Leica 25mm worldwide shipment started (review at Clubsnap).
The new Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 is finally shipping worldwide. As usual japanese shops like Amazon.co.jp are the first to have them in Stock. The guys over at Clubnsap (Click here) were very fast in reviewing one of he first production samples. What are there conclusions? Read here (but please visit their website to see the full image samples!):
“Bokeh:
Only one comment, Sweet ! Besides of Nokton f0.95, this is m4/3 largest aperture AF lens. f1.4 allow good indoor shot. (indoor/lowlight field test in next thread)
Optical Quality:
Very sharp. I have not shot with Leica Summilux/summicron mounted on m4/3 cam before, but up to date, this is the sharpens m4/3 fens I have used. It is certainly a mile ahead of Panny 20mm f1.7
Corner Sharpness:
Have not done pixel mapping or MTF chart. But based on eye ball judgment, the corner performance has held up pretty well. Only at the 3-5% corner, you would see some softening.
CA:
Very well controlled and hardly noticed. In extreme conditions, there is only small amount of purple fringe.
AF:
Though mounted on first m4/3 camera EP1, the focusing is pretty fast. I have also tested this lens on GF3 and EP3, the AF is almost instant. Hardly imagine how could the AF can further improved. However, similar to Lumix 20mm f1.7, it has some unpleasant motor sound when the apertures move during focusing.”
Check the preorder status at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay! Click on shop names to visit the search page (Some websites may not do list the lens!).
One more thing: The Panasonic GF3 and G3 are still not in Stock in US stores? Are we experiencing the usual US supply problems?
Panasonic GF3 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Panasonic G3 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Share
Recent comments
Comment from Jojo: Just a side issue point, but actually a ...
Comment from cL: Are there still lenses that have rotatin...- Comment from cL: Flare could due to many different things...
- Comment from cL: I see the Leica magic there. Pretty wel...
twoomy
10 months ago |Yay! Hope it makes its way to the US soon!
Alice
10 months ago |Can we make it a rule that you cannot test bokeh by taking pictures of close ups? I mean, any camera can do that-including my $50 point and shoot!
Though bokeh is an obvious gimmie for close-ups, there should be a rule that bokeh should only be assessed if you are taking pictures of subjects that are at least, say, 5 feet or more away? Why?
Why have a fast lens and test bokeh with a closeup given that a point and shoot can do it as well. Get the point?
fta
10 months ago |what the? Was that lens already dropped in the photo above?
GreyOwl
10 months ago |Looks a bit rough to me as well; what are those black marks by ‘Leica’? Paint?
WT21
10 months ago |I think someone was eating a greasy burger, and then touched that front part.
reggieandtfe
10 months ago |Does the front element move during focusing? ie does it rotate or rack in & out like the 17mm/2.8 and 20mm/1.7?
cL
10 months ago |Are there still lenses that have rotating front elements??? I thought that type of lenses are phasing out…. Anyways, those lens shouldn’t cause too much problem unless you use PL or gradient ND filters.
GreyOwl
10 months ago |There is no aperture ring, as stated, on this M4/3rds lens; only on the 4/3rds version is there an aperture ring.
Fish
10 months ago |A mile ahead of the 20mm? Is that right? It has been a while since I looked at reviews but I thought that it was a closer contest between the two lenses, with one have better centre sharpness and the other being more consistent across the frame.
If it really is that much sharper than the 20mm – I should reconsider buying it.
Starred
10 months ago |+1
Hope they will be compared soon
Mike
10 months ago |I don’t think any lens can be “a mile ahead” of the 20mm. It can’t be sharper than the sensor can resolve, so the difference can only be minimal – if there is any.
Jojo
10 months ago |Just a side issue point, but actually a lens can be sharper than the sensor/film can resolve – more is definitely better. The final resolution of an optical system depends on the resolution of all the parts (1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2, etc).
Nico Foto
10 months ago |Boring pics, i’d rather see real world usage to evaluate how the lens performs…I’m sorry if i sound grumpy, but, i’m so fed up with those pics of whatever is lying on the desktop…i’d rather see some portraits, or some low light stuff on a cafe…meaningful photography, you know? This kind of soulless stuff bores me to death and tells me nothing of how the lens might perform when i’m out taking pictures…I understand they probably were in a hurry to publish the review or whatever…but…what’s the point?
Ulli
10 months ago |its to make us envy them
Nico Foto
10 months ago |LOL
WT21
10 months ago |I agree — flipped through them very quickly.
Diti
10 months ago |Is it focus-by-wire (servo lens)? To know if it would be better than the 20mm for follow focus…
The Master
10 months ago |The Amazon link is for the 4/3 verison and B and H isn’t taking pre orders.
Rado Stefano
10 months ago |It is focus by wire unfortunately.
Mr. Reeee
10 months ago |Unfortunately, it’s focus-by-wire… awful. Glad I got a Voigtländer Nokton 25mm!
It’s funny how many seem to think that taking photos is next to impossible without such things as AF and electronic image stabilization.
Narretz
10 months ago |Remind me, focus by wire means that the lens onyl focusses (manually and AF) when it has a power supply?
Frederick Hew
10 months ago |Yes.
Basically it means the focus ring is not physically coupled to the helicoid inside the lens barrel – it is an infinite rotary encoder that transmit messages to the camera body when turned (in MF mode). The camera body picks up the signal and communicates electronically with the lens causing the lens motor to turn.
The only native lenses that work differently are the Nokton and the new Olympus 12mm (the latter has the AF mechanism typical to 4/3 and m4/3 and physically coupled MF action).
frank
10 months ago |I don’t think that is correct. As far as I understood the olympus 12/2 also does MF by wire, only it has calibration and end-stops. But is has no MF helicoid with mechanical interaction between the focus ring and the lens as traditional MF lenses do. It is still focus-by-wire, except executed in a better way.
Frederick Hew
10 months ago |I didn’t open one up or hold one in my hand, so I can not base my claim on first hand knowledge.
One the other hand, if the focus ring rotates infinitely in AF mode but not in MF mode then this is most probably the way it was implemented. It just doesn’t make engineering sense otherwise.
Jeff
10 months ago |I played with one in a retail store. Even with the mf mode, it definitely seemed focus by wire. In fact it seemed even discretized, as in rotate a bit and then a new focus distance snaps into place, and so on…
Frederick Hew
10 months ago |Thanks Jeff.
Bu
10 months ago |Ditto @ what Nico said. Seriously, who takes photos of collections of items on a table…
andy
10 months ago |Seems to have a lot of lens flare despite that nano-coating
cL
10 months ago |Flare could due to many different things. But easiest way to prevent it is ALWAYS use a hood (even indoor shots you want to use a hood, not for flare but for prettier photos with more saturated color). Another thing people overlook is, wipe clean that front element…. Any finger print or oily residue on it would cause light to bent in a weird way and cause flare. In certain light condition it’s more visible than other…. That’s also a reason I am a proponent of using a UV filter (get a good one, not the $3 one which degrades your lens and cause more ghosting than not using it), so you don’t scrub your front lens element all the time when you clean your lens. Clean lens = sharper image and less flare/ghosting.
blane
10 months ago |hey… Check out the B&H website. it says this lense will arrive July this month. fingers crossed!! hopefully they will have it shipped beginning of August!
does anyone know the official US release date?
blane
10 months ago |Question…. Admin. which would you consider for your M4/3, the 25mm DG leica, or the 12mm Zuiko coming out? i would assume Leica would take better portraits, but then again its $200 cheaper. hmmm. im still in the middle on this.
any answers?
frank
10 months ago |you can not compare these two lenses, they are worlds apart in application
Kenn
10 months ago |hey… Check out the B&H website. it says this lense will arrive July this month. fingers crossed!! hopefully they will have it shipped beginning of August!
does anyone know the official US release date?
Kenn
10 months ago |Question…. Admin. which would you consider for your M4/3, the 25mm DG leica, or the 12mm Zuiko coming out? i would assume Leica would take better portraits, but then again its $200 cheaper. hmmm. im still in the middle on this.
any answers?
frank
10 months ago |see above, you can not compare these two lenses, they are worlds apart in application
Kenn
10 months ago |i am very new to photography… have no clue what makes them different.
Ahem
10 months ago |The 25mm lens is a “normal” lens, ie. the perspective it has is close to what humans see with unaided eye. The focal length is VERY good as a first lens for this reason, and it’s arguably suitable for more shooting situations than any other single focal length.
The 12mm is a wide-angle lens. It is good for landscapes, cityscapes, and anything that requires a wider view of the scene, including group portraits. It’s also good for indoor shooting since it’s a “fast” lens (ie. low minimum f-stop number), which allows you to take photos in less light with less chance of blurring due to camera movement.
The 25mm lens is an ok lens for full-length portraits, but for anything closer than that it’s probably too wide. If you take a close-up of a face with the 25mm, the face will look ever-so-slightly distorted. Many don’t mind the distortion (it’s not THAT bad
), but many do. A 50+mm lens on an MFT would be considered a facial portrait focal length.
Kenn
10 months ago |thanks for the explanation. i think i get it….
cL
10 months ago |@Bruce
I think the best way is to try them. Everyone’s eyes are a little different and we shoot differently because of that. If you’re new to photography, I highly recommend you start with a standard zoom and you’ll find out which focal length is more natural to you. I mean, just shoot one scene, without looking at the lens barrel, and just zoom in on a scene that you feel it’s what you envisioned in your head. Then find out what’s that focal length afterward. Do a little statistic (don’t need to be formal, a mental note would be good enough). You’ll eventually find out which one works out for you best and then invest in that focal length.
Michael
10 months ago |I pre-ordered one from the Japanese Amazon store (admitedly on the last ‘pre-order’ day), and the lens has been delayed shipping for 2 weeks. Either there are a lot of orders, or Panasonic hasn’t produced enough. Or both.
Forrestsun
10 months ago |Tried it on g2 in a local henrys (not for sale, a pana rep brought it in for demo). Honestly was expecting better look than what it it. Did not notice leica mark on the lens, just the ususal pana lens look. Focus by wire. Autofocus is fast. However when shootingg video the autofocus wasn,t as fast as the kit lens. On a side note, without apeture ring means no adjustment for those scene modes or creative modes, which i really started to like a lot recently.
MrL
10 months ago |the photos don´t work… omg
sneye
10 months ago |Some samples I’ve seen suggest that the 25 Summilux is somewhat of a specialty lens. It has its own character, demonstrated in the subtle “texture” in out-of-focus rendition of surfaces. The micro-contrast seems outstanding at large apertures, a feature that enhances form in directionally-lit scenes. In those regards the 25/1.4 is superior to the 20/1.7. However, making the most of this lens requires a good understanding of light. In most situations the pancake will be just as good.
Here is an example of what I mean (shot with the 4/3 version):
http://g1.img-dpreview.com/DF034CE1BCA246E0AA0D0C756F2813C6.jpg
Frederick Hew
10 months ago |Cute dog. I have the 4/3 version as well, so I’m very interested to see how the new version compares from an IQ POV.
cL
10 months ago |I see the Leica magic there. Pretty well done shot.
I think making the most of any lens is still a big duty of the photographer.
EvieEff
10 months ago |The dimensions of the lens in the review are wrong. The picture shows a filter diameter of 46mm, not the 62mm of the review. The size and weight are too big for a lens with that size of front element (over a pound!), unless it’s made of uranium.