This is the first time I've seen a review of a below-par lens. It is either there are hardly any weak lenses or the reviewers are too polite and don't want to sound negative. So good for you in preventing people to buy something they wouldn't like.
Peter, your hat is AMAZING! It is so cool! Thanks a lot for video. Yea, it is nice nice to have these cheap manual focus, fast lenses. But :) most of them are unusable wide open. Bokeh is questionable. Sharpness is below of any reasonable level. I would rather stick to amazing Olympus PRO or Panasonic Leica glass. Yes they do cost a lot but quality and rendering is above and beyond. Anyway love your videos, really do! Thanks a lot for all your effort.
Your description of the lens' qualities (or lack thereof) made me smile. Yet, I really liked the images. And that's fun too, squeezing good images out of a technically problematic lens. I enjoyed it!
@@ForsgardPeter It's simple: you, as a experienced and talented pro, produce excellent work with any gear. I suspect you'd make great portraits with that lens, too. Maybe a nice experiment? Thanks again!
Cool hat! Gives colours to your video :-) Concerning wide aperture lenses: I'm only investing in them, if the bokeh is nice. I'm happy with the 45mm/1.8
I brought this lens second hand, use it with the EM 10 Mk III and actually like the character of the lens. Yes it's not fully sharp, yes it's not 'perfect' clear like the PRO 17mm 1.2 that I have for my EM 1, but I find it an enjoyable lens that makes you work for your image. And yeah the bokeh is a bit swirly, it's a bit quirky, kind of like me! XD
For retro looking gear, I found the Nikon Df and the Olympus Pen-F to be very appealing for all the retro reasons but did not pursue either for missing features. Sadly the "retro nature" got the blame by the manufacturers. My current favorite old lens is an ancient m42 threaded 135mm f/2.8 by Lumetar (I know nothing of them). It is so crude with a 6 blade aperture and it cost me $10. The proper adapter cost more than the lens and almost doubles it's length Ha Ha... but using it is pleasant and the images make me happy.
Thank you for your candid observations. We photography enthusiasts appreciate such honest evaluations. By the way, I love your hat! Did you purchase it online? I would like to get one.
There are some great OM lens that will give you fantastic image quality and super sharpness for little money. I current own 7 vintage lens that I use all the time. I love the vintage look and on my silver EM-10 people ask if I’m shooting on film. I love that camera with a vintage set up.
It’s great to see a truthful review about a product. Thank you for that. I agree with you that cameras have to look retro but be full of tech. It might be because we want something intemporal. Anything modern looking looks outdated very quickly. But we also don’t want to give up the modern features. Or maybe the original designers just got it right the first time.
"Since this is the only lens I brought with me" (all the while carrying a backpack big enough to hold an event photographer's full frame gear 8-D ). I have the v2 version of this lens. The bokeh is still a bit weird and busy, but the sharpness is much improved I've read. However, it's great for taking indoor candids under low light, where the f/1.1 is useful and bokeh is not a big deal.
Good video as usual Peter. Why didn't you use the version two of the lens? That version was pretty much condemned by most reviewers, with focus now on the second F1.1 offering from Kamlan
I use this lens on a Sony A6600. For landscape, the lens is completely hopeless - sharp at the focal point but very poor elsewhere. This gives interesting results if used for astro where the out of focus stars appear as jellyfish pointing towards the in focus focal point. Used for close photography and portraits, the lens can produce excellent results thanks to its bokeh which is the best I've ever seen. Worth having if you can pick it up second hand.
I liked all the images at the end. Your real-time struggle was really a struggle! Between the sparse landscape and the snow partially obscuring what was there, you had a tough assignment. You did get a couple good long-distance shots of buildings and the open grassland before you started wrapping up. I do like the vintage look when done well. My 5 Mk II is a silver one, and a fellow complimented me on it as he thought I was shooting film! I said no, this one's digital but I have plenty of film cameras at home. I got the cheap 40-150 in silver and I have to fight the urge to get the 12 and 75 primes in silver too. They just look SO good.
The Samyang (Rokinon, Walimex, whatever...) 50mm f1.2 is an incredible lens, better than this Kamlan. But I sold it because I missed the AF. Now I am a proud owner of the 45mm f1.2 PRO and I love it, it's a real gem.
I missed out on a really cheap offer for the 45mm f1.2 Pro sub 400 $ :( So sad. But instead bought the 45mm f1.8 for 50 bucks. So I'm not so sad anymore now xD
Another great video Peter. I really enjoyed it. I also have this lens (as well as the 45mm 1.8). Your photos are great! I think Jimmy (Red35) mentioned this may be a fun lens to experiment for black and white, and that old film look. Like a lens to use at high ISO in low light situations. With manual focusing and imperfect optics it is as close as I can get to my film beginnings :)
Understand that the KamLan lens isn't the big purchase, but I have an odd combination you really should try. I'm an old Nikon shooter, and still have much of that, and I also have the Metabones Speedbooster to mount the Nikkor gear on m43. Then I have a Mitakon 85/1.2 which will give me a field of view as a 60 mm with m43 and Speedbooster and near 0.8. With ISO 3200 you can shoot handheld in darkness and get nice pictures with m43.
Hi Master Peter, this video is great as well the KamLan, but this skips a question for me, have you made any videos about the holy trinity of Sigma 16 mm, 30 mm, and the 56 mm f1.4 for Olympus? if you have please share the link.
No no no. The olympus 45mm f1.8 is very good and the f1.8 is enough(maybe 1.4 later) for me. Also the oly 45mm f1.8 realitively cheap and small and light weight. Nice video to show the short comings of the lens though.
Matti Sulanto commented on RWong’s review of version 2 that perhaps the drawbacks would not seem so pronounced if shooting in monotone. I considered this lens for a low light (night) project but then had an opportunity to purchase very cheaply the 7artisans 35mm f1.2 (150g) which I availed myself of and don’t regret it for a moment as I’m shooting in monotone in the dark using streetlights as lighting source. Loved the idea of you looking for a lonely tree photo at 7.28 and as you walked out of shot there was the reveal of the snowy walkway which would have been a great still. Also am curious that when you found the lack of contrast you simply didn’t alter the camera setting rather than wait for pp? Olympus 45mm f1.8 (1 stop slower and more expensive) 45mm f1.2 (1/3 stop slower, 162g heavier & 4 times the price)
You look as cold as Matti ! It was 27.7 Celsius here on the Coast of California yesterday. Thanks for a review, with photos. Snow photos! The best deal in lenses in the Olympus line has to be the 45mm. There are always two sale prices -- good and best. If I was to do it all again with MFT gear, I would choose but one camera, and a zoom, and that 45mm, though a Pro zoom is sharp enough to not need the 45mm, so ???
This is the first time I've seen a review of a below-par lens. It is either there are hardly any weak lenses or the reviewers are too polite and don't want to sound negative. So good for you in preventing people to buy something they wouldn't like.
I had to laugh, several minutes of being polite, but finally summing it up... "...a lens that is no good." I appreciate the candor.
Peter, your hat is AMAZING! It is so cool! Thanks a lot for video. Yea, it is nice nice to have these cheap manual focus, fast lenses. But :) most of them are unusable wide open. Bokeh is questionable. Sharpness is below of any reasonable level. I would rather stick to amazing Olympus PRO or Panasonic Leica glass. Yes they do cost a lot but quality and rendering is above and beyond. Anyway love your videos, really do! Thanks a lot for all your effort.
Glad you like it!
Your description of the lens' qualities (or lack thereof) made me smile. Yet, I really liked the images. And that's fun too, squeezing good images out of a technically problematic lens. I enjoyed it!
Thanks.
@@ForsgardPeter It's simple: you, as a experienced and talented pro, produce excellent work with any gear. I suspect you'd make great portraits with that lens, too. Maybe a nice experiment? Thanks again!
Enjoyable video about a sub-par lens. I find an element of humor in it. Thanks Peter.
as an owner of an adapted F.Zuiko 50mm/1.8, i appreciate your honesty with this lens
Thanks for this fair and complete review Peter! And very nice pictures (as always), congrats!
Thank you.
Man I can feel the cold radiating outside my screen. Send come snow over to Malaysia please!
Trust me, you do not want snow...
I hope you two are talking about the "frozen water" type of snow falling from the sky 😂
Cool hat! Gives colours to your video :-)
Concerning wide aperture lenses: I'm only investing in them, if the bokeh is nice. I'm happy with the 45mm/1.8
This was my first option lens and the second option is the Supertakumar 55mm f1.8 and gladly the Supertakumar performs well on a Fuji film Xa3.
I brought this lens second hand, use it with the EM 10 Mk III and actually like the character of the lens. Yes it's not fully sharp, yes it's not 'perfect' clear like the PRO 17mm 1.2 that I have for my EM 1, but I find it an enjoyable lens that makes you work for your image. And yeah the bokeh is a bit swirly, it's a bit quirky, kind of like me! XD
Glad you like the lens!
For retro looking gear, I found the Nikon Df and the Olympus Pen-F to be very appealing for all the retro reasons but did not pursue either for missing features. Sadly the "retro nature" got the blame by the manufacturers. My current favorite old lens is an ancient m42 threaded 135mm f/2.8 by Lumetar (I know nothing of them). It is so crude with a 6 blade aperture and it cost me $10. The proper adapter cost more than the lens and almost doubles it's length Ha Ha... but using it is pleasant and the images make me happy.
Thank you for your candid observations. We photography enthusiasts appreciate such honest evaluations. By the way, I love your hat! Did you purchase it online? I would like to get one.
The hat is from a ski resort here in Finland. Not sure it is available online. I have had it for years and by years I mean about 20 years...
There are some great OM lens that will give you fantastic image quality and super sharpness for little money. I current own 7 vintage lens that I use all the time. I love the vintage look and on my silver EM-10 people ask if I’m shooting on film. I love that camera with a vintage set up.
It’s great to see a truthful review about a product. Thank you for that.
I agree with you that cameras have to look retro but be full of tech. It might be because we want something intemporal. Anything modern looking looks outdated very quickly. But we also don’t want to give up the modern features. Or maybe the original designers just got it right the first time.
Well said!
Good style is timeless?
"Since this is the only lens I brought with me" (all the while carrying a backpack big enough to hold an event photographer's full frame gear 8-D ). I have the v2 version of this lens. The bokeh is still a bit weird and busy, but the sharpness is much improved I've read. However, it's great for taking indoor candids under low light, where the f/1.1 is useful and bokeh is not a big deal.
I had all my video gear with me. This time I also had some extra gear for video. I know it looked a bit strange. 😀
Good video as usual Peter. Why didn't you use the version two of the lens? That version was pretty much condemned by most reviewers, with focus now on the second F1.1 offering from Kamlan
This is what I have. That is why I used this lens. Wanted to test a really cheap lens.
I use this lens on a Sony A6600. For landscape, the lens is completely hopeless - sharp at the focal point but very poor elsewhere. This gives interesting results if used for astro where the out of focus stars appear as jellyfish pointing towards the in focus focal point. Used for close photography and portraits, the lens can produce excellent results thanks to its bokeh which is the best I've ever seen. Worth having if you can pick it up second hand.
Thanks for the info. Maybe my version was a Monday version.
I liked all the images at the end. Your real-time struggle was really a struggle! Between the sparse landscape and the snow partially obscuring what was there, you had a tough assignment. You did get a couple good long-distance shots of buildings and the open grassland before you started wrapping up.
I do like the vintage look when done well. My 5 Mk II is a silver one, and a fellow complimented me on it as he thought I was shooting film! I said no, this one's digital but I have plenty of film cameras at home. I got the cheap 40-150 in silver and I have to fight the urge to get the 12 and 75 primes in silver too. They just look SO good.
Thanks.
The Samyang (Rokinon, Walimex, whatever...) 50mm f1.2 is an incredible lens, better than this Kamlan. But I sold it because I missed the AF. Now I am a proud owner of the 45mm f1.2 PRO and I love it, it's a real gem.
I missed out on a really cheap offer for the 45mm f1.2 Pro sub 400 $ :( So sad. But instead bought the 45mm f1.8 for 50 bucks. So I'm not so sad anymore now xD
Another great video Peter. I really enjoyed it. I also have this lens (as well as the 45mm 1.8). Your photos are great! I think Jimmy (Red35) mentioned this may be a fun lens to experiment for black and white, and that old film look. Like a lens to use at high ISO in low light situations. With manual focusing and imperfect optics it is as close as I can get to my film beginnings :)
Vs 2 is 600g...yikes! Thank you for entertaining the curiosity of what might or might not be worth our money! Loved the visual walk as well.
Understand that the KamLan lens isn't the big purchase, but I have an odd combination you really should try. I'm an old Nikon shooter, and still have much of that, and I also have the Metabones Speedbooster to mount the Nikkor gear on m43. Then I have a Mitakon 85/1.2 which will give me a field of view as a 60 mm with m43 and Speedbooster and near 0.8. With ISO 3200 you can shoot handheld in darkness and get nice pictures with m43.
Had a similar experience with the 7Artisans 35mm/1.2, but that has at least a pleasant bokeh. I‘ll mostly stick to the Sigma 56mm/1.4.
No weather sealing, still you are out in the snow 😅 if only it was af, I would probably buy it 😊
Thanks for sharing honest thoughts on this 👍
Sorry but can I also say I found these images to be amongst the best that you’ve done to accompany any of your videos.
Thank you.
I agree, great images, I would like to see them in monochrome as well.
Hi Master Peter, this video is great as well the KamLan, but this skips a question for me,
have you made any videos about the holy trinity of Sigma 16 mm, 30 mm,
and the 56 mm f1.4 for Olympus? if you have please share the link.
The only one is this one about the 16mm f1.4 lens: ruclips.net/video/Lj6i19c2SkE/видео.html
@@ForsgardPeter I'm glad you share me this content, I will watch it today but I wonder why did you choose this one lens from the whole holy trinity?
That was available for testing at that time.
@@ForsgardPeter Ok, I thought it could be prompted by a professional decision, maybe your photography style.
Very realistic and practical commentary ; not sure about the hat though !!
please send some snow its 40dec here in Western Australia
No no no. The olympus 45mm f1.8 is very good and the f1.8 is enough(maybe 1.4 later) for me. Also the oly 45mm f1.8 realitively cheap and small and light weight. Nice video to show the short comings of the lens though.
Is it old Danish on the right side of the sign? 😳
No I don't think it is. It is Swedish.
nice hat by the way😉 thank you for the video
Thank you! 😃
Throw it into the snow!
😂, that is one option...
Matti Sulanto commented on RWong’s review of version 2 that perhaps the drawbacks would not seem so pronounced if shooting in monotone. I considered this lens for a low light (night) project but then had an opportunity to purchase very cheaply the 7artisans 35mm f1.2 (150g) which I availed myself of and don’t regret it for a moment as I’m shooting in monotone in the dark using streetlights as lighting source. Loved the idea of you looking for a lonely tree photo at 7.28 and as you walked out of shot there was the reveal of the snowy walkway which would have been a great still. Also am curious that when you found the lack of contrast you simply didn’t alter the camera setting rather than wait for pp?
Olympus 45mm f1.8 (1 stop slower and more expensive) 45mm f1.2 (1/3 stop slower, 162g heavier & 4 times the price)
I have a better starting point when I photograph the way i do with the contrast.
@@ForsgardPeter by this I understand that it would upset your workflow, I get that.
You look as cold as Matti ! It was 27.7 Celsius here on the Coast of California yesterday. Thanks for a review, with photos. Snow photos! The best deal in lenses in the Olympus line has to be the 45mm. There are always two sale prices -- good and best. If I was to do it all again with MFT gear, I would choose but one camera, and a zoom, and that 45mm, though a Pro zoom is sharp enough to not need the 45mm, so ???
It was abit cold. I think was around -3 Celsius, but by the sea it feels a lot colder.
I bought it. Terrible lens :(
You would've been much better off with the MK II. Own this one for Fuji and I'm blown away by its performance for the price.
you don't say anymore your an olympus visionary and your not showing it at the start? is the olympus visionary programm gone?
It is not gone. I do have an agreement with OM Digital Solutions. Have not assigned the deal yet. Most likely the term will be Ambassador.