Oly 25 samples

[mh2000]

Since no one posted this or other examples from this lens:

http://robinwong.blogspot.it/2014/02/olympus-mzuiko-25mm-f18-review-part-1.html

Was initially thinking I was going to pass on the lens and just keep shooting my Sig 30, but these photos just look awesome to me!

Think I'll wait and see how low the prices go after the initial release, but suddenly got excited about the lens even though it's not cheap or a pancake.

 

[Godfrey]

It looks good! But I already have the Summilux-DG 25 so I'm not in the market. That BCL 8mm fish-eye, however, might have to come home. ;-)

G

 

[jpfisher]

I shot a bit with it over the weekend : http://jimfisher.smugmug.com/keyword/olympus m.zuiko 25mm f1.8/i-BtTDqM2

 

[mh2000]

jpfisher, looks really nice!

Godfrey, the size and price of the Summilux kept turning be off on it... though I was close to giving in a number of times. A friend of mine has one. Beautiful lens.

To my eye, the Oly looks stunning! As much as I wanted a pancake, I am used to the 45 so the 25 won't be any worse sizewise... once the initial price comes down I'll definitely be considering this lens... but as I've said elsewhere, the Sigma 30 is treating me good already so no rush.

 

[Range-rover]

Terrific, Olympus does good again.

Range

 

[traveler_101]

I just ordered one. Image quality looks very good to me, and it focuses vey quickly; plus it's smaller/lighter than the PL 25.

 

[Godfrey]

You piqued my curiosity with the smaller and lighter ... Hmm. It's about .5" shorter and 3oz lighter. Sounds like the typical difference between an f/1.8 and an f/1.4 lens to me. Neither seems particularly large or heavy to me.

G

 

[mh2000]

It's also a lot narrower! 😉

 

[Godfrey]

It's also a lot narrower! 😉

Um ...

The M.Zuiko is a quarter inch narrower, again a natural concomitant of the Summilux being an f/1.4 vs f/1.8 lens. It also affects closest focus distance.

They both take the same 46mm filter size however. For me, the differences in size and weight don't amount to much. 🙂

G

 

[mh2000]

Obviously, if someone already owns the P/L 25 and is happy with it, they are in a much different place than someone looking at the Oly 25 who does not own the P/L 25. Personally, I hate always swapping gear. I wish the Oly 25 would have been available when I started buying my m43 lenses because I would have owned that, but it wasn't available. I ended up with a 17-30-45 kit and now that the Oly is available, I'm still reluctant to change things up. I've really come to love working with the 30mm FL... so part of me is of the, "if it ain't broke," mentality.

 

[Godfrey]

Obviously, if someone already owns the P/L 25 and is happy with it, they are in a much different place than someone looking at the Oly 25 who does not own the P/L 25. Personally, I hate always swapping gear. I wish the Oly 25 would have been available when I started buying my m43 lenses because I would have owned that, but it wasn't available. I ended up with a 17-30-45 kit and now that the Oly is available, I'm still reluctant to change things up. I've really come to love working with the 30mm FL... so part of me is of the, "if it ain't broke," mentality.

Sounds good, I have no experience with the 30mm (sigma, right?) but I've heard it's a good lens. Your and other comments on how "big and heavy" the Summilux was compared to the new Olympus just piqued my curiosity ... I'm sorry, but the two ounces and 1/4 x 1/2 inch difference just doesn't make it onto my radar as "big and heavy." I suppose if I was using one of the smaller mFT cameras (like the E-PL5 or E-PM5) instead of the E-M1 the difference would be more acute. 🙂

I'm fair delighted with my current FT and mFT lens kit, so I've no motivation to change much. I am keeping my eye open for the Summilux-DG 15mm when that ships as it should be a nice one-up on the existing 14mm f/2.5 ... although the latter really is a nice lens too, and I likely don't need to spend more money there.

So many nice choices these days.

G

 

[traveler_101]

Obviously, if someone already owns the P/L 25 and is happy with it, they are in a much different place than someone looking at the Oly 25 who does not own the P/L 25. Personally, I hate always swapping gear. I wish the Oly 25 would have been available when I started buying my m43 lenses because I would have owned that, but it wasn't available. I ended up with a 17-30-45 kit and now that the Oly is available, I'm still reluctant to change things up. I've really come to love working with the 30mm FL... so part of me is of the, "if it ain't broke," mentality.

Agree: no need to keep changing gear and the virtue of m43 is the smaller less expensive cameras and reasonably priced lenses. Eventually, however, you will tend to reassess your kit and make some changes; the technology changes so quickly and the system is just now reaching maturity.

In my case, I have had the Panasonic pancake twins 14 and 20 for quite some time, but neither was that good for snapshots at close to medium distance (20 is ok but too slow to focus and 14 distorts faces close up). I almost bought the Sigma 30, but could not get a consistent line on its focusing speed and it is probably too slow for indoor shots without flash. So I decided for the new Olympus 25--didn't want to spend the money but went ahead anyway. I think Ming Thein got to me a little bit 😀 . Thought about the PL 25/1.4 too, but there are problems on Olympus bodies and it is larger in absolute terms (even if that extra size is justified by being a faster lens than the Olympus 25): the 1.8 is fast enough for me and larger is never good in my book.

Once you make one change, it invites a wider assessment. If i like the 25, do I really need the 20 anymore? Maybe I should dump it and pickup a 45.

 

[defconfunk]

Like Godfrey, I have an EM1, so the extra 1/2" on the Panny is of no consequence to me.

Frankly, what I'm waiting for is another weather sealed prime. Olympus, are you listening? I want a weather sealed "walk about" prime. Anywhere between 17mm and 30mm is fine. F2 or there abouts would be ideal. And yes, pancake would be nice.

Sigma - how about weathersealing those two primes?

Someone? Anyone? Bueller?

 

[Godfrey]

... what I'm waiting for is another weather sealed prime. Olympus, are you listening? ...

Or Panasonic. It would be nice if they came up with the equivalent of the Olympus ZD "HG" series lenses ... all weather-sealed ... across the board.

G

 

[traveler_101]

Like Godfrey, I have an EM1, so the extra 1/2" on the Panny is of no consequence to me.

Frankly, what I'm waiting for is another weather sealed prime. Olympus, are you listening? I want a weather sealed "walk about" prime. Anywhere between 17mm and 30mm is fine. F2 or there abouts would be ideal. And yes, pancake would be nice.

Sigma - how about weathersealing those two primes?

Someone? Anyone? Bueller?

Apples and oranges / "horses for courses": E-M1 and E-PM2.

 

[mh2000]

Like Godfrey, I have an EM1, so the extra 1/2" on the Panny is of no consequence to me.

Frankly, what I'm waiting for is another weather sealed prime. Olympus, are you listening? I want a weather sealed "walk about" prime. Anywhere between 17mm and 30mm is fine. F2 or there abouts would be ideal. And yes, pancake would be nice.

Sigma - how about weathersealing those two primes?

Someone? Anyone? Bueller?

The Sigma lenses are meant to be dirt cheap and they are... doubt there's any hope to get those weather sealed.

Even when I've had weather sealed gear I didn't go out and shoot in the rain, so it's a non-issue for me, but for internal focusing primes I can't image that it is all that hard to do and it'd certainly make a prime seem much more "premium" and help justify a premium price IMO. So sure, why not?

(Even though as a bottom feeder, I want the cheap options as well!)