Micro Four Thirds (M43) is the name of a System. All M43 lenses will mount and work on all M43 bodies.
Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras range in size from the compact but substantial GH3/4 and GX8 to the diminutive GM1/5. Some lenses are better suited to the larger bodies, the smallest lenses are more suitable for the GM1/5 and GF series. The question is both aesthetic and practical.
Aesthetically only the 14mm f2.5 and the 12-32mm kit zoom look in proportion on the GM1/5 to me.
A practical issue is that many lenses protrude below the baseplate of the GM1/5 leading to difficulty mounting on some tripod plates. The diameter of many lenses leaves insufficient space to comfortably fit one’s fingers between the accessory handle and the lens.
Note on sample variation In a perfect world every lens off the production line would perform exactly the same. Alas our world is decidedly less than perfect and sample variation is part of the rich fabric of life. I have encountered significant sample variation at every price level across all makes and types of lenses over a 40 year period.
All the lenses in this comparison have a metal mount although I believe some versions of the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (II) have a polycarbonate mount.
Prices quoted are for comparison. I used the retail price in Australian dollars from my usual supplier in Sydney, December 2015.
I also list the number of copies of each lens which I have used over the years.
I always use and test lenses with the best quality protect filter I can buy, usually one of the top of range B+W models.
Here is a brief review of lenses which I have owned and used over the last few years, listed in approximate order of sharpness/resolution.
PanaLeica 15mm f1.7 ($648) (One copy)
This is an excellent lens delivering very good sharpness. It was designed to fit the GM1/5 cameras and be compatible with tripod mounting, however it works perfectly well on any M43 camera.
I find the hard controls on this lens a bit puzzling. There is an AF/MF switch on the barrel of the lens but there is also a Focus Mode dial on top of the GM5 body and a Focus Mode lever on other Panasonic M43 bodies.
The lens also has an aperture ring with which aperture can be changed in A and M Modes. But you can also change aperture with the rear dial on the GM5 in A and M Modes and on other M43 cameras either the front or rear dial can be used to change aperture.
None of the other lenses in this round up have the same controls.
In front of the Aperture ring there is a bayonet mounted ‘decoration ring’. With this removed the lens hood can be fitted. This hood does not reverse back over the lens possibly because of the Aperture ring. Anyway whatever the reason the hood with its dedicated cap adds 19mm to the length of the lens, somewhat defeating the compact concept.
Autofocus speed is so fast as to be almost instantaneous. The lens will focus from the nearest possible distance (which by the way is very close, only 150mm from the focal plane and 90mm from the front of the lens hood) to infinity and back in the blink of an eye.
Optically I found the lens very sharp right across the frame right from f1.7, with some improvement up to the f2.8-4 range where it is excellent. It allows M43 cameras to reveal a huge amount of fine subject detail.
Distortion and chromatic aberration are minimal. The out of focus rendering is generally smooth with no obvious nisen bokeh.
There is obvious corner shading at f1.7 becoming much less evident by f2.8. This is easily corrected in a Raw converter if required.
Optically the only downside I can find is a moderate tendency to flares of various types with the sun or other bright light source near (inside or outside) the frame edge. Broad light sources such as hazy-bright-sun-in-light-cloud are more problematic than sharp, concentrated light sources such as sun-in-clear-sky. The hood does not appear to be terribly effective in preventing these flares. I found that a small change of camera direction could produce a big difference in the amount of flare.
The 15mm f1.7 is sharper across the frame to the corners at f1.7 than the 12-32mm zoom is at any aperture, and is marginally sharper at f2.8 than the 12-35mm f2.8 zoom at f2.8 and 15mm but I had to enlarge the test chart frames to 200% and pixel peep to pick the difference..
Lumix 20mm f1.7 (II) pancake ($395) (Two copies)
This lens has been available for several years and has acquired a very good reputation. I believe it is deservedly one of the most popular Panasonic lenses. The Mk 2 version is optically the same as the original and has the same focus operation but is said to use a different outer barrel.
It delivers very good sharpness right across the frame from f1.7, with peak sharpness at the edges and corners at about f2.8-f4. In low light it can be used with confidence at f1.7 producing very good results.
There is obvious corner shading at f1.7. Distortion and chromatic aberration are minimal. The out of focus rendition is generally smooth.
It is possible to induce flares with the sun or other light source at or near the frame edge but this is usually easy to avoid in practice.
Physically the lens is quite spartan with a focus ring but no lens hood and no other controls.
There are three downsides to the 20mm f1.7.
The first is slow autofocus. The lens focusses by moving the entire optical unit and inner barrel back and forth. Focussing from infinity to the closest available distance (which is 180mm from the focal plane and 130mm from the front of the lens) takes about a second, and back to infinity almost that long. When this lens was introduced in 2009, a one second focus time probably seemed fast enough. But compared to the latest M43 primes and zooms it seems quite slow. In addition there is a tendency for hunting near the close focus distance.
The second only affects very small cameras like the GM1 and 5. The lens has a diameter of 63mm which means it overhangs the baseplate of the GM5. This can interfere with mounting on many tripods.
Third, there are many reports of banding when this lens is used on some Olympus cameras. I have no idea why this occurs.
Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 OIS ($808) (Five copies)
This lens is not exactly small by M43 standards but is diminutive when compared to the equivalent CanoNikon 24-70mm f2.8 for the 24x36mm format.
It will mount and work on the smaller bodies such as the GF and GM series but it seems huge on those tiny bodies and will not fit on some tripod plates. It is more at home on any of the larger M43
bodies.
It covers focal lengths 12mm, 14mm, 15mm, 17mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm.
It has OIS which the primes do not. This allows the user to avoid camera shake at a slower shutter speed than is possible with the primes, thus partly offsetting the advantage of their wider aperture.
With the 1.3 lens firmware dual IS is available on the Panasonic GX8. This works as advertised and allows about one EV step slower hand held shutter speeds than the in lens OIS alone will permit.
It has excellent ability to resolve fine details and textures in subjects at all focal lengths and apertures. Sharpness is maintained across the frame with slight loss of fine detail in the corners at the widest aperture.
It focusses closer than the (standard, non macro) primes. At 35mm focal length the closest focus distance is 100mm from the front element and 220mm from the focal plane.
As with all Panasonic M43 lenses distortion and chromatic aberration are corrected in the camera firmware leaving slight barrel curve at 12mm and slight pincushion at 35mm.
There is obvious corner shading at 12mm easily correctable in processing.
The lens is somewhat susceptible to flares when working against the sun or other very bright light source. However in practice it is usually easy to avoid flare by adjusting camera position and/or direction and/or keeping sun off the front element.
Out of focus rendition is generally smooth but I have seen some double line effect at some focal lengths and apertures.
Autofocus is very fast and accurate.
There is a reversible petal type lens hood.
There is an OIS on/off switch on the lens barrel.
The zoom and focus actions are very smooth and damped.
Panasonic advertises the 12-35 as having ‘splash and dustproof design’. The mount is surrounded by a thin rubber gasket to prevent moisture ingress.
Disadvantages of the 12-35mm f2.8 are:
* It is larger than each of the primes individually but smaller than 2 or more of them in a camera bag, unless those 2 are the 14mm and 20mm pancakes.
* It provides less opportunity to achieve blurred backgrounds due to f1.7 being unavailable. But if you do ‘documentary style’ photos and want those backgrounds sharp then the 12-35 is ideal.
Overall this is one of the best and most versatile lenses in the whole Micro Four Thirds system or indeed any camera/lens system that I have ever used.
Lumix 25mm f1.7 ($288) (Two copies)
This lens is a recent addition to Panasonic’s prime M43 offerings. For a time it was offered free by Panasonic Australia with a camera purchase as part of a national sales promotion.
I acquired two copies this way. It is available for separate purchase at a variable price.
The lens is of moderate dimensions. It is very light, being made of some kind of polycarbonate with a metal mount.
There is a smooth turning manual focus ring in front of which is a ‘decoration ring’ which bayonets off to allow the substantial lens hood to be fitted. This can be reverse mounted for carrying.
The lens occupies a similar place in the M43 system as the classic ‘nifty fifty’ 50mm f1.8 lenses from Canon and Nikon have done for many years.
It is however better optically than these SLR/DSLR lenses especially at the maximum aperture where the 25mm Lumix performs decently well. In contrast the CanoNikon full frame equivalents are hardly worth using until stopped down to at least f2.8 and preferably f4.
The 25mm f1.7 is sharp in a large central area of the frame right from f1.7 with moderate softening toward the corners which become sharp by f2.8-f4.
There is obvious corner shading at the widest aperture but negligible distortion and no significant chromatic aberration that I could see.
The out of focus rendition is generally smooth although I did see a few double lines in some frames in the out of focus background.
It is easy enough to produce flares of various kinds with the sun or other bright light near the frame edge, but it is generally also easy to avoid flare with judicious framing and protection of the front element from direct sunlight.
Autofocus is quick although not quite as lightning fast as the 15mm f1.7.
The minimum focus distance is 150mm from the front of the lens hood and 240mm from the focal plane. This makes the lens quite suitable for closeups of flowers, large insects and similar.
The aperture stops down when the lens is unpowered, unlike other lenses which hold the aperture open when unpowered.
The maximum aperture of this lens is only 1/3 stop slower than the considerably more expensive 25mm f1.4, making the new f1.7 version an attractive budget alternative.
There are reports on user forums of sample variation with early product runs of this lens. My experience with two copies is that one is excellent the other good but clearly not as sharp wide open.
My evaluation refers to the better of the two samples which I had for testing.
Note: I have seen reviews and user reports of focussing problems with some copies of this lens, specifically that it would not focus accurately at infinity.
Note: I have seen reviews and user reports of focussing problems with some copies of this lens, specifically that it would not focus accurately at infinity.
Lumix 14mm f2.5 (II) ($538) (Two copies)
This is the smallest Panasonic M43 lens and has been available for several years. Without front and rear caps it weighs just 50 grams. It is so small it can be slipped into a pocket, provided it is protected from dirt and dust by a soft pouch (not supplied in the box).
It has been somewhat ignored by M43 buyers probably because of the relatively small maximum aperture of f2.5 and some luke warm reports about sharpness. However I think it could work well with the 20mm f1.7 as a very compact two prime lens kit for GM5 users. It is stop faster at 14mm than the typical 14-42 mm or 12-32mm kit zoom.
Like the 20mm, the presentation is spartan with a focus ring but no lens hood.
Autofocus is quick.
Optical performance is good with excellent sharpness across the frame right from f2.5.
The field of view is only marginally more than the 15mm f1.7 as you would expect.
There is mild barrel distortion and negligible chromatic aberration.
Lumix 14-45mm f3.5-5.6 OIS (Two copies) This is the original Panasonic M43 kit zoom lens and is still one of the best. It may no longer be available new but would be of interest to used equipment buyers. I rate it about the same as the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (II) described below with a little more reach at the long end.
Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 OIS (II) (Not listed separately in Australia at the time of writing but adds about $100 to body only price) (Two copies)
This is often bundled with mid range Panasonic M43 bodies as a kit. It is an excellent lens especially considering it adds only about $100 to the price of a body.
The body appears to be mostly polycarbonate but is well made with smooth turning zoom and focus rings. In general photography I have found this lens to be very sharp with minimal distortion and negligible chromatic aberration. There is a bit of purple fringing at high contrast edges towards the corners at the wide end.
Autofocus is very fast and accurate.
OIS enables hand held shutter speeds about one stop slower than are possible without OIS.
There is a petal type lens hood which reverse bayonets for transport.
12-32mm f3.5-5.6 OIS ($467) (Two copies)
This is the standard kit zoom usually bundled with the GM1/5 body.
It is a collapsing type which is quite tiny and a good match for size with the GM cameras.
There is a manual zoom/extension ring but no focus ring. Manual focus is possible on the GM5 body using the rear dial but for general photography autofocus is more satisfactory.
There is no lens hood.
It gives good results at all focal lengths and apertures. The edges are slightly
soft at all focal lengths with some improvement when the aperture is reduced a stop.
Barrel distortion is readily apparent at 12mm.
There is corner shading and a bit of mild chromatic aberration and purple fringing in the corners particularly at 12mm.
The lens focusses very quickly.
At a focal length of 32mm the closest focus distance is 220 mm from the front element.
The 12-32mm is a good partner for the GM1/5 particularly outdoors or otherwise in good light. The small maximum aperture towards the long end does not encourage work in low light levels.
Panasonic also makes a diminutive 35-100mm f 4-5.6 zoom, clearly intended as a companion to the kit zoom for the GM5. I have not tested it.
Suggestions
* Overall most versatile.
If I had to choose just one lens, it would be the 12-35mm f2.8.
This is the most versatile lens of the group with good construction, weather sealing, OIS, Dual IS on the GX8, very good image quality right from f2.8, fast focus, close focus if required and no real negatives. Some people have complained about the price which might have been a bit high when it was introduced but is now very reasonable. Add up the cost of two or three primes and you will soon see the price of the 12-35mm f2.8 as looking quite attractive.
* Best optically is the 15mm f1.7. This lens is almost as good at f1.7 as the 12-35mm at f2.8. I had to view my test photos at 200% to see the difference. It would make a very good low light/available light/candid/documentary lens for any M43 body. It delivers very good results right from f1.7.
* Most versatile prime Some people like to work with wide angle others prefer a more conventional angle of view. If I wanted to venture forth for the day with just one prime, it would be the 20mm f1.7. It provides a versatile angle of view, very good optical quality and compact dimensions. The only real downside is slow focus relative to all the other lenses in this roundup. A wider angle alternative would be the 15mm f1.7.
* Best for small bodies (GM/GF series) Outdoors and in good light the kit 12-32mm OIS kit zoom is fine. Indoors and in low light the 15mm f1.7 delivers excellent optical quality without hanging down below the bottom plate of the GM cameras. The 14mm f2.5 is smaller and is worth consideration particularly paired with the 20mm f1.7 as a two lens prime kit.
However small kit aficionados should also consider the LX100 which I find more versatile within its focal length range than the GM5 with several lenses.
* Best bang for your buck I give this to the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (II) OIS It is almost free when purchased with a mid range Panasonic M43 body and delivers very good results at all focal lengths and apertures. The OIS allows it to be used effectively even indoors particularly at the wide end as long as there is a moderate light level.
Đăng nhận xét