I think this compact but high performance lens on any fairly recent PEN camera is a better buy than the currently fashionable and EXPENSIVE 'pocketable' cameras from Sony/Ricoh/Panasonic. Also you can carry the pancake EZ zoom !
Very nice. I like your style. I just bought this lens used from Japan. It will be going on my little Olympus E-PM2. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 💁🏻♀️
Nice review! I wish OM D will make f/1.8 line of primes some sort of weather resistant. For myself I did pick PanaLeica 15/1.7 which is little bit wider but image quality is so good (of course with different price tag).
I personally don't need the weather resistance, but I'd love if the 25 and 45 would have the focus clutch! That PanaLeica 15 is tempting, but close enough to the 17mm so that I can't justify it at all 😅
@@RogerinFinland and there is no “focus clutch” on PanaLeica :( and it is “focus by wire” :( but I forgive it everything :) because of image qualities.
G'day mate..Marty here from Australia. Just watched your Olympus OMD E M1 Mark ii video very cool. I use mostly Sony A6400 but moving into Olympus for run and gun stabilisation.. Looking at a 12-40mm f2.8..with a couple of primes 17mm and 45mm f1.8. I have read the 17mm is noisy while autofocusing though. Do you find it noisy? Thanks for your videos about this camera and lens set up. All the best Marty ps: Subbed
Thanks for the comment and subbing! I haven't found it noisy, at all actually 😅 and this is the 2nd 17mm 1.8 I own. Could it be that the 2.8 version is the noisy one?
@@RogerinFinland thanks a lot. I really appreciate you getting back to me on this, maybe I miss read somewhere and it was the 2.8. Have an awesome day!
In other reviews the laowa looks sharper. Is it noticeable to you? You also get a closer focus distance of 15mm I think? That's quite nice. Which lens do you actually prefer? Which one has more keepers on it
Oh man, so many tough questions 😊 Both are keepers. The Laowa is a no-brainer because of the price, BUT if Autofocus is a must, then the Olympus is the obvious choice. Sharpness wise, one might be sharper than the other, but both are plenty sharp for me. The close focus of the Laowa is a plus. Which do I prefer? Well, with Olympus (or even Panasonic) bodies, the Olympus because of the Autofocus. In my Zcam E2c the Laowa is pretty much welded to it: manual aperture and focus, tiny size and weight and incredible performance. I'm afraid I'm not of much help 😅
Thanks Roger for the review ! I own the old pancake version that I love but the autofocus is a bit slow & the motor is noisy to shoot video. Is your lens silent as a ninja ? Thanks for sharing ;)
Absolutely!! It seems to be a bit higher priced than the Oly 17mm 1.8 though, and the focus clutch might still keep me choosing the Olympus. I'd love to test them head to head though 👍🏻
@@RogerinFinland Yes, it is rather on the pricier-side. I got mine when i had an upcoming trip to Nagoya, Japan. I checked their online pricing info for BIC Camera before i went, dropped into the store, got it for about USD400. This was after tourist tax and credit card rebates. A pretty sweet deal, since it still goes for USD547 on B&H today
El 20mm 1.7 són famosos per enfocar bastant lent amb qualsevol càmera. Jo havia tingut amb la GH5 la 1a versió i era lent en enfocar. Pel que he vist i llegit (però sense tenir experiència pròpia) el 20mm de Panasonic és dels més fluixets que fan. Ara bé, si és la focal que t'agrada que jo sàpiga no hi ha alternatives. Personalment em quedo amb el Oly 17mm 1.8. 👍🏻
I find the 17mm 1.8 to be pretty great at autofocus, with the EM1 mk anyway. With that said, even though I no longer have it, the 12-40mm 2.8 is a stellar lens in pretty much every aspect! And it even has a focus clutch.
I think this compact but high performance lens on any fairly recent PEN camera is a better buy than the currently fashionable and EXPENSIVE 'pocketable' cameras from Sony/Ricoh/Panasonic. Also you can carry the pancake EZ zoom !
Definitely my favourite AF lens for MFT of all time.
Very nice. I like your style. I just bought this lens used from Japan.
It will be going on my little Olympus E-PM2.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 💁🏻♀️
To this day, my favourite AF lens for the micro four thirds system 😌
Great channel, Roger. Thanks for all your insights.
Thanks for the comment and positive feedback! 👍🏼😊
Nice review! I wish OM D will make f/1.8 line of primes some sort of weather resistant.
For myself I did pick PanaLeica 15/1.7 which is little bit wider but image quality is so good (of course with different price tag).
I personally don't need the weather resistance, but I'd love if the 25 and 45 would have the focus clutch!
That PanaLeica 15 is tempting, but close enough to the 17mm so that I can't justify it at all 😅
@@RogerinFinland and there is no “focus clutch” on PanaLeica :( and it is “focus by wire” :( but I forgive it everything :) because of image qualities.
I have this lens. I’m very fond of it.
It hits a great sweet spot of size, price, performance, max aperture and features that it's tough to beat
G'day mate..Marty here from Australia. Just watched your Olympus OMD E M1 Mark ii video very cool. I use mostly Sony A6400 but moving into Olympus for run and gun stabilisation.. Looking at a 12-40mm f2.8..with a couple of primes 17mm and 45mm f1.8. I have read the 17mm is noisy while autofocusing though.
Do you find it noisy?
Thanks for your videos about this camera and lens set up.
All the best
Marty
ps: Subbed
Thanks for the comment and subbing!
I haven't found it noisy, at all actually 😅 and this is the 2nd 17mm 1.8 I own.
Could it be that the 2.8 version is the noisy one?
@@RogerinFinland thanks a lot. I really appreciate you getting back to me on this, maybe I miss read somewhere and it was the 2.8. Have an awesome day!
Hello! does this lens work with the SLR magic Anamorphot 40 (compact) ? thanks
It does. With "normal" m4/3 cameras it works well, and with the BMPCC4K it vignettes a bit, but still usable I'd say.
@@RogerinFinland thanks
In other reviews the laowa looks sharper. Is it noticeable to you? You also get a closer focus distance of 15mm I think? That's quite nice. Which lens do you actually prefer? Which one has more keepers on it
Oh man, so many tough questions 😊
Both are keepers. The Laowa is a no-brainer because of the price, BUT if Autofocus is a must, then the Olympus is the obvious choice.
Sharpness wise, one might be sharper than the other, but both are plenty sharp for me.
The close focus of the Laowa is a plus.
Which do I prefer? Well, with Olympus (or even Panasonic) bodies, the Olympus because of the Autofocus.
In my Zcam E2c the Laowa is pretty much welded to it: manual aperture and focus, tiny size and weight and incredible performance.
I'm afraid I'm not of much help 😅
Thanks Roger for the review ! I own the old pancake version that I love but the autofocus is a bit slow & the motor is noisy to shoot video. Is your lens silent as a ninja ? Thanks for sharing ;)
Pretty much silent, yep. Easily one of my favourite lenses ever 😊
Haha! The 'standard' review indeed. i've heard it to death in lens reviews. nice one.
The question is "should I have those two minutes in every lens review going forward?" 😅
@@RogerinFinland Don't you dare! :D
My favourite is actually the Lumix 15/1.7...i'll bet this was on your radar as well...:P
Absolutely!! It seems to be a bit higher priced than the Oly 17mm 1.8 though, and the focus clutch might still keep me choosing the Olympus. I'd love to test them head to head though 👍🏻
@@RogerinFinland Yes, it is rather on the pricier-side. I got mine when i had an upcoming trip to Nagoya, Japan.
I checked their online pricing info for BIC Camera before i went, dropped into the store, got it for about USD400. This was after tourist tax and credit card rebates.
A pretty sweet deal, since it still goes for USD547 on B&H today
"Professional pixel-peeper" - most gear heads that troll wonderful videos like this one.
Thanks for calling this video wonderful 👍🏼😊
Hola Roger en comparacio amb el lumix 20 1.7 II que tal es per la G9
Gracies
El 20mm 1.7 són famosos per enfocar bastant lent amb qualsevol càmera. Jo havia tingut amb la GH5 la 1a versió i era lent en enfocar.
Pel que he vist i llegit (però sense tenir experiència pròpia) el 20mm de Panasonic és dels més fluixets que fan.
Ara bé, si és la focal que t'agrada que jo sàpiga no hi ha alternatives.
Personalment em quedo amb el Oly 17mm 1.8.
👍🏻
Maybe my expectations are too high (I was thinking a prime would be better or as good as (focus wise) the zoom (12-40mm Olympus), but it's not.
I find the 17mm 1.8 to be pretty great at autofocus, with the EM1 mk anyway.
With that said, even though I no longer have it, the 12-40mm 2.8 is a stellar lens in pretty much every aspect! And it even has a focus clutch.
Laowa 17mm mft
I have it and I love it (the Laowa I mean). The Olympus is AF though and that might make a difference for many people.