups (with M43). Would that be practical in full frame?
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 !
I'm sadge about missing out on a recent 35-100mm 2.8 second hand lens deal :(
Guess I'll continue to use the 12-35mm 2.8 for now (my only MFT lens at the moment haha)
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.
Check the KIPON Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 Lens for Micro Four Thirds!
i am currently getting back into photography and i initially wanted to go with sony because a7 type bodies can bereally cheap used too and i allways wanted a ff because i never had one.
but the more i think about it, the more it becomes a ''i want it... but i dont actually need it prob. 95% of the time''
on the other hand there are so many advantages to m43 that i actually really want. from the ibis, to the weather sealing, the smaller lenses, the sheer amount of lenses you can use and adapt and on top i dont really used that much ultra wide angles anyways so something like a 17mm oly would be more than fine. on the top end however it gives me loads and loads of flexibility going forward, even going as far and making certain types of photography possible i would never thought about. like wildlife or macro photography, where the 2x crop becomes your advantage even. want to do wildlife? but you cant afford this massive 600mm ff lens? well... a 300mm m43 lens is way smaller and actually affordable and it gives you the same 600mm range.
and on top i just love how big and flexible the ecosystem is too since everything is interchangable, i can get a small pocket camera, a lumix one, something for videos, a big bulky body for studio, olympus bodys for ibis... and all of them share the exact same lens mount wich makes every lens i purchase basically double in value because all of my cameras can use it. on top: yes there are cheap lenses for other systems too, but if you want to go for the higher end glass, its damn near ridiculous in price. with m43, its different. PRO lenses like the zuiko 14-40 2.8 are actually really affordable. you can get those used for like 350 ish. same with the awesome 60mm 2.8 macro lens, you can get this guy for 250-300 used. for like 1000$ you can pretty much build yourself a fully working lens lineup covering almost everything you ll ever need. with FF you might get 1 good lens. 2 and you re already spending more than 1000$
thinking of it, m43 might even the most flexible plattform there is period. and there are so many benefits like size, weather sealing and others and almost no downsides that would affect me too much. a little bit more noise on smaller sensor... well for those occasional times when you really need to crank it up... LR has ai denoise and its great.
Why no love for the Olympus 14mm-150mm or the Olympus 12mm-200mm??
Their massive range at their size and price is unmatched.
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
Olympus 8-25 and Oly/Pana100-400 cover large range and can't be compared with FF
When are you going to review the Voigtlander 29mm f/0.8, the fastest production lens in existence?
Thanks. Enjoyed the shots of Liverpool, too!
I keeps a M43 camera on my shelf only because of: panasonic 12-32mm, panasonic 35-100mm(cheap one) olympus 12-100mm .
I chose a G9 with the 100-400 Leica as the only lens, because birds. I would have needed a princely purse and porters to carry my gear to get similar full-frame results.
I think the closest you will get to that 85mm f/1.4 is a voightlander 42.5mm f/0.95. It better be a good lens for the grand they want for it.
The Panasonic 25mm 1.4 summilux is incredible on my Olympus pen f
Trying to convince myself to buy the used 9-18 F4 Oly zoom. Some of those zooms look interesting.
How about the macro mode in the Olympus 12-50 wheathersealed kit lens that came with the EM5 Mark 1?
I forgot to mention, my favourites are the same 300, 40-150 and 15 and 9mm Pana-Leica.
Bonjour et merci pour cette vidéo, j'ai l'olympus EM -5 mark III avec 12-40 2.8 pro et le 40-150 f4/5.6 0r, avec ces deux ojectifs, je couvre un sacré champ de vision😃
I can attest to that fisheye lens being sharp: tested it against all of my lenses, and it was by far the sharpest lens I own; runner up is the Olympus 17mm f1.2
Just bought my first micro 4/3 camera so these videos are very useful so thankyou:)
Is it possible to make very beautiful photos using for example g7 and without editing on the computer ? To be honest I love taking stills but I don't like to edit too much. I prefer to do other things :) like birds observation - going in to the nature instead of sitting behind computer screen
Surprised the 12-45 & 40-150 F4 Pros didn't make the list.
As a macro and landscape photographer I love the DOF and hi res modes. Hard to beat given the weight advantage.
My only M43 is the GX80/85 and the only lenses that make sense are the ones I purchased😝. Ok it’s a small body and small lenses are the best fit. I bought it used with the 12-32 and added the 45-175 power zoom. I am very impressed with this humble consumer zoom. Better than it has a right to be. My daily users though are the Olympus 12mm F2, Olympus 45mm 1.8. I have on order a soon to arrive Panasonic 20mm 1.7II. All compact lenses that are fine performers. Maybe I will add a macro lens in the future. Thanks for the vids.
I do street photography. As a result, the GX8/85/9 are perfect bodies. The small primes are perfect for these bodies. The PL15 seems like the perfect lens for these bodies. I’m also partial to the 20&25mm lenses. Surprised that I like the kit P12-60mm lens on these bodies. Who knew?
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)