17May Panasonic 25mm f1.4 lens, a pretty affordable prime.
Even though I picked up the coveted Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 lens I still like to have auto focus when possible. With that in mind I just grabbed the child size Panasonic 25mm f1.4 lens. The Voigtlander will still be my shallow depth of field monster for the Panasonic GH4 but at a price of around $450 used the 25mm f1.4 is a reasonably affordable option.
Even though the AF system makes the Panasonic 25mm f1.4 a little fatter than the Voigtlander it’s still incredibly lightweight for a f1.4 lens. Many people told me the Panasonic GH4 body would be tiny compared to my Canon 6d or 5d mark III. While the body is a bit smaller than my 6d it hasn’t been a major difference for me. The real weight and size reduction is in the M4/3 lens format.
Setting the Panasonic 25mm f1.4 lens next to the Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 lens and the Canon 50mm f1.2, it really becomes apparent how much weight you shed in the amount of glass used. The Canon 50mm f1.2 looks like fat albert standing next to the rest of these lenses. You can basically pack 3 Panasonic primes in the weight envelope of a 50mm f1.2 and that’s probably the best selling point of an M4/3 system for me.
Now that I have most of my normal focal lengths covered with the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 and these two 25mm lenses (50 equivalents) I think I might start looking for something in the wider range. I’ve seen the Panasonic 7-14mm f4 but I’ve heard there might be an Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 on the horizon. Do any of you M4/3 users have the scoop on a release date for the Olympus?
May 17th, 2014 at 11:44 am
I have the Lumix 7-14. I see no need for a large f2.8 lens. The Lumix is a constant f4. The lens is tiny. It is very well corrected for a wide angle and compares with lenses sat twice the price and weight. To me, this was the first lens to be considered professional in the M43 format.
May 17th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
I think there’s def a use for a f2.8 7-14mm. I shoot video with the GH3 and now GH4 and since m4/3 aren’t the best at low light and high ISO, the main reason I’m holding off on the lumix 7-14 is because it’s only f4. I think I read somewhere that the Olympus 7-14 2.8 would be coming out next year sometime so might have quite a wait on that one :(.
May 17th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
I still find all the m43 lenses pretty expensive. If calculate the crop factor also in the f-stop (what you have to do),you can see that the 1.4 is really a 2.8. So the price is fair but not a bargain
May 17th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
last I heard the olympus 7-14mm isn’t slated for release until 2015
May 19th, 2014 at 9:27 am
The Lumix 7-14mm f4 is a great performer, something that for many years was quite annoying is that you can’t use filters with it, but now D|Focus Systems developed a adapter for this.
http://dfocussystem.com/adapter-714
And from what I’ve heard the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 it will come next year, but the 40-150mm f2.8 it will coming this year.