Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 review at Optyczne.
The polish website Optyczne (Click here to read the translation) intensively tested the new Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 lens. In short they say the image quality is “sensational” in the center of the frame (even at f/1.4!). The border quality is not exceptional at the widest aperture. You have to stop down to get top results on the edges of the frame. There is only a small amount of Chromatic Aberration and Astigmatism. You can also take pictures of light sources like Sun or Lights as there is no problem with flare. The only “negatives” is the little bit too high vignetting at f/1.4 aperture and marked coma.
The Panasonic Leica lens is in Stock at Amazon US (overpriced), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here) and of course plenty of them are sold via asian resellers on eBay (Click here).
More preorder search at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
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Recent comments
Comment from Hassler: well not all people center their subject...
Comment from John Krumm: The 4/3 25mm 1.4 is also a quite large l...
Comment from Frederick Hew: You may be right, I'm hardly an expert i...
Comment from dan: When will they ship to the US from Amazo...
Kylberg
9 months ago |I own one of theese and can confirm that it delivers consistent high quality results. Color render and (micro)contrast is is great if not on “real Leica” level.
However I also own a 20/1,7; at half the prize and size this lens is very good too. If you are a 20/1,7 owner and consider the 25mm, think through before you buy! Do I need the 25mm perspective? Need I always optimize image quality?
I will keep booth lenses; the 20mm beeing the lightest option to bring when I walk the dog. When I am on a “photo mission” I bring the 25mm too.
Jim
9 months ago |Yeh i would love f1.4 25mm but realisticly the f1.7 20mm will be far more affordable and i doubt will dissapoint! I can always crop a little and turn the iso up 1/2 stop!… I just cant bring myself to spend out on that 1.4, when i could have the 1.7 + 9-18mm for similar price!
Anonymous
9 months ago |It seems like the review said the Old Leica Summilux D 25 F1.4 is better than the new Leica DG Summilux,…
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |Where does it say that?
Pupkind
9 months ago |Just compare with the classic 4/3 Leica resolution graph at the same site…
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |No, those measurements were not conducted on the same camera.
The older PL25 was tested on an E-3: a 10MP camera with a strong AA filter. The newer version was tested on the E-PL1: a 12MP camera with a very week AA filter. The same exact lens tested on both cameras would measure much better on the E-PL1.
Besides, the poster above claims the older PL25 is better – not worse as a naive interpretations of the measurements would suggest.
I have the older version, and would be very interested to see how they compare from an IQ point of view. The only way to do that would be to mount both on the same m43 camera.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |If you take a look at the 150 f/2 reviews, you will see that it measured about the same (in the image center) as the older PL on the E-3.
The 150 is probably the sharpest lens for reflex 43rds, it’s a masterpiece. The older PL25 is nowhere as sharp (judging by comparative tests and actual pictures taken with those lenses), but measures similarly on the E-3.
Measured on an E-PL1 (or GH2 or G3), the difference between these lenses would be more pronounced, not just near the frame edges.
Boooo!
9 months ago |We know that the limit of the E-3 is somewhere around 51 lpmm on those graphs, whereas lenses they tested on the E-PL1 had 81 lpmm with the PL 45mm macro.
If we assume that the PL45 is equal in sharpness to the 150 and do something very simplistic, then we need to divide 80 by 50 to get a factor of 1.6, which the old E-3 lens graphs need to be multiplied with in order to get the equivalent lens sharpness if tested on the E-PL1.
So, if we apply the 1.6x multiplier to the old 4/3 PL25, we get:
f/1.4 = 64 / 50
f/2 = 77 / 53
f/2.8 = 81 / 56
f/4 = 82 / 61
The new m4/3 PL25 is:
f/1.4 = 59 / 33
f/2 = 72 / 38
f/2.8 = 74 / 60
f/4 = 75 / 68
Fairly similar.
But is it correct? Who the hell knows. This logic may not even apply. I have no idea why the Optyczne/Lenstip guys didn’t already make a comparison test so we can get a better feel for the difference.
What we DO know is that the old PL25 has less vignetting and less distortion.
YouDidntDidYou: The aperture ring on the old PL25 only works on Panasonic 4/3 DSLRs (and nowhere else), plus it doesn’t have a mechanical focus ring.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |I don’t think this is correct – IMO a better resolving sensor would make the differences between very good lenses (e.g. older PL25) and outstanding lenses (e.g. 150mm) very obvious.
The aperture ring on the PL25 works on my G1 and G3. I’ve looked up the forums and apparently it doesn’t work on Olympus bodies (micro or otherwise).
Personally, I prefer to keep the ring locked in the “A” position and use the click wheel. Other may prefer it otherwise.
****
I actually wrote lenstip a few weeks ago and asked them whether they could compare the old and the new versions. They wrote me back and told me a review was coming, but eventually did not conduct an actual comparison between the two.
If there’s anyone in Berlin with the newer version that is interested in this as much as I am, we could get together and take some comparative sample shots.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |Very interesting, your comment regarding distortion.
The new PL 25mm obviously employs software distortion correction, while the PL 45mm macro corrects distortion optically (based on the JPG to RAW comparison on lenstip/ optyczne).
Apparently the “Leica” designation does not necessarily mean no software correction.
Pupkind
9 months ago |I do not mean raw numbers indeed. I suggested that the shape of the center/edge resolution curves should be compared, not the numbers. And if you look at the curves (especially the edge curve) you will see that the “new” Leica does not offer uncompromised quality at 1.4, while the old Leica does.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |You may be right, I’m hardly an expert interpreter of MTF curves (I kind of consider it an arcane, esoteric art
I’d still like to see the two lenses compared.
YouDidntDidYou
9 months ago |think I would prefer the original Leica 25mm f1.4 for it’s weight, aperture ring and the feel of the manual focus ring plus I can use it on all my cameras…
Nate
9 months ago |Let’s measure everything by a gnat’s eyelash!?
kesztió
9 months ago |As the focus normally should be anyway within the center of the frame (or at least enough far from the borders) I cannot see why it’s so important for a bright, small DOF lens to be sharp on the edges as well.
Mar
9 months ago |If you take enviromental portraits and don’t wish to have your subjects in the dead centre, but on the sides or the corners (golden selection).
Although there are some interesting options on a dslr world such as 35mm 1.8 being small and much cheaper.
I’d much rather see 17mm 1.4 which makes sense more and doesn’t have competition in apsc, only much bigger and more expensive FF dslrs.
kesztió
9 months ago |Golden selection still means enough far from the corners (1/3 : 2/3)
jules
9 months ago |When focus is at infinity, borders may matter.
YouDidntDidYou
9 months ago |“focus normally should be anyway within the center of the frame” that’s the last place to frame, you should use portion of your frame and your lens should be sharp edge to edge
like the original Leica 25mm f1.4
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |The original PL25mm is FAR from being sharp edge to edge. I don’t know how you can make this claim – have you ever used the lens?
Boooo!
9 months ago |You misunderstood him. He meant “place the subject near the middle and then crop the photo later”.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |OK, sorry. It still doesn’t make so much sense to me, though. Maybe it’s just me…
Boooo!
9 months ago |It’s not just you
The old PL25 indeed isn’t sharp on the edges (partly because it’s so damn sharp in the middle!), but what he meant was that if you place the subject near the center and crop later, you get very high edge-to-edge sharpness.
YouDidntDidYou
9 months ago |@Fredererick Haws
yeah use it nearly every day for the last 4 years, am at about 300,000 photos with and it looks edge to edge sharp to me…
@Boooo!
I only crop a handful of photos a year.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |Then maybe you have a much better copy than the one I have and those used by photozone and lenstip for evaluation.
Nevertheless, I still think it’s a great lens!
Hassler
9 months ago |well not all people center their subjects.
you ever read a book about COMPOSITION??
James
9 months ago |I’ve just received a new 25/1.4 and will be using it soon. Already got a GH2 with 20/1.7. Love the m43 system with these good lenses. Expensive, but nice.
mikep
9 months ago |Is the above image of the 25mm 1.4 lens:
1-a CG?
2-a picture taken by a MF cam?
3-taken by a GH2 and the 25mm 1.4?
What do you think?
anentropic
9 months ago |my vote would be CG
flash
9 months ago |2; or a Pentex 645 with lots of light; or a old 43rds format camera with less light. THe C and N companies cameras would not be used, I suspect, in a Pany product studio shoot.
Above with Photoshop,that is what the EXF shows, but does not list camera.
Kaiser Soze
9 months ago |When I saw some product shots being taken at Olympus corp, they were using a MF camera with a Phase 1 back. I sure Panasonic, Canon, and Nikon for that matter use about the same thing.
G13RS
9 months ago |I’ve been taking shots with the Leica DG and the Nokton for a few days now at all sorts of apertures.
The Leica is very good but unfortunately will not much the Nokton! Most of the Leica images have less details and the lens can’t handle the light as well as the Nokton. Also the Leica images don’t have the 3d effect of the Nokton where the subject in focus seems to jump out of the background.
I was bit disappointed as my plan was to sell the Nokton and keep the Leica. At the moment I am preparing a video with several comparison shots and also video with both lenses. For now check a few shots here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanastasiou/sets/72157627458164849/
Of course the Leica is much cheaper than the Nokton but I would expect it to at least much the quality of the photos.
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |The Nokton is sharper – stop for stop – than the older PL25mm.
There are things, though, that the older PL25mm does much better: it has better color, better micro-contrast, better bokeh (f/1.4 and smaller apertures) and more harmonic transition between focus and out of focus which gives objects a nice 3d look.
I use both on a regular basis, both are very good. The PL25 would be my first choice for portraits (when the ZD50mm is too tight) because skin tones look much better on it. The Nokton would be my first choice for low light scenarios as it lets so much light in.
frosti7
9 months ago |according to LL and other articles, the smaller the sensor – the less light it can collect by large aperture lens (not talking bout sensitivity)
I would be extremely curious to know if your M43 camera indeed shows one stop faster shutter speed on the f0.95 compared to f1.4(preferably on the PL25)
thanx!!
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |Short answer, after having checked this out right now – YES.
What would result in 1/40 sec exposure at f/0.95 (Nokton) corresponds to 1/20 sec exposure at f/1.4 (older PL25mm)… both at ISO 400.
Any differences, as far as understand have less to do with the size of the sensor rather with it’s ability to deal with light coming at an oblique angle. Then there are the differences between F and T values where the F value represents the absolute theoretical maximum and the T value represents actual measurements of the transmitted light (the glass elements and coating “eat” light i.e. I guess it is bounced off the glass and/ or converted to heat).
It would be fair to assume that the Nokton has a T value smaller than f/0.95 and the PL less than f/1.4. Anyway the end result amounts to exactly one stop.
frosti7
9 months ago |Good to know!
thanx!
Is the DOF at 0.95 is considerably more pronounced then at f1.4, for say, an object distanced at 2.4 meter?
Frederick Hew
9 months ago |A bit, don’t expect miracles though.
WT21
9 months ago |I canceled my PL25 pre-order. Three months on, and my priorities have changed.
Phooey on Panny.
dan
9 months ago |When will they ship to the US from Amazon at normal prices??????
John Krumm
9 months ago |The 4/3 25mm 1.4 is also a quite large lens, almost as large as my Oly 12-60. I would only get it if you had a 4/3 system to use it on too. Anyway, a friend of mine just bought this one with the EP3 and loves it so far for indoor family shooting (he has the 5Dm2 and various fast lenses too).