As the late David Thorpe used to say - the Olympus 17mm and the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lenses are the “Batman and Robin” of a small MFT kit. I usually carry these two, with a Pen-F, when out on an photowalk.
I definitely carry my 45mm around more than i actually use it. Occasionally i slap it on & get some really amazing results! Just i usually prefer to get closer to my subjects. Picked up the 25mm f1.8 recently & that's given me much more mileage already in the short time I've owned it. On the lookout for a well priced 20mm f1.7 though, i think the flat form factor & in between focal length will be the winner!
Thanks for sharing! I definitely think the 45mm is a real gem for quick portrait and for mild telephoto needs! The 20mm is my current favorite "normal prime".
"Go anywhere and do anything" is an antonym to "prime lens" :) MFT has plenty "Go anywhere and do anything" lenses - 14-140s, 14-150s, 12-100 (my love!), 12-200. Primes... well... not versatile :)
I love the Panasonic Leica 15mm, but I wish it was 20mm. I have the Lumix 20 and it's not bad. I have the old 25mm 1.4 and it's not as good as the 15 for auto focus and you can't upgrade the firmware. I like the focus switch on the 15, you can switch it to MF but leave the camera on C-AF and it works either way. (at least on the G9) The G9 is a great deal now, and the latest firmware was a great upgrade for the manual focus and I think it helped auto focus as well.
🎉 Feel free to jump to any part of the video! Chapters 00:00 Start 00:48 Introduction 02:21 What is go-anywhere-do-anything prime lens? 04:37 Lenses that we will discuss 05:26 Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 vs Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 06:55 15mm vs Sigma 16mm f/1.4 vs Oly 17mm f/1.8 vs Pan 20mm f/1.7 07:24 Why Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 08:09 Why Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 09:19 Why Sigma 16mm f/1.4 09:51 Why Olympus 17mm f/1.8 10:29 Why Pan/Oly 25mm? 11:25 Conclusion
Hi Gary! Thanks for liking some videos on my channel. If I would get in touch with you directly outside of YT how might I do that? Thanks for your thorough review of wide to normal focal length lenses!
Love your videos! My carry around lens is the Panasonic 20mm. I recently sold my Olympus 17mm, it was a great lens but the 17mm just doesn't fit my style of shooting. I also own the 25mm Summilux f1.4, which is one my favourites lenses but every time I leave the house, it's the Panasonic 20mm that is on my camera. I just love the compact size and the aperture is good enough for low light photos. I think I will also be selling my 25mm Summilux as I don't use it enough.
Thank you for the kind comment! I also enjoy using the 20mm as my everyday lens, I love how i can mimic both 25mm and 17mm with 20mm. Thanks for sharing! 😊
For me is PanaLeica 15mm F1.7. It is wide enough for landscape (worst scenario you do 2-3 picture and put them together in post production) perfect street or small house party, bar occasion lense not bad for portrait. Super fast autofocus great videos.
The reason that we have cameras with interchangeable lenses is that there is not a "go everywhere do anything" lens. Although a specific lens may be perfect for one or more scenarios, it always has a downside for other scenarios, which may be it's maximum aperture, or size, or weight, or lack of zoom capability or price. So a lens which is perfect for portraits is unlikely to provide the range required for travel photography. One is not "better" than the other in absolute terms, just better for a given purpose. Depending on your primary interest in photography you will likely find a lens that covers 80% of your needs, but not a "go anywhere do everything". 🙂
Good point there 👍👍! I suppose the fun in having mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is to have multiple lenses for different purposes and maximizing the potential of getting satisfactory results. What I want to discover in this video is the possibility of having a single prime lens that could cover the majority of everyday photography needs, although it is really not possible to cover everything with just a single prime lens. Thank you for sharing your thoughts 😊
On m43 system I was very happy with the 20mm, for image quality and pancake design. But 25mm was a very good choice for the price and AF. Today, on APSC system I have 50mm equivalent 👍
Thank you for the comment! I agree that 50mm equivalent is somewhat a very useful lens to have everyday! I now prefer the 20mm but back then I also used 25mm a lot 😊
Hi, I currently have a pen-f that I love and 2 objectives sigma 30mm 1,4 and the 45mm 1,8 olympus. As a budget I have 1300/1700 Euros and I am looking for one or 2 "definitive" objectives for the meantime (later you will see) that are capable of doing different types of photography ranging from weddings such as portraits even in low light, football matches mainly during the day and occasional landscapes.I am looking for objectives that are unique as compactness, performance and versatility compared to all systems photographic apsc, full, frame etc ... ...if I stay in the micro 4/3 I'm interested and I don't see real alternatives to the Om system / olympus 8-25mm, 12-100mm, 20mm 1,4 and last probably also Om lenses 40-150mm f4 or sigma 56mm 1,4. I am confused because if the 20mm 1,4 can replace my sigma 30mm in all ways, even as a bokeh, I would take it with my eyes closed. 12-100mm and these would also be useful for taking medium and long distance portraits of the spouses.If I really have to keep my pen-f with a single lens I would think of the 20mm or 15mm leica or the announced 9mm leica 1.7 ... or also have a second no micro 4/3 body with other lenses also used? Thanks.
Thank you for your very informative video! I guess in those days when people used film cameras, there were two groups of people. ( 1) One of the two groups of people used the following lenses: 28mm F2.8- 50mm F1.8- 105mm F2.5. I belonged to that group. I actually own 200mm F4, 400mm F5.6, also. None of those lenses were terribly expensive. ( 2) There was another group of people who used the following lenses: 24mm F2.8 - 35mm F1.4 or F2 - 85mm F1.8. People belonged this group probably owned 135mm F3.5 and 300 mm F4. So, I think while you are absolutely right, some of those people who used film cameras may prefer 25mm F1.7/F1.8, that group of people may not be the only representative of people who have experiences in film photography. There may be another group of people who prefer 17mm F1.8 / 20mm F1.7.
How about this: if you could only take one lens with you for a month, which lens would you take? That would be a go everywhere but be able to do many things lens. For me, that might be the P Lumix 42.5 f1.7
That's a good choice there Joe! I don't think I can do it with anything longer than 25mm for everyday needs, but hey maybe I will try it in the future 😁
@@Gary_W if I was allowed two lenses I would take my 15mm f1.7 as well. And between those two lenses, and walking around using foot zoom, I would be able to take as much as +80% of all my shots, or so I think. And the 42.5 while not macro let's you get closer than many other lenses, plus I have a close-up filter for that lens so I would approach macro capabilities 🙂
@@joestrahl6980 Now 15 and 42.5 are excellent combination, they can cover a lot more ground! I really have to force myself to use my Oly 45 more often, I am somewhat too comfortable with my 15 1.7 😁😁
I fell in love with the 25 mm, 50 mm equivalent nifty fifty. It turned my Panasonic Lumix GX9 into a lovely range finder. I'm so glad I made the switch from Zoom to Prime! Great video with very balanced viewpoints. Thanks!
On my Nikon and Leica full-frame cameras, for my go-to prime lens, I prefer to use a slightly wide 35mm lens instead of a normal lens. However, for my micro 4/3, I prefer the image quality of the 20mm f/1.7 Panasonic normal lens over the slightly wide 17mm f/2.8 Olympus.
I love both 12 and 17. I have the Leica 12/1.4 and the Olympus 17/1.8. I do have the Sigma 16mm and Lumix 20/1.7. The 20 I bought in 2009 when it was first launched. I have always hated that lens. The focal length is too much of a compromise, it is lousy for manual focus, and too slow for AF. I also have the Sigma 16. It is also fairly unlikable because it is too heavy and lacks character. The Oly 17/1.8 is delightful to use, and it pairs nicely with the Leica 12/1.4. I like the 17mm so much I wish I had bought the Olympus 12/2 instead of the Leica, however, at night I do appreciate the f1.4 aperture of the Leica. If I had to take just one lens, it would be the 17mm f1.8.
Thanks for the review, Gary! You helped free me from the 50mm-equiv mindset a while ago, and I've had way more enjoyment from my Oly 17mm f1.8. Isn't it humid and rainy a lot where you live? What do you take in that case? To me, a go-anywhere prime to me would be weather sealed, but in your list, only the (too heavy for me) Sigma and the (boring fov) PL 25mm II are sealed. Really wish OMD or Panasonic would just update the current range with weatherproofing.
Thank you for the kind comment! That's correct, it is quite humid here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. If I have to shoot outside when it's raining, I will usually rely on my weather sealed lens, the 12-35 2.8 being my first choice. I wouldn't want to risk my primes during rainy days. I also hope in the future Panasonic or OM will create a lightweight weather sealed affordable primes!
Great video; thankyou. Any preference with regard to optics on the first and second version of the 20mm 1.7? I’ve read there’s not much difference? Thankyou.
Thank you for the kind comment! I used the second version, never tried the first one, but it seems that the second version only improves the look but not the performance or the image quality 😁
As the late David Thorpe used to say - the Olympus 17mm and the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lenses are the “Batman and Robin” of a small MFT kit. I usually carry these two, with a Pen-F, when out on an photowalk.
Thank you for sharing! I agree, the combination of both the 17mm and the 45mm can really cover a lot of grounds!
A trio in my case made of: PL 15mm f/1.7 + Oly 25mm f/1.8 + Oly 45mm f/1.8
Because of equal sharpness, but much closer focusing I much prefer the Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 to the Oly 45mm f1.8.
I definitely carry my 45mm around more than i actually use it. Occasionally i slap it on & get some really amazing results! Just i usually prefer to get closer to my subjects. Picked up the 25mm f1.8 recently & that's given me much more mileage already in the short time I've owned it. On the lookout for a well priced 20mm f1.7 though, i think the flat form factor & in between focal length will be the winner!
Thanks for sharing! I definitely think the 45mm is a real gem for quick portrait and for mild telephoto needs! The 20mm is my current favorite "normal prime".
"Go anywhere and do anything" is an antonym to "prime lens" :) MFT has plenty "Go anywhere and do anything" lenses - 14-140s, 14-150s, 12-100 (my love!), 12-200. Primes... well... not versatile :)
I love the Panasonic Leica 15mm, but I wish it was 20mm. I have the Lumix 20 and it's not bad. I have the old 25mm 1.4 and it's not as good as the 15 for auto focus and you can't upgrade the firmware. I like the focus switch on the 15, you can switch it to MF but leave the camera on C-AF and it works either way. (at least on the G9) The G9 is a great deal now, and the latest firmware was a great upgrade for the manual focus and I think it helped auto focus as well.
🎉 Feel free to jump to any part of the video!
Chapters
00:00 Start
00:48 Introduction
02:21 What is go-anywhere-do-anything prime lens?
04:37 Lenses that we will discuss
05:26 Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 vs Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7
06:55 15mm vs Sigma 16mm f/1.4 vs Oly 17mm f/1.8 vs Pan 20mm f/1.7
07:24 Why Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7
08:09 Why Panasonic 20mm f/1.7
09:19 Why Sigma 16mm f/1.4
09:51 Why Olympus 17mm f/1.8
10:29 Why Pan/Oly 25mm?
11:25 Conclusion
Hi Gary! Thanks for liking some videos on my channel. If I would get in touch with you directly outside of YT how might I do that?
Thanks for your thorough review of wide to normal focal length lenses!
Hi Gary, very nice wrap-up to a complex topic! Both entertaining as well as informative! 👍👍👍
Thank you very much for the kind comment! 😊
Love your videos!
My carry around lens is the Panasonic 20mm.
I recently sold my Olympus 17mm, it was a great lens but the 17mm just doesn't fit my style of shooting.
I also own the 25mm Summilux f1.4, which is one my favourites lenses but every time I leave the house, it's the Panasonic 20mm that is on my camera. I just love the compact size and the aperture is good enough for low light photos.
I think I will also be selling my 25mm Summilux as I don't use it enough.
Thank you for the kind comment! I also enjoy using the 20mm as my everyday lens, I love how i can mimic both 25mm and 17mm with 20mm. Thanks for sharing! 😊
For me is PanaLeica 15mm F1.7. It is wide enough for landscape (worst scenario you do 2-3 picture and put them together in post production) perfect street or small house party, bar occasion lense not bad for portrait. Super fast autofocus great videos.
The reason that we have cameras with interchangeable lenses is that there is not a "go everywhere do anything" lens. Although a specific lens may be perfect for one or more scenarios, it always has a downside for other scenarios, which may be it's maximum aperture, or size, or weight, or lack of zoom capability or price. So a lens which is perfect for portraits is unlikely to provide the range required for travel photography. One is not "better" than the other in absolute terms, just better for a given purpose. Depending on your primary interest in photography you will likely find a lens that covers 80% of your needs, but not a "go anywhere do everything". 🙂
Good point there 👍👍! I suppose the fun in having mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is to have multiple lenses for different purposes and maximizing the potential of getting satisfactory results. What I want to discover in this video is the possibility of having a single prime lens that could cover the majority of everyday photography needs, although it is really not possible to cover everything with just a single prime lens. Thank you for sharing your thoughts 😊
On m43 system I was very happy with the 20mm, for image quality and pancake design. But 25mm was a very good choice for the price and AF.
Today, on APSC system I have 50mm equivalent 👍
Thank you for the comment! I agree that 50mm equivalent is somewhat a very useful lens to have everyday! I now prefer the 20mm but back then I also used 25mm a lot 😊
DJI 15mm 1.7 because I'm poor 😅
😁😁
Hi, I currently have a pen-f that I love and 2 objectives sigma 30mm 1,4 and the 45mm 1,8 olympus. As a budget I have 1300/1700 Euros and I am looking for one or 2 "definitive" objectives for the meantime (later you will see) that are capable of doing different types of photography ranging from weddings such as portraits even in low light, football matches mainly during the day and occasional landscapes.I am looking for objectives that are unique as compactness, performance and versatility compared to all systems photographic apsc, full, frame etc ...
...if I stay in the micro 4/3 I'm interested and I don't see real alternatives to the Om system / olympus 8-25mm, 12-100mm, 20mm 1,4 and last probably also Om lenses 40-150mm f4 or sigma 56mm 1,4.
I am confused because if the 20mm 1,4 can replace my sigma 30mm in all ways, even as a bokeh, I would take it with my eyes closed. 12-100mm and these would also be useful for taking medium and long distance portraits of the spouses.If I really have to keep my pen-f with a single lens I would think of the 20mm or 15mm leica or the announced 9mm leica 1.7 ... or also have a second no micro 4/3 body with other lenses also used? Thanks.
I have g85k lumix camera so which is best lens for potrait photoshoot and cinematic
Thank you for your very informative video! I guess in those days when people used film cameras, there were two groups of people.
( 1) One of the two groups of people used the following lenses: 28mm F2.8- 50mm F1.8- 105mm F2.5. I belonged to that group. I actually own 200mm F4, 400mm F5.6, also. None of those lenses were terribly expensive.
( 2) There was another group of people who used the following lenses: 24mm F2.8 - 35mm F1.4 or F2 - 85mm F1.8. People belonged this group probably owned 135mm F3.5 and 300 mm F4.
So, I think while you are absolutely right, some of those people who used film cameras may prefer 25mm F1.7/F1.8, that group of people may not be the only representative of people who have experiences in film photography.
There may be another group of people who prefer 17mm F1.8 / 20mm F1.7.
How about this: if you could only take one lens with you for a month, which lens would you take? That would be a go everywhere but be able to do many things lens. For me, that might be the P Lumix 42.5 f1.7
I would use my adapted Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.2
That's a good choice there Joe! I don't think I can do it with anything longer than 25mm for everyday needs, but hey maybe I will try it in the future 😁
@@Gary_W if I was allowed two lenses I would take my 15mm f1.7 as well. And between those two lenses, and walking around using foot zoom, I would be able to take as much as +80% of all my shots, or so I think. And the 42.5 while not macro let's you get closer than many other lenses, plus I have a close-up filter for that lens so I would approach macro capabilities 🙂
@@joestrahl6980 Now 15 and 42.5 are excellent combination, they can cover a lot more ground! I really have to force myself to use my Oly 45 more often, I am somewhat too comfortable with my 15 1.7 😁😁
I fell in love with the 25 mm, 50 mm equivalent nifty fifty. It turned my Panasonic Lumix GX9 into a lovely range finder. I'm so glad I made the switch from Zoom to Prime! Great video with very balanced viewpoints. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing 😁
On my Nikon and Leica full-frame cameras, for my go-to prime lens, I prefer to use a slightly wide 35mm lens instead of a normal lens.
However, for my micro 4/3, I prefer the image quality of the 20mm f/1.7 Panasonic normal lens over the slightly wide 17mm f/2.8 Olympus.
Same here, I also love the 20mm Panasonic lens, it's just fantastic!
I love both 12 and 17. I have the Leica 12/1.4 and the Olympus 17/1.8. I do have the Sigma 16mm and Lumix 20/1.7. The 20 I bought in 2009 when it was first launched. I have always hated that lens. The focal length is too much of a compromise, it is lousy for manual focus, and too slow for AF. I also have the Sigma 16. It is also fairly unlikable because it is too heavy and lacks character. The Oly 17/1.8 is delightful to use, and it pairs nicely with the Leica 12/1.4. I like the 17mm so much I wish I had bought the Olympus 12/2 instead of the Leica, however, at night I do appreciate the f1.4 aperture of the Leica. If I had to take just one lens, it would be the 17mm f1.8.
I do miss the Oly 17 1.8 sometimes, it was a great lens. Fortunately I am now at peace with my 20mm f1.7 Cheers!
My favourite is the Olympus 17mm f1.2. Awesome Lens.
That is a really nice lens for sure!
Thanks for the review, Gary! You helped free me from the 50mm-equiv mindset a while ago, and I've had way more enjoyment from my Oly 17mm f1.8. Isn't it humid and rainy a lot where you live? What do you take in that case? To me, a go-anywhere prime to me would be weather sealed, but in your list, only the (too heavy for me) Sigma and the (boring fov) PL 25mm II are sealed. Really wish OMD or Panasonic would just update the current range with weatherproofing.
Thank you for the kind comment! That's correct, it is quite humid here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. If I have to shoot outside when it's raining, I will usually rely on my weather sealed lens, the 12-35 2.8 being my first choice. I wouldn't want to risk my primes during rainy days. I also hope in the future Panasonic or OM will create a lightweight weather sealed affordable primes!
I got the sigma 16mm its a litte too big, but 1.4 is jsut amazing for low light
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like an amazing lens, I'd love to try it someday
Great video; thankyou.
Any preference with regard to optics on the first and second version of the 20mm 1.7? I’ve read there’s not much difference? Thankyou.
Used both. Looks and AF sounds are the only difference I noticed
Thank you for the kind comment! I used the second version, never tried the first one, but it seems that the second version only improves the look but not the performance or the image quality 😁
Salam dari Jakarta Gary👌
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