[ BBBBug ] - 12mm f/2 available at BHphoto and Amazon

[MichaelLee]

Prices seem to work out to about $1100 all in.

It is USD799 from US. at exchange rate 1.22, around SGD974.
Will wait for Oly SG to announce the list price, may be end of this week. I think latest by end of july.

 

[magicianhisoka]

1047 after GST though =/

 

[NazgulKing]

Agree to some extent, Panny 14mm f2.5 and Olympus 17mm f2.8 are good for street shot. I used both lenses before and not satisfied with the optical quality. The only choice I have is 12mm + 40mm combo. No ideal on the focal length, but i can overcome this manually.

The only problem is that in Asian context, 28/35 is too close for most. 50 and 75 are a better focal lengths. But for travel, the first two will be preferable. :bsmilie:

 

[MichaelLee]

The only problem is that in Asian context, 28/35 is too close for most. 50 and 75 are a better focal lengths. But for travel, the first two will be preferable. :bsmilie:

no fixed formula, depend on individual preference. I have been doing lots of street shoot with fisheye during travel.

 

[noodlehaus]

The focal length for street shooting depends mainly on your guts (how close are you willing to go), then the culture of the people/subject. Even in asia, not everyone's friendly. In SG for example, people are generally grumpy and don't want to be photographed cos they think the photo's going to be sent to stomp or some tabloid. In Vietnam or the Philippines, people are generally friendly and smile at you when they see you aiming your camera at them.

 

[MichaelLee]

In Vietnam or the Philippines, people are generally friendly and smile at you when they see you aiming your camera at them.

yup. very much depend on the countries and they way how u communicate.
so, 12mm for vietn, ph.
17mm for less friendly countries ??

back to the topic, the 12mm lens hood does not come as pacakge. and yet to be available.
not sure the price. I think it won;t be cheap. may be $80 ~ $100 ?

 

[Agrivar]

yup. very much depend on the countries and they way how u communicate.
so, 12mm for vietn, ph.
17mm for less friendly countries ??

back to the topic, the 12mm lens hood does not come as pacakge. and yet to be available.
not sure the price. I think it won;t be cheap. may be $80 ~ $100 ?

Someone on dpreview mentioned it costs USD 100

 

[MichaelLee]

Someone on dpreview mentioned it costs USD 100

me definately not buying the hood ;
i) too expensive
ii) too big the size that defeat the purpose of compact
iii) the current bag that I have, could not hold EP3+12mm+hood.

 

[NazgulKing]

me definately not buying the hood ;
i) too expensive
ii) too big the size that defeat the purpose of compact
iii) the current bag that I have, could not hold EP3+12mm+hood.

100USD for a hood?? Good Lord, and I thought the Carl Zeiss hoods at 84USD for their ZM lenses were expensive.

 

[Parka]

A quick search on 46mm lens hood on Amazon throws up this.

http://www.amazon.com/Mennon-Digital-Camcorder-Balance-Regular/dp/B001PV4JKA

us$19.87

Wonder if it fits.

 

[Evilmerlin]

It will fit, the question is whether it will cause vignetting.

 

[Agrivar]

Saw this available online in Malaysia.. not sure about the online store. Never bought from them.

http://www.ylcamera.com.my/product.php?pageid=1&prodbrowseid=3997

MYR 300 !

 

[Parka]

Some shots from the lens, shot on EPL2 with a 2-stop ND filter.

 

[rwhite]

I'm not convince with the lens for that price seriously.....

 

[NazgulKing]

??

I wouldn't mind the F2 stop really.

But priorities priorities...

I'm not convince with the lens for that price seriously.....

 

[Parka]

I'm not convince with the lens for that price seriously.....

I'm not convinced at the price also, after using it for half a day.

I bought the lens mainly to check out how good it is at subject isolation (blurring the background).
While F2 is great for low light, I really don't mind increasing ISO to get a shot with slower lens.

I still have a lot to learn about framing with this lens.

 

[NazgulKing]

I'm not convinced at the price also, after using it for half a day.

I bought the lens mainly to check out how good it is at subject isolation (blurring the background).
While F2 is great for low light, I really don't mind increasing ISO to get a shot with slower lens.

I still have a lot to learn about framing with this lens.

Erm, the lens isn't really geared for bokeh. It does it not too badly, but the depth of field is really deep for such a wide angle lens.

The whole point of focal lengths this short is to shoot street up close in tight spaces, or to do landscape.

Any other use is kinda... not really the purpose.

 

[tomcat]

24mm (35mm format equivalent) is a wide angle lens and significant and obvious rectilinear distortions are to be expected at the edges for mid distant shots. At a price >$1k a piece, we should expect a high end prime lens both optically and construction-wise. How is the sharpness at the edges? Sony has a an equivalent focal length 16mm f/2.8 pancake E lens which is significantly cheaper but is also significantly softer at the edges as such making it rather less than desireable.

 

[Evilmerlin]

An online review indicates that the corner sharpness wide open is very good.

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1444

Sharpness
The 12mm ƒ/2 is an excellently sharp lens. Wide open at ƒ/2, there's just a hint of corner softness, and stopping down to ƒ/2.8 reduces that almost completely. Tack-sharp results are available from ƒ/4 all the way to ƒ/11, where diffraction limiting begins to set in. At ƒ/16 we note some slight softness, and just slightly more at ƒ/22.

Although they also say that the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 is almost as good just not as wide and fast but at half the price.

 

[Parka]

Erm, the lens isn't really geared for bokeh. It does it not too badly, but the depth of field is really deep for such a wide angle lens.

The whole point of focal lengths this short is to shoot street up close in tight spaces, or to do landscape.

Any other use is kinda... not really the purpose.

Yeah, I would like to emphasis up close as one-arm-length up close.