[ Gadget ] - leica /pana 25mm 1.4

[Oly5050]

Reading through how some people test the lens by going into the shop and taking a few photos with the Leica lens and then looking in the camera LCD to decide that it's as sharp as their Panasonic 1.7 seems incorrect. Don't you need to download into a computer and pixel peep?

Edit: I found a resolution test on an Australian website. You can see that the Leica is far sharper than the Panny on JPEGs (you compare the red and blue lines between the 2 graphs. Ignore the RAW)

Here is the Leica 1.4

Here is the Panasonic 1.7

Woot for me. I din check the resolution or lens performance of the 25 mm before I bought. I thought that if it was nearly like the 20 mm, I would be happy. Well, since its way better, I'm an even happier camper. LOL!!

 

[nerfwings]

Sometimes buying a lens is beyond the specifications and numbers. You buy it because the focal range suits your shooting style, you like the character or the ability and sometimes maybe form factor of the lens.

Will be quite sad if you would choose to buy a lens just because its sharp, has no CA, etc. But then you don't really use it because you don't shoot that focal range or the lens character doesn't suit you.

 

[MichaelLee]

Woot for me. I din check the resolution or lens performance of the 25 mm before I bought. I thought that if it was nearly like the 20 mm, I would be happy. Well, since its way better, I'm an even happier camper. LOL!!

Though 1st time i seen this MTF chart, not surprised a at all. when i did the review for this lens, on my eye ball judgement, the resolution from center to corner is almost identical. the resolution at the corner is amazingly sharp.

 

[MichaelLee]

Its a little hard to compare actually since one is 25 mm and one is at 50 mm. If I shoot a scene, do I shoot the 25 mm 2 times closer to get the same FOV, or do I shoot at the same distance and then crop in? In both situations, there will be some differences because the amount of light that is coming to the sensor will be a little less than in the first instance. Anyway, when I get the time, I can try. Probably go and take some facial portraits with these gear and see. But from my experience, I think the 50 mm on the E5 will beat the EP3 25 mm leica. That is what I think.

not precise apple to apple comparison. just based on your experience, in term of contrast handling, color reproduction, and resolution.
if only you have the 4/3 25mm f1.4, that could be a good comparison.

 

[Oly5050]

Sometimes buying a lens is beyond the specifications and numbers. You buy it because the focal range suits your shooting style, you like the character or the ability and sometimes maybe form factor of the lens.

Will be quite sad if you would choose to buy a lens just because its sharp, has no CA, etc. But then you don't really use it because you don't shoot that focal range or the lens character doesn't suit you.

Yup you are absolutely right. Actually all I did was to decide that on the EP3, I needed something more than 20 mm, and I was happy with the 1.4, made sure the lens was not too big and heavy, checked that AF was fast on the EP3. Of course, I did check out some images, and they looked fine. But the proof of the pudding was actually after I bought the lens and took the photos that I posted in this thread. Like I said, I din bother to go and look at numbers. But its a bonus now that I know that it is supposed to be sharper.

 

[zapp!]

Yup you are absolutely right. Actually all I did was to decide that on the EP3, I needed something more than 20 mm, and I was happy with the 1.4, made sure the lens was not too big and heavy, checked that AF was fast on the EP3. Of course, I did check out some images, and they looked fine. But the proof of the pudding was actually after I bought the lens and took the photos that I posted in this thread. Like I said, I din bother to go and look at numbers. But its a bonus now that I know that it is supposed to be sharper.

Similar sentiments The moment i got the lens, i go shoot picture already. Too much reviews sometimes spoil the original purpose of photography - which is to take pictures and not compare specs.

 

[Oly5050]

As requested, just posting some shots that I took today between the 2 cameras. Sorry cannot test exactly because of the different focal lengths. Shot them both in P mode and ESP metering. AWB. ISO about 1600 for both.

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[Oly5050]

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I must say for the rabbit shots, I much prefer using the EP3. The touch screen shutter allows me to shoot LOW LOW LOW and also without having to focus and recompose. I took way more shots of the rabbit using my EP3 than the E5. All are out of camera JPEGs. All the night shots were at f1.4 or f2. The rabbit shots were at f2.8. Sorry, I just shot in P mode and the camera both chose 2.8.

 

[thenoob]

Oly5050, love our shots again, especially the nightshots and the rabbit ones. Do you have any macro or bokeh shots taken with this lens?

 

[MichaelLee]

I must say for the rabbit shots, I much prefer using the EP3. The touch screen shutter allows me to shoot LOW LOW LOW and also without having to focus and recompose. I took way more shots of the rabbit using my EP3 than the E5. All are out of camera JPEGs. All the night shots were at f1.4 or f2. The rabbit shots were at f2.8. Sorry, I just shot in P mode and the camera both chose 2.8.

thanks. I like the pic more from E5+50mm

 

[nerfwings]

wow thanks so much Oly5050 for the effort! Looks like we have quite a clear winner here. The 25mm f1.4 seems to have better definition and seems sharper. Maybe its the camera jpeg processing engine...

Non-scientific observations
25mm more detailed, looks more crispy (see shot of mica building)
25mm smoother bokeh (see rabbit, firemen and mailbox shot)
50mm more interesting bokeh (See rabbit shot, the bokeh-grass seem to have interesting highlights that is interesting and film/old lens like)

 

[tsammyc]

It also has the "leica look", which you typically have to pay $2K-$10K to get...

 

[Oly5050]

It also has the "leica look", which you typically have to pay $2K-$10K to get...

Hmmm... Wat is the leica look? Izzit the colour or the bokeh?

 

[nerfwings]

Up till now I'm still not able to find a shop that has stock for this lens..
You people who already own the lens are so lucky.

 

[Oly5050]

thanks. I like the pic more from E5+50mm

wow thanks so much Oly5050 for the effort! Looks like we have quite a clear winner here. The 25mm f1.4 seems to have better definition and seems sharper. Maybe its the camera jpeg processing engine...

Non-scientific observations
25mm more detailed, looks more crispy (see shot of mica building)
25mm smoother bokeh (see rabbit, firemen and mailbox shot)
50mm more interesting bokeh (See rabbit shot, the bokeh-grass seem to have interesting highlights that is interesting and film/old lens like)

It also has the "leica look", which you typically have to pay $2K-$10K to get...

Thanks!

But hey! I din tell you which photo was from which lens/body right? Or did you guys figure it from the exif data or something??

)

 

[nerfwings]

Figured out from the background compression of the images. Higher compression comes from a longer lens.

For each pair of pictures, 1st picture is from the 50mm and 2nd picture is from the 25mm.

 

[MichaelLee]

But hey! I din tell you which photo was from which lens/body right? Or did you guys figure it from the exif data or something??

)

the upper one from e5+50. nope ??

 

[ZoomZ]

That's weird. Lenstip website seems to have a slightly different but also detailed evaluation of the 25mm.

Though it achieved very good sharpness, but still not as sharp as the famous macro lens 45mm 2.8 leica-macro by Panasonic, and not as sharp as the Voightlander Nokton 0.95.

Compared my 25mm to my colleague's Nokton and 45mm macro lens. All 3 lens are very sharp (with Nokton step down to f2), but the macro lens and Nokton seems sharper.

Guess the macro lens still stands on it own rights being a great macro lens and nice portrait lens, while Nokton being super sharp!

Webpage://www.lenstip.com/314.4-Lens_review-Panasonic_Leica_DG_SUMMILUX_25_mm_f_1.4_ASPH._Image_resolution.html

 

[Oly5050]

That's weird. Lenstip website seems to have a slightly different but also detailed evaluation of the 25mm.

Though it achieved very good sharpness, but still not as sharp as the famous macro lens 45mm 2.8 leica-macro by Panasonic, and not as sharp as the Voightlander Nokton 0.95.

Compared my 25mm to my colleague's Nokton and 45mm macro lens. All 3 lens are very sharp (with Nokton step down to f2), but the macro lens and Nokton seems sharper.

Guess the macro lens still stands on it own rights being a great macro lens and nice portrait lens, while Nokton being super sharp!

Webpage://www.lenstip.com/314.4-Lens_review-Panasonic_Leica_DG_SUMMILUX_25_mm_f_1.4_ASPH._Image_resolution.html

Wat is wierd?

 

[tsammyc]

Hmmm... Wat is the leica look? Izzit the colour or the bokeh?

It's a combination of the sharpness, contrast and smooth bokeh.